International Society of Surgery

What International Society of Surgery does

The International Society of Surgery (ISS/SIC, also Société Internationale de Chirurgie) is a non-profit professional membership organization founded in 1902 and headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. It serves surgeons, researchers, and academics in the field of surgery worldwide, providing professional membership with access to the peer-reviewed World Journal of Surgery (WJS) published in partnership with Wiley, participation in the biennial International Surgical Week (ISW) congress, and integration with five specialized surgical societies: IATSIC (Trauma and Surgical Critical Care), IASMEN (Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery), BSI (Breast Surgery), ISDS (Surgical Infections), and IASSS (Young Surgeons). The society operates with a small administrative staff (1-10 employees) and is governed as an independent association with no parent company or external ownership.

The organization's product surface consists of three core offerings: the WJS journal distributed through Wiley's academic publishing platform, the biennial ISW global congress, and a credentialed Member Portal supporting online registration, login, and account management. Its technological footprint is limited to conventional web infrastructure — the iss-sic.com website platform, member database, and digital communication channels — with no proprietary technology products or AI/ML capabilities. The society maintains an active organic social media presence across Facebook, X/Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube, and promotes membership acquisition through the ISW congress and website registration process requiring professional credentials.

ISS/SIC generates revenue through two primary streams: recurring membership dues from surgical professionals worldwide and registration fees from the biennial ISW congress, both classified as subscription-recurring in nature. Membership fees are not publicly disclosed on the website. The go-to-market motion is community-led, leveraging the global surgical community, integrated society partnerships, journal membership benefits, and congress presence to acquire and retain members. The society serves a global, geographically distributed customer base of individual surgical professionals with no named enterprise customers or anchor institutional accounts disclosed.

Name

International Society of Surgery

Legal name

International Society of Surgery

Website

https://iss-sic.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1902

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The International Society of Surgery (ISS/SIC) is a non-profit membership organization founded in 1902, serving surgeons and surgical researchers worldwide through the World Journal of Surgery, the biennial International Surgical Week congress, and five integrated specialized surgical societies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Zurich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: The society generates revenue through membership subscriptions from surgical professionals worldwide. Members receive access to the World Journal of Surgery (WJS), professional development resources, and participation in integrated societies.
2. Congress and Conference Registration: The International Society of Surgery organizes the International Surgical Week (ISW), a major global surgical congress. Revenue is generated through attendee registration fees for this biennial event.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The International Society of Surgery (ISS/SIC) is a non-profit professional membership organization that serves surgical professionals worldwide. It provides three core offerings: (1) the World Journal of Surgery (WJS), a peer-reviewed journal published in partnership with Wiley; (2) International Surgical Week (ISW), a biennial global congress; and (3) a member portal for account management. The society integrates five specialized surgical societies (IATSIC, IASMEN, BSI, ISDS, IASSS) to provide comprehensive sub-specialty coverage.

Product overview

The International Society of Surgery operates as a membership-based professional organization offering three primary offerings: the World Journal of Surgery (WJS), a peer-reviewed journal published with Wiley; International Surgical Week (ISW), the flagship biennial congress; and a member portal for account management. The society also incorporates integrated societies including IATSIC, IASMEN, BSI, ISDS, and IASSS.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IATSIC: Integrated society within ISS
• IASMEN
• BSI
• ISDS
• IASSS

Products and services

• World Journal of Surgery (WJS) The official peer-reviewed journal of the International Society of Surgery, published in partnership with Wiley, covering advances in surgical research, techniques, and clinical practice. Available to members and accessible through Wiley's online library.
• International Surgical Week (ISW) The flagship biennial congress of the International Society of Surgery, bringing together surgeons worldwide for scientific exchange, education, and networking. The next edition referenced is ISW 2026 (isw2026.org).
• Member Portal Online platform providing member account management, including registration, login, and account recovery functionality for society members. Members can create accounts with professional credentials to access member resources.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• IATSIC (International Association for the Surgery of Trauma and Surgical Critical Care)coreOthersIntegrated society within ISS/SIC representing trauma surgery and surgical critical care. Contributes specialized programming and professional representation within the broader international surgical community.
• IASMEN (International Association for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery)coreOthersIntegrated society within ISS/SIC focusing on metabolic and bariatric surgery. Provides expertise and professional network for this surgical sub-specialty under the ISS umbrella.
• BSI (Breast Surgery International)coreOthersIntegrated society within ISS/SIC dedicated to breast surgery. Represents the specialty within the global surgical organization and contributes to ISS educational and research initiatives.
• ISDS (International Society for Surgical Infections)coreOthersIntegrated society within ISS/SIC focusing on surgical infections. Provides specialized expertise and professional community for members working in this area of surgical practice.
• IASSS (International Association of Surgical Societies for the Advancement of Young Surgeons)coreOthersIntegrated society within ISS/SIC dedicated to supporting young and early-career surgeons. Provides mentorship, education, and professional development resources for the next generation of surgeons.
• Wiley (World Journal of Surgery Publisher)coreTechnology or IntegrationStrategic publishing partnership for the World Journal of Surgery (WJS), the official peer-reviewed journal of ISS/SIC. Wiley provides digital publishing infrastructure, distribution, and academic reach for the journal.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Royal Australasian College of Surgeons: Regional surgical college serving Australia and New Zealand with fellowship, training, and Annual Scientific Congress. Comparable to ISS/SIC as a peer professional membership organization for surgeons with similar congress-driven engagement.
• American College of Surgeons: One of the largest and oldest national surgical professional associations. Directly comparable to ISS/SIC as a peer membership society serving surgeons globally, with similar offerings (fellowship, journal via JACS, Clinical Congress).
• Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh: Historic international surgical college offering fellowship, examinations, and educational events. Directly comparable to ISS/SIC as a global professional society serving surgeons across geographies with parallel membership benefits.
• Royal College of Surgeons of England: Long-established UK-based surgical college providing fellowship, examinations, and surgical standards. Comparable to ISS/SIC as a global-facing professional society for surgeons with a similar membership, education, and credentialing orientation.

Regional players

• College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa (COSECSA): Regional surgical college serving multiple African countries with surgical training, examinations, and congresses. Comparable to ISS/SIC as a peer society operating across a defined regional footprint with similar membership and congress models.

Broad incumbents

• World Medical Association: International association representing physicians globally across all specialties. Comparable to ISS/SIC as a globally organized professional medical membership body, but operating at a much broader scope than ISS's surgical focus.
• American Medical Association: Largest US-based professional medical association covering all physicians. Comparable to ISS/SIC as a peer professional membership organization with journal (JAMA), advocacy, and conferences, but at much broader medical (not surgical-specific) scale.

Emerging players

• Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES): Specialty-focused surgical society covering GI and endoscopic surgery. Comparable to ISS/SIC's integrated sub-societies (e.g., IASMEN) as a specialty surgical membership body with a congress and peer-reviewed journal.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/iss_sic
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@iss-sic
• Facebookfacebook.com/iss.sic
• LinkedInil.linkedin.com/company/international-society-of-surgery
• Instagraminstagram.com/internationalsocietyofsurgery

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about International Society of Surgery