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ach year ESCP provides the opportunity for ten young surgeons with an interest in coloproctology to undertake a three-month fellowship in a different country. The 2013/14 fellowships were generously supported by a grant from Medtronic, as well as funds from ESCP. Here, three of the 2014 fellows report on their experiences:
Matteo Frasson
From: University Hospital La Fe, Valencia, Spain
Visited: Beaujon Hospital, Paris, France under the direction of Yves Panis
First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to the ESCP and Medtronic for this great experience. I spent my 3-month European fellowship at Beaujon Hospital, in Clichy, France, under the direction of Professor Yves Panis. He is the chief of a young yet well-experienced group of colorectal surgeons, with outstanding laparoscopic skills. During my stay, I had the possibility of notably improving my laparoscopic abilities, assisting to almost daily laparoscopic colorectal resections, with a well-standardized surgical technique. Moreover, being Beaujon´s Hospital a center of reference, I had the chance to assist to many surgical procedures for complex and recurrent proctologic pathologies, such as recto-vaginal fistula, fistula in anus, etc.
From a scientific point of view, Professor Panis got me involved into ongoing projects, resulting in my participation in abstracts and future papers.
Experiences like the European Fellowship are fundamental for the connection between colorectal centers and the creation of a European network for the exchange of experience, techniques and projects in our field. I am really grateful for the opportunity of being part of this program.
Finally, I would like to thank Professor Panis, Dr. Marianne Ferron, Dr. Leon Maggiori, Dr. Helene Corté, Dr. Olivier Pitter and all the staff of the Beujon hospital for the time they dedicated to me and for making those three months so unique. A bientôt!
Pravin Gore
From: Bhatia Hospital, Mumbai, India
Visited: University of Rome Tor Vergatta, Rome, Italy under the direction Pierpaolo Sileri
I would like to thank ESCP & Medtronic from the bottom of my heart for offering such a great, once in a lifetime, learning opportunity by awarding me this 3-month laproscopic colorectal surgery fellowship at University Tor Vergata in Rome under the able guidance of Professor Pierpaolo Sileri.
It was a privilege to witness the great saying “when in Rome, do as the Romans do”. My guide is a very dedicated, learned, ambitious and widely respected Professor. Whatever they did, it was done with absolute perfection backed by scientifically proven protocols and methods.
Professor Sileri was kind enough to teach me laproscopic surgery right from the basics; I am grateful to his team, of Dr. Luana Franceschilli, Dr. Ilaria Capuano and Dr. Federica for their warm welcome and inclusion in the unit, arranging both basic and advanced laproscopic training course as well as arranging a personal endo-trainer machine during the stay to help me practice hands-on at my hostel.
Professor Sileri is a gifted surgeon with special interest and finesse in surgeries for pelvic floor disorders including rectal prolapse and ODS. I witnessed new procedures for laproscopic ventral rectopexy and STARR surgery by TST stapler as well as laproscopic & lap assisted hemicolectomies and total colectomies. Through his practical, step-by-step training I have been able to start basic laproscopic colorectal surgery on returning back home to Mumbai. I am indebted to ESCP, Medtronic, Professor Sileri and his team for fuelling my interest in laproscopic colorectal surgery which will be of great benefit to all our patients in India.
I encourage and highly recommend the ESCP fellowship programmes to all my young and ambitious colorectal surgeon colleagues all over the world who want to improve their skills and in turn help the needy and deserving patients in their society.
Jarno Melenhorst
From: Orbis Medical Centre, Sittard, the Netherlands
Visited: University Clinic Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium under the direction of André D’Hoore
The European Society of Coloproctology offered me a great opportunity to expand my horizon, this could not have been possible without the support from ESCP and Medtronic. This kind of exchange of ideas and experience can mean a great deal for a young colorectal surgeon and I strongly recommend this to every colorectal surgeon starting out in their career.
I had the wonderful opportunity to visit Professor André D’Hoore in Leuven, he and his team of colorectal surgeons and of course all the other members of the Abdominale Heelkunde have made my stay very worthwhile. I saw, assisted with and operated on many patients and it was very exciting to assist on relatively new procedures such as TAMIS and transanal specimen extraction after laparoscopic sigmoidectomy.
Of course, I would not have been able to do this without the support of my own hospital and staff, who covered my absence.
Thank you all.