Course objectives

Minimally invasive surgery has become the standard of care in abdominal surgery. However, residents may have limited opportunities to develop advanced laparoscopic skills as primary operators.

This hands-on course aims to bridge that gap by providing practical training in commonly performed upper and lower gastrointestinal procedures using human cadavers. Under the close supervision of experienced surgeons, participants will work through the key operative steps, technical challenges, and potential pitfalls of each procedure.

Programme

Thursday, 5 November 2026 — Lower GI

Procedures:

• Right hemicolectomy
• Left hemicolectomy
• Transverse colectomy
• Total mesorectal excision (TME)

Daily schedule

• 08:30–09:15 — Welcome and brief theoretical session
• 09:30–12:30 — Cadaver workshop
• 12:30–13:30 — Lunch
• 13:30–16:30 — Cadaver workshop
• 16:30–17:00 — Questions and discussion

Faculty

Lower GI — 5 November 2026

• Dr Damien Dresse
• Dr Federico Famiglietti
• Dr Kim Boterbergh

Registration

Registration is available via www.bast.be.

Eligibility and practical information:

• Participants must be members of both BAST and BGES.
• The course is intended for residents with a particular interest in abdominal surgery.
• Priority will be given to fifth- and sixth-year residents.
• Priority will also be given to residents who have not previously attended a cadaver course.
• Capacity is limited to 10 participants per day.
• As cadaver courses require considerable organisational and financial resources, a deposit of €150 will be requested upon registration to minimise no-shows. The deposit will be fully refunded upon attendance.

Venue

CETRAS – UZ Gent
Corneel Heymanslaan 10
9000 Ghent, Belgium

Organised by BGES and BAST, with the support of Medtronic, Johnson & Johnson, and Arthrex.