Focus On – Surgery

Name: Focus On – Surgery
Start: 2025-10-18T00:00:00+02:00
End: 2025-10-20T23:59:59+02:00
Location: Bucharest, Romania

Advanced Small Animal Laparoscopy MasterClass 1 (Gastropexies, cholecystectomy, Hernias, ICG)

Program Director:

Univ. Prof. Dr. Gilles Dupré Dipl. ECVS (FR)

Principal Course Master(s):

Univ. Prof. Dr. Gilles Dupré Dipl. ECVS (FR)

Course Master(s):

Dr. Manuel Jimenez Pelaez, Dipl. ECVS (ES)
Dr. Bart Van Goethem, Dipl. ECVS (BE)
Dr. Federico Massari, Dipl. ECVS (IT)

Course Overview

The intensive three-day Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery Masterclass tailored for veterinary professionals with prior experience in small animal laparoscopy. This course combines cutting-edge instruction with immersive hands-on training to help you refine your skills and apply advanced minimally invasive techniques with confidence and precision.
Led by a team of internationally renowned surgical experts, the masterclass offers a progressive learning journey, starting with dry-lab simulations and culminating in live-animal procedures under real surgical conditions. You will gain personalized guidance throughout, allowing for deep skill acquisition in a supportive, high-level learning environment.

Course Format:
• Day 1: Didactic sessions and hands-on training with dry-lab setups and ex-vivo models, focusing on advanced suturing and ligation techniques.
• Day 2: Morning theoretical sessions and case discussions, followed by practical exercises on canine cadavers in the afternoon.
• Day 3: Full-day live-animal lab with anesthetized pigs, providing a realistic surgical experience and the opportunity to perform complete procedures.

This course is specifically designed for veterinarians with established experience in small animal laparoscopy seeking to elevate their expertise to an advanced level.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this MasterClass, participants will be able to:

1. Master Suturing Techniques:
o Understand the physics and ergonomics of suturing in minimally invasive surgery.
o Execute extra-corporeal and intra-corporeal suturing techniques.
o Demonstrate proficiency with barbed sutures in laparoscopic tasks

2. Perform Laparoscopic Gastropexy:
o Evaluate and apply different suturing techniques
o Assess alternative port positions and integrate single-port or combined techniques.

3. Understand and Manage diaphragmatic and hiatal hernia Treatments:
o Identify indications and techniques for repairing diaphragmatic and hiatal hernias.

4. Perform Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy:
o Analyze medical backgrounds and make informed case selections.
o Differentiate between traditional and sub-serosal techniques for cholecystectomy.
o Conduct normograde and antegrade dissections with confidence.
o Utilize choledochoscopy and catheterization of the common bile duct (CBD) effectively.

5. Apply Techniques in Wet Labs:
o Perform hiatal hernia repair, laparoscopic cholecystectomy, gastropexy, and diaphragmatic hernia repairs in a cadaver and live surgical model.
o Apply laparoscopic techniques in a real-time environment to improve dexterity and decision-making.
These learning outcomes are designed to ensure participants develop both the theoretical knowledge and practical expertise required to excel in advanced laparoscopic procedures.

Course Program (Subject to change)

Saturday, 18 October 2025: Lectures and dry-labs

08:30 – 09:00 Masterclass introduction
09:00 – 10:00 Suturing techniques:
– Physics and ergonomics
– How to make a secure knot
– Single-handed and double-handed techniques
– Barbed suture
10:00 – 11:00 Laparoscopic hernia repair:
– Diaphragmatic hernias: indications and techniques
– Other hernias: inguinal, perineal, etc.
11:00 – 11:30 Coffee Break
11:30 – 13:00 The stomach:
– Laparoscopic gastropexy:
o Normal or barbed sutures, endo-stitch and others
o Alternative port positions, single-ports, combination with lap ove
– Hiatal hernias: indications and techniques
– Discussion and clinical cases including complications and troubleshooting
13:00 – 14:00 Lunch Break
14:00 – 14:15 Electrosurgery / Clinical Cases / Discussion / Lab Introduction (to be defined)
14:15 – 17:30 Dry Lab: Learn how to suture and ligate in mini-invasive surgery
– Warm-up with dry lab exercises
– Extra-corporeal ligation
– Intra-corporeal techniques
– The particularities of barbed sutures
– Contest on suturing laparoscopic tasks
17:30 – 18:30 Update from the human side:
– Robotics and more

Sunday, 19 October 2025: Advanced procedures

09:00 – 11:00 Gallbladder:
– Laparoscopic cholecystectomy:
o Medical background & Case selection
o Traditional versus sub-serosal
o Normograde or antegrade dissection
– Choledochoscopy, catheterization of the CBD
– Videos and clinical cases. Discussion including complications and troubleshooting
11:00 – 11:30 Coffee Break
11:30 – 13:00 Wet labs on corpses (1):
– Ligation of various pedicles
– Diaphragmatic hernia repair
13:00 – 14:00 Lunch Break
14:00 – 17:30 All:
– Cholecystectomy
– Hiatal hernia
– Gastropevies, R and L
– Optional:
o Single-port platforms (Operative laparoscope, glove port, SILS and more)
o Trial of various vessel-sealers, ultrasound versus vessel-sealing

Monday, 20 October 2025: Laboratory on Anesthetized pigs

09:00 – 15:00 Advanced abdominal procedures:
– Hiatal hernia
– Lap-cholecystectomy
– Lap-gastropexy
– Diaphragmatic hernias
15:00 – 16:00 Debriefing, wrap-up, lunch break and farewell