Background:

Many of our residents are choosing to take their second month of general surgery with a local colorectal group and are getting significant GI endoscopy experience.  MCMERF residents in general will benefit from this additional clinical exposure to patients with common colorectal pathology.  Residents desiring to practice in rural areas will greatly benefit from additional experience and training in colorectal diagnostic/therapeutic procedures. 

Goals and Objectives:

Residents participating in this elective rotation will gain additional skill in the diagnosis and treatment of common conditions including:

• colon polyps

• colon cancer

• inflammatory bowel disease

• hemorrhoids

• diverticulosis/diverticulitis

• occult lower GI bleeding

• rectal fistulas

• perirectal abscess

• anal fissures

Residents participating in this elective rotation will gain additional experience and training in colorectal diagnostic and therapeutic procedures:

• excision of thrombosed hemorrhoids

• anoscopy

• proctosigmoidoscopy

• colonoscopy

This rotation will be primarily an office-based elective and involve the evaluation and treatment of patients in the office of local colorectal surgeons.