Puzio Awarded Benjy F. Brooks, MD Outstanding Clinical Faculty

Congratulations to Thaddeus Puzio, MD, FACS, Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery, for being awarded the esteemed Benjy F. Brooks, MD, Outstanding Clinical Faculty Award for 2023. Dr. Puzio expressed his surprise and deep appreciation, stating, "I was truly honored to win this award. Life is all about paying things forward, and I am grateful to have reached a point where I can share the knowledge passed on to me."

Medical students play a crucial role in nominating faculty or residents for this prestigious award. Dr. Puzio highlighted the exceptional teaching faculty within the Department of Surgery, emphasizing the vital importance of education in academic medicine. "Teaching is probably the most important aspect of academic medicine," he affirmed. "If we neglect it, we risk losing the next generation of physicians. That's why I prioritize teaching, especially at the bedside, alongside the clinical care provided to patients."

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2023 Dean's Teaching Excellence Awards

Congratulations to the Department of Surgery winners of the 2023 Dean's Teaching Excellence Awards.

ASGE Appoints Thosani Chair of Standards of Practice Committee

Nirav C. Thosani, MD, MHA, has been appointed as the Chair of the Standards of Practice Committee for the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) for a term of three years. Dr. Thosani is a professor in the Department of Surgery, Division of Elective General Surgery, Interventional Gastroenterology, and holds the Atilla Ertan MD Endowed Chair in Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition.

The committee's responsibilities include developing evidence-based guidelines for endoscopy in managing digestive diseases, establishing policies and recommendations for ASGE's relations with other medical and governmental organizations, reviewing and revising ASGE Guidelines and Position Statements for endoscopy, exploring new strategies for disseminating guideline documents, and fostering communication with other ASGE Committees on mutual interests.

We congratulate Dr. Thosani on his appointment to this esteemed position at ASGE.

UTHealth Houston and Memorial Hermann-TMC held their annual joint Quality Symposium on May 12. Tamara Saunders, MD, FACS, Associate Professor in the Division of Elective General Surgery, Breast Surgical Oncology and Endocrine Surgery, presented work she has led in developing a QI program for residents in the Departments of Surgery and Pediatric Surgery. The steering committee for this effort includes both faculty and residents. The project received the Graham Award in Patient Safety and Quality Improvement for Excellence in Quality Improvement Education. Additionally, Dr. Marina Petsalis presented the PGY-2 project from last year to improve breast surgery clinic efficiency at Lyndon Baines Johnson General Hospital. These are just two examples of the many QI projects ongoing in surgery.

Dr. Sasha Adams, Associate Professor at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston Department of Surgery, Division of Acute Care Surgery, and Dr. Adam Nelson, Assistant Professor at the University of Arizona Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma, has joined forces with The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST), Geriatric Trauma to bring you an enlightening geriatric-centered clinical practice video.

Titled "Traumatic Brain Injury and Elderly Patients on Oral Blood Thinners," this evidence-based video tackles a critical aspect of care for elderly patients. As the use of oral blood thinners among the elderly continues to rise, managing traumatic brain injuries becomes increasingly complex.

The American Urological Association (AUA) held its 2023 meeting in Chicago, Illinois, from April 28 to May 1. Recognized as one of the premier urological conferences worldwide, this annual gathering attracted experts from across the globe.

At this year's meeting, Dr. Run Wang, Professor and Cecil M. Crigler, MD Chair in Urology in the Department of Surgery, Division of Urology and the President-elect of the International Society for Sexual Medicine, took the reins as chair for a thought-provoking crossfire debate. The session delved into the ethical considerations surrounding the charging of patients for innovative therapies like shockwave, PRP, and stem cell treatments for erectile dysfunction. Dr. Wang also presided over a podium session focused on evaluating sexual function.

Adding to the event's discussions, Dr. Kyle A. Blum, PGY-4 resident in the Division of Urology, showcased his research in a poster presentation. His study, titled "Biomarkers of disease burden and treatment response in renal medullary carcinoma," shed new light on understanding this complex condition.

The meeting also welcomed two fellows under the guidance of Dr. Wang. Dr. Kareim Khalaf Alla, the current fellow, and Dr. Mohammed Mahdi, the incoming fellow.

Notably, Dr. Cooper Benson, Assistant Professor in the Division of Urology and AUA panelist, made a significant impact during the Plenary Panel Discussion on the Acute Management of External Genital and Urethral Trauma.

Congratulations to the Thoracic Team at the Esophageal Disease Center, Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital, as they commemorate a significant milestone - 1000 successful hiatal hernia repairs. Their dedication, expertise, and commitment to patient care have contributed to this remarkable achievement. Here's to the extraordinary accomplishments of the Esophageal Disease Center's thoracic team and their ongoing pursuit of excellence in providing top-notch medical care.

