Newsletter of the

Society of American

Gastrointestinal

Endoscopic Surgeons

(SAGES)

SAGES is a maturingorganization. While wehope that it remains, in

perpetuity, a young-at-heartadult, it nevertheless mustassume the responsibilitiesand wisdom of a grown-up. Ihave long believed in build-ing on your strengths andthat is the approach I will

take in governing SAGES.The role of SAGES is changing

because medicine is changing. SAGESunique strength is its ability to flexwith and thoughtfully adopt the inno-vative and unexpected. The goals ofexcellence in programs, research, andeducation remain; however SAGESrole in achieving these goals changesevery year. SAGES is the preeminentendoscopic surgical society in NorthAmerica and is recognized as one of

Greg V. Stiegmann, M.D.

SCOPESCOPE

I N S I D E

Research Grant Deadlines..................Page 2

New Guidelines ......Page 5

Annual MeetingHighlights ................Page 6

Summer, 1996

the leading organizations in the Inter-national sphere.

Goals and objectives for the comingyear include:• Continue and improve the high qual-

ity of the SAGES annual scientificsession. This will promote andencourage continued research inlaparoscopic and endoscopic treat-ment methods.

• Forge innovative alliances with otherorganizations in the USA and abroadin order to begin the process of creat-ing more efficient use of members’time for meetings and postgraduatecourses.

• Maintain the strict separation of sci-ence and commerce while expandingrelations with our industry partnersin areas where joint venturing (edu-cation, telemedicine, electronic com-munications, practice guidelines)

(continued on page 8)

President’s Message

Dr. Greg Stiegmann presents a presidentialplaque to outgoing President,Rick Satava. Shown here,Dr. Stiegmann is searchingfor the “virtual plaque” forDr. Satava, who is a worldleader in virtual reality andtelemedicine.

Frank Lyman, left, of Ethicon andOutgoing President of the CorporateCouncil, is congratulated by PresidentElect Greg Stiegmann and President Col.Richard Satava.

MedicalMalpractice inEndoscopicSurgery

Do you ever ask your-self, “What is the riskof being sued for med-

ical malpractice for the endo-scopic surgery that I perform?”In the state of Tennessee, 3.5%of all medical malpracticeclaims involve injuries incurredduring endoscopic procedures.S t a t e Vo luntee r Mutua lInsurance Company, whichinsures nearly 7,500 physi-cians, receives 5 to 10 newsuch claims each month. Theleading injuries during laparo-scopy are common bile ductand bowel injuries, death, andpostoperative sepsis. These are followed in fre-quency by injuries to the iliac artery and ureter.

The leading causes for suits incurred afterdigestive system endoscopy include death, lossor perforation of the intestine, the spread of can-cer, and sepsis.

How can you avoid such suits? The obviousanswer is to practice safe endoscopic techniquesand avoid injuries. While it will not prevent asuit when an injury occurs, you should carefullyexplain the risks of any procedure to yourpatient and get them to sign a statementacknowledging that the risks have beenexplained to them, that they understand thenature of the risks, and that they are willing toconsent to the procedure with the full knowl-edge that such injuries can occur. It also helps ifyou inform the patient of your experience andyour track record. You should document that inthe record. If it is the first time you have everdone a procedure, tell that to your patient and

document it—do not wait for ajury to hear that the injuryoccurred during your first soloattempt at a procedure andthat you did not tell thepatient that you had never per-formed the procedure by your-self before. Documenteverything carefully. If it iswritten in the record, it is hardto refute. If it is not in therecord, it is your word againstthe plaintiff and the plaintiff’sexpert witness.

A note of caution on videodocumentation: Do not give acopy to your patient. If youmake videos for teaching,avoid identifying informationother than the subject of inter-est, e.g. “Laparoscopic Splen-ectomy.” Do not write thedate of the procedure or the

patient’s gender, race, name, address, or hospitalidentification number. Remember, an uneditedtape of a procedure shown before a jury maymake you appear as though you are shaky, awk-ward, and tenuous as a surgeon no matter howgood a technical endoscopist you are.

If you are sued, notify your medical malprac-tice insurance company immediately. Do not, Irepeat, DO NOT speak with anyone else aboutthe case until you have consulted with yourattorney or the one assigned to you by yourinsurance company.

