In November 2023 an EHS Advanced Cadaveric Hernia course was held in Reims. Read some reflections from one of the attendees, Gabriel Oliveira.
You can keep yourself updated about future EHS Cadaver courses via the EHS events site
Reflecting on your experience, what valuable insights or skills did you gain from participating in the EHS cadaver course?
I reinforced my knowledge of anatomy by exploring regions I was not comfortable with. I refreshed some basics with experienced surgeons (proper laparotomy technique, proper closure technique), realigning my practice with the best practices. I learned techniques accessible to me but had never been demonstrated before with this degree of proficiency. It was a very productive course, as it also outlined the importance of the context of the patient and not only the specific hernia in question.
Before attending the course, what were your expectations? Did the experience align with or surpass those expectations? How?
The program and faculty already placed expectations relatively high. I expected intensive training in procedure-specific cadaveric dissection, and I got it. I did not anticipate the clinical scenario discussion, which was very productive. The previous distribution of the attendees by groups with assignments was also a good idea, and it contributed to ice-breaking and increased collaboration.
Thinking about your clinical practice, are there specific learnings or techniques from the course that you’re excited to implement or integrate? How do you envision applying them?
Absolutely. I was thrilled to learn proper subxiphoidal dissection, especially subdiaphragmatic dissection up to the central tendon and a refresh in caudal pre-peritoneal dissection, as well as a better domain of the arcuate line and the layers involved. The peritoneal flap technique is very useful.
In the spirit of unexpected discoveries, can you share any surprising or enlightening moments from the course—something you didn’t anticipate learning but found especially valuable?
I didn’t expect to go through the Stoppa technique in so much detail. I didn’t expect (when I applied) to have assignments or group discussions. I found them instrumental in harnessing the course potential.
