President - Jack Chiu, MD, FRCSC
Dr. Jack Chiu completed his medical school and general surgery residency training at the University of Alberta. Subsequently, he completed the Minimally Invasive Surgery fellowship program at the University of British Columbia. He is currently a general surgeon at Vancouver General Hospital specializing in Minimally Invasive Surgery and is the Integrated Practice Unit lead for Abdominal Wall Reconstruction.
President-Elect - Rachel Liu Hennessey, MD, MSc, FRCSC
Dr. Liu-Hennessey completed general surgery residency at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario. She then went on to complete the Minimally Invasive Surgery fellowship program at the University of British Columbia. She is currently a clinical instructor at Vancouver General Hospital specializing in Minimally Invasive Surgery and Abdominal Wall Reconstruction.
Past-President - Megan Melland-Smith, MD, MSc, FRCSC
Dr. Megan Melland-Smith completed general surgery residency at the University of Toronto. She then went on to complete a fellowship in Advanced Abdominal Wall Reconstruction at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, USA. She now practices at North York General Hospital focusing on complex hernias requiring advanced reconstructive techniques. She also has an interest in hernia research and quality improvement.
Secretary-Treasurer - Fady Saleh, MD, FRCSC
Dr. Fady Saleh earned his Applied Mathematics degree from York University and entered medical school at the University of Toronto at age 19. After completing General Surgery training at McMaster University and subspecialty training in Minimally Invasive Surgery, he became Division Head of General Surgery at Etobicoke General Hospital. He holds a Master’s in Quantitative Methods from Harvard’s School of Public Health and has published extensively in outcomes and population-based research. A national leader in e-TEP ventral hernia repair, Dr. Saleh’s clinical and research interests focus on advancing minimally invasive approaches to complex hernia surgery.
Members at Large
Ram Anantha, MD, FRCSC; Edmonton, AB
Benjamin Fung, MD, FRCSC; Toronto, ON
Robert Hall, MD, FRSCS; Thornhill, ON
Marguerite Mainprize, MD, FRCSC; Thornhill, ON
Michele Riordon, MD FRCSC; Barrie, ON
Oscar Henao, MD, FRCSC; Thornhill, ON
Jonah Shiroky, MD, FRCSC; Winnipeg, MB
Sam Minor, MD, FRCSC; Bedford, NS
Elaine Tang, MD, FRCSC; London, ON
Sean Norris, MD, FRCSC; St. Albert, AB
Daphne Lu, MD, FRCSC; Vancouver, BC
Resident Member: Vacant
Honorary Members
Honorary Members:
- Dr. Gaétan Brochu, MD FRCSC FACS; Québec, QC
- Dr. Lloyd Smith, MD FRCSC; Toronto, ON
Dr. Roch Lapointe, MD, FRCSC
Dr. Roch Lapointe, MD, FRCSC is a Canadian general surgeon from Saint-Ferréol-les-Neiges, Quebec. He completed his surgical training in Hotel-Dieu de Sherbrooke. He held numerous appointments of surgical department chairs and lead many medical committees. He has contributed significantly to the field of hernia repair as well as laparoscopy. He gave numerous talks on complex hernia repair techniques and help pioneer adoption of many of the modern hernia repairs used to date. He was also instrumental in the initiation of laparoscopic surgery nationwide.
In Memoriam
Dr. Alexander Nagy, March 18, 1943 – May 3, 2023
Dr. Alexander Nagy served as the Chief of Surgery and Medical Staff for the Canadian Forces. Following this he was appointed the UBC General Surgery Training Program director. Dr. Nagy was a Canadian endoscopic and laparoscopic surgery pioneer. He travelled across Canada preceptoring practicing surgeons for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Dr. Nagy retired in 2014 after a long and illustrious academic surgical career. He passed away in May 2023 and leaves behind an incredible legacy in his family, friends, former colleagues, and all those who benefited from his surgical innovation.
Dr. Dennis Richard Klassen, Oct 6, 1966 – July 29, 2020
Dennis was raised in Sanford, Manitoba, he completed his General Surgery training at the University of Manitoba in 1999. He later completed a highly coveted fellowship in minimally invasive surgery at McGill University. He then joined Dalhousie in 2002 as the first fellowship-trained minimally invasive surgeon in Atlantic Canada.
Dr. Klassen had a major role in advancing minimally invasive surgery in the Maritimes. He believed in continuing education, always partaking in training to advance his skills and share with others. He worked with many surgeons throughout the Maritimes to provide mentorship in specific minimally invasive surgery cases. He had a profound impact on the safe implementation of new technology to the betterment of patients.
Dr. Klassen served as president of the Canadian Hernia Society from 2017-2018. He was instrumental with contribution of minimally invasive approaches to hernia surgery. He will be remembered for his patience in the OR and his dedication to improving patient outcomes with a minimally invasive approach.
Dr. Robert Bendavid, MD, 1940-2019
Dr. Bendavid was a leading hernia surgeon at the Shouldice Hospital in Toronto. He was well known for his great expertise in the surgery of the abdominal wall. He pioneered the translation of Henri Fruchaud’s Anatomie chirurgicale des hernies de l’aine into The Surgical anatomy of Hernias of the Groin, a book that remains a treasure of herniology. He was also a co-founder of the Canadian Hernia Society. He published numerous articles on hernia surgery and will remain an example for surgeons who are involved in evolution of hernia treatment. He will be remembered for his mentorship, international collaborations, and contributions to the field of hernia surgery.