15th STACS Days, March 19–20, 2026
Navigating Complexity in Acute Care Surgery
Join leading experts in trauma and emergency surgery at the 15th Swiss Trauma & Acute Care Surgery (STACS) Days, March 19–20, 2026. For the first time, the meeting will take place at Eventfabrik Bern.
The two-day program features state-of-the-art lectures, interactive workshops, and expert panels on sepsis, trauma care, and surgical innovation. With hands-on sessions, pro-con debates, and case discussions, this meeting fosters collaboration and advances excellence in Acute Care Surgery across Switzerland and beyond.
Childcare will be provided free of charge throughout the concress (08:00 to 17:00) by professional staff. If you are bringing your children, please indicate this on the registration form. Will will then contact you for further details.
As every year, we would like to encourage you to attend our Eat, Meet, and Greet event at the Schweizerhof Hotel, March 19, 2026, 18:00-23:00
We are looking forward to see you at the 15th STACS Days!
Best regards,
Your STACS Organizing Committee
- Prof. Dr. Beat Schnüriger, Visceral Acute Care Surgery
- Dr. Beat Lehmann, Emergency Medicine
- Prof. Dr. Carmen Pfortmüller, Critical Care Medicine
- Dr. Fabio Butti, Acute Care Surgery
- Prof. Dr. Jürgen Knapp, Anesthesiology
- Dr. Lukas Widmer, Visceral Surgery
- Prof. Dr. Thomas Lustenberger, Orthopedic Trauma Surgery
- PD Dr. Tobias Haltmeier, Visceral Surgery
- Prof. Dr. Wolf Hautz, Emergency Medicin
Interested in a sponsoring? More information here:
- Sponsoring 15th STACS Days c/o Meister ConCept GmbH | Bahnhofstrasse 55 | 5000 Aarau | T +41 62 836 20 90 | britta.braeutigamextra@meister-concept.ch
- Congressassistent: Ms. Corinne von Büren | Universitätsklinik für Notfallmedizin | Inselspital | CH-3010 Bern | T +41 31 632 05 96 | stacsextra@insel.ch
Emergency Surgery Course
17-18.03.2026, Inselspital, Bern University HospitalThe Emergency Surgery Course® is a joint initiative of the European Society for Trauma & Emergency Surgery (ESTES) and the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST). The course is organized by the Swiss Association for Trauma and Acute Care Surgery (SwissACS).
ESC® aims to aid surgeons in non-trauma emergency surgery by providing the know-how and the decision-making skills necessary for daily practice. The course consists of theoretical sessions, case scenarios and state of the art videos. The course is especially designed in an interactive format from the beginning till the end.
The 2nd Swiss edition will be held on March 17 and 18, 2026, at the Inselspital, Bern Universiy Hospital. For more information and registration please download the flyer and send the registration form to info@swissacs.ch.
The course is divided into two parts:
1. the first consists in several theoretical, didactic sessions, designed to provide the basic steps for adequate and timely diagnostic and decision-making;
2. the second, video-based, designed to provide tips and tricks to improve the skills of the general surgeon to deal with surgical emergencies.
In sum, the ESC has the following goals:
- Confront surgeons with every day and problematic emergency scenarios
- Provide concrete answers and guidelines for questions emerging from these situations
- Hone the decision-making skills necessary to manage preoperative, intra-operative and post-operative issues
The participants will:
- Improve clinical skills
- Establish priorities in diagnosis and treatment
- Recognize the evidence that supports decisions and interventions
- See real-life case presentations as examples
- Familiarize themselves with important diagnostic tests and therapeutic maneuvers
- Learn new interventions that may improve outcome
Video recordings of congress sessions 2025
Participants only, password requiredSwissACS Research Price Award 2025
Congratulations to Justyna Mohr for the SwissACS Research Price 2025 of CHF 1000.-!
Prize jury: Prof. Dr. Demetrios Demetriades, Los Angeles, USA; Prof. Dr. Peep Talving, Tallin, Estonia; Prof. Dr. Kenji Inaba, Los Angeles, USA; Prof. Dr. Thomas Lustenberger, Bern; PD Dr. Tobias Zingg, Lausanne; PD Dr. Tobias Haltmeier, Bern; Dr. Lukas Widmer, Fribourg; Dr. Joël L. Lavanchy, Basel.
The research price has been awarded for Meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials comparing intraumbilical versus periumbilical incision in laparoscopic appendectomy.
It is our pleasure to announce Dr. med. Lukas Widmer, Cantonal Hospital of Fribourg, as the winner of the SwissACS-sponsored participation in the Advanced Surgical Skills for Exposure in Trauma (ASSET) course 2024. Dr. Widmer was randomly selected as a participant. He will participate as a SwissACS member in this important course for Acute Care Surgeons at the Kantonsspital Luzern.
https://www.luks.ch/veranstaltungen/advanced-surgical-skills-exposure-trauma-asset-3
Acute Care Surgery (ACS) covers two essential components – trauma and non-trauma emergency surgery. In ACS, the close interdisciplinary collaboration of emergency surgeons, critical care specialist, anaesthesiologists, and ED physicians is of paramount importance. In an effort to strengthen the care of patients with acute surgical disease in Switzerland, a new Society called SwissACS has been established in 2017.
Among the founding members there are surgeons, anesthesiologists, emergency physicians and intensivists. All of you that are interested in the care of acutely injured or surgically ill patients are very welcome to actively participate in SwissACS. If you are considering to become a member of this new interdisciplinary working group or in case you need more information, simply contact us here.
Upcoming events with ACS-relevant topics
Coup d'oeil
Emergency abdominal surgery - Tension pneumopelvis due to rectal perforation
Published October 15, 2019. Authors: Andreas Kohler, MD, Antje Lechleiter, MD
75-years old female patient, presenting with fever and acute lower abdominal pain. The CT scan showed extensive air in retroperitoneal zone III resulting in a collapsed rectum and bilateral urethral obstruction with hydronephrosis. Attempted conservative treatment with endoscopic closure of the rectal perforation, retroperitoneal drainage and antibiotics failed. Subsequently, a Hartmann’s procedure was performed.
Polytrauma - Widened mediastinum
Published: October 25, 2017. Authors: Beat Schnüriger, MD, Tobias Haltmeier, MD
Polytraumatized patient with widened mediastinum on chest X-ray. CT-scan shows sternal and thoracic spine fracture with large hematoma, which is a possible differential diagnosis for a widened mediastinum on chest X-ray.
Emergency abdominal surgery - Gallbladder volvulus
Published: September 29, 2017. Authors: Tobias Haltmeier, MD, Beat Schnüriger, MD
A rare case of gallbladder volvulus. Elderly patient with signs and symptoms of acute cholecystitis. The diagnosis was made by laparoscopy. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was subsequently performed.
