Lee L. Swanström MD, FACS, FASGE, FRCSEng(Hon)

Dr. Lee Swanstrom is the Scientific Director and Chief Innovations Officer of the Institutes des Hôpitaux Universitaires (IHU) of the University of Strasbourg, France. He started and directs the IHU-Strasbourg Innovation Program (I-SIP) there as well. He is Professor of Surgery at Oregon Health and Science University, a current Director of the American Board of Surgery and is Past President of the Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES), the Fellowship Council (FC) and is a founder and Board Member of the American Foregut Society. His clinical practice is primarily surgical endoscopy and minimally invasive foregut surgery. 

Dr. Swanstrom received his MD degree from Creighton University following undergraduate work at the University of Paris (Sorbonne) and University of Colorado. He completed an internship and residency in general surgery in Portland and a fellowship in surgical endoscopy and GI surgery at the University of Western Ontario.

Dr. Swanstrom’s clinical focus is on minimally invasive treatments of a variety of esophageal and gastrointestinal disorders, particularly utilizing laparoscopy and interventional flexible endoscopy. He is a well-known educator and researcher with over 350 scientific papers, 80 book chapters and is the editor of 3 major surgical textbooks and the journal Surgical Innovation. His current H-Index = 67 and i10 Index = 162. His research focus is in foregut physiology, human factors and technology assessment and new procedure development. This has resulted in 23 patents and several medical device startup companies. He is and has been an investigator on numerous outcomes research studies for new procedures such as NOTES to determine their safety and efficacy for establishing new standards of care. He serves as a consultant to a large number of past and current medical device companies but his greatest pride has been the large numbers of fellows and residents who have been inspired to push the envelope in the field of GI surgery.