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.

Attend educational events for free

RSM members enjoy free access to over 200 expert-led events each year, including CPD-accredited learning.

Become a member
From under £10 p/mo

Follow us on
Facebook 
Instagram
LinkedIn
Twitter 
YouTube 

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

Sponsors

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.