Editor’s Note: If you are interested in more onthe subject, you may want to read Dr. Lobe’sbook “Medical Malpractice; a Physician’sGuide,” McGraw-Hill Inc., $34.95. Call1-800-722-4726. ●

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a crit ical look at endoscopic surgery

Reported by:Thom E. Lobe, M.D., J.D.Professor of Surgery and

Pediatrics, Chairman, Section ofPediatric Surgery, LeBonheurChildren’s Medical Center,

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital,University of Tennessee, Memphis

address reprint requests to:Thom E. Lobe, M.D., J.D.777 Washington Avenue,

Suite P210AMemphis, TN 38105(901) 572-3300 office(901) 572-5191 fax

V i e w

SAGES RESEARCH COMMITTEE1996 GRANT REVIEW PROCESSImportant dates and deadlines:

August 5, 1996 - Announcement of availablegrants and applications mailed to members.

November 11, 1996 - Research grant applica-tions due to SAGES office.

January 24 (On or about this date) - Grant winners notified of their awards.

March 19-22, 1997 - Research Grant recipi-ents announced at SAGES annual meetingin San Diego, California. Awards presentedat meeting.

April 17, 1997 (On or about this date) Checks sent to grant recipients.

Larry Doll congratu-lates Frank Lyman on

his service as presidentof the SAGES

Corporate Council.

SAGES New Home Page Send requests/ideas/comments to: jlevine@sages.org

SAGES new home page can be found at the following Address:

http://www.sages.org/sages.htmlIt includes the following information, plus links to sites of interest to the

surgeon and information on the Society: guidelines, meetings, committees.

Tissue Approximation inEndoscopic Surgery: Suturing and Knotting Techniquesby Alfred Cuschieri, MD, ChM, FRCSEd,FRCSEng., FRCPGlas (Hon.) FIBiol. Head ofDepartment of Surgery, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee Scotlandand Zoltan Szabo, PhD, FICS, Director, Microsurgery and Operative EndoscopyTraining Institute, San Francsico, California

The Book Corner

Aresource for today’s knot-ting and suturing proce-dures. Procedures are

described in text and accompaniedby finely detailed line art. Instantaccess to the technical informationcontained in this resource is avail-able via a CD-ROM. This program

runs on PC or Macintosh and usescomputer-animation and “liveaction” video that details the pro-cedures stage by stage. The bookand CD-ROM are published by ISISMedical Media. Inquiries can beaddressed to ISIS Medical Media at800-426-4545. ●

The Book Corner is a newSCOPE Column that highlightsrecent books by SAGES mem-bers. If you have recentlyauthored or edited a book, submit the title, subject matter,publisher, publication date, andlocations where the book isavailable to the SAGES office.

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New SAGES Office E-Mail!!!Most SAGES office staff are now on-line via their own personal email!

Below are the email addresses for office staff:

NEW:Patricia Byrdsell: sagespat@aol.comColleen Elkins: sagescol@aol.comCindi Hiigel: sagescindi@aol.comJeanette Patterson: sagesjet@aol.comMJ Robinson: sagesmj@aol.com

STAFF ALREADY ON-LINE:Barbara Berci: sagesberci@aol.comDeborah Hughes: sagesdeb@aol.comJason Levine: sagesjason@aol.comSallie Matthews: sagessal@aol.comSAGES OFFICE/All: sagesmail@aol.com

Suggestions or feedback for the SAGES Home Page should go to Jason at jlevine@sages.org ●

SAGES WinsAward forExhibitorProspectus

The Exhibitor Prospectusdeveloped by SAGESstaffer Colleen Elkins

has won an award for “1996Premier Prospectus” from theH.C.E.A. (Health Care Exhibi-tors’ Association). HCEA isthe accepted national arbiterof exhibitor concerns in theUnited States and publishesguidelines for exhibition man-agers to follow. SAGES’ pro-spectus was one of eleven out-standing entries from health-care associations selected toreceive the classification of“Premiere Prospectus.”

The Exhibitor prospectus isa vital part of exhibitor com-munications. Policies set withadvice from the ExhibitAdvisory Council have madeSAGES one of the mostresponsive medical societiesto the true collaborationbetween industry and science.●

Speakers Bureau

SAGES Public Infor-mation Committee hasorganized a speaker’s

bureau. Experts in a broadrange of minimal access andflexible endo topics areavailable in almost everystate. If your local medicalsociety or ACS chapter ishaving a scientific meetingat which a SAGES speakermight be supportive, pleasenotify the office or the NewChairperson of the PublicInformation Committee,Dr. Barry Salky at theSAGES Office. ●

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Welcome New Members!!

SAGES is proud to welcome the following surgeons to its membership ranks. Look for their com-plete addresses, phone, fax and email information in the 1997 Membership Book.

