The House of Surgery

This episode features Bartley P. Griffith, MD, FACS, FRCS, a cardiothoracic surgeon from Baltimore, Maryland, who delivered the John H. Gibbon Jr. Lecture at ACS Clinical Congress 2023. In his lecture, “What’s New May Be Old: Xenotransplantation,” Dr. Griffith shares details about the more than 50-year history of xenotransplantation, including his recent experiences with two human xenotransplants...

This episode features Gordon L. Telford, MD, FACS, a general surgeon from Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, who gave the Martin Memorial Lecture at ACS Clinical Congress 2023. Dr. Telford examines the life of ACS Founder Franklin H. Martin, MD, FACS, for whom the  lecture was named.     Talk about the podcast on social media using the hashtag #HouseofSurgery 

This episode features a fireside chat with ACS Past President Julie Freischlag, MD, FACS, who is the chief executive officer of Advocate Health and executive vice president for health affairs at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Dr. Freischlag talks about her career progression, lessons learned, work-life integration, and more. The program host is Mohsen Shabahang, MD, PhD,...

This episode features M. Margaret “Peggy” Knudson, MD, FACS, a trauma surgeon from San Francisco, California, who delivered the Excelsior Surgical Society/Edward D. Churchill Lecture at ACS Clinical Congress 2023. Her lecture, “Service, Synergy, and Surgical Mythology,” describes her experiences with the military, the synergy between military and civilian surgeons, and some myths about treatment o...

This episode features Henri R. Ford, MD, MHA, FACS, who was installed during Clinical Congress 2023 in Boston as the American College of Surgeons 104th President. Shortly afterward, he delivered his Presidential Address, Achieving Our Best Together: #InclusiveExcellence.   Talk about the podcast on social media using the hashtag #HouseofSurgery.

This episode features a fireside chat with ACS President E. Christopher Ellison, MD, FACS, about his career and life lessons. Dr. Ellison is the Robert M. Zollinger Professor of Surgery Emeritus at The Ohio State University College of Medicine in Columbus. He previously served as chair of the Department of Surgery, interim dean at the OSU College of Medicine, and president and CEO of the OSU Physi...

In this episode, Dr. Steven Wexner talks with Dr. Tim Mullett, Chair of the ACS Commission on Cancer (CoC), about recent activities and accomplishments of the CoC, how everyone can get involved in cancer prevention and cancer care initiatives, upcoming changes to the National Cancer Database, and cancer program content that will be presented at the upcoming ACS Clinical Congress in Boston this Oct...

This episode features a fireside chat with Dr. Timothy Eberlein about his career and life lessons. Dr. Eberlein is the director of the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center, Olin Distinguished Professor, and Senior Associate Dean of the Cancer Programs at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and the University of Washington Medical Center in Saint Louis. He also is Chair of the ACS Board of Regents and Editor-in-Chief...

This episode features Dr. Edward Partridge, a professor emeritus from the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Alabama Birmingham and Chief Medical Office of Guideway Care. Dr. Partridge delivered the ACS Commission on Cancer Oncology Lecture during Clinical Congress 2022, reflecting on the 100-year anniversary of the C-o-C and addressing ways to decrease healthcare disparities...

This episode features Dr. Bruce Schirmer, a bariatric surgeon from Charlottesville, Virginia, who delivered the inaugural Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Lecture during Clinical Congress 2022. In his talk, “Don’t Stop Now,” Dr. Schirmer discusses the progress of bariatric surgery over the past 40 years and encourages more work to understand the disease of obesity.   Talk about the podcast on socia...

This episode features a multidisciplinary panel of experts discussing the importance of preoperative detection of cognitive impairment and dementia in the geriatric population. The host is Dr. Xane Peters, from Loyola University Medical Center who’s a clinical scholar working with the ACS Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care. His guests are Dr. Julia Berian, an assistant professor of surg...

This episode features Dr. Mary Brandt, a professor of pediatric surgery at Tulane University in New Orleans, who delivered the John J. Conley Ethics and Philosophy Lecture during Clinical Congress 2022. Dr. Brandt focused on “The Ethics of Belonging,” – what it means to belong, why belonging is professionally and ethically important, and how we can all become fierce guardians of belonging. View th...

This episode is from a recent ACS webinar that offered information on the burden of emergency gastrointestinal surgery in resource-constrained settings, its effect on patient outcomes, and evidence-based solutions that surgeons can implement to improve surgical access and quality in similar settings.   MODERATOR Giuseppe Nigri, MD, PhD, FACS, FRCS, Professor of Surgery at Sapienza University of Ro...

