×

State of the Art Lectures

2nd Clinical Congress of Albanian Surgeons

State-of-the-Art Lectures

The named lectures honour physicians and surgeons whose clinical work, teaching, research and service have contributed to healthcare in Albania, Kosovo and beyond. At the 2nd Clinical Congress of Albanian Surgeons, invited speakers continue this tradition through presentations across the surgical specialties.

22–24 October 2026Tirana International Hotel · Tirana, Albania50 lectures · 1 workshop · 1 session

52 lectures across three days

Thursday, 22 October 2026

6 lectures

Musa HaxhiuHonouree

The Musa Haxhiu Workshop in Scientific Research

Musa Haxhiu was a physician and researcher whose work linked clinical medicine, experimental science and academic leadership. After training in lung diseases in Belgrade, he earned a doctorate at the University of Zagreb in 1973. He served as dean of Prishtina’s Faculty of Medicine and established the Institute of Pathological Physiology, introducing experimental work across several clinical specialties. His international research career included Case Western Reserve University, and he helped young scientists from Kosovo pursue doctoral training in the United States.

Whole-session dedicationEntire workshop

–
ConsortiumScientific Research and Surgical Publishing
Adem AdemiHonouree

The Adem Ademi Session in Emergency and Trauma Surgery

Adem Ademi trained in medicine and surgery in Zagreb before becoming chief of surgery at Mitrovica Hospital in 1981. After his dismissal from the hospital in 1992, he continued treating patients through his Avicena surgical practice. During the Kosovo war, he helped establish an improvised military hospital in Bajgore and advised on its organisation and location. Working with the Mother Teresa Humanitarian Association, he also helped obtain medical equipment for wartime care between 1997 and 1999.

Whole-session dedicationEntire session

–
ConsortiumThree-Phase Framework
Salih KrasniqiHonouree

The Salih Krasniqi Lecture in Pioneers of Laparoscopy in Surgery

Salih Krasniqi completed his surgical specialisation in Zagreb in 1991 and developed a clinical and academic interest in laparoscopy. His doctoral research at the University of Medicine in Tirana examined laparoscopic treatment of biliary stones, including advanced cases. He taught surgery in Prishtina and Tetova, and later at the Tirana university’s Kukës branch. His career also included medical leadership at the University Clinical Centre of Kosovo, coordination of wartime hospitals and authorship of professional books and scientific publications.

Presented byDemetrius Litwin

OnufriLaparoscopic Cholecystectomy course
Muharrem GashiHonouree

The Muharrem Gashi Lecture in Thoracic Surgery

Muharrem Gashi was a general and thoracic surgeon who led Kosovo’s first thoracic surgery department when it was established in 1974. He served as vice-dean and dean of Prishtina’s Faculty of Medicine and helped organise postgraduate education and supervision. His international experience included a period at Duke University’s thoracic surgery clinic, where he participated in research projects. Alongside clinical practice, he wrote specialist teaching texts and scientific papers, including work on mediastinal tumours, and mentored candidates preparing master’s and doctoral theses.

Presented byFadil Gradica

MetropolThoracic Surgery
Safet BeqiriHonouree

The Safet Beqiri Lecture in Lung Cancer Surgery

Safet Beqiri completed his thoracic surgery specialisation in Belgrade in 1984 and later undertook further training in bronchoscopy and thoracic surgery in Slovenia and Germany. He worked in Prishtina’s thoracic surgery service and led the Emergency Centre after returning in 1999. His leadership roles included vice-dean at the Faculty of Medicine and executive director of the University Clinical Centre of Kosovo. He subsequently worked in Germany, becoming head of thoracic oncology surgery at Kerckhoff Clinic in Bad Nauheim in 2009.

