(Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine)

The 57th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society for Artificial Organs (JSAO 2019) and the 8th Meeting of the International Federation for Artificial Organs (IFAO 2019) will be held over the three days from Wednesday, November 13 to Friday, November 15, 2019 at the Osaka International Convention Center and the RIHGA Royal Hotel Osaka.

The Department of Cardiovascular Surgery of Osaka University has previously been responsible for organizing the 5th Annual Meeting (chaired by Emeritus Professor Hisao Manabe) and the 22nd Annual Meeting (chaired by Emeritus Professor Yasunaru Kawashima), and Emeritus Professor Hikaru Matsuda chaired the 39th Annual Meeting of the JSAO and the 13th Annual Meeting of the International Society for Artificial Organs (ISAO), the predecessor of the IFAO, which were held jointly. It is a great honor for us to host not only the long-standing JSAO Annual Meeting but also the IFAO Annual Meeting in Osaka.

We have chosen “Futurability” as the theme of these meetings. Futurability, a neologism created by combining the words “Future” and “Ability,” is also the registered trademark of Osaka University Hospital. Hemodialysis and other artificial organs such as ventricular assist devices are already an essential part of modern medicine. However, social transformation, including the aging of society and deteriorating medical economics, indicates that the time has come in which we must discuss the future of artificial organs. We also need to discuss how we can bring young, highly able people into this field to guarantee its future.

The programs for JSAO 2019 and IFAO 2019 will not only include presentations of the latest information and discoveries concerning artificial organs, but will also offer opportunities to engage in in-depth discussions in a wide variety of fields, including team medicine, at-home medical care, medical economics, and collaboration between industry and academia. Well-known researchers and doctors from Japan and overseas will speak on the latest global topics and the future of artificial organs, and we are also planning symposia and panel discussions to enable new messages and debates to reach both our members and the public at large.

As you will be aware, the JSAO, the American Society for Artificial Internal Organs (ASAIO), and the European Society for Artificial Organs (ESAO) are the founding members of the IFAO, and the meeting will include numerous presentations on the latest topics by participants from Asia, Europe and North America. We are also planning joint symposia with the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) and the Asia-Pacific Society for Artificial Organs (APSAO).

The mascot for the meetings is Astro Boy (known as Tetsuwan Atomu in Japanese), a cartoon character created by our illustrious predecessor in the School of Medicine of Osaka University, Dr. Osamu Tezuka.

Besides Universal Studios Japan™ , Osaka has many attractive sites to visit in November, such as the fall foliage in Osaka Castle Park and Nakanoshima Park and the Midosuji Illuminations. The venue will also offer Osaka-themed fine dining. We hope you will take this opportunity both to engage in lively discussions at the meeting and to step out and enjoy Osaka. All of us in the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery of Osaka University are making every effort to make the meetings successful, and we are grateful for your support.