About this event
- Date and time Wed 10 Jun 2026 from 7:00pm to 13 Jun 2026 at 12:30pm
- Location Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka
- Organised by Coloproctology
Join the Royal Society of Medicine Coloproctology Section for its 2026 overseas meeting in Croatia, combining two days of high-quality scientific content with optional social and discussion activities on the Adriatic coast.
Set in Rijeka and Opatija, this international meeting brings together UK and Croatian experts to deliver state-of-the-art lectures, live surgery and case-based discussion across the breadth of modern coloproctology.
Scientific meeting:
- Thursday 11 June (09:00–17:30)
- Friday 12 June 2026 (08:30–17:30)
- Saturday 13 June 2026 (9:30-12:30)
Optional additional activities:
Location:
- Rijeka and Opatija, Croatia
- Please note: Registration covers the scientific programme and refreshments in the conference only. Travel, accommodation, catering and the social programme are not included and must be arranged and paid for by delegates separately. Click HERE to book.
Scientific programme focus:
- Inflammatory bowel disease and complex colonic surgery
- Rectal cancer, robotics and minimally invasive surgery
- Complex and laser proctology
- Short bowel syndrome and intestinal failure
- Live proctological and laparoscopic colorectal surgery
- Residents’ session and prize presentations
Presentations will be delivered by UK and Croatian faculty, including the John of Arderne Prize winner, UK travelling fellows and Croatian residents.
Organised by RSM Coloproctology Section:
- Mr Gordon Buchanan, President, RSM Coloproctology Section
- Mr Janindra Warusavitarne, Honorary Secretary, RSM Coloproctology Section
- In collaboration with Dr Marko Zelić and colleagues at Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka, Croatia.
Who should attend
- Consultant colorectal and general surgeons
- Colorectal fellows and trainees
- Allied professionals with an interest in coloproctology
- Researchers and academics in colorectal surgery and IBD
Coloproctology Section: Overseas meeting to Rijeka, Croatia - travelling fellows
- Deadline: Tuesday 10 March 2026.
- Open to: All coloproctology and surgery resident doctors.
- Prize: Three travelling fellowships of £500 each to the overseas meeting to Croatia in June 2026.
- Condition: The prize winner is required to attend the overseas meeting in order to be able to claim the £500.
- Apply here
Full details of the scientific programme, travel options, accommodation, transfers, catering and the social programme including indicative costs are available here.
RSM members enjoy free access to over 200 expert-led events each year, including CPD-accredited learning.
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We would like to thank our sponsors Creed Health, Metrum Cryoflex and THD for their support of this meeting. Our sponsors have had no involvement or influence over the agenda, content or organisation of the meeting.
Agenda
View the programme - Day 1 10 June 2026
Greetings and introductory social event
Accommodation, transfers, and social programme here.
View the programme - Day 2 11 June 2026
Complex proctology
Chairs: Josef Watfah, and Damir Karlović, Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka, Rijeka
Registration
Introduction
Mr Gordon Buchanan, Lister Hospital, London, UK and Marko Zelic, Clinical Hospital Center, Rijeka, Croatia
Tailored treatment for complex anal fistulas
Ramya Kalaiselvan, St Helens and Knowsley Hospitals, UK
Crohn’s disease fistulas: Does combining biologics and surgery give best outcomes?
Lillian Reza, West Herts Teaching Hospital, UK
Surgical management of hemorrhoidal disease in 2026
Josip Baković, Clinical hospital Dubrava, Zagreb, Croatia
Pilonidal disease – avoiding pitfalls
Asha Senapati, St Mark’s Hospital, UK
Laser’s in proctology – the final frontier?