Presented byFatmir Çaushi

MetropolThoracic Surgery
Muhamet GuguliHonouree

The Muhamet Guguli Lecture in Breast Surgery

Muhamet Guguli trained in medicine in Skopje and completed his general surgery specialisation through Prizren Hospital and the Military Medical Academy in Belgrade. He became chief of surgery at Prizren Hospital in 1969 and later combined work in Prishtina’s thoracic surgery department with university teaching. His doctoral research examined pulmonary echinococcosis and its surgical treatment in Kosovo. He also published scientific papers and a monograph on bronchological assessment and the surgical treatment of bronchiectasis, contributing to the professional literature on lung disease.

Presented byHubert Hauser

MetropolBreast Surgery

Friday, 23 October 2026

23 lectures

Isuf DedushajHonouree

The Isuf Dedushaj Lecture in Public Health

Isuf Dedushaj graduated in medicine in Prishtina and entered public health work in 1976. After completing his epidemiology specialisation in 1980, he became Kosovo’s first Albanian specialist in the field. He pursued postgraduate studies in Sarajevo, a doctorate in Prishtina and further training in immunology in Zagreb. His career included work at Kosovo’s Health Protection Agency, service as vice-dean and dean of the Faculty of Medicine, and authorship of scientific papers, university texts and monographs.

Presented byBaki Topal

BalshaPlenary 1
Fadil BekaHonouree

The Fadil Beka Lecture in War Surgery

Fadil Beka studied medicine in Prishtina and completed his specialisation in general surgery in Tirana between 1994 and 1997. During the Kosovo war, he led the military hospital in Likofc and the Kosovo Liberation Army’s health sector. His hospital leadership positions included chief of a surgery department, director of Prishtina’s Surgery Clinic and executive director of the University Clinical Centre of Kosovo. He also completed a master’s degree in medical sciences in Prishtina in 2005 and served as deputy minister of health.

Presented byHassan Al Thani

BalshaPlenary 1
Gazmend ShaqiriHonouree

The Gazmend Shaqiri Lecture in Vascular Surgery

Gazmend Shaqiri founded vascular surgery in Kosovo after training in general surgery in Belgrade and cardiovascular surgery in Prague and Houston. He taught at Prishtina’s Faculty of Medicine, served as its vice-dean and dean, and led the Surgery and Orthopaedics Clinic. Following his dismissal in 1990, he continued his clinical career in cardiothoracic surgery in Klagenfurt, Austria. His professional writing covered arterial disease, heart and aortic surgery, emergency surgery and operative techniques, complementing his work in the education of surgeons.

Presented byRoberto Chiesa

BalshaPlenary 1
Samedin HaxhijahaHonouree

The Samedin Haxhijaha Lecture in Endoscopic Surgery

Samedin Haxhijaha trained in general surgery in Zagreb and completed further studies in gastroenterology and hepatology. Through specialist experience in Croatia and Poland, he developed expertise in diagnosing and treating digestive diseases with endoscopy. Working with colleagues at Prishtina’s Surgery Clinic, he helped establish a dedicated service for digestive endoscopic diagnosis and therapy. He also taught surgery at the Faculty of Medicine and completed doctoral research on surgical treatment of duodenal ulcer, combining clinical practice with university education and scientific work.

Presented byMark Johnston

BalshaGeneral Surgery 1
Andrea AroniSulejman ZhugliHonourees

The Andrea Aroni and Sulejman Zhugli Lecture in Ophthalmology

Andrea Aroni was an ophthalmologist whose career combined clinical teaching, eye surgery and research on contact lenses. His work in Berat included collaboration with younger ophthalmologists on difficult cases and glaucoma surgery, and he encouraged colleagues to develop and publish their research. Sulejman Zhugli served as head of ophthalmology at Tirana’s Mother Teresa University Hospital and taught at the Faculty of Medicine. He supervised doctoral research and authored university textbooks and professional publications, contributing to the education of generations of doctors and specialists.

Presented byTedi Begaj

ConsortiumRetina
Qamil HaxhiuHonouree

The Qamil Haxhiu Lecture in Leadership in Ophthalmology

Qamil Haxhiu trained in medicine in Belgrade and completed ophthalmology specialisation following experience in Skopje and Zagreb. He became head of Prishtina’s eye department in 1971 and the first director of the university Eye Clinic. As a professor of ophthalmology, he helped develop specialist branches of the service, supported their clinical teams and secured modern equipment through international projects. His educational work included scientific presentations and co-authorship of an ophthalmology textbook used by medical students across the former Yugoslavia.

