Rolling admission · Istanbul · Delivered in English
Laparoscopic & Minimally Invasive Surgery Observership laparoscopic general surgery from case selection to recovery in Istanbul
Follow how a university general surgery department selects patients for a laparoscopic approach, sets up the theatre and manages recovery, with no operative role, on the lists scheduled during your dates.
What can an observer follow in Laparoscopic Surgery?
What you see depends on the department's clinical calendar during your placement; the list below describes the department's usual scope, not a guaranteed programme.
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy, hernia repair and anti-reflux surgery on the elective lists, where scheduled
Minimally invasive colorectal resections, with the planning that decides between a laparoscopic and an open approach
Theatre set-up for laparoscopy: positioning, access, insufflation and the roles of the surgeon, camera assistant and scrub team, followed from the room or its monitors
Case selection in the outpatient clinic and at pre-operative assessment: previous surgery, other illness and the anaesthetic review
Difficulty and conversion: how the team recognises a case that is not progressing safely and when it changes the plan, as such situations arise
Enhanced-recovery pathways after minimally invasive surgery: early mobilisation, feeding and discharge criteria on the post-operative round
The department's morbidity and mortality meeting, where minimally invasive cases are reviewed alongside open ones
When is a laparoscopic approach chosen, and who shapes the decision?
The choice of approach is made before the patient reaches theatre. Surgeons weigh the patient, the disease and the team: previous abdominal operations and the adhesions they may have left, the heart and lung reserve needed to tolerate a gas-filled abdomen and steep positioning, the degree of inflammation or the size and site of a tumour, and the experience available on the day. For gallstone disease the laparoscopic operation is the usual approach in most settings. For hernia, the decision between open and laparoscopic repair commonly turns on the type of hernia, whether it is recurrent or on both sides, and the patient's fitness for general anaesthesia. Anti-reflux surgery is generally offered only after the diagnosis has been confirmed by objective testing.
Safety habits are part of the technique. In cholecystectomy, surgeons are taught to identify the anatomy conclusively before dividing any structure, and to stop, seek help or change strategy when that cannot be achieved. Converting to an open operation is treated as a decision made for the patient's safety, not as a failure. The anaesthetic team manages the effects of insufflation and position on breathing and circulation, and the theatre checklist brings the whole team to the same plan before the first incision. Observers hear these exchanges as they happen.
For bowel cancer the access is only one part of the plan. Staging, the tumour board's recommendation and the principles of cancer surgery come first, and a minimally invasive resection is chosen when it can meet the same standard as an open one. After surgery, enhanced-recovery pathways set daily goals for mobilisation, eating and pain control, and discharge follows criteria that were agreed in advance. An observer who follows a patient from the clinic to discharge sees how these decisions connect.
How this page differs
This page covers laparoscopy as an approach across the general surgery lists: gallbladder, hernia, anti-reflux and colorectal. The colorectal and hepatopancreatobiliary pages follow those services in depth. Gynaecological laparoscopy and robotic-assisted surgery are described on the gynaecological surgery, robotic gynaecological surgery and robotic urology pages. Hands-on courses listed elsewhere on this site, such as GESEA Level 1 Training & Certification and the Laparoscopic Hysterectomy Masterclass, are separate programmes and are not part of an observership.
Who applies, and which route fits?
Clinical Observership
Surgical trainees and graduate physicians who want to see how a high-volume department organises its minimally invasive lists, and clinical-year students deciding on a surgical career.
Clinical Fellowship
General surgeons with a specialist qualification who state minimally invasive surgery as their interest within the general surgery department; the department decides allocation, and laparoscopic lists are followed alongside its open, emergency and clinic work.
What an observer does not do
Both routes are strictly observational: observers attend theatre and clinic without patient contact, do not scrub or assist, and are not assessed on any procedure.
Strictly observational: no scrubbing, camera holding, port placement or instrument handling, and no simulator or box-trainer sessions.
You follow from the place the theatre team assigns, often the monitors, and the team may limit the number of people in the room.
Lists change with emergencies and bed availability; no number or type of laparoscopic case can be promised.
No procedural certification, logbook entries or competence sign-off: the certificate records attendance or completion, not laparoscopic skill.
The two routes at a glance
The two routes side by side
Clinical Observership
Clinical Fellowship
Duration
1, 2 or 4 weeks (extension possible on request)
12 to 24 months, agreed with the host department
Who it is for
Medical students in clinical years and graduate physicians from outside Turkey
Recognised specialists and family physicians seeking advanced exposure beyond standard specialty training
Extended observational attachment to one department: daily practice, service structure and specific techniques
Certificate
Certificate of attendance issued by the host hospital and signed by its Medical Director
Certificate on completion issued under the accreditation of the affiliated university school of medicine
Start
Rotations typically begin on a Monday; dates are agreed individually
Start date planned around the date you request and the department's capacity
Before you apply
The programme is delivered in English and every applicant evidences their level with an official document.
Fees and terms are confirmed in writing after the eligibility review; they are not published on this page.
Apply three to six months ahead: departments accept only one or two observers at a time and files are reviewed in order.
State your focus in the objectives of your application. Allocation follows the department's lists during your dates.
What do candidates ask about Laparoscopic Surgery?
Is this a hands-on laparoscopic training course?
No. Both routes are strictly observational: there is no operating, no assisting and no simulator training. If you are looking for assessed, hands-on skills training, that is a different kind of programme. For gynaecologists, two separate programmes are described on their own pages: GESEA Level 1 Training & Certification and the Laparoscopic Hysterectomy Masterclass.
Which laparoscopic operations will I see?
The department's usual scope includes laparoscopic cholecystectomy, hernia repair, anti-reflux surgery and minimally invasive colorectal resection. What is listed during your dates depends on the clinical calendar, emergencies and bed availability, so no operation can be promised. Name the operations that interest you in your objectives so that the department can advise on timing.
Does the placement include bariatric or robotic surgery?
Bariatric surgery is not named in the general surgery department's published scope, so do not plan a placement around it; ask before applying. Robotic-assisted operations are described on the robotic gynaecological surgery and robotic urology pages and are followed within those departments.
Will the placement be recognised as surgical training in my country?
The host hospital issues a certificate of attendance to observers and a certificate on completion to fellows. Either one records your presence in the department, not operative experience. Whether an observational placement is given any credit is decided by your own training authority or employer, so check with them before you apply.
How long should I plan to stay?
The Clinical Observership runs for one, two or four weeks. Because the lists change from week to week, a longer placement gives a wider view of the case mix, but the choice within those durations is yours. The Clinical Fellowship is a separate route of twelve to twenty-four months for recognised specialists.
Apply for an observership with Laparoscopic Surgery as your focus
One online application for both routes. State Laparoscopic Surgery as your focus in your objectives; ATDERA reviews the file and prepares it for the General Surgery department, then replies with next steps, typically within two working days.
Five short steps: your details, education, programme choice, documents and declaration.
A personal link by email, so you can leave and return where you stopped — for 60 days.
Documents are uploaded in step 4; you need nothing to hand to begin.
ATDERA Global Limited (Companies House No. 17173428, registered in England and Wales) coordinates this programme for a university teaching hospital in Istanbul. ATDERA is not a hospital and does not provide clinical care; admission decisions and certificates are the host hospital's.
Ready to apply?
One online application covers both routes and all twenty-one specialties — details, programme choice and documents in five short steps. ATDERA reviews the file and replies with next steps, typically within two working days.
