The 12th Congress of the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders – European Chapter (IFSO-EC) was held in the heart of Europe – Vienna, from 2 to 4 May 2024.

The local organizing committee, the scientific committee, and the executive board of the IFSO-EC created an attractive programme for bariatric and metabolic surgeons, integrated health specialists, as well as internists, and obesity researchers.

The congress programme started with pre-congress courses, which were held on the latest machines and robots and were completely sold out. The scientific programme, which filled four parallel halls, included attractive lectures, panel discussions, abstracts, interdisciplinary sessions, and video presentations. Residents, trainees, and medical students were attracted to the Young-IFSO meeting and encouraged to exchange knowledge and ideas. The traditional European championship was also interesting, where 4 national teams of surgeons competed in solving a complicated case.

A highlight of the IFSO-EC 2024 programme was its varied social part, which offered participants an excellent opportunity to share their experiences and emotions outside the scientific programme during the congress dinner. This dinner was held in the impressive premises of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, where participants had exclusive access to the museum’s collections. They were thus able to admire the magnificent spaces and artworks that added a unique atmosphere to the evening.

The overall success of the conference is evidenced by the excellent participation: 776 participants, 182 exhibitors, 149 speakers.

A big thank you to the project team led by Kristýna Hájková for the huge commitment and successful organization of this congress: Jakub Novák, Alena Füllsack, Michaela Šefrnová, Martina Vitásková, Nikola Hönigová and Petra Závodná.