Presented byXhevat Lumi

ConsortiumRetina
Xheladin DedaHonouree

The Xheladin Deda Lecture in Ophthalmology

Xheladin Deda studied medicine in Rome and completed his ophthalmology specialisation there in 1942. After working in Prizren and Tirana, he took charge of the eye department at Prishtina Hospital in 1948. He helped build the clinical team and establish the ophthalmology service on which the Faculty of Medicine’s Eye Clinic was later developed. His contribution is also remembered in the name of the medical secondary school in Mitrovica.

Presented byÜmit Aykan

ConsortiumDünyaGöz
Qamile JakaHonouree

The Qamile Jaka Lecture in Dentistry

Qamile Jaka was an orthodontist and the first Albanian woman dentist in Kosovo. After graduating in dentistry in Belgrade in 1967, she worked in Prishtina’s public dental services and later joined the Faculty of Medicine’s dentistry section. She completed her doctorate in Prishtina in 1986 and went on to lead both the dentistry department and the orthodontic clinic. Her career combined patient care, scientific publications and the training of successive generations of dentists.

Presented byLumnije Kqiku

AbretMaxillofacial
Osman SejfijaHonouree

The Osman Sejfija Lecture in Maxillofacial Surgery

Osman Sejfija’s career in oral and maxillofacial surgery has focused on complex conditions of the face and mouth, including tumours, infections and trauma. He served as director of the Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery Clinic at the University Clinical Centre of Kosovo in Prishtina. Alongside clinical practice, he earned a doctorate in dentistry and contributed to postgraduate education and doctoral supervision. He also served as founding president of Kosovo’s association of oral and maxillofacial surgeons.

Presented byAndis Qendro

AbretMaxillofacial
Jashar DulaHonouree

The Jashar Dula Lecture in Maxillofacial Surgery

Jashar Dula helped establish hospital-based maxillofacial surgery in Kosovo after completing specialist training at the Military Medical Academy in Belgrade in 1972. He worked for a decade in Gjakova before building an academic career in oral and maxillofacial surgery at the University of Prishtina. His doctoral research examined injuries to the maxillofacial region caused by domestic animals. As a professor and clinician, he contributed to specialist education and presented numerous scientific papers at national and international meetings.

Presented byAlban Olluri

AbretMaxillofacial
Agron PustinaHonouree

The Agron Pustina Lecture in Paediatric Orthopaedics

Agron Pustina was a professor of orthopaedics and traumatology and one of the founders of the orthopaedics department in Prishtina. After specialist training in Skopje, he joined the Prishtina clinic in 1971 and later became its director. His postgraduate research in Zagreb examined blood supply and vascular changes in children with congenital hip dislocation. He also helped establish Kosovo’s orthopaedic association, trained specialist surgeons and continued teaching medical students during the difficult conditions of the 1990s.

Presented byAzmi Hamzaoglu

AbretOrthopaedics 1
Fadil SpahiuHonouree

The Fadil Spahiu Lecture in Orthopaedics

Fadil Spahiu contributed to the early development of orthopaedic services in Tirana after returning from the Soviet Union. Panajot Boga became one of his collaborators before Spahiu turned his attention to oncology. Alongside clinical work, he helped establish a platform for Albanian medical research as the first chief editor of the Bulletin of Medical Sciences in 1961. He remained on its editorial board until 1964.

Presented byJohn Cappa

AbretOrthopaedics 2
Panajot BogaHonouree

The Panajot Boga Lecture in Orthopaedics

Panajot Boga played a central role in establishing orthopaedics and traumatology on a scientific basis in Albania. After graduating in medicine in 1958, he helped build the orthopaedic service and trained a team of surgeons whose work extended beyond Tirana. His career combined surgery, university teaching, medical textbooks and research. The university orthopaedics and traumatology service was named after him in 2012, recognising the contribution of his clinical and educational work.

