The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS) congratulates Dr. Susan Galandiuk, of Louisville, Kentucky, who was recently named Editor-in-Chief of the society's scientific journal, Diseases of the Colon & Rectum.

Dr. Galandiuk is a professor of surgery, program director for the Section of Colon and Rectal Surgery and director of the Price Institute of Surgical Research at the University of Louisville. She will replace the current and longstanding Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Robert Madoff, effective January 1, 2017.

Diseases of the Colon & Rectum is the world's leading publication in colorectal surgery, ranking in the top 14% of all peer-reviewed surgery journals. Editors-in-Chief must show a record of significant scholarly achievement, editorial skills and an understanding of the international community of scholars and practitioners. The position is held for a term of five years, and can be renewed for a second five-year term.

Don’t miss out on the discounted early-bird registration for the 2016 ASCRS Annual Scientific Meeting, April 30 – May 4 in Los Angeles, CA. You can save up to $200 if you register before 11:59 p.m. CST March 7.

Why Attend?

• Earn up to 48 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits.
• Learn from the best and brightest in the field of colon and rectal surgery.
• Receive hands-on training and attend didactic lectures on the latest techniques during Saturday and Sunday workshops (space is limited; register early).
• Network with colleagues, speakers, and industry during the welcome reception, lunches, exhibit hall hours, after-hours debates, and evening receptions.
• Relax during the Annual Reception and Dinner Dance, which features a stand-up comedy routine from Full House star and comedian Dave Coulier.
• Leave with practical takeaways that can be quickly implemented in your daily practice.
• Bring your family to sightsee in Los Angeles, dine at some of the most acclaimed restaurants (and food trucks!) in the world, and shop along the country's most famous boulevards.

The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons is pleased to announce the availability of 11 new patient education brochures that have been fully revised and redesigned. The newest brochures include:

• Abscess and Fistula
• Anal Pain
• Colonoscopy
• Follow Up Evaluation After Surgery for Colorectal Cancer
• Hemorrhoids
• Pilonidal Disease
• Polyps of the Colon and Rectum
• Pruritus Ani
• Rectal Prolapse
• Rectocele
• Screening and Surveillance for Colorectal Cancer

These brochures join the list of 11 additional brochures that were released in August 2015. Be sure that your patients leave the office with easy-to-understand, beautifully designed brochures explaining their conditions. Purchase the brochures you need in bulk in our Store or download an order form.

Heather L. Yeo
Associate Professor Of Surgery
Associate Professor of Healthcare Policy and Research
Weill Cornell Medicine
New York, New York

Why I am a member of ASCRS:

I am a member of the ASCRS because I believe this society will shape the future of colon and rectal surgery nationally.  ASCRS values the input of young members and is where the future leaders of our profession will develop. Also, it provides an important venue for research collaboration, networking, and learning from others.

What advice do you have for future colorectal surgeons?

My advice for future colon and rectal surgeons is to learn from your patients and experiences, to try to ask questions that make a difference and move the field forward. And of course, to be involved in ASCRS!

Tell us something about yourself that we might not otherwise know.

I believe building diverse physician leaders is important. It's part of the reason did an MBA.  

Fun fact: I used to work in the U.S. Senate, first as a page and then as a senate staffer.

Joshua A. Tyler
Chief, Colorectal and Robotic Surgery, Keesler Medical Center
Assistant Professor, Dept of Surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Director of Robotic Surgery, Merit Health Biloxi
Founder/Director, Institute for Defense Robotic Surgical Education (InDoRSE)

Where do you practice?

I am active duty Air Force, but also have a Training Affiliation Agreement (TAA) which allows me to practice in the private sector (in a volunteer capacity).  My military practice is at Keesler Air Force Base Medical Center (Biloxi, MS), and my civilian practice is at Merit Health Biloxi.

Why I am a member of ASCRS:

ASCRS provides a wonderful community of colon and rectal surgeons for networking, mentorship, and continual learning/self-improvement.  We tend to be a small close-knit community in this specialty, and ASCRS provides the perfect forum for academic, military, and community colorectal surgeons.

Tell us something about yourself that we might not otherwise know:

I am very excited about two aspects of my practice: our community involvement to serve the colorectal surgery needs of patients in South Mississippi, as well as the robotic surgery training site I founded, which is also located at Keesler. 

Military colorectal surgeons tend to be fairly low-volume compared to our civilian peers. Training Affiliation Agreements (TAAs) help us have more volume, as well as serve in the off-base medical community.  All of our downtown work is in a volunteer capacity.  Mississippi is very underserved for colorectal surgery, with only four board-certified CR surgeons serving the entire state.  My partner (Dr. Ramon Brown, another active duty AF surgeon) and I are the only two in the southern half of the state.  The TAA arrangement accounts for approximately 90 percent of our practice/volume and enables us to be high-volume surgeons while serving the needs of our local community given the underserved nature of the population here for our specialty.

An additional aspect of my practice is serving as the founding director for the Institute for Defense Robotic Surgical Education (InDoRSE), located at Keesler Air Force Base (see article link below).  The federal government has invested nearly a quarter of a billion dollars in robotic technology between the DoD and VA, but often these surgeons have difficulty attending courses at Intuitive’s own training sites, which are cost-prohibitive for federal surgeons. InDoRSE was founded as the federal government’s DaVinci Xi training facility for Army, Navy, Air Force, and VA surgeons to directly address this and enhance access to training/education in robotic surgery.  In addition to training surgeons, we train the entire OR team including the circulator nurse and OR technicians. Personnel turnover is a significant obstacle to successful robotic implementation in federal healthcare, and our team-based approach helps ensure safe and efficient care for our patients.  We have two Xi robots and now teach both basic and advanced robotics courses.  We recently trained our 100th surgeon (300 personnel total), and this has spanned 37 different facilities across the DoD and VA.  Those surgeons have gone home to do 1500 robotic procedures, and the educational cost savings to the government exceed one million dollars. This is explained in more detail in this article.