BiH 
Dear Colleagues,
the 4th Congress of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons gathered in the Fellows in Science Association (hereinafter: FiS) was supposed to be held from 23 to 25 April 2020. Due to the pandemic and the COVID-19 disease, it was postponed for 26 to 28 August 2020. We did our best to organize the Congress on the new date, in August this Year, but the epidemic situation in BiH, region and the worldwide started worsening. Above all, we have analyzed the regional and Bosnian and Herzegovinian health authorities recommendations for large-scale events and come to the conclusion that we are not in a position to fulfill their requirements and guarantee a safe congress for our participants and industry partners at this time.
On behalf of the Congress Organizing Committee, I have contacted colleagues from the Associations of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons in the joint FiS Association. The unanimously supported conclusion was to postpone the Congress planned for 26 to 28 August 2020 again.
It was previously agreed to hold the 5th Congress in Dubrovnik from 14 to 17 April 2021.
After several consultative sessions, the Fellows in Science Board decided on the following:
- The Congress which was to be held in 2020 in Bosnia and Herzegovina was definitely postponed for 2023;
Namely, if we postponed the Congress again for autumn 2020, two congresses of the same Association in a short period of time would not achieve the expected results (the Congress in autumn 2020 in BiH, if it would be possible to hold it at all at the time, and then in spring 2021 in Croatia); - The planned 5th Congress in April 2021 in Dubrovnik shall become the 4th FiS Congress;
- The Congress Three in One will be held in May 2023 in Bosnia and Herzegovina;
a) The 5th FiS Congress shall become the Congress in BiH in 2023;
b) Organization of the 13th Congress of the Balkans’ Countries (BAPRAS) for 2023 has been awarded to Bosnia and Herzegovina;(the 12th BAPRAS takes place in Istanbul in 2021.)
c) At the time the National Congress of the Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (UPREHBiH) will be held. - All submitted abstracts for preparation of the Congress which was to be held in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2020 will be forwarded to the Croatian Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (HDPREK) and the Chair of the Organizing Committee of the 4th FiS Congress, prof.dr Marko Margaritoni. All authors will be contacted by the HDPREK Organizing Committee for further arrangements. The BiH Organizing Committee will duly return conference fees to those who have paid them.
We would like to express our sincere thanks to our participants and industry partners for their understanding, continuous support and flexibility. Most of our industry partners have already expressed their continued commitment and are fully on board for our Fellows in Science Congress in April 2021 in Dubrovnik.
Please rest assured that in this unprecedented situation, the entire Fellows in Science Board and members are doing their best to respond to any query at the earliest possible time and to make Congress in Croatia a memorable event for all.
Yours sincerely,
On behalf of the Organizing Committee,
Prof.dr Reuf Karabeg
