AWARDS

Saltarrelli Inducted as Fellow of Prestigious Society

We are thrilled to announce that Jerome G. Saltarrelli Jr., PhD, D(ABHI), Assistant Professor and HLA Lab Director in the Department of Surgery, has been inducted as a Fellow into the prestigious Academy of Diagnostics and Laboratory Medicine (FADLM).

The FADLM is a respected institution that serves as a resource for dedicated laboratory professionals worldwide. These individuals are active contributors to their field, offering guidance and conducting research that consistently advances the discipline, aiming to improve global health outcomes.

Members of the Academy are renowned for their expertise across all areas of laboratory medicine. Their contributions shape the scientific landscape of the field, driving the development of innovative solutions for patient care. Furthermore, they create tools that amplify the value of laboratory medicine, bringing it into sharper focus for the wider healthcare community.

Join us in congratulating Saltarrelli on this significant achievement, which recognizes his expertise and contributions and reinforces our commitment to excellence in healthcare.

RESEARCH

Meyer Receives Funding from Mission Connect

David E. Meyer, MD, MS, FACS, Assistant Professor in the Division of Acute Care Surgery, has started enrolling patients into a collaborative, multi-disciplinary, randomized controlled trial evaluating three strategies for managing hemodynamics in patients with spinal cord injuries. The trial is funded by the Trauma Research Combat Casualty Care Collaborative (TRC4). He has received additional supplemental funding from Mission Connect, a TIRR Foundation program, to collect additional outcomes at six months and one year. Meyer’s trial will significantly improve the knowledge base about spinal cord injury management and inform care.

CUReS 2024 Symposium

On August 7, Houston Methodist hosted the 2024 Collaborative Urology Research Symposium (CUReS), a gathering that brought together leaders, faculty, and trainees from various institutions to present their latest research in Urology. The symposium was marked by three eminent keynote speakers and interactive podium sessions.

Rodrigo Donalisio de Silva, MD, an associate professor in Urology, took on the role of a moderator for the Early Career Podium Sessions. Steven E. Canfield, MD, professor and chief of the Division of Urology in the Department of Surgery, engaged in a lively crossfire debate focused on research designed explicitly for trainees.

The event also served as a platform to recognize the efforts of Rachel Pham, MD, and Stephen Palasi, MD, both current Urology residents. Their contributions, as well as those of numerous other residents and medical students, were showcased through thought-provoking poster sessions. The symposium was a testament to the innovative research being conducted in Urology.

Rachel Pham, MD presenting at CUReS 2024

Stephen Palasi, MD presenting at CUReS 2024

EDUCATION

Trauma Surgeons Get "Behind the Knife"

Behind the Knife is a podcast featuring discussions of high-yield educational topics and interviews with prominent surgeons. One of the series is entitled "Big T Trauma," it features many current and past fellows and faculty from the Division of Acute Care Surgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston. The most recent addition to the series, Episode 19, is entitled "Multimodal Pain Control" and features Patrick Georgoff, MD (former fellow), Thaddeus J. Puzio, MD, FACS, Assistant Professor of Surgery, and Gabrielle Hatton, MD, second-year ACS Fellow. Others featured include faculty members such as Bryan Cotton, MD, MPH, FACS, and Ethan Taub, DO, FACS, and former fellows Jason Brill, MD, Jayne McCauley, MD, and Rushabv Dev, MD.

HIGHLIGHTS

UTHealth Houston Demonstrates the Power of Value

at National Conference

The 19th annual American College of Surgeons Quality and Safety Conference was held July 18-21 in Denver, Colorado. Not even the Crowd Strike cybersecurity incident could diminish the energy and enthusiasm at this conference, attended by over 1500 participants worldwide. The conference, chaired by Lillian S. Kao, MD, MS, FACS, professor, and Jack H. Mayfield, MD, Chair in the Department of Surgery, focused on the theme of the "Power of Value." Kao, who gave one of the two opening talks, discussed that value in healthcare is in the eye of the beholder (or stakeholder) - i.e., patients, caregivers, surgeons, administrators, payers, etc. Furthermore, she noted that everyone dedicated to quality and safety brings value to their healthcare institutions and systems every day. In addition to giving opening comments, Kao moderated a panel of stakeholders who discussed aligning quality metrics with value in real-world settings and gave a talk on "Innovating while Ensuring Quality and Safety."

Michael W. Wandling, MD, MS, FACS, Assistant Professor of Surgery and Interim Trauma Medical Director, spoke in a series of sessions about the Emergency General Surgery (EGS) Verification Program. His work on this important program, which includes both patients managed operatively and non-operatively, started when he was an Acute Care Surgery Clinical Scholar during residency. He has spent the last several years working on developing, implementing, and expanding the EGS Targeted Module within the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) - the program has significant potential to improve the care of a high-risk population.

Residents also had the opportunity to shine at this conference, with a record-breaking submission volume of over 800 abstracts. Krysta Sutyak, DO, a resident in the Center for Surgical Trials and Evidence-based Practice (C-STEP) program, won a prize for her abstract addressing opioid minimization in children; her mentor is KuoJen Tsao, MD, Professor of Pediatric Surgery. Mokunfayo Fajemisin, MD, presented her project assessing health literacy in surgical patients at a safety-net hospital.