Presented byVilson Ruci

AbretOrthopaedics 2
Binak KastratiHonouree

The Binak Kastrati Lecture in Gynaecological and Obstetric Surgery

Binak Kastrati was an obstetrician, gynaecologist and university professor whose career joined clinical care with the development of medical education in Kosovo. After specialist training in Zagreb, he worked in Peja and later joined Prishtina’s university clinic. During the 1990s, his Besa clinic supported practical teaching for medical students, and he helped establish the Mother Teresa maternity hospital. He also organised medical teams during the war and contributed to restoring the university clinic’s professional and scientific work in 1999.

Presented byIgnacio Zapardiel

MetropolObstetrics & Gynaecology
Ilir GjylbeguHonouree

The Ilir Gjylbegu Lecture in Gynaecology

Ilir Gjylbegu was an Albanian obstetrician and gynaecologist whose work centred on the care of women and the education of younger doctors. Based at Tirana’s maternity hospital, he also travelled throughout Albania to help colleagues manage difficult cases and develop their specialist experience. He authored medical books and scientific papers and introduced new surgical techniques in gynaecology. Colleagues remembered his close relationships with patients and students and his continued involvement in professional activities after retirement.

Presented byViolante Di Donato

MetropolObstetrics & Gynaecology
Sehadete MekuliHonouree

The Sehadete Mekuli Lecture in Gynaecological and Obstetric Surgery

Sehadete Mekuli was a gynaecologist and university professor who began working at Prishtina Hospital in 1954. After specialist training in Belgrade, she led its obstetrics and gynaecology department and later became director of the university gynaecology clinic in 1972. Her work also included health education for girls, scientific publications and involvement in the medical journal Praxis Medica. In 1996, she helped open an obstetric and gynaecological clinic with the Mother Teresa organisation, bringing together doctors to provide care for women.

Presented byEliona Demaliaj

MetropolObstetrics & Gynaecology
Hajrullah SaraqiHonouree

The Hajrullah Saraqi Lecture in Intensive Care Medicine

Hajrullah Saraqi trained in medicine at the University of Prishtina and initially worked as a general doctor before specialising in anaesthesiology and resuscitation. He joined Sheikh Zayed Hospital in Vushtrri, where he worked in the operating block, intensive care and surgical services. He also served as the hospital’s executive director from 2015 to 2019 and again from 2020 to 2021. Born in Bivolak in 1963, he died in Prishtina in April 2021.

Presented byMauro Zago

MetropolTrauma 1
Bajram RexhepiHonouree

The Bajram Rexhepi Lecture in War Surgery

Bajram Rexhepi trained in medicine at the University of Prishtina and completed postgraduate studies in Zagreb. He worked as a general surgeon and endoscopy specialist at Mitrovica’s regional hospital before becoming involved in public life. During the 1999 Kosovo war, he served as a doctor in the Shala operational area, providing care under wartime conditions. He later became prime minister in 2002 and returned to his surgical career after leaving politics in 2014.

Presented byMentor Ahmeti

MetropolTrauma 1
Lec GradicaHonoureePhoto: Kosovapress, via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The Lec Gradica Lecture in War Surgery

Lec Gradica, also known as Lec Leci, was a physician from Drenica who graduated from the University of Prishtina in 1979 and specialised in general medicine. During the Kosovo war, he treated wounded soldiers and civilians and provided medical care to displaced families. Working with his wife Emine, a nurse, he also assisted women during childbirth. He was killed in September 1998 while serving communities in the Qyqavica area.

