News Items

ASCRS Past President, David Margolin, Passes Away

It is with deep sorrow that we let our ASCRS community know that ASCRS Immediate Past President David Margolin passed away this morning – peacefully and surrounded by his family. So many of you will recall the grace, joy and courage that David displayed in his presidential address at ASCRS annual meeting in Cleveland last year. He was then and will always be among friends.

Please keep Dr. Margolin’s family in your thoughts and prayers. ​

Sincerely,  
Members of the ASCRS Executive Council, Research Foundation Board of Directors and the ASCRS staff

ASCRS 2019 Presidential Address: David Margolin
 

ASCRS Young Surgeon Spotlight: Wissam J Halabi, M.D.

YSS.jpgWhere do you practice?  
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery
University of California Davis
Sacramento, California

 
Why I am a member of ASCRS:  
It is like being part of a big family, a close knit group. It is a feeling I had when I went to my first ASCRS meeting in 2013: a sense of belonging to a group who treat serious condition while being down to earth and fun to work with.  ASCRS provides great educational opportunities to surgeons and patients and the opportunity to advance the specialty through research and innovation. It is a great opportunity to meet friends and colleagues from all over the world who share the same passion. Meetings are super fun !
 
 
Why did you specialize in colorectal surgery? 
It is a great specialty that offers a lot of procedural diversity from good old open complex cases to cutting edge minimally invasive laparoscopic and robotic cases, anorectal procedures and scopes. The wide range of disease processes you’re treating, the ability to make a difference in your patients lives and be able to see it. During my research years, I had the opportunity of having great mentors who had a lot of influence on my career choices. It is the people you identify with. Most importantly, it is the ability to express your maximum potential not just a surgeon, but as a physician and most importantly as human being.
 
What do you want your patients to know about you? I like to deliver individualized care, treating the patient as a whole considering their goals, their lifestyles, their social surroundings rather than just their disease process.  Individualized care that is evidence-based delivered with a smile and a twist of humor (when appropriate).
 
What advice do you have for future colorectal surgeons?  
Remember the AAA of excellence when starting your career. 1) Availability: “Happy to Help” your patients, colleagues and most importantly your family. 2) Ability: strive to be technically the best you can, be innovative and push the limit safely, and most importantly know when not to operate. 3) Affability: be compassionate, show empathy and always keep a beautiful smile and a good sense of humor. Always call your mentors and friends for medical and personal advice. Don’t feel alone, we have a great opportunity to live in a world where we’re all connected by social media, internet etc… You need a second or a third opinion ? you can get it through social media or by calling friends. The technical aspects of an operation are the easiest part of the whole process. It is knowing who benefits from which procedure that comes with time. An operation does not start in the operating room, it starts when you meet the patient in the office, the ED or in the hospital. It is the preparation for a procedure that gives you the best outcomes. Always be humble:  whenever you feel you’re above the clouds, this one case will come and humble you.
 
Tell us something about yourself that we might not otherwise know: 
I love cooking , it is where I can express a lot of creativity! My area of expertise is Mediterranean and Lebanese cuisine. Lots of high octane fiber and and garlic, good for your bowels !
 
 

Management of Endoscopes, Endoscope Reprocessing, and Storage Areas During the COVID-19 Pandemic

4/14/2020

This document is a joint statement and provides best practice recommendations with respect to endoscope handling, endoscope reprocessing, and storage area management during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

GI-Society-management-of-endoscope-fleet.pdf

ASCRS Young Surgeon Spotlight: Vlad V. Simianu, M.D., MPH

Dr-Vlad.jpgVlad V. Simianu, MD MPH

Attending Surgeon, Section of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Virginia Mason Medical Center
Medical Director, Colorectal Service Line, Floyd and Delores Jones Cancer Institute
Associate Medical Director, Colon and Rectal Surgery, Surgical Care Outcome Assessment Program

 

Where do you practice?
Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle WA

 

Why are you a member of ASCRS?
I’ve been part of ASCRS since I was a resident trying to decide on a specialty. The professional environment in ASCRS was particularly influential in my decision, because it exposed me to a group of surgeons that is totally energized and excited about high-quality patient care, innovation, research, and education. I continue to feel fulfilled, invigorated, and stretched every time I interact with my friends and mentors in the ASCRS community.

 

Why did you specialize in colorectal surgery?
To quote a mentor and friend, “Why would you do anything else?” I really believe that. This is an exciting time to be a colorectal surgeon. We get to have a practice that allows us to care for patients across malignant, inflammatory, and benign conditions. We bring mastery of unique pathology and technically complex procedures to multidisciplinary collaborations. We are privy to high quality research done by our predecessors and get a chance to build on it through local and national partnerships, trials, and innovations. We’re attracting driven young surgeons. The future is bright

ASCRS Young Surgeon Spotlight: Sami Chadi

Sami A. Chadi, MD, MSc, FRCSC, FACS
Minimally Invasive and Colorectal Surgery
Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network  
Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto

Why I am a member of ASCRS:

As a colorectal surgeon, I feel I only stand to benefit from ASCRS membership. The annual meetings provide a great venue to keep in touch with colleagues and mentors from around the world. Additionally, I find that participating in the various committees has allowed me to meet new colleagues, initiating collaborations and lifelong friendships. The annual meeting is always filled with great up to date content, and has also been a great venue to meet Twitter #colorectalsurgery friends and fellow-members.

Why did you specialize in colorectal surgery?

I always knew one of my main interests in surgery was minimally invasive techniques. I’ve always enjoyed seeing patients recover so quickly from procedures with minimal evidence of any major intervention. In 2012, I attended ASCRS and was hooked - learning about higher definition laparoscopy, robotics and what was then novel transanal techniques really had me seeking to learn more. My main focus in practice similar to many of us is colon and rectal oncology, but being exposed to benign disease as well really provides us with a unique perspective on surgical techniques when operating on hindgut oncology.

What do you want your patients to know about you?

I’m passionate about what I do and I try to treat each patient as if I were treating a family member. It’s extremely difficult to understand the physical and psychological stresses our patients experience throughout their journey. Any time I think I have a grasp of what my patients are experiencing, in good and bad times, I’m exposed to another dimension of their reality that I never expected. At the end of the day, I feel that establishing yourself not only as their healthcare provider, but also as someone they can trust because of a genuine desire to see them do well, will give you an insight into their experience, making you better able to help them and maybe, a better physician overall. 

What advice do you have for future colorectal surgeons?

This specialty is awesome, and it’s only getting better. We’re learning more every day about the diseases we treat, we’re gaining access to better techniques and technology to provide care, and the innovation is endless. The #colorectalsurgery family is ever-growing so make sure you’re hooked into the various groups through social media - you’ll meet colleagues from around the world and make lifelong friendships. I’ve never looked back.

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