Orlando Regional Healthcare/Colon & Rectal Surgery Program

Program Director: Andrea Ferrara, MD
110 West Underwood Street, Suite A
Orlando, Florida 32806
Phone: (407) 422-3790 Fax: (407) 425-4358
Web site: http://www.orhs.org/for_physicians/med_ed/surgical

Number of Residents (Per Year): 3

Number of Faculty (ABCRS Certified): 4

University Affiliation: University of Florida, College of Medicine, University of South Florida, College of Medicine, Florida State University, College of Medicine

Salary/Yearly: $45,000

Case mix/number of cases: The program faculty perform approximately 600 anorectal, 300+ abdominal colon, and 500 colonoscopic procedures per year.

Strengths of program: This program is based at the Colon and Rectal Clinic of Orlando, a private office adjacent to the ORHS campus. Teaching experiences are available at all divisions of the ORHS (Orlando Regional Medical Center (ORMC), Sand Lake Hospital, the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children & Women) and Florida Hospital Central Health Network. Wide experience is available in all endoscopic techniques. Exposure to abdominal surgery, from simple colon resections to low pelvic anastomosis, pouches, laparoscopic coloctomy, and a wide range of procedures from simple to complex anal rectal surgery is offered.

Clinic or office experience: Residents take an active role in the clinical and office practice of colon and rectal surgery. Seeing patients pre- and post-operatively, assisting in office surgery and performing endoscopy in the office setting and in the outpatient endoscopy suites give them significant exposure to everyday office practice. New patients number between 1300 and 1400 per year with 900 seen annually for follow up visits or surveillance. Office examinations include approximately 200 rigid sigmoidoscopic examinations and 1500+ fiberoptic sigmoidoscopic examinations per year.

Interaction with general surgery residents: ORHS maintains a fully accredited general surgery program of 15 residents. These surgery residents closely interact with the colon and rectal residents, both in consultative interaction as well as curricular activities.

Conferences: Clinical case reviews (with representation from pathology and radiology) are held on alternating weeks opposite didactic subject review conferences. Journal club meets monthly and physiology lab results and ongoing research are reviewed bi-weekly.

Anorectal physiology availability: Manometry, defecography, biofeedback, EMG, ultrasonography and colon transit studies are performed. Active participation in ongoing research is mandated at the physiology lab.

Outside rotations: N/A

Research year: Available - self funding

Requirement for paper: Residents are required to submit a paper to the ASCRS and/or to the American College of Surgeons for possible presentation and/or publication.

Opportunity to attend meetings: Residents are given the opportunity to attend the annual ASCRS Convention and/or other meetings for paper presentations.