News Items

ASCRS members Dr. David Kleiman and Dr. Peter Marcello recently participated in a two-day event in Amsterdam, hosted by Applied Medical, focused on the role of Hand-Assisted Laparoscopic Surgery (HALS) in both Europe and the United States.

The event began with a roundtable discussion exploring how HALS is approached across various healthcare systems, followed by a hands-on cadaver lab led by Drs. Kleiman and Marcello. Surgeons from the Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Turkey attended, fostering meaningful dialogue about the challenges and innovations shaping colorectal surgery internationally.

“It was incredibly insightful to learn about the unique landscape and challenges faced in other countries,” said Dr. Kleiman. “For example, I had no idea that in Germany, unless a patient spends at least five days in the hospital after a colectomy, the hospital does not get paid. Therefore, German surgeons have no motivation to reduce the length of stay to fewer than five days!”

The experience underscored the value of international collaboration and how partnerships with industry can expand educational opportunities. “I also think this trip serves as a good example of how appropriately leveraging relationships with industry can allow us to put on events that simply would not be possible without their support,” he added.

Dr. Kleiman also shared that he will soon be meeting with Dr. Zoe Garoufalia, chair of the Young Surgeons Committee of the European Society of Coloproctology (ESCP), to explore opportunities for increased collaboration with the ASCRS Young Surgeons Committee. Additionally, he will serve as one of the Program Committee co-chairs for the 2027 ASCRS Annual Scientific Meeting in New Orleans, which will be a tripartite meeting.

“Together, these experiences have really sparked an interest in increasing global outreach and building international connections, which I think would be mutually beneficial to all.” 

  
 
 
 
 

The Executive Council and members of the Honorary Fellowship Committee are pleased to present the 2025 Honorary Fellows.
 
Professor Peter Christensen, Denmark
MD, MDSc

• Professor of Colorectal Surgery at Aarhus University Hospital (AUH), Denmark
• Colorectal Surgeon, Department of Surgery P, Aarhus University Hospital.
• International certified colorectal surgeon by EBQS/Coloproctology.
• Established the Pelvic Floor Unit at AUH, developing the concept, infrastructure and funding. The center is recognized internationally as a leader in pelvic floor and functional disorders.
• Was the strategic coordinator of the cancer sequelae clinic, AUH, in 2017 with the specific aim to strengthen quality research in nursing and organ rehabilitation following cancer treatments. Lead the Danish Cancer Society National Research Center on the same subject.
• Globally recognized expert in Low Anterior Resection Syndrome (LARS).
• Led a consortium of researchers that published “Management Guidelines for Low Anterior Resection Syndrome” (MANUEL) project, which is the most cited manuscript on managing LARS in rectal cancer survivors.
• PhD in “Scintigraphic Assessment of Colorectal Irrigation,” Aarhus University, Denmark
• Doctoral thesis in “Colonic Irrigation for Disordered Defecation,” Aarhus University, Denmark
• Supervision of eight completed PhD thesis. Main supervisor for three and co-supervisor for five. Main supervisor of one and co-supervisor of two ongoing PhD students.
• 170 articles in international peer reviewed journals and five book chapters in medical textbooks.
• Current member of the Danish Surgical Society and the International Continence Society.
• Current member of the European Society of Coloproctology (ESCP). Current member of ESCP Global Reach Committee and ESCP/Tripartite Programme Committee.

 
Dr. Neil Smart, United Kingdom
MBBS (Hons.) PhD FRCSEd (Gen Surg) MFMLM FEBS-AWS (Hon)

• Consultant Colorectal Surgeon at the Royal Devon & Exeter hospital since September 2013
• Honorary Associate Professor & Academic Lead in Colorectal Surgery at the University of Exeter Medical School (UEMS)
• Lead for colorectal research with the Royal Devon Exeter hospital. Under his leadership, Exeter has become one of the largest UK contributors to multicenter trainee collaborative studies.
• Examiner (MCQ, EMQ & viva exams) for the UEMS Fellowship examination in Abdominal Wall Surgery. External quality assurance assessor for the Master of Advanced Minimally Invasive Surgery at UCL.
• Editor in Chief of Colorectal Disease journal since 2019 – official journal of ACPGBI, ESCP, AECP and MSCRS. Impact factor has increased from 2.9 to 3.917 under his guidance.
• Heavily engaged in not only colorectal activities in his native UK, but also participates widely in ASCRS and ACS events in the USA.
• 67 publications with 4 as first author; 5 senior author; 58 review papers; author on 14 consensus statements, 110 participations on collaborating papers, 10 book chapters, 8 published case reports

