Pre-Congress Sessions
Taking place on 25 November 2026
Price: 25€*
This pre-course aims at providing fundamental knowledge on intraoperative essentials in thyroid an parathyroid surgery as well as insights on cost effectiveness and billing of endocrine surgeries according the DRG-system and GOÄ.
Part one and two are designed for early-career endocrine surgeons. They provide an in-depth look at intraoperative neuromonitoring and intraoperative parathyroid fluorescence imaging. By the end of the modules, participants should have a solid understanding of the latter, be familiar with indications, know how to avoid common errors, and be able to correctly interpret different findings during surgery.
The third part of the course is intended for physicians involved in billing and reimbursement and covers recent developments and relevant aspects of German healthcare reimbursement system.
Brief assessments at the end of the modules will be used to evaluate learning outcomes.
*(includes all Pre-Sessions)
14:00 - 14:45 | Basic Neuromonitoring, Sponsored by Langer Medical
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of the course, participants will be able to:
- explain the fundamentals of intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM).
- describe the setup of the neuromonitoring system.
- apply standard procedures for intermittent neuromonitoring (iIONM).
- systematically analyze signal losses.
- identify the limitations and potential sources of error in neuromonitoring.
- evaluate the role of continuous neuromonitoring (cIONM).
Keypoints
- Why Neuromonitoring?
- Technical Fundamentals
- Standardized Procedure
- Troubleshooting: Loss of Signal (LOS),
- Continuous Neuromonitoring
15:15 - 16:00 | Basic Fluorescence-based imaging of parathyroid glands, Sponsored by Inomed
Learning Objectives
At the end of the course, participants will be able to:
- explain the principle of near-infrared autofluorescence.
- identify parathyroid glands intraoperatively.
- distinguish autofluorescence from perfusion assessment methods.
- recognize typical sources of error.
- effectively integrate the method into the surgical workflow.
Keypoints
- new imaging techniques for parathyroid preservation
- Physical principles
- Clinical application
- Limitations and pitfalls
- Current state and practical recommendations
16:30 - 17:45 | Abrechnungsseminar German Billing System, private billing based on GOÄ, general billing according to the DRG-system
As the GOÄ / private billing system, as well as the DRG-System applies exclusively in Germany, we provide the course description in German only.
Auf Grund der sehr großen Resonanz dieses Seminars auf der CAEK-Tagung in Stuttgart 2024, haben wir uns entschlossen ein Update 2026 anzubieten:
Der Kurs richtet sich an Chirurgen*innen, die mit der Kodierung endokriner Operationen im DRG-System befasst und / oder in das System der deutschen Privatliquidation involviert sind.
Der Kurs zeigt Möglichkeiten der optimierten DRG-Kodierung und GOÄ-konformen Abrechnung von Operationen an Schilddrüse, Nebenschilddrüse und zervikalen Lymphknoten auf, aktuelle Urteile werden diskutiert. Wie werden sich die DRG der endokrinen Eingriffe weiter entwickeln, wird es Hybrid-DRGs geben?
Darüber hinaus werden die wichtigsten Neuerungen der GOÄ Novellierung 2025 für die Schilddrüsen- und Nebenschilddrüsenchirurgie vorgestellt. Der Deutsche Ärztetag hat dem vorliegenden Entwurf der Novellierung bereits zugestimmt. Der Entwurf liegt nun beim Bundesgesundheitsministerium, das die politische Umsetzung ab Mitte 2026 in Aussicht gestellt hat
(Mitglieder der GOÄ-Gruppe der CAEK: Christian Vorländer, Andreas Zielke – Arnold Trupka und Christoph Nies)
Post-Congress Sessions
Post-Course Advanced Oncologic Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery
Taking place on 28 November 2026
Price: 400€*
This post-course provides an intensive hands-on training program covering advanced oncologic thyroid and parathyroid surgery. The curriculum includes central, lateral, and mediastinal neck dissection, multivisceral resections with tracheal and esophageal reconstruction, as well as a dedicated module on the prevention and management of surgical complications.
The course combines focused expert lectures with extensive cadaver-based hands-on training and offers ample opportunity for interactive discussion of complex clinical cases and challenging surgical scenarios.
By the end of the course, participants will be well prepared to contribute to multidisciplinary tumor board discussions, possess a comprehensive understanding of advanced surgical techniques and their indications, recognize the limitations of surgical intervention, avoid common technical pitfalls, and confidently prevent and manage complications associated with advanced thyroid and parathyroid cancer surgery.
Number of participants: 20 (first come first served)
*Application consists of CV, Letter of Motivation and a short Video of own central and or lateral lymphadenectomy.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of the course, participants will be able to
- perform standard central, lateral, and mediastinal neck dissections according to current oncologic principles.
- select appropriate surgical and interdisciplinary treatment strategies for complex oncologic cases.
- recognize the indications and limitations of multivisceral resection in locally advanced disease.
- describe surgical strategies for hereditary endocrine syndromes (MEN) and pediatric endocrine malignancies.
- anticipate, prevent, and manage intraoperative and postoperative complications in advanced endocrine surgery.
- critically evaluate the indications, advantages, and limitations of different surgical techniques (Tobogan approach, tension-free techniques, TOVARA, Kocher incision, and minimally invasive approaches such as Miccoli).
Keypoints:
- standard neck dissection – every level
- advanced surgical technique in multivisceral resection
- limitations, pitfalls and management of complications
- Multidisciplinary treatment planning