School of Medicine

Colon and Rectal Fellowship Program

Number of Residents (per year): 1

Number of Faculty (ABCRS Certified): 3

Eligibility: Board eligible/board certified general surgeon

Case Mix/Number of Cases: LSU-UMCNO training program encompasses the entire spectrum of benign and malignant disease of the small bowel, colon, rectum, and anus. A single trainee will be able to achieve and exceed all required defined categories. Fellows are expected to complete between 650-750 total cases: including 200-250 abdominal procedures (40% minimally invasive); 200-250 anorectal procedures; > 250 colonoscopy (diagnostic and therapeutic).

Strengths of Program: With a high ratio of faculty to colorectal surgery fellow, the fellow is offered close one-on-one attention. The University Medical Center New Orleans (UMCNO) which opened August of 2015, it is a state of the art academic medical center and Level I trauma center, boasting 440 beds. UMCNO has two Robotic Platforms; the new Senhance Surgery TransEnterix Robotic System and a Dual Console Da Vinci Robot (Si) System ideal for teaching robotic colorectal surgery. All operating rooms have 60-inch LED wall mounted video monitors and boom mounted mobile LED monitors for all minimally invasive platforms (including standard laparoscopic) for colon and rectal resections. LSU-UMCNO also cares for a high-risk patient population, which offers a high level of complex disease management, including treating a high percentage of locally advanced and late-stage colorectal malignancies. LSU-UMCNO Colorectal Surgery partners include the LSU Gastroenterology Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinic, which affords us a high volume of complex patients with Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. In addition, LSU-UMCNO serves a large stable HIV/AIDS population, offering management of advanced diseases of the anus (high incidence of anal canal cancers) and rectum in immunosuppressed patients.

Clinic and/or Office Experience: : University Medical Center Colorectal Clinic and LSU Healthcare Network Colorectal Clinics have two half days/week each, with the full spectrum of patients with anorectal disease and the experience includes anoscopy, proctoscopy, and THD digital high resolution anoscopy (HRA) system.

Interaction with General Surgery Residents: The LSU General Surgery Residency graduates 10 Chief residents per year covering 3 cites in Louisiana (New Orleans, Lafayette and Baton Rouge). The relationship of the GS and CRS program is collegial and interactive. The CRS service includes general surgery junior and mid-level residents on service, usually a PGY-1 or -2 one PGY-3. The CRS service also has (3) third year medical students and fourth year acting interns. The fellow will oversee the CRS service, with attending supervision but with ample opportunity for supervised independent clinical and didactic teaching, as he/she progress through the fellowship. 

Anorectal Physiology: Anal manometry, endorectal ultrasound, MRI defecography

Outside Rotations: N/A

Research Year: Not currently offered. One half-day per week of dedicated research time.

Requirement for Paper: The fellow is expected to develop a project of his/her own design during the fellowship that will result in a publication or a presentation at a national (ASCRS Annual Scientific Meeting) and/or a regional scientific meeting