Andrea Vignali

Andrea Vignali serves as Associate Professor of General Surgery at Vita-Salute San Raffaele University and Head of the Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Unit at Milan's San Raffaele Hospital since 2014. With dual clinical-academic leadership, he directs the Onco-Team for colorectal cancer guidelines and coordinates minimally invasive surgery initiatives for the Italian Society of Colorectal Surgery.

Educational background includes:

• MD, Medicine and Surgery (110/110 cum laude, 1989)
• Specialization in Emergency Surgery (70/70 cum laude, 1994)
• CNR-NATO fellowship (1995-1997)
• Research fellowship at Cleveland Clinic Colorectal Surgery Department (1994-1996)

His research pioneers perioperative protocols through 68 indexed publications and 11 book chapters. Key focus areas include:

• Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) implementation
• Minimally invasive approaches for rectal tumors
• International consensus guidelines via the Rectal Cancer Study Group
• Multicenter trials on Crohn's disease surgical management

Recent work (2023-2024) establishes global standards for anastomotic techniques, risk prediction models, and elderly cancer care through Lancet and British Journal of Surgery publications.

Scientific recognition includes:

• Karl Storz Award for Best Oral Presentation (2009)
• Two ASCRS Best Paper Awards (1998, 2002)
• Three competitive research grants (1992-1995)
• Southern California Society Best Poster Award (2009)

As active reviewer for major surgical journals and editorial board member of Annals of Laparoscopic and Endoscopic Surgery, he mentors through the Italian Society of Colorectal Surgery's School of Surgery. Current projects focus on the SPICY and HAND2END international trials for Crohn's disease recurrence prevention.

He leads the San Raffaele Hospital's Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Unit and collaborates with Case Western University's International Rectal Cancer Study Group, driving evidence-based protocols across 64 countries via the EAGLE trial infrastructure.