Round-up of Day Two of #ESCP2022
The second day at the ESCP Annual Conference in Dublin (#ESCP2022) started bright and early, with three breakfast sessions kicking off in tandem at 7:00 AM. These included a lively debate on the best approach to TME, a discussion on anal fistula and a conversation exploring current approaches to managing ileocecal Crohn’s disease.
A series of guidelines sessions were also delivered, including an update on guidelines for robotic surgery, as well as new guidelines for managing patients with Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) and using social media, both followed by a real-life example of these guidelines in practice. The ESCP guidelines committee also alluded to the Society’s upcoming guidelines – watch this space!
The “My most challenging case” educational session coupled up trainees and experts to discuss difficult cases and explore key learnings, featuring examples of horseshoe fistula and complicated diverticular disease, and a discussion on how to respond when a stapler misfires.
Two scientific sessions also took place in the morning. The first focused on the ‘state-of-the-art management of syndromes of disordered defaecation’, exploring issues such as management options for severe low anterior resection syndrome and how to approach patient selection in the conservative management of constipation with biofeedback. A second scientific session on ‘Diversity & Fairness in 2022’ brought together a range of female surgeons to share their experiences of discrimination in a healthcare setting and the work they are doing to address inequalities for women, the LGBTQ+ community, ethnic minorities and other minority groups.
The New Trials Forum featured cutting edge trials – including a trial presented by Jim Khan (United Kingdom) which hopes to improve the survival rate of colon cancer by comparing the use of robotic and laparoscopic surgical approaches for the treatment of right-sided colon cancer, and another by Domink Jauch (Germany) exploring the impact of intraoperative antegrade bowel lavage on ileostomy reversal outcomes.
The ’Challenging scenarios in IBD’ scientific session explored various complications in the treatment of irritable bowel disease. It featured talks on innovations in pouch surgery and techniques to address and prevent pouch failures from Conor Delaney (United States), as well on approaches for the management of dysplasia in IBD patients by André D’Hoore (Belgium).
In ‘SoMe too in 22’, speakers explored a range of considerations for surgeons using social media platforms – from patients’ privacy when sharing case information and leveraging digital channels to gather research data, to maximising networking and education opportunities.
While some attendees paused for launch, others participated in the Social Media Working Group's social media challenge – The Dublin Dash! The light-hearted challenge saw participants follow a series of Irish-themed clues around the convention centre in the hopes of winning a ticket to next year’s Conference.
After lunch, the afternoon’s scientific session on the ‘Development and validation of on Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) for the colorectal patient’ filled the room. Key takeaways included the importance of asking patients the right questions, focusing on life after surgery and a compelling talk from Sue Blackwell (United Kingdom) on the patient’s role in selecting, designing and optimising PROMs in abdominal surgery research. A presentation by Nicola Dames (United Kingdom) revealing her research findings on ‘sex after colorectal surgery’ was a huge hit with the audience, pointing to the importance of addressing the subject with patients!
Chaired by ESCP’s Past President, Evangelos Xynos (Greece), ‘Rectal Cancer - Where are we in 2022?’ provided an update on the latest innovations in rectal cancer, including a fascinating exploration of Brendan Moran’s (United Kingdom) predictions for the future of Rectal Cancer Surgery and an update on the latest techniques in robotics by Jim Khan (United Kingdom).
The ‘Emergency Colorectal Surgery’ educational session provided a helpful introduction to key emergency techniques in colorectal surgery, from risk factor stratification to right sided anastomotic leak and adapting techniques for elderly patients. The session closed with a fascinating presentation from James Glasbey (United Kingdom) on the TALON study investigating the impact of leveraging remote wound assessments delivered by telephone in low-income countries.
For those looking to expand their training opportunities, the ‘Ideal Colorectal Fellowship in Europe session’ explored the latest opportunities for trainees in colorectal surgery – including analysis of the future of training in ‘virtual theatres’ by ESCP’s Executive Secretary, Antonino Spinelli (Italy).
The final event of the day was a research symposium featuring the latest updates on key research projects including DAMSCUS, and a presentation from Nicolas Avellaneda (Argentina) (below) on how the EAGLE study resulted in the measurement of colorectal surgery outcomes in Latin America for the first time.
The afternoon also featured the highly-anticipated ‘Consultants Corner’ – which brought together some of the field’s leading experts to share their wisdom. Highlights from this year’s abstracts submissions, the presentation of surgical videos and the first round of Oral Visual Posters – featuring 30 presentations – we are also enjoyed by Conference attendees throughout the day.
After a jam-packed day of sessions, the day concluded with ESCP’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), providing an update on the status of and progress made by the Society, where the appointment of ESCP’s President for the period 2022-23, Professor Eloy Espin Basany, was formally announced (below).
For the latest updates from #ESCP2022, make sure you’re following @escp_tweets on Twitter.
