In September 1995, 25 scientific-minded gastrointestinal surgeons founded a new European society: European Digestive Surgery (EDS).
The aim of EDS is to foster the practice of digestive surgery through clinical and basic scientific research and postgraduate training. Communication and collaboration are the keys to bringing visceral surgery education and research to the attention of the scientific community, not only in Europe, but worldwide.
EDS was founded to meet the need of the United European Gastroenterology Federation (UEGF) for a scientific surgical partner for its annual European meeting (United European Gastroenterology Week). EDS became an Associate Member of the UEGF at the beginning of 1999 and plans to become a sister organization in the near future.
Since the founding of EDS, overall membership in the organization has increased to more than 1600. In addition, the make-up of our society is becoming increasingly international, with esteemed surgeons from a total of 62 countries now represented in EDS.