At the Bedside: One year later, a child born with cleft lip shares contagious smiles

Andrew Trevino was born with a unilateral cleft lip, meaning the cleft was only on one side affecting his lip and nose. (Photo courtesy of Marylu Trevino)

At her 27-week ultrasound, Marylu Trevino’s baby boy was finally facing the camera and she could see his face for the first time. But instead of happiness, Marylu felt fear and confusion after learning her child would be born with a cleft lip.

“As someone who didn’t know anything at all about cleft lip or the diagnosis, it was very alarming and scary,” Marylu said. “You almost kind of think as a mom, you’ve already done something wrong.”

Marylu and her husband, Andres, were referred to Matthew Greives, MD, an associate professor with McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston and pediatric plastic surgeon with UT Physicians.

Read the full story…

Publications of Note

Palasi, S.F., Rivas, A., Owen, C.K., Rajendran, R., Macias, J., Gregg, J., McCarty, M. and da Silva, R.D. (2024), The financial impact of delays to percutaneous nephrolithotomy surgery at a county hospital. UroPrecision. https://doi.org/10.1002/uro2.69

Ashley JR, Burczak KW, Cotton BA, Clements TW. Management of blunt abdominal trauma. Br J Surg. Jul 2 2024;111(7)doi:10.1093/bjs/znae168. PMID: 39030780.

Huston JM, Barie PS, Dellinger EP, Forrester JD, Duane TM, Tessier JM, Sawyer RG, Cainzos MA, Rasa K, Chipman JG, Kao LS, Pieracci FM, Colling KP, Heffernan DS, Lester J; Therapeutics and Guidelines Committee. The Surgical Infection Society Guidelines on the Management of Intra-Abdominal Infection: 2024 Update. Surg Infect (Larchmt). 2024 Jul 11. doi: 10.1089/sur.2024.137. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38990709.

Kregel HR, Pedroza C, Sunez F, Khraish G, Onyema E, Meyer DE, Adams SD, Kao LS, Moore LJ, Puzio TJ. The geriatric trauma hospitalist service: An analysis of a management strategy for injured older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2024 Jul 5. doi: 10.1111/jgs.19054. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38970303.

Moore L, Brenner M. Bringing REBOA Closer to the Point of Injury. JAMA Surg. 2024 Jul 10. doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2024.2233. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38985489.

Rosen JE, Monsell SE, DePaoli SC, Fannon EC, Kohler JE, Reinke CE, Kao LS, Fransman RB, Stulberg JJ, Shapiro MB, Nehra D, Park PK, Sanchez SE, Fischkoff KN, Davidson GH, Flum DR; TRIAD Collaborative. The Use and Impact of a Decision Support Tool for Appendicitis Treatment. Ann Surg. 2024 Jun 25. doi: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000006412. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38916104.

IN THE NEWS

Deborah Horn, DO, MPH, was quoted in a Medscape article about the decrease in access and coverage of GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs.

Nirav Thosani, MD, spoke to FOX 26 News about the symptoms and treatment of pancreatic cancer following the death of Houston congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.

Deborah Horn, DO, MPH, spoke to Medical News Today about the link between the weight-loss drug semaglutide and a lower risk of cognitive decline and nicotine cravings.

Deborah Horn, DO, MPH, was interviewed by the Desert Sun about a study that suggests the class of drugs known as GLP-1 agonists may improve memory and benefit brain health.

RESIDENT & STUDENT CORNER

2024 Plastic Surgery Residency Graduation

The McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic Surgery, celebrated its graduation ceremony on June 14, 2024. The event honored the achievements of Arvind Manisundaram, MD, and David C. Hopkins, MD.

Manisundaram completed his medical education at UT Southwestern Medical Center and general surgery residency at The University of Buffalo. He then joined McGovern Medical School for his Plastic Surgery residency. Manisundaram will be heading to Dallas for an aesthetic surgery fellowship at the North Texas Plastic Surgery Institute.

Hopkins, who completed his medical school and general surgery residency at McGovern Medical School, also finished his Plastic Surgery residency here. Hopkins will be joining the Division of Plastic Surgery as faculty, with his practice primarily based at Memorial Hermann Katy.

Additionally, Rachel Goldstein, DO, graduated as the first Gender Fellow under the direction of Daniel J. Freet, MD, FACS. A Houston Methodist Plastic Surgery residency program graduate, Goldstein will be starting her practice in Denver, CO, with the Crane Center for Transgender Surgery.

The ceremony also included the presentation of academic awards. Hendrik Lintel, MD (PGY-1) received the top Inservice score for the integrated program, while Bora Kahramangil, MD (PGY-6) was recognized for the independent program. Imran Rizvi, MD, was awarded Resident Teacher of the Year, and Mohin Bhadkamkar, MD, Associate Program Director and Assistant Professor of Plastic Surgery, was honored as Faculty Teacher of the Year.