Tulane Department of Surgery Annual Report

annual report TULANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

Department of Surgery 2022–2023

TULANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

Contents TA B L E OF

PAG E

02

12

68

DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY HISTORY

EQUITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

AWARDS

04

18

69

A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

TULANE SURGICAL SOCIETY

GIVING

06

20

VISION & VALUES

PILLARS Education Research Patient Care

08 FACULTY

42 DIVISIONS Abdominal Transplant Surgery General, Endocrine & Oncological Surgery Section of Pediatric Surgery Section of Plastic Surgery Minimally Invasive/Bariatric Surgery Trauma, Acute Care & Critical Care Surgery

TULANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

Surgery Tulane establishes

FIRST PREMEDICAL COURSE

1886-1958

Survey of American and Canadian medical schools ranks Tulane in the NATION'S

1895

H ISTORY

1910

DEPART M E N T O F

A.B. MILES SURGICAL AMPHITHEATRE

TOP EIGHT

1914

1888

completed.

Rudolph Matas, MD, performs the first successful endoaneurysmorrhaphy on a traumatic brachial artery aneurysm, widely regarded as the BIRTH

OF MODERN VASCULAR SURGERY. Dr. Rudolph Matas

1886

recognized as the “Father of Vascular Surgery.”

Alberto Garcia, MD, performs the FIRST OPEN HEART

SURGERY IN LOUISIANA

on a young black patient who arrived at Charity Hospital during Mardi Gras.

TULANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

1958 1925

Dr. Rudolph Matas dies at age 97 and donates personal book collection to Tulane — now known as the MATAS TULANE LIBRARY

funds first full-time appointment of Chairman of the Department of Surgery, E.W. Alton Ochsner, MD.

1936

ROCKEFELLER GENERAL EDUCATION FUND grant

1930

Dr. Alton Ochsner performs the FIRST

PNEUMONECTOMY IN THE DEEP SOUTH

The Historic New Orleans Collection/ Charles L. Franck and Franck-Bertacci Photograph Collections

Dr. Alton Ochsner

1939

DISCOVERS THE LINK BETWEEN TOBACCO USE & LUNG CANCER

SCHOOL OF MEDICINE moves from Hutchinson Memorial Building (Canal Street) to new Hutchinson Memorial Building (Tulane Ave.), next to the old Charity Hospital.

Scan to see more noteworthy moments in the Department’s history [1736–2023]

2022 / 2023

3

Throughout my seven-year tenure as chair of the Department of Surgery at the School of Medicine,

I have been consistently impressed by the unwavering dedication and camaraderie demonstrated by our faculty, residents and staff. [ ALL IN ] AS I REFLECT ON OUR TEAM’S REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENTS, I AM PROUD TO SEE THAT OUR CORE VALUES OF ESPRIT DE CORPS, PROFESSIONALISM AND STRATEGIC VISION HAVE BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF OUR SUCCESS. EVERYONE IS ALL IN.

In October 2022, the partnership of LCMC Health and Tulane was announced. This partnership represents a continuation of our commitment to improving the health of patients and communities throughout Louisiana. By leveraging the strengths of both organizations, this partnership will advance academic medicine, leading to better patient care, increased investment in research and technology, and expanded opportunities to train the next generation of healthcare professionals. (Read more about the merger on page 38.)

Our main site of practice at Tulane Hospital will be relocating to East Jefferson Hospital in early 2024. We were already at an advantage in our department as our residents have been training at East Jefferson for a considerable time, enabling us to cultivate relationships that will help with effective integration. All of our clinical work at University Medical Center will remain, and we anticipate growth in each area. Despite the uncertainty of the road ahead, we believe this partnership will allow us to continue to support the department’s other missions and brighten our future.

TULANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

Despite the stress that comes with transitioning to a new partnership and relocating a hospital, our team of surgeons, scientists, residents and staff exceeded all expectations in the most impactful ways. As we are committed to excellence in teaching both our residents and students, we were thrilled to be recognized this year by receiving the Tulane Owl Club awards for best clerkship and best overall department (the trophy is back!!). This recognition is entirely due to the quality and dedication of our residents, faculty and amazing staff.

In the clinical arena, our transplant surgeons performed the first robotic kidney transplant in the Gulf South. This achievement is significant as it opens up the opportunity for many patients who had previously not qualified for transplant due to weight. As we live in a state with a high prevalence of obesity, we believe this will directly impact the disparity in healthcare access. (Read more about the transplant on page 42.)

On the research front, we are thrilled to announce that for the first time in many years, a Tulane researcher, Dr. Mimi Sammarco, was awarded a National Institutes of Health R01 grant. Dr. Sammarco’s work in regeneration/wound healing is exciting, and we are proud to have her in the department.

We know the journey is a long one and requires extraordinary persistence, but I am optimistic that our federal funding will grow, as the number of grants our current faculty has received has exponentially increased.

Lastly, we care for our community and improve the environment by participating in public health initiatives. Dr. Sharven Taghavi, an associate professor of surgery in trauma and critical care, has focused his research on understanding firearm injuries in hospitalized patients and identifying risk factors in hopes of reducing gun violence.