Paul Louis ARCAND, MD Worcester, MAMarilyn Jane BORST, MD Royal Oak, MIJoel Craig BOX, MD Atlanta, GAErvin B. BROWN, MD Houston, TXCharles F. BRUNICARDI, MD Houston, TXKeith R. BUCKLEN, MD Ephrata, PACharles Ronald BYRD, MD Shreveport, LAVincent T. CALDAROLA, MD San Antonio, TXVincent A. CALDAROLA, MD San Antonio, TXEddy H. CARRILO, MD Louisville, KYWilliam H. CHAPMAN III, MD Greenville, NCEdward Kookhyung CHOUGH, MD St. Louis, MOPaul Thomas CIRANGLE, MD Colorado Springs, CODavid J. COLE, MD Charleston, SCRoy B. CORNELL, MD Ft. Thomas, KYJohn C D’EMILIA, MD Richmond, VAAlan Steven DAVIS, MD Baltimore,, MDMustafa Ekrem DIMBILOGLU, MD Battle Creek, MIRichard F. ELLER, MD Nashville, TNDaryl R. ERICKSON, MD Nashua, NHGregory Leighton FALK, AUSTRALIA,Alfred S GERVIN, MD Richmond, VAMitchell James GIANGOBBE, MD Sun City West, AZAmy Lynne HALVERSON, MD Washington, DCGlen H. HASTINGS, MD St. Joseph, MIShoichi HASUDA, MD JAPAN,Jonathan R. HIATT, MD Los Angeles, CAMichael D. HOLZMAN, MD Durham, NCJace W. HYDER, MD Wichita, KSRichard Daniel ING, MD Salisbury, MDAntonio A. IUPPA, MD Catania, Italy,Carl E. JACKSON, MD Euclid, OHLisa Kay JACOBS, MD Alexandria, VADaniel Mark JACQUES, MD Columbia, SCRonald S.L. JAN, MD Philadelphia,, PAJeffrey Ronald JENKINS, MD Newport News, VA

Selwyn KAY, MD Bingham Farms, MIJohn J. KELLY, MD Worcester, MAStephen Fedrick KITCHEN, MD Brunswick, GAEugene A. KLINGLER, MD Manhattan, KSKenneth Yuh yen KOK, MD Singapore,Paul A KUNKEL, MD Camp Hill, PAWayne Ming LAU, MD Portland, ORCarl W. LIEBERT JR., MD Naples, FLPeter J. LYDON, MD Norwood, MADana Charistian LYNGE, MD Seattle, WAAlfred MARTINEZ, MD Smithtown, NYKeith W. MILLIKAN, MD Chicago, ILJoyce A. MOORE, MD Denver, COKenric M. MURAYAMA, MD Omaha, NEManohar N. NALLATHAMBI, MD Madaras India,Krishnaswamy NARAYANAN, MD London, KYJohn Jay OLDROYD, MD Payson, UTKulin N. OZA, MD Trenton, NJWilliam Noel PEUGH, MD Las Vegas, NVBrian L. PIAZZA, MD Flint, MIWilliam C. PIEPGRASS, MD Ephrata, PADieter POHL, MD Flushing, NYAlfons POMP, MD CANADA,Julian K. QUATTLEBAUM, JR., MD Savannah, GAThanjavur S. RAVIKUMAR, MD New Brunswick, NJPatrick R. REARDON, MD Houston, TXJay A REDAN, MD Tunkhannock, PARaymond Joseph ROMANUS, MD Harvey, ILGary Dean ROYE, MD Birmingham, ALDouglas Cameron SAUTER, MD Des Moines, IANaseem Elias SAYEGH, MD Yonkers, NYLee Aubrey SCHMITT, MD Birmingham, ALVafa SHAYANI, MD Washington, DCDiane Marie SIMEONE, MD Ann Arbor, MIKevin D. SLENTZ, MD Grand Rapids, MIBok-Yan Jimmy SO, MD Singapore,Chang K. SONG, MD Peoria, ILCharles E. STANKARD, MD Tallahassee, FLMary Armstrong STANLEY, MD Worcester, MASteven A. STANTEN, MD Oakland, CAGary H. STEVENS, MD Lafayette, LAKevin L. STITELY, MD Easton, MDDonald James STRAUB, D.O Harrisburg, PAFrancis TAPIA, MD Burr Ridge, ILEdward R. TEITEL, MD Ozark, ALFrederick Marvin TIESENGA, MD River Forest, ILThomas W. TOMASIK, MD Winfield, ILCharles H. USHER, MD Savannah, GAJosef J. VANEK, MD Uniontown, PAMichael J. VOLKERT, MD Manitowoc, WIWilliam A. WASWICK, MD Wichita, KSJames Eugene WHITE, MD Dublin, GAThomas W. WHITE, MD Scotts Bluff, NEJohn ZELKO, MD Portland, ORAndrew N. ZENIOU, MD Northport, NY

Several participants in the Meet the Professors Lunchchat with luncheon host Peter Rothe of Karl StorzEndoscopy. Left to Right, Mr. Rothe, Sydney Chung,Michael Gagner, and Meet the Professors LunchCoordinator Douglas Olsen.

