Skills training from Centurion to surgeons around the world
Wednesday, 11 November 2026: A leading international specialist surgical training conference has once again invited veteran South African laparoscopic surgeon Professor Heine van der Walt to demonstrate his expertise on the global stage.
The Congress on Digestive System Surgery 2026, to be held on 12 and 13 November in Rome, has been described as ‘a congress built by surgeons for surgeons’ and Prof Van der Walt has demonstrated minimally invasive surgical procedures at this annual event for some 20 years. Last year, the Congress’s online streaming channels recorded over 12 million page views in addition to the 2000 healthcare professionals attending in person, illustrating the platform’s impact on surgeon training worldwide.
“This year, our team is performing a medley of procedures aimed at teaching foundational minimally invasive surgical techniques that are practically useful for the younger generation of surgeons to master,” says Prof Van der Walt, who will demonstrate laparoscopic techniques to delegates worldwide via video link from Netcare Unitas Hospital in Centurion.
Italian surgeon, Dr P.M. Maberti, recalls first meeting Prof Van der Walt while working in South Africa in various academic hospitals between 1985 and 1999, and the origins of the Congress. “I had the opportunity to appreciate his professionality, preparation, humanity and skill in other congresses during that period,” Dr Maberti says.
“Once back in Rome, I started collaborating with Prof Giorgio Palazzini again at the IIIth Surgical Institute of the Università La Sapienza, and Prof Palazzini had the idea of establishing the Congress on Digestive System Surgery aimed at fostering innovation and benefiting patients. Now in its 37th edition, the Congress is gaining increasing interest from the surgical community worldwide,” Dr Maberti says.
“It is now nearly two decades that Prof Van der Walt and his outstanding staff have participated in this Congress with maximum enthusiasm and skill, showing live surgery that is followed globally. The benefit is undoubted, especially for teaching young surgeons.”
Prof Van der Walt points out that the Congress has grown exponentially since communications technology enabled medical professionals to attend online, eliminating the time and expense of international travel, and widening access to the conference and the training opportunities it provides.
“I have been involved in demonstration surgeries for the international circuit since the early 1990s. I used to travel to all the different venues, operating in their hospitals with live local transmissions to the local congress venue. The transmissions started with four ISDN telephone lines, later we progressed to satellite transmissions and now 5G transmissions are negating much of the necessity for travel,” he says.
“Surgery can’t be learnt from textbooks alone. It demands practical technical skills and precision that surgeons largely pass down hand-to-hand from one generation to the next. Demonstrations such as these are a vital part of that process,” Prof Van der Walt says.
According to Dr Maberti, the great merits of the Congress are that procedures can be shared as if the delegates were in the operating theatre and the interaction it enables, which are essential for sharing surgical techniques globally.
“The Congress has become one of the largest surgical conferences, and it’s so popular because of the transfer of practical knowledge that takes place on this growing platform for the global digestive system medical community. Training is my vocation, and it is always rewarding to develop the skills that underpin better outcomes for patients,” Prof Van der Walt says.
Netcare Unitas Hospital general manager Pieter Louw congratulated Prof Van der Walt on his extensive contribution to sharing surgical expertise through live theatre demonstrations over many years.
“By taking fellow medical professionals through a procedure as it unfolds, Prof Van der Walt shares far more than technique. He offers insight into the clinical judgement, precision and decision-making that guide each stage of surgery.
“His continued dedication to training extends the value of his experience beyond the operating theatre, helping healthcare professionals in South Africa and around the world strengthen their skills and advance patient care in their own communities. Prof Van der Walt’s participation in this world congress underscores the calibre of minimally invasive surgical expertise available to patients at Netcare Unitas Hospital,” Louw concludes.
