Clinical Congress 2022 Highlights

The ACS Clinical Congress 2022 in San Diego, CA, provided opportunities for surgeons, residents, medical students, and other healthcare professionals from around the world to sharpen and test their surgical skills and interact with their peers and ACS leaders and staff. It was the first time in 3 years that Clinical Congress convened in person.

More than 9,600 individuals traveled to San Diego, and thousands more participated virtually and have accessed the conference’s content on demand. All registrants can view on demand content through May 1, 2023, and registration remains open for new participants.

This article summarizes some of the conference highlights.

Convocation

A record 2,355 surgeons were initiated into ACS Fellowship this year, and following a joyful procession of ACS leaders, invited guests, and Initiates from 2020, 2021, and 2022, then-Secretary Tyler G. Hughes, MD, FACS, presented the Great Mace.

During the hour-long program, 12 international surgeons were conferred Honorary Fellowship, several of the College’s most prestigious awards were presented, and 2021–2022 ACS President Julie A. Freischlag, MD, FACS, DFSVS, MAMSE, led the installation of new officers, including E. Christopher Ellison, MD, FACS, MAMSE, as President, Mary E. Fallat, MD, FACS, as First Vice-President, and Anne G. Rizzo, MD, FACS, as Second Vice-President.

The 2022 Honorary Fellows are:

• Mohammad M. Al-Qattan, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 
• Ines Buccimazza, MBChB, FCS(SA), FACS, Durban, South Africa 
• Reinhold Ganz, MD, Gümligen, Switzerland  
• Marco Montorsi, MD, Milan, Italy 
• Graham L. Newstead, MBBS, FACS, FRACS, FRCS, Randwick, Australia  
• Fernando Rodriguez Montalvo, MD, PhD, FACS, Caracas, Venezuela
• Paulina Salminen, MD, PhD, Turku, Finland
• Samuel Shuchleib Chaba, MD, FACS, Mexico City, Mexico   
• Antonio Jose Torres, MD, PhD, FACS, Madrid, Spain 
• Petr Tsarkov, MD, PhD, Moscow, Russia 
• Laura G. Viani, BA, BCh, BAO, DMMD, MSc, FRCSI, Dublin, Ireland
• Peter-John Wormald, MD, MBChB, FAHMS, FRACS, FCS(SA), FRCSEd, North Adelaide, Australia

The 2022 Owen H. Wangensteen Scientific Forum Award was presented to Henri R. Ford, MD, MHA, FACS, FRCS, FAAP, who is renowned for his groundbreaking research in necrotizing enterocolitis, significant history of extramural funding, and his reputation for mentorship and sponsorship.

Mark A. Malangoni, MD, FACS, received the 2022 Distinguished Service Award for his various leadership roles in the ACS and other medical organizations, including the American Board of Surgery (see September Bulletin), and Ernestine Hambrick, MD, FACS, an esteemed colon-rectal surgeon received the Dr. Mary Edwards Walker Inspiring Women in Surgery Award (see October Bulletin). 

Named Lectures

Clinical Congress featured 12 Named Lectures, which provided attendees with opportunities to hear internationally renowned surgeons and healthcare experts share their insights on medicine and surgery. 

Past ACS-Executive Director David B. Hoyt, MD, FACS, delivered the Martin Memorial Lecture and participated in a meet and greet after the presentation. In his talk, Dr. Hoyt provided an overview of how the ACS’s historical commitment to patient care and quality has served as a pillar in the foundation of the modern organization, which has maintained significance and success in a rapidly evolving medical environment. At all times, he said, the ACS uses data, science, and surgeon experiences to move the College and field forward.

“We need to use outcomes and science to determine how we treat patients going forward, and we need to be transparent with the public,” Dr. Hoyt said.

In the Excelsior Surgical Society/Edward D. Churchill Lecture, The Extraordinary Evolution of Surgery for Abdominal Trauma, lecturer David V. Feliciano, MD, FACS, MAMSE, discussed how the high quality of modern civilian and military trauma surgery is built on the foundation of significant advances during the past 100 years. In this comprehensive talk, Dr. Feliciano described the evolution of trauma surgery for liver, spleen, duodenum, pancreas, and abdominal vascular injuries.

In the inaugural Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Lecture, Don’t Stop Now, Bruce D. Schirmer, MD, FACS, MAMSE, discussed the long road that the field of bariatric surgery has taken toward mainstream practice, and he urged surgeons to learn about obesity.

“Our biggest challenge is that we’re only now beginning to understand the disease of obesity and how to work in conjunction with medical colleagues to provide lifelong ways for patients to keep the weight off,” Dr. Schirmer said. “More importantly, there are still only 1% of patients each year who elect to have metabolic and bariatric surgery. What we really need to do is figure out what is wrong with our marketing and public education.”

Noteworthy Academic Programming

Each year, Clinical Congress is anchored by expansive academic, scientific, and educational programming. 

In addition to Didactic and Skills Postgraduate Courses, Clinical Congress 2022 provided attendees access to more than 100 expert-led Panel Sessions. These included well-attended sessions such as the 10 Hot Topics in General Surgery, hosted by Dr. Ellison and ACS Regent Kenneth W. Sharp, MD, FACS, MAMSE; Diverticulitis 2022: What’s New, What’s Old and What You Need to Know!; Structural Racism: What It Is and What It Means for Surgeons and Their Patients; and much more. 

