HEADLINES

Tsu-Min Tsai, MD, Retires from Kleinert Kutz

A chance meeting led to 45 years of surgery in a world-renowned medical practice

LOUISVILLE/NEW ALBANY In the early 1970’s, Tsu-Min Tsai, MD, was a prominent surgeon with a flourishing career in Taiwan where he served as chief of surgery at Taipei City Hospital. But a chance meeting with Harold Kleinert, MD, and Joseph Kutz, MD, in 1974 would completely change his path.

Impressed with his microsurgery research and his work in replantation, Kleinert invited him to come to Louisville. What followed was a move to a different continent with four more years of medical residency because despite the six years he had already done in Taiwan, the American medical societies didn’t recognize degrees from non-English speaking countries. There was also a language barrier to overcome. “I told my wife the move was temporary,” states Tsai. He had no idea that he would remain for more than 45 years, engaged in a very fulfilling and satisfying career.

Working side by side with Drs. Kleinert and Kutz, Tsai has had his share of historical surgeries over his long career. While the first successful hand transplants are the most talked about, Tsai smiles as he recalls reattaching Neil Armstrong’s ring finger in 1978. “The first man to walk on the moon was flown to Jewish Hospital in Louisville for his replantation with our doctors,” says Tsai. This was one of many “notable” patients that would travel from all around the world for their hand and arm care during his tenure at Kleinert Kutz.

“I will miss my patients and practice,” says Tsai, “but I will have more time for golf and time with my family.” He will also remain an active participant in the education lecture series with the Christine M. Kleinert Institute. Tsai’s retirement was effective November 30, 2021.

Tsu-Min Tsai, MD, with Harold Kleinert, MD, in 1990 in China.

Tsu-Min Tsai, MD, retires after more that 45 years practicing hand microsurgery and replantation.

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Treatment of Mental Disorders: Practical Skills for Clinicians

Annual UofL Depression Center conference addresses treatment of eating disorders, PTSD and treatment resistant depression.

BY JaN aNDERSON, PSYD, LPCC

LOUISVILLE The 2021 UofL Depression Center conference tackled some of the most challenging issues in mental health treatment. The online webinar on November 5 focused on skill-based approaches for treating eating disorders, PTSD, and treatment-resistant depression.

Cheri Levinson, PhD, associate professor and director of UofL’s Eating Anxiety Treatment Laboratory, shared her team’s innovative approaches to the three biggest challenges in treating eating disorders (ED): 1. Access to treatment is a challenge: Wait times are long, insurance usually doesn’t cover treatment, and the longer you wait, the less likely you are to recover. Levinson’s experiments with telehealth are proving to be just as effective as in-person treatment. This is especially good news for Kentucky residents, who have had to travel out of the area for treatment. 2. There are no evidence-based treatments for the biggest population of ED patients: Fifty percent of patients who seek treatment for ED symptoms do not meet all the diagnostic criteria for any major eating disorder, yet their symptoms cause significant distress.

Particularly challenging is the wide variety of types of distress experienced.

Levinson’s team has developed a personalized treatment approach, based on an innovative model targeting the top 2 distressors for each patient. 3. The relapse rate for EDs is high (60%).

Levinson’s next step is a relapse-prevention study based on her clinic’s components of better access to personalized treatment. A mobile app version of the program is in development now.

Barbara Rothbaum, PhD, director of the Trauma and Anxiety Recovery Program at Emory University School of Medicine, described what’s new and what works in the treatment of PSTD. Rothbaum emphasized the use of biomarkers in diagnosis and treatment Barbara Rothbaum, PhD Cheri Levinson, PhD Maurizio Fava, MD and demonstrated how virtual prolonged exposure therapy (VRE) works to reduce PTSD symptoms. Rothbaum also noted how her clinic is finding telemedicine is equally effective in treating PTSD. Her clinic is also experimenting with the use of medications administered immediately before VRE to enhance its effectiveness. Maurizio Fava, MD, psychiatrist-in-chief at Massachusetts General Hospital, outlined a series of approaches for treatment resistant depression (TRD), including guidelines for switching medications, prescribing higher doses, and using augmentation drug therapies to enhance the effect of SSRIs. Fava also evaluated the effectiveness of various stimulants, nutriceuticals, and ketamine for TRD. More information on the UofL Health Depression Center is at www.louisville.edu/depression and 502.813.6600.

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