29 Feb 2024 Trilogy – Reflections from the Annual European Symposium on RAWS
Trilogy – With a series of three engaging blog posts, I will delve into three pivotal conferences focusing on abdominal wall and hernia surgery: Annual European Symposium on Robotic Abdominal Wall Surgery (RAWS), Abdominal Wall Reconstruction Europe Conference (AWRE), and the Hernia Summit. This trilogy is crucial for abdominal wall surgery. The scientific content is advanced, and the speakers are leaders in the field. If you want to delve deeper into abdominal wall and hernia surgery, I highly recommend not missing these. In this post, I will write on RAWS.
RAWS is usually held annually in June in Ghent, Belgium. It is endorsed by the European Hernia Society (EHS). Last year was its 6th edition. The program chair is Filip Muysoms, the past president of the European Hernia Society (EHS). Filip lives in Ghent and has made massive contributions to hernia surgery. This time, I participated as an invited speaker. This visit marked my 6th visit to Ghent since my first participation in the EHS Annual Congress in 2011. That’s why I say ‘All roads lead to Ghent in hernia surgery’. Previously, I attended courses and symposiums on hernia surgery organized by Filip. My 7th visit was in January 2024 due to AWRE Europe, which I will talk about in my next blog post.
Robotic platforms are becoming increasingly important in hernia surgery and gaining fast momentum. The learning curve starts with inguinal hernia repairs and progresses towards more complex cases such as primary ventral, extraperitoneal repairs, robotic TAR, lomber, and eTEP. In addition to attending courses, mentorship is essential, and most importantly, attending specialized conferences is necessary. This is where RAWS Europe fills the gap. All aspects of robotic hernia surgery are covered in the scientific program, with expert speakers presenting on these topics. The meeting is interactive with rich visual content. Emphasis is placed on the question and answer session, with sufficient time allocated. I value this greatly and believe it is necessary. Moreover, there are ample opportunities for one-on-one discussions and knowledge exchange with speakers. I always learn very important things from such interactions, especially as they help me grasp nuances.
A robotic hernia surgery precourse is also held just before the conference. This cadaveric course takes place at the ORSI Academy very close to Ghent. It is an unmissable course that provides valuable experience.
Robotic hernia surgery first gained popularity in America, particularly thanks to my friend Conrad Ballecer from Phoenix, Arizona. In Europe, it started around the beginning of 2016, I believe. In October 2016, Conrad and I met in Ghent and performed 2 roboTARs at Filip’s hospital. Filip performed the surgeries, Conrad provided proctoring, and I observed. The first roboTARs in Europe. This was a milestone for me. Filip then took on the role of ambassador for spreading the use of robotic platforms in hernia surgery in Europe. He visited many centers in Europe and provided on-site proctoring, contributing significantly to its dissemination. Tremendous effort.
I cannot pass without mentioning the congress organization company. The British originated Mark Allen Group is handling the technical secretariat of the congress, and they are in terrific harmony from its preparation to execution. The team leader, Charlie Cresswell, is very meticulous and closely monitors every stage. They have an incredibly impressive energy. They also organize the AWR Europe. A big applause to them.
Lastly, I want to mention Ghent. Ghent is a beautiful city. It takes just 1 hour by train from Brussels airport, and the train service is very frequent. The city is situated at the confluence of the Scheldt and Leie rivers, making boat tours very enjoyable. I highly recommend it. The city has preserved its historical architecture beautifully and is very well-maintained. Public transport is highly developed, and there are many excellent restaurants. We are all busy surgeons. Taking a break, relaxing, and learning new things alongside is an excellent combination, and RAWS and Ghent offer the perfect combination for this.
This year’s 7th RAWS will be held on May 9-10 in Ghent. Don’t miss it!
