Turkish Hernia Society
The Turkish Hernia Society was founded in 2003 in Istanbul by nine founding members. The society currently has 153 members. The slogan of the society is “To Support and Advance Abdominal Wall Surgery.”
Mission Statement
The first article of our bylaws outlines our founding purpose: “To follow all advancements in abdominal wall hernias, to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange among colleagues, and to establish high surgical standards nationwide.”
Society Logo
The society’s logo consists of a light blue curved rectangular background with five holes filled by a dark blue snake, the symbol of medicine. The holes represent hernia defects, while the snake symbolises healing, mesh placement, and suturing.
Organisational Structure
The society’s board consists of five members, and a general assembly is held every three years for elections, as required by the society’s bylaws. The society establishes task forces based on needs. One of its most recent initiatives, the Hernia Coding Task Force, worked on updating hernia-related codes in the national database and adapting new surgical techniques into the coding system. This project was completed and submitted to the relevant authorities.
Support for Abdominal Wall Surgery Units
The society encourages surgical clinics across the country to establish dedicated Abdominal Wall Units and provides guidance for their development.
Activities
The society participated in the EHS-AHS joint congress, which was first held in London in 2003 and then repeated every three years, and subsequently applied to host an EHS congress. In 2010, it was granted the authority by the EHS General Assembly to organise the congress. The society’s greatest achievement was hosting the 32nd EHS Hernia Congress in Istanbul in 2010, which attracted approximately 1,400 participants.
The society holds national congresses every two years in different cities across the country. The congress faculty includes four to five internationally recognized abdominal wall surgeons as guest speakers. The upcoming 10th National Hernia Congress will be held in Antalya from October 16-19, 2025. The theme of this congress, which will feature an international faculty, is ‘New Horizons in Complex Abdominal Wall Hernias.’
Beyond its congresses, the society organises regional hernia symposia, wetlab hernia courses and runs the ‘Hernia School’ project. This project utilises the infrastructure of university hospitals in various cities to conduct one-day educational programs. The program includes theoretical training in the morning (Fundamentals of Hernia Surgery) followed by four to five live surgeries in the afternoon. This interactive program generates significant local interest.
The society has made significant contributions to the advancement of abdominal wall surgery in Turkey by translating key surgical textbooks and EHS guidelines into Turkish, ensuring broader accessibility for Turkish surgeons.
Relationship with EHS
Since its establishment, the Turkish Hernia Society has been a national chapter of the EHS. Following recent structural changes, it is now an affiliated society of the EHS and will soon apply for associated society status.
Digital Presence
The society’s website is fitikdernegi.org and is regularly updated. Its social media accounts are active on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube. Additionally, the society manages a private Facebook group for Turkish surgeons under the slogan ‘We Only Talk About Hernias.’
Your gateway to everything on the Turkish Hernia Society is this smart link: https://linktr.ee/fitikdernegi
Future Plans
In the coming period, the society aims to adapt the EHS Wing Model to Turkey by establishing four key committees:
- Scientific Publications Committee
- Education Committee
- Quality Committee
- Digital Media Committee
EHS 2029 Congress Bid
The society will apply for EHS 2029 to host the prestigious EHS Annual Congress in Istanbul, where the continents meet.
Our greatest satisfaction comes from contributing to the advancement of abdominal wall surgery through international collaboration.
Hakan Gök, MD FEBS AWS
Board member, Turkish Hernia Society
EHS Delegate