Presented byElliott R. Haut

MetropolTrauma 1
Bedri BakalliHonouree

The Bedri Bakalli Lecture in Orthopaedic Surgery

Bedri Bakalli joined the orthopaedics department at Prishtina General Hospital in 1969, becoming one of Kosovo’s first Albanian doctors in orthopaedics and traumatology. After completing specialist training in Belgrade, he led the department for injuries of the locomotor system from 1976 until 2007. During the same period, he taught orthopaedics and traumatology at the Faculty of Medicine. His career included thousands of major operations, training younger colleagues and treating people wounded during unrest and the Kosovo war.

Presented byIlir Hasani

MetropolTrauma 2
Sadri BajraktariHonouree

The Sadri Bajraktari Lecture in Humanism and Vascular Surgery

Sadri Bajraktari trained in medicine in Skopje and specialised in general surgery in Zagreb before developing a career in general, vascular and war surgery. He led the vascular surgery service in Prishtina from 1991 until his retirement in 2004 and taught generations of medical students. His doctoral research examined surgery for venous disorders of the legs, a subject he later addressed in a university textbook. He also became the first editor-in-chief of the Kosova Journal of Surgery.

Presented byJörg Tessarek

OnufriVascular Surgery 1
Simon CapeliHonouree

The Simon Capeli Lecture in Urology

Simon Capeli began his surgical career in the combined general surgery and urology clinic led by Professor Paparisto. When a separate urology clinic opened in Tirana in 1979, he became its director and helped develop its diagnostic and surgical practice. He authored a foundational urology textbook and introduced endoscopic diagnostic and interventional methods. His academic work included supervising research and doctoral studies and training generations of Albanian urologists who went on to practise throughout the country.

Presented byRezart Xhani

OnufriUrology
Xhemil BytyçiHonouree

The Xhemil Bytyçi Lecture in Urology

Xhemil Bytyçi combined a career in urology with university teaching, scientific research and literature. After medical studies in Belgrade, he joined Prishtina’s urology clinic in 1973 and undertook specialist training at Rebro Hospital in Zagreb. His doctorate examined the causes of kidney stone disease in Kosovo, and he later served as a full professor at the University of Prishtina. Alongside numerous medical publications, he also wrote poetry, short stories and plays, maintaining literary interests that began during his school years.

Presented byShkelzen Elezaj

OnufriUrology

Saturday, 24 October 2026

23 lectures

Shpëtim RobajHonouree

The Shpëtim Robaj Lecture in Anaesthesiology

Shpëtim Robaj was an anaesthesiologist who trained in Rijeka and Skopje and taught anaesthesiology and resuscitation at the Faculty of Medicine in Prishtina. After losing his hospital post in 1991, he continued practising privately. During the Kosovo war, he helped organise field hospitals, coordinate medical teams and obtain supplies for the treatment of wounded soldiers and civilians. He died from injuries sustained when his medical team’s vehicle struck a mine while travelling to help people in Drenica.

Presented byVedat Eljezi

BalshaPlenary 2
Adnan ShabaniHonouree

The Adnan Shabani Lecture in Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery

Adnan Shabani trained in general surgery in Skopje and completed his specialisation in plastic and reconstructive surgery in Belgrade in 1976. In 1978, he founded the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in Prishtina, leading it until 2003. He also taught surgery at the Faculty of Medicine and later headed the Surgery Clinic’s outpatient service. His clinical and educational career included authorship and co-authorship of more than 20 scientific papers.

Presented byGeoffrey Gurtner

BalshaPlenary 2
Ali ZatriqiHonouree

The Ali Zatriqi Lecture in Surgical Oncology

Ali Zatriqi was a surgeon and professor who helped develop oncology and immunology in Kosovo. His career included surgical training in Belgrade, postgraduate study at Columbia University and university teaching in Prishtina. He established clinical and laboratory facilities for oncology and immunology and helped organise cancer prevention activities through Kosovo’s cancer association. Alongside his research, he sustained medical teaching when university facilities were closed and organised surgical assistance during the Kosovo war.

