Following the success of its inaugural Swiss edition at the CHUV in Lausanne, the Emergency Surgery Course® returned for its second national edition, this time hosted at Inselspital in Bern on March 17–18, 2026.
The course was organized by the board of SwissACS as a pre-congress course ahead of the 15th Swiss Trauma & Acute Care Surgery (STACS) Days, further strengthening its role as a key educational event in the Swiss surgical calendar.
The Emergency Surgery Course® is the result of a joint collaboration between the European Society of Trauma and Emergency Surgery (ESTES) and the American Association for the Surgery in Trauma (AAST) with the aim to aid surgeons in non-trauma emergency surgery with a comprehensive and practical approach to the management of acute surgical conditions. It focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of common and life-threatening emergency pathologies, emphasizing evidence-based decision-making, prioritization, and timely intervention in high-pressure clinical settings.
The course was directed by Dr. Isidro Martinez (Spain), President-Elect of ESTES. The international faculty also included Dr. Antonio La Greca and Dr. Matteo Cimino (Italy), alongside with national instructors (Dr. Fabio Butti, Prof Dr. Beat Schnüriger, PD Dr. Tobias Zingg, and Dr. Lukas Widmer), ensuring a high-level educational experience enriched by both international and local perspectives.
The two-day course brought together 25 participants from across Switzerland and beyond, offering an intensive and comprehensive learning experience. Participants engaged in in-depth discussions on the management of common emergency surgical pathologies, with a strong focus on practical decision-making and real-world application. The program emphasized interactivity, encouraging active participation through case-based learning, open discussions, and collaborative problem-solving.
The course proved to be both stimulating and rewarding—not only for the participants, who benefited from the hands-on and engaging format, but also for the faculty, who appreciated the high level of interaction and enthusiasm throughout the sessions.
Building on the positive experience from Lausanne and now Bern, the Emergency Surgery Course® continues to establish itself as a valuable platform for education, exchange, and professional development in acute care surgery in Switzerland. A third Swiss edition is already planned for 2027, with further details and updates to be published on the SwissACS website.
