Day 1

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Registration and refreshments
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Welcome and introduction

David Ross & Al Windsor

Speakers
Consultant Plastic Surgeon
Plastic Surgery W1 Ltd.
Colorectal Surgeon
HCA Healthcare
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Principles of Hernia Repair: Suturing In AWR Revisited

Chairs: Jeff Janis & Rhys Thomas

  • Closure of the Abdominal wall, evidence and practice | Rene Fortelny (12 mins)
  • Suture selection and the impact on Incisional hernia repair | Mads Marckmann (12 mins)                                       
  • Application of mesh suture in hernia repair | Greg Dumanian (12 mins)
  • Discussion (10 mins)
Speakers
Physician / Clinical Professor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Consultant Surgeon
Croydon University Hospital
Chair of General Surgery
University Vienna
MD and Surgical PhD Student
Bispebjerg Hospital
Chief of Plastic Surgery
Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine
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Industry Talk
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Strategies to minimise risk and failure of ventral hernia repair

Chairs: Stella Smith & David Sanders

  • How does an AWR MDT impact on outcome | Rhys Thomas (10 mins) 
  • Pre-optimisation of the ventral hernia patient | Marja Boermeester (12 mins)        
  • Update on BTA in AWR | Anita Jacombs (10 mins)
  • Traction closure devices in AWR | Sebastian Schaaf (12 mins)         
  • Evaluating the role of GLP-1 in AWR | David Ross (10 mins)
  • Discussion 15 mins
Speakers
Director of Clinical Services
Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Consultant Surgeon
Croydon University Hospital
Professor of Surgery, Surgery of Abdominal Infections
Amsterdam UMC
General Surgeon
Australian Hernia Centre
Doctor of Medicine
Bundeswehr Central Hospital in Koblenz
Consultant Plastic Surgeon
Plastic Surgery W1 Ltd.
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Morning Coffee and Trade Exhibition
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How do I select an operative procedure?

Chair: David Ross

  • Open repair is still the keystone of AWR| Todd Heniford (10 mins)                                                                                                  
  • Applying robotics to treat the midline hernia– strengths and limitations| Fredrick Heigstrand (10 mins)                                     
  • Do you really need a robot; the laparoscope will suffice| Oliver Warren (10 mins)                                                                         
  • Discussion (15 mins)
Speakers
Consultant Plastic Surgeon
Plastic Surgery W1 Ltd.
Surgeon
Carolinas Healthcare System
Consultant Upper Gastrointestinal (GI) Surgeon
Zealand University Hospital
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Sponsored talk
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Impact of abdominal wall repair on Abdominal wall function|

Mario Rui Goncalves (15 mins + 5 mins questions)

Speaker
ULS Braga
Abdominal Wall Repair Surgeon
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Lunch and Trade Exhibition
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TBC

Chair: Todd Heniford & Marja Boermeester

  • Recurrent Hernia; How big is the problem, and why?| Jared Torkington (10 mins)
  • My approach to the recurrent hernia| Vedra Augenstein (10 min)
  • Robotics and repair of recurrent hernias | Mette Willaume (10 min)
  • Treatment of the Recurrent Flank Hernia | Miguel Urena (10 min)
  • Management of the Recurrent Transplant Hernia | Fred Berrevoet (10 min)
  • A novel approach; The Corset repair | John Fischer (10 min)
  • Discussion (15 mins)
Speakers
Surgeon
Carolinas Healthcare System
Professor of Surgery, Surgery of Abdominal Infections
Amsterdam UMC
Consultant Colorectal and General Surgeon
Cardiff and Vale Health Board
Atrium Health General & Complex Abdominal Surgery
Associate Professor
Københavns Universitet - University of Copenhagen
Specialist in General and Digestive Surgery / Professor of Surgery
Hospital Universitario del Henares
Head of General and HPB Surgery
UZ Gent
Professor of Surgery (Plastic Surgery) Director of Clinical Research
University of Pennsylvania
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Refreshments and Exhibition
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Management of the Post traumatic abdominal wall

