9th Swiss Hernia Days 2026
22 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 · Novartis Campus (Frank Gehry Building), Fabrikstrasse 15, 4056 Basel, Switzerland, Basel, Switzerland · In-Person
The 9th Swiss Hernia Days (SHD 2026) is the official annual congress of the Swiss Association for Hernia Surgery (SAHC), taking place 22–23 October 2026 at the Novartis Campus (Frank Gehry Building) in Basel, Switzerland. Since 2017, the Swiss Hernia Days have become a fixture in the European hernia surgery calendar, bringing together close to 300 international experts for two days of innovative, interactive and practice-changing exchange on abdominal wall surgery.
Congress chairmen: Prof. Dr. med. Philipp Kirchhoff and PD Dr. med. Henry Hoffmann (ZweiChirurgen – Center for Hernia Surgery & Proctology, Basel).
Endorsements: European Hernia Society (EHS), Swiss Society of Surgery (SGC), Swiss Society for Visceral Surgery (SGVC), Swiss-MIS (Swiss Minimally Invasive Surgery), German Hernia Society (DHG) and the Swiss Association for Hernia Surgery (SAHC).
Highlights of the 2026 programme
- Challenging Cases session: interparietal & infraxyphoidal hernias, the 2nd recurrence.
- Swiss Young Surgeons Session (FJC) — suture repairs, IPOM, open ventral repair in the MIS era.
- New kids on the block — semitendinosus tendon as mesh, Madrid TAR, Mesh Suture (Greg Dumanian).
- Grand Round on surgeon wellbeing and the burnout “surgical pandemic” (David Sanders).
- Keynote lecture: How long can you hold your breath by record-breaking German freediver Anna von Boetticher.
- Deferred Live Surgery — single-port robotic hernia repair, peTEP, inguinal mesh removal & neurectomy.
- Specialization & Quality in Hernia Surgery — UEMS Abdominal Wall Surgery, caseload vs. quality, robotics.
- Conundrum of diastasis recti — physiotherapy, surgical decision-making, body image.
- The famous Champions League team-debate session (Switzerland vs Europe vs Overseas).
- Future of Hernia Surgery — deep learning / AI in surgery, teaching the next generation, Gen Z & Millennial values.
- Best Video Award and SHD International Fellowship announcement.
- Networking Event on the evening of 22 October 2026.
Pre-congress workshops
- 6th SHD Anatomical (Cadaver) Workshop — 21 October 2026 at the Anatomical Institute, University of Basel. Focus on extraperitoneal minimally invasive techniques in ventral hernia repair. Limited to 28 participants. 7 CME credits.
- Robotic “hands-on” Workshop — 90-min sessions during the congress; instructions to the robotic consoles, VR simulator exercises and robotic exercises on a hernia model. Limited to 14 slots/day. 1 CME credit.
Registration fees (CHF) – early bird until 17 Aug 2026 / standard from 18 Aug 2026:
- Surgeons: 500 / 600
- SAHC members: 450 / 550
- Trainees / Residents / Students: free of charge
- Industry representatives: 500 / 600
- Low-income economy delegates: 150 / 150
- Anatomical Workshop add-on: 650 / 750
- Robotic hands-on Workshop: 50 / 50
- Networking Event (22 Oct): 100 / 110
Accreditation: 16 CME credits for the main congress (endorsed by SGC and EHS), 7 CME for the Anatomical Workshop, 1 CME for the Robotic hands-on Workshop.
Venue: Novartis Campus, Frank Gehry Building, Fabrikstrasse 15, 4056 Basel — an iconic Swiss life-science setting on the banks of the Rhine.
Secretariat: SWISS HERNIA DAYS 2026, c/o minyoubis AG, Laufenstrasse 39, 4053 Basel, Switzerland — swissherniadays@minyoubis.com
Best Video Award 2026: young surgeons are invited to submit a short surgical video for the on-site Best Video Award (jury: Marta Wójcik & Fernando Ferreira).