By Phuong D. Nguyen, MD, FACS, FAAP, Department of Surgery

First Person is an occasional series, providing firsthand accounts of outreach programs involving our McGovern Medical School community. 

I co-founded Nuoy Reconstructive International, a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit in 2020 in order to provide a comprehensive international medical engagement with clinical cases, lectures and education, and research development in Vietnam. This program was founded on a rebranding of R.I.C.E. (Reconstructive International Cooperation Exchange), which was started by Dr. Joseph Rosen, a plastic surgeon from Dartmouth who has been going to Vietnam since 2000. We are expanding this reach, focusing on building surgical capacity by enhancing experience and knowledge in complex reconstructive surgery with long-term partners and also developing more formalized education and research initiatives.  

From March 3-17, we traveled to Vietnam and worked with Vietnam National Children’s Hospital (VNCH) (a 2,500-bed children’s hospital that is the national tertiary referral center), Viet Duc Hospital (the busiest trauma hospital in the country), Hong Ngoc Hospital (a large private hospital), and Bach Mai Hospital. Our group of 25 volunteers was comprised of surgeons, nurses, residents, students, and Nuoy operational/administrative personnel, including Dr. Paul Clark (chief resident, Plastic Surgery), Dr. Maria Matuszczak (chief of Pediatric Anesthesiology), Allison Seitz (MS4), and Huan Nguyen (MS4). 

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Kao Attends European Surgical Association Meeting

Publications of Note

Clements TW, Van Gent JM, Lubkin DE, Wandling MW, Meyer DE, Moore LJ, Cotton BA. The Reports of my Death are Greatly Exaggerated: An Evaluation of Futility Cut-Points in Massive Transfusion. J Trauma Acute Care Surg. May 1 2023. PMID: 37125814.

Dhanani NH, Lyons NB, Olavarria OA, Bernardi K, Holihan JL, Shah SK, Wilson TD, Loor MM, Kao LS, Liang MK. Robotic versus Laparoscopic Ventral Hernia Repair: Two-year Results from a Prospective, Multicenter, Blinded Randomized Clinical Trial. Ann Surg. May 19 2023. PMID: 37203558.

Knowlton LM, Zakrison T, Kao LS, McCrum ML, Agarwal S, Jr., Bruns B, Joseph KA, Berry C. Quality care is equitable care: a call to action to link quality to achieving health equity within acute care surgery. Trauma Surg Acute Care Open. 2023;8(1): e001098. PMID: 37205273. PMC10186480.

Lavin J, Kao LS. Building infrastructure to teach quality improvement. Semin Pediatr Surg. Apr 26 2023:151283. PMID: 37147216.

Thau MR, Liu T, Sathe NA, O'Keefe GE, Robinson BRH, Bulger E, Wade CE, Fox EE, Holcomb JB, Liles WC, Stanaway IB, Mikacenic C, Wurfel MM, Bhatraju PK, Morrell ED. Association of Trauma Molecular Endotypes With Differential Response to Transfusion Resuscitation Strategies. JAMA Surg. Apr 26 2023. PMID: 37099286. PMC10134038.

Vidaurre M, Osborn BK, Lowak KD, McDonald MM, Wang YW, Pa V, Richter JR, Xu Y, Arnold K, Liu J, Cardenas JC. A 3-O-sulfated heparan sulfate dodecasaccharide (12-mer) suppresses thromboinflammation and attenuates early organ injury following trauma and hemorrhagic shock. Front Immunol. 2023; 14:1158457. PMID: 37122735. PMC10140401.

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: Critical Aspects of the History, Invited Manuscript, Farzaneh Banki, Foregut, 04/2023.

Lignieres, A., Anderson, B., Alimi, O., Cepeda, A., Seitz, A., Obinero, C. G., Teichgraeber, J. F., Nguyen, P. D., & Greives, M. R. (2023). Do buccal flaps improve velopharyngeal insufficiency in conversion Furlow palatoplasty for patients with cleft palate? Plastic and reconstructive surgery, 10.1097/PRS.0000000000010531. Advance online publication.

Chamely, E. A., & Stulberg, J. J. (2023). Measuring Quality at the Surgeon Level. Clinics in colon and rectal surgery, 36(4), 233–239.

Eisenberg, M., Deboever, N., & Antonoff, M. B. (2023). Pulmonary Metastasectomy: Indications, Best Practices, and Evolving Role in the Future. Thoracic surgery clinics, 33(2), 149–158.

Deboever, N., Bayley, E. M., Vaporciyan, A. A., & Antonoff, M. B. (2023). Traits of the current traditional pathway cardiothoracic surgery training pool: Results of a cross-sectional study. The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery, 165(5), 1743–1750.