Tina Gaarder (25 mins + 5 mins questions) 

Speaker
Director of Trauma and Consultant General/GI/Trauma Surgeon
Oslo University Hospital (OUH) Ulleval
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Sponsored Symposium
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The evolution of eTEP; Method and limitation

Prof Victor Radu

Speaker
Senior General Surgeon
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Welcome Reception
Faculty Dinner

Day 2

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Refreshments and registration
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It’s all about the anatomy

Chairs: Al Windsor and John Fischer

  • Anatomy of the abdominal wall | Yohann Renard (12 mins)
  • Anatomy relearned: The Madrid TAR and the Sub Xiphoid space | Miguel Urena (12 mins)
  • What every AWR surgeon should look for in a CT | Eric Pauli (12 mins)
  • Discussion 9 mins
Speakers
Colorectal Surgeon
HCA Healthcare
Professor of Surgery (Plastic Surgery) Director of Clinical Research
University of Pennsylvania
Professor of Surgery and Anatomy
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Reims
Specialist in General and Digestive Surgery / Professor of Surgery
Hospital Universitario del Henares
General Surgeon
PennState College of Medicine
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Sponsored Symposium
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Mini-Symposium: AWR in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Chairs: Dominic Slade & Todd Heniford

  • Where is AI taking Surgery? | Nicholas Raison (15 mins)
  • Image based deep learning in AWR | Eva Deerenberg (10 mins)
  • From scalpel to software | Srinivas Chintapatla (10 mins)
  • Putting AI to work as a surgeon | Todd Heniford (15 mins)
  • The legal implications of AI and its application to surgery | Professor Emma Cave (15 mins)
  • Discussion 15 mins
Speakers
Consultant Colorectal & General Surgeon
Salford Royal Foundation Trust
Surgeon
Carolinas Healthcare System
Consultant Urological Surgeon and Associate Professor
King’s College London
Surgeon
Franciscus Gasthuis & Vlietland
Consultant Surgeon
York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
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Coffee and Exhibition
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The Continuing Mesh Debate

Chairs: Jared Torkington & Rene Fortelny

  • Has the bell tolled for synthetic mesh | Sam Parker (10 mins)
  • Is it more about planes of placement that material | David Sanders (10 mins)
  • The role of absorbable synthetics in AWR | John Fisher (10 mins)
  • The next generation biologics and remodelling | TBC (10 mins)
  • What’s new in the future of mesh design | Eva Deerenberg (10 mins)
  • Discussion 15mins
Speakers
Consultant Colorectal and General Surgeon
Cardiff and Vale Health Board
Chair of General Surgery
University Vienna
Research Fellow
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Director of Clinical Services
Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Professor of Surgery (Plastic Surgery) Director of Clinical Research
University of Pennsylvania
Surgeon
Franciscus Gasthuis & Vlietland
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Sponsored symposium
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The evolution of minimally invasive techniques in AWR

Hector Velanzuela

Speaker
Hernia and Abdominal Wall Specialist
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Lunch and exhibition viewing
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Managing infected mesh

Chairs: Mario Goncalves & John Fisher

  • Strategies to prevent infection or lower the bioburden | Marja Boermeester (10 mins)
  • My strategy for managing the infected mesh | Vedra Augenstein (10 mins)
  • My strategy for managing the infected mesh | Dom Slade (10 mins)
  • Discussion 10 mins
Speakers
ULS Braga
Abdominal Wall Repair Surgeon
Professor of Surgery (Plastic Surgery) Director of Clinical Research
University of Pennsylvania
Professor of Surgery, Surgery of Abdominal Infections
Amsterdam UMC
Atrium Health General & Complex Abdominal Surgery
Consultant Colorectal & General Surgeon
Salford Royal Foundation Trust
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Sponsored Symposium
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Repair of The Flank and Intercostal Hernia

Vedra Augenstein

Speaker
Atrium Health General & Complex Abdominal Surgery
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Afternoon Tea and Trade Exhibition
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Unheard Voices of AWRE

