48th Sir Peter Freyer Surgical Symposium
About
About the Sir Peter Freyer Memorial Lecture & Surgical Symposium
The Sir Peter Freyer Memorial Lecture & Surgical Symposium is hosted annually on the first weekend of September by the Department of Surgery, University of Galway. Professor Sean O’Beirn established this conference in 1975 and was succeeded by Professor HF Given. It is currently hosted by Professors Oliver McAnena and Michael Kerin.
It is the largest surgical conference in Ireland and is open to all surgical disciplines both nationally and internationally.
The Sir Peter Freyer Memorial Lecture & Surgical Symposium provides a platform for healthcare professionals to present their research and clinical work and allows for the merging of both scientific and clinical information. Abstracts are published in a supplement to the Irish Journal of Medical Science.
Each year the Sir Peter Freyer Memorial Medal is awarded to the best original research paper (chosen from the Plenary Session). A poster prize is also awarded. Participants at the Sir Peter Freyer Memorial Lecture and Surgical Symposium are eligible for CPD credits.
University of Galway,
University Road,
Galway, Ireland
H91 TK33
Keynote Speakers

Professor Alastair Thompson
Professor and Chief, Section of Breast Surgery

Professor Laura Viani
President of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland

Sir Peter Freyer Memorial Lectures
2022 – Prof Anthony Costello (Royal Melbourne Hospital) From Halsted 1904 to Robotics 2023
2021 – Dr Mike Ryan (WHO) Impact of COVID19 on other Diseases, Health Service Delivery and Disease Control Objectives
2019 – Professor Hilary Sanfey (Illinois) Perspectives on the Future of Surgery: Safeguarding our Patients, our Trainees and our Colleagues
2018 – Professor Conor Delaney (Cleveland) Approaching Industrial Standards for Rectal Cancer Surgery
2017 – Chancellor Michael Collins (Massachusetts) In Search of the Tossed Cap: Following Medicine’s Privilege
2016 – Prof Michael Solomon (Sydney) 20 Years of Evolving Pelvic Exenteration
2015 – Dr Philip Schauer (Cleveland) Surgical Therapy for Diabetes – A New Order!
2014 – Dr John Birkmeyer (Michigan) Strategies for Improving the Quality of Surgical Care
2013 – Dr Leslie K Nathanson (Australia) A Journey towards the Perfect Fundoplication?
2012 – Dr John Monson (New York) Role of Centres of Excellence in Rectal Cancer
2011 – Professor R.J Heald (Basingstoke) Colorectal Cancer Surgery – Open, Keyhole, Endoscope or Robot…Where are we Going?
2010 – Dr Patrick Boland (New York) ‘Living with Metastatic Bone Cancer’
2009 – Dr Patrick Gullane (Toronto) ‘Thirty Years of Head and Neck: Lessons Learned – Imagine the Future’
2008 – Dr Ernest Moore (Denver) ‘Role of the Gut in Post Injury Multiple Organ Failure’
2007 – Dr Stephen Lowry (New Jersey) ‘Surgical Critical Illness as a Model of Complex Disease’
2006 – Dr Peter Scardino (New York) ‘Surgical Treatment of Prostate Cancer’
2005 – Dr Richard Reznick (Toronto) Surgical Training in 35 Hours per Week: Laudable or Lunacy?’
2004 – Dr Steven Wexner (Florida) Current Status of Laparoscopy for Colorectal Disorders
2003 – Dr John M Daly (Philadelphia) Speciality Surgeons: Quality and Outcome
2002 – Prof Ara Darzi, (London) Cyber Surgery
2001 – Prof Patrick J Kelly (New York) Neuorsurgery: Where We’ve Been and Where We’re Going
2000 – Dr Patrick Craig Walsh (Baltimore) Radical Prostatectomy in the New Millennium
1999 – Sir Prof Alfred Cuschieri (Dundee) Surgical Practice in the New Millennium
1998 – Prof Henry A Pitt (Wisconsin) Benign Biliary Strictures
1997 – Dr Gabriel N Hortobagyi (Texas) What is the role for high dose chemotherapy in breast cancer?
1996 – D Murray Brennan (New York) Management of Soft Tissue Sarcoma
1995 – Prof David Bouchier-Hayes (Dublin) The Education of a Surgeon -No Royal Road
1994 – Prof Roger M Greenhalgh (London) The cause and management of aortic aneurysms
1993 – Prof Henri Bismuth (Paris) The evolution of liver surgery
1992 – Prof John R Farndon (Bristol) RIP 06/02/02 Controversies in parathyroid disease
1991 – Prof Geoffrey D Chisholm (Edinburgh) Prospects for medical treatment of prostatic hyperplasia