Presented byRoberto Troisi

BalshaSurgical Oncology
Riza BinishiHonouree

The Riza Binishi Lecture in General Surgery

Riza Binishi trained in general surgery in Prishtina and Belgrade before developing a career in clinical surgery and medical education. He worked at Prishtina’s general hospital, later the University Clinical Centre, and led a surgical department. His academic service included teaching as a professor and serving as dean of the Faculty of Medicine. During the Kosovo war, he continued operating in improvised field hospitals and abandoned schools, including in the Llap area during the spring of 1999.

Presented byValeria Tonini

BalshaSurgical Oncology
Arben GjataHonouree

The Arben Gjata Lecture in General Surgery

Arben Gjata is a general surgeon whose career has combined clinical practice, university teaching and institutional leadership in Tirana. He completed his medical studies in 1985 and later undertook professional training in Germany and the United States. At Mother Teresa University Hospital Centre, his responsibilities included service as medical director from 2002 to 2005. He served as vice rector of the University of Medicine, Tirana, before becoming rector, a position he held from 2015 to 2024.

Presented byPërparim Limani

BalshaSurgical Oncology
Bujar BukoshiHonouree

The Bujar Bukoshi Lecture in Urology

Bujar Bukoshi was a urological surgeon who graduated in medicine from the University of Belgrade in 1971. He continued specialist training at urology clinics in Koblenz and West Berlin and obtained his doctorate from the Free University of Berlin in 1986. His medical career included clinical work in Kosovo and teaching at the University of Prishtina’s Faculty of Medicine. He later led Kosovo’s government in exile, combining his medical background with a prominent role in public life.

Presented byArben Gjata

BalshaSurgical Oncology
Emine GashiHonouree

The Emine Gashi Lecture in Gynaecological and Obstetric Surgery

Emine Gashi graduated in medicine in Sarajevo and completed her specialisation in obstetrics and gynaecology in 1969. After working in Prizren and Gjilan, she joined the Faculty of Medicine and the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Clinic in Prishtina in 1971. She became head of the obstetrics department in 1974 and later an associate professor. Her doctoral research examined uterine rupture during pregnancy and childbirth, linking clinical investigation with the development of women’s health services in Kosovo.

Presented byAlban Y. Neziri

BalshaSurgical Oncology
Arben BeqiriHonouree

The Arben Beqiri Lecture in Laparoscopic Surgery

Arben Beqiri is a surgeon and medical educator whose work has helped introduce therapeutic endoscopy and laparoscopic surgery into Albanian practice. His career includes surgery at Mother Teresa University Hospital Centre and teaching at the Faculty of Medicine in Tirana. He pursued Fulbright-supported research in laparoscopic colon and rectal surgery at the National Naval Medical Center in the United States. Further work at the Catholic University of Leuven focused on colorectal surgery and the applications of laparoscopy.

Presented bySharique Nazir

BalshaUpper GI Surgery
Petro Cani, archival film still from Dhuruesit e jetes (1971)HonoureeFilm still: AQSHF, 1971

The Petro Cani Lecture in General Surgery

Petro Cani was a surgeon and professor recognised by the University of Medicine, Tirana, as a founder of modern Albanian surgery and its tradition of specialist training. He served as a wartime physician, became the first head of military surgery and worked as chief surgeon at Hospital No. 2. His practice included pioneering operations involving the head, lungs, heart and liver, while his teaching passed this clinical experience to younger generations of surgeons.

Presented byAlberto Ferreres

BalshaHepatobiliary
Ymer AliuHonouree

The Ymer Aliu Lecture in Minimally Invasive Surgery

Ymer Aliu’s career in general surgery included training in interventional endoscopy in Poland and liver and pancreatic surgery in Berlin. He helped establish the laparoscopic centre at the University Clinical Centre of Kosovo and performed early laparoscopic procedures there. As director of the Surgery Clinic, he also supported a paediatric cardiac surgery programme in collaboration with specialists from Turin. His career combined university teaching and research with humanitarian work and surgical care in wartime hospitals.

