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Blogs

Department of Surgery News and Stories

By Author

Rachel Sauer


Community    Awareness    Transplant Surgery    Organ donation

Completing an Ironman Just Four Months after Donating a Kidney

Six days after Liz Young donated her left kidney to a stranger in Pennsylvania, she and her mom were walking a slow but determined 3.1 miles in the annual Donor Dash 5K.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date June 29, 2023
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Research    Public Health    Trauma    Pediatric surgery

Pediatric Trauma Surgery Patients with Higher Social Vulnerability Experience Worse Post-Surgical Outcomes

The Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) is an important tool that ranks each U.S. Census tract on 16 social factors – including poverty, crowded housing, and lack of vehicle access – to help identify communities and populations at greater risk for poor health outcomes during emergencies.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date May 30, 2023
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Community    Burn    GITES

Burn Trip to Uganda and Rwanda Focuses on Building and Strengthening Relationships

An ocean, several countries, and more than 8,000 miles lie between the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and Kibogora Hospital in Kirambo, Rwanda. The similarities between the two locations, however, are significant.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date May 26, 2023
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Community    Obesity    GITES    Bariatric surgery

Bariatric Surgery Journey Takes Man from Knee Pain to the Lightness of Flying

Danny Naranjo was still several years from his 40th birthday, but he was increasingly aware of that milestone on the horizon.

His body mass index (BMI) was about 80. He had back pain and struggled with lymphedema. His knees hurt when he had to walk even short distances for his job at Elitch Gardens, and he did it only with a steady stream of Tylenol, ibuprofen, and sometimes tramadol. As 40 approached, he knew these concerns might only get more acute, with new ones possibly joining them. He wanted to change what was beginning to feel like an inevitable future.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date May 16, 2023
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Research    Public Health    Obesity    Cardiothoracic Surgery

Obesity Associated with Increased Risk of Complications After Surgery

In the United States, almost 74% of adults age 20 and older have overweight or obesity, and of that number almost 42% have obesity.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date April 28, 2023
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Research    Community    Urology

Growing Urology Education and Awareness on Twitter

Despite its occasional reputation as a place to pick fights with strangers, Twitter can often be a valuable tool – for awareness, for education, for connecting with peers around the world.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date April 25, 2023
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Community    Awareness    GITES

Addressing Some Common Questions About Fecal Incontinence

It’s not uncommon for patients to approach their health care providers in blushes and whispers, burdened by the weight of perceived taboos.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date April 14, 2023
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Research    Cardiothoracic Surgery

Case Study Research Emphasizes Importance of Specific Imaging in Cardiac Surgical Care

The continuing move to multidisciplinary surgical care has meant a growing number of approaches to treating surgical issues. In cardiac surgery, the conversations that happen between surgeons, cardiac imagers, and interventional cardiologists have become integral to providing the best care that puts patients at the lowest risk.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date April 11, 2023
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Patient Care    Community    Transplant Surgery

Using More Precise Language to Talk About Organ Transplant Waiting Times

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?”


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date March 31, 2023
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Community    Transplant Surgery    Equity Diversity and Inclusion

Program Works to Close Racial Gaps in Kidney Transplantation

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.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date March 30, 2023
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Community    Equity Diversity and Inclusion

Caring for Patients on the Business Side

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.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date March 17, 2023
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Community    GITES    Equity Diversity and Inclusion

Thriving in the Complexity and Immediacy of Trauma Surgery

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


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date February 23, 2023
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Community    Medicine    Cardiothoracic Surgery

Finding the Heartbeat in Medicine

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


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date February 21, 2023
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Leadership    Pediatric surgery

Division of Pediatric Surgery Welcomes New Chief

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.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date January 16, 2023
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Research    Vascular Surgery

Rare Carotid Artery Blowout Emphasizes Need for Recognition of Symptoms and Swift Treatment

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


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date January 13, 2023
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Community    Cardiothoracic Surgery    Cardiac Arrest

Cardiac Arrest During NFL Game Brings Awareness to Importance of High-Quality Intervention

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.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date January 04, 2023
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Research    Education    Students

From COVID-19 to Opioids: Medical Students Highlight Studies Completed Through Summer Research Program

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.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date December 16, 2022
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Research    Innovation    Community    Pediatrics

Button Huggie Wins Shark Tank Award at National Conference

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.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date December 09, 2022
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Community    Pediatrics    Urology

Consistent Bathroom Habits Can Help Minimize UTI Risk in Children

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.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date November 21, 2022
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Community    Clinical surgery

Ideas and Insights Highlighted at Society of Clinical Surgery Annual Scientific Meeting

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.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date November 16, 2022
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Research    Community    Plastic Surgery

Ongoing Research Aims to Develop Standards for Lymphedema Therapy

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.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date October 28, 2022
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Research    Pediatric Cancer    Blood

Research Finds that Life-Saving Intervention Is Not Risk-Free in Pediatric Patients

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.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date October 24, 2022
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Education    Community    Public Health

Decades-Long Public Health Partnerships in Nepal Supported by University of Colorado Colleagues

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.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date October 05, 2022
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Research    Pediatrics    Urology

Pediatric Patients Undergoing Surgical Stent Removal Report Minimal Amounts of Postsurgical Pain

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.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date September 15, 2022
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Research    Transplant Surgery    Liver Transplant

Living-Donor Liver Transplant Recipients Gain an Average of 13 to 17 Life-Years Following Surgery

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.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date September 06, 2022
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Research    Transplant Surgery    Liver Transplant

Obesity, Alcohol Use, and Decreased Blood Clotting Associated with Return to Operating Room After Liver Transplant