5

Distinguished Service Award

The Distinguished Service Award is given to a SAGES endoscopicsurgeon who has made a significant, long-term educational,research, clinical and/or technological contribution to the field of

surgical endoscopy as well as to SAGES. This award is honorary andnominees should have a long history of participation in the surgical com-munity and the society.

Nominations may come from any SAGES member. Nomination formsmay be requested from the SAGES office. ●

Mini Task ForceCreated toProvide Inputon RegulationsConcerningSurgeons asFirst Assistants

The subject of assistantsin surgery is a difficultone to define. The

American College of Surgeonsh a s a n e n t i r e d o c u m e n t“Statement of Principles”(American College of Sur-geons) on this topic indicatingwhen a first assistant (surgeon)is mandatory, when one is rec-ommended but not absolutelyrequired and when none isnecessary. It took several yearsto research and document thisregister. SAGES issued a state-ment on f irst assistants(Statement adopted by theSAGES Board of Governors,April 9, 1992) in the earlyyears of laparoscopic generalsurgery.

The subject is a difficult onebecause good surgical practicefrequently requires commonsense and that is a commoditydifficult to quantify. Assuringpatient safety is not somethingthat easily fits into a neat littleformula.

While cost containment isvital, it should not be achievedat the sacrifice of patient care.There are trade offs that mustbe made when decisions arereached to cut surgical care. Inorder to assure that theHealthcare Finance adminis-tration understands the poten-tial trade-offs in safety andquality care which may be anintegral part of reducing therole of surgeons as assistants,SAGES has formed a task forcewhich will provide HCFAwith the surgical perspectiveand data necessary to makeinformed decisions. ●

• Surgical Educators Work-shop/Luncheon to be pre-sented in conjunction withACS Clinical Congress. A 2-hour workshop will be orga-nized for directors of surgi-cal endoscopy. A sub com-mi t t ee headed by Dr .Thomas Stellato is develop-ing the program. Watch for aregistration form in lateAugust.

• Because of the timelinessand enthusiastic acceptanceof this year’s ultrasoundcourse presented in conjunc-tion with the 1996 SAGESm e e t i n g , S A G E S w i l lattempt to present crucialnew hands-on topics as anannual event with eachyear’s meeting. Please sub-mit suggestions for topics nolater than August 1, 1996.

• Applications for approval ofFellowship Programs arenow available through theSAGES office. Review andevaluation are expected totake six months or more,depending on the number ofinstitutions applying forendorsement of their pro-gram. Please contact theSAGES office if you have notyet received an applicationand wish to submit one.

New GuidelinesSoon Available• SAGES guideline on Surgical

Practice of Telemedicinewas approved by the Boardof Governors and will beavailable by the end ofSummer. This is the first

On the Horizon:News From Our Educational Committees

1996 Postgraduate Course Syllabusand Abstracts on Disk AvailableIf 1996 was a year you were unable to attend the SAGES

meeting and World Congress, you may still be able to reapsome of its superb educational treasures. The 1996 postgradu-ate Course Syllabus of more than 500 pages on “ProblemSolving in Endoscopic Surgery” is a treasure of hints from theexperts. All of the oral and poster abstracts from 1995 and 1996are available on diskette (either DOS or MAC) with completesearch capability. Delivery will be within 2 weeks of receipt oforder. SAGES is grateful for educational grants from Karl StorzEndoscopy in the printing of the original syllabus and to Merckand Co. in the production of abstracts on disk. ●

(continued on page 11)

6

Several Philadelphia Mummers play in colorfulcostumes greeting participants in the Exhibit Hallafter the Opening Ceremony

Spectacular but brief opening ceremonies in the magnificent Grand Hall of the Philadelphia Conven-tion Center drew 1,000 registrants who showed theirenthusiastic support of Corporate contributions ofalmost $100,000 in lieu of expensive and time-consuming ceremonies.

