Special Interview with Prof. Alberto Arezzo - President-Elect of the European Association of Endoscopic Surgery (EAES)
On March 2, 2026, the Editorial Office of Mini-invasive Surgery (MIS) had the honor of interviewing Prof. Alberto Arezzo, Distinguished Full Professor of Surgery at the University of Turin, Turin, Italy, and President-Elect of the European Association of Endoscopic Surgery (EAES), for which he was nominated on April 4, 2025.
In this in-depth conversation, Prof. Arezzo shared his perspectives on the future of artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and interdisciplinary innovation in minimally invasive and endoscopic surgery, as well as his advice for the next generation of surgeon-scientists.
Watch the full interview with Prof. Alberto Arezzo:
Interview Questions:
Q1. As Co-Principal Investigator of the European Research Council (ERC) Synergy Project ENDOTHERANOSTICS and a leading expert in multi-sensor robotic endoluminal systems, how do you see AI and multi-sensing technologies transforming real-time decision making during operative endoscopy?
Q2. You have led multiple international multicenter randomized controlled trials (RCTs), including TEMENDO, MUSIC, and ESCO. What do you consider the key factors in successfully translating trial results into clinical practice?
Q3. Based on your experience in minimally invasive and transanal endoscopic surgery, what are the current challenges and future opportunities in integrating robotic platforms into routine surgical procedures?
Q4. Reflecting on your professional journey - from training under Prof. Gerhard Buess to leading multiple European research projects and managing the Minimally Invasive Therapy and Innovation Center (MITIC) Lab - what advice would you offer to young surgeons and researchers aspiring to advance innovation in minimally invasive and endoscopic surgery?
Q5. Looking ahead to the next decade, how do you envision the evolving role of surgeons, particularly as they increasingly act as "architects" bridging engineering, AI, and clinical practice in interdisciplinary innovation?
About Prof. Alberto Arezzo:
- Distinguished Full Professor of Surgery at the University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
- Chair of the Multidisciplinary Colorectal Cancer Treatment Team at Città della Salute e della Scienza Hospital, Turin, Italy.
- General surgeon with 25 years of experience in minimally invasive surgery, including robotic surgery, transanal endoscopic surgery, and operative digestive endoscopy.
- Head of the Minimally Invasive Therapy and Innovation Center (MITIC) Lab, Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Turin (www.mitic-lab.com).
- Coordinator of the inter-university Doctorate Course in Bioengineering and Medical-Surgical Sciences, jointly organized with the Polytechnic University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
- General Secretary and President-Elect (nominated April 4, 2025) of the European Association of Endoscopic Surgery (EAES), which has around 5,400 members.
- Member of the European Surgical Association (ESA) since May 1, 2025.
- Educated and surgically trained at the University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany, under Prof. Gerhard Buess, a pioneer in minimally invasive and robot-assisted surgery.
- Principal Investigator in eight European research projects under FP5, FP6, FP7, Horizon 2020 (H2020), and Horizon Europe (HEU); four projects (CLASSICA, PALPABLE, TENTACLE, and DAEDALUS) are currently ongoing.
- Co-Principal Investigator of the European Research Council (ERC) Synergy Project ENDOTHERANOSTICS (Multi-sensor Eversion Robot Towards Intelligent Endoscopic Diagnosis and Therapy; ERC SyG-2023 #101118626), in collaboration with King's College London (London, United Kingdom), Queen Mary University of London (London, United Kingdom), and University of Naples Federico II (Naples, Italy) (www.endtheranostics.com).
- Secured approximately €73 million in competitive research funding, including more than €18 million awarded to his home institution.
- Holder of six international patents (registered or pending) in microrobotics and endoluminal therapies.
- Author of 335 publications (Scopus Author ID: 6701795382), with an H-index of 54 and 9,762 citations.
- Editor-in-Chief of Minimally Invasive Therapy & Allied Technologies (Impact Factor 1.7).
Editor: Irene Liu
Language Editor: Catherine Yang
Production Editor: Ting Xu
Respectfully Submitted by the Editorial Office of Mini-invasive Surgery
