Zoi Garoufalia GENERAL SURGEON 6th Surgical Department

+30 6976697969
zoegaroufalia@gmail.com

Education & Academic Qualifications

Clinical Fellow in Minimally Invasive Colorectal Surgery (2023–2025)
Cleveland Clinic Florida – Department of Colorectal Surgery, Director: Steven D. Wexner
Travelling Fellowship Award by the Japanese Society of Coloproctology and the European Society of Coloproctology (Nov–Dec 2024)
Host Professor: Jun Watanabe
Colorectal Research Fellow (2021–2023)
Cleveland Clinic Florida – Department of Colorectal Surgery, Director: Steven D. Wexner
International Guideline Development Credentialing and Certification (INGUIDE, McMaster University, 2022) – Level 1: Guideline Group or Panel Member Course
ECFMG Certification (2022)
USMLE Step 1 (2022), Step 2 (2022), Step 3 (2025)
PhD in Medicine (2017–2023)
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens – Medical School
Thesis: “Study of the effect of IGF-1 and its isoforms on wound healing.”
Honorary Clinical Fellow (2019–2020)
Colorectal Department, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, UK
General Surgery Residency (2014–2020)
2nd Propaedeutic Surgical Department, Laiko General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School. Director: Prof. Grigorios Kouraklis
Medical Degree (2007–2013)
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki – Medical School

Fellowship in Societies, Membership in Journal Editorial Committees

Assistant General Secretary, European Society of Coloproctology (ESCP)
Chair, Young-ESCP (since Sept 2023)
Executive Committee Member, ESCP (since Sept 2023)
Member, ESCP Social Media Working Group (since May 2020)
Chair, Communications Committee, ASCRS (since May 2025)
Vice-Chair, Communications Committee, ASCRS (Feb 2022–May 2025)
Member, IBD Committee, ASCRS (since June 2023)
Member, Social Media Committee, Hellenic Society of Coloproctology (since July 2023)
Former Research Committee Member, ESCP (2020–2023)
Programme Committee Member, ESCP (since 2021)
Member, LARS Collaborative
Research Committee Member, OpenSource Research Network
Editorial Board Member, Colorectal Disease Journal
Past Section Editor, International Journal of Colorectal Disease
Editorial Member, Journal of Surgical Simulation
Associate Editor, Frontiers in Colorectal and Proctological Surgery
Editorial Member, Hellenic Journal of Surgery
Review Editor, Frontiers in Visceral Surgery
Member, European Association for Endoscopic Surgery
Member, Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES)
Member, Hellenic Surgical Society (since 2019)
Member, Hellenic Society of Coloproctology (since 2021)
Member, American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (since 2021)
Member, European Society of Coloproctology (since 2018)
Licensed: Hellenic Medical Association (since 2013), GMC UK (since 2020), Florida Board of Medicine (Trainee License, NPI #1194423244)

Work Experience

Consultant Colorectal Surgeon – Hygeia Hospital, Athens, Greece
Clinical Fellow – Minimally Invasive Colorectal Surgery, Cleveland Clinic Florida
Research Fellow – Colorectal Surgery, Cleveland Clinic Florida
Honorary Clinical Fellow – Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, UK
General Surgery Resident – 2nd Propaedeutic Surgical Department, Laiko General Hospital
Rural General Practitioner – Kea, Anafi, Syros Islands

Teaching Experience

Director, Y-ESCP Guidelines Talent Pool Educational Programme
Teaching and mentoring surgical residents and colorectal trainees (2019–present)
Teaching medical students during final residency years (2018–2020)
Lecturer, Basic Suturing Skills: A Hands-on Course (2017)
Lecturer, Anatomy of the Nervous System Lab, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (2010–2011)
Lecturer, Anatomy Lab Course, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (2009–2010)
Creator of educational surgical videos for residents and specialists (https://jomi.com/author/zoe-garoufalia-md)

Clinical: Minimally invasive colorectal surgery, IBD surgery, Low Anterior Resection Syndrome (LARS), functional and reconstructive proctology.
Research: Surgical outcomes and quality, education and guideline development, neoplasia, and functional results following colorectal surgery.
Local and international investigator in multicentre studies including ADiFaS, DAMASCUS, COMPASS, EAGLE, CovidSurg-3, INTESTINE, WORLD, and CANDID.
Lead author in ESCP T1 rectal cancer guidelines; co-investigator in COREAL project.

