Hola hernia friends, I’m Moysis Moysidis and I am a general surgeon from Thessaloniki, Greece. On the first years of my practice, I developed a special interest in abdominal wall surgery. In recent time, with the contribution of some brilliant minds and a lot of passionate people we have witnessed an extraordinary evolution of the ordinary abdominal wall surgery.
It was this aspect of wonderful and creative surgery that I wanted to be a part of, that inspired me to apply for the EHS travel grant. Thanks to the EHS, I have visited the Abdominal Wall Reconstruction Department of the Virgen del Rocio University Hospital in Seville, Spain, under prof Luis Tallon-Aguilar. My stay there was only for two weeks, from 14 to 25 October 2024, but the experience was of a lifetime.
During my time in the unit, I had the opportunity to learn from and share knowledge with a brilliant team of accomplished and dedicated surgeons, each one of them keen to explain and elaborate on the details of their technique. I felt very welcomed, and everyone did their best so I can make the most out of my limited time with them. I was included in every aspect of the everyday activities and got to know a lot of their hard-earned tips and tricks so that I can improve my skills.
The variety of the cases that I attended was astonishing. I had the chance to sit in on two robotic surgery days where I was familiarized with TARUP and robotic LIRA. It was also an illuminating visit in terms of laparoscopic and open surgery, as I was enabled to watch firsthand complex abdominal wall cases, recurrent and parastomal hernias as well as the day-to-day caseload.
Apart from the actual operating time, prof Tallon-Aguilar and the rest of the team were eager to discuss with me the challenges of practicing abdominal wall surgery without holding back. We had fruitful conversations about emerging technologies and materials, their experiences and preferences. My stay with them has been an eye-opening experience and a window to the future.
I could not be more grateful for this opportunity the EHS and prof Tallon gave me. What matters most is that, as soon as I have arrived back in my practice, I felt comfortable to implement a lot of what I have learnt during my time there.
Finally, from now on, I consider myself an advocate of this program and urge any colleague who considers a career in hernia surgery to apply for the EHS Travel Grant.
Best Regards,
Moysis Moysidis
