Department of Surgery News and Stories

One of the first questions that patients often ask when they enter the list for a transplant organ is, “How long will I be waiting?”

Rachel Sauer | March 31, 2023

Kidney disease is sometimes called the “silent disease” because it can be symptomless in its early stages. An estimated 90% of Americans who have chronic kidney disease (CKD) may not even know they have it until it is advanced.

Rachel Sauer | March 30, 2023

For Stephanie Farmer, MHA, an "a-ha!" moment in her career happened as an undergraduate working in the University of Colorado Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. In that role, she began to see how the business and administration aspect of health care can play a significant part in patient care, and how she could have a role in that care.

In honor of Women's History Month, Leah Lleras, MS, director of finance for the Department of Surgery, interviews Farmer, vice chair of administration for the Department of Surgery and the CU Cancer Center, about the path her career has taken since that a-ha moment.

Rachel Sauer | March 17, 2023

When Lauren Steward, MD, was 5, her parents presented her with three career options: doctor, lawyer, or engineer.

Rachel Sauer | February 23, 2023

The career turning point for Michael Wells, PA-C, MPH, came during heart surgery in an operating room at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.

Rachel Sauer | February 21, 2023

The Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery in the University of Colorado Department of Surgery has named Joseph Cleveland Jr., MD, as the new division chief.

Rachel Sauer | January 30, 2023

Today, the Division of Pediatric Surgery in the University of Colorado Department of Surgery welcomes a new chief, one who brings a strong commitment to growing diversity and equity in pediatric surgery and supporting surgeons as research scientists.

Rachel Sauer | January 16, 2023

Carotid artery blowout, while rare, is a life-threatening surgical emergency with a mortality rate approaching 60%.

Rachel Sauer | January 13, 2023

Editor’s Note: Since this story first published, Damar Hamlin was discharged from a Buffalo, New York, hospital January 11 and on January 28 released a video updating his fans and community on his recovery.

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, 24, remained in critical condition Wednesday after collapsing on the football field six minutes into the first quarter of Monday night’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Rachel Sauer | January 04, 2023

In the course of her research, Jamie Burke, a student in the University of Colorado School of Medicine, learned that at least 50% of patients surveyed at a safety net breast surgical oncology clinic were uncomfortable interpreting their own medical results.

Rachel Sauer | December 16, 2022

An innovative device designed to secure gastrostomy buttons recently won the Shark Tank challenge at the 2022 North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN) annual meeting.

Rachel Sauer | December 09, 2022

Urinary tract infections (UTI) are among the most commonly diagnosed bacterial infections in children. While the incidence of UTI is highest in a child’s first year, they can be a concern throughout childhood.

Rachel Sauer | November 21, 2022

From its founding in 1903, the Society of Clinical Surgery has pursued general advancement of surgery – seeking to stimulate its members to work along lines of original thought and investigation in the clinic, laboratory, or library.

Rachel Sauer | November 16, 2022

Lymphedema is a chronic disease that causes lymphatic fluid to build up in the body, especially in the legs, arms, genitals, face, neck, and chest wall. It can be painful, debilitating, and have significant negative impacts on a person’s quality of life.

Rachel Sauer | October 28, 2022

Blood transfusion is a vital and lifesaving intervention in a broad range of scenarios, from trauma response to cancer treatment. However, it is not entirely without risk.

Rachel Sauer | October 24, 2022

It wasn’t his first stroll through a teeming Kathmandu market, his first taste of momos, or even his first view of the Himalayas that weaved a piece of his heart into the fabric of a country 12,000 miles from his Denver home.

Rachel Sauer | October 05, 2022

Pediatric patients did not experience a significant difference in pain levels following ureteral stent removal between those who took a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicine before the procedure and those who didn’t, new research reports.

Rachel Sauer | September 15, 2022

Research recently published in JAMA Surgery demonstrates that living-donor liver transplant (LDLT) recipients gain an additional 13 to 17 life-years following their surgery compared with patients who remain on the donor waitlist.

Rachel Sauer | September 06, 2022

Liver transplant surgery is a vital and life-saving procedure, but it also is associated with a high rate of postoperative complications. As many as one in four liver transplant patients will return to the operating room (R-OR) within 48 hours of their initial surgery.

Rachel Sauer | August 24, 2022

It happened so fast, and it was so unexpected.

In August 2020, Mario Carrasco got what he suspected was COVID-19 and took Tylenol to combat his high fever. When that didn’t work, he took an antibiotic he had received from Mexico and eventually felt better. For several months afterward, he felt fine. He felt like he always does.

Rachel Sauer | June 15, 2022

Before Maurice Musoni, MD, completed his surgical training in South Africa, his home country of Rwanda had no cardiothoracic surgeon.

Rachel Sauer | June 14, 2022

The graduating physicians honored Friday at the University of Colorado Department of Surgery Resident and Fellow Graduation navigated portions of their training during an unprecedented time. The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic significantly altered not only surgery schedules and overall hospital operations, but the landscape of health care.

