Welcome to the Norwegian page of the ESCP website
This page contains details about colorectal surgery and research in Norway.
The Norwegian Society for Colorectal Surgery is a part of the Norwegian Association of Gastrointestinal Surgery, a sub-organisation of the Norwegian Medical Association.
Information about the Norwegian Colorectal Cancer Registry is here.
If any member of the ESCP wishes to contact me on any matter, please do not hesitate to email me at
Kind regards
William Lossius
Population: 5.5 million
ESCP Members: 25
Colorectal Surgeons: Approximately 120, we have 350 gastrointestinal surgeons.
Society: Norwegian Society of Colorectal Surgery, Norwegian Association for Gastrointestinal Surgery
ESCP Representative Name: William Lossius
National Examination: None
Achievements
Relevant achievements in Norway include:
- 1994: Establishment of the Norwegian Rectal Cancer Registry
- 2007: Establishment of the Norwegian Colorectal Cancer Registry
- 2010: New evidence-based government endorsed national guidelines for colorectal cancer
- 2002-2020: Gradual improvement nationwide of 5 year relative survival in rectal cancer patients, currently at 73%, and for colon cancer at 72%
- From 2012: New national database for liver met. surgery
- 2015: Establishment of LapcoNor, a regional (South East Health Authority) education program for laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery in cooperation with the Lapco program in UK
- From 2016: National registry for complications after GI surgery; NORGAST
- 2016: Establishment of the new Norwegian Society for Colorectal Surgery
National meeting
Årsmøtet for Norsk Kirurgisk Forening - the Annual Meeting of the Norwegian Surgical Association, 20.-24. Oktober 2025, Oslo
Current research
- New National trial: "Watch and Wait" in patients with complete clinical response (CCR) after neo-adjuvant chemoradiotherapy for primary locally advanced rectal cancer. Protocol finished by Des. 2016. Start of inclusion January - February 2018, is stopped due to high number of metastases. The final report in Norwegian is here.
- NOstoma-trial: Norwegian Stoma Trial
Future plans
- Norwegian Registry for Treatment of Fecal Incontinence
- Norwegian registry for Treatment of Rectal Prolapse
- Development of LapcoNor into a national education program
The Norwegian Society for Colorectal Surgery has set-up an initiative to regulate IBD surgery in Norway, where guidelines have been proposed and this is currently for discussion in HelseDirektoratet. The main recommendation is to have centres doing a minimum of 10 pouches per year, it should be done where there is a MDT team, reasonable waiting times, a dedicated gastroenterologist, high competence of laparoscopic surgery and centres doing colon cancer surgery.