Question 1

What is Rare Surgical Cases?

Accepted Answer

Rare Surgical Cases is a curated digital atlas of over 300 rare and challenging surgical cases, documented by Dr. Vasileios Penopoulos over 35+ years of clinical practice. It includes detailed case presentations, intraoperative photographs, diagnoses, operative details, outcomes, and learning points across 16 surgical domains.

Question 2

Who is this platform for?

Accepted Answer

The platform is designed for surgeons, surgical residents, medical students, educators, and healthcare professionals interested in rare surgical cases. It serves both as a reference tool and an educational resource for case-based learning.

Question 3

How much does a subscription cost?

Accepted Answer

An individual annual subscription costs €149/year, providing full access to all cases, the photo atlas, and the Case of the Week newsletter. We also offer institutional licensing starting from €500/year for departments. Single cases can be purchased individually for €9.99 each.

Question 4

Can I buy access to a single case without subscribing?

Accepted Answer

Yes! You can purchase access to any individual case for €9.99 without an annual subscription. This is ideal for surgeons who want to access specific cases relevant to their practice.

Question 5

Is there a free trial?

Accepted Answer

We offer a 14-day free trial for institutional accounts. For individual users, you can browse case titles, chapters, and preview content for free. The Case of the Week is also free — subscribe to our newsletter to receive a free case every Monday.

Question 6

What payment methods do you accept?

Accepted Answer

We accept all major credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express) through our secure payment processor Stripe. For institutional purchases, we also accept bank transfers.

Question 7

Can I cancel my subscription?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can cancel anytime. Your access continues until the end of your billing period. We also offer a 14-day refund policy if you are not satisfied.

Question 8

What does each case include?

Accepted Answer

Each case includes: a detailed clinical presentation, diagnosis with differential, operative details with intraoperative photographs, postoperative outcome and follow-up, key learning points, and references. Cases average 700+ words with multiple high-resolution images.

Question 9

What is the Photo Atlas?

Accepted Answer

The Photo Atlas is a standalone browsable gallery of nearly 2,000 surgical photographs organized by anatomical taxonomy (13 chapters). It includes intraoperative images from various surgical procedures, each with captions in English and Greek. Subscribers have full access; some preview images are available for free.

Question 10

What is Case of the Week?

Accepted Answer

Every Monday, we feature one rare surgical case for free. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive it in your inbox. Past issues are archived on the Case of the Week page. It is a great way to continuously learn from rare surgical presentations.

Question 11

In what languages is the content available?

Accepted Answer

The platform is fully bilingual in English and Greek. All cases, atlas captions, and UI are available in both languages. We are preparing translations to Spanish, German, and Arabic.

Question 12

Can I submit my own cases?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Surgeons can register as authors and submit their own rare surgical cases. Cases undergo editorial review by Dr. Penopoulos before publication. You can choose to publish for free (visible to all) or as premium content (behind paywall with a 70/30 revenue share).

Question 13

How does the revenue share work for authors?

Accepted Answer

When you publish a premium case, you earn 30% of each individual case purchase (€9.99). You can track your earnings in the Author Portal under Analytics & Revenue. Payouts are processed when your balance reaches €50 or more.

Question 14

Do you offer institutional licensing?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we offer institutional plans for hospitals, universities, and surgical departments. Plans start at €500/year for 5-20 users. Contact us for custom pricing for larger institutions.

Question 15

Is patient data anonymized?

Accepted Answer

Yes, all patient data is fully anonymized in compliance with GDPR. No patient names, dates of birth, or identifying information appear in any case. All images have been reviewed to ensure complete anonymization.

Question 16

Is this a substitute for clinical judgment?

Accepted Answer

No. Rare Surgical Cases is intended for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for clinical assessment, professional medical judgment, or patient-specific decision making. Always consult appropriate clinical guidelines and specialists.

Question 17

Do you offer CME credits?

Accepted Answer

CME accreditation is currently in process. We are working with recognized accreditation bodies (UEMS for Europe) to offer continuing medical education credits. This will be announced when available.

Frequently Asked Questions