Gregory Thomas, St Mark’s Hospital, UK
Obstetric Anal Sphincter Injuries (OASIS): What colorectal surgeons should know
Carolynne Vaizey, St Mark’s Hospital, UK
Discussion
Tea and coffee break
Resident's section
Chairs: Mr Michael Powar, Addenbrookes, Cambridge, UK, and Jasenka Kraljević, Clinical Hospital Center Split, Split
From bench to bedside – A metabolomics approach to understand metabolic adaptations in neoadjuvant therapy in locally advanced rectal cancer
Aaron Kler, John of Arderne prize winner
Geographical variation in stage 4 colorectal cancer at diagnosis in england: a national population-based analysis
UK Travelling fellow 1 - Leo Watton
Navigating employment and return to work - a qualitative exploration of work-related lived experiences, after surgery for ulcerative colitis (uc)
UK Travelling fellow 2 - Orestis Argyriou
Parastomal hernia repair - a difficult problem with a novel solution
UK Travelling fellow 3 - Saurabh Shukla
MiRNA and sidedness in colon carcinoma
Croatian resident 1 - Lucia Klarica
Fecal transplantation
Croatian resident 2 - Marija Grković
HIPEC
Croatian resident 3 - Lucija Vučemilović
Live surgery and broadcast
Chair: Professor Omar Faiz, St Mark's Hospital, UK, and Emil Kinda
Live surgery
Complex anal fistula surgery - Damir Karlović
SNM - Dorian Krsul
Lunch break
Short bowel syndrome and intestinal failure
Chairs: Mr Janindra Warusavitarne, St Mark's Hospital, UK, and Goran Hauser, Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka, Rijeka
Preparation for definitive surgery
Carolynne Vaizey, St Mark’s Hospital, UK
Surgical treatment - Type 2 and enterocutaneous fistulas
Harriet Owen, St George’s Hospital, UK
SBS in surgical practice - what is the real incidence?
Marko Zelić, Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka
MDT approach to abdo wall reconstruction in intestinal reconstitution
Akash Mehta, St Mark’s Hospital, UK
Chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIPO) and intestinal dysmotility
Goran Hauser, Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka
Stoma care in short bowel syndrome: Practical challenges and solutions for the enterostomal therapy
Vesna Konjevoda, Clinical Hospital “Sveti Duh”, Zagreb
Close of day
Dinner and social event
Dinner
Fees and details to be confirmed
View the programme - Day 3 12 June 2026
Rectal cancer: Training, robotics and a changing minimally invasive paradigm
Chairs: Mr Henry Tilney, Frimley Park Hospital, UK, and Predrag Matošević, Clinical Hospital Center Zagreb, Zagreb
Training in minimal access colorectal surgery: The consultant perspective
Mr Vanash Patel, Consultant Colorectal Surgeon, Colorectal and Robotic Service Lead, West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Watford General Hospital
Training in lap/robotic colorectal surgery: The UK surgical resident’s perspective
Ionna Drami, Dukes Club President, UK
Training for robotic low rectal cancer
Danilo Mišković, St Mark’s Hospital, UK
Organ sparing approach in rectal cancer
Amy Lord, Basingstoke, UK
Management of lateral pelvic nodes — Should Europe reconsider?
Jasenka Kraljević, Clinical Hospital Center, Split
Enhanced recovery and the virtual ward after rectal cancer surgery
Philip Edward Bearn
LARS – it doesn’t end with resection…
Dorian Kršul, Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka
Discussion
Tea and coffee break
Live laparoscopic surgery and broadcast
Chair: Mr Charles Maxwell Armstrong, Nottingham, UK, and Tihomir Kekez
Live surgery
Lunch break
IBD and complex colonic surgery
Chairs: Harriet Owen and Mario Tadić, Clinical hospital "Dubrava", Zagreb
Surgical management of acute severe ulcerative colitis — When to operate?
Goran Poropat, Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka
Elective options in IBD surgery: Does robotics offer real advantages of laparoscopy?
Omar Faiz, St Mark’s Hospital, UK
Options after total colectomy: IRA, IPAA, or permanent stoma?
Charles Maxwell-Armstrong, Nottingham, UK
ctDNA and immune profiling in IBD-related colorectal cancer risk
Jasna Marušić, Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka
Predicting recurrence in Crohn’s: Imaging, genetics, and biomarkers
Dr Ana Bainrauch, Clinical Hospital “Merkur”, Zagreb
Discussion
Dinner and social event
Dinner
Fees and details to be confirmed
View the programme - Day 4 13 June 2026
Discussion panels
Close of meeting
Location
Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka, New hospital complex - Location Sušak, V. Dukića 7, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
Registration for this event will close on 26 May 2026. Late registrations will not be accepted.