Best practices in surgery and medicine require robust research, evidence, and, often, vigorous debate—and at Clinical Congress 2025, attendees will have the chance to take part in Great Debate sessions that will explore evolving surgery topics.
This year’s conference will include four Great Debates to provide extended presentation and collegiate discussion opportunities for expert panelists.
Benign Biliary Disease
General surgeons and abdominal specialists treat a spectrum of biliary diseases, including biliary colic, acute cholecystitis, biliary pancreatitis, and acalculous cholecystitis, with conflicting evidence on their management.
In the first debate session, “Great Debates in Benign Biliary Disease,” an expert panel will discuss the sometimes complicated decision-making and significant variability in practice.
“There are many controversies in the management of benign biliary disease, and there is often more than one way to address a problem such as common bile duct stone,” said session moderator Taylor S. Riall, MD, PhD, FACS, from The University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson. “Often, the approach varies based on the local expertise of both surgeons and gastroenterologist. In addition, there is emerging technology that has changed the potential management of these common problems.”
This session will feature debates on current controversies in the approach to management for gallbladder disease, including a robotic versus laparoscopic approach for cholecystectomy, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography versus laparoscopic common bile duct exploration for choledocholithiasis, and open versus laparoscopic bail out procedures for the difficult gallbladder.
Bariatrics
In recent years, few areas of healthcare have experienced the degree of transformation seen in treating obesity. Medications have taken the public consciousness by storm as an effective, lower-impact solution, while endoscopy has seen growing use as an intervention.
“Surgeons may feel a little bit threatened because there is a sense that these medications or these endoscopic interventions are going to replace surgeons,” according to Ali Tavakkoli, MBBS, FACS, from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, and moderator of “The Great Bariatric Debates.”
While Dr. Tavakkoli does not endorse that view, there is a relevant and ongoing debate as to whether these new treatment modalities will appreciably decrease the role of surgeons in this area.
Experts will look at both potential outcomes of the issue in two debates on the future of bariatric surgery, looking closely at the role of medications and then the role of primary bariatric endoscopic interventions, including the body mass index threshold for these procedures and how to manage the overlap with surgery.
Diverticulitis
As a common surgical disease, the management of diverticulitis invites regular conversations and controversy. In “The Great Diverticulitis Debates,” experts will look at differing clinical decision-making perspectives on approaching perforated diverticulitis.
One debate will focus on the necessity for a surgical approach weighed against more conservative management, potentially including antibiotics. The second debate will explore the use of primary anastomosis as the optimal surgical option for patients with perforated diverticulitis, where panelists will review the role of the Hartmann’s procedure as well as primary anastomosis with and without diversion.
“The topics are polarizing because there are some data to support each of the approaches,” said session moderator Virginia L. Shaffer, MD, FACS, from The University of Chicago in Illinois. “It shows the field of surgery is evolving and not dogmatic. The differing viewpoints also have to do with training and comfort level with each technique. The experts will bring a diverse training background, as well as a diverse patient practice to both debates.”
This session is essential for surgeons and healthcare professionals looking to deepen their understanding of the complexities and controversies in the surgical management of perforated diverticulitis.
Rectal Cancer
With early onset colorectal cancer increasing around the world, it is more important than ever for surgeons to understand potentially diverging opinions from clinicians on the optimal treatment path. In “The Great Rectal Cancer Debates,” experts will specifically discuss notable issues related to rectal cancer.
“We have deliberately selected two of the most controversial topics within rectal cancer surgery, representing both earlier and later stages of disease. Our pair of debates feature world-renowned authorities who will discuss the pros and cons of neoadjuvant therapy for T2 lesions and will present the advantages and disadvantages of staged versus synchronous resection of liver metastases,” according to session moderator Steven D. Wexner, MD, FACS, from the Cleveland Clinic Florida in Weston.
The second debate will compare synchronous versus staged resection of rectal cancer with liver metastases—is the simultaneous resections of both the primary rectal tumor and liver metastases beneficial, or do the benefits of the staged approach that addresses the primary tumor and liver metastases in separate surgical procedures provide better results?
This session is tailored for oncologists, surgeons, and healthcare professionals interested in the latest debates concerning rectal cancer treatment.
