Ten years of the European association of endoscopic surgery (EAES) fellowship programme: outcomes and future perspective

期刊论文
发表日期：

2026年3月12日

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Andrea Balla,
Pietro Mascagni,
Milos Bjelovic,
Marek Soltes,
Dorin Eugen Popa,
Salvador Morales-Conde,
Florin Achim,
Davit Aghayan,
Medhat Aker,
Marijus Ambrazevicius,
Ernesto Barzola,
Hemanga Bhattacharjee,
Samiullah Bhatti,
Clarisa Birlog,
Marta Caceres Diez,
Ahmet Cem Dural,
Maria Coats,
Giorgio Dalmonte,
Michele De Rosa,
Bogdan Diaconescu,
Radu Claudiu Elisei,
Octavian Enciu,
Gil Faria,
Edgar Furnée,
Mahir Gachabayov,
Shalva Giuashvili,
Simona Giuratrabocchetta,
Juan Ramón Gómez-López,
Mani Habibi,
Kengo Hayashi,
Hakan Erem Hasan,
Mohamed Hazem Ismail,
Jerraya Hichem,
Martin Hutan,
Orestis Ioannidis,
Madalina Iordache-Petrescu,
Angelo Iossa,
Yasuhiro Ishiyama,
Aiman Ismaeil,
Avram Iulian,
Piotr Kalinowski,
Paraskevi Karona,
Petr Kocián,
Anhel Koluh,
Dusan Lesko,
Roxana Maria Livadariu,
Orestis Lyros,
Luigi Marano,
Benedetta Mattioli,
Emil Mois,
Daniel Mortz Felsenreich,
Monica Ortenzi,
Athanasios G. Pantelis,
Mykola Paranyak,
Stefan Patrascu,
Hoara Petre,
Silvia Quaresima,
Mostafa Refaie Elkeleny,
Andrian Reiti,
Mushegh A. Sahakyan,
Leopoldo Salvatierra Arrieta,
Markiyan Soloviy,
Mocanu Sorin Niky,
Martin Stašek,
Mert Tanal,
Şahin Tevfik Tolga,
Tania Triantafyllou,
Umit Ugurlu,
Beverlee Verona Mante,
Caolan Walsh,
Nienke Warnaar,
Sofia Xenaki,
Kristina Zadorozhna,
Noemi Zorzetti

摘要

Background

The European Association for Endoscopic Surgery (EAES) three-month Fellowship Programme was established in 2014 to promote educational mobility, training, and international collaboration in minimally invasive surgery. A five-year analysis of the programme demonstrated educational and professional advantages. This study presents a ten-year update and an assessment of long-term outcomes, fellows’ perspectives, and the implementation of previous recommendations.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted and is reported according to the Checklist for Reporting of Survey Studies (CROSS). A 54-item questionnaire (multiple-choice, five-point Likert scale, and short open-ended questions) was distributed by e-mail to all surgeons who participated in the Fellowship between 2014 and 2024. Questions explored participants’ demographics; surgical and endoscopic activities; academic and educational activities; the perceived impact of the Fellowship on personal, surgical, and scientific growth; and the practical aspects and overall feedback on the Fellowship experience.

Results

Seventy-one of the 81 eligible Fellows completed the survey (87.7%). At the time of the Fellowship, the mean age was 36 ± 3.3 years, and 62 participants (87.3%) held a consultant position. Sixty-six Fellows (93%) completed the entire Fellowship period. During the Fellowship, 53 participants (74.6%) did not operate as first surgeons, whereas 58 Fellows (81.7%) assisted during surgical procedures. In collaboration with their Host Institutions, 21 Fellows (29.6%) presented oral communications, 16 (22.5%) presented posters, and 27 (38%) published articles. Participants strongly agreed that the Fellowship contributed to their personal (mean 4.7 ± 0.6) and surgical (mean 4.6 ± 0.8) growth. Forty-five Fellows (63.4%) continued research after the programme and 44 (62%) reported changes in their clinical practice. Fellowship was considered adequate in funding and duration (mean 4.1 ± 0.8 and 4 ± 1.1, respectively).

Conclusions

After ten years, the EAES Fellowship Programme continues to play a pivotal role in advancing minimally invasive surgical education, professional networking, and research, confirming and expanding the positive outcomes observed in the five-year evaluation.