News

ZweiChirurgen Annual Report 2024

Our Annual Report 2024 is available for download.

ZweiChirurgen for Aid in Gambia

ZweiChirurgen conclude a successful workshop season

PD Dr Hoffmann and Dr Nowakowski held the last surgical workshop of the year this week. Surgeons from St. Gallen and central Switzerland attended. The topic was the atraumatic fixation of hernia meshes during inguinal hernia surgery.

ZweiChirurgen with new publication

PD Dr Hoffmann and Prof Dr Kirchhoff have collaborated with numerous authors from all over the world on the new specialist book Robot-assisted hernia surgery. They have written a chapter on the subject of  «When is competitive sport allowed again after hernia surgery».

Springer link

ZweiChirurgen at the German Hernia Days

PD Dr. Hoffmann was active as an expert at the Hernia Days of the German Hernia Society (DHG). He gave lectures on rectus diastasis and open surgical techniques on the abdominal wall to 400 participants from all over Germany.

The Program

PD Dr Hoffmann elected President of the Swiss Hernia Society (SAHC)

At the General Assembly of the SAHC during the Swiss Hernia Days, PD Dr Hoffmann was unanimously elected President of the Swiss Hernia Society (SAHC). At the same time, a new Board was elected, which will now lead the SAHC with PD Dr. Hoffmann for the next two years. The aim is to further develop hernia surgery in Switzerland, improve training and promote political networking with other specialist societies at national and international level.

SAHC.ch

ZweiChirurgen with successful «Swiss Hernia Days»

Prof. Dr. Kirchhoff and PD Dr. Hoffmann successfully organized and held the Swiss Hernia Days for the 7th time. For the first time, however, the conference was held in the «Frank Gehry Building» on the Novartis campus in Basel.

With 320 participants from Switzerland and abroad, a record number of attendees was set. 30 renowned hernia experts from Switzerland and abroad came to Basel to discuss the latest developments in hernia surgery with the participants. Other highlights of the Swiss Hernia Days included the anatomical workshop at the Basel Anatomical Institute and the “hands-on” robot workshop.

ZweiChirurgen active at the «World Congress of Abdominal Wall Hernia Surgery» in Singapore

PD Dr. Henry Hoffmann was an invited speaker and chairman at the World Congress of Abdominal Wall Hernia Surgery in Singapore. More than 1000 participants from all over the world came to the Asian metropolis to discuss the latest developments in hernia surgery.

PD Dr. Hoffmann gave a lecture on New minimally invasive techniques and chaired various sessions. He also took part in the board meeting of the International Endohernia Society (IEHS).

ZweiChirurgen successfully operate on professional cyclist

The Italian professional cyclist Giacomo Nizzolo from the Swiss racing team Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team suffered injuries in a crash during a cycling race in France. He was subsequently operated successfully by ZweiChirurgen and can now start preparing for the next season.

We wish Giacomo Nizzolo all the best and a successful 2025

ZweiChirurgen in Wien at the «Scientific Diner»

PD Dr Hoffmann was an invited speaker and expert on the topic of new mesh technologies and their application in hernia surgery and rectus diastases. Intensive discussions took place in a small group with colleagues from Austria and Germany.

ZweiChirurgen at the CHUV (Centre hospitales universitäre vaudois)

ZweiChirurgen with chapters in brand new textbook

Prof. Kirchhoff and PD Dr. Hoffmann were once again in demand as authors. In the current edition of the textbook «Robot-assisted hernia surgery», ZweiChirurgen have compiled all the facts about regeneration and the start of sports after hernia surgery in one chapter. The book, which was compiled with several co-authors from all over the world, has just been published by Springer Verlag.

Springer link

Two surgeons to host the world’s largest hernia congress in 2028

Two surgeons have successfully bid to host the annual congress of the European Hernia Society (EHS) in Basel in 2028. At this year’s EHS Congress in Prague, the committee decided in favor of Basel. This will be the first time that the EHS Congress has ever been held in Switzerland and will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2028. This great success was only possible thanks to ZweiChirurgen’s many years of experience in organizing congresses (Swiss Hernia Days), but also thanks to the strong support of the canton and city of Basel, the “Switzerland Convention Bureau”, Basel Tourism and the SGC and SAHC professional associations.

Two surgeons at the annual congress of the European Hernia Society (EHS)

Prof. Dr. Philipp Kirchhoff was a speaker and expert at a symposium on the occasion of the EHS Congress in Prague. Around 1500 participants from all over the world came to the Czech capital to discuss the current state of hernia surgery.

EHS 2024

ZweiChirurgen on SCS

At this year’s congress of the Swiss College of Surgeons (SCS) in Davos, Dr. med Debora Nowakowski was an expert at the hernia workshop together with other colleagues from Swiss hospitals. Practical aspects of hernia surgery were discussed intensively with the young surgeons in attendance.

scs-congress.ch

ZweiChirurgen host OP Workshop

Once again, ZweiChirurgen hosted a surgical workshop. Surgeons from Winterthur and Muri were guests to receive further training in the field of hernia surgery. This time the focus was on the different techniques in the surgical treatment of rectus diastasis and mesh fixation options.

ZweiChirurgen were once again involved as instructors and speakers at the renowned 41st Davoscourse

350 young surgeons from more than 20 countries received further training in many areas of surgery with practical exercises on plastic models. PD Dr. Hoffmann was active in the «Hernia Module» and trained the next generation of surgeons in hernia surgery.

davoscourse.ch

ZweiChirurgen with publication on diaphragmatic hernias

Together with colleagues from Switzerland and Germany, PD Dr Hoffmann and Prof Dr Kirchhoff were able to publish a high-ranking analysis of diaphragmatic hernia surgery with and without mesh for reflux disease in the journal «Hernia». Result: Operations on diaphragmatic hernias have a lower risk of recurrence if the suture on the diaphragm is reinforced with a mesh.

ZweiChirurgen at the Austrian Hernia Days

PD Dr. Hoffmann was invited to speak and chair the 2nd Austrian Hernia Days together with many international experts. The topic this time was the optimal preparation of patients for hernia surgery (so-called prehabilitation).

Website of the Austrian Hernia Days (german)

Retreat meeting of the Swiss Hernia Society (SAHC)

PD Dr. Henry Hoffmann met with some members of the SAHC Board of Directors in Lucerne for a two-day retreat.

Important aspects of the SAHC’s future planning, such as improving the quality of hernia surgery in Switzerland, training of young colleagues and integrating the SAHC into the large Swiss Surgical Society (SGC-SSC) were discussed in detail.

Website of the SAHC

ZweiChirurgen at Hernia Congress in the USA

PD Dr. Henry Hoffmann was an expert and speaker at the «Hernia Surgery Summit» in Big Sky (Montana, USA). Around 300 participants from the USA and Canada came to Montana for three days to find out about the latest developments in the field of hernia surgery.

PD Dr. Hoffmann gave lectures on the topics of «MILOS surgery» and complication management for large hernias.

Herniasummit.com