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?”
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Patient Care Community Transplant Surgery
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?”
Community Transplant Surgery Equity Diversity and Inclusion
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.
Community Equity Diversity and Inclusion
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.
Community Cardiothoracic Surgery
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.
Community Faculty Equity Diversity and Inclusion
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.
Community GITES Equity Diversity and Inclusion
When Lauren Steward, MD, was 5, her parents presented her with three career options: doctor, lawyer, or engineer.
Community Medicine Cardiothoracic Surgery
The career turning point for Michael Wells, PA-C, MPH, came during heart surgery in an operating room at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.
Community Equity Diversity and Inclusion
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.
Community Cardiothoracic Surgery Cardiac Arrest
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.
Research Innovation Community Pediatrics
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.
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.
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.
Research Community Plastic Surgery
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.
Education Community Public Health
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.
That pain when you walk could be more serious than you think. It could be a sign of peripheral artery disease (PAD), a condition in which a narrowing of the arteries results in reduced blood flow to the arms or legs. When the arms or legs — PAD typically affects the legs — don't receive enough blood flow to keep up with demand, it can cause pain when walking and other symptoms. PAD is usually a sign of a buildup of fatty deposits in the arteries, known as atherosclerosis.
Community Cardiothoracic Surgery
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.
Education Community CU Medicine Today Cardiothoracic Surgery Fellowship
Before Maurice Musoni, MD, completed his surgical training in South Africa, his home country of Rwanda had no cardiothoracic surgeon.
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.
Patient Care Community Mental Health
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.
Research Patient Care Community
Patients who come from socially vulnerable backgrounds are at greater risk for complications following colon surgery, recently published research has found.
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.
Research Patient Care Education Community
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.
Research Education Community Cardiothoracic Surgery
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.
Research Education Community Vascular Surgery
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.
Community Awareness Public Health Plastic Surgery
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.
Patient Care Community Awareness Transplant Center
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.
Education Community Faculty Vascular Surgery Cardiothoracic Surgery
Almost a decade into his medical career, amid the daily traumas of war, Mohammed Al-Musawi, MD, began to love his job.
Research Education Community Students
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.
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.
Patient Care Community Pediatrics Urology
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.
Patient Care Community Transplant Center
Service members join the military with a passion to serve, and that passion remains long after they have fulfilled their formal commitments. Upon their departure from military service, many veterans remain committed to serving others. Their military experience often inspires them to become active in their communities at home.
Community Awareness Trauma and Fractures GITES
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.
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.”
Research Patient Care Community Surgical Oncology
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.
Research Patient Care Education Community Faculty
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.
Research Education Community Trauma GITES
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.
Research Patient Care Education Community
The University of Colorado Department of Surgery's commitment to improve every life was spotlighted numerous times by faculty, staff, trainees, and students throughout 2021.
Innovation Patient Care Education Community Transplant Center
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.
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.
Patient Care Community Prostate Cancer Bladder Cancer Urology
Happy Movember! No, that’s not a spelling error. Movember has been celebrated each November since 2003 to bring awareness (and funding) to men’s health issues, particularly prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health and suicide prevention.
Patient Care Community Cardiothoracic Surgery
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.
Patient Care Community Plastic Surgery
The victory lap came 50 years after high school, in a female restroom at Denver’s East High School.
Research Patient Care Community
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.
Patient Care Community Transplant Center
Research shows that Hispanic patients spend longer on the transplant waiting list than other ethnic groups. They also face higher mortality rates while waiting for a transplant. With a goal to change this disparity in transplantation, Elizabeth Pomfret, MD, PhD, chief of the Division of Transplant Surgery at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, created a clinic to better serve the Hispanic community in the Rocky Mountain region.
Education Community Transplant Center
As the American Medical Association’s Women in Medicine Month concludes today, the University of Colorado Department of Surgery shines a spotlight on Elizabeth Pomfret, MD, PhD, chief of the Division of Transplant Surgery and the Igal Kam, MD, Endowed Chair of Transplant Surgery.
