Prof. Dr. Catalin Copaescu

Prof. Dr. Cătălin Copăescu is the first surgeon of excellence in metabolic and bariatric surgery in Romania and the only one with double certification, European (IFSO-EC) and American (SRC). The two titles were awarded to Prof. Copăescu in 2011 and 2014, along with the certification of the Ponderas Hospital clinic as the only Center of Excellence in Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery from SE Europe. This is also the first center in the country completely dedicated to bariatric surgery, which he established in 2010. Being the one who laid the foundations of his specialization in Romania, Prof. Copăescu is not only the doctor with the most extensive experience in the field but also the surgeon with the most complex cases, solving the most diverse and difficult cases throughout his career. 

Current Position:

• Consultant General & GI Surgeon, Bariatric & Metabolic Surgeon
• Head of the General Surgery Department
• Director of the Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence
• Ponderas Academic Hospital, Bucharest, Romania
• Executive Director of the Bucharest
• Surgical Training Institute
• Associated Professor of the “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, Romania, and "Carol Davilla" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania

Main professional responsibilities and activities:

• GI & Metabolic Surgery: over 1000 procedures per year - mostly laparoscopic and robotic-assisted. Pioneering and developing metabolic surgery, laparoscopic colorectal surgery, laparoscopic hernia, GERD, SILS and NOTES in Romania, it was offered the opportunity to gain extensive experience for laparoscopic colorectal surgery, bariatric & metabolic surgery, laparoscopic hernia & incisional repair, laparoscopic treatment of GERD, endoscopic revision surgery.
• Training activities in MIS: 25 years of experience, Executive Director of the Surgical Training Institute (RAES, EAES and ASM Endorsed educational activities), Course director of 12-15 MIS hands-on courses per year since 2011, Director of Clinical immersions and Workshops for international surgical teams since 2010.

Degrees and academic background:

• 1987 – MD - Faculty of General Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Carol Davila”, Bucharest
• 1993 - General Surgeon Accreditation – Romanian Minister of Health
• 1995 - Laparoscopic and Thoracoscopic Surgery Accreditation – Romanian Minister of Health
• 1997 - Senior Consultant in General Surgery Accreditation – Romanian Minister of Health,
• 2008 - PhD – University of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Carol Davila”, Bucharest - Laparoscopic Treatment of
• GERD – prospective study of 550pts, and Experimental surgery and Training Model
• 2008 - Invited Professor of the “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania – since
• 2011 – Associated Professor of Surgery at “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
• 2013 - Scientific researcher Grade 1 (CS1) – Romanian Minister of National Education (2013)
• 2019 - Associated Professor of Surgery at “Grigore T Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, Romania
• Other certificates
• 2012 - Bariatric Surgeon of Excellence (Master) – by IFSO –European Chapter - renewed in 2015 and 2018
• 2014 - Bariatric Surgeon of Excellence (Master)– Surgical Review Corporation (SRC_ ICE (USA) - renewed in 2019
• 2016 - Hernia Surgeon of Excellence (Master)– SRC, USA renewed in 2019
• 2016 – Colorectal Surgeon of Excellence(Master) – SRC, USA – renewed in 2019

Endoscopic Surgery Education &Training Activity

• Laparoscopic Surgery Expert Trainer in the St. John Laparoscopic Training Center – 1994-2010
• Executive Director of the Bucharest Surgical Training Institute – STI-(RAES, EAES and ASM Endorsed) since 2011 Course director of many international courses yearly organised in the STI.
• Director of Clinical immersions and Workshops for international surgical teams since 2010 (Greece, Serbia, Macedonia, Croatia, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, Bulgaria, Latvia, Egypt, Turkey, Moldova, etc.) - Expert Trainer for Eastern Europe and Middle East Asia for Laparoscopic Colorectal, Hernia and Bariatric Procedures

Research:

• Involved in 23 grants - Clinical research in the field of GERD, recto colic cancer, metabolic surgery, a prosthesis for hernia, technology in surgery, NOTES ( Partner (17), Project Coordinator (2) Project Director (2) – Romanian Agencies & Minister of Education & Research, European Union 7th Frame Program, and Romanian Academy of Medical Science).

Publications and presentations in meeting

• Published original papers: 163 (on National /International Journals, 89 on PubMed MEDLINE). 26 Books or Chapters in Surgical Books (Author or Coauthor); over 500 Lectures in different symposia/ congresses (local or International events)

Referee:

• (Peer Reviewer): Obesity Surgery - ISSN: 0960-8923 (Print) 1708-0428 (Online) Surgical Endoscopy ISSN: 0930-2794 (Print)
• 1432-2218 (Online) Techniques in Coloproctology ISSN: 1123-6337 (Print) 1128-045X (Online) Acta Endocrinologica (ISSN -
• 843 - 066X) Chirurgia - ISSN: 1221-9118 Online ISSN: 1842 – 368X , World Journal of Gastroenterology ISSN1007-9327 (print) ISSN 2219-2840(online) Editorial Board: Chirurgia - ISSN: 1221-9118 Online ISSN: 1842 – 368X Co Editor: Frontiers in Endocrinology

