Report on the 24th European Congress of Trauma and Emergency Surgery

Coen Verstappen
Maastricht University Medical Center

Congress Experience

From April 13 to 15, 2025, I had the privilege to attend the 24th European Congress of Trauma and Emergency Surgery (ECTES) in Aachen, Germany, supported by a generous ESTES Travel Grant.

Traveling to Aachen by train provided a convenient and comfortable start to what would be a highly inspiring and fruitful experience. Upon arrival, I was immediately impressed by the beauty of the city and the efficiency with which the congress was organized. The congress venue was modern, easy to navigate, and ideally suited for the broad variety of sessions and activities scheduled throughout the event.

The first day of the congress was well structured, featuring a diverse range of presentations that attracted a large and engaged audience. Between sessions, the catering was excellent, offering an ideal environment for informal networking and discussion.

In the evening, I attended the joint meeting organized by our national trauma society together with the Belgian trauma society. This gathering proved to be highly valuable, allowing me to establish numerous new contacts with colleagues from both countries. Notably, several of these connections have already led to promising leads for a randomized controlled trial currently being developed within our department.

The second day started early with another series of highly interesting lectures. A highlight for me personally was the YESTES (Young ESTES) meeting. This session was particularly relevant to my current career stage, offering practical advice and valuable insights on research, career development, and international collaboration.

That evening, the congress social event provided another great opportunity to meet trauma surgeons from across Europe in a more informal setting. Again, I was able to expand my network significantly. Given that I had to present my poster the next morning, I ensured an early night to be fully prepared.

My poster presentations on the final day were facilitated through an innovative e-poster system. This setup, with headphones for audience members, allowed for clear communication despite the busy atmosphere, and made the session very accessible and effective. Presenting my work and receiving feedback from international colleagues was both encouraging and inspiring for future research projects.

Professional Career and Scientific Activities

Currently, I am a resident in Surgery at VieCuri Medical Center (Venlo, the Netherlands), actively involved in both clinical care and academic research. From the beginning of my training, I have been committed to combining hands-on clinical experience with scientific inquiry, aiming to contribute to evidence-based improvements in trauma and emergency surgery.

My scientific work focuses on the aftertreatment of calcaneal fractures. I have co-authored several peer-reviewed publications and actively participated in national and international conferences through oral and poster presentations. Recently, I became involved in the setup of a multicenter randomized controlled trial addressing the postoperative management strategies in calcaneal fractures, reflecting my growing role in large-scale collaborative research.

The support from ESTES through the Travel Grant has significantly contributed to my professional development by enabling my participation in ECTES 2025. This opportunity has strengthened my motivation to continue pursuing academic excellence in trauma surgery and to actively contribute to the international trauma community.

I would like to sincerely thank ESTES, the German trauma association (the sponsoring society) for their generous support and for making my attendance at this outstanding congress possible. I look forward to further contributing to our field and hope to stay involved in ESTES activities for many years to come.