Education and training of surgical residents in upper gastrointestinal surgery: a European survey

Educating and training young surgeons is a complex challenge that requires a structured pathway. Upper gastrointestinal (UGI) surgery is becoming a highly attractive subspecialty, yet it is not universally recognized. Currently, there are no standardized guidelines or curricula for UGI surgical training across Europe and a wide disparity among countries remains. This study aims to focus on the current European landscape from the perspective of both trainees and trainers, and to provide a foundation for developing effective guidelines for education and training of surgical residents. We conducted a cross-sectional survey study with targeted questions about various aspects of managing patients with UGI diseases, including preoperative investigations, surgical interventions, interventional endoscopy, and postoperative follow-up. We also assessed the availability of training resources and extracurricular activities. Distinct questionnaires were distributed independently to trainees and trainers. The overall response rate was 35.6%. Most trainees and trainers recognized the need for dedicated courses in UGI surgery and emphasized the importance of learning through video materials. The survey revealed that surgeons are often unfamiliar with UGI endoscopy and functional esophageal function studies. We analyzed residents' direct involvement in three surgical procedures: anti-reflux surgery, gastrectomy, and esophagectomy. Residents expressed a lack of confidence in executing certain surgical steps. Both trainers and residents expressed preference for extracurricular, hands-on courses focused on UGI surgery but reported insufficient opportunities for such training. This survey highlights significant gaps and limitations of UGI training for surgical residents in Europe. Efforts toward standardization and development of specific guidelines and recommendations are required to enhance education in UGI surgery.

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Publication Details

Journal
Updates in Surgery
Published
2025-08-16
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s13304-025-02362-3
Citations
3
Primary Topic
Surgical Simulation and Training
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
6.02
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article

Education and training of surgical residents in upper gastrointestinal surgery: a European survey

Luigi Bonavina, Ivan Kristo, Giuseppe Brisinda, Milan Veselinović et al.
3 citations
Updates in Surgery
Surgical Simulation and Training
6.02
article

Education and training of surgical residents in upper gastrointestinal surgery: a European survey

Luigi Bonavina, Ivan Kristo, Giuseppe Brisinda, Milan Veselinović, Florin Achim, Waqas Butt, SEBASTIAN FRIEDRICH SCHOPPMANN, Manuel Mega, Beat Peter Müller-Stich, M Gheorghe, Andrei Cristian Ghioldiş, Nicholas Boyle, Jonathan Lévy, Francesca Gatti, Aleksandar Simić, Orestis Ioannidis, Mauro Podda, Lieven Depypere, Mark I. van Berge Henegouwen, Diana Schlanger, Francesk Mulita, Michele Manara, R. Popescu, Alexandros Chamzin, Matteo Calì, Wah Yang, Mircea Chirica, Stylianos Kykalos, José Freire, John C. Lipham, Caroline Gronnier, Stefan Mönig, Peter Grimminger, Ahmed Abdelsamad, Sheraz R. Markar, Enrico Pinotti, Marta Cavalli, Argyrios Ioannidis, Viorel Dejeu, Dagmar Kollmann, Elisa Reitano, Christian Alexander Gutschow, Nicola Cillara, Elena Toma, Andrea Balla, Luigi Marano, Roberto Peltrini, Ognjan Skrobić, Ewen A. Griffiths, Anis Hasnaoui, Moustafa Elshafei, Flavio Tirelli, Giampiero Campanelli, Octavian Enciu, Sandra Hilário, Sara Cristina, Tania Triantafyllou, Mustafa Yener Uzunoğlu, Giovanni Domenico Tebala, Davide Bona, Riccardo Rosati, Rita Alfieri, André Lázaro, Ines Gockel, Francisco Schlottmann, Galyna Shabat, Dimitriοs Schizas, Francesca Lombardo, Giorgio Dalmonte, Serge Chooklin, Călin Popa, Carlo Castoro, Michael de Cillia, Dragos Valentin Predescu, Yves Borbély, Natalia Şipitco, Matthias Paireder, Dimitrios Theodorou, Valentin Calu, Giacomo Calini, Fabio Massimo Oddi, Hanne Vanommeslaeghe, Elke Van Daele, Francesco Cammarata, Edoardo Forcignanò, Maria Sotiropoulou, Mario Giuffrida, Alberto Aiolfi, Stylianos Kapiris, C Kelty, Thorsten Lehmann, Sara De Bernardi, E Abate, Dimitris P. Korkolis, Uberto Fumagalli, Martin Riegler, Fausto Motta Ferraz, Gabriela Cristina de Souza Figueiredo, Petre Hoară, Emanuele Morandi, Martina Novia, Piero Giovanni Bruni, Jörg Zehetner, Verdi Daunia, Till Heidsiek, Suzanne Gisberz
article en
3 citations

Abstract

Educating and training young surgeons is a complex challenge that requires a structured pathway. Upper gastrointestinal (UGI) surgery is becoming a highly attractive subspecialty, yet it is not universally recognized. Currently, there are no standardized guidelines or curricula for UGI surgical training across Europe and a wide disparity among countries remains. This study aims to focus on the current European landscape from the perspective of both trainees and trainers, and to provide a foundation for developing effective guidelines for education and training of surgical residents. We conducted a cross-sectional survey study with targeted questions about various aspects of managing patients with UGI diseases, including preoperative investigations, surgical interventions, interventional endoscopy, and postoperative follow-up. We also assessed the availability of training resources and extracurricular activities. Distinct questionnaires were distributed independently to trainees and trainers. The overall response rate was 35.6%. Most trainees and trainers recognized the need for dedicated courses in UGI surgery and emphasized the importance of learning through video materials. The survey revealed that surgeons are often unfamiliar with UGI endoscopy and functional esophageal function studies. We analyzed residents' direct involvement in three surgical procedures: anti-reflux surgery, gastrectomy, and esophagectomy. Residents expressed a lack of confidence in executing certain surgical steps. Both trainers and residents expressed preference for extracurricular, hands-on courses focused on UGI surgery but reported insufficient opportunities for such training. This survey highlights significant gaps and limitations of UGI training for surgical residents in Europe. Efforts toward standardization and development of specific guidelines and recommendations are required to enhance education in UGI surgery.

Updates in SurgeryVol. 78(1)
Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy (RO), University of Belgrade (RS), IRCCS Policlinico San Donato (IT), Istituto Clinico Sant'Ambrogio (IT), Univerzitetski Klinički Centar Srbije (RS), Krankenhaus Nordwest (DE), Amsterdam University Medical Centers (NL), Hippocration General Hospital (GR), Cancer Center Amsterdam (NL)
Openalex Percentile: Top 4%
Surgical Simulation and Training
6.02
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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