1990 – Prof Roger W Blamey (Nottingham) New management criteria for breast cancer
1989 – Prof Norman S Williams (London) In pursuit of normal anorectal function
1988 – Prof Bernard Fisher (Pittsburgh) The revolution of breast cancer management in our time
1987 – Prof Thomas J Fogarty (California) The evolution of catheters and catheter techniques in cardiovascular surgery
1986 – Prof Mitsuo Sugiura (Japan) Transthoracic esophageal transection with paraesophagogastric devascularisation – Sugiura Procedures
1985 – Prof Thomas E Starzl (Pittsburgh) Liver transplantation
1984 – Dr Peter Froggott (Belfast) The Belfast Medical School in the context of Irish Medicine: Past and Present
1983 – Prof GW Scott (Edmonton) Motility of human gallbladder and cystic duct
1982 – Mr Peter S London (Birmingham) Care of the injured hand
1981 – Prof Vijay V Kakkar (London) Thrombo embolism
1980 – Prof John McGovern (New York) Diagnosis and management of vesico ureteric reflux
1979 – Prof Norman L Chater (California) Revascularisation of the brain
1978 – Prof John B Kinmouth (London) Progress in lymphology
1977 – Prof Hans Marberger (Innisbruck) Urological trauma
1976 – Prof John P Blandy (London) Surgery of the benign prostate
Sir Peter Freyer State of the Art Lectures
2019 – Professor Deborah McNamara (RCSI) The Surgeon as Catalyst for Improvement
2018 – Mr Kenneth Mealy (RCSI) Sustainable High Quality Surgical Care: a Utopian Dream
2017 – Professor Calvin Coffey Da Vinci and Colorectal Surgery
2016 – Professor Martin Corbally (RCSI Bahrain) The Surgeon in the Modern World
2015 – Professor Cathal Kelly (RCSI) Leadership in Surgery – Perspective from a CEO
2014 – Mr James Sheehan (Galway Clinic) Irish Surgery; Reflections on the Past & A Vision for the Future
2013 – Professor Patrick Broe (Dublin) Irish Surgery: The Need for Vision and Leadership
2012 – Professor John MacFie (Scarborough, UK) Training Surgeons for Future Service Requirements
2011 – Professor Eilis McGovern (Dublin) Surgical Training & Surgical Service- Are we getting the Formula Right?
2010 – Mr Brendan Moran The Learning Curve in Colorectal Cancer Surgery – Grappling with New Technology’
2009 – Professor Arnold Hill (Dublin) ‘Breast Cancer and the Cancer Strategy – Past, Present and Future’
2008 – Professor Frank Keane (Dublin) ‘Governing Ourselves’
2007 – Professor Ronan O’Connell (Dublin) ‘Publication in an Electronic Era’
2006 – Professor Gerald O’Sullivan (Cork) ‘Surgical Practice – A Combination of Clinical and Research Based Developments’
2005 – Professor Oscar Traynor (Dublin) Surgical Education for the Future: The Irish Perspective’
2004 – Mr John Hyland (Dublin) The Evolution of Colorectal Surgery
2003 – Professor Cathal Kelly (Dublin) Vascular Surgery: What is the Future?
2002 – Professor John Reynolds (Dublin) SIRS, Sepsis and Organ Failure: The Role of the Gastrointestinal Tract
2001 – Professor Pierce Grace (Limerick) Irish Surgery: Past, Present & Future
2000 – Professor Barry O’Donnell (Dublin) The ever-rising price of professional independence: Reflections of a decommissioned warhorse
1999 – Professor Tom Gorey (Dublin) Advances in breast cancer: forward with screening
1998 – Prof Paul Redmond (Cork) Unravelling metastatic behaviour – a surgical perspective
1997 – Mr Brian Hurson (Dublin) Current surgical management of malignant bone tumours
1996 – Prof TG Parks (Belfast) An appraisal of the surgical management of abdominal injuries
1995 – Mr James J Murphy (Dublin) MedicalmMalpracticelLitigation – An Irish Epidemic
1994 – Prof William O Kirwan (Cork) Coloproctology
1993 – Mr Maurice Nelligan (Dublin) The magic lettuce leaf
1992 – Prof Tom Hennessy (Dublin) Gastro-oesophageal reflux
1991 – Prof Niall O’Higgins (Dublin) Thyroid disease
1990 – Prof John Fitzpatrick (Dublin) Urology updated
1989 – Prof Michael P Brady (Cork) Endocrine surgery
1988 – Prof David Bouchier-Hayes (Dublin) Problems and challenges in vascular surgery

Don't miss the Surgical Symposium of the year
We cannot wait to welcome you back to the University of Galway.
Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd of September 2023