The American College of Surgeons (ACS) will accord Honorary Fellowship to 12 prominent surgeons from around the world at Sunday’s Convocation, 6:00−8:00 pm at the Moscone Center West, Ballroom.


Prof. Italo Braghetto, MD, MHA, FACS, of Santiago, Chile, specializes in gastric and esophageal surgery, is an academic surgeon who has been a devoted teacher, active in building an international surgical network in Latin America, and a supporter of scientific surgical societies. He completed his medical education and general surgery residency at the Universidad de Chile Medical School, Santiago, and during residency he spent a year as a guest scholar studying digestive surgery at the University of Rome, Italy. He received further training in digestive surgery at the Universidad de Chile from 1980 through 1981 and was appointed coordinator of research. In 1989, he received an ACS International Guest Scholarship to visit several U.S. institutions to learn esophageal surgery techniques. In 1990, he was appointed vice-chairman, digestive surgery unit, Universidad de Chile Clinical Hospital, and was promoted in 1994 to chairman of the unit. He earned a degree in health administration in 2000 and then was appointed general director, Universidad de Chile Clinical Hospital. In 2006, he was named medical director, Avansalud Clinic, Santiago, and was elected chairman, department of surgery, Universidad de Chile Clinical Hospital. Professor Braghetto has contributed to numerous books, book chapters, and more than 400 scholarly articles on gastric and esophageal surgery. He is a recognized surgical leader in Latin America and is a member of many national and international surgical societies.

Prof. Laurence Chiché, MD, professor of surgery and director, department of surgery, Bordeaux University, France, is a recognized gastrointestinal surgeon, clinical investigator, educator, and leader. She is an accomplished scholar in the field of transplantation, and her program at Bordeaux is the second largest liver transplantation program in France. At the Hopital Paul Brousse, under the mentorship of Prof. Henri Bismuth, MD, FACS(Hon), she forged her expertise in hepatobiliary and liver transplantation surgery, which led to her appointment as assistant professor of surgery, University Hospital of Caen, France, where she was promoted to professor of digestive surgery and named head of the digestive surgery department’s hepatobiliary surgery and liver transplantation unit. She was promoted again in 2010 to chief, department of digestive surgery, before being recruited in 2012 by Bordeaux University to serve as chief, liver transplantation program. As director, University Hospital of Bordeaux, she is responsible for the academic advancement of the faculty, clinical programs in the department of surgery, training of surgical residents and fellows, and administrative oversight of the hospital’s surgical operations. Professor Chiché has made formative contributions to solving a variety of clinical problems in hepatobiliary and liver transplantation surgery. She is widely considered nationally and internationally to be a thought leader in this discipline and has served as a research mentor and doctoral thesis advisor to multiple candidates.

Prof. Ian D.S. Civil, BSc, MBChB, FACS, FRACS, director of trauma services, Auckland Hospital, New Zealand, is a broadly trained general, vascular, and trauma surgeon. He is clinical director for the Major Trauma National Clinical Network and clinical leader for the Safe Surgery New Zealand Expert Advisory Group for the Health Quality and Safety Commission of New Zealand. Born in Rutorua, New Zealand, his career is noteworthy for his decades as the leading clinician in the development of trauma care and trauma systems in New Zealand. In recognition of his outstanding efforts, he has been awarded the Certificate of Merit and the RACS Medal from the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS). He has served as an Officer, Commander, and Knight of Grace in the Order of Saint John and was awarded a Gordon Trinca Medal and Henry Windsor Medal from the RACS. He has served as president of the RACS, only the seventh New Zealander to be elected to this role. In honor of his contributions, he has been accorded the Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, the highest civilian award short of knighthood. He has been a primary force in the development of trauma care in New Zealand and now has assumed leadership in establishing national quality assurance standards in system development. He served with distinction in the New Zealand Army during the Gulf War. He has been a long-time supporter and active member of the ACS, having also served as a President of the ANZ Chapter and Governor at-Large for the chapter.

Prof. John Hyland, MCh, FACS, FRCSEng, FRCSI, FRCSEd(Hon), consultant general and colorectal surgeon, St. Vincent’s University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland, is founder of the hospital’s Centre for Colorectal Disease, which provides multidisciplinary care and uses educational and clinical research to improve the clinical management of colorectal patients. Professor Hyland is past-president of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland, the Irish Society of Gastroenterology, and the Irish Surgical Travellers. Professor Hyland is recognized both nationally and internationally in the field of advanced laparoscopic colorectal surgery. Among his many contributions in the field of colorectal cancer treatment, perhaps the most notable occurred in the early 1980s when he developed a clinical database of patients with colorectal cancer and inflammatory bowel disease, which resulted in clinical research publications—a most impressive feat. He is a lead educator in minimally invasive surgery and preceptor in laparoscopic surgery in the U.K. Professor Hyland has the distinction of holding multiple national and international chairmanships and committee appointments, and in 1996, the Minister of Health of Ireland appointed him Regional Director of Cancer Services to develop a higher level of multidisciplinary team management in cancer services.

