Steven D. Wexner MD, PhD, FACS, FRCS

Steven D. Wexner, M.D., PhD (Honorary) FACS, FRCS, FRCS(Ed), is Director of the Digestive Disease Center at Cleveland Clinic Florida and Chairman of the Department of Colorectal Surgery. He previously served as Chief Academic Officer (2007-2012), Chief of Staff (1997-2007), and Chairman of the Division of Research and Education (1996-2007) at Cleveland Clinic Florida. Further, Dr Wexner's work has resulted in the establishment of the double-stapling technique as the gold standard in J-Pouches, which prevent the patient from needing a permanent ileostomy. He has been instrumental in the adoption of the ileal J-Pouch for patients with ulcerative colitis or familial adenomatous polyposis, and the colonic J-Pouch for patients with rectal cancer.

More recently, Dr Wexner spearheaded the establishment of the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer (NAPRC), which began accepting applications in June 2017. The NAPRC is the culmination of a seven-year campaign, led by Dr Wexner, to standardize and globalize the practice of colorectal surgery through international collaboration and advocacy. This approach began in 1988, long before global collaboration between physicians and researchers became common. Dr Wexner is the Founder and Director of the Annual International Colorectal Disease Symposium hosted by Cleveland Clinic Florida, the largest annual international colorectal course in the United States. He also helped create numerous international meetings including in Phuket, Thailand; Chennai, India; London, England; Barcelona, Spain, and Dubai, UAE.