Using national databases, he has found that social determinants like insurance status impact the gun violence epidemic. His work also highlights the influence of segregation, gun legislation and familial instability on gun violence rates. (Read more about Dr. Taghavi’s research on page 64.)

Above all else, we value authenticity, integrity and an environment of professionalism to shape the future surgeon leaders of tomorrow. Coming out of the pandemic, followed by a major hurricane and living with the uncertainty of our future, this year has been a challenge, to say the least, and I am so grateful for our faculty and residents, who have “Carried On” with excellent clinical care and impactful scholarly contributions to advance our profession.

MARY T. KILLACKEY, MD

Department Chair Robert & Viola Lobrano Chair ( 2016-present) Professor 2022 / 2023

5

Our core values of esprit de corps, professionalism and strategic vision have been at the forefront of our success.

ALL IN

Everyone is

TULANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

[ ALL IN ]

Esprit de Corps [es-PREE deh COR]

A feeling of pride, fellowship and common loyalty shared by the members of a particular group In 2018, we established five core values, supported by five mantras to codify the department’s culture.

[

ACCOUNTABILITY

I’M ALL IN Committed to a purpose that is greater than ourselves

INTEGRITY

TRUST IS THE FOUNDATION Honesty in myself creates solidarity in us

[ EDUCATION

EACH ONE, TEACH ONE Always time to teach Teaching timeout We have something to learn from everyone

MICROCOSMS OF FAMILY

LEADERSHIP

FAMILY IN EVERYONE

ASPIRE TO GREATNESS

Foundations of support inspire compassion in all

We elevate the potential in each other We celebrate the success of those around us

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DEPARTMENT CHAIR Mary T. Killackey, MD Robert and Viola Lobrano Chair in Surgery (2016-present) Professor

ABDOMINAL TRANSPLANT Hoonbae Jeon, MD Professor & Chief, Abdominal Transplant

[ ALL IN ] “WE ARE ‘ALL IN’ ON INNOVATION AND ARE ACTIVELY ADAPTING THE SURGICAL ROBOT FOR MINIMALLY INVASIVE HEPATOBILIARY AND PANCREAS SURGERIES. WE LOOK FORWARD TO MORE SURGICAL ‘FIRSTS’ BY OUR TALENTED FACULTY.”

Jennifer Forstall Nurse Practitioner

Amanda Ward Nurse Practitioner

Anil Paramesh, MD Professor

Kiara Tulla, MD Assistant Professor (09/2023)

Adarsh Vijay, MD Assistant Professor

TULANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

GENERAL, ENDOCRINE & ONCOLOGICAL SURGERY Emad Kandil, MD, MBA, FACS, FACE Professor and Elias Hanna Chair Chief, General, Endocrine & Oncological Surgery

[ ALL IN ] “FACULTY ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE EDUCATIONAL MISSION OF OUR MEDICAL STUDENTS AND RESIDENTS. OUR RESEARCH INVOLVES OTHER FACULTY FROM OTHER DIVISIONS AND INCLUDES OUR MEDICAL STUDENTS ON ALL PROJECTS. WE’RE DOING OUR BEST TO PROVIDE STATE-OF-THE-ART CARE TO OUR PATIENTS, AND WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT THE TRANSITION TO LCMC.”

PEDIATRICS

ONCOLOGICAL

COLORECTAL

Mary Brandt, MD Professor

Ralph L. Corsetti, MD Professor Edward G. Schlieder Educational Foundation Chair

Jacquelyn Turner, MD Professor

GENERAL SURGERY Steven Jones, MD Assistant Professor ENDOCRINE Mohamed Shama, MD Assistant Professor

Caroline Graham Nurse Practitioner Kristen Limbach, MD Assistant Professor (10/2023)

Matthew Zelhart, MD Assistant Professor PLASTIC Abigail Chaffin, MD Professor

Wendy Navarro Nurse Practitioner

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MIS/BARIATRIC SURGERY Carlos Galvani, MD Professor & Chief, MIS/Bariatric Surgery

[ ALL IN ] “OUR DIVISION IS ‘ALL IN’ ON PUTTING OUR PATIENTS FIRST. WHETHER IT IS OUR FACULTY’S ADVOCACY EFFORTS TO OBTAIN INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR WEIGHT LOSS TREATMENTS FOR EVERY PATIENT IN THE STATE OF LOUISIANA OR OUR COMMITMENT TO TREATING THE UNDERSERVED, WE PUT THE PATIENT AT THE CENTER OF ALL THAT WE DO.” John Baker, MD Assistant Professor

Shauna Levy, MD Assistant Professor

Benjamin Crisp, MD MIS/Bari Fellow

Kelly Quinn Nurse Practitioner

TRAUMA, ACUTE CARE & CRITICAL CARE SURGERY Juan Duchesne, MD Professor & Chief, Trauma, Acute Care & Critical Care Surgery

[ ALL IN ] “AFTER THE DEPARTURE OF SOME KEY FACULTY MEMBERS, OUR TEAM HAS DONE AN EXTRAORDINARY JOB OF FILLING IN THE COVERAGE GAPS WHILE WE WAIT FOR THE RECRUITMENT OF TWO NEW TRAUMA FACULTY.”