Prof. Yoko Kato, MD, PhD, is professor and chair, department of neurosurgery, Fujita Health University Banbuntane Hotokukai Hospital, Aichi, Japan. In 2006, she became the first woman professor of neurosurgery in Japan and, ultimately, chair of the department of neurosurgery and chief of the stroke center at the hospital. At present, she is an affiliate professor at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany; George Washington University, Washington, DC; and the Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Porur, Chennai, India. Professor Kato plays a conspicuous role in a number of neurosurgical organizations, including the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies and the Tenth Asian-Australasian Congress of Neurological Surgery. In addition, she has been appointed to various international editorial boards and advisory boards, including associate editor, Journal Neurosurgery, and has presided over various academic conferences, both nationally and internationally. She is recognized by her peers as one of the foremost authorities on the surgical management of brain aneurysms and has performed more than 1,800 brain aneurysmal clipping procedures throughout her career. The volume of procedures, using state of the art technology, has attracted many young neurosurgeons to study at her institution each year. Her work has been published in more than 100 peer-reviewed journals. In addition, she established the Yoko Kato Foundation to contribute to the development of global neurosurgical treatment, as well as the Women’s Neurosurgical Association of Japan and the Asian Women’s Neurosurgical Association, thereby serving as a role model for women in medicine and the life sciences. She is a diligent physician, a meticulous researcher, and an outstanding leader.

Prof. Marek Krawczyk, MD, PhD, is professor and chairman, department of general, transplant, and liver surgery; and president, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland. He has been intimately involved in resident training in general surgery and transplant surgery, has mentored 17 doctor of philosophy (PhD) students, and served as an advisor or reviewer for 47 PhD students. He is well-respected by both young academic surgical trainees and experienced surgical colleagues. He has also received many honors and awards, including 11 awards from Poland’s Minister of Health for clinical/scientific achievements and 20 other awards and honorary distinctions from various organizations. Professor Krawczyk was the first Polish surgeon to obtain the European Honorary Certificate as an expert in liver, pancreas, and hepatobiliary surgery and he personally established the first successful liver transplant program in Poland. He has contributed more than 472 articles to peer-reviewed journals. Of those, 162 have been in English in both European and U.S. journals, and he has published in 33 more journals, including the European Journal of Surgical Oncology, Transplantation Proceedings, Annals of Transplantation, and the Annals of Surgery with his primary focus in the area of transplantation and hepatobiliary surgery. Professor Krawczyk is a member of numerous medical societies in Europe, as well as the Transplantation Society.

Prof. Antonio M. de Lacy Fortuny, MD, PhD, is head of the gastrointestinal surgery service and chief of the minimally invasive surgery department at the Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain. Professor Lacy has been a diligent researcher, an astute clinician, a superlative academician, and a renowned educator. His research has spanned numerous fields in digestive surgery, including bariatric, abdominal wall, gastroesophageal reflux, and colorectal surgery. One of his most important pioneering contributions was as the investigator and author of the “Barcelona trial,” the world’s first randomized control trial showing the acceptability of laparoscopic colorectal surgery for cure of colonic carcinoma. He also is known for the development and implementation of natural orifice transluminal surgery, including transoral esophageal anti-reflux surgery, transvaginal sleeve gastrectomy, and transanal total mesorectal excision for rectal cancer. As a joint venture with industry, Professor Lacy developed the world’s first three-dimensional operating room theater to facilitate minimally invasive surgical procedures and founded the Advances in Surgery Channel as an innovative approach to communicate with surgeons around the world. This free access educational platform has allowed viewers from around the world to interact with and benefit from expert surgeons. Professor Lacy is an honorary fellow of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons and past-president of the European Association of Endoscopic Surgeons. He has made numerous significant contributions to surgery and is recognized as an international leader who is well respected by surgeons around the world.

Prof. Ari Kalevi Leppäniemi, MD, PhD, is professor of surgery, abdominal center, Meilahti Hospital, and chief, division of emergency surgery and surgical critical care, University of Helsinki, Finland, and is an adjunct professor of surgery at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD. He is an internationally recognized leader in the care of the injured patient, critically ill, emergency general surgical patient, and in the reconstruction of the patient with major abdominal compartment syndrome complications. He received his medical education and trained at the University of Helsinki, earning additional training in surgery, medical care catastrophes, international health care, prehospital care, and emergency surgery. He has been recognized and honored for his efforts in global health and throughout his career, including the Red Cross Medal, the Police Cross for Distinguished Service, Surgeon of the Year, Military Achievement Medal, and the Faltin Lecture of the Finnish Surgical Society. He has served in multiple roles in his surgical community, including recent tenures as president of the Finnish Society of Surgery and president of the European Society for Trauma and Emergency Surgery. He is committed to global outreach for surgical care in primarily war-torn and natural disaster settings. He has cared for the underserved in Nigeria; served as a field surgeon during the civil wars in Cambodia, Sudan, and Afghanistan; and was a volunteer surgeon in the South Pacific. He directed the Finnish surgical team in support of the severely injured following catastrophes around the globe. He has also served as an international consultant to other countries, including Sweden, Hong Kong, and Norway. Dr. Leppäniemi is a dedicated clinician, educator, and surgical consultant and has been a significant contributor to the global development in the care of injury and emergency general surgery.