Patient Care Community Child & Adolescent GITES
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.
Patient Care Education Community Vascular Surgery
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.
Research Patient Care Community COVID-19 Quality and Clinical Effectiveness
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.
Patient Care Community Plastic Surgery
“Basketball, playing with sheep, playing with goats, playing with dogs, horse camp, friends ...”
Nine-year-old Danner Plumhoff is rattling off a list of her summer plans. Many of these activities wouldn’t have been possible for her last summer, when she was fresh off an intensive craniofacial surgery. It was her biggest surgery to date, but as a child with a rare variant of Crouzon syndrome, it was hardly her first.
Matthew Bartley, MD, MS, has gone viral (as in trending in the world of social media).
Research Patient Care Education Community
The University of Colorado School of Medicine Department of Surgery hosted its Resident and Fellowship Graduation at Denver Botanic Gardens on June 11.
Research Patient Care Community
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.
Research Patient Care Community Burn GITES
Last month, the University of Colorado Burn Center underwent the American Burn Association (ABA) Survey, a verification process that occurs every three years. The Burn Center has achieved continual verification since its first ABA Survey in 1998, and that trend continues this year. The Burn Center received its verification confirmation on May 19, 2021, to continue through April 2024.
Innovation Education Community
On May 19, 2021, more than 20 medical students from the University of Colorado School of Medicine, along with a handful of residents, fellows, and faculty members from the Department of Surgery, gathered in the home of Yihan Lin, MD, MPH, a cardiothoracic surgery fellow.
Patient Care Community Cardiothoracic Surgery
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.
Patient Care Community Plastic Surgery
In the past, even relatively minor hand surgery was a major event. For patients, it required anesthesia and numerous hours at the hospital. And for hospitals and providers, it used up extensive material resources and time.
Patient Care Community Awareness Health equity Transplant Center
April is National Donate Life Month — an awareness month that encourages Americans to register as organ, eye, and tissue donors and that honors those who have saved lives through the gift of donation.
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.
“Diversity and inclusion in medicine can save lives.” That was the message from Robert Higgins, MD, MSHA, director of the Department of Surgery and surgeon-in-chief at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
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.
Education Community Plastic Surgery
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.
Research Patient Care Community Prostate Cancer Urology
Although prostate cancer is treatable when found early, there are common fears that men share concerning prostate cancer.
“I hear from patients all the time stating they do not want to get tested and they do not want to know if they have prostate cancer. Due to the possible side effects associated with treatment,” says Paul Maroni, MD, associate professor in the Department of Surgery, Urology Division, program director of the Urologic Cancer Care Center and University of Colorado (CU) Cancer Center member.
Research Patient Care Community Prostate Cancer Cancer Urology
Growing up, Douglas “Bucky” Dilts was all too familiar with the dangers of cancer. “My mother ran a cancer tumor registry at St Joseph's Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia for over 25 years. She was always telling us about different types of cancer, so cancer was always at the forefront.”
Patient Care Community Plastic Surgery
As a young child, Jennifer Falomir-Lopez just wanted to look “normal” like all the other kids. She knew she was different but couldn’t explain to her friends why she looked different. Jennifer was born with a cleft lip and cleft alveolus.
As the end of Men’s Health Month approaches, it is important to acknowledge that men often do not visit the doctor unless there is a serious issue or concern. In addition to exercising and a healthy diet, men need to make sure they are up to date on important health screenings to focus on preventative care and health maintenance.
June 8, 2020 marked the graduation for general surgery residents within the Department of Surgery at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, residents, family, friends, faculty and staff gathered together virtually to celebrate the completion of their programs and present awards.
Each year 5280 magazine has asked physicians in the Denver area whom they would trust to treat themselves or a loved one. This year 24 of our surgeons in 12 specialties made the list.
Patient Care Community Trauma GITES
Trapped by a fire in her Aurora apartment building, Alina Miller was forced to jump from a fourth-story window to escape the flames. The fall left her with a broken back and a crushed foot.
