Dear Colleagues,

We are already coming into the second semester of 2008, besides the 7th Congress of the Otorhinolaryngology Institution is about to happen. It will take place between December 11th and 15th onboard of the ship Costa Mágica through a cruise between Santos and Búzios. Updating and Procedures, Delight and Fun! We are looking forward to welcoming you in this great and innovative event. Don't miss it!

You cannot miss the awards of the "Mérito Científico Revista Arquivos Internacionais de Otorrinolaringologia - www.arquivosdeorl.org.br" for the published articles in 2008 in our journal. Receptivity has been great and so has the level of the articles. We always count on everybody's participation to develop a stronger edition and an even more innovative and harmonized Otorhinolaryngology with the medical advances in our country.

By the way, it was lately inaugurated the Brazilian Cochlear Implant Center - CBIC, with the purpose of advancing and spreading such a reality in several states of our country, by offering the population in general advanced treatment with all the comfort that a chain of assistance may have. The main purposes of this Center are:

- To raise a single standard of treatment for patients with hearing impairment in several states of the country;

- To guarantee patients an equality of treatment in permanent or sporadic visits in these states. In these situations, patients should search for one of the associated groups, so that they can have the same quality standard of assistance. All individual information will be available to the assistance groups and the contact with the physician from the patient's homeplace will offer immediate access to the patient's medical report with all the necessary information;

- To intensify the training and updating exchange among groups, besides the performance of informative events to general population and scientific events to health professionals;

- To form and train new professional, so that in the future all Brazilian population with hearing impairment will have a Cochlear Implant Center nearby.

- To spread this assistance, informative and scientific noble purpose and also to spread the performance of this center all over the country.

See www.ouvidobionico.org.br and check it yourself.

Best regards

Marcelo Miguel Hueb
Editor - International Archives of Otorhinolaryngology Journal