 
 
Dr. Lúcia Camara de Castro Oliveira, Brazil
MD, PhD

• Head of the Colorectal and Anorectal Physiology Department of Rio de Janeiro and CEPEMED Company
• Associate Colorectal Surgeon of Hospital Casa de Saúde São José
• Coordinator of Anorectal Manometry and Endoanal Ultrasound courses at CEPEMED.
• Expert in the field of coloproctology and colorectal surgery, specializing in functional disorders such as fecal incontinence, constipation, laparoscopic surgery, sacral neuromodulation, anorectal surgery, video-colonoscopy and prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer.
• Current advisor and past member of ASCRS Steering Committee on Pelvic Floor Disorders and active leader in the Pelvic Floor Consortium.
• Reviewer for several national and international medical journals.
• Author of six textbooks, the most recent being Anorectal Physiology: A Clinical and Surgical Perspective, published by Springer.
• Member of the Directory Board and Scientific Committee of Alapp, Latino American Society of Pelvic Floor.
• Active Member of the Brazilian Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, Brazilian Motility Society, Brazilian College of Surgeons, ASCRS and ESCP
• Honorary Member of the Argentine and Ecuadorian Society of Coloproctology.
• Participated in three humanitarian missions in Africa as a surgeon in 2018 and 2019.

 
Dr. Hongwei Yao, China   
MD, PhD

• Consultant and Professor, Department of General Surgery in Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases (NCRC-DD).
• Chair, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases
• Specialty in robotic and laparoscopic colorectal surgery, and transanal endoscopic surgeries, including TEM, TAMIS and taTME.
• Over 50 publications in English and 130 publications in Chinese, focusing on the research of colorectal disease.
• Associate Editor, Journal of Diseases of the Colon and Rectum
• Study Chair, COLOR IV trial (an international multicenter randomized clinical trial to compare intracorporeal and extracorporeal ileocolic anastomosis after laparoscopic right colectomy for colon cancer)
• Deputy Chair, Steering Committee and Local Investigator of COLOR III Trial in China
• International reviewer, pretrial of COLOR III
• Member, drafting committee of International Guidance of taTME
• Member, Global reach committee in European Society of Coloproctology (ESCP)
• General Secretary, Chinese Society of Colorectal Surgery 
• President, Chinese Academy of Digestive Surgery and Chinese Society of taTME Surgeons 
• Study Chair, Chinese taTME Registry Collaborative and Chinese Colorectal Cancer Surgery Database
• Medical Research in early diagnosis, invasion, metastasis of the colorectal carcinoma by the methods of precision medicine (circulating tumor DNA), minimally invasive surgery of gastric cancer and colorectal cancer, transanal total mesorectal excision for low rectal cancer and nationwide registry database.

The American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS) are supporting the annual health policy scholarship to attend the Executive Leadership Program in Health Policy and Management at Brandeis University. The scholarship is a unique opportunity to learn more about health care delivery, policy and reform.

Open to members of ASCRS and ACS, the scholarship supports attendance to the Executive Leadership Program in Health Policy and Management at Brandeis University, June 2-7, 2025. This award covers the cost of tuition, and the scholar will also receive travel assistance as well as housing and subsistence during the course

Applicants must be members in good standing of both organizations and be between 30 and 60 years of age. Specific requirements for the Health Policy Scholarship are available on the ACS website. The deadline for receipt of all application materials is March 24, 2025. All applicants will be notified of the outcome of the selection process in May 2025.

Applications should be submitted online here.

Questions may be directed to the ACS Scholarships Administrator at 312-202-5161 or [email protected].

The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS) is now accepting applications for the next Editor-in-Chief of Diseases of the Colon & Rectum (DCR), the leading peer-reviewed journal in colorectal surgery, for a 5-year term, renewable for a second 5-year term. The Editor-in-Chief will play a pivotal role in shaping the journal’s editorial strategy, ensuring scientific excellence, and advancing the field of colorectal surgery.

