Farewell to Haamburg – Sailing towards Basel
The final day of EANS2026 Congress brought a full programme of scientific exchange, with 16 parallel sessions covering a wide range of topics across our field. These sessions showcased innovative research results and outcomes in areas such as spinal surgery, pituitary surgery, neuro-oncology, vascular surgery, and skull base surgery.
Of particular note this year was the unprecedented commitment of the Functional Neurosurgery and Radiosurgery Sections, which managed to attend the biennial congress of the World Society of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery in Marseille and the EANS Annual Congress at the same time. They made a substantial contribution to both events. At EANS2026 alone, this resulted in more than 80 contributions across 11 sessions over just two days. This was also possible thanks to the exceptional cooperation of the EANS Organising Committee and Michaël Bruneau, EANS Scientific Liaison, who enabled such an ambitious schedule to be compressed into a short time frame. Furthermore, there was substantial attendance at the EANS/ESSFN Radiosurgery Diploma Session, which reported on the latest evidence of radiosurgery for meningiomas as part of the second cycle of lectures started at the ESSFN Conference in Budapest in 2025.
The day concluded with an inspiring plenary session on skull base surgery, followed by a final session on new trends in radiosurgery, which covered some highly debated topics presented by outstanding faculty members.
The Closing Ceremony brought this excellent EANS meeting in Hamburg to a close. Congress Presidents Manfred Westphal and Veit Rohde, along with EANS President Francesco Sala, expressed their gratitude to all participants and those involved in the organisation for an excellent Congress. The EANS office did a fantastic job!
Furthermore, the EANS President, Francesco Sala, presented Raphael Guzman, the main host of the next EANS Annual Congress, which will take place in Basel in September 2027.
As the Hamburg Congress comes to a close, the journey continues. Basel 2027 is next, and we look forward to welcoming the EANS community for another memorable Annual Congress.
President’s Address: In Shackleton Footsteps
What a week for the EANS! Every great experience comes to an end, and here we are, in Hamburg, celebrating a stellar congress.
In these past few days, we have enjoyed exchanging high-level scientific knowledge, presenting the state of the art in neurosurgery, discussing the most controversial topics, looking into the future of our discipline.
All this happened in a unique atmosphere, meeting old and new colleagues and friends, enjoying social moments together.
I would like to wholeheartedly thank our hosts, Manfred Westphal and Veit Rohde, together with the German Neurosurgical Society, for their great hospitality: from a very functional congress venue to an opening ceremony which truly gave us the flavour of Hamburg, from a very successful networking dinner at the Curio Haus (the President never had such a big birthday party!), to the elegant but cosy Presidential Dinner at the Maritime Museum.
What was truly special at EANS2026 Hamburg Congress was the “Leitmotiv”. The Congress motto “Responsibility, Endurance, Resilience” stayed with us for the entire week, and it really permeated the whole congress. We started with the spectacular lecture by Arved Fuchs about the incredible odyssey of Ernest Shackleton, who managed to rescue and bring his 27 brave men safely home after a two-year ordeal in Antarctica. Fuchs truly walked in Shackleton’s shoes, repeating that inconceivable journey.
We then addressed the congress motto throughout our scientific programme, debating various aspects of our professional life where certainly responsibility, endurance, and resilience are needed and experienced in many different ways.
Through the fascinating lectures of Karsten Danzmann and Stefan W. Hell, we heard the sound of colliding black holes and were inspired by the geographical and professional journey of a Chemistry Nobel Prize winner, realising that, after all, Neurosurgery is not rocket science.
On Saturday, James Rutka’s enlightening lecture on Leadership brought us back to where we started…responsibility, endurance, resilience. The final touch, in the evening, was an unforgettable Presidents’ Dinner at the Maritime Museum where we could admire Shackleton’s boat, James Caird II, which Arved Fuchs built to replicate Shackleton’s journey from Elephant Island to South Georgia.
The Closing Ceremony was then the final celebration of Hamburg 2026 and the handover to EANS2027 Basel, with Raphael Guzman, Congress President, inviting us all to Switzerland for what, I’m sure, will be another memorable EANS Congress.
To conclude, when you think about it, we have been far luckier than Shackleton. In our lives, we have the privilege to experience responsibility, endurance, and resilience in a much less hostile environment than the one Shackleton faced. And our EANS ship has not been trapped in the ice pack and has not sunk. It has been safely harboured in Hamburg for a few days and will continue to sail, hopefully with a tailwind.
