As soon as this autumn, Rzeszów will become a capital city of Polish Neurosurgery. Since many years, Rzeszów has been perceived also as the capital of innovation and the city of broad perspectives. Being a major center of scientific, academic and cultural life for Southeastern Poland, Rzeszów offers a perfect dwelling for neurosurgery as a discipline with ultimate technical demands. To pay a tribute to this sophistication, we have summoned the top personalities and teams among the Polish and global medical specialists, who will between 20 to 23 September 2023 become a living proof that development in neurosurgery in still based on novel and effective ideas. For Rzeszów – the capital city of innovation – this means that the neurosurgery is coming home.

Rzeszów is also the capital city of Subcarpathian Voivodeship, declaring itself as the open space. This esteem is also mirrored in frame program of upcoming meeting, which is open for the full diversity of neurosurgery. Our program contains a broad spectrum of the main topics, including neurooncology (treatment strategies in low grade gliomas, parasellar tumors, intramedullary tumors and stereoradiosurgery of brain tumors), neurovascular (unruptured aneurysms of anterior part of Willis circle, vertebrobasilar aneurysms, supra- and infratentorial vascular malformations) and spinal neurosurgery (degenerative disease of cervical spine, minimal invasive surgical techniques of lumbar spine). The spirit of novelty with growing importance of minimal invasive surgery will be represented by topic of endoscopic techniques in neurosurgery and surgery of skull base while according to the tradition of the past PTNCh congresses, several key sessions of the meeting are dedicated to pediatric neurosurgery and functional neurosurgery. Also in this year, the experience of masters will meet the trainees’ enthusiasm during young neurosurgeons’ session. An extraordinary space for discussion is provided by controversial topics including the role of decompressive craniectomy in modern neurotraumatology. Our meeting will also encompass several sessions and workshops targeted toward nursing (including scrub nursing), psychology and rehabilitation in neurosurgery, expanding the congress invitation to all persons involved in neurosurgical treatment, both by profession and by passion. Because not only Subkarpathian Province but also neurosurgery is an open space.

According to historical frame, both Subcarpathian Voivodeship and Rzeszów belongs to Galicia. This region, due to its geographical location and cultural influences has served as a melting pot for ideas and intellectual currents of several cultures and nations, including the diverse temperaments of prominent individuals representing them. The multiculturality of Galicia, which remained the southeast frontier of Poland is acknowledged by inviting our fellows from partner Southeast Europe Neurosurgical Society (SeENS) to participate in the meeting. The presence of many colleagues from southern part of Three Seas area should provide the unique opportunity to exchange many ideas, join the fruitful cooperations and create – or keep – personal bounds in favor of most effective neurosurgery development in this part of Europe. Rzeszów and Subcarpathian region, due to heritage of its colorful history (including Castle in Łańcut) and due to the picturesque scenery of eastern Carpathian foreland (preserved in the Folk Museum in Kolbuszowa) is the perfect environment not only for the sprouting of new concepts in our heads and for the fruitful discussions on them but also for the serene leisure time after intensive congress sessions. Let’s get charmed by the great nature as well as cultural and historical diversity of our region.

The Organizing and Scientific Committee together with UNISONO Company will be privileged to host you all as the welcomed guests in Rzeszów, the open-minded heart of innovative Podkarpacie.