A Taste of Philly at the Reading TerminalMarket was “vintage SAGES.” An extraor-dinary evening at the old ReadingTerminal Market when SAGES folks gath-ered in an informal venue with great foodand good company and just had a good,old fashioned fun time.

In a more informal moment, Dr. KennethForde, Past President, Dr. Stiegmann,President Elect, and Dr. Satava,President, assure Dr. Berci that he ismuch taller when standing on his resume.

The Gerald Marks Lecture was presented inPhiladelphia by JohnWickham, M.D., F.R.C.S.,F.R.C.P., F.R.C.R. After thelecture, entitled “Acrossthe Divide,” PresidentRichard Satava presents aplaque of appreciation toProfessor Wickham.

SAGES 1996/5th World Congress

A Taste of Philly

Scientific considera-tions, aside, most agreedthat the real hit of themeeting was youngRoarke Satava as shownhere with his parents(Judy and Richard)

Mayor Ed Rendell ofPhiladelphia chats with theSatavas after his welcome.

Left to right: Steve Unger,Gary Vitale, KarenFitzgibbons, Ed Phillips,Beverly Unger, and BobFitzgibbons.

The SAGES team which didn’t even come close to winning: left to right, John Hunter, Ted Trus, Jonathan Sackier,and Event Coordinator, Sallie Matthews.

The Victorious VideoRodeo Team from

Abington MemorialHospital: David

Crawford, SusanKnauber, and Mark

Zebley.

The Video Rodeo Team from theMedical College of Pennsylvania:Carl Westcott, Robert Kolecki, andDaniel Lee.

A gathering of presidents. Past Presidentsgather to congratulate Dr. Satava on anextraordinary year, moving us further intothe future. Left to right: Past PresidentsBruce Mac Fadyen, Jeff Ponsky, TalmadgeBowden, Incoming President GregStiegmann, Gerry Marks, Richard Satava,and Frederick Greene.

Top-rated abstract award winners: Raul Rosenthal, Richard Eller, and Marc Bessler.

Video Olympics

A luncheon dialogue for internationaleducators was hosted by EthiconEndosurgery. Four of the prominentspeakers (left to right) were YasuoIdezuki, David Fletcher, DavidNahrwold, and Bruce Schirmer, luncheon coordinator and Chairman ofthe Resident Education Committee.

The Sunday Video Olympics, sponsored byWelch-Allyn, contained some wonderfulmoments of both educationand fun when LeeSwanstrom coordinated the first (notannual) VideoRodeo.

7

8

multiplies the strength ofeach partner. It is possible tomaintain scientific integrityand use the best brainpowerand resources of surgeonsand industry to achieve bet-ter results for all.

• Appoint a SAGES task forceon Surgical Ergonomicscharged with the developmentof forward thinking ideas tooptimize efficiency and safe-ty of the surgical workplace.

• Assure that educational pro-grams at both the residentand postgraduate leveladdress the rapidly changingsurgical and economic cli-mate. Continue to developand present courses thathelp our members keepab reas t o f changes andimprovements.

• Continue to assess new pro-cedures, techniques andtechnologies and developguidelines as swiftly as prac-

tical to assure patient safetyand surgical proficiency.

The horizons for those clini-cal problems into which endo-scopic surgery will expand isunseeable. In forecastingpotential spheres covered byendoscopic surgery we must atleast consider the followingpossibilities:

• Careful expansion into can-cer surgery with need forcontrolled trials and appro-priate assessment of results.

• Hybridization of laparo-scopic and open techniques(hand inside the abdominalcavity) may expand opportu-nities to apply minimallyinvasive principles to anumber of other areas.

• Laparoscopic operations forobesity will become practi-cal and accepted.

• Laparoscopic vascular opera-tions will continue to seedevelopment and growth.

• Flexible endoscopic meth-ods may emerge to allowtreatment of gastroesopha-geal reflux disease.

• Innovative methods to treatBarrets’ disease and preventcancer are being investigat-ed.

• Development, teaching andutilization of ultrasoundtechnology for the surgeon.

