SAGES Foundation Successes

The SAGES Foundation has provided more than $1 million in research and project funding for a variety of subjects, including the study of laparoscopy on tumors and carcinoma, surgical robotics training and guidelines, and the evaluation of minimal access surgery in patients at high-risk for failure of abdominal hernia repair. The following are some of the most notable projects and awards supported or initiated by the foundation.

Grantee: Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES)
Project: Global Initiative

Laparoscopy and endoscopy have been a surgical option in the u.S. and developed contries since 1992. However, minimally invasive surgery is rarely performed in developing nations because of the need for specialized training and equipment. SAGES and the SAGES Foundation created the Global Initiative to provide patients all over the world, especially those in developing countries, access to minimally invasive surgery and enhanced medical care. The program difference from other medical organizations’ programs in that no direct medical care is provided. The program educates and trains local providers to perform minimally invasive surgery themselves, following the adage “Give a man fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime.”

Honoree: Wayne Schwesinger, MD
Award: Jeffrey L. Ponsky Master Educator in Endoscopy Award

We are pleased to announce that Wayne H. Schwesinger, MD, Professor of Surgery and Director of Surgical Endoscopy at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in San Antonio, has been selected as the 2011 recipient of the Jeffrey L. Ponsky Master Educator in Endoscopy Award.

Established in 2007 as a perpetual tribute to Dr. Jeff Ponsky for his outstanding contributions to endoscopy and surgical education, the Master Educator award recognizes a distinguished surgeon and SAGES leader who exemplifies Dr. Ponsky’s pioneer leadership spirit and his dedication to the development and teaching of surgical endoscopy.  This award is presented annually at the SAGES Foundation Awards Luncheon during SAGES Surgical Spring Week.

Dr. Wayne Schwesinger is being honored as a teacher and scholar whose work has had a profound, universal impact on surgical education. In stalwart career spanning 46 years, Dr. Schwesinger has served as an impactful mentor to students, residents, fellows and faculty, providing the tools and inspiration for his students to go on to train others in endoscopy and surgery.

Grantee: Yale University
Project: Minimally Invasive Pediatric Surgery Trainers

Although there are many skilled pediatric surgeons, pediatric surgery has lagged behind the adult surgical field in its application of minimally invasive techniques.  Most pediatric surgeons who regularly perform advanced minimally invasive surgery have gained experience from fellowship training or by working with a skilled surgeon experienced in those techniques.  A fundamental barrier to wider adoption of minimally invasive approaches is the lack of opportunity for pediatric surgeons to gain the necessary skills to perform those operations.  The Minimally Invasive Pediatric Surgery Trainers program seeks to be an opportunity for current and future surgeons and is designed specifically for surgical treatment of neonatal patients. Headed by medical researchers at Yale University, the purpose is to develop a network of interchangeable minimally invasive surgical trainers and focus on specific skill sets needed to perform advanced neonatal and pediatric laparoscopic and thoracoscopic surgery.

Support from the SAGES Foundation will help produce trainer modules that approximate the size and dimensions of newborns, simulating neonatal procedures.  The different spatial relations, feel of the smaller instruments, and the unique tissue characteristics of newborns will all be considered and taught as part of the training.  There is potential that this project will result in accessibility for thousands of children to better-trained, skilled minimally invasive surgeons, contributing to a higher standard of care for pediatric surgical patients.