Celebrating the 20-year anniversary of the Philippine Society for Gynecologic Endoscopy: Reflections and future prospects

On the 20th anniversary of Philippine Society for Gynecologic Endoscopy (PSGE), I am honored to extend my congratulations and share my insights as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Asia-Pacific Association for Gynecologic Endoscopy (APAGE) on the close relationship between the PSGE and the APAGE and minimally invasive therapy, and the prospects. Although it has been almost 20 years ago, I still remember attending the 2nd PSGE Annual Meeting in Manila, Philippines, in 2006 for the first time. Time has flown, 20 years have swiftly passed, I have witnessing notable development within PSGE. You can always capture and seen numerous enthusiasms and active PSGE experts and physicians at the APAGE events, significantly influencing the academic landscape in the Philippines. Since the APAGE establishment in 2003, we have collaborated with 18 societies in many countries and regions to organize various exciting meetings and workshops, which has attracted experts and doctors around the world to participate. With current membership exceeding three thousand and more, it solidifies our indispensable presence in the field of Gynecologic Endoscopy and Minimally Invasive Therapy. In every year, we conduct meetings, lectures, hands-on workshops, and training programs in the Asia-Pacific region. We also collaborate with many societies from various countries to regularly hold Annual Congress such as Hong Kong, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, China, Australia, South Korea, Taiwan, and Malaysia, which attract thousands of experts and physicians to join. Because of these connections and collaborations with APAGE, we have thriven and became an important platform for academic exchange in the Asia-Pacific region in our first decade. We sincerely appreciate all executive board, members, and presidents of societies from all over the world for your kindnesses and contributions and also giving us these opportunities to share insights with the field of gynecologic endoscopy and minimally invasive therapy. In the field of education and training, APAGE has accredited numerous training centers in the worldwide. Collaboration between APAGE and PSGE has been longstanding. Every year, many Filipino physicians undergo training at here certificated training centers around the world, thereby nurturing numerous talented individuals. Not only laparoscopy and hysteroscopy, APAGE also accredited the specialist for advanced noninvasive techniques. Such as high-intensity focused ultrasound, microwave, and radiofrequency, to help surgeons to get adequate training and quality of life in patients.[1-5] Although the accreditation of PSGE may have started recently, it is well structured. Nevertheless, I believe in the near future, APAGE and PSGE can collaborate on accreditation, advancing minimally invasive therapy in the Asia-Pacific region to new heights. In 2018, there is research indicated that despite minimally invasive treatments for cervical cancer showing better intraoperative results and higher survival rates, there is people still raised concerns within the obstetrics and gynecology community. However, upon reviewing the research and national statistical results from Denmark, the APAGE research committee found that the most likely cause was research bias. Consequently, they issued a statement asserting that further research is needed to draw definitive conclusions. Current signs from various studies suggest that minimally invasive treatments seem to be the best path forward.[6-9] The saying “after being trapped in a dead-end, suddenly there is a new village in sight” implies that when you think you have reached the end of the road, there will be a turning point. Just as we may believe that the path of minimally invasive therapy has reached its pinnacle, there always have new developments emerge.[10-13] These developments require substantial time and effort in training and education, especially in accreditation and clinical trials. Therefore, I look forward to the future collaboration in accreditation of APAGE and PSGE, where physicians from various countries can participate together in clinical trials and expert accreditation, leading gynecologic minimally invasive therapy to greater heights worldwide, achieving a brighter future. Happy 20th Anniversary to PSGE! Financial support and sponsorship Nil. Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest.