What’s your name and age?
Marta Wójcik, 40.
Where do you come from?
Poland.
How long have you been an EHS member?
I have been a member of EHS since 2022.
Describe a day at work as a surgeon in your country:
That might be very variable… I work in a small hospital with a lot of work to do. We start at 7.30 with a briefing and then we do a short round through our patients. And then I go… Very intensive work including: checking up the patients, ordering tests, analysing them, consultations, managing with patients in an emergency unit, out-going patients, qualifying for surgeries and more…
Last but not least- OR of course (the best one).
Sometimes it’s kind of overwhelming.
What is your favourite AWR procedure/hernia surgery?
Maybe it’s not a “sexy” thing, but I would say: TAPP for groin hernias.
Why is it your favourite procedure?
I like it so much, because I had to learn it by myself from the very beginning without any support in my hospital (no one is performing it). So I have attended many educational courses, travelled to hernia centres to watch and learn , watched so many videos, learned anatomy, watched my own videos, and sent the worst ones to experts to be assessed. I was suffering..But after this long trip – it has finally become easy! And now I really enjoy it!
Who inspired you to become a hernia enthusiast/surgeon?
I was inspired by surgeries themselfs. But the person who convinced me was my first and always admired mentor – Prof. Maciej Śmietański.
Please, give a small tip or trick to share for this or any other hernia procedure?
This is a trick I was given by Miguel Garcia-Urena at the EHS Cadaveric Course for the very first time (I recommend the cadaveric courses very much!).
When performing a Rives-Stoppa procedure in the upper part of the rectus sheath – do the horizontal incision of posterior rectus sheath. You will jump into the preperitoneal plane and preserve neuro-vascular bundles (which become really medial here). Also this way – You can easily and safely extend cranial and lateral dissection.
Have you attended an EHS congress, meeting, or course?
Yes, of course, with a huge pleasure!
I attended the last 3 Annual Congresses (Manchester, Sitges-Barcelona, Prague) and 3 cadaveric courses (open intermediate in May 2023, Barcelona, then open advanced in June 2023, Reims and MIS in March 2024, Barcelona). I am also having quite regular on-line meetings for some educational reasons.
Which made the biggest impression you?
All of them.
What made it great?
The cadaveric courses are the absolute game-changers! The Congresses were all very nice – good occasion to meet people, get some new knowledge.
How can the EHS help you in the future?
By keeping organising all these educational possibilities.
What is your dream for the future of hernia surgery?
For myself: to keep loving hernia surgery so much and stay so enthusiastic.
For hernia surgery I wish it will become more and more respected. And to continue developing so intensively.