I was asked by a journalist asI was about to take office“what distinguishes SAGES? “At first I thought it wouldrequire an hour to respond.But actually, the answer, at itsmost basic, is that SAGESmembers distinguish the orga-nization! They are the worlds’leading endoscopic thinkers,practitioners, and innovators.The organization is furtherdistinguished by the open-mindedness of its membersand leadership and their will-ingness to embrace new ideas,and test them. We have cou-

pled this perspec-tive with a strongexecutive office,dedicated staff ,and solid supportfrom the SAGESCorporate Council.SAGES, only a lit-tle more than adecade old, is posi-tioned to expandits solid leadershiprole in surgicalendoscopy intothe next century.●

SAGES Renews Its Contract with “Surgical Endoscopy” and Springer Verlag

After five successful years with SurgicalEndoscopy, Ultrasound and Inter-ventional Techniques as its official

journal, SAGES has renewed its contract withthe Journal for four more years. Surgical

Endoscopy is the pre-eminent endoscopic jour-nal in the world. Those who were early pio-neers of the journal remind us of their foresightin including ultrasound in a journal for endo-scopic surgeons. ●

President’s Message–continued from page 1

The International Learing Center, huge success with 14 hand-on stations and almost20 self-assessment stations.

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SAGES Official Products AvailableSAGES Official Emblem Address Pens ...........................................................$38.00

An incredible gadget and an excellent pen. Your name and address, QUITE readable, in an address stamp right in the pen. Everyone wants one!

SAGES “Here’s looking in you kid” T-Shirts ................................................$13.00White, with SAGES colors and logo. A great design, especially for Bogart lovers and endoscopic surgeons.

SAGES Navy Official Emblem T-Shirt............................................................$13.00

SAGES Official Emblem TiesOriginal Style: Navy with Gold Logo .....................................................................$30.00 New Style (Navy and Gold with diagonal Red “scopes”)...........................................$32.00

SAGES Painter’s Cap..........................................................................................$7.00Yellow cap with black visor

SAGES Lapel Pin ................................................................................................$8.00Bronze tone with SAGES logo

SAGES 1996 Postgraduate Course Syllabus ..................................................$65.00“Problem Solving in Endoscopic Surgery “ 500+ pages

1996 & 1995 SAGES Meetings—Abstracts on Disk ......................................$15.00Please specify DOS or Mac. Complete search capabilities.

Complete order form and send to: SAGES, 2716 Ocean Park Blvd., Suite 3000, Santa Monica, CA 90405______________________________________________________________________________________________________

NAME

______________________________________________________________________________________________________ADDRESS

______________________________________________________________________________________________________CITY, STATE, ZIP

ITEMS QTY SIZE/STYLE PRICE TOTAL AMT.Address Pens* $38.00Bogart T-Shirts $13.00Navy Logo T-Shirts $13.00Painter’s Cap $7.00Logo Ties (Original Style) $30.00Logo Ties (New Style) $32.001996 Postgrad Syllabus $65.00Abstracts on Disk $15.00Free America On Line sign-up disk $ .00Lapel Pin $ 8.00

CA Residents OnlyAdd 8.25% Sales Tax

TOTAL*Name and address as above will be printed in your Address Pen. WE ACCEPT CHECKS ONLY!

The College of Physiciansand Surgeons at Colum-bia University, New

York, recently announced thecreation of the Kenneth FordeProfessorial Chair of Colo-Rectal Surgery. Dr. Forde is afounding member of SAGES aswell as its second president. He

Columbia Announces Forde Chairhas been on the faculty of theDepartment of Surgery atColumbia since 1963 and iscurrently Clinical Professor ofSurgery.

Dr. Forde joins the distin-guished ranks of such sur-geons as SAGES foundingpresident, Dr. Gerald Marks.

The Gerald Marks Profes-sorial Chair of Surgery wasestablished at Jef fersonMemorial Hospital in Phil-adelphia in 1992. Dr. Marksand Dr. Forde are two of anelite group of living surgeonsfor whom named chairs havebeen created. ●

Dr. KennethForde

You Don’t Have to Miss the First Annual SAGES Silent Auction to

Benefit the SAGES Long Term Research FundThere are still a FEW incredible prizes available from the

first SAGES Silent Auction. Here’s how you can bid on them from the comfort of your own office chair:

TO BID:1.Write your name here:__________________________________________2.Select the prize(s) you wish to bid on from the list below. 3.Write your bid on the bid line next to the prize.4.FAX or send this form or a copy to the SAGES Office at 310-314-2585.5.Call MJ Robinson at the SAGES Office 310-314-2404 or e-mail sagesmj@aol.com to check com-

peting bids. You may raise your bid as many times as you wish.6.Bidding will end at 5:00 p.m. Friday, August 16, 1996. Winners will be notified by phone and

fax on Monday, August 19, 1996.

