Special Interview with Prof. M. Mahir Özmen: President of ELSA and Founder President of TSMBS

On September 10, 2025, the Editorial Office of Mini-invasive Surgery (MIS, ISSN: 2574-1225) had the honor of interviewing Prof. M. Mahir Özmen, President of the Endoscopic Laparoscopic Surgeons of Asia (ELSA), Founding President of the Turkish Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (TSMBS), and Editorial Board member for Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery at MIS.

The interview provided valuable insights into Prof. Özmen’s distinguished career and his perspectives on the future of minimally invasive surgery.

Below are the details of the interview:

Interview Questions

Q1. You have made significant contributions to gastrointestinal surgery, oncology surgery, and metabolic/obesity surgery. Could you share an innovative surgical case that has been particularly meaningful to you?

Q2. In your view, what will be the most important breakthrough in obesity and metabolic surgery in the next 5-10 years?

Q3. What role do you see for robotic surgery, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and other emerging technologies in advancing surgical practice?

Q4. Looking forward, what is your vision for the Mahir Ozmen Clinic?

Q5. As a new member of the Mini-invasive Surgery Editorial Board, what suggestions do you have for the journal’s development?

Profile

Prof. M. Mahir Özmen

Prof. M. Mahir Özmen is an internationally recognized expert in general surgery, bariatric and metabolic surgery, and surgical oncology. He currently serves as President of the Endoscopic Laparoscopic Surgeons of Asia (ELSA) and is the Founding President of the Turkish Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (TSMBS). He has also held prominent positions in several international societies, including the UEMS Board of Emergency Surgery.

Prof. Özmen is a leading authority in robotic and laparoscopic surgery, with expertise spanning bariatric and metabolic surgery (including revisional procedures), gastric, pancreatic, and colorectal cancer surgery, peritoneal carcinomatosis, and advanced gastrointestinal procedures. Since 2008, he has also performed living and cadaveric kidney transplants, and in 2012, he became board-certified in Surgical Oncology.

Prof. Özmen has authored more than 250 publications, over 50 book chapters, and 20 books, and holds an H-index of 37. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS), the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow (FRCS), and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (FASMBS).

Editor: Ivy Wang
Language Editor: Catherine Yang
Production Editor: Ting Xu
Respectfully Submitted by the Editorial Office of Mini-invasive Surgery