Presented byArben Beqiri

BalshaHepatobiliary
Frederik ShirokaHonouree

The Frederik Shiroka Lecture in Leadership in Surgery

Frederik Shiroka was a general surgeon from Shkodër who completed his medical studies in Austria. Although offered an opportunity to remain at the university and clinics in Graz, he returned to practise in Albania. He worked as an assistant to Walter Lehmann, who had introduced craniotomies and laminectomies in the country during the 1930s. Shiroka subsequently performed neurosurgical operations himself, contributing to the early surgical work that preceded Albania’s dedicated neurosurgical service.

Presented byMichael J. Sutherland

ConsortiumBuilding Leadership
Rifat LatifiHonouree

The Rifat Latifi Lecture in Global Surgery

Rifat Latifi is a trauma, critical care and general surgeon with an international career in clinical leadership, research and surgical education. He completed general surgery residency at Yale and later led surgical services in the United States and Qatar. His work in global health includes establishing national telemedicine programmes in Kosovo, Albania and Cabo Verde, recognised by the American College of Surgeons’ international surgical volunteerism award in 2015. In 2018, he became the founding president of the Kosova College of Surgeons.

Presented byThavam Thambi-Pillai

ConsortiumBuilding Leadership
Sami HaxhibeqiriHonouree

The Sami Haxhibeqiri Lecture in Frontiers in Surgery

Sami Haxhibeqiri helped establish surgical services and medical education in Kosovo. After training in general and thoracic surgery, he led Mitrovica Hospital and became one of the founding teachers of the Faculty of Medicine in Prishtina. His educational work extended from Albanian-language nursing classes to the training of young surgeons. Alongside clinical practice, he published more than 45 professional and scientific papers and represented Kosovo at international surgical congresses.

Presented byIlirijana Haxhibeqiri Karabdic

ConsortiumCardiac Surgery 1
Petrit GaceHonouree

The Petrit Gace Lecture in Cardiac Surgery

Petrit Gace was a surgeon, professor and academician who helped establish cardiovascular surgery in Albania. After medical studies in Leningrad, he combined hospital practice in Tirana with university teaching and later led both general surgery and cardiovascular services. His clinical work included pioneering heart and vascular operations, skin grafting and paediatric surgery. He also co-authored surgical textbooks, and the cardiovascular surgery service at Mother Teresa University Hospital was named in his honour.

Presented byStak Dushaj

ConsortiumCardiac Surgery 1
Gjergj BejbaHonouree

The Gjergj Bejba Lecture in Plastic Surgery

A specialist in burns and plastic surgery, he has combined leadership of the burns service at Mother Teresa University Hospital with medical teaching in Tirana. His academic career includes a doctorate in medical sciences and appointment as a professor, alongside books on burn injuries, avulsion wounds and plastic surgery. He has also led the Albanian Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery and represented Albania on the Euro-Mediterranean Council for Burns and Fire Disasters.

Presented byVioleta Zatriqi

AbretPlastic & Reconstructive
Hajredin UkelliFaik KafexholliHonourees

The Hajredin Ukelli and Faik Kafexholli Lecture in Paediatric Surgery

Hajredin Ukelli founded paediatric surgery in Prishtina after specialist training in paediatric surgery and orthopaedics in Belgrade. He taught at the Faculty of Medicine, trained young surgeons and wrote books on congenital abnormalities, childhood fractures and surgical diseases in children. Faik Kafexholli joined the paediatric surgery department in 1974 and combined decades of clinical service with university teaching. His work also included medical care in underserved communities and humanitarian assistance in the Llapi region during the Kosovo war.

Presented byEmir Haxhija

MetropolPaediatric Surgery
Shefqet MehaHonouree

The Shefqet Meha Lecture in Neurosurgery

Shefqet Meha was Kosovo’s first specialist in neurosurgery and founded the neurosurgery department in Prishtina. After graduating in medicine in Skopje, he trained in general surgery and neurosurgery before combining specialist practice with teaching at the Faculty of Medicine. His hospital career was interrupted by forced dismissal during the 1990s, but he returned after the war and continued working until retirement in 2001. His work helped establish neurosurgery within Kosovo’s university hospital services.

