News Items

As many of you may know, on April 11, 2019, Ethicon notified all U.S. customers they were initiating a voluntary recall of specific lots of Ethicon manual circular staplers, Intraluminal Stapler (ILS). This decision was based on an increase in the rare occurrence of the device having insufficient firing stroke to break the washer and completely form staples. This recall does not impact any of Ethicon’s other surgical staplers or other products.

The U.S. FDA classified the ILS Proximate Circular Stapler recall as Class I on May 15, 2019. The FDA has confirmed its alignment of Ethicon’s approach in handling this recall.

Ethicon has assured us their top priority is to return supply of this critical product. They expect to start shipping product during early June. Additionally, Ethicon is increasing production of their ECHELON CIRCULAR™ Powered Staplers to help reduce the impact of limited overall supply of circular staplers in the market.

The safety of our patients is a priority for both ASCRS and Ethicon. We will continue to inform you of updates on this issue.

As of June 4, 2019, Ethicon is shipping manual circular staplers, Intraluminal Stapler (ILS), through their distribution channels. Hospitals in the U.S. can expect to start receiving product within the next week. Ethicon’s top priority has been to return supply of this critical product as quickly as possible.

On April 11, 2019, Ethicon notified all U.S. customers they were initiating a voluntary recall of specific lots of Ethicon manual circular staplers, Intraluminal Stapler (ILS). This decision was based on an increase in the rare occurrence of the device having insufficient firing stroke to break the washer and completely form staples. This recall does not impact any of Ethicon’s other surgical staplers or other products.

The safety of our patients is a priority for both ASCRS and Ethicon. We will continue to inform you of updates on this issue.

The ASCRS 2016 Annual Meeting app is now available to download in the iTunes Store and Google Play.

The app allows meeting attendees to easily access annual meeting information directly from their smartphones or tablets. Attendees can create their own schedules in advance and download it into their calendars so they don't miss any important meetings or sessions, which they can search by CME and self-assessment (MOC) credits.

The app also allows them to connect through social media, so they can tweet about the sessions they attend with the hashtag #ASCRS16.

The ASCRS winner of the Beart Impact Paper of the Year for 2014 been chosen! The Beart Award Paper was published in the May 2014 issue of the Diseases of the Colon and Rectum, and it was a podium presentation at the ASCRS 2013 Annual Meeting. The paper is entitled, A Prospective, Multicenter, Randomized, Controlled Study of Non-cross-linked Porcine Acellular Dermal Matrix Fascial Sublay for Parastomal Reinforcement in Patients Undergoing Surgery for Permanent Abdominal Wall Ostomies.

The authors of the winning paper are Fleshman, James W. M.D. 1; Beck, David E. M.D. 2; Hyman, Neil M.D. 3; Wexner, Steven D. M.D. 4; Bauer, Joel M.D. 5; George, Virgilio M.D. 6; the PRISM Study Group. A Prospective, Multicenter, Randomized, Controlled Study of Non-cross-linked Porcine Acellular Dermal Matrix Fascial Sublay for Parastomal Reinforcement in Patients Undergoing Surgery for Permanent Abdominal Wall Ostomies.

Join us in congratulating these authors of this exceptional paper.

ASCRS 2015 National Media Awards Call for Entries deadline is March 1, 2015.

The awards honor excellence in communicating a better understanding of colon and rectal disease and are given in three categories: print, broadcast, and internet.

Winners will receive the following: $1,000 award, personally engraved plaque, and an expense-paid trip to Boston, MA, for the ASCRS Annual Meeting, May 30 - June 3, 2015.

For further details, please click here.