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.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date August 24, 2022
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Patient Care    Awareness    Transplant Center    CU Medicine Today

“One in a Billion Odds”

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.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date June 15, 2022
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Education    Community    CU Medicine Today    Cardiothoracic Surgery    Fellowship

International Collaborations Bring Rwanda’s Only Cardiothoracic Surgeon to Colorado

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


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date June 14, 2022
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Education    Community

Department of Surgery Honors Graduating Residents and Fellows for Dedication During Challenging Times

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.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date June 13, 2022
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Research    Patient Care    Community

Socially Vulnerable Colectomy Patients Are at Greater Risk for Post-Operative Complications

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


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date May 27, 2022
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Research    Education    Community

General Surgery Residents Present Broad Range of Research Findings at Annual Symposium

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.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date May 25, 2022
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Research    Patient Care    Education    Community

Online Assessment Tool Helps Predict ICU Need Following Surgery

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.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date May 24, 2022
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Research    Education    Community    Cardiothoracic Surgery

Medical Student Wins Award for Presenting Paper about Surgical Training Tool

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.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date May 20, 2022
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Research    Education    Community    Vascular Surgery

Business Studies Help Surgery Resident Plan for a Career that Incorporates Areas Beyond Health Care

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.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date April 15, 2022
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Community    Awareness    Public Health    Plastic Surgery

Revised CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids Should Emphasize a Multidisciplinary Approach to Managing Pain

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.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date April 12, 2022
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Patient Care    Community    Awareness    Transplant Center

Living Organ Donation Journey Inspires Doctor to Normalize the Experience for Others

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.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date April 06, 2022
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Education    Community    Faculty    Vascular Surgery    Cardiothoracic Surgery

Nurturing a Passion for Medicine that Was Born in the Midst of War

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


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date March 22, 2022
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Research    Education    Community    Students

New Research Shows that Surgical Training Tool Significantly Improves Residents’ Ability to Practice Essential Skills

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.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date March 16, 2022
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Community    Awareness    Trauma and Fractures    GITES

Bob Saget’s Death from Accidental Head Trauma Brings Awareness of Signs to Look for Following Head Injury

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.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date February 10, 2022
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Research    Patient Care    Community    Surgical Oncology

Research Finds Patients and Providers Differ in Opinions About Immediate Access to Medical Records

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.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date January 21, 2022
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Patient Care    Faculty    Clinical Research    Clinical Trials

Clinical Trial Allows Participants to Avoid an Ileostomy During Surgery for Rectal Cancer

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.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date January 05, 2022
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Research    Patient Care    Education    Community    Faculty

Supporting Surgeon-Scientists in Research to Find New and Better Ways of Caring for Patients

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.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date December 20, 2021
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Innovation    Patient Care    Education    Community    Transplant Center

National and Regional Need for Organ and Tissue Donation Remains Strong

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.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date December 15, 2021
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Education    Community

Confronting Misogyny and Sexism in Medicine Begins with Awareness and Listening

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.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date December 13, 2021
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Patient Care    Community    Plastic Surgery   

Gender Affirmation Surgery Helps Patient Feel Whole for the First Time in 71 Years

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


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date November 15, 2021
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Research    Patient Care    Community

Study Finds that Patients Approach Surgery with Strong, Pre-Formed Ideas about Opioid Use

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.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date October 27, 2021
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Patient Care    Community    Child & Adolescent    GITES

CU Surgeon Looking to Extend Bariatric Surgery Services to Adolescent Patients

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.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date September 30, 2021
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Patient Care    Education    Community    Vascular Surgery

New Vascular Surgery Residency Program Allows Residents to Focus on Surgical Specialty for Entire Training

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.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date September 10, 2021
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Research    Patient Care    Community    COVID-19    Quality and Clinical Effectiveness   

Multidisciplinary Team Designs Novel Mask in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic

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.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date September 08, 2021
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Faculty    Cardiothoracic Surgery

“Is There a Physician Onboard?”: Emergency over the Atlantic Reaffirms Surgeon’s Commitment to Helping

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.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date August 13, 2021
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Research    Education    Students

Second Annual Medical Student Summer Research Program Offers Mentorship and Hands-On Research Experience

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.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date August 10, 2021
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Department of Surgery In the News

UCHealth

Colorado School of Mines Student Returns To Wrestling Team After Car Accident Forced Devastating Leg Amputation

news outletUCHealth
Publish DateFebruary 22, 2024

“Wrestling is a difficult sport. It’s both a team and a one-on-one sport that requires endurance, strength, and mental toughness,” said Matthew Lorio, MD, professor of plastic and reconstructive surgery.

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CBS4 Denver

Colorado Doctor Hopes To Help Restore Sight of Man Who Went Blind

news outletCBS4 Denver
Publish DateFebruary 02, 2024

Kia Washington, MD, professor of plastic and reconstructive surgery, is hoping she can help a Colorado man who was blinded seven years ago.

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UCHealth

Janet Kukreja, MD, Outlines Key Kidney Cancer Research That Was Presented at This Year’s Society of Urologic Oncology Annual Meeting.

news outletUCHealth
Publish DateDecember 04, 2023

Janet Kukreja, MD, a University of Colorado School of Medicine urologic surgeon, is North America’s most prolific robotic cystectomist.

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The Denver Post

Children’s Hospital Colorado Needed 10 People To Donate Part of Their Livers to Sick Kids. More Than 100 Stepped Forward.

news outletThe Denver Post
Publish DateNovember 21, 2023

So many Coloradans responded to a call to donate pieces of their livers that Children’s Hospital Colorado expects every child in need of a transplant this year will get one.

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