[Disappearing borders in visceral medicine]

The structure of disciplines in human medicine is in a constant state of flux. The dominating processes in the past were specialization and differentiation but nowadays we are faced with a new phenomena: new combinations of specialties which are dealing with the same organ systems and therefore the relationships have to be restructured. In many fields this re-defining process is unspectacular but between gastroenterology and abdominal surgery there are above-average problems which need to be analyzed.The overlap between both fields is particularly large. While for many syndromes conservative and operative dominated treatment concepts coexist, other methods such as ultrasound-guided interventions and endoscopic interventions are of common interest and overlap in the fields of both disciplines. The complex interactions between gastroenterology and gastrointestinal surgery make the necessary dialogue particularly difficult but for the same reasons rewarding.