Department of Surgery News and Stories

Though it affects around one in every 150 male births, chances are good you have never heard of hypospadias — a condition in which the penis, rather than having a hole at the tip through which urine passes, has a hole on the underside. It’s a condition that can cause issues with urination, as well as sexual function, if it isn’t corrected early. 

Greg Glasgow | June 08, 2023

From analyzing the effects of social vulnerability and health disparities on postoperative outcomes to mitigating the effects of trauma to evaluating new treatment modalities for pancreatic cancer, the research presented at the annual University of Colorado Department of Surgery Research Symposium on May 22 posed a plethora of new possibilities for patient care.  

Greg Glasgow | May 23, 2023

As a 4-year-old with severe asthma, Cheryl Meguid, DNP, MBA, formed a special bond with the nurses who took care of her in the hospital as she lay, isolated, in a special heated tent. 

Greg Glasgow | May 12, 2023

The American Urological Association (AUA) recently named Kerri Thurmon, MD, associate professor of urology in the University of Colorado Department of Surgery, as one of the recipients of its 2023 Young Urologist of the Year Award. The award is presented annually to recognize early-career association members for their efforts and commitment to advancing the development of fellow young urologists. 

Greg Glasgow | April 17, 2023

A $1.9 million grant from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) will help researchers at the University of Colorado Department of Surgery and Colorado School of Public Health develop better treatment methods for children diagnosed with craniosynostosis, a present-at-birth condition in which a baby’s skull plates fuse together too early, before the brain is fully formed.

Greg Glasgow | April 12, 2023

The relationship between alcohol use and burn injuries is a negative one in multiple ways. Not only are about 50% of adults who sustain burn injuries intoxicated at the time of injury, suggesting that alcohol use may have contributed to the incident, but alcohol use among burn-injured patients is associated with more severe complications, delayed recovery, and increased morbidity and mortality. 

Greg Glasgow | April 07, 2023

Doctors are always trying to convince their patients to stop smoking, but it’s a concern that’s especially vital prior to surgery, due to the effects smoking has on the body. 

Greg Glasgow | March 14, 2023

If surgery is often seen as a male-dominated medical specialty, the stereotype goes double for the field of urology, with its focus on male concerns including erectile dysfunction, prostate issues, and vasectomies. A 2020 study from the American Urological Association, for example, found that women accounted for just 10.3% of all practicing urologists in the U.S.

Greg Glasgow | March 13, 2023

In honor of Women’s History Month, Whitney Herter, PA-C, BS, a senior instructor in surgical oncology at the University of Colorado Department of Surgery,  talked with Elisa Birnbaum, MD, professor of GI, trauma, and endocrine surgery, about her illustrious career.  

Greg Glasgow | March 10, 2023

Elizabeth J. Kovacs, PhD, professor of GI, trauma, and endocrine surgery, has been named vice chair of research in the CU Department of Surgery.  

Greg Glasgow | March 07, 2023

Megan Adams, MD, surgical director of pediatric living donor transplantation at the University of Colorado Department of Surgery, has received the 2023 Pipeline Award from the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS). 

Greg Glasgow | February 28, 2023

Gallstones are one of the most common problems affecting Americans and are more common the older you get. When gallstones get stuck in the bile ducts, they can cause the gallbladder to back up with bile and become inflamed, often leading to a cholecystectomy, or removal of the organ altogether.

Greg Glasgow | February 14, 2023

Christian Scott’s dream of working in the sports industry never materialized, but as administrative director for the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery in the University of Colorado School of Medicine, he still gets to work with an all-star team dedicated to being the best in its field. 

Greg Glasgow | February 01, 2023

2022 was a record-breaking year for the number of transplants performed by the organ transplant team at the University of Colorado Department of Surgery, with more than 300 kidney transplants, more than 130 liver transplants, more than 60 heart transplants, and 40 lung transplants performed over the past 12 months. 

Greg Glasgow | January 23, 2023

Patients receiving cardiac surgery are at higher risk for acute kidney injury following the procedure, which is why the University of Colorado Department of Surgery has implemented a new preoperative pathway to identify patients who are more likely to suffer acute kidney injury (AKI) following elective cardiac surgery and prevent that injury from occurring.

Greg Glasgow | December 12, 2022

The University of Colorado Department of Surgery recently received accreditation for a new burn surgery fellowship that will allow aspiring burn surgeons to enter the field faster. 