Honors & Awards

Travelling Fellowship Award – Japanese & European Societies of Coloproctology (2024)
Global Engagement Award – AIS Webinar (2024)
Colorectal Disease Top Downloaded Paper Award (2023)
Mini-invasive Surgery Best Paper Award (2nd Prize, 2023)
2nd Prize Poster – Cleveland Clinic Florida Research Week (2023)
Best Oral Presentation – Cleveland Clinic Research Week (2023)
Best Video Presentation – ACS South Florida Chapter (2023)
2nd Best Oral Presentation – Cleveland Clinic Florida Research Week (2022)
Best Podium Presentation – Cleveland Clinic Florida Research Week (2022)
Best Poster Presentation – 16th Panhellenic Congress of Adrenal Glands Surgery (2019)

Recent Publications

Garoufalia Z, Machairas N, Kostakis ID, Zormpala A, Kouraklis G, Dimitroulis
D. A seemingly innocent wound in an octogenarian. Surgery. 2018
Dec;164(6):1388-1389. doi: 10.1016/j.surg.2018.07.006. Epub 2018 Aug 25. PMID:
30154019.

Garoufalia Z, Aggelis A, Antoniou EA, Kouraklis G, Vagianos C. Operating on
Jehovah’s Witnesses: A Challenging Surgical Issue. J Relig Health. 2022
Jun;61(3):2447-2457. doi: 10.1007/s10943-020-01175-5. Epub 2021 Jan 8. PMID:
33417056.

Garoufalia Z, Papadopetraki A, Karatza E, Vardakostas D, Philippou A,
Kouraklis G, Mantas D. Insulin-like growth factor-I and wound healing, a
potential answer to non-healing wounds: A systematic review of the literature
and future perspectives. Biomed Rep. 2021 Aug;15(2):66. doi:
10.3892/br.2021.1442. Epub 2021 Jun 8. PMID: 34155450; PMCID: PMC8212444.

Garoufalia Z, Gefen R, Emile SH, Zhou P, Silva-Alvarenga E, Wexner SD.
Financial and Inpatient Burden of Adhesion-Related Small Bowel Obstruction: A
Systematic Review of the Literature. Am Surg. 2023 Jun;89(6):2693-2700. doi:
10.1177/00031348221126952. Epub 2022 Sep 14. PMID: 36113044.

Garoufalia Z, Gefen R, Emile SH, Silva-Alvarenga E, Horesh N, Freund MR,
Wexner SD. Gracilis muscle interposition for complex perineal fistulas: A
systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature. Colorectal Dis. 2023
Apr;25(4):549-561. doi: 10.1111/codi.16427. Epub 2022 Dec 7. PMID: 36413086.

Garoufalia Z, Freund MR, Gefen R, Meyer R, DaSilva G, Weiss EG, Wexner SD.
Does Completeness of the Mesorectal Excision Still Correlate With Local
Recurrence? Dis Colon Rectum. 2023 Jul 1;66(7):898-904. doi:
10.1097/DCR.0000000000002551. Epub 2023 Jan 4. PMID: 36649177.

Garoufalia Z, Wexner SD. Indocyanine Green Fluorescence Guided Surgery in
Colorectal Surgery. J Clin Med. 2023 Jan 7;12(2):494. doi: 10.3390/jcm12020494.
PMID: 36675423; PMCID: PMC9865296.

Garoufalia Z, Mavrantonis S, Emile SH, Gefen R, Horesh N, Freund MR, Wexner
SD. Surgical treatment of stomal prolapse: A systematic review and meta-analysis
of the literature. Colorectal Dis. 2023 Jun;25(6):1128-1134. doi:
10.1111/codi.16548. Epub 2023 Mar 25. PMID: 36965087.

Garoufalia Z, D’Andrea A, Horesh N, Emile SH, Gefen R, Wexner SD.
Laparoscopic retro-ileal pull-through technique for coloanal anastomosis- a
video vignette. Colorectal Dis. 2023 Jun;25(6):1319. doi: 10.1111/codi.16554.
Epub 2023 Mar 27. PMID: 36974447.

Garoufalia Z, Pellino G. Social media as a disruptor for academic
congresses. Surgery. 2023 Oct;174(4):1087-1091. doi: 10.1016/j.surg.2023.06.015.
Epub 2023 Jul 21. PMID: 37481419.