Prizes Available:Item #1: Weekend for Two at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis

“Weekend for Two” package includes room and tax on the Friday and Saturday of your choice withcomplete use of recreational facilities. (Based on availability - Olympic weekends are not available.)Estimated Value: $350. Minimum Bid: $225. My bid on Item #1 is: $_____________

Item #2: Hilton Bounceback Weekend for Two at the Atlanta Hilton and Towers“Hilton Bounceback Weekend for Two” at the Atlanta Hilton and Towers includes a two-night stayand continental breakfast. (Based on availability - Olympic weekends are not available.) EstimatedValue: $450. Minimum Bid: $225. My bid on Item #2 is: $_____________

Item #3: Weekend for two at the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter Two-nights’ accommodations atthe San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter. Estimated Value: $350. Minimum Bid: $225.

My bid on Item #3 is: $____________Item #4: “Two for Breakfast” Weekend at the Philadelphia Marriott Hotel Deluxe accommodations

for two on any Friday or Saturday night at the Philadelphia Marriott plus breakfast for two in Allie’sAmerican Grille. (Based on space availability.) Estimated Value: $250. Minimum Bid: $150.

My bid on Item #4 is: $_____________Item #5: United Airlines International Upgrade Certificate Valid for one-class upgrade on any sched-

uled flight operated by United Airlines for a single qualifying International flight segment.Upgrades are subject to availability at the time of request. Estimated Value: $500. Minimum Bid:$200. My bid on Item #5 is: $_____________

Item #6: United Airlines International Upgrade Certificate Valid for one-class upgrade on any sched-uled flight operated by United Airlines for a single qualifying International flight segment.Upgrades are subject to availability at the time of request. Estimated Value: $500. Minimum Bid:$200. My bid on Item #6 is: $_____________

Item #7: Schlesinger Tan Leather Briefcase (Donated by SAGES Corporate Council) Finest qualityfrom one of America’s Most Prestigious leather manufacturers. Estimated Value: $540. MinimumBid: $350. My bid on Item #7 is: $_____________

Item #8: Atlas Natural Leather Briefcase (Donated by SAGES Corporate Council) Superb qualityfrom one of America’s Finest leather manufacturers. Estimated Value: $425. Minimum Bid: $250.

My bid on Item #8 is: $_____________Item #9: Boyt Black Leather Briefcase (Donated by SAGES Corporate Council) Exquisite quality

from an Internationally Acclaimed leather manufacturer. Estimated Value: 500. Minimum Bid:$300. My bid on Item #9 is: $_____________

Item #10: Hartman Carry On Suiter (Donated by SAGES Corporate Council) Traditional Tan Tweedwith Leather and built in wheels. Hartman Luggage has a 100-year tradition as one of the world’sfinest luggage manufacturers. Estimated Value: $525. Minimum Bid: $375.

My bid on Item #10 is: $____________Item #11: Laser Pointer Portable with case to protect it in your briefcase or pocket. Estimated Value:

$50. Minimum Bid: $35. My bid on Item #11 is: $____________10

Join Our Corporate Colleagues in Supporting SAGES Long Term ResearchAt the recent SAGES Annual Meeting & World Congress in Philadelphia, many of our corporate

supporters contributed the nucleus of a long term research fund. In addition to the generous annu-al research grants of several companies, our corporate colleagues contributed more than $80,000toward the establishment of a long term research fund which will eventually generate annual grantsfrom an endowment-type base. Please join our Corporate Colleagues in the establishment of this fund.

Donation Form to Benefit SAGES Long Term Research❏ Yes! I want to join the corporate supporters of SAGES Long Term Research.

Attached is my check for: ❏ $100 ❏ $75 ❏ $50 ❏ $25 ❏ Other_______

Name:__________________________________________________________Please send completed form and check to SAGES: 2716 Ocean Park Blvd. Suite 3000 · Santa Monica, CA 90405

SAGES Calendar–Future EventsSAGES SCIENTIFIC SESSION & POSTGRADUATE COURSE

March 19-22, 1997 • San Diego Convention Center • San Diego, California

SAGES SCIENTIFIC SESSION & POSTGRADUATE COURSEApril 1-4, 1998 • Washington State Convention Center • Seattle, Washington

WORLD CONGRESS OF ENDOSCOPIC SURGERYSIXTH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF THE E.A.E.S.

June 3-6, 1998 • Rome, Italy

SAGES SCIENTIFIC SESSION & POSTGRADUATE COURSEMarch 24-27, 1999 (tentative) • San Antonio Convention Center • San Antonio, Texas

such guideline generated bya national medical society.In order to protect patientsafety and assure uniformityof definitions, SAGES under-took this arduous project. Atask force headed by JosephPetelin and representative ofcontinuing education, ethicsand technology committeesworked on the guideline for6 months. Look for distribu-tion and publication of theguidelines by early Fall.They will be mailed to allSAGES members and to allcritical care hospitals.

