The 2015 AL Polglase visiting Professor was Professor Frank Frizelle, Head of the University Department of Surgery, University of Otago, Christchurch New Zealand. Professor Frizelle visited Cabrini from the 20^th to the 24^th November 2015, in which he met with Cabrini’s colorectal surgeons and general surgical trainees, and also with local Victorian colorectal surgeons.

A two-hour session with our general surgery trainees and the Cabrini colorectal Fellow, Dr Raymond Yap was held on the first day of his visit. Surgical trainees from the Alfred Hospital also attended along with Victorian trainees from the Colorectal Surgical Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSSANZ) colorectal training program. During this session Professor Frizelle discussed topics as wide ranging as rectal prolapse, surgery for ulcerative colitis and an informative session on how to write a journal paper.

This was followed by attendance at the Cabrini endoscopy suite and subsequently at the annual Cabrini colorectal neoplasia audit, which showcased the world-class results from Cabrini’s browser-based neoplasia database. This database has also been adopted as the bi-national colorectal neoplasia database by the CSSANZ. The day concluded with a very informative talk on current techniques on colon cancer surgery at a dinner meeting which was well attended by Victorian members of the CSSANZ.

On the second day of his visit Professor Frizelle attended the operating room where one of Cabrini’s colorectal surgeons, Mr Stephen Bell performed a robotic procedure which stimulated much discussion by those attending. The final component of Professor Frizelle’s visit was that of the public lecture on the Tuesday afternoon. This lecture entitled “Colorectal Cancer – Can We Do Better?” and covered this broad topic in great detail and was well received by all in attendance.

This was the second year of the AL Polglase Visiting Professorship named in recognition of the contribution that Emeritus Professor Adrian Polglase has made to colorectal surgery at Cabrini. This visiting professorship is an educational initiative that was supported by both Let’s Beat Bowel Cancer and Covidien. The visiting professorship allows Cabrini’s colorectal surgeons to have world-leading experts visit, to share information and help ensure that Cabrini’s physicians stay at the forefront of the surgical management of colorectal cancer.