Garoufalia Z, Emile SH, Gefen R, Watson K, Emolo J, Horesh N, DaSilva G,
Weiss EG, Wexner SD. Intracorporeal Vessel Ligation in Laparoscopic Right
Colectomy for Cancer is Associated with Increased Lymph Node Yield. World J
Surg. 2023 Dec;47(12):3356-3362. doi: 10.1007/s00268-023-07181-4. Epub 2023 Sep
20. PMID: 37728776.

Garoufalia Z, Emile SH, Zhou P, Gefen R, Horesh N, Strassmann V, Ray-Offor
E, DaSilva G, Wexner SD. Stapler size independently predicts postoperative
complications following stapled ileocolic anastomosis: A retrospective cohort
study. Colorectal Dis. 2024 Feb;26(2):348-355. doi: 10.1111/codi.16841. Epub
2023 Dec 29. PMID: 38158622.

Garoufalia Z, Bellato V, Cunha MF, Avellaneda N, Dudi-Venkata NN, Gallardo
C, Meyer J, Zaffaroni G, Christensen P, Aytac E, Brady RRW, Pellino G; European
Society of Coloproctology ESCP Operation Equal Access Working Group. A narrative
on diversity, equity, and inclusion in surgery: insights from the European
Society of Coloproctology and identification of points for action. Updates Surg.
2024 Apr;76(2):529-537. doi: 10.1007/s13304-023-01685-3. Epub 2024 Jan 27. PMID:
38280108; PMCID: PMC10995079.

Garoufalia Z, Rogers P, Meknarit S, Mavrantonis S, Aeschbacher P, Ray-Offor
E, Emile SH, Gefen R, Dourado J, Horesh N, Wexner SD. Trans‑anal minimally
invasive surgery (TAMIS) versus rigid platforms for local excision of early
rectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature. Surg
Endosc. 2024 Aug;38(8):4198-4206. doi: 10.1007/s00464-024-11065-6. Epub 2024 Jul
18. PMID: 39026004; PMCID: PMC11289048.

Garoufalia Z, Emile SH, Meknarit S, Gefen R, Horesh N, Zhou P, Aeschbacher
P, Strassmann V, Wexner SD. A systematic review and meta-analysis of high-
quality randomized controlled trials on the role of prehabilitation programs in
colorectal surgery. Surgery. 2024 Nov;176(5):1352-1359. doi:
10.1016/j.surg.2024.07.009. Epub 2024 Aug 15. PMID: 39147666.

Garoufalia Z. The promise of indocyanine green in colorectal surgery.
Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2024 Oct;9(10):897-898. doi:
10.1016/S2468-1253(24)00235-8. Epub 2024 Aug 13. PMID: 39151437.

Garoufalia Z, Meknarit S, Emile SH, Gefen R, Horesh N, Zhou P, Rogers P,
DaSilva G, Wexner SD. Technical risk factors for benign anastomotic strictures
in colorectal and/or coloanal anastomosis: A retrospective case-control study.
Colorectal Dis. 2024 Nov;26(11):1996-2002. doi: 10.1111/codi.17184. Epub 2024
Oct 2. PMID: 39358883.

Garoufalia Z, Emile SH, Wexner SD. Reply to the comment on “A systematic
review and meta-analysis of high-quality randomized controlled trials on the
role of prehabilitation programs in colorectal surgery”. Surgery. 2025
Apr;180:109129. doi: 10.1016/j.surg.2024.109129. Epub 2025 Jan 22. PMID:
39848900.

Garoufalia Z, Emile SH, Horesh N, Perets M, Kahana N, Wexner SD. A scoping
literature review on the surgical management of splenic flexure tumors. Scand J
Surg. 2025 Oct 24:14574969251387491. doi: 10.1177/14574969251387491. Epub ahead
of print. PMID: 41133372.

Garoufalia Z, Gefen R, Emile SH, Silva-Alvarenga E, Freund MR, Horesh N,
Wexner SD. Outcomes of graciloplasty in the treatment of fecal incontinence: a
systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature. Tech Coloproctol. 2023
Jun;27(6):429-441. doi: 10.1007/s10151-022-02734-6. Epub 2022 Dec 7. PMID:
36479654.