“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.

Valerie Gleaton | July 20, 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

Opioid prescribing preferences and practices among surgical residents and faculty differ, according to a new study published in the journal Surgery.

Valerie Gleaton | July 06, 2021

The University of Colorado School of Medicine Department of Surgery hosted its Resident and Fellowship Graduation at Denver Botanic Gardens on June 11.

Valerie Gleaton | June 16, 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

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.  

Valerie Gleaton | June 03, 2021

Fredric Pieracci, MD, MPH/MSPH, an associate professor in the University of Colorado School of Medicine Department of Surgery, is the senior author on a new paper published in Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases that details the results of a public health initiative to provide affordable bariatric surgery to uninsured Denver County residents.  

Valerie Gleaton | April 28, 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

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.

Valerie Gleaton | April 23, 2021

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.

Valerie Gleaton | April 09, 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

A new vascular surgery clinic opened in February on the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, offering easy access for patients with venous disease, peripheral artery disease, and mesenteric and renal artery disease. The clinic also offers hemodialysis procedures for arteriovenous fistula and graft maintenance.

Department of Surgery | March 02, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought new attention to the safety of patients during surgery. But long before the concerns brought on by coronavirus, the CU Department of Surgery was working to make patient safety a priority.

Department of Surgery | January 06, 2021

Knowing your family health history is one of the first steps to finding out if you may have a higher risk of cancer and might need early screenings. Ela Carta is no stranger to the struggles of having a family history of cancer. At the age of 30, Carta’s aunt, Audie, began urging Carta to get a mammogram. With a long family history of breast cancer and fibrocystic breast disease, Carta knew she had to be proactive with her health.

Chanthy Na | October 21, 2020

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.

Department of Surgery | October 01, 2020

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.”  

Department of Surgery | September 23, 2020

For more than 25 years, 5280 magazine has asked physicians in the Denver area whom they would trust to treat themselves or a loved one. This year 21 of our surgeons in 12 specialties made the list.

Shelly Lange | August 10, 2020

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.

Chanthy Na | July 28, 2020

The UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital Vascular Surgery Clinic has been named a TCAR Center of Excellence by Silk Road Medical, for the high quality of its care team and patient outcomes for transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) to treat carotid artery stenosis.

Shelly Lange | July 17, 2020

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.

Department of Surgery | June 26, 2020

U.S. News and World Report released its 2020-21 Best Children’s Hospitals rankings this week, placing three pediatric surgical specialties at Children’s Hospital Colorado provided by University of Colorado School of Medicine Department of Surgery faculty in the top 10, including No. 1 for gastroenterology and gastrointestinal surgery.

Department of Surgery | June 17, 2020

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.

Department of Surgery | September 02, 2019

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.

Department of Surgery | January 09, 2019

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.

Department of Surgery | December 09, 2018

Karen Possehl was diagnosed with cancer in November 2016. At the Mayo Clinic in Arizona, her doctor told her that the type of cancer she had was inoperable and wouldn't respond to radiation or chemotherapy. He expected her to live only a few more months.

Department of Surgery | November 30, 2018

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.

Department of Surgery | November 01, 2018

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.

Department of Surgery | October 12, 2018

Dr. Richard Schulick, Chair of the Department of Surgery, has been named Director of the University of Colorado Cancer Center.

Department of Surgery | June 29, 2018

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.

Department of Surgery | April 02, 2018

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.

Department of Surgery | November 01, 2017

The health hazards of smoking have been documented for decades, but research on “vaping,” the smoking of electronic cigarettes, is still in its infancy.

Department of Surgery | January 27, 2017

The Division of Transplant Surgery is pleased to introduce two new faculty members.

Department of Surgery | October 09, 2016

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.

Department of Surgery | March 22, 2016

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.

Department of Surgery | January 26, 2015

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.

Department of Surgery | April 02, 2014