• Collaborative Spine SurgeryGuideline was approved bythe Board of Governors inMarch and will be availableby early Fall. This is anotherfirst for SAGES. As more col-laborative surgery was beingperformed, with little or no

guidance, the SAGES Boardconvened a task force underthe direction of Lee Swan-strom to safeguard patientsafety and define the rolesand responsibilities of thesurgical collaborators. Lookfor distribution and publica-tion of the guidelines byearly Fall . They wil l bemailed to all SAGES mem-bers and to all critical carehospitals.

• Granting of Privileges inUltrasound for Surgeons wasapproved by the SAGESBoard o f Gove rnor s inMarch. It will be availablemid-summer. The questionof who may perform ultra-sound, what type of ultra-sound they may undertakeand the training required tobe proficient has been anemerging issue in the med-ical community. To assure

that only those surgeonswith proper training andcompetence are encouragedto undertake ultrasonogra-phy, SAGES has issuedguidelines on granting ofprivileges. Look for distribu-tion and publication of theguidelines by early Fall.They will be mailed to allSAGES members and to allcritical care hospitals.

• Office Endoscopy (Revisedguideline) As part of itsongoing task to review andupdate all standards of prac-tice guidelines on a regularbas i s , the S tanda rds o fPractice Committee adopteda revised draft of its guide-line on Office Endoscopy,authored by Charles Haynie.The Board accepted therevised draft at its Marchmeeting. It will be availableat the end of Summer. ●

Guidelines–cont. from page 5

11

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Suite 3000Santa Monica, CA 90405

Tel: 310/314-2404Fax: 310/314-2585

E-mail: SAGESMail@aol.com

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Permit No. 18

SAGES Board of Governors:President:

Greg V. Stiegmann, M.D.President-Elect:

Desmond H. Birkett, M.D.Vice President:

Carol E. Scott-Conner, M.D.Secretary:

Mohan C. Airan, M.D.Treasurer:

Stephen W. Unger, M.D.Members of the Board:Maurice Arregui, M.D.

George Berci, M.D.John A. Coller, M.D.

John Morgan Cosgrove, M.D.Karen E. Deveney, M.D.Daniel J. Deziel, M.D.Aaron S. Fink, M.D.

Robert J. Fitzgibbons, M.D.Kenneth A. Forde, M.D.

Frederick L. Greene, M.D.John G. Hunter, M.D.

Bruce V. MacFadyen, M.D.Joseph B. Petelin, M.D.Jeffrey H. Peters, M.D.

Jonathan M. Sackier, M.D.Barry A. Salky, M.D.

Col. Richard M. Satava, M.D.Bruce D. Schirmer, M.D.Nathaniel J. Soper, M.D.Lee L. Swanstrom, M.D.

L. William Traverso, M.D.Gary C. Vitale, M.D.

S C O P E

EDITOR IN CHIEF:Keith Apelgren, M.D.

CO-EDITOR:Mohan Airan, M.D.EXECUTIVE EDITOR:

Barbara Saltzman Berci

SAGES2716 Ocean Park BoulevardSuite 3000Santa Monica, CA 90405Tel: 310/314-2404Fax: 310/314-2585E-mail: SAGESMail@aol.com

SAGES Deadlines: Mark Your CalendarOral & Poster Abstract Deadline - 1997 Meeting: September 9, 1996

Video Deadline - 1997 Meeting: September 16th, 1996

Research Grant Application Deadline: November 11th, 1996

Note: • Abstract forms have been mailed to all SAGES members, applicants and previous pre-

senters. Please call if you need additional forms.• Research Grant Application packets will be available in late August and will be

mailed to all SAGES members.

Richard Whelan, left,accepts congratulationson his research grantaward from Peter Rothe,Executive Vice-Presidentof Karl Storz Endoscopy.

Winton Berci, Vice-President ofCircon Corporation, presents theCircon Young Researcher Award(the Golden Laparoscope) to can-didate member Michael Holzmanof Duke University MedicalCenter, Durham, N.C.

United States Surgical Corporation ResearchAward Winners congratulated by PresidentRichard Satava and Robert Knarr of USSurgical. Left to right: Dr. Satava, NinhNguyen, Ross Bremner, Lee Swanstrom, SeanMulvihill, Graham Sellers, Robert Knarr.

Frank Lyman congrat-ulates winners of the1996 Ethicon ResearchAward. Left to right,Michael Nussbaum ofthe University ofCincinatti and Elliot J.Fegelman, M.D.