The Mediterranean Society of Coloproctology (MSCP or So.Me.Co.P) was founded in Rome,March 1998, by the following members:
Pescatori Mario, Rabau Micha, Basso Luigi, Boffi Ferruccio, Pizzetti Daniela, Passaro Umberto, Caporossi Massimo, Shafik Admed, Farid Mohamed, Azanjac Branislav, Kosorok Pavle, Roig Vila Josè Vicente, Lledo Matoses, Sastre Bernard, Georgoulis Basil, Ozmen Vahit, Sidani Mustafà S.
The purposes of the Society were to encourage and promote scientific exchanges among the coloproctologist of the Mediterranean countries, to implement continuing education of doctors of the above countries, to promote and organize a biennial Congress, to encourage the establishment of colorectal surgery as a specialty in the Mediterranean countries. Some of these goals have been achieved.
Ten appealing biennial Congresses have been organized in Spain, Israel, Slovenia, Turkey, Italy, Greece, Egypt, chaired by Devesa, Dreznik and Rabau, Kosorok, Mentes, Pescatori, Ramuscello, Amato, Kanellos, Ahmed and Ali Shafik.
Colleagues from France (Pigot),Turkey (Oncel), Serbia (Scepanovic), Bosnia-Erzegovina (Amer and Ademir Odobasic), Spain (Salgado), Israel (Zbar and Zmora), Egypt (El Sibai) and Greece (Pramateftakis and Menikou) and also Switzerland (Delgadillo) and Germany (Crescenti), and, of course, Italy (Cimino and Ravo), also joined the "Mediterranean family" at the biennial meetings. Unfortunately some countries such as Cyprus, Malta, Maroc, Algeria, Tunisia, Lybia, Syria and Lebanon never joined the MSCP, due to the fact that it is difficult identify and involve colorectal surgeons from these countries and sometimes due to wars and political difficulties.
The official journal of the Society, Techniques in Coloproctology, published by the Springer-Verlag, is indexed and has a good impact factor (2.4).
The members had the opportunity to,watch and learn new procedures, expecially at the Shafik Hospital in Cairo.
The Society promoted training of the members, expecially of young colorectal surgeons,. At Dr Delgadillo unit, trainees may learn laparoscopi surgery. In Cairo, young members may attend the teaching operative sessions organized at the Ahmed Shafik Hospital, which reminds me the old St Marks Hospital, similar building and number of patients. Prof El Sibai and her sons, Ali and Ismail Shafik are ready to teach. They perform procedures such as diatermocoagulation of trans-sphincteric fistulae, release of pudendal nerve in the Alcock channel in patients with chronic proctalgia, transanal stapling for hemorrhoids and obstructed defecation.
At Prof Pescatori Unit in Rome, the trainees may learn transanal and transvaginal US plus several low cost procedure for benign proctological diseases. Dr Ravo in Rome has been recently involved in the Society as Vicepresident and performs surgery and colonoscopy at the American Hospital in Rome. Dr Binda in Genoa has a well functioning pelvic floor unit in cooperation with uro-gynecologists. Dr Amato works in Sanremo, on seaside, northern Italy, and published the Italian Guidelines for the management of anal fistulae in Techniques in Coloproctology.
Dr Kosorok in Ljubliana (Slovenia) runs a high level Proctology Unit for Day surgery ad has a wide series of Delorme operations performed on a outpts basis.
Dr Salgado is running a well functioning outpatients department in Marbella, Spain, which I have visited with much interest. Also in Spain, in Madrid, Prof Devesa is ready to teach anal neosphincter with a device he has recenty invented plus ieloanal pouch for ulcerative colitis, plus gluteoplasty for anal incontinence.
On the other side of Mediterranean sea, in Thessaloníki, Greece, Prof Kanelllos and Dr Pramateftakis, carry out TAMIS and laparoscopic surgery and will organize the forthcoming biennial Congress, May 2018.
Prof. Mario Pescatori
Honorary President of M.S.C.P.
