News Items

There are 14 Advisory Councils of surgical specialties within the American College of Surgeons. The Advisory Council for Colon and Rectal Surgery consists of representatives from the Board of Regents and two specialty societies—American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons and Colon and Rectal Program Directors Association; one representative from the Board of Governors; and two representatives from the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery. Within the past several years, with the support of the College’s Board of Regents, the Advisory Council has begun to serve an expanded role within the College.
 
This year over 400 session submissions were reviewed for inclusion in ACS’s 2021 Clinical Congress. The Advisory Council for Colon and Rectal Surgery submitted 12 proposals and had seven accepted. The Advisory Council for Colon and Rectal Surgery is also co-sponsors on five other sessions, resulting in 12 colon and rectal sessions at the upcoming Annual Clinical Congress.  The Advisory Council also sponsors and selects the speaker for the Abcarian Lectureship.  The colon and rectal surgery sessions are some of the best attended year over year with some sessions having more than 1,000 attendees at each meeting.  Many of the moderators, co-moderators and speakers are Fellows of ASCRS.
 
 
 
Submitted and Accepted by Advisory Council for Colon and Rectal Surgery:
 

• Colorectal Anastomotic Leaks: Prevention, Early Detection and Novel Treatments
• Pilonidal Disease: Go Big or Go Small?
• Diverticulitis: Real Life Decisions for Real Life Cases
• "I Want My Stoma Closed": Optimal Evaluation, Timing and Performance of Surgery
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease: The Surgeons Role in the Multidisciplinary Management
• Management of Anorectal Disease
• Clostridium Difficile Colitis: What Every Surgeon Should Know

 
Co-Sponsored and Accepted Sessions:
 

• The Difficult Stoma: How to Manage and Create a Safe and Functional Stoma in Challenging Circumstances (Young Fellows)
• Total Neoadjuvant Therapy for Rectal Cancer: Watch and Wait (Young Fellows)
• Emergency Surgical Diseases of the Colon (General Surgery)
• Management of Severe Gastrointestinal Bleeding (General Surgery)
• Treatment of Rectal Cancer in the Community (Board of Governors Surgical Care Delivery Workgroup)

In light of the ongoing impact of COVID-19, travel restrictions worldwide, and concerns for the health and safety of our members and their patients, we have made the decision to hold our 2021 Annual Scientific Meeting virtually.

 

It is disappointing for all of us that we will not be meeting in person again this year. But, I am really enthused by the robust online experience we are planning for you April 24-28, 2021 under the direction of Program Chair Konstantin Umanskiy and Associate Chairs Emily Huang, Radhika Smith and Emily Steinhagen. Our team is hard at work creating an innovative program you can enjoy from the comfort of your own home or office this spring. More meeting details will be available soon on our website.

 

In light of these changes and out of respect for the financial impact that the COVID pandemic has had on many of our members, normal registration fees will be discounted 50% this year. Please feel free to read the entire news story. I respectfully urge you to register as soon as it is open to support the scientific work and educational efforts of our members and trainees. It is really important during these challenging times that we come together as a specialty, continue to promote and advance colon and rectal surgery and are there for each other. “See you” in April!

 

Sincerely,

 

Neil Hyman

ASCRS President

 

The ASCRS Corporate Council was formed to create a strategic, more productive relationship with industry partners. The ASCRS Corporate Council works on an ongoing basis to identify and address problems that impact patient care and the ability of ASCRS members to provide high quality care for patients with colorectal disease.
 
Two new initiatives have been approved by the Council and are moving forward. The first is to support reducing the incidence and severity of anastomotic leak in colorectal surgery. The anastomotic leak is the most feared complication of intestinal surgery and is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. The incidence of anastomotic leak is not trivial, and the long-term effects can be devastating to patients. Funding will be awarded to an investigator, who will serve as the project lead, after successful application to the ASCRS Research Foundation, who will offer the grant as a special Limited Project Grant.
 
The second initiative is a proposal to support the ASCRS Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee in its effort to increase colorectal cancer screening in underserved populations. The Committee has petitioned one stool-based colorectal cancer screening test manufacturer to donate test kits to an institution serving the bulk of the self-pay patients in San Diego, CA. Distribution of test kits, analysis of results and follow up diagnostic testing would be coordinated by health care providers at that institution.
 
For questions concerning ASCRS Corporate Council, contact Corporate Relations and Industry Partnerships Director Jason Keith.
 

ASCRS leadership has reached a decision to cancel the previously-scheduled April 24-28, 2021 in-person Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) in San Diego and transition to an exclusively virtual meeting during the same timeframe. The ongoing impact of COVID-19 in the United States and abroad, including health concerns, travel, and other restrictions, were the key factors in making this decision.
 
We urge those who planned to join us in San Diego to expedite flight and hotel cancellations. We appreciate your patience as we work diligently to address questions and provide additional information to our planned participants and guests.
 
Additional details and registration information will be available soon. ASCRS looks forward to connecting with you virtually. 
 
Thank you and be well!

ASCRS new Video Mentorship Series aims to build a community of learners who engage in intraoperative coaching sessions using a learner-contributory, moderated format with the goal of sharing operative techniques and improving procedural confidence.

ASCRS members can submit video files for review now through December 20. All video files will undergo a single-blind review process and if selected, will be presented anonymously during the webinar.
Video submissions are now being accepted for:

• Finding the left ureter in diverticulitis or obesity
• High ligation of IMA and IMV

ASCRS members are encouraged to submit their own videos in an aim to educate other surgeons, specifically videos that show a problem to solve or technique to improve on and not a flawless execution. Submitters should also be prepared to include a note about what makes their video submission a good teaching moment.

Each session will focus on one step of one procedure with live commentary from moderators along the way. The 2021 Video Mentorship Series schedule is available now on our website. The first live event will be held via Zoom on January 29, 2021.