Chrissy Guidry, DO Assistant Professor

Patrick McGrew, MD Assistant Professor

Sharven Taghavi, MD Associate Professor

Charles Harris, MD Assistant Professor

Robert Reily, MD Assistant Professor

Kevin Harrell, MD Assistant Professor (09/2023)

Clifton McGinness Associate Professor TULANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

OFFICE OF SURGICAL RESEARCH Danielle Tatum, PhD Assistant Professor & Director, Office of Surgical Research

[ ALL IN ] “WE DEVELOPED A CLINICAL RESEARCH ELECTIVE FOR MEDICAL STUDENTS INTERESTED IN RESEARCH. THEY’RE ENCOURAGED TO PARTICIPATE IN RESEARCH AND MANY NEED IT FOR COMPETITIVE RESIDENCIES, LIKE SURGERY. THERE’S A SHORTAGE OF RESOURCES TO TEACH THEM THE RESEARCH PROCESS — FROM IDEA INCEPTION TO DATA ANALYSIS/MANAGEMENT TO MANUSCRIPT PUBLICATION. THIS ELECTIVE — EIGHT LECTURES OVER THE SUMMER — PROVIDES A FOUNDATION FOR THEIR RESEARCH SKILL SET.”

Youssef Errami, PhD Assistant Professor

Mimi Sammarco, PhD Assistant Professor

Olan Jackson-Weaver, PhD Assistant Professor

Eman Toraih, M.Sc., MD, PhD Assistant Professor

Mourad Zerfaoui, PhD Assistant Professor

EMERITUS

Bernard Jaffe, MD Professor

Ronald L. Nichols, MD, MS, FACS William Henderson Professor Adjunct Professor of Microbiology & Immunology

James Brown, MD Adjunct Professor

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Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion is more than a conversation within the department — it’s a day-to-day, active effort in every division. But what does it really mean, and what are we actually doing about it? Our department weighs in, in their own words.

[ ED& I ] It means having a basic understanding that you can never truly understand the experience of another because of how uniquely different people’s lives are but using this very idea to empathise with people (who may not be similar to you).

JAYA MEHTA, MD General Surgery Intern PGY 1

Diversity: We are a work in progress, forming through our past…culture, family, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, religion, schools, neighborhood and friends. Diversity is bringing all people and their perspective together to have a blended end result.

PATRICIA C. KIRSCH Sr. Dept. Administrator

Equity is creating a level playing field for historically marginalized groups, and being intentional about

eliminating bias from institutional practices and policies.

Diversity is having representation of individuals from

different backgrounds, genders, ethnicities, experiences and abilities. Inclusion means we all feel we have a voice, a seat

at the table and the space and tools to create opportunities for others.

— CHANDA CAMESE, Senior Accountant

TULANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

Being a human is hard, so being able to show everyone that they are not alone regardless of appearance, sexual preference or spiritual belief is something that we can all do. Also being able to understand that everyone has a past and being able to get to know someone for their here and now is something that we can do to help further the inclusion and help to eliminate the bias we might have.

— SYDNEY ENGH, Plastic Surgery Senior Residency Coordinator

It means a commitment to promoting the fair treatment and full participation of all people who have been historically underrepresented or subject to discrimination.

— STEVEN D JONES, MD, MPH Assistant Professor of Surgery

Commitment to honoring and respecting the differences between individuals and understanding that these differences are valuable.

— CAMERON ALDEN HOLMES, MD General Surgery Resident PGY 2

Welcoming all, valuing our uniqueness and differences, and treating each other as humanswho deserve to be treated with respect and kindness. ­— BOBBIE LEAUMONT, RN Clinic Operations Manager

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Turner promotes educational pathways for underrepresented students The Department of Surgery has launched new programs to provide students with an early look at careers in surgery. The pathway programs are available at high school, college and medical school levels and are especially important for recruiting underrepresented populations.

“Early exposure is key to trying to recruit people into the specialty.

It also provides equity for students who are underserved or underrepresented in the community,” said Jacquelyn Turner, MD, who joined the department in January 2022 as a professor of surgery and vice chair of surgical education. She was recruited from the Morehouse School of Medicine, where she served as the surgical clerkship director and began her involvement in surgical education at the national level.

TULANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

In 2023, Dr. Turner launched Introduction to the Medical Professions: A Rotation to Empower Students (IMPRESS), a collegiate pathway program.

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In 2023, Dr. Turner started IMPRESS, a five-week on-site program, along with resident Xinyi Luo, MD (GS ’26), geared toward underrepresented college students. The first 11 students participated in a comprehensive curriculum designed to give a sense of what it is like to be a medical student, including clinical shadowing, research exposure and simulation.

Most importantly, they received mentorship and guidance on how to advance in a career in medicine.

