A Newsletter for the Departments of Surgery and Pediatric Surgery

at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston

April 2026

Surgery Faculty Selected for ACS Surgeons as Leaders Course

Sasha D. Adams, MD, FACS, professor; Robyn Richmond, MD, professor; and Jonah J. Stulberg, MD, PhD, MPH, FACS, associate professor, were selected to participate in the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Surgeons as Leaders Course, held March 22–25 in North Carolina. The course brings together surgeons from across the country to strengthen leadership skills in clinical and academic settings.

UTHealth Houston President Melina Kibbe, MD, serves as co-chair of the program and has been a member of the core faculty for many years. During the course, Dr. Stulberg was invited to participate in a role-play exercise on managing difficult personalities, moderated by Dr. Kibbe. He was also called upon by Dr. Carlos Pellegrini to share insights on his experience with physician coaching.

Committee on Trauma Unites Regional and National Members

The American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma (COT) held its annual meeting March 11–15 in Birmingham, Alabama. The COT’s mission is to develop and implement programs that support injury prevention and ensure optimal patient outcomes across the continuum of care.

The COT includes a central committee and 17 regional committees; Texas is part of Region 6.

Lillian Liao, MD, MPH, FACS, professor of surgery, was recently appointed vice chair of the Membership Committee, and John Harvin, MD, MS, FACS, professor of surgery, was appointed as a member of the same committee. Lillian S. Kao, MD, MS, FACS, professor of surgery, recently completed her term on the Executive Committee and stepped down as chair of the Trauma Quality Improvement Program (TQIP) Program Area.

At the meeting, Dr. Liao led a Spotlight session that generated robust discussion on trauma-informed care.

Urology Residents Present Research at SUFU Annual Meeting

Residents and faculty from the Division of Urology at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston presented research at the Society of Urodynamics, Female Pelvic Medicine and Urogenital Reconstruction (SUFU) Annual Meeting, held Feb. 25–28, 2026, in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Three urology residents shared original research highlighting important topics in female pelvic medicine and transitional urology:


• Shannon Leung, MD, PGY4, presented a poster titled “Residency Exposure to URPS-Trained Attendings Increases Number of General Urologists Performing Female Pelvic Procedures After Graduation.”
• Lauren Conroy, MD, PGY3, presented “Sexuality and Fertility Perspectives Among Women with Spina Bifida.”
• Ashley Monaco, MD, PGY3, presented a moderated poster, “Erectile Dysfunction and Fertility Knowledge Gaps in Men with Spina Bifida: Insight from a Transitional Urology Cohort.”

Annie Chen, MD, assistant professor and associate program director for the Urology Residency Program, attended the meeting and served as a principal investigator on all three projects. She also moderated a resident education session focused on female urinary incontinence.

The presentations reflect the division’s continued commitment to advancing education and research in urologic care, particularly in areas that impact quality of life and long-term patient outcomes.

UTHealth Houston Plastic Surgery Participates in the 2026 ACPA Annual Meeting

UTHealth Houston was well represented at the 83rd Annual Meeting of the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association (ACPA), held March 26–29, 2026, in Boston, Massachusetts. As the interdisciplinary meeting for cleft and craniofacial care, ACPA brings together specialists from across the country to advance the treatment of patients with these conditions. UTHealth Houston participation accentuates the division's commitment to the collaborative "Team Care" model, with a diverse group in attendance, including craniofacial surgeons, speech-language pathologists, care coordinators, residents, and medical students.

Matthew R. Greives, MD, MS, FACS, associate professor of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, served as a panelist for a key session on the management of craniofacial surgical complications. This panel provided an essential forum for candid discussion of the challenges posed by unfavorable results and their management by experienced surgeons. 

The division's research pipeline was well represented through several podium and poster presentations. Research fellows Tien Do, DO, and Anthony Basta, BA, along with medical students Alexandra Dunker and Kamryn Baker, delivered podium presentations. Additionally, Cleft-Craniofacial Clinic Coordinator Stephanie Johnson and a cohort of medical students contributed an array of poster presentations.

Surgery Residents Present at SAGES 2026 Annual Meeting

Residents and faculty from the Department of Surgery participated in the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons Annual Meeting 2026 (SAGES), held March 25–28 in Tampa, Florida.

Anne Jeckovich, MD, and Coleman Miller, MD, residents in the Department of Surgery, presented a poster on their PGY-2 quality improvement work, “Improving Access for Uninsured Patients with Biliary Disease: A Quality Improvement Initiative at a Safety-Net Hospital,” conducted under the mentorship of Tamara Saunders, MD, FACS, associate professor of surgery.

Coleman Miller, MD, and Jonah J. Stulberg, MD, PhD, MPH, FACS, associate professor of surgery, also presented a video abstract, “Robotic Repair of Recurrent Right-Sided Posterior Diaphragmatic Hernia.”

Erik Wilson, MD, FACS, Mackie McGill, MD, and Elizabeth (Darby) Winters, MD, were also in attendance.

Swee-Ling Levea, MD, Joins Abdominal Organ Transplantation Division

Please join us in welcoming Swee-Ling Levea, MD, who has joined the Division of Abdominal Organ Transplantation in the Department of Surgery as associate professor of surgery and Medical Director of our Adult Kidney Transplant Program.

