“Hernia Holmes”- A fun game turned into a great opportunity
I participated in a fun game, “Hernia Holmes and the Mesh of Notre- dame” at EHS 2025, Paris and won one of the best opportunities of my life – the EHS travel grant. Out of all the arrays of experts and excellent centres out there it was difficult to choose but I guess fate pushed me towards Dr. Miguel Ángel García Ureña´s centre Hospital del Henares in Madrid, Spain.
I did not know what to expect as I had never been to Spain before, let alone for an academic travel grant. I woke up to a gorgeous Spanish sunrise and all my exhaustion from the journey was instantly washed away. As a lucky encounter in Dubai, Dr. Miguel told me that Spain has one of the best metro systems, friendly people and is one of the safest cities in the world, and I assure you his words are true. A short metro ride took me to Henares Hospital, which is located on a beautiful hill and is near a famous hiking spot. The hospital itself is huge, clean, bright and as serene as the outside. I was greeted with a very friendly staff member who gave me a guided tour of the place.
Meeting Dr. Miguel is like a shot of espresso, he is an energetic man. A fast walker, a humble talker and greets you with a firm handshake and a tender smile. He is not only an excellent surgeon but also an excellent teacher. When he is operating he explains each step thoroughly- not only what he is doing but also why he is doing it and what other alternatives we can consider, demonstrates the anatomy beautifully and thus makes a complex case look effortless. When he is teaching his residents or fellows, he is kind and compassionate, even praising them with his iconic, “ I like it” and “Perfecto’s!” and gently redirects them if they make a mistake. He keeps the mood in the OT so light and cheerful it’s impossible to feel tired. Through my time there I was able to see a range of complex cases like PeTEP, open hernia repairs, difficult and complex AWR surgeries. I was lucky enough to see the ‘Madrid Modification’ from the originator Dr. Miguel himself, which was indeed a truly blissful and unique experience. Not only that, his commitment to his patients, managing out-patient departments, pre-optimization and post-operative care and management of patients is excellent and worth experiencing.
I also got to visit Dr. Javier López Monclús´s Hospital, Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda University Hospital. Dr. Javier is such a kind and generous person, that he made me feel right at home. He demonstrated a Lap TAPP and Lap PeTEP, his demonstration of the anatomy made it a truly amazing and valuable experience for us. He made sure to give us all the tips and tricks on how to do these procedures efficiently. I learned a lot from Dr. Javier Monclus, Dr. Laura Roman and their entire team, I am truly grateful.
So, to conclude, Dr. Miguel Urena, Dr. Javier, Dr. Laura, their entire team and their centres are one of the best places you can exponentially gain knowledge and learn everything about hernias, AWR and complex hernia surgeries. Learning from them and seeing these surgeries in person has changed my life experience and indeed refreshed my love for anatomy and surgical planes. They have given me tremendous affection and confidence to do these surgeries. I wish I could stay longer. I am glad I could visit them and I also made some lovely friends along the way.
Madrid is a beautiful city with jovial, kind and friendly people, one of the safest cities with an efficient healthcare system and historically talented surgeons. I was always surrounded by good food, music, art and architecture, a must as an experience.
I am truly thankful to EHS and their entire team, especially the organizing team behind EHS 2025, Paris, Dr. Miguel and his entire team for giving me this wonderful opportunity. So everyone please keep participating, you never know which golden opportunity might come your way!
Written by- Dr. Priyanka Pramod Shinde(MBBS, DNB, FAMS, MRCS) from Nashik, India.
Consultant General and Laparoscopic Gi and AWR surgeon.
30.05.2026, Madrid, Spain