BIARGS hopes to encompass those interested in robotic surgery for both benign and malignant conditions, and thus to fulfil a separate purpose to either the BGCS (British Gynaecological Cancer Society) or the BSGE (British Society of Gynaecological Endoscopy).
BIARGS is a charitable society society of professional from all disciplines of gynaecological surgery including surgeons, trainees, nurses and allied specialist. The society’s main interest is facilitating education, training and safe implementation of robotic surgery in gynaecology to improve surgical outcomes. Robotic surgery in the UK and Ireland expanding rapidly and will undoubtedly become a major part of practice in coming years. BIARGS aims to be a leader in this development and work with robotic industry to ensure the implementation of any new technique is safe and meets clinical governance standards. To meet this requirement BIARGS has developed the First assistant training module and BIARGS training curriculum for gynaecology which is being considered to be incorporated with RCOG/ATSM modules. Robotic gynaecological surgeons in UK and Ireland have access to BIARGS annual returns audit to gain BIARGS recognised robotic surgeon status and BIARGS/SERGS membership benefits for maintaining CPD.
history
The first gynaecological robotic case in the UK was performed by Thomas Ind and Professor John Shepherd in 2007 who performed a hysterectomy at The Royal Marsden Hospital. The first gynaecological robotic surgery programme in the UK was launched at The Royal Surrey County Hospital by Peter Barton-Smith, Simon Butler-Manuel and Anil Tailor in 2009. Since then more robots have been acquired by hospitals, and more gynaecologists have adopted robotic surgery. Currently there are close to 100 robots in the UK.
BIARGS was created in 2010 by Peter Barton-Smith, Professor John Shepherd and Professor Jeremy Wright as a forum for surgeons starting in robotics for benign and oncological surgery. BIARGS became a national society affiliated to SERGS (Society of European Robotic Surgery) and became a recognised specialist society at the RCOG after 6th annual BIARGS 2015 meeting held at WUTH, Wirral. BIARGS takes part in RCOG scientific meetings and advising the college where appropriate, and is just completing an RCOG Scientific Impact Paper. BIARGS has developed robotic training curriculum for first assistant and robotic ATSM and is working with RCOG for incorporation in gynaecology specialist training programme. BIARGS organised the SERGS meeting in London in 2013 and the 2020 BIARGS/SERGS meeting in Cork on BIARGS 10th anniversary (Held virtually due to COVID-19 pandemic).
The inaugural meeting of BIARGs was held on 12 and 13 October 2010 at the RCOG (Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists) and was attended by overseas experts Arnold Advincula and John Dulemba who became honorary members. Since then, scientific annual meetings have been held at the following venues:
Annual Scientific Meetings
| Date | Location | Organiser |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 9th Newcastle | Tony Chalhoub |
| 2018 | 8th Guildford | Simon Butler-Manuel |
| 2017 | 7th Leicester | Esther Moss |
| 2015 | 6th The Wirral | Nahid Gul |
| 2014 | 5th Wolverhampton | AlaaElghobashy |
| 2013 | 4th London | Thomas Ind &Peter Barton-Smith |
| 2012 | 3rd Manchester | Ahmed Ahmed |
| 2011 | 2nd Cork | Matt Hewitt |
| 2010 | 1st RCOG, London | Peter Barton-Smith |
List of Officers and Council since the start of BIARGS
| 2010-2012 | |
|---|---|
| President | John Shepherd |
| Vice-President | Matt Hewitt |
| Secretary | Peter Barton-Smith |
| Treasurer | Jeremy Wright |
| Council | Thomas Ind Barry O’Reilly Ahmed Ahmed MoaidAlazzamm Simon Butler-Manuel Nick Elkington Adel Abdel-Razek |
| 2013-2015 | |
|---|---|
| President | Matt Hewitt |
| Past President | John Shepherd |
| Vice-President | Peter Barton-Smith |
| Secretary / Treasurer | Thomas Ind |
| Officers | Thomas Ind Ahmed Ahmed Simon Butler-Manuel MoaidAlazam Nick Elkington This was the year we did not get many applicants |
| 2015-2017 | |
|---|---|
| President | Peter Barton-Smith |
| Vice-President | Thomas Ind |
| Past-President | Matt Hewitt |
| Treasurer/secretary | Nick Elkington |
| Council | Simon Butler-Manuel Alan Gillespie AlaaElghobashy Anil Taylor Dezita Taylor Nahid Gul Marielle Nobbenhuis |
| 2017-2019 | |
|---|---|
| President | Thomas Ind |
| Vice-President | Nick Elkington/TD> |
| Past-President | Thomas Ind |
| Secretary / Treasurer | Marielle Nobbenhuis |
| Council | Nahid Gul Dezita Taylor Orfhlaith O’Sullivan Tony Chalhoub Alan Gillespie Esther Moss Jonathan Lippiatt AlaaElghobashy |
| 2018-present | |
|---|---|
| President | Nick Elkington |
| Vice-President | Marielle Nobenhuis |
| Past-President | Thomas Ind |
| Secretary / Treasurer | Nahid Gul |
| Council | Doreen Contreras Esther Moss Helen Smith-Clarke Jonathan Lippiatt Manou Kaur Orfhlaith O’Sullivan Tony Chalhoub |
