On September 10th, 2021, the Armenian Association of Coloproctologists and the Department of Coloproctology at Yerevan State Medical University held a joint conference in Yerevan in collaboration with the UCLA Promise Armenian Institute’s Operation Armenia. This conference aimed to improve the treatment of colorectal disorders in Armenia.
The conference covered the latest information on surgical care for colorectal disorders, including colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, and the associated post-operative care. The main speakers of the conference were visiting experts from the United States. This included Drs. Armen Aboulian, Armen Gregorian, Nish Shah, Robert Yavrouian and Raymond Tatevossian.
Each presentation was followed by an interactive discussion, where specialists shared notes about the similarities and differences between the approaches to colorectal diseases. Further, several complex surgical procedures were performed, which provided hands-on training to local surgeons.
The conference was chaired by the president of the Association Dr. Alexander M. Aghavelyan and Head of YSMU Chair Professor Armen Minasyan.
"I hope this is the first of numerous collaborations between the UCLA Promise Armenian Institute and our academic institutions,” stated Dr. Aghavelyan.
Dr. Aboulian of Kaiser Permanente and a volunteer associate professor at UCLA noted, "I am greatly appreciative of the UCLA Promise Armenian Institute, Kaiser Permanente, and all my colleagues who joined me on this endeavor in helping our Armenia counterparts tackle some of the toughest challenges they face in surgery."
As a co-leader of the Ostomy and Wound Care workgroup of UCLA Promise Armenian Institute’s Operation Armenia, which mainly focuses on instituting rehabilitation services that provide training and wound care to soldiers, Dr. Aboulian and the rest of the team hope their program complements the local care provided to the wounded soldiers and those in need.
UCLA’s Operation Armenia is a coordinated effort of a dedicated interdisciplinary team that provides immediate medical disaster relief and long-term humanitarian aid and infrastructure support to Armenia and Artsakh. It operates under the umbrella of The Promise Armenian Institute at UCLA and is implemented thanks to the generosity, advocacy, and support of UCLA Health.