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"Everything rests on the ability to offer a scientific program of such quality that it concretely transforms the professional practice of the congress participants."
Jean-Paul Meningaud, MD, PhD, is a Professor of Plastic Surgery, Head of the Department of Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgery, and Director of the Department of Ambulatory Surgery at Henri Mondor Hospital (Hospitals of Paris). A member of the European Board of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery, he holds a diploma in microsurgery and a HDR (Habilitation à Diriger des Recherches), a postdoctoral degree that authorizes the holder to supervise other researchers. Professor Meningaud and his team have extensive experience in the feasibility, reproducibility, risks, and benefits of facial transplantation. He received the James Barret Brown Award in 2011 in the United States. He served as president of the European Association for Cranio Maxillo Facial Surgery from 2018 to 2020. He was the founder of the Specialized Studies Diploma in oral surgery and its first national coordinator. He oversees ten university degrees in aesthetic medicine, microsurgery, and dental implants. He conducts research in regenerative medicine and aesthetic surgery. A certified expert by the Cour de Cassation (the highest judicial court in France), he is a full member of the French National Academy of Surgery. He is the President of the AIME Congress for Surgery and Aesthetic Medicine. He is one of the founding fathers of the Inter-University Diploma in Aesthetic Medicine, which grants the title of aesthetic physician, and its first national coordinator.
From the end of high school, I naturally turned to a career as a researcher, deeply influenced by the work of Watson and Crick on the structure of the DNA double helix. Thus, I began scientific studies at the University of Jussieu, with the ambition to specialize in molecular pharmacology. I had the opportunity to participate in cutting-edge research, notably on the first total synthesis of PAF acether.
At the same time, I enrolled in medicine, although I was not entirely convinced at first. However, over the years and encounters, medicine gradually captured all my attention and passion. My first internship in the cardiology intensive care unit was a turning point. The pragmatic dimension of this specialty then led me to surgery, and it was plastic surgery that truly seduced me, particularly with its holistic approach and the importance it places on patient psychology.
Nevertheless, my passion for research remained intact. Today, I have more than 280 publications referenced on PubMed, demonstrating my commitment and continuous contribution to the advancement of scientific knowledge.
They constitute a crucial intervention, situated at the intersection of surgical prowess, the frontiers of immunology, and the psychological limits of the patient. This experience truly pushes you beyond yourself. I also had to face the intensity of media exposure, a dimension for which we were obviously not prepared.
I continue my commitment to this project, caring for transplant patients in chronic rejection facing critical situations due to contraindications to retransplantation. These are extreme cases in reconstructive surgery with unprecedented complexity on all fronts—technical, psychological, and immunological. Currently, I am developing an alternative to allotransplantation for major facial reconstructions. This aspect of my work remains largely unknown, as I am often perceived solely as a specialist in aesthetic procedures. This perception does not bother me, as my primary goal is to alleviate suffering. It is crucial to recognize that aesthetic issues can also lead to significant distress.
To be honest, I am very worried. No one dares to talk about it, but we are facing a generation that, during their childhood, had very few opportunities to engage in manual work. Yet, everyone agrees that Surgery is undoubtedly the most demanding manual activity in the world.
Surgical dexterity is acquired like a foreign language: the younger you start, the more instinctive the mastery. Try learning English (or French) at 14: with effort, you will speak correctly. But you will never be completely bilingual. The same goes for the precision of the surgical gesture.
In the past, children engaged in multiple manual activities: they changed the spokes of their bike, repaired flat tires with patches, built airplane or boat models, made cabins, knitted, embroidered... So many formative experiences that have disappeared and are sorely lacking today.
You might have heard this classic joke: A person on the street asks a passerby, 'How do I get to Carnegie Hall?' The passerby responds, 'Practice, practice, practice!' The secret to success can be summed up in three words: work, work, work. Everything rests on the ability to offer a scientific program of such quality that it concretely transforms the professional practice of the congress participants. Every hour invested must translate, for them, into a real gain: an enriched activity, both more intense and more qualitative. To achieve this goal, there is no mystery: you must be at the forefront of advances and know how to attract the best speakers from around the world.
Professor Hersant and I have had the privilege of being invited for over a decade to share our work at scientific conferences around the world. Many opinion leaders we invite today to our own congress are long-time friends. We wanted to bring them together in Paris, both to offer our audience the benefit of their expertise and to maintain these bonds that unite us. By a natural ripple effect, each of them comes accompanied by their own audience, further enriching the scope of our event.
In recent years, advances have been remarkable in almost all areas: whether it be Energy-Based Devices, injection techniques, regenerative medicine, hair transplants, menopause management, eco-aging, anti-aging, new tension threads, or medical cosmetology, progress is constant and stimulating. All innovations in these areas will be highlighted.
This year, we wanted to particularly spotlight Aesthetic Surgery, giving a special place to maxillofacial surgery and oculoplastic surgery. An entire room will be dedicated to them throughout the congress.
AIME occupies a unique position, halfway between the very large international congresses such as IMCAS or AMWC, and regional congresses, which also have their legitimacy. AIME thus offers a hybrid format: a program that is both dense, international, and accessible, allowing congress participants to fully grasp all the content.
Its second particularity lies in its leadership: two academics at its head, bringing a resolutely academic and rigorous vision.
Finally, since its creation, AIME's DNA rests on a clear requirement: to deliver directly applicable knowledge, concrete and transferable knowledge, immediately useful in the daily practice of participants.
I am convinced that the new DIU, granting the title of aesthetic doctor, constitutes both a lever for regulation and a tool for regularization for practitioners who devote most of their careers to aesthetic medicine. Beyond this framework, it will mainly contribute to a qualitative improvement of practices in this field.
In any case, the needs of the population will continue to grow, particularly in Europe. It is therefore imperative to accompany this evolution by actively engaging in the training of professionals.