But no ship is unsinkable, and we should all continue to take great care of our Association. Our journey will continue, and our I CARE motto was up there, displayed in our plenary hall, reminding us of our values and our mission.
I would like to thank all of you (Excom, Board, Council, Individual Members, National Member Societies, and our fantastic EANS Office team), from the bottom of my heart, for your loyal and invaluable support to the EANS and the 2026 Annual Meeting.
Ad maiora,
Francesco Sala
EANS President
It is our distinct honour and pleasure to invite you to join us for the EANS2027 Annual Congress, held in the historic city of Basel, Switzerland.
As Europe’s premier gathering for neurosurgical education and scientific innovation, EANS2027 brings together thousands of neurosurgeons, spine specialists, and healthcare decision-makers from around the world.
We look forward to personally welcoming you to Basel for an outstanding congress.
Warm regards,
Raphael Guzman
Congress President, EANS2027 Basel
Francesco Sala EANS President
A Congress of Partnership EANS2026 Hamburg sets new milestones for EANS
Dear EANS Family,
As we have reached the end of the EANS2026 Hamburg Congress, I would like to thank you for being part of the highlight event of our educational activities. From 30 September to 4 October, 2,372 participants from 88 countries and 72 Industry Partners, our largest industry presence ever, gathered at the CCH Hamburg for five days of science, education and networking.
EANS2026 was a congress of renewal in its scientific programme.
This year we introduced a new programme structure with more than 150 scientific sessions, and with it new session types, the Spotlight sessions, which brought focused topics to the centre of the discussion. Together with excellent keynote talks and more than 1,700 scientific presentations, they gave our delegates a rich and varied programme. We hope you enjoyed it to the fullest.
It was also a congress of collaboration. EANS2026 was a year with a large number of joint symposia with partner organisations, a clear sign of our commitment to working together across the neurosurgical community. We were honoured to welcome the Japan Neurosurgical Society as our Honored Guest Society, whose fantastic scientific contribution enriched the programme and strengthened the bonds between European and Japanese neurosurgery. I am also delighted that all of our National Member Societies were represented in the programme, because EANS is, above all, a community of societies and colleagues.
Membership matters, and Hamburg showed it. Among the participants in the categories where membership can be measured, 59% were EANS Individual Members. This reflects how much our members value the congress, and how closely it is tied to the life of the Association.
Our Industry Partners were once again at the heart of the congress. The 72 exhibitors in Hamburg made this the largest exhibition in EANS history. Their continued support of our ever-growing educational portfolio, and their commitment to the betterment of European and global neurosurgical practice, are deeply appreciated. I would like to thank each one of them.
My sincere thanks also go to our speakers, chairs, faculty, Scientific Committee, National Member Societies and everyone who contributed to making EANS2026 a success.
Our spirits are high, our emotions are strong, and our minds are already turning to the EANS2027 Basel Congress, for which we are already working hard. We look forward to welcoming you there, to celebrate together European Neurosurgery, learn, engage and network.
Warm regards,
Valentini Amarantidou
EANS Executive Director
Your EANS Story Starts Here!
#IAmEANS Competition
Every EANS member has a story – share what inspired you to become an EANS member, how EANS has shaped your neurosurgical journey, and what being part of this community means to you. Your story could inspire fellow neurosurgeons and help others discover the opportunities and connections that come with being part of EANS.
Share your story on social media, use #IAmEANS &
win a One-Year EANS Individual Membership.
Best story wins!
Be part of the EANS2026 social media community for your chance to win free registration to the EANS2027 Congress in Basel!
Taking part is simple:
1. Capture your EANS2026 moment
Take a photo that shows your EANS experience.
2. Share it on social media
Post your photo on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook or X using #EANS2026.
3. Get your friends involved
Ask your friends and colleagues to like your post on the EANS2026 Social Wall.
The post with the most likes on the EANS2026 Social Wall will win free registration to the Congress.
So, get creative, share your EANS2026 moment and start collecting those likes.
Basel is waiting!
We’re partnering with Memento Photo, an AI-powered platform that uses facial recognition to deliver your EANS2026 photos to you in real time! Scan the QR code you’ll find at the designated spots throughout the Congress and create your personalised photo profile.
Follow us on Social media and
stay tuned for the rest of the Journey!
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