Members of ESCP were pleased to welcome Dr. James W. Fleshman, current President of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgery, to the ESCP Meeting in Prague in September 2009. Dr. Fleshman was undertaking a tour of European cities sponsored jointly by ESCP, the Royal Society of Medicine, Section of Coloproctology (United Kingdom) and the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland.
Dr. Fleshman participated in a symposium on economics of health care and colorectal surgery at St. Vincent’s University Hospital and University College Dublin on 11th September. In Dublin Professor Fleshman was hosted by Professors Ronan O’Connell, John Hyland and Des Winter. Dr. Fleshman was accompanied by his wife and daughters.
Dr. Fleshman then flew to Leeds where he was hosted by Dr. Paul Finan. He met with Drs. Phil Quirke and Nick West and discussed evaluation of colonic mesenteric excision and the Classic and CRO7 trials with regard to completeness of mesocolic excision and clinical outcomes. Dr. Fleshman next travelled to Oxford and was hosted by Professor Neil Mortensen. He gave a lecture on laparoscopic treatment of rectal cancer and participated in a research symposium.
Dr. Fleshman then travelled to London and met with Professor the Lord Ara Darzi at St. Mary’s Hospital and Imperial College. He was able to discuss health care reform being undertaken in the United Kingdom. The following day he was hosted at St. Mark’s Hospital by Professors Robin Phillips and John Northover. He attended the operating room and participated in a research symposium.
Dr. Fleshman next travelled to Munich where he was hosted by Professor Wolf Heitland and delivered a talk on the management of carcinomatosis. Dr. Fleishman then travelled to Erlangen where he was hosted by Professor Werner Hohenberger. Dr. Fleishman attended multidisciplinary team meetings and Grand Rounds and discussed NOTES and laparoscopic resection of rectal cancer. He then attended the operating room to observe Professor Hohenberger‘s technique.
Dr. Fleshman then travelled to Prague where he participated in the annual ESCP meeting and delivered a state of the art talk on single port laparoscopy and NOTES.
Dr. Fleshman was a very valued visitor to our various institutions and our conferences. He brought with him many ideas and also we hope brought back some ideas to his colleagues in the United States.