It is the responsibility of the Editor in Chief to:

• Ensure that the journal addresses cutting-edge issues in diseases of the colon, rectum and anus
• Provide overall leadership and direction for journal content and business ventures
• Supervise the solicitation, receipt and review of manuscripts and respond to authors in a timely manner
• Oversee correspondence with authors, editorial board, and reviewers
• Oversee editing and production of the journal in collaboration with the publisher
• Ensure that 12 monthly issues are produced in a timely fashion
• Develop new sections in the journal, methods of communication, and initiatives to ensure the journal maintains its standing as the premier colorectal surgery journal

Applicants must be ASCRS Fellows. Qualifications should include a record of significant scholarly achievement; familiarity with the literature in the field, clinical research design and basic concepts of statistics and ethics of research; administrative and editorial skills; capacity for detail work; understanding of the international community of scholars and practitioners; demonstrated ability to adapt to the rapidly changing landscape of surgical journals and technology, and possess strong interpersonal skills.

The new Editor-in-Chief will be selected in October 2025 and commence a one-year transition with the current Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board starting on January 1, 2026. He/she assume will full responsibility for the Editor-in-Chief role on January 1, 2027. The successful candidate will receive a stipend for personal support and reimbursement of travel expenses to attend meetings and other events that are relevant to the Editor role and success of the journal – as approved by the ASCRS Executive Council through the annual budgeting process.

Interested applicants should send a letter outlining her/his qualifications and her/his vision for the future of the journal including the challenges and opportunities that face the next editor. They should also include:

• Most recent curriculum vitae
• A statement of support from the individual’s institution
• Names of two references

Depending upon the applicant pool composition, there will be either one or two rounds of interviews, with the final round conducted in-person at a location to be occur no later than September 15, 2025. A decision will be made by the ASCRS Executive Council soon thereafter.

Please review the DC&R Editor-in-Chief Job Description here.

Applications must be received no later than April 30, 2025 and should be addressed to:

George J Chang, MD, MS, MHCM

Chair, DC&R Editor Search Committee

E-mail Address: [email protected] 

Any questions about the Journal may be directed to [email protected]. 
 

Each year the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS) recognizes up to six Honorary Fellows. Honorary Fellowship is designed to honor individuals, regardless of specialty, in recognition of their outstanding achievements and contributions to the field of colon and rectal surgery and allied fields. Nominees for Honorary Fellow should have made significant contributions to the peer reviewed literature, advancement and/or fostering of innovation, and education in the specialty of colon and rectal surgery or allied fields; demonstrated significant and/or sustained leadership within their country, national or regional society; developed and promulgated significant advances (clinical, research and/or technological) in the field of colon and rectal surgery and allied fields. 
 

The Executive Council and members of the Honorary Fellowship Committee are pleased to submit the following slate of 2025 Honorary Fellow nominees for election.  
 

Professor Peter Christensen, Denmark 

MD, MDSc  

• Professor of Colorectal Surgery at Aarhus University Hospital (AUH), Denmark 
• Colorectal Surgeon, Department of Surgery P, Aarhus University Hospital. 
• International certified colorectal surgeon by EBQS/Coloproctology. 
• Established the Pelvic Floor Unit at AUH, developing the concept, infrastructure and funding. The center is recognized internationally as a leader in pelvic floor and functional disorders.  
• Was the strategic coordinator of the cancer sequelae clinic, AUH, in 2017 with the specific aim to strengthen quality research in nursing and organ rehabilitation following cancer treatments. Lead the Danish Cancer Society National Research Center on the same subject. 
• Globally recognized expert in Low Anterior Resection Syndrome (LARS). 
• Led a consortium of researchers that published “Management Guidelines for Low Anterior Resection Syndrome” (MANUEL) project, which is the most cited manuscript on managing LARS in rectal cancer survivors.  
• PhD in “Scintigraphic Assessment of Colorectal Irrigation,” Aarhus University, Denmark  
• Doctoral thesis in “Colonic Irrigation for Disordered Defecation,” Aarhus University, Denmark  
• Supervision of eight completed PhD thesis. Main supervisor for three and co-supervisor for five. Main supervisor of one and co-supervisor of two ongoing PhD students. 
• 170 articles in international peer reviewed journals and five book chapters in medical textbooks. 
• Current member of the Danish Surgical Society and the International Continence Society.  
• Current member of the European Society of Coloproctology (ESCP). Current member of ESCP Global Reach Committee and ESCP/Tripartite Programme Committee.  