Greg Glasgow | December 07, 2022

Historically, the outlook has been grim for obese patients who need kidney transplants. Due to the physical requirements of the operation, those with a body mass index (BMI) of 35 or higher typically have been denied access to the life-saving procedure. 

Greg Glasgow | November 22, 2022

Cenea Kemp, MD, a general surgery resident in the Department of Surgery at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, took home the award for Best Oral Cardiac Presentation at the annual meeting of the Eastern Cardiothoracic Surgical Society in October. 

Greg Glasgow | November 18, 2022

Surgical patients under the care of clinicians at the University of Colorado Department of Surgery are at lower risk of complications brought on by an aspiration event, thanks to a new patient safety protocol led by the Office of Quality & Clinical Effectiveness of the Department of Surgery, as reported by Viviane Leite Abud, MD, a quality and executive leadership resident in the department.

Greg Glasgow | November 14, 2022

Why are older people at higher risk for lung injury, especially after trauma? The answer may lie in the macrophages, the immune cells that live in the air spaces of the lungs. 

Greg Glasgow | October 17, 2022

A new research study by Danielle Abbitt, MD, a resident in the University of Colorado Department of Surgery, shows that a protocol that started as a necessity during the COVID-19 pandemic has evolved into a time-saving step for patients recovering from surgery. 

Greg Glasgow | September 21, 2022

A new enhanced recovery protocol for patients undergoing lung resection surgery performed by faculty members in the University of Colorado Department of Surgery is resulting in patients going home sooner, experiencing less postoperative pain and complications, and taking fewer opioid drugs to manage their pain.

Greg Glasgow | September 16, 2022

One of the most common surgical procedures worldwide is the repair of inguinal hernias, hernias that occur in the groin. An inguinal hernia is tissue — sometimes intestinal tissue — that bulges out of a weak spot in the abdominal wall, below the belt line. Men are far more likely than women to get inguinal hernias, and the surgery is typically a low-risk, outpatient procedure. 

Greg Glasgow | August 26, 2022

Soldiers and others who receive severe injuries to the hands and face often can benefit from a type of transplant known as vascularized composite allograft (VCA) — the transplantation of multiple tissues, including muscle, bone, nerve, skin, and blood vessels, as a functional unit (such as a hand or face) from a deceased donor to a recipient with a severe injury.  

Greg Glasgow | August 23, 2022

Kristen Lowe, DDS, MS, an assistant professor of plastic and reconstructive surgery in the University of Colorado School of Medicine, has received a grant from Align Technologies, the company that makes the Invisalign tooth-straightening system. The grant will support Lowe in developing more efficient ways to treat infants with cleft lip and palate. 

Greg Glasgow | July 05, 2022

Camille Stewart, MD, assistant professor of surgical oncology in the University of Colorado School of Medicine, is leading general surgery residents on valuable training with new robotic surgical equipment that is becoming more and more common in the world of medicine. 

Greg Glasgow | July 01, 2022

For John Iguidbashian and Alejandro Suarez-Pierre, general surgery residents in the Department of Surgery at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, the research started as a way to give patients who were eligible for lung transplants more accurate information about their life expectancy after the surgery. 

Greg Glasgow | June 17, 2022

Men looking for information on their physical and sexual health often turn to the internet, where low testosterone is a commonly searched — and commonly misunderstood — topic.

Greg Glasgow | June 10, 2022

The dangers of using electronic cigarettes are well known when it comes to the potential for addiction and lung injury, but new research published in the Journal of Surgical Research finds another cause for concern when it comes to e-cigarettes: the potential for the vaping devices to explode during use.  

Greg Glasgow | May 13, 2022

Why are older adults more likely to get seriously ill or even die from pneumonia? It turns out the cause may have as much to do with the gut as it does with the lungs. 

Greg Glasgow | May 11, 2022

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee in the CU School of Medicine Department of Surgery (DOS) has made great strides over the past year, working toward the department’s goal of becoming the most diverse, equitable, and inclusive department of surgery in the country by 2030.  

Greg Glasgow | March 08, 2022

For children with urologic disorders, the relationships they form early on with their urologists often turn out to be among the most important connections of their young lives.  

Greg Glasgow | March 02, 2022

As cooking is the number-one cause of all home fires, this year’s Burn Awareness Week — February 6­–12 — has as its theme “Burning Issues in the Kitchen.” 

