Department of Surgery News and Stories

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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