This 58-year-old male patient with no prior medical or surgical history (no medication, no substance abuse) was sitting at dinner with his wife, when he suddenly felt epigastric pain and upon standing up, lost consciousness, fell and hit his head on the floor. He regained consciousness upon arrival of the ambulance and, except for disorientation, was neurologically not impaired.

In early April 2024, the SurgeAHEAD 2024 course was held at the state-of-the-art OR-X Research and Training Center at Balgrist University Hospital in Zurich. This course, specifically designed for medical students at the University of Zurich, provided a unique opportunity to acquire first surgical skills in a hands-on environment. 

The incidence of acute mesenteric ischaemia (AMI) is very low, accounting for approximately 0.1-0.2% of all surgical admissions (1). However, if left untreated, mortality is high at 50% (2).