Society Of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons Offers New Multidisciplinary Fellowship In Many Areas Of Medicine

Miami, FL and Palo Alto, CA – A new program by the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons (SLS) seeks to teach and reinforce the latest surgical techniques and skills in advanced endoscopy and reproductive surgery, working with the inventor of the video-laparoscopic method, Dr. Camran Nezhat.

“It has been more than 30 years since laparoscopy in gynecology has been introduced, and we have expanded it from diagnosis and tubal sterilization to more sophisticated operations,” says Dr. Paul Wetter, chairman of SLS. “Yet despite rapidly improving technology, there remains a significant learning curve for new surgeons. We want to contribute to changing that.”

The one-to-two year post graduate fellowship, which begins on July 6, 2015, will focus on the treatment of benign gynecological disorders such as endometriosis, leiomyomas, pelvic pain and infertility. It will provide comprehensive team management in advanced laparoscopy, robotic surgery, operative hysteroscopy, cystoscopy and proctoscopy. Applications for the academic year 2015 are due by August 1, 2015.

“The program is highly devoted to treating women with endometriosis and is part of a larger referral center for the most complicated cases involving the bowel, bladder, ureter, diaphragm, and lungs,” says Dr. Camran Nezhat, the program director. “Because this is an SLS fellowship, there is a strong emphasis on a multispecialty approach. These surgeries are often performed with a team of gynecologists, colorectal and thoracic surgeons.”

The surgical experience offered to each fellow will include an understanding and treatment of advanced-stage endometriosis, both laparoscopically, with and without robotic assistance. This involves ovarian, peritoneal, gastrointestinal, genitourinary and other sites of endometriosis. For leiomyoma, the laparoscopic-assisted myomectomy technique is also taught. Each fellow will learn:

• The role of laparoscopic hysterectomy, for both the definitive treatment of endometriosis and/or management of large fibroid uteri;
• Operative hysteroscopy — a common procedure in the program, used to treat uterine anomalies, fibroids, polyps, septums, tubal obstruction and adhesions;
• The disciplines of approaching and treating infertility pathology, ovarian pathology and interstitial cystitis;
• Proficiency in cystoscopy, ureteral stent placement, proctoscopy, pelvic ultrasonography and saline infusion sonohysterography.

“One of the unique features of this program is the availability of laparoscopic and hysteroscopic virtual reality simulators that provide force feedback (haptics), says says Dr. LeRoy Heinrichs, professor emeritus at Stanford University Medical Center. “This helps to improve surgical skills while also providing valuable epistemological insights to improve the way surgery is taught and learned.”

Interested students can apply through the SLS website, or by downloading the application and emailing it directly to: camrannezhat@gmail.com.