A Week in Seville: Training with the Abdominal Wall Unit at Hospital Virgen del RocĂo
Last October, I had the chance to spend a week in Seville training with one of the leading abdominal wall surgery groups in Europe. From the 20th to the 24th of October, I joined the team at Hospital Universitario Virgen del RocĂo, an experience that exceeded every expectation both inside and outside the operating room. The unit is led by Dr. Luis TallĂłn Aguilar, a surgeon with a research-driven mindset and a constant push to refine and innovate patient care. I really felt welcomed into a community of surgeons who are genuinely passionate about what they do.
The week was essentially spent in the operating room, which was exactly what I was hoping for. The case variety was remarkable, from inguinal hernia MIS repairs with both TEP (Total Extraperitoneal) and TAPP (Transabdominal Preperitoneal) laparoscopic repairs, to more complex ventral and incisional hernia cases, using posterior component separation including Transversus Abdominis Release (TAR) — for large and complex defects. The robotic platform added another layer of enthusiasm, helping particularly in the more complex cases. where simple mesh reinforcement would simply not suffice.
Outside the OR we discussed every case and surgical strategy adopted depending on defect size, location, and patient profile, always with a clear rationale behind each decision. I could witness the pre-operative planning discussions, the meticulous technique, the mesh selection, the conversation around long-term outcomes and recurrence prevention.
And then, of course, there was Seville itself. A beautiful city where I could enjoy long walks and runs and taste some of it’s culinary marvels like “salmorejo”. I left Seville with a notebook full of ideas to bring back to my own practice. A week very well spent — and one I would encourage any hernia surgeon to pursue, with the EHS Travel Grant making it more accessible than ever.
