Welcome by the ISDS President

Toru Kono, M.D., Ph.D., FACS, FASCRS.

(1955-2021)

The International Society for Digestive Surgery has lost one of its Executive Council members. Dr. Toru Kono on November 9 lost his battle with hepatobiliary cancer. Dr. Kono was heavily involved with the society and joined the Executive Council in 2019. Dr. Kono was known to the international scientific community for his revolutionary anastomotic technique for Crohn’s Disease, the Kono-S anastomosis. After graduating residency he spent three years at the University of Tennessee in Memphis in the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology before returning to Japan where he spent his entire career on the island of Hokkaido, where he was born, first at the Asahikawa Medical College and more recently at the Sapporo Higashi Tokushukai Hospital. He taught inflammatory bowel disease surgeons around the globe important lessons and emphasized the role of surgical prophylaxis to prevent Crohn’s disease recurrence. His son Reo is currently following in his footsteps. He graduated from Hokkaido University School of Medicine last spring and is currently a resident at a hospital in Sapporo. His daughter Shiori is a gifted artist who has been drawing most of the published images on his anastomosis. The ISS and ISDS have lost an outstanding member. He was a brilliant mind, a gentle soul and a very dear friend. He will be missed.

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Dear colleagues and friends,

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Welcome to the International Society for Digestive Surgery (ISDS) homepage. We hope you will take this opportunity to learn more about us and decide to become part of our scientific and social family.

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The members of our Society are devoted to the education, research, understanding, and management of the surgical diseases that afflict the gastrointestinal tract of our patients worldwide. Through society, we are able to exchange ideas, learn from each other and establish professional and personal relationships that benefit patients and providers alike. It is a true privilege and an honor to be the ISDS President for the 2019/2021 cycle.

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The work of the President and the Executive Committee will culminate with the organization of the Virtual Surgical Week VSW 2021 and the International Surgical Week ISW 2022 - the World's Congress of Surgery - the 49th Congress of the International Society of Surgery (ISS/SIC) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia August 28 to September 1, 2022, a unique opportunity for discussion of state-of-the-art concepts, mentorship of young surgeons developing their careers and sponsorship of established surgeons who can benefit from an international network of colleagues. Hence the concept of a scientific and social family, rather than just another Surgical Society.

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We have a lot of work ahead of us and we are already in the planning phases of another outstanding gathering. Please join us and plan to attend the Congress in Kuala Lumpur.

If you have any questions or ideas to share with us feel free to contact me at the email address available on the website.

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Sincerely

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Alessandro Fichera, MD, FACS, FASCRS

President ISDS.

UPCOMING EVENTS

CONTACT US

OUR EXECUTIVE

ISDS Adminstrative Office

c/o ISS/SIC

Seefeldstrasse 88

8008 Zürich, Switzerland

Tel. +41 44 533 76 50

Fax. +41 44 533 76 59

Email: surgery@iss-sic.com

ALESSANDRO FICHERA

ISDS PRESIDENT

JAMIE MURPHY

ISDS PRESIDENT ELECT

VISIT US on the ISS/SIC Channels

HIROYUKI KONNO

ISDS ACTING PAST PRESIDENT