Over the 10-year period 1982-1991, 594 papers were read at the annual meetings of the Surgical Research Society of Southern Africa. One hundred and thirty-five (23%) reported work performed on experimental animals with a trend to an increase from this base; 152 (26%) were presentations from surgeons-in-training, also with a trend to increase over the decade. The distribution by subspecialty was: upper gastro-intestinal tract 28%; hepatobiliary 12%; vascular 16%; immunology/transplantation 9%; further subspecialties 9%; and miscellaneous 26%. Major observations are that the number of papers has doubled since the first decade, probably due to establishment of the poster session, and that presentations by surgeons-in-training remain in the minority at the Society.
General Surgery History, 20th Century