Coloproctology Center of Excellence | Specialists and Information

Interdisciplinary collaboration and cooperation among all medical specialties and departments involved in the care of patients with rectal diseases is one of the most important requirements for certified coloproctology centers. This approach is intended to ensure optimal and comprehensive patient care—from diagnosis through treatment to follow-up care.

The medical disciplines that collaborate across specialties in coloproctology centers include, in addition to visceral surgery—which typically leads the certified coloproctology center—

• gastroenterology,
• urology,
• gynecology,
• neurology,
• radiation therapy,
• Oncology,
• radiology, and
• pathology.

There are three different levels of certification available: certification as a center of expertise, a reference center, or a center of excellence for surgical coloproctology:

• Coloproctology centers can obtain certification as a center of excellence in surgical coloproctology if they ensure high-quality, guideline-based treatment of rectal diseases through their staffing, facilities, and experience.
• Coloproctology centers that also have expertise in continuing education and are engaged in scientific research can be certified as Reference Centers for Surgical Coloproctology.
• Certification as a Center of Excellence is granted only to those coloproctology centers that rank among the leading and largest institutions in the field of surgical coloproctology.

The certificate awarded as a Center of Competence, Reference Center, or Center of Excellence for surgical proctology is valid for three years. Recertification may take place after these three years have elapsed.

The certification of coloproctology centers at one of the three aforementioned levels aims to ensure and continuously improve the quality of care and treatment in surgical clinics specializing in the treatment of rectal diseases, for the benefit of patients.

For this reason, the certification criteria are based on the latest medical findings and are guided by the highest quality standards. As part of the certification process, coloproctology centers must demonstrate that they possess a high degree of specialization, expertise, and experience in the field of surgical coloproctology.

In 2021, a total of 10 clinics in Germany were certified as “Reference Centers for Surgical Coloproctology” @ Kzenon /AdobeStock

Criteria for Certified Coloproctology Centers

A prerequisite for certification is that the hospital or department meets the quality requirements for certified coloproctology centers as defined by the professional societies DGAV, DGK, and CACP. It must also have successfully completed the certification process conducted by the Servicegesellschaft für Allgemein- und Viszeralchirurgie SAVC GmbH.

The quality requirements and certification criteria that coloproctology centers at all three certification levels must meet include, among others, the following:

• Physician Qualifications: The surgeons in charge at coloproctology centers must be board-certified specialists in visceral surgery and must demonstrate extensive experience in surgical coloproctology.
• Departmental organization: Certified coloproctology centers must offer regular outpatient clinics at least once a week.
• Diagnostic Imaging Procedures: Certified coloproctology centers must have the following diagnostic imaging procedures available—and demonstrate their use—in cooperation with the relevant departments as needed: endoscopy, abdominal ultrasound, endosonography, transit time measurement, defecography, CT, and MRI.
• Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Certified coloproctology centers must demonstrate that they collaborate interdisciplinarily with the departments of urology, gynecology, gastroenterology, neurology, radiation oncology, oncology, and pathology.
• Minimum case numbers: Certified coloproctology centers must demonstrate, among other things, the following minimum numbers for diagnostic and surgical procedures:
  • Performing at least 200 (Center of Competence) or 500 (Reference and Center of Excellence) anoscopies (proctoscopies) and rectoscopies
  • Performance of at least 200 (Center of Competence) or 500 (Center of Reference and Excellence) colonoscopies
  • Performance of at least 25 (Center of Excellence) or 100 (Center of Reference and Excellence) endosonographies
  • Performing at least 75 (Center of Competence) or 150 (Reference and Center of Excellence) colon resections
  • Performing at least 25 (Center of Excellence) or 50 (Center of Reference and Excellence) rectal resections
  • Performing at least 30 (Center of Excellence) or 50 (Center of Reference and Excellence) hemorrhoid surgeries
  • Performance of at least 50 (Center of Excellence) or 100 (Center of Reference and Excellence) surgeries for abscesses, fistulas, fissures, or pilonidal cysts
• Quality Assurance: Certified coloproctology centers must participate in the quality assurance procedures established by the CACP and collect treatment and follow-up data, e.g., through the DGAV’s Study, Documentation, and Quality Center (StuDoQ). In addition, they must meet and record specific quality indicators for the treatment of rectal cancer and anal fistulas (e.g., number of recurrences, number of deaths, length of hospital stays following surgery).
• Continuing Education: The surgeons in charge of the coloproctology center must attend at least one of the following continuing education events per year: CACP sessions held as part of the Surgeons’ Congress, CACP sessions held as part of the Autumn Conference on Visceral Medicine, the CACP Autumn Conference, the DGK Coloproctology Congress, and the ESCP Annual Meeting. At least 16 continuing education credits must be earned each year.

Certification Process for Coloproctology Centers

The certification process for Centers of Competence, Reference, and Excellence in Surgical Coloproctology is organized by the Servicegesellschaft für Allgemein- und Viszeralchirurgie SAVC GmbH on behalf of the DGAV, the DGK, and the CACP.

The SAVC first conducts a formal review of the written application, in which the coloproctology center seeking certification outlines the extent to which it meets the quality requirements.

The next step is an on-site audit. As part of this audit, the company verifies whether the information provided in the application is accurate and whether the clinic seeking certification actually meets the certification criteria. For example, the audit examines structural and organizational processes, equipment, facilities, and the number of surgeries performed.