Dear Associate Editors, dear readers, colleagues and friends,

Fritz Rehbein founded the Zeitschrift für Kinderchirurgie in 1964 as one of the first journals in the field of pediatric surgery. His successors, Alex Holschneider and Yann Revillon, together developed Rehbein's initiative into the European Journal of Pediatric Surgery in 1991. I had the honor of taking over as Editor-in-Chief in 2001. Since then, I have done my best to further establish the journal in the international pediatric surgical community.

Today, 23 years and more than 130 issues later, it is time for me to step down as Editor- in-Chief.

Over time, our journal has become a crucial medium for sharing knowledge and guiding those in pediatric surgery—clinicians, researchers, and educators alike. Together, as co-editors, advisors and reviewers, we have brought the European Journal of Pediatric Surgery to the forefront of medical advances, sharing research and fostering a community dedicated to the well-being of our patients. Today, the journal is the official journal of 29 European Societies of Pediatric Surgery, European Paediatric Surgeons' Association, and European Union of Medical Specialists. It is also an official journal of ERNICA. Nevertheless, the news of the German Society for Pediatric Surgery is distributed in the journal, which underlines the special role of the journal in the German pediatric surgical community, for which I am very grateful.

I am immensely grateful for the support and dedication of my associate editors, country representatives, and editorial advisors. Their expertise, passion, and dedication have been the cornerstone of our success. Through countless hours of review and insightful discussion, we have upheld the high standards of academic integrity and ensured that every publication in our journal makes a meaningful contribution to the advancement of pediatric surgical practice.

To our readers, I extend my deepest appreciation. Your enthusiasm for our journal has always been a driving force.

I am especially grateful to the team at Thieme Verlag for their endless support and perfect assistance, especially to Mrs. Katrin Maier.

Although my time as Editor-in-Chief is coming to an end, I am confident that the European Journal of Pediatric Surgery will continue to thrive under the capable leadership of my successor, Martin Lacher. As a specialty, pediatric surgery faces challenges for the future. Social media and artificial intelligence have already entered the daily life of the journal and will have a huge impact in the future. I am very pleased that part of the way forward has been paved during my time with the creation of the Future Board, which includes young and talented colleagues. This board has already begun to steer the journal in new directions under the joint leadership of Martin Lacher.

Finally, I would like to thank each and every one of you for your camaraderie, and dedication to the field of pediatric surgery. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as your Editor-in-Chief, and I look forward to witnessing the continued success of our journal in the years to come. I trust that Martin Lacher, to whom I am handing over the editorship, will continue to develop the journal and wish him all the best!

With warm regards and all the best for the future,

Benno Ure

Editor-in-Chief

European Journal of Pediatric Surgery

e-mail: Ure.Benno@mh-hannover.de

Article published online:
07 May 2024

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