Every year, Denver's 5280 Magazine polls doctors from the Denver metro area, asking whom they would trust if they needed medical treatment for themselves or a loved one. The results are collected and published in the magazine's annual "Top Doctors" issue.
Research Patient Care Community Sarcoma
The CU Sarcoma Clinic is pleased to welcome Breelyn A. Wilky, MD, to our multidisciplinary team. Dr. Wilky joined the Medical Oncology faculty in the cancer clinic on November 1, 2018.
Patient Care Community Trauma GITES
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and the American College of Surgeons have designated UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital a Level I trauma center, making it one of only five hospitals in the state with the highest capabilities for trauma care.
Dr. Frederick Grover, who brought lung transplantation to University of Colorado Hospital and served as Chair of the Department of Surgery from 2002 to 2012, brings his 27-year career at CU to a close this year. Having made countless contributions to our department over the years, he leaves yet another legacy upon his retirement: the Frederick and Carol Grover Endowed Chair in Surgery.
Research Patient Care Community
Dr. Richard Schulick, Chair of the Department of Surgery, has been named Director of the University of Colorado Cancer Center.
Research Patient Care Community
Every year, 14 million people around the world, including 1.7 million Americans, are diagnosed with cancer. One of the major challenges in fighting cancer is to understand and manipulate the response of the body's immune system to cancer cells. Recently, an area that has received growing attention and has shown promise in clinical trials is the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors.
A friendship between two couples that began over CU football games ended up saving a life—and leading to the promise of more lives saved in the future.
Research Patient Care Community
The health hazards of smoking have been documented for decades, but research on “vaping,” the smoking of electronic cigarettes, is still in its infancy.
The Division of Transplant Surgery is pleased to introduce two new faculty members.
Research Patient Care Community
The Society of University Surgeons (SUS) has awarded Dr. Ernest "Gene" Moore its prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award. Each year since 2005, the Society has conferred this award on a single surgeon who has made substantial contributions to surgical science over the course of a full career. Previous winners include Frank G. Moody, Ben Eiseman, and Patricia K. Donohoe.
In the course of his long career as a surgeon, Guillermo 'Bill' Aragón saved many lives, but that wasn’t enough for him. Dr. Aragón wanted to continue making a positive impact on the world after his retirement—and, if possible, even beyond his lifetime. This desire led him to endow the Aragón/Gonzalez-Gíustí Chair in Surgery at the University of Colorado.
The Department of Surgery is pleased to congratulate Thomas Robinson, MD, on his promotion to Chief of Surgery at the Denver Veterans Administration Medical Center.
Dr. Ben Eiseman, a longtime faculty member with our department, was a giant in 20th century surgery, beginning with his involvement in World War II from 1943-1946, following graduation from Harvard Medical School and internship at Massachusetts General Hospital. He spent 53 years of his career in Denver, beginning at the Denver VA Medical Center as Chief of Surgery in 1953, following which he was recruited to become the first Chief of Surgery at the University of Kentucky.
Research Patient Care Community
Joe and Jean Barban were so moved by the care they received at the Anschutz Medical Campus that they were inspired to give back so that others may benefit as well. Their gift of an endowed chair allows CU to recognize top faculty’s talents, hard work and achievements. In turn, the top faculty who hold endowed chairs and professorships elevate the entire university community: attracting other passionate teachers and scholars, igniting students’ curiosity and making ground-breaking discoveries that bring us closer to solving some of the most challenging problems we face today.
The number of people in the United States needing a liver transplant overall is growing, so the generosity of living donors is increasingly important.
For the first time, patients with damaged tricuspid valves in their hearts might have a safe treatment that actually helps.
Clinicians advise awareness of scald burns, which involve touching a hot liquid and happen regularly in the bathroom and kitchen.
Frostbite is a concern when temperatures fall dangerously low as what is happening to start this week.
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