Marja Boermeester is professor of surgery and clinical epidemiologist, and passionated DJ (house, techhouse, mainstream). Principal investigator of many multicentre trials on diagnostics and treatment of abdominal infections (e.g. RELAP, OPTIMA, ESCAPE, OPTIMAP, DIABOLO). She received many grants (e.g. 10 ZonMW Health Care & Efficacy Research Grants (Doelmatigheidsonderzoek) and trials were published in international high-ranked publications (NEJM, JAMA, Radiology, BMJ). Her core business in GI / HPB surgery is intestinal failure surgery (enterocutaneous fistula or short bowel), acute abdominal infections (peritonitis, acute and chronic pancreatitis), surgery of intestinal failure , late-phase abdominal reconstruction after peritonitis, abdominal catastrophes. She has fifteen PhD fellows under her supervision, and 2 post-docs working with her. She is member of the AMC Research Council and Principal Investigator at this institute, member of the writing committee of the Dutch Pancreatitis Study Group (DPSG), principal investigator of the DPSG section Chronic Pancreatitis, and member of several guideline committees (Antibiotics in Sepsis, Acute Diverticulitis, Peri-operative Patient Safety, and Diagnostics of Acute Abdominal Pain). Also national coordinator Pancreas Pearl at the String of Pearls Initiative (PSI), President of the Surgical Infection Society Europe (SIS-E), steering committee of the WHO Global Guidelines on Surgical Site Infections. She has founded the SURgical Patient Safety System (SURPASS) checklist, results of which were published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2010. Several hospitals in Europe have started with SURPASS or equivalent.
Selected publications from PubMed
Antibiotic-associated Enterococcus expansion in the gastrointestinal tract precedes infected necrosis in acute necrotizing pancreatitis.
van den Berg FF, Pauw HS, Timmerhuis HC, Besselink MG, Issa Y, Bruno MJ, de Jonge PJ, van Goor H, van Geenen EJM, Quispel R, van de Vrie W, Tan A, Hadithi M, Venneman NG, Voermans RP, Jansen JM, Witteman BJ, Schwartz MP, van Wanrooij RLJ, Poen AC, van Duijvendijk P, Anten MP, Römkens TEH, Sieswerda E, Tielemans MM, van Hooft JE, Boermeester MA, Verdonk RC, van Santvoort HC
Gut Microbes. 2026 Dec 31;18(1):2670039 doi: 10.1080/19490976.2026.2670039.
Morphology-Based Surgery for Chronic Pancreatitis Across Europe: Toward the Next Generation of Unified Guidelines.
Van Veldhuisen CL, Leseman CA, De Rijk FEM, Marques-Antunes JC, Ausania F, Belyaev O, Berrevoet F, Boermeester M, Boggi U, Bouwense SA, Bruno MJ, Busch OR, Conlon KC, Dokmak S, Falconi M, Ghorbani P, Gryspeerdt F, Haen R, Ibrahimli A, Izbicki JR, Krikke C, Kokkola A, Marique L, Mieog JSD, Nappo G, Pavulans J, Plaudis H, Roeyen G, Scognamiglio P, Tamburrino D, Tholfsen T, Toschka M, Uzunoglu FG, Van Dieren S, Van Eijck CHJ, van Hooft JE, Van Santvoort HC, Verdonk RC, Voermans RP, Waage A, Besselink MG, Dutch Pancreatitis Study Group (DSPG) and the Scientific and Research Committee of the European-African Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (E-AHPBA)
Ann Surg. 2026 Sep 4 doi: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000007202.
Detecting Incisional Surgical Site Infections on Wound Images Through Deep Learning.
Bontekoning N, Huisman H, Segura Cabrera PJ, Ali M, Jalalzadeh H, Geerts BF, de Jonge SW, Wolfhagen N, Boermeester MA, WoundQuest Study Group, Schepers T, Eelsing R, Scheper H, Tanis PJ, Musters GD, Pianka F, Berrevoet F, Janssen SJ, Van Lonkhuijzen LRCW
JAMA Surg. 2026 Aug 26 doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2026.3738.
Dehiscence, infection, seroma, haematoma (DISH): development and validation of a new classification of surgical site outcomes.
Bond-Smith G, Boermeester MA, Leaper DJ, Russo PL, Chen AF, SSO Working Group Authors, SSO Expert Panel, SSO Validation Study Panel, on behalf of
Br J Surg. 2026 Aug 27;113(9) doi: 10.1093/bjs/znag112.
Nasogastric Tubes-Indications, Placement, and Management: A Review.
Alverdy JC, Boermeester MA, Salminen P, Zuckerbraun BS
JAMA Surg. 2026 Aug 5 doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2026.3223.
Click here to view the whole presentation In 2016, WHO guidelines were launched which have been started to be implemented in hospitals and practices throughout last year. Highlighting these in Nice will help people understand the effect of each of these interventions to prevent surgical site infections as well as the pros and cons of them. This is important because the recommendations can lead to major changes, but only if the innovation is embraced.
Published
Nov 2018
The basics of intestinal failure surgery were summarized in the ESCP consensus on the surgical management of intestinal failure in adults, published in Colorectal Disease in 2016. Enterocutaneous or enteroatmospheric fistulas may have different causes, from anastomotic leaks, to open abdomen or Crohn’s disease. Prevention, such as avoiding anastomosis in unstable, malnourished or septic patients, or preventing risky anastomosis, is key. The incidence of post-operative fistula and hernia is reduced by primary abdominal closure. If not possible, negative pressure wound therapy may be a solution, with a fistula rate of 15%, down to 5% if a primary fascial closure is associated with the Abthera. Mesh-mediated fascial traction using Abthera therapy has a high success rate with a fistula rate of 5%. Treatment for enteroatmospheric fistula will never close with nil by mouth. Colonic fistulas are more likely to close. Regarding the enterocutaneous fistulas, there are two main treatments: nil vs feeding. There are also adaptors to isolate the fistula, and a trial is being conducted to compare Wound Crown ® vs Fistula Funnel ® vs Isolator Strip ®. At 6 months, the decision between conservative vs surgical treatment has to be taken. It is important to know the anatomy of the fistula and the length of the small bowel left. Signs translating the optimal time for surgery are wobbliness, lift, and protruding fistula. The longer the recovery is prior to surgery, the less recurrence of fistula and mortality.
Published
Sep 2018
Clinical Case Dr. Boermeester spoke about the management of wound infections during the 30th Annual European Congress on Surgical Infections, held in Hamburg (Germany) in June. Dr. Boermeester emphasizes the prevention of surgical wound infection through the use of subcutaneous rather than intraabdominal drains, and through use of negative pressure wound therapy. He also provides a comprehensive review of the literature on the use of drains in different surgeries as well as the evidence on closed wound management. With respect to the treatment of surgical site infection, various options, such as antibiotics, percutaneous drainage, wound debridement, and negative wound therapy are discussed, including a detailed explanation of negative wound therapy with instillation.
Published
Nov 2017
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