Chairs: Stella Smith & Sam Parker

  • PROMS in 2026 | John Fisher (10 mins)
  • Ventral hernia and QOL; a patient perspective | Jaquie Blackburn (10 mins)
  • Impact of ventral hernia on social and sexual relationships | Srinivas Chintapatla (10 mins)
  • Diversity and surgical outcome | Ramia Stolt (10 mins)
  • ‘Burn out’ a surgical epidemic in 2026 | Oliver Warren (10 mins)
  • Discussion 10 mins
Speakers
Research Fellow
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Professor of Surgery (Plastic Surgery) Director of Clinical Research
University of Pennsylvania
Consultant Surgeon
York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Consultant Surgeon
FEBS-AWS
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Keeping out of trouble: A medicolegal primer for abdominal wall surgeons

Chair Al Windsor 

Lauren Sutherland (20 mins)

Speaker
Colorectal Surgeon
HCA Healthcare
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Networking Reception

Day 3

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Registration and refreshments
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Video Session: Technical tips and pearls

Chairs: Oliver Warren & Al Windsor

  • Open Preperitoneal repair | Todd Heniford
  • Evaluating the role of IPOM |Henry Hoffman
  • Laparascopic Repair | Fernando Ferreira
  • rTAR & Frederick Helgstrand
  • Component separation | Prof Greg Dumanian
  • Discussion: 15 mins
Speakers
Colorectal Surgeon
HCA Healthcare
Surgeon
Carolinas Healthcare System
General Surgery Senior Consultant
CUF Porto Hospital
Consultant Upper Gastrointestinal (GI) Surgeon
Zealand University Hospital
Chief of Plastic Surgery
Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine
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Sponsored symposium
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LIRA; Development and Technique

Salva Morales

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Break and exhibition viewing
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Mini-Symposium: The Parastomal Conundrum
  • The value of a parastomal MDT | Dom Slade (10 mins)
  • Pre and Rehabilitation in parastomal hernia | Sarah Russell (10 mins)
  • My approach to parastomal hernia |Toby Hammond (10 mins) 
  • My approach to parastomal hernia | Eric Pauli (15 mins)
  • The robotic repair recurrent parastomal hernia | Bob Bloomendaal (15 mins)
  • Discussion (20 mins)
Speakers
Consultant Colorectal & General Surgeon
Salford Royal Foundation Trust
Consultant General & Colorectal Surgeon
Broomfield Hospital (Chelmsford) and Braintree Community Hospital
General Surgeon
PennState College of Medicine
Consultant Surgeon
Reinier de Graaf ziekenhuis
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Sponsored Symposium
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Strategies to manage the complex and recurrent Parastomal Defect

Guillaume Passot (15 mins)

Speaker
Professor of Surgery / Consultant
University of Lyon
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Lunch & exhibition viewing
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The ‘unrepairable hernia’. What now?

Todd Heniford (20mins)

Speaker
Surgeon
Carolinas Healthcare System
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Preventing and Managing Chronic Pain after Surgical Hernia Repair

John Findlay

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Mini-symposium: Management of Rectus Diastasis
  • An overview of the principles of Rectus Diastasis Repair | Jeff Janis (12 mins)
  • Management of the Male Diastas MIS approach | Salva Morales (12mins)
  • A General Surgical Approach | Henry Hoffman (12 mins)
  • MIS repair of Rectus Diastasis | Fernando Ferreira (15 Mins)
  • Management of diastasis in the low BMI patient after pregnancy |David Ross (12 mins)
  • Discussion 15 mins
Speakers
Physician / Clinical Professor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
General Surgery Senior Consultant
CUF Porto Hospital
Consultant Plastic Surgeon
Plastic Surgery W1 Ltd.
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Closing Remarks

Al Windsor and David Ross

Speakers
Colorectal Surgeon
HCA Healthcare
Consultant Plastic Surgeon
Plastic Surgery W1 Ltd.