Dana Sands, MD, FACS, FASCRS, Steven D. Wexner, MD, PhD (Hon), FACS, FRCS (Eng), FRCS (Ed), FRCSI (Hon), Hon FRCS (Glasg)

Scott R. Steele, MD, MBA, FACS, FASCRS

It is my pleasure to introduce to you two wonderful guest editors for this volume on transanal total mesorectal excision (taTME). First, Dr. Dana Sands is a Staff Colorectal Surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic (CCF) in Weston, FL. She joined the Cleveland Clinic in 2002 in the Department of Colorectal Surgery and serves as Director of the Colorectal Physiology Center as well. Prior to joining the staff at the Cleveland Clinic, she completed her Colorectal Surgery fellowship on the CCF Weston campus and her General Surgery residency at the University of Miami in Miami, FL. Her subspecialty interests include minimally invasive surgery and advanced transanal surgical techniques for rectal cancer. Dana was born in Philadelphia, PA, and is married to Laurence Sands (also a colorectal surgeon). They have two sons, Ryan and Cory, who give her purpose every day. In addition, her sister Amy continually reminds her of the positive impact that surgeons can have on patients' lives. When away from medicine, she enjoys strength training and doing anything with her family.

Dr. Steven Wexner is the Director of the Digestive Disease Center and has been on staff at CCF since 1988. He performed his General Surgery training in New York, and completed his Colorectal Surgery training at the University of Minnesota. He has been the Chairman of the Department of Colorectal Surgery since 1993. Dr. Wexner was Chief of Staff from 1997 to 2008, Chief Academic Officer from 2008 to 2012, and Chairman of the Division of Research and Education from 1995 to 2012. Dr. Wexner holds academic appointments as Affiliate Professor at Florida Atlantic University; Clinical Professor at Florida International University; Affiliate Professor of Surgery at the University of South Florida, Tampa, FL; Professor of Surgery at the Ohio State University; Affiliate Professor of Surgery at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine; Professor of Surgery, University of Siena, Siena, Italy; Visiting Professor, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Hadassah Medical Organization, Jerusalem, Israel; and Visiting Professor at the University of Belgrade in Serbia. In 1999, he was awarded an FRCS from the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh, Scotland, and in 2000 he was awarded an FRCS ad eundum from the Royal College of Surgeons in England; and in 2008 by unanimous election of Council of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, the highest distinction conferred by the Council. In 2015, Dr. Wexner was awarded honorary membership in the European Surgical Association and the European Society of Coloproctology. In 2013, Dr. Wexner was awarded an honorary foreign membership in the Argentina Society of Coloproctology. In 2012, Dr. Wexner was awarded the degree of PhD honoris causa by the University of Belgrade. In 2003, The American Jewish Committee presented Dr. Wexner with the prestigious Maimonides Award. In 2013, he was awarded Professor Emeritus of I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University. In 2016, Dr. Wexner was recognized by CCF as Master Clinician. In 2017 received an Honorary Fellowship from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. 2019, Dr. Wexner was inducted as an, Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, and appointed as an Honorary Professor, Department of Targeted Intervention, Division of Surgery and Intervention Science, at the University College London. Dr. Wexner is the past president of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons Research Foundation (2014–2016), ex officio member of the Executive Council of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, past president of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (2011–2012), past president of the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery (2010–2011), and the past president of the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (2006–2007). Dr. Wexner has served as a Governor to the American College of Surgeons and a member of the Residency Review Committee for Colon and Rectal Surgery. In 2012, Dr. Wexner was elected as a Regent of the American College of Surgeons Chair, National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer and in 2019 Member of the Academy of Master Surgeon Educators of the ACS. On a local level, he has also served as the President of the Florida Gastroenterologic Society (2004–2005) and the South Florida Chapter of the American College of Surgeons (2002–2004). Dr. Wexner has published close to 1,000 manuscripts and chapters. He is the editor or coeditor of 37 textbooks or freestanding volumes to date and is a member of 56 editorial boards and a reviewer for an additional 38 journals. He is an active member of 42 learned societies and has held more than 70 appointed or elected offices in these societies. He is an honorary member of the surgical societies of 9 other countries and has held over 70 visiting professorships and delivered over 2100 scientific lectures. He was born and raised in New York. His research and clinical interests include rectal cancer, reoperative pelvic surgery, inflammatory bowel disease, innovation and introduction of new technology, and creation and collaboration in scientific investigation. More than anything he enjoys building consensus to help ensure optimal outcomes. He shares his life with Dr. Mariana Berho, a colorectal surgery specialized globally renowned pathologist who also serves on multiple editorial boards and has many important leadership positions in journals and societies around the world. Dr. Wexner has two sons; Wesley works in the private equity financial markets in New York City, and Trevor who completed his Masters degree in data science at the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and is employed by Facebook. Outside of work, he enjoys traveling, especially to visit his sons for pleasure when not travelling for work.

On a personal note, it is wonderful to have such talented colleagues such as Dana and Steve who strive to embrace technology, push the limits, and share a passion for collaboration to achieve better outcomes for our patients. On behalf of the readers and staff of Clinics in Colon and Rectal Surgery, I want to sincerely thank both of them for serving as Guest Editors and for providing us with an incredible issue on taTME.