International training
Dr Marais completed fellowship-level training at the Institut de Recherche contre les Cancers de l'Appareil Digestif (IRCAD) in France, and further advanced laparoscopic training in Belgium. IRCAD is one of the world's leading centres for minimally invasive surgical education — and the techniques learned there translate directly into shorter recoveries and better outcomes for patients in Johannesburg.
da Vinci robotic surgery
Dr Marais is a certified da Vinci console surgeon on the Intuitive Surgical robotic platform — a specific qualification on top of specialist surgical training, requiring structured coursework, simulation, proctored cases and documented case volumes. Robotic surgery is offered primarily for complex hernia repair and selected upper-GI and adrenal work, where wristed instruments and 3D vision genuinely change what's possible for the patient.
Ongoing teaching
Dr Marais has served as faculty on the "Hitter" trauma course in Mizano, Italy, and continues to teach on advanced laparoscopic and trauma programmes in South Africa and abroad. Staying close to teaching keeps a practice sharp.
The operating team
Dr Marais operates with a consistent team of specialist anaesthesiologists — colleagues who understand how he works and who take opioid-sparing anaesthesia and rapid recovery seriously. That continuity matters more than any single piece of equipment.
