Department of Surgery News and Stories

Earlier this month, the Division of Transplant Surgery in the University of Colorado Department of Surgery hosted its annual Controversies in Transplantation conference (CIT), which gathered the finest minds in transplantation science from around the country in Colorado. For more than two decades, this conference has served as a platform for groundbreaking ideas and discussions within the transplant community.

Khushnuma Damkevala | March 27, 2023

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.

Rachel Sauer | June 15, 2022

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.

Rachel Sauer | April 06, 2022

When 11-year-old Emi was placed on the liver transplant list in August of 2021, it looked like she could be sitting there for a while.

Denver 7 | February 18, 2022

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.

Khushnuma Damkevala | February 14, 2022

Patients with a high body mass index and who are in desperate need of a kidney transplant have one less hurdle to worry about. UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital on the Anschutz Medical Campus completed two successful robotic transplants. Both patients had BMIs over 40.

CBS4 Denver | February 09, 2022

After more than three years of intensive research and planning, UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital on the Anschutz Medical Campus has completed two successful robotic kidney transplants on patients with a body mass index (BMI) over 40.

UCHealth | February 08, 2022

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.

Rachel Sauer | December 15, 2021

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.

Khushnuma Damkevala | October 13, 2021

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.

Khushnuma Damkevala | September 30, 2021

Compared with non-Hispanic White Americans, Hispanic Americans receive disproportionally fewer organ transplants. In 2018, the Hispanic Transplant Clinic was established at the University of Colorado. Madhura Pande and colleagues at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, conducted a study to examine the efficacy of the program in reducing this disparity.

Nephrology Times | July 07, 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