GMKA-Led Initiative to Advance Surgical Quality and Safety Presented at E-AHPBA 2025
Dr. Inesa Huivaniuk, surgical oncologist and Executive Director of the Global Medical Knowledge Alliance (GMKA), participated in the 16th Biennial Congress of the European-African Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (E-AHPBA), held in Dublin, Ireland. She presented the international surgical community with a GMKA-led initiative aimed at improving patient care, offering a comprehensive perspective on the challenge of surgical site infections and potential solutions.
The E-AHPBA Congress is a significant gathering of the Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary community within the European region and beyond. It has become a valuable platform for the exchange of ideas, the fostering of connections, and the pursuit of impactful advancements. The 2025 congress theme was Modern HPB Surgery: When Innovation Becomes Standard. It highlighted the rapid advancements in the field and the transition of cutting-edge innovations into everyday clinical practice.
Dr. Huivaniuk’s presentation took place in the “Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery 360” session, which focuses not on clinical case studies, but on broader topics such as multidisciplinary collaboration, quality of care, patient safety, mentoring, and systemic improvements in surgical practice.
“In our Quality Improvement (QI) project, we are tackling the critical issue of surgical site infections, which continue to pose a serious threat to patient safety,” Dr. Huivaniuk explained. “One of the program elements is the Surgical Site Infection Registry, launched at the Kyiv Regional Oncology Center in September 2024. At the Congress, I presented our initial findings, outlined major challenges and data gaps, and compared our outcomes to European benchmarks. I also spoke about developing evidence-based recommendations and international best practices, as well as the importance of partnering and collaborating with hospitals across the country.”
She emphasized the collaborative nature of the GMKA approach, noting how the project is expanding across Ukraine and engaging new clinical centers.
"The goal of GMKA’s Quality and Safety Improvement Project is to raise awareness of the issue, engage new centers, and involve proactive physicians who are willing to contribute their data. This enables us to analyze the problem of surgical site infections and address it effectively. GMKA, together with a team of international experts, is working on exactly how to do that. For example, we already offer an adapted and translated algorithm for preventing these infections. It’s a straightforward, user-friendly tool, available in Ukrainian and accessible to every hospital. No additional purchases are needed — it’s just a matter of establishing the right processes.
Similar barriers to data entry and participation exist globally. In my view, these challenges can be overcome by taking the following steps: openly sharing data, analyzing results to identify critical pain points, implementing standards and international recommendations adapted for Ukraine, ensuring continuous monitoring, and maintaining ongoing data collection. And, of course, by sharing experience to deliver better and safer care for patients.”