Eisenberg, M. A., & Hofstetter, W. L. (2023). Commentary: Complexity in rare disease: A look at surgical outcomes in tracheobronchial adenoid cystic carcinoma. The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery, 165(6), 1965–1966.

Deboever, N., Correa, A. M., Feldman, H., Mathur, U., Hofstetter, W. L., Mehran, R. J., Rice, D. C., Roth, J. A., Sepesi, B., Swisher, S. G., Walsh, G. L., Vaporciyan, A. A., Antonoff, M. B., & Rajaram, R. (2023). Disparities in early-stage lung cancer outcomes at minority-serving hospitals compared with nonminority serving hospitals. The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery, S0022-5223(23)00349-5. Advance online publication.

Eisenberg, M. A., & Antonoff, M. B. (2023). Invited Commentary: Comparing Single vs Double Chest Tube Placement after Decortication for Stage III Empyema. Journal of the American College of Surgeons, 236(6), 1231–1232.

Ore, A. S., Althoff, A., Kull, D. R., Baldwin, T. J., Van Eps, J. L., & Messaris, E. (2023). Comparative early histologic healing quality of magnetic versus stapled small bowel anastomosis. Surgery, 173(4), 1060–1065.

RESIDENT & STUDENT CORNER

Congratulations to Devi Bavishi, MD, General Surgery resident in the Department of Surgery, who was elected Vice President of the 2023-2024 UT House Staff Association Council. The McGovern Medical School House Staff Association represents all residents and fellows in graduate medical education programs. They provide a platform for communication, information exchange, and support for the well-being and education of the House Staff. Monthly meetings and the association's website inform residents and fellows about important issues and empower them to advocate for positive change.

On May 30th, MD Anderson awarded the Jeffrey Lee Cousins Endowed Fellowship in Lung Cancer Research Award to UTHealth Houston McGovern Medical School Research Resident Michael Eisenberg, MD. This award recognizes his "unique contributions to and potential for excellence in cancer research or education."

Congratulations Mike!

The American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association (ACPA) had its 80th Annual Meeting on May 2-6, 2023, in Raleigh, NC. The ACPA is the premier interdisciplinary professional network for healthcare providers serving patients with cleft lip, cleft palate, and craniofacial differences. Research resident Chioma Obinero, MD, presented her work titled "Use It or Lose It: Risk Factors for Non-Compliance to Post Operative Nasal Stent Therapy in Patients Undergoing Primary Cleft Palate Repair."

The American Association of Thoracic Surgery's Annual meeting occurred in Los Angeles this year between May 6th and 9th. UT Surgery was well represented, with three research residents presenting their work. Nathaniel Deboever, MD, gave a podium presentation titled "Perspectives, Risk Factors, and Coping Mechanisms in Patients with Self-Reported Financial Burden following Lung Cancer Surgery.” Michael Eisenberg, MD, presented his research on the "Impact of Travel Distance on Receipt of Indicated Adjuvant Therapy in Resected Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.” Alexander Mills, DO, discussed his work on "Management of Aortoesophageal Fistula Primarily Using Esophageal Preservation.” Well done to everyone who displayed their work and represented our program well. 

Nathaniel Deboever, MD

Michael Eisenberg, MD

Alexander Mills, DO

McGovern Medical Students showcased their exceptional skills by delivering impressive presentations at Digestive Disease Week and the Society of the Surgery for the Alimentary Tract in Chicago, held from May 6 to 9, 2023. Their insightful research and engaging delivery captivated the audience, earning them well-deserved recognition for their contributions to the field of digestive diseases.

Left to right, Joe Braham Chanine, MS IV, Joshua Haag, MS I, Farzaneh Banki, MD, Clarissa Hoffman, MD, PhD program, MSII, Anthony Basta, MS I

Joshua Haag, MS I, presents outcomes of Voltaren application to shoulders to reduce postoperative shoulder pain after hiatal hernia repair. He was the only first-year medical student in the session he presented.

Joe Braham Chanine, MS IV, visitor student from Lebanon at UTHealth Houston, who did a 6-week rotation at MHSE. Joe presented a video of the laparoscopic excision of a large mediastinal hematoma in the outpatient setting. He was the only medical student in the video presentation session.

Clarissa Hoffman, MD PhD, MSII, presents outcomes of elective primary and reoperative hiatal hernia repairs in the outpatient setting.

Editorial Team: Dr. Lillian S. Kao, Dr. Casey B. Duncan, Dr. Peter A. Walker, and Dr. Elias A. Chamely

For content submissions, email Sophia.M.Solis@uth.tmc.edu.