In October 2022, the department began its one-month visiting rotation for fourth-year medical students. This rotation is the inaugural Dr. Ernest W. Kinchen, Jr., Visiting Student Clerkship Award, which provides housing and stipends for fourth-year students who are underrepresented in medicine and interested in pursuing a career in general surgery.

Students who are underrepresented in medicine could be any population that has not had the same opportunities as the majority of students, including racial and ethnic minority groups, but also people of different gender identifications and first-generation college graduates. “We’re trying to encompass all races, ethnicities and genders struggling with getting support and recognition,” Turner said.

The first Kinchen awardee, who spent the month with the minimally invasive surgery group, was a medical student from Morehouse School of Medicine who would not have had the resources to pursue a visiting rotation without financial support, Dr. Turner said.

[ ED& I ] Our faculty are working together across divisions to bring new opportunities to our students. This spirit of teamwork is driving our success in educational research and in deepening the quality of our educational practice.

— JACQUELYN TURNER, MD

TULANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

Joined the

The department also held its second annual high school career day, a program that was created by surgical resident Vironka Davis, MD (GS ’25) and launched in January 2022. The second year drew 50 participants from local schools.

As vice chair of surgical education, Turner is involved not only in fostering student education and development, but in aiding resident education and development and in helping faculty become better educators. Turner helped to launch a Business in Medicine curriculum — similar to a program she started at Morehouse — for residents to learn about contract negotiation, billing and coding, and other money matters not typically taught during residency. The six-session program included 10 fourth- and fifth-year residents and contributions from several faculty members.

“We’re good at teaching residents how to be doctors, but we’re not good at teaching them what to do when they get ready to start their careers,” Turner said. “It’s a business, and oftentimes they are learning it on the fly.”

Tulane Department of Surgery in

JANUARY 2022 as a Professor of Surgery and

Vice Chair of Surgical Education

11 STUDENTS received mentorship and guidance on how to advance in a career in medicine

The second annual

high school career day drew

50 PARTICIPANTS from local high schools

Launched a

BUSINESS IN MEDICINE six-session program for residents to learn money matters

2022 / 2023

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Surgical Society TU L AN E

The Tulane Surgical Society celebrated the annual gala on March

18, 2023. The gala was held at the Audubon Clubhouse and honored alumnus Carlos Bechara, MD (R’06). Dr. Bechara is currently a

Professor of Surgery, Program Director, Vascular Surgery; Co-Director Loyola Center for Aortic Disease at Loyola Medicine, Chicago.

TULANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

5

RAISED OVER $

20,000

CHIEF RESIDENTS

in donations from faculty

attended the American College of Surgeons’ Clinical Congress

2022-2023 President: Marie Unruh, MD, GS , 13

President-Elect: Matt Zelhart, MD, GS , 16

Vice-President: Catherine Baucom, MD, PhD, GS , 11 Secretary: Sandy Florman, MD, GS , 00 Treasurer: Ralph Corsetti, MD, GS , 96

Immediate Past-President: David Yu, MD, GS , 11 Members-at-large: (term ending)

John Lindsey, MD (GS ’91) (2023)

Adam Huach, MD (GS ’17) (2024) Anne Rizzo, MD (GS ’94) (2025)

Kira Long, MD (GS ’16) (2026)

Eric Simms, MD (GS ’15) (2026) Resident Member:

Christofer Anderson, MD (GS ’23)

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01.

Pillars EDUCATION

The department has been active this year, creating new offerings for residents, completing the first clerkship rotation focused on medical education and advancing education projects that embody the values and goals of equity, diversity and inclusion.

TULANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

CLERKSHIP

The Department of Surgery supports success during the medical clerkship years with innovative educational opportunities. This year, we continued to support the highly competitive Honors Surgery rotation, which provides medical students with surgical skills training and didactics. The clerkship team also completed its first rotation focusing exclusively on medical education. This rotation, which is offered to fourth-year medical students, teaches students about curriculum design and development, mentoring and the pathway to becoming a medical educator.

We are honored to have our work recognized by the Tulane School of Medicine’s prestigious Owl Club.

2023 OWL AWARDS

• Best Upper-Level Resident, Chad Becnel, MD • Best Attending Physician, Patrick McGrew, MD • Best Clerkship • Best Overall Department

RESIDENCY

The Department of Surgery continues to attract top candidates in the National Resident Matching Program. This year, both the plastic surgery fellowship and the minimally invasive surgery fellowship had a successful match. Additionally, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education issued continued accreditation to our plastic surgery program as part of the annual accreditation.

Residents also had the chance to gain practical knowledge that will aid them in applying for positions after residency and building a practice. We launched a Transition to Practice curriculum for senior residents, with resources on contract negotiation, financial planning, legal issues and leadership.

The goal is to arm residents with the type of practical information that is typically not covered during their years of medical education.

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EQUITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

EDI has been a special focus, and we have successfully implemented three projects that open opportunities to students traditionally underrepresented in medicine.