Dr. Levea brings deep expertise in transplant nephrology, patient care, clinical education, and outreach program development. With over a decade of experience at UT Southwestern, where she earned recognition for excellence in both teaching and patient care, and led the living donor kidney transplant program. She is exceptionally well-positioned to advance our program in this important leadership role.

We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Levea to Houston and look forward to the knowledge, enthusiasm, and vision she brings as we continue building the premier transplant program in Texas.

Ask the Expert: Colorectal Cancer and Its Recent Prevalence Among Young People

Colorectal cancer is increasingly being diagnosed in younger adults, prompting renewed focus on early detection and awareness. In a recent “Ask the Expert” feature, Marianne Cusick, MD, discusses the concerning trend, key risk factors, and the importance of recognizing symptoms early to improve outcomes. Cusick highlights how timely screening and patient education remain critical as incidence rates shift in younger populations.

Read the full story…

At the Bedside: First Baby to Receive Novel Spina Bifida Surgery at UTHealth Houston Thriving 6 Months After Treatment

Pediatric surgeons at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston are part of a multidisciplinary team pioneering a novel approach to treating spina bifida, with early outcomes showing promising results. KuoJen Tsao, MD, Charles S. Cox Jr., MD, and Stephen Fletcher, DO, played key roles in the care of the first patient to undergo the procedure at UTHealth Houston, highlighting the strength of collaboration across specialties and the impact of advanced surgical innovation on patient outcomes.

Read the full story …

From Trauma to Transformation: A Patient’s Journey with Reconstructive Care

After a devastating traumatic injury, one patient’s path to recovery became a powerful testament to the impact of multidisciplinary care and reconstructive expertise. Mohin A. Bhadkamkar, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, played a key role in restoring both form and function, helping turn a life-altering event into a story of resilience and healing.

Read the full story…  

ANNOUNCEMENTS & HIGHLIGHTS

Publications of Note

Drucker NA, Greenleaf EK, Cox CS Jr. Saving limbs and lives: Vascular lessons from the combat zone. Semin Pediatr Surg. 2026 Mar 18:151629. doi: 10.1016/j.sempedsurg.2026.151629. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41866255.

DeMaster D, Watson CG, Prasad MR, Cox CS Jr, Fischer JT, Ewing-Cobbs L. Linking Limbic-Prefrontal White Matter Microstructure to Behavioral Problems Following Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury. J Neurotrauma. 2026 Mar;43(5-6):387-399. doi: 10.1177/08977151251388405. Epub 2025 Nov 5. PMID: 41192919.

Holden KI, Scott MC, Ebanks AH, Khan AM, McMullan DM, Johnson A, Cox CS Jr, Harting MT, LaPar DJ. Single Ventricle Physiology May Not Preclude Cardiac Repair in the Setting of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. World J Pediatr Congenit Heart Surg. 2026 Mar 3:21501351251386423. doi: 10.1177/21501351251386423. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41773639.

Holden KI, Ebanks AH, Khan AM, Johnson A, McMullan M, Cox CS Jr, Harting MT, LaPar DJ; CDH Study Group. Surgical Approaches in Congenital Heart Disease With Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia: A Multiinstitutional Analysis. Ann Thorac Surg. 2026 Mar;121(3):606-614. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2025.07.043. Epub 2025 Aug 21. PMID: 40848886.

Guner YS, Martino A, Giron A, Flyer Z, Murthy K, Di Nardo M, Schomberg J, Grover TR, Hammond JD, Yu PT, Goodman LF, Gowda SH, Harting MT, Jancelewicz T, Nguyen DV. Effects of Extracorporeal Life Support Volume on Neonatal Mortality in Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia: A Retrospective Cohort Study. J Pediatr. 2026 Mar 12:115062. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2026.115062. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41831781.

Cain CD, Byerly S, Stassen NA, Efron D, Scalea TM, Holcomb JB, Jurkovich GJ, Callcut R, Stein DM, Harvin JA, Rozycki G, Livingston DH, Ball CG, Demetriades D, Salim A, Kozar R, Malhotra AK, Croce M, Fabian T, Peitzman AB, Yeh D. Core outcome set for liver trauma: a consensus approach using modified Delphi methodology. Trauma Surg Acute Care Open. 2026 Feb 26;11(1):e002164. doi: 10.1136/tsaco-2025-002164. PMID: 41788742; PMCID: PMC12959056.

Frock A, Robbins JT, Vital-Lopez FG, Desai V, Doros G, Sands BE, Prabhakaran A, Nemeth C, Rule GT, Sperry JL, Guyette FX, Wisniewski SR, Moore EE, Schreiber M, Joseph B, Wilson CT, Cotton B, Ostermayer D, Harbrecht BG, Patel MB, Tamang S, Malunjkar S, Spain DA, Reisner AT, Stallings JD, Reifman J. A Case Study of AI-Enabled Software as a Medical Device Cleared by the FDA for Assessing Hemorrhage Risk Index (APPRAISE-HRI) after Trauma. NEJM AI. 2025 Oct 16;2(11):10.1056/aics2401170. doi: 10.1056/aics2401170. PMID: 41836285; PMCID: PMC12981239.

IN THE NEWS

GRAND ROUNDS

Editorial Team: Dr. Lillian Kao, Dr. Casey Duncan, Dr. Peter Walker, Dr. Elias Chamely, and Maryam Broussard.

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