This Society founded in Mexico City, Mexico on November 24, 1962, shall be known as the International Society of University Colon and Rectal Surgeons.

The purpose of this society shall be to contribute to the progress of Colon and Anorectal Surgery, and to hold congresses and meetings throughout the world in order to interchange scientific knowledge.

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July 13, 2010: The ISUCRS Summer Newsletter is available now - click on the "Newsletters" button.

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Upcoming Meeting

XXV ISUCRS Biennial Congress June, 23-27 2012, Bologna (Italy)
Click on the banner to read Information.

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Past Meetings

XXIV Biennial Congress of International Society of University Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ISUCRS)

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To download the Final Program of the ISUCRS XXII Biennial Congress, please click here

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To go to the World Journal of Colorectal Surgery, ISUCRS official on-line journal, click here.

HISTORY:

It is well to recapitulate where we have come from. International Society of University Colon and Rectal Surgeons was incorporated in Mexico City in 1962 by Harry E. Bacon, M.D., Fidel Ruiz Moreno, M.D., and Stuart Ross, M.D. They wrote the bylaws, and recognizing the intricacies of an international organization, gave broad powers to Director General, an office occupied by Dr. Bacon, until his health failed. Then I was elected to take over in the eighties. The Bylaws Committee appointed the Director General as Program Chairman to shift the burden from local political pressure to a central "outside" figure to make some unpopular decisions.

The Society had a limit of 50 members then, and the eligibility requirement was Full Professorship at a major university. Over the years, the Council saw fit to increase the membership to 80, then to 250, and now to no ceiling. Although the bylaws have been relaxed to have ‘only academic interest’ as a criterion for joining the Society, careful scrutiny of the applications is still exercised after appropriate endorsements.

I sponsored an associate to join the Society of Surgery of Alimentary Tract in 1984, and he was turned down because he had only four publications, rather than the requisite of 10 to 12. Now, SSAT is advertising freely to enroll members with relaxed requirements. American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons is also making efforts to recruit members by advertising in publications and on the internet.

There is strength in numbers, certainly in the quality of the membership. The funds of the Society are generated by membership dues, registration fees at the Meetings, commercial support, and sometimes governmental support. The dues structure has been kept low. The Registration fees have been kept low, with a maximum of $400.00-$450.00, while other organizations charge $700.00-$800.00 as a norm. The Society is cognizant of the varying income levels around the world, and it wants people from all parts of the world to be able to attend.

PRESENT:

The membership currently runs at 550 dues paying surgeons with no other categories except Honorary Fellows. An indictment has been made that ISUCRS is a travel club. Certainly the quality of scientific program at the Malmo Meeting in 1998 and the record registration of over 1400 attendees at the Sao Paulo Meeting in the year 2000 would not so indicate. The selection of the future meeting site is made by the Committee largely on the basis of geographic location and the strength of the local host. Naturally, there is some attraction for attendees to prefer to go to 'exotic' locations, but for the past twenty yeas, the locations have been based on strong University support and not on the slot machines of Las Vegas. The only 'weak' meeting the Society had was in Glasgow, Scotland in 1988, because there was misrepresentation of the support from the Royal College of Surgeons. The selection of the venue is particularly difficult when projected years ahead. Who would have predicted the financial situation in Argentina in 2002?

FUTURE:

The XXIVth Biennial Congress of the International Society of University Colon and Rectal Surgeons held in Seoul, Korea on March  19-23, 2010, was a huge success.  In terms of scientific content, social program and the number of attendees, it was an extraordinary meeting. Those of you who were there witnessed the event and availed the warm Korean hospitality. Those who did not attend can tap into the website for the abstracts of the presentation.

The next meeting will commemorate 50 years of the creation of the Society and our host, Professor Bruno Cola from Bologna, Italy, aims to help organize a fitting celebration. The website should be available soon, linked to ISUCRS.org.

Set your calendar for June 23-27, 2012. We shall look forward to seeing you.

Dear ISUCRS members

Annyeong haseyo (Greetings) from Korea!

Three months have already passed since the 24th ISUCRS Biennial Congress in Seoul, Korea, yet it feels like we parted just a few weeks ago. The memories of the Congress still remain fresh with me, and I would like to take this opportunity to extend my sincere gratitude to all participants again.

It was my delight to greet speakers who visited Korea from afar, in order to deliver high-quality lectures and presentations, and my deepest thanks go to all of you who actively participated in the congress and extended generous support. As you’re already know, 1,550 participants from over 46 countries attended the 24th ISUCRS Biennial Congress in Seoul. This is a result of not only the local committee’s efforts, but also the dedication of all ISUCRS members, especially Dr. Habr-Gama and Prof. Khubchandani.

Furthermore, I would like to say that I am deeply honoured to serve as President of ISUCRS. As the only international society on all continents in the field of Colon and Rectal Surgery, I hope ISUCRS will see continuous growth and development, and also bring improvement and positive change in our society. I promise to exert my greatest efforts to help generate the exchange of the latest medical developments and expand our professional network, with the support and advice of all members.

Warmest regards,

Jae-Gahb Park
President , ISUCRS