This episode features Dr. Arif Kamal, the chief patient officer at the American Cancer Society, who gave the keynote address at the recent ACS Cancer Programs Conference in Atlanta. Dr. Kamal reflects on how multiple disciplines can come together to care for patients across the continuum of care, from prevention through survivorship. Arif H. Kamal, MD, MBA, MHS, FACP, FAAHPM, FASCO, Chief Patient...

This episode takes a look at the recent ACS Leadership & Advocacy Summit, the leadership lessons learned and advice for surgeons in all career stages who want to improve their leadership skills. Dr. Michael Sutherland, director of the ACS Division of Member Services, talks to two high-powered surgeon-leaders—Dr. Bob Higgins, a cardiothoracic surgeon who is president of Brigham and Women’s Hospital...

This episode features acclaimed trauma surgeon Dr. Ronald Stewart, the Dr. Witten B. Russ Chair of Surgery at The University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. Dr. Stewart delivered the Scudder Oration on Trauma during Clinical Congress 2022, reflecting on the ACS Committee on Trauma’s Century of Commitment to Optimal Trauma Care—Lessons Learned and Opportunities for the Future. Talk a...

This episode features the audio from a press conference that the ACS held in Washington, DC, on April 14 to officially kick off the Power of Quality Campaign. Following opening remarks from ACS Executive Director and CEO Dr. Patricia Turner, panelists discuss the importance of quality care for all surgical patients and expanding the reach of ACS Quality Programs into more hospitals. This episode f...

This episode features Dr. David Feliciano, a leader in trauma and acute care surgery who currently is a clinical professor of surgery at the University of Maryland in Baltimore. Dr. Feliciano gave the Churchill Lecture during Clinical Congress 2022 on the “Extraordinary Evolution of Surgery for Abdominal Trauma.” Talk about the podcast on social media using #HouseofSurgery.

This episode features Dr. David Beck, a renowned colorectal surgeon and US Air Force veteran who currently is a professor of clinical surgery at Vanderbilt University in Memphis, Tennessee. Dr. Beck delivered the Abcarian Lecture during Clinical Congress 2022 on the benefits of applying critical thinking toward each component of care to help advance workflow efficiencies and improve patient outcom...

This episode features Dr. Eduardo Moreno Paquentin, founder and director of the Surgery Hub in Mexico City, who delivered the International Society of Surgery Lecture during Clinical Congress 2022. Dr. Paquentin describes his experience training surgical residents in Mexico on safe laparoscopic techniques and developing quality surgical training programs around the world. Talk about the podcast on...

In this episode, Dr. Steven Wexner talks with three key leaders from the ACS Cancer Programs, which held their first-ever joint conference in early March in Atlanta for members of the cancer care team. The leaders—Drs. Laurie Kirstein, Timothy Mullett, and Katharine Yao—provide insights and highlights from the conference, including release of new Breast Center standards, exciting results of nation...

This episode features Dr. Omaida Velazquez, a vascular surgeon at the University of Miami Health system. During Clinical Congress 2022, Dr. Velazquez delivered the Olga M. Jonasson Lecture, which honors Dr. Jonasson’s trailblazing leadership and significant contributions to surgical practice and surgery education. The lecture highlights Dr. Velazquez’s belief that academic surgery is entering a “s...

This episode features Dr. Carla Pugh (PEW), vice chair of innovation in the department of surgery at Stanford University in California. Dr. Pugh delivered the I.S. Ravdin Lecture during Clinical Congress 2022 on wearable technology and artificial intelligence—how the medical field has just begun to scratch the surface of their potential and how they can be used to improve patient outcomes. Talk ab...

This episode features Dr. James Drake, a pediatric neurosurgeon from the University of Toronto in Canada, and son of Charles G. Drake for whom the Clinical Congress lecture was named. During the lecture this past October, Dr. James Drake provided a history of his father’s legacy as a pioneer in adult neurological surgery and world expert in vascular malformations of the brain … along the way disco...

This episode features Dr. Gail Darling from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, who delivered the Gibbon Lecture at Clinical Congress 2022. In her lecture, Dr. Darling offered her experiences with a new process for Morbidity and Mortality Conferences that provides a safe environment to discuss adverse events and focus on system issues rather than pointing fingers at individuals. Talk abo...