• Ernest W. Kinchen, Jr., MD, Visiting Student Clerkship Award, a month-long traveling clerkship program

• 2nd annual high school career day • Introduction to the Medical Professions: A Rotation to Empower Students (IMPRESS) collegiate pathway program

Read more about these innovative EDI pathway programs on page 14.

Whether it is EDI programs or new curricula for residents and medical students, the division is working to bring innovative opportunities to all learners and give more students the chance to pursue careers in surgery.

[ ED& I ] Our faculty are working together across divisions to bring new opportunities to our students. This spirit of teamwork is driving our success in educational research and in deepening the quality of our educational practice. — DANIELLE TATUM, PhD

TULANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

FACU LT Y

Talks & Lectures

Atlanta, GA

Lafayette, LA

Orlando, FL

Austin, TX

Las Vegas, NV

Oxford, UK

Boston, MA

Maui, HI

Phoenix, AZ

Chicago, IL

Miami, FL

San Diego, CA

Dallas, TX

New Orleans, LA

Toronto, ON, CA

Denver, CO

New York, NY

2022 / 2023

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Grand Rounds VI SI TI NG P RO F E S S OR L ECT URES

ACADEMIC YEAR 2022 Susan Pitt, MD The Tipping Point for Gender Equity in Surgery

Nova Szoka, MD Sexual and Gender Minorities in Surgery

Paige Porrett, MD Transplant Innovations: The Future Is Now

Frank Butler, MD Consultant in TCCC to the dod Joint Trauma System

Assistant Professor of Surgery, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Associate Professor of Surgery; Director, VCA Transplantation, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Marleta Reynolds, MD Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know

Chair, Department of Surgery and Surgeon in Chief, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago

Lisa Newman, MD Oncologic Anthropology: Role of Genomics and Genetics in Correlating African Ancestry with High Risk/Triple Negative Breast Cancer

Director, Interdisciplinary Breast Program; Chief, Division of Breast Surgery; Medical Director, International Center for the Study of Breast Cancer Subtypes, Weill Cornell Medicine; Adjunct Professor, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Assistant Professor/Clinical Faculty, Department of General Surgery, University of West Virginia

Chair DoD Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care, Joint Trauma System, Washington, D.C.; Co-Chair, Decompression Sickness and Arterial Gas Embolism; Treatment Committee for the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society; Director, SEAL Biomedical Research Program; Adjunct Professor of Military and Emergency Medicine, F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS), Bethesda, Maryland

Rebecca Schroll, MD There and Back Again: A Surgeon’s Tale of Practicing in Aotearoa

Consultant Surgeon and Senior Medical Officer at Auckland District Health Board

Sharmila Dissanaike, MD Walking the Walk on Wellness

Peter C. Canizaro Chair, University Distinguished Professor, Department of Surgery, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center

For more information, scan code

TULANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

ACADEMIC YEAR 2023 Sang Lee, MD The Future of Minimally Invasive Colon & Rectal Surgery

Chief of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Professor of Clinical Surgery, Charles W. and Carolyn Costello Chair in Colorectal Diseases, University of Southern California

Dawn Coleman, MD The Power of a TEAM – A Pediatric Renovascular Hypertension Collaborative Professor of Surgery; Division Chief, Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Duke University Medical Center

Erika Rangel, MD The Parent Trap: Pregnancy, Infertility, & Obstetric Complications in US Surgeons

Director of the Surgical Intensive Care Unit at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital and the Associate Surgical Clerkship Director for Harvard Medical School

K. Marie King, MD Life Experiences to Develop Leadership Style

Program chair of both the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons and the Society of Black Academic Surgeons

David Hackman, MD, PhD Taming a House of Dragons: New Insights into the Pathogenesis & Treatment of Necrotizing Enterocolitis

Pediatric Surgeon-in-Chief and Co-Director, Johns Hopkins Children’s Center; Garrett Professor and Chief of Pediatric Surgery; Professor of Surgery, Pediatrics and Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Howard Levinson, MD Abdominal Wall Reconstruction: A Discussion of Best Practices & New Innovations

Carlos Bechara, MD Advances in Endovascular Treatment of Aortoiliac Occlusive Disease

Professor of Surgery; Program Director, Vascular Surgery; Co-Director Loyola Center for Aortic Disease, Loyola Medicine Chicago

David McAneny, MD How I Got Here

Senior Vice President of Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer, Boston Medical Center; Professor of Surgery and Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs, Boston University

Anne Rizzo, MD Davilene, The Woman, The Myth, The Legend

System Surgical Chair, The Guthrie Clinic; President, Surgical Services Professor of Surgery, USUHS, Virginia Commonwealth University, Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine; 2nd Vice President, American College of Surgeons

Lenworth Jacobs, MD, MPH Stop the Bleed. Enabling Immediate Responders to Save Lives Professor of Surgery, University of Connecticut

Jason Souza, MD Moving the Immovable Ladder: A Novel Framework for OrthoPlastic Extremity Reconstruction

Director, Orthoplastic and Advanced Amputation Program; Associate Professor, Departments of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery and Orthopaedics at Ohio State University

Patricia Turner, MD, MBA Modern Innovations in Surgical Leadership

Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, American College of Surgeons

Chair Plastic Surgery Division, Eastern Virginia Medical School/Sentara 2022 / 2023

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02.