 

Dr. Neil Smart, United Kingdom 

MBBS (Hons.) PhD FRCSEd (Gen Surg) MFMLM FEBS-AWS (Hon) 

• Consultant Colorectal Surgeon at the Royal Devon & Exeter hospital since September 2013
• Honorary Associate Professor & Academic Lead in Colorectal Surgery at the University of Exeter Medical School (UEMS) 
• Lead for colorectal research with the Royal Devon Exeter hospital. Under his leadership, Exeter has become one of the largest UK contributors to multicenter trainee collaborative studies.
• Examiner (MCQ, EMQ & viva exams) for the UEMS Fellowship examination in Abdominal Wall Surgery. External quality assurance assessor for the Master of Advanced Minimally Invasive Surgery at UCL.
• Editor in Chief of Colorectal Disease journal since 2019 – official journal of ACPGBI, ESCP, AECP and MSCRS. Impact factor has increased from 2.9 to 3.917 under his guidance.
• Heavily engaged in not only colorectal activities in his native UK, but also participates widely in ASCRS and ACS events in the USA.
• 67 publications with 4 as first author; 5 senior author; 58 review papers; author on 14 consensus statements, 110 participations on collaborating papers, 10 book chapters, 8 published case reports 

 

Dr. Lúcia Camara de Castro Oliveira, Brazil 

MD, PhD 

• Head of the Colorectal and Anorectal Physiology Department of Rio de Janeiro and CEPEMED Company
• Associate Colorectal Surgeon of Hospital Casa de Saúde São José
• Coordinator of Anorectal Manometry and Endoanal Ultrasound courses at CEPEMED.
• Expert in the field of coloproctology and colorectal surgery, specializing in functional disorders such as fecal incontinence, constipation, laparoscopic surgery, sacral neuromodulation, anorectal surgery, video-colonoscopy and prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer.
• Current advisor and past member of ASCRS Steering Committee on Pelvic Floor Disorders and active leader in the Pelvic Floor Consortium.
• Reviewer for several national and international medical journals.
• Author of six textbooks, the most recent being Anorectal Physiology: A Clinical and Surgical Perspective, published by Springer.
• Member of the Directory Board and Scientific Committee of Alapp, Latino American Society of Pelvic Floor.
• Active Member of the Brazilian Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, Brazilian Motility Society, Brazilian College of Surgeons, ASCRS and ESCP
• Honorary Member of the Argentine and Ecuadorian Society of Coloproctology.
• Participated in three humanitarian missions in Africa as a surgeon in 2018 and 2019.  

 

Dr. Hongwei Yao, China     

MD, PhD 

• Consultant and Professor, Department of General Surgery in Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases (NCRC-DD).
• Chair, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases
• Specialty in robotic and laparoscopic colorectal surgery, and transanal endoscopic surgeries, including TEM, TAMIS and taTME.
• Over 50 publications in English and 130 publications in Chinese, focusing on the research of colorectal disease.
• Associate Editor, Journal of Diseases of the Colon and Rectum
• Study Chair, COLOR IV trial (an international multicenter randomized clinical trial to compare intracorporeal and extracorporeal ileocolic anastomosis after laparoscopic right colectomy for colon cancer)
• Deputy Chair, Steering Committee and Local Investigator of COLOR III Trial in China
• International reviewer, pretrial of COLOR III
• Member, drafting committee of International Guidance of taTME
• Member, Global reach committee in European Society of Coloproctology (ESCP)
• General Secretary, Chinese Society of Colorectal Surgery
• President, Chinese Academy of Digestive Surgery and Chinese Society of taTME Surgeons
• Study Chair, Chinese taTME Registry Collaborative and Chinese Colorectal Cancer Surgery Database
• Medical Research in early diagnosis, invasion, metastasis of the colorectal carcinoma by the methods of precision medicine (circulating tumor DNA), minimally invasive surgery of gastric cancer and colorectal cancer, transanal total mesorectal excision for low rectal cancer and nationwide registry database. 

 

Election of 2025 Honorary Fellows 

The 2025 Honorary Fellow nominees will be voted on ahead of the 2025 Annual Business meeting in San Diego this May. The purpose is to allow time for recipients to be notified and to make arrangements to travel to the meeting.  ASCRS Voting Fellows will receive a separate communication with information about voting. 
 
We hope you will join us in San Diego May 10-13, 2025, to meet our honorees at ASCRS Annual Scientific Meeting.