Prof. Neil Mortensen, MA, MBChB, MD, FRCSEng, FRCPSGlas(Hon), FRCSEd(Hon), FRCSI(Hon), is professor of colon and rectal surgery, University of Oxford Medical School, and honorary consultant colorectal surgeon and a fellow of Green Templeton College, U.K. A former ACS Paul Hawley International Guest Scholar, he has published more than 350 original peer-reviewed manuscripts, 30 book chapters, and has edited eight books. He has been chair of the British Journal of Surgery Society and is a past-president of the Ileostomy Association, the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Coloproctology Section of the Royal Society of Medicine. Professor Mortensen is completing his tenure as editor-in-chief of Colorectal Disease. He is an honorary member of numerous national and international societies, including the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons. Professor Mortensen’s world renown has been recognized in part by the numerous named lectures that he has delivered in the U.K., Europe, Australasia, and North America. He was elected as a member of the council of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and a member of the trustee board. He has served as vice-president of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and has fulfilled numerous additional functions for the Royal College of Surgeons of England, including chair of the journals committee, editor-in-chief of The Bulletin, and chair of the research and quality committee. Professor Mortensen is an esteemed academician, skilled educator, articulate orator, and gifted clinician.

Prof. Vijay Naraynsingh, MD, FACS, professor emeritus of surgery, University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica, has played a significant role in organizing surgery and establishing a program of surgical education in the West Indies and throughout the Caribbean. Despite limited resources, Professor Naraynsingh was remarkably innovative, bringing high-quality, modern general and vascular surgery to this region. He established vascular surgery as a specialized service in Port of Spain and Trinidad and introduced a number of complex surgical procedures to the area. He has published many manuscripts related to vascular and general surgery, most of which are case reports or studies of particular diseases or management strategies important for patient care in the region. He has received numerous awards for his educational excellence and organized and became the first President of the Society of Surgeons of Trinidad and Tobago. He has been a leading figure, founding member, and president of the Caribbean College of Surgeons. He has been recognized for his public service, particularly for providing care to disadvantaged children, and for his mentoring efforts and is an inspiration to youth in the region. His contributions have been widely recognized, most notably with the Chaconia Gold Medal—the second highest civilian award given by his government.

Prof. Kerstin Sandelin, MD, PhD, FACS, FRCS, professor of surgery, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden, is a leading expert in endocrine and breast surgery. She chairs the National Quality Breast Cancer Register and is a founding member and past-president of Breast Surgery International (BSI). BSI was formed in 1999 as an integrated society within the International Surgical Society (ISS) with the goal of promoting breast surgery worldwide, particularly in developing countries where the diagnosis, management, and treatment options differ from standard recommendations because of limited resources and cultural and socioeconomic barriers. Her research involves breast magnetic resonance imaging in women with breast cancer, patient-related outcome measures, and management of women at high risk of breast cancer and oncoplastic breast surgery. In recognition of her work, she was awarded honorary membership in the ISS. Professor Sandelin is widely regarded as an expert in the epidemiology of breast disease. She is the principal investigator on a number of clinical trials and has been sought as a collaborator for several national and international task forces and multicenter studies. She works closely with breast cancer support groups and nongovernmental organizations to promote health awareness and early detection of breast cancer. Professor Sandelin has published more than 100 papers in peer-reviewed, high-impact journals, has served as associate editor of the World Journal of Surgery, and serves on the advisory board for Cancer Society Sweden. In recognition of her stature as a researcher and scholar, Professor Sandelin was elected to the post of scientific secretary of the Swedish Breast Surgeons Society.

Prof. Panayotis Soucacos, MD, FACS, professor of orthopaedic surgery, The Panayotis N. Soucacos Orthopedic Research and Education Center, Attikon University Hospital, University of Athens School of Medicine, Greece, is an internationally recognized contributor to orthopaedic surgery. Academically, he has published more than 400 scientific articles in the Greek and international literature, has edited 11 orthopaedic textbooks, and has published three European history books, mainly on old Hellenic maps and the expeditions of Alexander the Great. He has contributed to 55 book chapters and has served as guest editor of 25 special editions of referred journals in the U.S. and internationally. He has served on the editorial boards of 15 European and American journals, received approximately 40 awards and recognitions, and completed 22 visiting professorships in the U.S. and around the world. Professor Soucacos is a member of 28 medical and surgical organizations and is an honorary member of the American Academy of Neurological and Orthopedic Surgeons, the Bulgarian Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology Association, and the Serbian Society for Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology. He also has served as president of four Greek surgical organizations. He has been a bridge builder between Europe and the U.S. in the fields of orthopaedics, hand surgery, and reconstructive microsurgery.