Launched in 2010 by the Nanjing Medical University Hospital and officially recognized as a centre of excellence by the International College of Surgeons, the Nanjing Medical University Endoscopic Training Laboratory recently hosted ICS US Section Fellow, Dr. Siva Vithiananthan as an ICS teaching Ambassador to China.
The original premise of this educational endeavor was that institutions such as Nanjing Medical University Hospital would provide students and facilities and that ICS would provide faculty such as Dr. Vithiananthan. The opportunity to expand this international teaching program was initially announced in November of 2015 and Dr. Vithiananthan was the first US Section Fellow to participate.
Vithiananthan is fellowship trained in advanced laparoscopic surgery as well as surgical critical care and board certified in general surgery as well as surgical critical care. Dr. Vithiananthan's clinical focus is minimally invasive approaches to gastrointestinal diseases and bariatric surgery. Metabolic and physiologic effects of weight loss surgery and advanced surgical techniques and outcomes in bariatric surgery are his main areas of research interest. Dr. Vithiananthan is the Site-Director of Surgical Education at The Miriam Hospital in Rhode Island and has an academic appointment at Brown University.
While in Nanjing this past May Dr. Vithiananthan not only shared the advanced laparoscopic skills he has learned over the past 20 years, but also had the opportunity to learn new techniques and systems from his colleagues in Nanjing; a promising sign of a true exchange program.