Pillars RESEARCH

Efforts to build a robust surgical research portfolio are paying off as the number of clinical trials and research publications grows. At the same time, faculty members are gaining national recognition for their innovative approaches to research questions.

TULANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

As we move to the future, we continue the expansion of clinical trials to make new advances available to a broader group of patients. We are also committed to developing a platform to provide research skills to medical students and surgical residents, as well as to building a robust grant support infrastructure to assist our faculty researchers in pursuing additional support for their projects.

CLINICAL TRIALS

The rapid increase in the number of clinical trials initiated has been a major success story for the department. The number of active clinical trials doubled between FY 2021-22 and FY 2022-23 and is poised to nearly double again in FY 2023-24. The transplant and trauma divisions have been workhorses in clinical trial initiation, driving much of the recent increase.

Clinical trials are also generating important revenue for the department, allowing the department to continue to grow our clinical research team and invest in additional studies. Externally sponsored projects, which include federal grants and industrysponsored studies, are projected to exceed $1 million in FY 202223. This figure is double the externally sponsored total from the previous fiscal year.

Increasing clinical trials is not just about numbers. It also presents greater opportunities to care for patients, often allowing them access to treatments that might otherwise be out of reach.

2022 / 2023

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Research director focuses on infrastructure to support trial growth Over the last few years, the Department of Surgery has doubled the number of active clinical research trials each year, largely driven by efforts in the transplant and trauma divisions. Today, there are currently 11 open trials, with eight others slated to begin before the end of the year.

Much of the credit goes to the principal investigators whose reputations attract companies looking for trial partners, as well as the department’s clinical research team, which helps to bring in and onboard new clinical trials, said Danielle M. Tatum, PhD, who became the department’s first director of research in May 2021, overseeing the research agenda for all surgery divisions.

Previously, Tatum was the research director for the trauma specialist program at a large regional hospital in Baton Rouge.

Since then, Tatum has focused on creating the infrastructure to better support current research efforts and to stimulate growth in projects and publications.

TULANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

2022 / 2023

29

“Tulane has some really talented and very insightful surgeons who have good research ideas and strong connections with other institutions,” she said. “If we can add personnel to support that, we will have the reach to do a lot more.”

They have started by adding staff to assist with the oftentimes cumbersome grant submission process and building the team of clinical research coordinators to manage the growing portfolio of clinical trials. Tatum has also spearheaded the development of a clinical research elective to teach medical students — who offer critical support to investigator-initiated studies — foundational skills in conducting research.

The Tulane research portfolio is both robust and diverse, with projects coming from the trauma, minimally invasive surgery/bariatric,

endocrinology/oncology, transplant and plastic surgery divisions. The type of projects also varies, from basic science work on vascular endothelium damage after trauma and regenerative medicine projects, to prospective medical chart review studies, large national collaborative studies and a range of clinical trials.

Tatum highlighted two research successes she has helped facilitate since coming on board.

The first is a collaboration between Tulane’s transplant and the minimally invasive surgery/ bariatric teams with the University of Michigan and the Mayo Clinic to study the impact of bariatric surgery prior to organ transplant on patient outcomes. “That’s not been done before at this level,” Tatum said. “There’s a lot of exciting potential, not just for academic output, but also to directly improve patient care.”

[ ED& I ] Equity, diversity, and inclusion in research improves the quality of ideas by bringing forth different perspectives. Whether it’s socioeconomic class, race, gender or nationality, when you have people from different backgrounds at the table, you get a lot of really valuable insights. Ideally, those new perspectives will lead to better and more equitable access for our patients and ultimately to better outcomes.

— DANIELLE M. TATUM, PhD

TULANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

Tatum said she hopes to attract additional institutions to join the study, allowing them to increase the volume and diversity of the data available. “I expect that the next year will be spent growing the collaborative,” she said. “Our researchers have given talks at some of the bigger transplant conferences, introducing the collaborative to the research community, and it’s generated significant interest.”

The second exciting collaboration is happening between Tulane’s minimally invasive surgery/ bariatrics team and the University of Houston to study the influence of gastrointestinal stem cells on obesity. “This also has the potential to be transformative,” Tatum said. “If this proof of concept proves to be accurate, it could be very transformative and offer insight into drivers of metabolic syndrome and obesity, and potentially give us therapeutic targets.”

Became

FIRST DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH in May 2021

More than

20 OPEN TRIALS in 2024

Continuing to grow a network of

COLLABORATIVE PARTNERS throughout the U.S. is a priority

A collaboration between

MIS/Bariatric, the University of

Michigan and the Mayo Clinic is

STUDYING THE IMPACT of organ transplant on patient outcomes

2022 / 2023

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PUBLICATIONS

Our research output can also be seen in the substantial number of peer-reviewed publications contributed each year by our faculty. Notably, there have been several research publications in top journals with high-impact factors.

