Mr. Maciej Pawlak is a distinguished and highly respected surgeon specialising in abdominal wall surgery. He currently leads the Department for Abdominal Wall Surgery at Golden Jubilee National University Hospital, where he is celebrated for his compassionate care, exceptional surgical skills, and commitment to improving patient outcomes. Mr. Pawlak’s medical journey began at the Medical University of Gdańsk, where he earned his medical degree and specialized in general surgery. He then pursued advanced training in Upper Gastrointestinal (UGI) and complex abdominal wall surgery (AWS) at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh in Scotland. To further hone his expertise, he trained at several renowned international centres, including the Lichtenstein Amid Hernia Clinic at UCLA in Los Angeles, the Department of Innovation and Minimally Invasive Surgery at Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío in Seville, Spain, and the Hanse Chirurgie Clinic in Hamburg, Germany. Mr. Pawlak is not only a skilled clinician but also a significant contributor to the development and implementation of surgical guidelines. He is a member of the HerniaSurge group, which developed the Groin Hernia Guidelines, and serves as co-lead for the European Hernia Society (EHS) guidelines on the treatment of incisional hernias. Additionally, he is a steering committee member for the development of emergency incisional hernia guidelines and collaborates with the EurA CPIP Group on investigating and treating chronic postoperative inguinal pain.