NUI Galway will host Ireland’s largest surgical conference, the 36th Sir Peter Freyer Memorial Lecture and Surgical Symposium, on 2-3 September. Internationally renowned surgeon, Professor R.J. Heald, OBE, will deliver the Memorial Lecture on ‘Colorectal Cancer Surgery - Open, Key Hole, Endoscope or Robot - Where are we Going?’.

Colorectal cancer, commonly known as bowel cancer, is the third most commonly diagnosed major cancer in the world.

Professor of Surgery at the North Hampshire Hospital and Surgical Director of the Pelican Cancer Centre, Basingstoke, R.J. Heald’s main interest for the past 20 years has been the research and development of the Total Mesorectal Excision (TME) technique for rectal cancer. Professor Heald pioneered TME which has now become the new gold standard for the treatment of bowel cancer, as it improves cure rates and reduces local recurrence. With TME, not only is the cancer tumour removed but all the surrounding fat, lymph glands and blood vessels – thus minimising the risk of the cancer recurring.

The annual Sir Peter Freyer Memorial Lecture and Surgical Symposium provides a platform for healthcare professionals to present their research and clinical work and allows for the merging of both scientific and clinical information. It is named in memory of the Galway-born surgeon, Sir Peter Freyer, who performed the first successful surgical operation to remove an enlarged prostate in 1900.

Michael Kerin, Professor of Surgery at NUI Galway, says: “We are delighted to welcome Professor Heald to our university. He is focused on advancing the most effective techniques in precision surgery for bowel cancer, aimed at improving survival and quality of life.”

On the second day of the Surgical Symposium, Professor Eilis McGovern, President of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon at St. James's Hospital will present the State of the Art Lecture entitled Surgical Training and Surgical Service – Are we getting the Formula Right.

To register, or for further information, visit www.freyer.ie.

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