[125] peer-reviewed

RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS

each year over the last three years

Gun violence

A cross-sectional analysis on structural racism and mass shooting events in the U.S. was accepted by JAMA Surgery, which is currently the highestranking surgery journal in the world, with an impact factor of 16.7.

Traumatic hemorrhage Research analyzing succinate metabolism and membrane reorganization and the role they play in coagulopathy in traumatic hemorrhage was accepted by Science Advances, a top-rated journal, with an impact factor of 14.14.

TULANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

Thyroid surgery

Research exploring emerging technologies for parathyroid gland identification and vascular assessment in thyroid surgery was published in JAMA Otolaryngology — Head & Neck Surgery, which is the highestranked otolaryngology journal in the world, with an impact factor of 8.961.

GRANTS & AWARDS

Mimi Sammarco, PhD ,

who is leading projects on regenerative medicine, was awarded a prestigious R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health for a project on cellular metabolism at the crossroads of skeletal regeneration. She was also awarded an NIH R21 grant for her work on spatiotemporal regulation of digit regeneration by sensory nerves.

Faculty members across the department are being recognized nationally as leaders in their areas of research focus.

Sharven Taghavi, MD ,

who is a trauma specialist, is the co-investigator for a U01 grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that aims to advance youth violence prevention through research, training and outreach in the New Orleans region.

Michael Ghio, MD ,

chief resident in the Department of Surgery, won first place at the Louisiana resident/fellow paper competition at the Louisiana Chapter of the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma. Ghio went on to win the regional competition and was selected as one of just 17 trainees to present at the national meeting.

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Tulane scientist explores how nerves, metabolism impact limb regeneration Cell metabolism has long been a target for cancer drugs, but it has never been investigated for limb regeneration. Now, Mimi C. Sammarco, PhD, a basic science researcher at Tulane, is examining how cell metabolism could impact long-standing questions about regeneration and healing in a new way.

Dr. Sammarco, an assistant professor in the Department of Surgery, was awarded a highly competitive R01 Research Project grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to investigate how cell metabolism can change gene expression during regeneration and how genetic modulation can impact changes in cell metabolism.

Dr. Sammarco and her colleagues will use spatial transcriptomics, a specialized assay that shows the patterns of gene expression in tissue, to identify these cellular changes.

“This is one of the first times people have looked at cell metabolism as a driving force in limb regeneration, and it has the potential to have high utility in the field,” Dr. Sammarco said. “The drugs that modulate cell metabolism have already been used successfully in cancer, so they exist. If we can repurpose them to regenerate tissue, it will give us more avenues to pursue regenerative therapies.”

TULANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

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The first study, based on the five-year R01 research project, was published in the journal eLife. Dr. Sammarco is also the recipient of an R21 Exploratory/Development Research Grant from NIH to study how sensory nerves drive bone and soft tissue repair and regeneration.

Nerves have long been known to play a role in promoting healing, but the specific role of sensory nerves has not previously been investigated in a limb regeneration model.

Spatial transcriptomics will also be critical for this project, revealing how sensory nerve patterning modulates the signals that drive regeneration and provide new insight on the injury model.

Many researchers have sought to surgically disrupt nerves to see how nerves impact repair and healing, but Dr. Sammarco is taking an innovative approach, using a unique transgenic mouse where nerves can be disrupted using an injectable drug.

“I don’t think anyone initially expected sensory nerves to play a role in limb regeneration, but clearly there’s more we don’t understand about the process, and this will be a first step towards understanding mechanisms that can be exploited to help repair and regeneration in the future,” Dr. Sammarco said.

Dr. Sammarco said the two projects are great examples of collaborative efforts with Robert Tower, PhD, of the Tower Lab at UT Southwestern, Dallas, who brought expertise on the use of spatial transcriptomics, as well as Volkhard Lindner, MD, PhD, of the MaineHealth Institute for Research. “Ideally in a project everyone gains through their expertise, and I think this was one of those cases,” she said.

Dr. Sammarco credits the mentoring she has received at Tulane with helping to advance her research and earn critical grant funding. Over the last few years, she has worked under the mentorship of S. Michal Jazwinski, PhD, Chad Steele, PhD, and Victor Thannickal, MD, as part of the NIH Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) grant.

[ ED& I ] When I think about equity, diversity and inclusion, I think about Dr. Mary Killackey and the fact that Tulane has one of the few female surgery chairs in the country. She has been a driving force in advocating for all of the women in our department and has certainly cleared a path forward for me to have success in the competitive field of surgical research. — MIMI SAMMARCO, PhD

TULANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

Their mentorship was critical in providing feedback on her research and career advice.

“It allowed me to move my research forward because other people invested the time in me,” Dr. Sammarco said.

The COBRE grant laid the groundwork for both the R01 and R21 grants, Dr. Sammarco said, contributing to the generation of preliminary data, creating a mentoring framework, and even providing funds to travel to conferences where she met future collaborators. Along with the NIH funding, Dr. Sammarco also received a Tulane Equipment Grant to fund the purchase of an ex vivo micro-CT scanner, which currently supports the research of several labs at the Tulane School of Medicine and Tulane University.

