European Board Certification
The FEBS-HPB is the European fellowship examination in hepatopancreatobiliary surgery. This guide covers what the exam is, its format, eligibility, the topics tested, the guidelines you must know, and how to prepare efficiently.
Content reviewed 26 August 2026 against current guidelines.
FEBS-HPB is the qualification awarded on passing the EBSQ (European Board of Surgery Qualification) examination in Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery. It is run by the UEMS Section of Surgery, Division of HPB Surgery (established 2008), together with the European-African Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (E-AHPBA). On passing, a surgeon becomes a Fellow of the European Board of Surgery (FEBS) in HPB Surgery.
Because it is recognised across European member states, FEBS-HPB provides a common benchmark of HPB competency independent of national training variation. It certifies a surgeon against a rigorous, standardised curriculum covering both benign and malignant liver, pancreatic and biliary disease.
Written Examination (MCQ)
Oral Examination
Both the written and oral components are typically completed on the same day. The pass mark is set each year by standard-setting (usually, but not always, around 75%).
Liver Tumours
Hepatocellular carcinoma, intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, colorectal liver metastases — staging, resectability and ablation.
Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, resectability criteria, neoadjuvant therapy, pancreaticoduodenectomy.
Cystic Neoplasms
IPMN, mucinous cystic neoplasms, serous cystadenoma — surveillance versus resection thresholds.
Biliary Tract Disease
Perihilar and distal cholangiocarcinoma, gallbladder cancer, benign biliary strictures.
Portal Hypertension & Benign Liver
Management of portal hypertension, benign liver lesions and future liver remnant optimisation.
Operative Principles
Hepatic and pancreatic resection technique, vascular reconstruction, and complication management.
The examination is held once or twice a year, usually in connection with an E-AHPBA meeting. Application is a two-step process (eligibility review, then examination) with a logbook submitted online.
Exam dates, fees and the exact eligibility thresholds change each cycle — always confirm the current requirements on the UEMS Division of HPB Surgery pages (uemssurg.org) and with E-AHPBA before applying.
HPB surgery is one of the most technically demanding and highest-stakes areas of general surgery. FEBS-HPB provides a supranational credential confirming a surgeon has been evaluated against a common European standard, increasingly referenced when appointing to specialist HPB posts.
The preparation itself sharpens the exact skills the specialty demands: precise resectability assessment, guideline-based multidisciplinary decision-making, and structured operative planning for complex liver and pancreatic resections.
Concentrate on resectability criteria, staging and multidisciplinary management of hepatocellular carcinoma, colorectal liver metastases, pancreatic and biliary cancers. Practise timed HPB questions and confirm each answer against the ESMO/IHPBA guideline it cites to build oral-exam-ready reasoning.
SurgBoardsQ&A provides more than 3,000 hepatopancreatobiliary practice questions mapped to the FEBS-HPB syllabus, each with a detailed, guideline-referenced explanation.
FEBS-HPB covers liver tumours (HCC, cholangiocarcinoma, colorectal liver metastases), pancreatic cancer and cystic neoplasms, biliary tract disease, portal hypertension, and the principles of hepatic and pancreatic resection.
Yes — start with 50 free FEBS-HPB practice questions, no credit card required, then upgrade for unlimited access.
Every question is written by Pablo Lozano Lominchar, MD, PhD, and mapped to this board’s published syllabus. Before it enters the bank it has to pass an automated check: five options, a written explanation, and a citation — a named society guideline or a named trial. Benign and functional topics cannot be published without a society guideline; oncological ones cite NCCN, ESMO or AJCC, and the classification systems that govern a topic — Bethesda, TIRADS, Atlanta, Prague, Chicago — have to appear where they apply. The author has audited the full active bank against current guideline versions: what fails is re-cited, rewritten or withdrawn. 650 questions are currently withdrawn and are served to nobody.
SurgBoardsQ&A provides more than 3,000 practice questions mapped to the exam syllabus, each with a detailed explanation and guideline citation.
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50 questions free, no credit card required. Filter by board, topic, or difficulty. Explanations cite ESMO and NCCN.