Military Surgical Symposium Call for Abstracts

Abstract Submission Supporting Documents:
Manual for Abstract Submission Site
Video Preparation Instructions

Dear Colleague,

SAGES (Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons) and the Society of Military Surgeons are pleased to announce the 13th Annual Military Surgical Symposium that will take place in Tampa, Florida, as part of SAGES 2026 Annual Meeting.

SAGES 2026 Annual Meeting is March 25-28, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. The Military Surgical Symposium takes place March 25, 2026.

The military symposium will include all Military Services and the Veterans Health Administration and will be part of the scientific and clinical sessions of the SAGES 2026 Annual Meeting. Please note that this is not an official Department of Defense event. Registration for both the SAGES conference and military symposium will be free to personnel currently on active duty.

Call for Abstracts

We also would like to announce our Call for Abstracts for this symposium.

The Deadline for Abstract Submissions is Friday, September 19, 2025, 5:00 PM PDT

Submit Your Abstract Now

All abstracts will be submitted for podium and poster presentations. There will be two podium sessions with topics to include:

• Basic Science
• General Surgery
• Trauma/Critical Care
• Global Health Engagement and Humanitarian Surgery
• Quality Improvement (QI)/Process Improvement (PI) Projects

Your abstract can be submitted even if your research or QI/PI Projects are not yet complete, as long as your final abstract will be completed and emailed to abstracts@sages.org by December 1, 2025. Please note in the abstract submission that your research is still in progress.

Important Notice: The following Abstract Submission Policies will be firmly enforced:

• No Previously Published Submission: The abstract submitted must present original work, performed by the author and must not have been published prior to March 25, 2026.
• No Dual Submissions: The abstract must not have been submitted to any other upcoming meeting in North America.
• The paper may have been previously presented at another meeting but must not have won any previous awards.
• Digital Poster Submission: If selected for a Poster Presentation, a digital version of the poster must be submitted.
• Videos and Images should not reveal any patient data on charts or images or faces. They should be blurred or cropped as applicable.
• HIPPA Compliance requires that all patient info is covered via shapes. Please take care to cover patients’ names in X-Ray /MRI /ultrasound slides and photos of patient faces.
• The Society of Military Surgeons will be accepting videos this year. The Maximum length for videos is Seven (7) Minutes and no 3D Videos will be accepted. To be considered for a Video Presentation, a short (two to three sentences) video abstract summary of your video MUST be submitted via the online abstract submission site and your video MUST also be uploaded online. More details on video submission can be found here.

The abstract copy is limited to 400-words and must include the following:

• Objectives
• Methods
• Results
• Conclusion

No reference to the authors or the institution should appear within the body of the abstract or in the abstract title.

SAGES Policy on Owner/Employee of Ineligible Companies

The ACCME states “the owners and employees of ineligible companies are considered to have unresolvable financial relationships and must be excluded from participating as planners or faculty, and must not be allowed to influence or control any aspect of the planning, delivery, or evaluation of accredited continuing education, except in the limited circumstances outlined in Standard 3.2.” Therefore, the SAGES Conflict of Interest Committee (CIC) declares that no employees/owners of an ineligible company may present in SAGES CME accredited sessions. This policy is applicable to abstract authors and presenters.

Click here to view the ACCME’s definition of ineligible company, owner and employee.

Please contact erin@sages.org with any questions regarding SAGES Policy on Owner/Employee of Ineligible Companies.

On behalf of the Society of Military Surgeons and SAGES, please consider joining us for this important and highly educational meeting.

Any questions can be directed to LTC Mary T. O’Donnell, MD, FACS, FASCRS (doctormaryodonnell@gmail.com) or SAGES Abstract Services (abstracts@sages.org).

We look forward to another excellent scientific session and a great time together in Tampa, Florida.

Sincerely,

Submit Your Abstract Now