Greg Glasgow | February 09, 2022

From Silly Putty to the microwave oven, there is a long history of consumer products “accidentally” discovered during the scientific discovery process. 

Greg Glasgow | February 03, 2022

When they realized their number of patients with urinary tract infections caused by urinary catheters was tracking above the national average, urologic oncologist Janet Kukreja, MD, and Shannon Bortolotto, APRN, clinical nurse specialist at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital, knew they had to take action. 

Greg Glasgow | February 01, 2022

Emma Lamping, a second-year student at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, has received a $5,000 “Emerging Scientist Award” from the Institute of Cannabis Research in Pueblo, Colorado, for her work on a research study comparing postoperative pain medication requirements and surgical outcomes after major abdominal surgery for the treatment of cancer between daily cannabis users and nonusers of cannabis.

Greg Glasgow | January 06, 2022

Two general surgery residents at the University of Colorado School of Medicine — Margot DeBot, MD, and TJ Schaid, MD — placed first and second, respectively, in the District 8 regional competition for the 2022 American College of Surgeons’ Committee on Trauma Paper Competition in early December. DeBot and Schaid are both T32 NIH research fellows in the CU Trauma Lab.

Greg Glasgow | December 17, 2021

With two female cardiothoracic surgeons in its ranks, the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Colorado School of Medicine is ahead of the curve when it comes to gender representation in the field. By one recent estimate, just 8% of cardiothoracic surgeons in the country are female.

Greg Glasgow | November 17, 2021

The U.S. Department of Defense is funding a study by Arek Wiktor, MD, associate professor of GI, trauma, and endocrine surgery and interim medical director of the UCHealth Burn and Frostbite Center – Anschutz Medical Campus, to aid in treatment of military and civilian burn patients.

Greg Glasgow | October 19, 2021

Clinical pathways are a vital tool in providing patients with high-quality, standardized care, as well as improving the value of health care. But they are only helpful if physicians actually use them.

Greg Glasgow | July 12, 2021

Matthew Bartley, MD, MS, has gone viral (as in trending in the world of social media).

Greg Glasgow | July 01, 2021

Patients’ rights advocates scored a major victory in April, when a provision went into effect that allows patients immediate access to all information in their medical records, including physician notes and test results. The change is part of the 21st Century Cures Act, which was passed by Congress in 2016 and continues to be updated.

Greg Glasgow | June 14, 2021

The depth and breadth of the research happening across the Department of Surgery at the University of Colorado School of Medicine was on full display in Monday’s eighth annual Research Symposium. Sixteen residents — eight from clinical and health services and eight from basic and translational research — presented papers on topics ranging from salvaging tissue in patients with frostbite to how shock can affect someone with a traumatic brain injury. The event was held virtually due to the pandemic.

Greg Glasgow | May 26, 2021

Bryan Raymond was very nearly just another grim entry on the ever-growing list of COVID-19 fatalities. But thanks to efforts by faculty members in the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Department of Surgery, Raymond is a COVID statistic of a different sort — the first person in Colorado to receive a lung transplant related to the virus.

Greg Glasgow | April 26, 2021

For the past nine years, the Surgical Outcomes and Applied Research (SOAR) group at the University of Colorado School of Medicine has been conducting research on health services within the Department of Surgery. A large part of that research has to do with clinical outcomes for surgery patients and how patients fare — in the short term and the long term — after an operation.

Greg Glasgow | April 07, 2021

As they look back on one of the most challenging years in their medical careers, members of the Department of Surgery at the University of Colorado School of Medicine remember the low points — the crowded emergency rooms, the delayed surgeries, the deaths from the disease — but they remember some high points as well.

Greg Glasgow | March 24, 2021

As a resident in the Department of Surgery at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Heather Carmichael, MD, was accustomed to the emotional remove doctors have from their patients. The distance that allows surgeons to cut into someone without hesitation or to deliver bad news without falling apart.

Greg Glasgow | February 19, 2021

The racial reckoning occurring in America in a year that saw the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and others touches nearly every aspect of society. From corporate boardrooms and HR departments to police forces and universities, assumptions are being questioned and priorities reexamined as we are reminded of the inequities that still exist for people of color.

Greg Glasgow | December 14, 2020

Medical cannabis was legalized in Colorado in 2000, but 20 years later, Camille Stewart, MD, isn’t able to prescribe it to her patients. Nor is she able to dictate the dosage or frequency with which patients take the drug.

Greg Glasgow | December 07, 2020