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Blogs

Department of Surgery News and Stories

Plastic Surgery

Community    Plastic Surgery    Global Health

Plastic Surgery Residents Experience Global Surgery During Trip to Vietnam

A recent two-week trip to perform craniofacial surgeries and other procedures at multiple hospitals in Vietnam gave residents in the University of Colorado Department of Surgery and students at the CU School of Medicine an up-close-and-personal look at the emerging field of global medicine.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date April 11, 2024
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Research    Plastic Surgery    Liver Transplant

Why Galectin-3 Is Higher in Cirrhosis and Post-Transplant Infections 

Is there a biomarker that can predict which patients will develop dangerous infectious complications after receiving a liver transplant? Nalu Navarro-Alvarez, MD, assistant professor of plastic and reconstructive surgery in the University of Colorado Department of Surgery, says yes. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date November 21, 2023
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Research    Plastic Surgery    Pediatrics    ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz   

National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research Grant Will Help CU Researchers Develop Better Treatment for Craniosynostosis

A $1.9 million grant from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) will help researchers at the University of Colorado Department of Surgery and Colorado School of Public Health develop better treatment methods for children diagnosed with craniosynostosis, a present-at-birth condition in which a baby’s skull plates fuse together too early, before the brain is fully formed.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date April 12, 2023
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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    Plastic Surgery    Veteran and Military Health

CU Surgery Faculty Member Receives DOD Grant to Study Transplant Rejection Biomarkers 

Soldiers and others who receive severe injuries to the hands and face often can benefit from a type of transplant known as vascularized composite allograft (VCA) — the transplantation of multiple tissues, including muscle, bone, nerve, skin, and blood vessels, as a functional unit (such as a hand or face) from a deceased donor to a recipient with a severe injury.  


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date August 23, 2022
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Research    Patient Care    Plastic Surgery    Pediatrics

Improving Treatment for Infants With Cleft Lip and Palate 

Kristen Lowe, DDS, MS, an assistant professor of plastic and reconstructive surgery in the University of Colorado School of Medicine, has received a grant from Align Technologies, the company that makes the Invisalign tooth-straightening system. The grant will support Lowe in developing more efficient ways to treat infants with cleft lip and palate. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date July 05, 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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Research    Patient Care    Plastic Surgery

New Cosmetic Cream Created at CU Leaves Skin 'Silky' Smooth

From Silly Putty to the microwave oven, there is a long history of consumer products “accidentally” discovered during the scientific discovery process. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date February 03, 2022
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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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Patient Care    Community    Plastic Surgery

Young Craniofacial Patient Battles Multiple Surgeries With Positive Outlook

“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.


Author Valerie Gleaton | Publish Date July 20, 2021
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Patient Care    Community    Plastic Surgery

Wide-Awake Hand Surgery Offers Colorado Patient Relief from Carpal Tunnel Pain

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.


Author Valerie Gleaton | Publish Date April 23, 2021
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Education    Community    Plastic Surgery

Department of Surgery Makes Diversity, Equity and Inclusion a Priority

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.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date December 14, 2020
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Patient Care    Plastic Surgery

Improving Confidence with Reconstructive Surgery After a Double Mastectomy

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.


Author Chanthy Na | Publish Date October 21, 2020
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Patient Care    Community    Plastic Surgery

Cleft Lip Reconstruction Transforms Jennifer's Outlook Making Her Brave Enough to Teach

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.


Author Chanthy Na | Publish Date July 28, 2020
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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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