What’s your name?
Dietmar Eucker.
How old are you?
Guess! I’ll take it.
Where do you come from?
I am a German who works in Switzerland.
How long have you been an EHS member?
Not sure. About 10-15 years..
Describe a day at work as a surgeon in your country:
My days starts at 6:30 a.m. with reading handover reports and preparing for the day. Intensive care unit rounds at 7:20 a.m., followed by a briefing of the team. Depending on the day, then consultations at my outpatients office or surgery. As I am a general and visceral surgeon, I deal with all kinds of surgical issues. During consultations and in the operating room, my focus is naturally on abdominal wall surgery, and we are acknowledged as a reference center for hernia surgery, but overall we are a surgical department with a wide range of services. My days normally last 10 hours and more. However, as a senior consultant, my schedule is more flexible and less structured than that of my younger colleagues.
What is your favourite AWR procedure/hernia surgery?
I believe I won’t surprise anybody with my following statement ;-): My specialty is complex abdominal wall reconstruction. We developed at the Kantonsspital Baselland, located next to Basel, the intraoperative fascia traction (IFT) technique 2012 (at that time under the name AWEX), which is a relevant and effective technique to deal with complex hernias. I particularly enjoy the fact that this technique has become a recognized and proven surgical technique worldwide. I am always amazed how well fascia traction works to gain length in complex hernias, helping to achieve reliable and reproducible results in combination with other important procedures (Sequence: Botox, IFT, TAR, etc.).
Why is it your favourite procedure?
See above. IFT looks intense, but it is controlled and does not cause tissue damage. It is also very effective.
Who inspired you to become a hernia enthusiast/surgeon?
Over 20 years ago, as a young senior physician, I suddenly found myself in one of the first hernia outpatients offices in Germany, which my boss at the time, Christian Peiper, had set up in our medium-sized hospital in Witten/Ruhr. At that time, there were almost no hernia centers. At first we found it strange, but then it became a success. In the hospitals where I worked later, I was always treated as the hernia specialist, so my experience grew continuously. I met a lot of inspiring people since then (to name them would be a long list). Together with my friend and mentor Andreas Zerz I founded the first hernia center in Switzerland.
Please, give a small tip or trick to share for this or any other hernia procedure?
In general, I believe that whether laparoscopic, robotic, or open hernia surgery is performed, large holes should always be repaired through the smallest possible incisions.
Have you attended an EHS congress, meeting, or course?
Yes. As a member of the society and I visit EHS congresses, which are important places to meet hernia friends and to speak and learn about hernia surgery.
Which made the biggest impression on you?
I enjoy the these well organized congresses with a lot of high-level sessions during the meeting.
What made it great?
The community and its numerous intelligent and inspiring members.
How can the EHS help you in the future?
By continuing where it is right now: science, education, communication. Maybe I can continue to help EHS a little bit too with my experience…
What is your dream for the future of hernia surgery?
Peaceful global cooperation!