Contact: Ellen Bank
843.792.2626
Feb. 8, 2002
CHARLESTON, SC -- Peter Cotton, M.D.,
professor of medicine and director of the Digestive Disease Center at
the Medical University of South Carolina, was inducted as an elected
Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, at a ceremony in
London. This is an unusual honor for a "non-surgeon."
The Royal College is the professional society supervising
surgical training, certification and service quality throughout England,
and has had substantial influence on surgical practice throughout the
world.
The Royal College is very active in surgical education and
innovation. It has elected to Fellowship a few "non-surgeons" who are
judged to have made relevant contributions in these fields. In Cotton's
case, these contributions have been in the field of endoscopy. During
the last 20 years, large areas of surgery have been affected by various
forms of minimally invasive therapy where treatments are performed
without major incisions. With endoscopy small telescopic instruments
are used. Laparoscopic and athroscopic procedures are good examples.
Cotton's career has been dedicated to the development,
evaluation and teaching of techniques using flexible endoscopes as
treatment tools. Many digestive conditions, such as polyps, bleeding,
strictures and various stones are now managed by medical specialists
(gastroenterologists) rather than surgeons Ð although some surgeons
have also embraced the endoscopic revolution.
"It is obvious that questions and concerns about "turf," could
arise, with different specialists wanting to claim primacy," said
Cotton. "In fact, time-honored distinctions between Ômedicine' and
Ôsurgery' may interfere with best medical practice." The Digestive
Disease Center which Cotton initiated at MUSC in 1994, was based on the
vision that facilitating multidisciplinary collaboration should enhance
patient care, and the research and education necessary to improve it.
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