Upper GI Malignancies

This interactive in-person programme equips young surgeons with core knowledge and skills in surgical oncology. Organised once per year, this course provides a solid foundation in cancer biology, prevention, surgical techniques, and the role of the surgical oncologist within a multidisciplinary team. Through plenary lectures and discussion sessions, participants will explore cancer progression, early diagnosis, multimodal treatment strategies, and ethical, patient-centred care. The course also emphasises cancer screening and prevention, with reference to the Europe's Beating Cancer Plan.

This online course offers an in-depth exploration of the preoperative, operative, and postoperative management of patients with upper GI cancers. Organised yearly and led by expert faculty, it covers essential preoperative planning, including staging and patient selection, followed by detailed discussions on surgical approaches for oesophageal and gastric cancers. The course also addresses enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS), postoperative care, quality of life considerations, and outcome optimisation. Through focused lectures and interactive case discussions, participants will gain practical insights to enhance outcomes across the patient care pathway.

Led by an international faculty of experts, this annual course introduces robot-assisted minimally invasive gastrectomy and oesophagectomy. Through focused lectures, participants will explore the techniques’ potential, limitations, and practical implementation. Cadaver-based hands-on sessions using both conventional and robotic systems will complement anatomical and surgical training, offering a comprehensive learning experience in minimally invasive upper GI surgery.

Organised every year, this hands-on workshop focuses on the surgical anatomy of abdominal organs and vessels, integrating practical dissection with interactive discussions on management challenges. Using specially embalmed bodies, participants will apply oncological surgical techniques, learning key pearls and pitfalls for each organ. The course includes video sessions, plenary lectures, and a pre-course 3D surgical anatomy atlas to enhance anatomical knowledge and surgical skills. Objectives cover cardiovascular access to abdominal organs and advanced oncologic surgical techniques.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming healthcare, offering tools that enhance both clinical efficiency and patient care. In this hands-on workshop which is organised once per year, interested surgeons and radiologists will explore how AI works, learn to train models for real-world applications, and apply their medical expertise to develop practical solutions using clinical data, images, and reports. This workshop offers a hands-on introduction to AI in medicine, covering model types, tasks, real-world use cases, and the role of clinical expertise. Participants will use Python tools to work with public datasets, analyse medical images, and create 3D organ models for surgical planning. The course includes plenary lectures and practical exercises.

Organised every 2 years, this course offers essential and advanced insights into fluorescence-guided surgery. It is focusing on tumour and lymphatic imaging, sentinel lymph node detection, visualisation of vital structures (bile ducts, ureters, nerves), and tissue perfusion assessment. Participants will explore both standard and targeted imaging agents (e.g., antibody-, peptide-, nanobody-based) and gain practical experience in open, laparoscopic, and robotic settings. Hands-on sessions using different fluorophores and imaging systems are complemented by plenary lectures on key topics, including lymphatic and tumour imaging, perfusion assessment, and intraoperative navigation of vital structures.