Esophageal anomalies and disorders in infancy and childhood include a wide spectrum of different diseases. These range from emergencies immediately after birth such as esophageal atresia (EA), necessitating an experienced team of neonatologists and pediatric surgeons, up to gastro-esophageal reflux disease in elder children, necessitating the pediatric gastroenterologist and visceral surgeon. In the last few years some fascinating pediatric surgical techniques have evolved, such as the thoracoscopic correction of EA or the FOKER technique for elongation in cases of long-gap, EA. Prof. Foker has developed this special traction technique and is the world's leading expert in long-gap EA.

John E. Foker John E. Foker holds the Robert and Sharon Kaster Chair in Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, in, the University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is American Board Certified in General Surgery and Thoracic Surgery. His clinical and research interests focus on enlisting biological growth signals to induce catch-up growth of hypoplastic and atretic structures so that they reach normal size and allow straight-forward repairs to be made. Principal among these conditions are esophageal atresia and hypoplastic cardiac valves and ventricles. By the use of growth signals to achieve normal-sized structures, good long term (70+ years) appear possible. EducationBachelors Degree, Harvard College, 1959 Medical Degree, Harvard medical School, 1963 Doctor of Philosophy (Microbiology/biochemistry), University of Minnesota 1968 Surgery Residency, University of Minnesota, 1963-1972 Thoracic Surgery Residency, University of Minnesota 1973-1975 Clinical Interests The staged treatment of esophageal atresia and stenosis and hypoplastic cardiac valves and ventricles by operations designed to enlist the appropriate growth signals. When sufficient growth has occurred, a standard repair can be carried out with a good long-term result. Holger KH Till, MD, PhD Professor Holger Till is currently Chair Professor of the Department of Paediatric and Adolescent Surgery at the Medical University of Graz. He attended Medical School at the University of Goettingen (Germany) and the University of California in San Diego (UCSD). He also participated in a student exchange program with the Harvard Medical School (1988) and got fascinated with pediatric surgery while working with Professor Patricia Donahoe at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. After graduation in 1989 he completed his residency in General Surgery and his fellowship in Paediatric Surgery at the Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich. At that time Prof. Joppich trained him in EA-TEF repair and gastric interpositions. In 2004 he became an Assistant Professor of Pediatric Surgery at the Chinese University of Hong Kong with Professor Yeung, who taught him a thoracoscopic approach to TEF. In 2006 he returned to Germany and accepted the Professorship for Pediatric Surgery in Leipzig and in 2012 he followed Prof. Michael Höllwarth on the chair position of one of the largest departments of paediatric surgery in the German speaking community. Traditionally this unit has an extensive expertise in upper-GI-Surgery and functional analyses in children. Professor Till is a member of numerous professional and scientific societies, but also supports parental groups, especially for children with esophageal atresia (KEKS) and gastroesophageal reflux (Refluxkinder e.V.). His present research focusses on the gastrointestinal tract and its metabolic and microbiological functions. He has published more than 130 scientific articles in national and international indexed journals and presented more than 100 abstracts. George W. Holcomb Dr. George W. Holcomb III is Professor of Surgery and Surgeon-In-Chief at The Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri. He is board certified in general surgery and pediatric surgery, and has a special interest in minimally invasive surgery and prospective clinical trials. He is a member of numerous professional and surgical societies, including the American Surgical Association, the American Pediatric Surgical Association, the European Pediatric Surgeons Association and the British Association of Pediatric Surgeons. In addition, he is a past president of the International Pediatric Endosurgical Group. Mike Thomson MBChB DCH FRCP FRCPCH MD Mike Tho