Dr. Gerhard Beuss Biography
The International Federation of Endoscopic Surgeons (IFSES)
Proudly present
The Inaugural Distinguished Recognition Award
To
Prof. Dr. Gerhard F. Buess
European Association of Endoscopic Surgeons
Athens, Greece
July 2007
RAW Curiosity and Ingenuity demonstrated by Gerhard Buess as a young surgical resident in 1981 characterized his personality and forecast the essence of his professional career. As a surgical resident assisting a professor performing a midnight emergent exploratory laparotomy for massive lower gastrointestinal bleeding from an unknown source, Gerhard offered a novel suggestion. Gerhard recalled the hospital's recent acquisition of a flexible fiberoptic gastroscope and why not, he suggested, use this instrument to perform a direct visualization of the colon in the hope of discovering the source of the hemorrhage. This pioneering "intraoperative colonoscopy" led to visualizing the bleeding polyp in the right colon and the performance of an appropriately directed and lifesaving resection. Gerhard was criticized for misappropriating the hospital's valuable new gastroscope and he suddenly found that his career was in jeopardy. He was successful, however, in convincing his department chairman that the endoscopic discovery was an enormous benefit to the patient and therefore was a worthwhile application of the instrument. This singular experience undoubtedly brought endoscopy to his spiritual core. Endoscopy then became his passion and career. Gerhard directed his curiosity, ingenuity, industry, and creativity to the field of gastrointestinal endoscopy and to its ultimate expression, the invention of a new endoscopic instrument and a new technique, the transanal endoscopic microscope and transanal endoscopic microsurgery.
Gerhard's new instrumentation and technique has, through a slow but steady process propelled by a gargantuan missionary effort, come to be recognized and celebrated as a major advance in the care of patients with rectal disorders. That fateful night in the operating room magically foretold who Gerhard Buess was to become, a bold visionary surgical pioneer and educator. Through his contributions he has made this world a better place. The enormity of Professor Dr. Gerhard Buess's achievements in this new wave of surgery and the powerful presence he has lent to the spiritual brotherhood of endoscopic surgeons warrants special acclaim. The Officers, Executive Committee, and Members of the International Federation of Endoscopic Surgeons, IFSES, proudly present the Inaugural IFSES Distinguished Recognition Award to Prof. Dr. Gerhard Buess, a giant among surgeons
Gerhard F. Buess was born April 10, 1948 in Merklingen/Weil de Stadt, Baden-Wuerttemberg. His mother was a school teacher and his father was a technician for Mercedes Benz, and both parents contributed to his career choice of academics and technology. Following graduation from public schools in Merklingen he attended Eberhard Karls University in Tuebingen and the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich where he received his medical degree in 1972. His thesis was "Tissue Glue in Bone Surgery." After traveling the world he had successive surgical residencies in Bavaria and in the university hospital in Koeln-Lindenthal, qualifying as a surgeon in August, 1984. In the Koeln-Lindenthal University Hospital he received his PhD "Transanal Microscopic Microsurgery" in 1985. He founded multiple divisions of minimally invasive surgery and in 1994 he was recognized as a Professor and Director of the Section for Minimally Invasive Surgery at the Olympiaparkklinik, Munich. He is Head of the Department at the Helios Hospital in Muellheim, Baden. He has established a clinical center for endoscopic surgery and has been involved in the development of stent systems in the esophagus, TEM, endoscopic microsurgical resection of the esophagus, robotic systems, and 3D vision systems, among others. The Tuebingen research group which he directed developed a full spectrum of new instruments, including endoluminal stapling systems and instrumentation for esophageal resection. He is an honorary member of the Royal College of Surgeons and has enjoyed the high office of President of the Society for Minimally Invasive Surgery and the European Association of Endoscopic Surgeons. He was the President and Director of the Tenth World Congress of Endoscopic Surgery in 2006 in Berlin. His honors include the Jubilee Prize of the German Association for Surgery, the Rudolf Schlindler Prize for the best Video in 1994, and the Rick Satava Award in San Diego, USA, in 1998. Dr. Buess has authored or co-authored six textbooks and has contributed 71 book articles and over 240 peer review publications. His lecturing worldwide approaches 1000 presentations. He is co-editor of six journals related to surgery and minimally invasive surgery and he has received numerous grants from federal and private organizations. Gerhard is married and has two daughters. He has enjoyed mountain hiking, cycling, and sking. Gerhard identifies professors Zenker and Pichlmaier as major influences in his professional development during his university surgical residency program. Gerhard pays tribute to Sir Alfred Cuschieri who he felt was the most important mentor in his development as an endoscopic surgeon.