Presented byAlessandro Ducati

MetropolNeurosurgery 1
The neurosurgery team in 1964: Xhelal Kurti is at the back centre, and Arjan Xhumari is at the back left.
1964 neurosurgery team. Xhelal Kurti is at the back centre; Arjan Xhumari is at the back left. Photo courtesy of M. Petrela · Figure 5, The History and Current State of Neurosurgery in Albania · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · View full photograph

The Xhelal Kurti and Arjan Xhumari Lecture in Neurosurgery

Xhelal Kurti led Albania’s university neurosurgery clinic when it opened in 1964 and helped organise a national service for patients with head and spinal injuries. His team undertook early aneurysm operations before microsurgical techniques became available. Arjan Xhumari later headed the service from 1986 to 1995, contributing to the development of microsurgery and neuroanaesthesia. Together, their careers mark important stages in the establishment and technical development of Albanian neurosurgery.

Presented byArtur Xhumari

MetropolNeurosurgery 1
Shaban HasiHonouree

The Shaban Hasi Lecture in Neurosurgery

Shaban Hasi’s career has combined neurosurgery with university teaching and medical writing in Kosovo. His academic work includes teaching surgery at the University of Prishtina, while his published books cover the foundations of neurosurgery and intensive care for neurosurgical patients. Written in Albanian, these works form part of his contribution to specialist medical literature and education. He has also been recognised as an Honorary Fellow of the Kosova College of Surgeons.

Presented byBesnik Elshani

MetropolNeurosurgery 2
Mentor PetrelaHonouree

The Mentor Petrela Lecture in Neurosurgery

Mentor Petrela is an Albanian neurosurgeon and professor whose career has combined specialist practice, research and medical leadership. Trained in Tirana and Paris, he led neurosurgical services at Mother Teresa University Hospital and served as the hospital’s director and dean of the Faculty of Medicine. His international academic work has included invited teaching in Paris, Milan, New York and Geneva. France recognised his contributions with the Palmes Académiques and, in 2014, the Legion of Honour.

Presented byFatos Olldashi

MetropolNeurosurgery 2
Talat PallaskaBesim SllamnikuHonourees

The Talat Pallaska and Besim Sllamniku Lecture in ENT Surgery

Talat Pallaska helped develop ENT services in Kosovo and supported the establishment of Prishtina’s Faculty of Medicine, where he later served as dean. He trained specialists, led hospital services and contributed to Albanian-language ENT textbooks. Besim Sllamniku advanced head and neck surgery, performing Kosovo’s first total laryngectomy in 1974 and researching the surgical treatment of laryngeal cancer. His career also included international training, extensive scientific publication and university teaching, linking specialist cancer care with the education of younger doctors.

Presented byBirkena Qirjazi

OnufriENT
Adem LimaniHonouree

The Adem Limani Lecture in Head and Neck Surgery

Adem Limani was an otolaryngologist, professor and healthcare leader whose work connected head and neck surgery with medical education. After postgraduate training in Zagreb, he taught at the University of Prishtina and helped sustain Kosovo’s parallel healthcare and medical education system during the 1990s. He later led ENT academic and clinical services and supported specialist training through cooperation with Albania. His publications included university textbooks in human histology and otorhinolaryngology with head and neck surgery.

Presented byAlfred Aga

OnufriENT
Besim ZymaHonouree

The Besim Zyma Lecture in Otorhinolaryngology

Besim Zyma helped establish modern ENT practice in Albania after medical studies in Istanbul and further surgical training in Hamburg and Berlin. He began hospital work in Tirana in 1932, treating ear, nose and throat disease and undertaking maxillofacial and reconstructive operations. His experience included training at Berlin’s Charité and exposure to plastic surgery techniques. He later taught at the Faculty of Medicine and led its otorhinolaryngology department, helping educate a new generation of specialists.

Presented bySuela Sallavaci

OnufriENT
View the full scientific programme

Copyright ©2026 all rights reserved
Designed by StaffAssist