APAGE 2026 Bali Onsite | An Interview with Professor Herbert Situmorang, Congress Organizing Committee Chair: Focusing on Minimally Invasive Frontiers, Jointly Mapping the New Blueprint for Gynecological Collaboration

OBGYN Network · Bali Onsite Interview

From September 4 to 7, 2026, the 26th Asia-Pacific Association for Gynecologic Endoscopic Surgery (APAGE) and the 13th Indonesian Gynecological Endoscopy Society (IGES) Annual Scientific Meeting 2026 were held in Bali. Guided by the core philosophy of "Innovation Driven · Minimally Invasive Future," the congress aims to build an international exchange platform that combines academic depth with forward-looking vision, promoting scientific breakthroughs and clinical transformation in the field of gynecology across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. The agenda encompasses specialized symposiums, keynote speeches, and live surgical demonstrations, focusing comprehensively on the deep integration of innovative technology and clinical practicality.

As the official invited cooperative media of APAGE 2026 & 13th IGES, OBGYN Network is following the conference highlights throughout the event, providing in-depth serial academic coverage. Onsite in Bali, we have invited authoritative experts in the field of obstetrics and gynecology to engage in deep conversations focusing on cutting-edge hot topics. The experts will provide professional interpretations combined with significant research progress, presenting an authoritative and profound online academic feast for colleagues worldwide.

In this episode of the interview, we have invited Professor Herbert Situmorang, Chair of the Congress Organizing Committee, to share insights and exchanges on topics such as the highlights of the congress, the direction of academic cooperation in gynecological minimally invasive surgery between China and Indonesia, and the principles for formulating individualized surgical decisions.

APAGE & IGES

Expert Profile

OBGYN NETWORK 1:As the Executive Chair of APAGE 2026, what are the key highlights of this congress, particularly regarding the development of vaginal surgery and gynecologic minimally invasive techniques?

Actually this conference is really fantastic！ why? Because first, we have more than hundred and fifty speakers from all around the world. We have speakers from Europe, we have speakers from Asia Pacific regions, and we have also invited speakers from USA. So all the international speakers, they are coming here to share the experience and what have they done in their daily activities. And I think the one of the highlights is about robotic surgery where now robotic surgery becomes more and more available in all countries including Indonesia. So in Asia Pacific region, robotic surgery now become a trend. And not only minimal invasive surgery, but it can combine this technology with the AI technology, with the computer technology for tele surgery, as we also shown in the first day of the symposium. And many more procedures has become a standard in gynecologic surgery, such as vNOTES. Other than that, we also have various procedures in gynecologic to show to the all the participants. Other than robots, we also have a few NOTES. We have a single port NOTES. We have a vaginal surgery for urogynaecology. And we have another device to support our minimal invasive surgery, such as haemostatic device, such as ablation device. We have microwave, we have ablation with a radio frequency ablation, HIFU. And all of these new technologies coming is nice to learn and to master during this training and workshop. Thank you.

OBGYN NETWORK 2: Looking ahead, what opportunities do you see for further academic collaboration and technical exchange between China and Indonesia through APAGE?

I think Indonesia and China really has a big opportunities to have a collaboration, especially in the medical field. why? Because first, the distance between us is not that far, right? Second, our population is quite similar and in numbers is also big. China and Indonesia has a big population, so big cases. And the third one I think by sharing this experience between us and China, especially now the technology, communication technology is also available to exchange information to exchange cases. I think a lot of fields especially in gynecology we can collaborate each other yeah especially between universities. We know that some hospitals in Indonesia that we have specific cases that can be learned in China, let's say about endometriosis, about cervical cancer, about urogenital cases. All of this field can be as a main objects of the collaboration between two countries. And I believe in APAC, Asia Pacific association of Gynaecology and obstetrics, we have all the faculties from China and all faculties from Indonesia. I think it's a good time for us here in Bali to start our collaboration in a near future. Especially the one that can be done uh in a quite um well let's say especially in the field, in the low hanging fruit that we can do it fast and we can do it in a short time in the future such as student exchange, lecture, faculty exchange, distance learning, webinars etc. I think we can start it.

OBGYN NETWORK 3: How do you view the complementary development of vaginal surgery, laparoscopic and robotic technologies? What role can APAGE play in advancing minimally invasive surgery across the Asia-Pacific region?

I think the best scenario if the surgeon has all of these skills, mastering of all of these skills. So in different situation, he or she will choose the best approach that's suitable for the case. If you only have one approach, let's say open surgery, you cannot do laparoscopic surgery, you cannot do minimal invasive surgery, then all cases will be done by open. In fact there are lots of diseases especially in gynecology where minimal invasive, say laparoscopic or robotic laparoscopic or even vaginal surgery is the best approach for the case. So I think we aim for all of our doctors to master all of these approaches. Thank you very much.

Editor：MAYE