Three Special Sessions once again were offered at Clinical Congress. These sessions provided attendees with an in-depth look at important ACS topics in surgery, including reports from US surgeons who have provided care and education in Ukraine since the war started. In a moving talk, Ukrainian surgeon Hnat Herych, MD, PhD, provided a firsthand account of how a surgeon in Ukraine is responding to the war injured.

Other Special Sessions featured a discussion on how educational accomplishments relate to promotion of surgery faculty and how the American Society of Anesthesiologists and the ACS can partner to address challenges such as Medicare payment and other reimbursement. 

The Named Lectures, Panel Sessions, and Special Sessions are available to view via the on-demand platform.

Hands-On Events

Hundreds of attendees at all stages of a surgical career have been part of the Surgical Metrics Project since it debuted in 2019. Approximately 120 surgeons participated this year, performing laparoscopic ventral hernia repairs while using wearable technologies to measure surgical decision-making and techniques. Each person spent 1.5–2 hours completing the procedure. 

According to Carla M. Pugh, MD, PhD, MAMSE, FACS, who leads the project, she and her colleagues will conduct a large-scale, deep dive into the data and draw some conclusions that can be used for feedback, quality improvement, operative efficiency, and patient safety.

The first ACS Surgical Ergonomics Hands-On Clinic for practicing surgeons and surgery residents generated significant interest and attendance, showcasing the importance of health and well-being in a physically demanding field. Ergonomic coaches helped participating surgeons learn about recently established ACS Surgical Ergonomics Recommendations, while applying them in a simulated environment at three simulation stations with open, laparoscopic, and robotic surgery equipment.

Awards and Honors

Practicing surgeons, residents, and medical students were recognized for their contributions to advancing the art and science of surgery, domestic and international volunteerism, leadership in residency, and much more at Clinical Congress. Visit Clinical Congress News for a complete listing of the awards, honors, and dedications provided at this year’s conference.

Annual Business Meeting

The Annual Business Meeting of Members convened October 19, with Dr. Ellison presiding. Following a series of reports from the Board of Regents (BoR), Board of Governors (BoG), ACS Foundation, and the ACS Professional Association Political Action Committee, new ACS Officers and other officials were elected for 2022–2023. 

The President-Elect is Dr. Henri Ford, dean and chief academic officer of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in Florida. “We must affirm our relevance and exert our influence by taking the lead on issues that affect the national healthcare agenda, fighting for health equity, and promoting a more diverse surgical workforce,” Dr. Ford said. “My job is to empower and inspire others to achieve their best.”

The First Vice-President-Elect is Dr. Hughes, a clinical professor of surgery and director of medical education at the Kansas University School of Medicine, Salina. The Second Vice-President-Elect is Deborah A. Kuhls, MD, FACS, assistant dean for research and professor of surgery at the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

The new Secretary is Sherry M. Wren, MD, FACS, FCS(ECSA), professor of surgery (general surgery) at Stanford Health Care in Palo Alto, CA.

One surgeon was elected to the ACS BoR: Sarwat Salim, MD, FACS, professor of ophthalmology, vice-chair of clinical and academic affairs, and director of the glaucoma service at New England Eye Center and Tufts University in Medford, MA.

In addition, four surgeons were reelected to the BoR: Anthony Atala, MD, FACS, MAMSE, Diana L. Farmer, MD, FACS, FRCS, Fabrizio Michelassi, MD, FACS, and Steven C. Stain, MD, FACS.

The following Officers of the BoG Executive Committee were elected:

• Chair: Ross F. Goldberg, MD, FACS, district medical group vice-chair of surgery, specialty ambulatory medical director, chief of the Division of General Surgery, director of the robotic surgery program, and director of minimally invasive and hepatic surgery for Valleywise Health in Phoenix, AZ
• Vice-Chair, and re-elected Optimal Patient Care Pillar Lead: Lillian S. Kao, MD, FACS, professor in the Department of Surgery and chief of the Division of Acute Care Surgery at the McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston
• Secretary: Marion C. W. Henry, MD, MPH, FACS, professor of surgery at UChicago Medicine in Illinois

The following surgeons have been elected to the BoG Executive Committee:

• Education Pillar Lead: Amit R. Joshi, MD, FACS, professor of surgery and associate dean for graduate medical education at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University in Camden, NJ
• Advocacy Pillar Lead: Don J. Selzer, MD, FACS, Willis D. Gatch Professor of Surgery, program director of the fellowship for advanced gastrointestinal and bariatric surgery, chief of the Division of General Surgery, and associate chair of the Department of Surgery at the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis

In addition to Dr. Kao, three other Pillar Leaders were reappointed:

• Diversity Pillar Lead: Cherisse D. Berry, MD, FACS
• Communications Pillar Lead: Shannon M. Foster, MD, FACS
• Member Services Pillar Lead: Maie A. St. John, MD, PhD, FACS

Member Engagement Activities

Clinical Congress 2022 provided attendees and their guests with opportunities to participate in wellness activities, including 5K running tours, yoga, a steps challenge, and a scavenger hunt. The annual Taste of the City on the last night of the conference offered an informal venue for attendees, their families, and guests to experience San Diego’s unique dining and cultural scene.

Clinical Congress 2023

The next Clinical Congress will take place October 22−26, 2023, in Boston, MA. Abstract submission begins mid-December, and housing reservations are under way.