President’s Message
“Change is hard at first, messy in the middle and gorgeous at the end.”
— Robin Sharma
It is with great pride, a profound sense of responsibility, and an ambitious vision for the future that I welcome you to the Laparoscopic, Endoscopic and Robotic Society of Malta (LERSM).
We are living through one of the most exciting periods in the history of surgery. The boundaries between traditional surgery, advanced endoscopy, interventional techniques, digital technology and robotics are rapidly disappearing. Procedures that once required major operations can increasingly be performed through smaller incisions, natural orifices, sophisticated endoscopic platforms and robotic systems.
Surgery is changing — and we must have the courage not simply to follow that change, but to help lead it.
LERSM was founded in 2024 with precisely this ambition: to create a national scientific society capable of bringing together surgeons, endoscopists, trainees, nurses, allied healthcare professionals and innovators who share a commitment to advancing minimally invasive surgery in Malta.
Our purpose goes far beyond promoting new technology.
Technology alone does not create excellence. Excellence comes from knowledge, training, discipline, collaboration and the willingness to continuously challenge ourselves to do better for our patients.
Our mission is therefore to promote the highest standards of laparoscopic, endoscopic and robotic surgery through education, hands-on training, scientific exchange, research and international collaboration. We want to create an environment in which established experts share their experience, young surgeons are encouraged to question and innovate, and new ideas can be examined critically and translated responsibly into clinical practice.
At the heart of this mission lies the next generation of surgeons.
We have a responsibility to provide our trainees and young colleagues with opportunities that extend beyond the operating theatre: access to mentorship, simulation and hands-on training, international experts, live surgery, scientific meetings, research collaborations and exposure to emerging technologies. We must give them not only the technical skills required for tomorrow’s surgery, but also the judgement, curiosity and courage to shape its future.
At the same time, innovation must never become an objective in itself.
The patient must remain at the centre of every technological advance we embrace.
Whether we operate laparoscopically, endoscopically or robotically, our ultimate measure of success remains unchanged: safer surgery, better outcomes, faster recovery, less suffering and a better quality of life for our patients. New technology must therefore be accompanied by evidence, structured training, careful evaluation and uncompromising standards of patient safety.
Malta may be a small island nation, but our ambitions should never be limited by our geography.
Our position at the heart of the Mediterranean gives us a unique opportunity to become a hub for surgical education, innovation and international collaboration — a place where colleagues from Malta, Europe, the Mediterranean region and beyond can meet, exchange knowledge, demonstrate new techniques and build lasting professional relationships.
Through LERSM, we intend to strengthen Malta’s connections with leading international surgical societies, centres of excellence and pioneers in minimally invasive surgery. We want to bring world-class expertise to Malta while ensuring that Maltese surgeons and trainees are increasingly visible and active within the international surgical community.
Building something new is never easy. As Robin Sharma reminds us, change can be hard at first and messy in the middle. Progress demands persistence, openness to new ideas and, occasionally, the courage to leave familiar territory behind.
But that is precisely how medicine advances.
LERSM represents more than a professional society. It represents a community with a shared vision: to learn from one another, to challenge established boundaries, to embrace responsible innovation and to continually raise the standard of surgical care.
I therefore invite surgeons, trainees, nurses, allied healthcare professionals, researchers, educators and our partners in medical technology to become active participants in this journey.
Together, we can build something meaningful.
Together, we can strengthen surgical education in Malta.
Together, we can create opportunities for the next generation.
And together, we can ensure that Malta is not simply witnessing the future of minimally invasive surgery — but actively helping to shape it.
Welcome to the Laparoscopic, Endoscopic and Robotic Society of Malta.
The journey has begun.
Predrag Andrejevic, MD. FRCSI. FACS
President
Laparoscopic, Endoscopic and Robotic Society of Malta (LERSM)
Mr Predrag Andrejevic MD bio
