The European Foregut Society (EFS) today represents the leading association in Europe for benign foregut disease and pre-malignancy.
Our Mission
The EFS fosters partnership and exchange of ideas throughout Europe, across disciplines and between clinicians in the management of patients with benign foregut disease and pre-malignancy. We encourage international multidisciplinary dialogue, education, and research. Our society is assisting in the development of benchmarks that improve diagnosis, treatment and outcomes for patients with foregut symptoms and we offer support for their implementation.
Fighting the foregut diseases
We want to be different! Traditional societies tend to focus mainly on cancer and bariatrics to the extent that benign disease is largely marginalized. The emphasis of EFS is on the collaboration of professionals to develop the best practice for patients with benign and premalignant foregut disease.
Multidisciplinary Pan – European Society
We offer the knowledge and expertise of leading experts across all parts of Europe, in the field of surgery, endoscopy, gastroenterology, pathology and radiology, to personalize treatment and improve patients outcomes.
EFS Story
EFS Annual Meeting
Welcome to the 5th EFS Annual Congress in Athens!
Dear Colleagues,
It is our great pleasure to welcome you to the 5th Annual Congress of the European Foregut Society (EFS), a key event in the field of foregut diseases. This congress brings together leading surgeons, gastroenterologists, researchers, dieticians, physiologists, ENT surgeons, and industry experts from around the world.
Our mission is to foster collaboration, share cutting-edge research, and explore the latest advancements in diagnostics and treatment. Last year’s meeting in London gathered delegates from 19 countries, and we expect to welcome 250–300 participants from across Europe and beyond.
Athens, with its rich history and vibrant culture, will provide an inspiring setting for meaningful discussions, networking, and innovation. We look forward to an outstanding scientific and professional experience and to welcoming you in person!
See you in Athens!
EFS Postgraduate Course
2nd Belgrade postgraduate course
Current interventional management of gastroesophageal reflux disease
European Foregut Society (EFS) provides specialized platform for the thoughtful diagnostics and treatment of benign foregut diseases. Today, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) represents an important clinical challenge starting from proper diagnosis to treatment strategies. As a chronic endemic progressive disease, GERD has a huge negative impact on health-related quality of life, and may lead to Barrett’s esophagus and adenocarcinoma. GERD is complex and heterogeneous disease requiring a patient-centered and multidisciplinary approach, with more than 1/3 of patients being partial responders or non-responders to proton-pump inhibitors, with a growing concern regarding the safety of long-term pharmacological therapy. Systematic assessment of symptoms, anatomy, physiology, histopathology and burden of reflux, are mandatory to plainly identify patients with progressive disease who may benefit from early interventional management.
Interventional GERD therapy can be performed either through minimally invasive surgery or flexible endoscopy. Both methods have the potential to reinforce the lower esophageal sphincter and the gastroesophageal flap valve in order to protect the esophageal mucosa from the reflux of both acid and alkaline gastric contents. However, as an important integral part of the antireflux barrier, a crural repair is feasible only through a laparoscopic approach.