Rachel Sauer | June 13, 2022

Patients who come from socially vulnerable backgrounds are at greater risk for complications following colon surgery, recently published research has found.

Rachel Sauer | May 27, 2022

Through analyzing post-operative outcome data for more than 5.5 million patients, Helen Madsen, MD, found that patients who are overweight or obese are at increased risk for post-operative infection, blood clots, and renal complications.

Rachel Sauer | May 25, 2022

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, intensive care unit (ICU) beds were in limited supply, and the pandemic only exacerbated this growing concern. Since the pandemic began, ICU resources have been in such demand that clinicians across the United States and world have struggled to meet the need.

Rachel Sauer | May 24, 2022

It’s not unusual for students to enter medical school with ideas about paths they’d like to pursue in medicine. Those ideas can evolve over time as they delve into course work and clinical rotations, but the initial interests that guided them to medicine in the first place can be significant.

Rachel Sauer | May 20, 2022

The skills that Ryan Gupta, MD, learned during his master of business administration (MBA) studies aren’t necessarily the skills usually associated with vascular surgery: how to understand financial statements, how to conduct market research, how to make difficult decisions about resource allocation.

Rachel Sauer | April 15, 2022

In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued the Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain, a resource for primary care clinicians who prescribe opioids for chronic pain outside of active cancer treatment, palliative care, and end-of-life care.

Rachel Sauer | April 12, 2022

At first, she was reluctant to talk about it – a little sheepish, even. The obvious question was, “Why are you doing this?” And though she had answers, none of them were quick or easy.

Rachel Sauer | April 06, 2022

Almost a decade into his medical career, amid the daily traumas of war, Mohammed Al-Musawi, MD, began to love his job.

Rachel Sauer | March 22, 2022

A tool designed to help surgical trainees practice skills such as knot tying, suturing, vascular and bowel anastomoses, and other techniques has helped eliminate barriers to simulation resources.

Rachel Sauer | March 16, 2022

Comedian Bob Saget’s death on January 9 was a shock to fans who loved him as Danny Tanner on “Full House” or for his stand-up comedy, and to those who admired and respected him as a colleague.

Rachel Sauer | February 10, 2022

While both patients and clinicians prioritize information transparency, a 21st Century Cures Act requirement for the immediate release of test and lab results is proving more controversial, according to recently published survey results of clinicians and patients.

Rachel Sauer | January 21, 2022

After the chemotherapy and radiation treatments, when she was discussing necessary surgery with her UCHealth Cancer Center care team, Irma Lechuga learned her rectal cancer surgery would include creation of a temporary ileostomy.

Rachel Sauer | January 05, 2022

For the 50 years of his career, Ernest Moore, MD, a distinguished professor of surgery, has been eager to go to work ­­– not just caring for patients or the challenges of the operating room, but for the myriad paths of research he has pursued since he was an undergraduate.

Rachel Sauer | December 20, 2021

Empower Field at Mile High in Denver seats about 76,000 – a huge space with the population of a small city when filled to capacity.

Rachel Sauer | December 15, 2021

For many women in the medical field, the common pressures associated with the profession – long hours, emotional toll, work/life balance – can be magnified by the added experiences of misogyny and sexism. From making less than their male colleagues to seeing people express surprise that they are the doctor, women’s experiences can be fraught and frustrating.

Rachel Sauer | December 13, 2021

The victory lap came 50 years after high school, in a female restroom at Denver’s East High School.

Rachel Sauer | November 15, 2021

There’s a significant body of research on opioids ­­– how they’re metabolized, how they react with other drugs, the physiology of addiction, and how they’re prescribed, among the many areas of focus.

Rachel Sauer | October 27, 2021

Over the past five decades, childhood overweight and obesity has transitioned from public health concern to public health crisis. In 1971, 5.2% of U.S. children ages 2 to 19 were experiencing obesity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a number that increased to 19.3% by 2018.

Rachel Sauer | September 30, 2021

The traditional path for surgeons after they’ve completed medical school is a five-year general surgery residency followed by a two-year fellowship in an area of specialization. Even for surgeons who choose their specialty in medical school, this has been the most common training path.

Rachel Sauer | September 10, 2021

Ideas and innovation don’t always co-exist with convenience. On the CU Anschutz Medical Campus, the road to a novel mask design to address the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic took some unexpected twists and turns.

Rachel Sauer | September 08, 2021

You know how it is trying to leave for vacation – there’s always one last thing to do, one last note to write, one last end to tie up before committing to the rest and relaxation.

Rachel Sauer | August 13, 2021

Of all the lessons she learned during the eight-week Medical Student Summer Research Program (MSRP), Rose Castle, a rising second year at the University of Colorado School of Medicine who is interested in pursuing general surgery, drew her main takeaway outside the operating room.

Rachel Sauer | August 10, 2021