Formation 1981 Membership 6000+ | Location United States | |
Motto The mission of the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons is to improve quality patient care through education, research, innovation and leadership, principally in gastrointestinal and endoscopic surgery. Type Professional Association Headquarters Los Angeles, California | ||
The Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) is a 501c6 non-profit professional organization providing education on gastrointestinal minimally invasive surgery. It describes itself thus: The mission of the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons is to improve quality patient care through education, research, innovation and leadership, principally in gastrointestinal and endoscopic surgery.
Contents
- Publications
- Clinical PracticeTraining Guidelines Statements and Standards of Practice
- Clinical Practice
- Position PapersStatements
- Privileging Guidelines
- Training Guidelines and Outlines for Surgical Education
- Patient Information
- Fundamentals Programs
- Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery FLS
- Fundamentals of Endoscopic SurgeryTM FES
- Fundamentals Use of Surgical EnergyTM FUSE
- References
It held its first Scientific Session, in tandem with Thomas Jefferson University, in Philadelphia in September, 1983 as part of the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress, and held its first independent meeting in Williamsburg, Virginia in 1986. With support from Springer-Verlag, publisher of Surgical Endoscopy, the 1st World Congress of Endoscopic Surgery was held in Berlin, Germany in 1988.
SAGES Members are primarily board certified (American Board of Surgery or American Osteopathic Association or the international equivalent) general surgeons with either an interest in or practice focused on endoscopic and/or laparoscopic surgery. Surgical Fellows, residents and medical school students interested in a career in surgery are also allowed in the membership, as are other health-care professionals involved in surgical care of patients.
Publications
Clinical Practice/Training Guidelines, Statements, and Standards of Practice
SAGES focuses on providing education as to best practices in laparoscopic and endoscopic surgery by researching, developing and disseminating the guidelines and training for standards of practice in surgical procedures. Guidelines are developed under the auspices of the organization and its various committees, and approved by the Board of Governors. Each clinical practice guideline has been systematically researched, reviewed and revised by the SAGES Guidelines Committee and also evaluated by an appropriate multidisciplinary team. Guidelines are scheduled for periodic review to allow incorporation of pertinent new developments in medical research knowledge, and practice. As of 2016, the following guidelines are active:
Clinical Practice
Position Papers/Statements
Privileging Guidelines
Training Guidelines and Outlines for Surgical Education
Patient Information
SAGES seeks to improve the overall value of patient care through promoting the adoption of and access to minimally invasive surgical techniques. To that end, the Society publishes several informational brochures that educate surgical candidates about the expectations and benefits of minimally invasive surgery.
Fundamentals Programs
Beginning in 2007, SAGES launched a series of "Fundamentals" programs designed to standardize and teach surgeons and surgical residents the basics of laparoscopic (Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery) and endoscopic (Fundamentals of Endoscopic Surgery) surgical techniques. In 2014, SAGES added the Fundamental Use of Surgical Energy (FUSE) program designed to teach the entire surgical staff about the safe use of surgical energy-based devices in the operating room, endoscopy suite and other procedural areas.
Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery™ (FLS)
FLS is a comprehensive web-based education module that includes a hands-on skills training component and assessment tool designed to teach the physiology, fundamental knowledge, and technical skills required in basic laparoscopic surgery. The goal of the program is to provide surgical residents, fellows and practicing physicians an opportunity to learn the fundamentals of laparoscopic surgery in a consistent, scientifically accepted format; and to test cognitive, surgical decision-making, and technical skills, all with the goal of improving the quality of patient care. Initially developed as an optional program, comprehensive research on the effects of FLS on practicing surgeons lead the American Board of Surgery adopted FLS completion as mandatory for all applicants for board certification as of the 2009-2010 academic year.
Fundamentals of Endoscopic SurgeryTM (FES)
The FES program is a comprehensive educational and assessment tool designed to teach and evaluate the fundamental knowledge, clinical judgment and technical skills required in the performance of basic gastrointestinal endoscopic surgery. The goal is to provide participants with an opportunity to learn the fundamentals of endoscopic surgery in a consistent, scientifically accepted format, and to test cognitive and technical skills. Like FLS, FES certification is required by the American Board of Surgery as part of their Flexible Endoscopy Curriculum as of the 2017-2018 academic year for applicants seeking ABS certification.
Fundamentals Use of Surgical EnergyTM (FUSE)
FUSE is an educational program consisting of an interactive web-based multimedia-enhanced didactic curriculum and an online multiple choice cognitive exam. The program is being designed to certify that a successful candidate has the demonstrated knowledge fundamental to the safe use of surgical energy-based devices in the operating room, endoscopic suite and other procedural areas in order to prevent fires and burns to patients. The FUSE program was conceived after multiple studies indicated a knowledge gap between surgical staff and the use of energy devices which affected safety in the OR.