AAGL Home

Charles H. Koh Excellence in Suturing Award

About the Award

The Koh World Suturing Championship was established in 2022 to encourage excellence in laparoscopic suturing and innovation and will be a yearly competition to award the Charles Koh Excellence in Suturing Award. The finest and most challenging aspect of surgery in the end is repair, reconstruction, or new construction – all of which require proficiency and excellence in suturing. Mechanical modalities have a limited scope and cannot replicate the complexities of ‘free hand’ suturing, which is virtually infallible in addressing all challenges, including those not yet conceptualized. This challenge was created to encourage the competitive spirit of laparoscopic surgeons so that they develop innovation and attain excellence in suturing for current and future procedures.

How to Apply

To enter the Koh World Suturing Championship, follow the Apply Now button below to complete an application and submit your video by July 31, 2024.

How to Win

The suturing competition this year will be conducted through videos submitted as stipulated below. There will not be a live competition. Judging will incorporate votes from viewers after the videos are published. The judges will then add to the voting popularity score of the videos to determine the winner. Further suturing videos or exercises may be requested to determine the winners of each category.

The winner of each category will be announced at the Foundation of the AAGL’s Awards Ceremony held at the AAGL Global Congress, on Monday, November 18, 2024, in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.

One video per submission form.
Multiple submissions accepted.

There Are Two Categories of Competition: OPEN and FELLOWS

Note: Fellows/trainees can only compete in one category.

OPEN CATEGORY:

  • This category is open to all practitioners.
  • The task of this video is laparoscopic myomectomy.

FELLOWS CATEGORY: 

  • This is open to all fellows/trainees worldwide.
  • The task of this video is unedited intracorporeal suturing on a model simulating transverse closure of a rectal disc resection.

Award Eligibility

  • Must demonstrate significant suturing skill.
  • Must meet the requirements listed on the competition application.
  • Must be a member of the AAGL and a Practicing Physician.
  • The winner of each category must attend the Foundation of the AAGL. Award Ceremony, held during the AAGL Global Congress, Monday, November 18, 2024, in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.

Required Documents

All applicants must include the following documents:

  • Completion of the award application.

Award Notification

The Foundation of the AAGL Board will notify applicants who have been selected as the winner and announce the winner live at the FAAGL Award Ceremony.

Award Winnings

The winner of this prestigious award will receive:

  • Recognition on the Foundation of the AAGL website.
  • Recognition in Foundation of the AAGL promotional materials.
  • Recognition in the Global Congress Final Program.
  • Recognition in the Foundation of the AAGL Awards Ceremony Program.
  • Recognition on signage at the AAGL Global Congress congratulating Foundation award winners.
  • Attend the FAAGL Award Ceremony as a guest of honor at Dr. Charles Koh’s table and receive an award and recognition on stage at the FAAGL Award Ceremony held during the 53rd Global Congress in New Orleans, Louisiana.
  • The winner of the Fellow Category will receive a $1000 Scholarship.

Contact Us

If you have questions, contact foundation@aagl.org. 

Excellence in Suturing World Champions

2023
Alan Lam, MBBS (HONS), FRANZCOG, FRCOG
Fellows Category: Peter Thiel, MD

2022
Joseph Hudgens, MD