Active Membership

• European Association of Endoscopic Surgery – since 2004 [Member in the NOTES working group 2008-2009, Member of the EAES Education &Training Committee and Chair of the ETC Membership-2011-2015, Congress President of the 23rd EAES Congress, Member UEG E&T Committee – representing EAES 2015-2018, Member of the Executive Board &Treasurer since 2016;
• Romanian Society of Surgery – since 1992, Board Member (since 2014),
• Romanian Association of Endoscopic Surgery –since 2002 (Co-Founding Member, General Secretary 2006-2013, President-Elect 2013-2015, 8th, 9th and 10th RAES Congress President, RAES President 2015-2019),
• Romanian Society for Metabolic Surgery (RSMS) – since 2020 (Co-Founding Member), President of RSMS
• The Foundation for Laparoscopic and Thoracoscopic Surgery – since 1999 - (Co-Founding Member),–since 2005
• IFSO-EC – Communication Committee –2014-2021, Treasurer- since 2022
• American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS)- regular international member - since 2010;
• The European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy – ESGE – since 2007;
• The International Associations of Surgeons Gastroenterologists and Oncologists (IASGO) since 2000;
• The European Society of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism – ESPEN – since 2006;
• The Society for Minimally Invasive Therapy– SMIT E.V. – since 2009,
• The South Eastern European Robotic Surgery Society – SEERSS (Co-Founder Member) – 2010
• Romanian Society of ColoProctology (SRCP) - Founding Member (2009) Honorary Member 2016;
• European Society of ColoProctology (ESCP) (since 2012);
• Romanian Society of Diabetes, Nutrition, Metabolic Diseases – since 2015;
• The Serbian Society of Surgery – Honorary Member – 2010.

Other Appointments in Professional Organizations - Elected /Nominated positions:

• Member of the EAES Executive Board, Treasurer since 2016
• President of Romanian Association of Endoscopic Surgery (2015-2017, 2017-2019)
• Member of the UEG Education & Training Committee (representing EAES) 2015 -2020
• Member of the Board of the Romanian Society of Surgery (2014 - 2020)
• Member of General Council of Bucharest College of Physicians since 2016
• Member of the EAC-BS Accreditation Review Committee of Excellence in the management of BMS – since 2012
• Member of Communication Committee of IFSO European Chapter – since 2015 -2021, Treasurer since 2022
• Member of the Board Committee of the International Bariatric Club (IBC) – since 2012

Scientific and Organizing Committee of various scientific events (the most important):

• President of the 23rd EAES International Congress,
• Romanian Society of Surgery Congresses (scientific, organizing committee and chair since 2006)
• Congresses of Romanian Association of Endoscopic Surgery (scientific, organizing committee and/chair since 2005, 8th 9th, 10th and 11th RAES Congress President). President of the National Bariatric & Metabolic Surgery Symposium (eleven editions, annually organized in Bucharest since 2009), (scientific, organizing committee and chair since 2009). Romanian Society of ColoProctology (SRCP) (scientific, organizing committee and chair, 2010 -2019. The Romanian Symposium of Robotic Surgery – (Event President,2018,2020); Scientific events Faculty and Chair (selection):
• EAES Congresses: Geneva,2010; Torino,2011; Bruxelles, 2012, Vienna,2013, Paris,2014, Bucharest,2015, Amsterdam, 2016, Frankfurt, 2017, London, 2018; IFSO Congresses – 2009, Paris; 2010, Los Angeles; 2011, Hamburg,2012, New Delhi; 2013, Istanbul; 2014, Montreal,2015, Vienna, 2016 Rio de Janeiro, 2017, London; Dubai, 2018 IFSO-EC Congresses Barcelona, 2012; Bruxelles,2014, Athens, 2018, Lyon, 2019; International Obesity Surgery Expert Meeting: Saalfelden, Austria2007,2008,2009, 2010,2011,2012, 2013 ,2016) ; Salzburg, Austria,20143rd, 4th, 5th and 6th International Consensus Summit for Sleeve Gastrectomy, New York, 2010; 2012; Montreal, 2014, 2015, London, 2017.
• Israeli Society of Endoscopic Surgery, Israeli Forum of Bariatric Surgery, November 2014, 
• The Second Serbian Congress on Obesity with international participation Zlatibor, October 9-12, 2014; 
• Bariatric & Metabolic Surgery Congress, Antalya, Turkey,
• 2015, Mediterranean Bariatric Surgery Congress, Turkey, 2015;
• International Congress of Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery, April, 2016, Moscow, RU; 
• Congresses of Romanian Society of Coloproctology Timisoara, 2016, Cluj-Napoca, 2017, Craiova, 2018, Iasi,
• 2019; 
• Special Guest Digestive Surgery: future challenges and new technologies – Rome, IFSO Madrid (2020),April 2018, EAES virtual Congress 2020, B.E.S.T (oct.,2020),
• Bariatric Surgery Frankfurter Meeting(nov.,2020) EAES Congress , Barcelona, nov.2021, EAES 2022, Krakow, Poland, IFSO 2022, Miami, US