Awarded

R01 RESEARCH PROJECT GRANT from the National Institutes of Health

Recipient of an

R21 EXPLORATORY/ RESEARCH GRANT from the National Institutes of Health

As part of the

NIH CENTER OF BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH EXCELLENCE GRANT has worked under the mentorship of

S. Michal Jazwinski, PhD, Chad Steele, PhD, and Victor Thannickal, MD

Received a Tulane

EQUIPMENT GRANT to fund the purchase of an ex vivo micro-CT scanner

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03.

Pillars PATIENT CARE

TULANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

LCMC Health – Tulane merger brings expanded care, research opportunities The long-awaited merger of LCMC Health and Tulane University is underway and promises to significantly expand access to care in New Orleans and throughout Southeast Louisiana, while simultaneously creating a healthcare research and innovation hub in the region.

“By leveraging the strengths of both organizations, this partnership will advance academic medicine, leading to better patient care, increased investment in research and technology, and expanded opportunities to train the next generation of healthcare professionals,” said Mary T. Killackey, MD, chair of the Department of Surgery.

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Under the partnership, Tulane Medical Center, Lakeview Regional Medical Center and Tulane Lakeside Hospital are joining LCMC Health, with Tulane Medical Center employees officially joining LCMC Health on January 1, 2024. The end result is that healthcare delivered in the city of New Orleans will be provided by local organizations committed to investing in the community’s health and local economy.

“This hometown healthcare approach between LCMC Health and Tulane University means continued growth in investments in our region and its people and having more resources to help address and support our community’s needs overall and maintain and create local jobs,” said Sean Flinn, chief operating officer at Tulane Medical Center.

This approach is expected to create 2,300 jobs across the state and pump more than $600 million into the downtown economy.

The full transition is expected to take place over the next 12 to 24 months. During that time, most services provided at Tulane Medical Center will shift to East Jefferson General Hospital and University Medical Center New Orleans. At the same time, clinical services will be expanded

TULANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

at University Medical Center New Orleans to ensure that patients in downtown New Orleans have continued access to high-quality care. There are no immediate operational changes planned for Tulane Lakeside Hospital and Lakeview Regional Medical Center.

As the transition moves forward, there will be new academic opportunities in the larger health system. East Jefferson General Hospital is slated to be the center of an expanded hub for specialty care, innovation and academic medicine. The current Tulane Medical Center building will become the site of a new nursing program, clinical research programs and new educational space. Tulane’s investment in New Orleans also includes revitalizing the Charity Hospital building.

These moves aren’t just about renovating buildings to create modern spaces but about creating more opportunities for Tulane residents to rotate at facilities across the region, providing dedicated research space and building a pipeline of nursing students who can help address the region’s severe nursing shortage. These combined efforts are aimed at attracting and retaining top talent in New Orleans.

Community members are excited about bringing together an award-winning, community-based healthcare system with a nationally recognized leading research university. A community survey found that 71 percent of respondents in the Greater New Orleans region feel positively about the LCMC Health – Tulane University partnership. Community leaders have also welcomed the investment and opportunities offered by the merger.

District. “This extraordinary partnership will allow these powerhouse institutions to combine their collective strengths to not only reach more patients, but also to enhance patient care to the highest level. The long-term potential of this partnership’s impact on the clinical, economic and educational innovation is enormous, and I am thrilled to celebrate this partnership that will help improve quality of life across the entire region.”

“This is a pivotal moment not just for Tulane University and LCMC Health, but also for the wider community’s health and wellness,” said U.S. Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr., who represents Louisiana’s 2nd Congressional

“

This is a pivotal moment not just for Tulane University and LCMC Health, but also for the wider community’s health and wellness. This extraordinary partnership will allow these powerhouse institutions to combine their collective strengths to not only reach more patients, but also to enhance patient care to the highest level.

”

— U.S. CONGRESSMAN TROY A. CARTER, SR.

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DIVISION OF

ABDOMINAL TRANSPLANT SURGERY The Division of Abdominal Transplant Surgery has a rich history of trailblazing surgical procedures and technology.

Our program was the first in the world to perform xenotransplantation, the first in Louisiana to perform kidney transplantation and the first in the Gulf South to perform liver transplantation, small bowel transplantation and living donor liver transplantation.

We continued that tradition by performing the first successful robotic-assisted, minimally invasive kidney transplant in our region in March 2023. This transplant is not just an achievement of technical skill by our surgeons — it also opens access to kidney transplantation for patients with endstage kidney disease who would otherwise be disqualified for being obese. We are thrilled to harness innovative technology to expand the availability of life-changing treatment for our patients. Read more about this transplant on page 44.

TULANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

Our commitment to excellence in medical education and surgical resident training also paid dividends this year with multiple honors.

• All Abdominal Transplant faculty were nominated to the Alpha Omega Alpha Society

All of our achievements are powered by our hardworking faculty members. We are proud that our current faculty are the most diverse group we have had in our history, allowing us to provide culturally sensitive care to our patients and approach our work with a lens of inclusivity.

• Tulane residents rated our division as their favorite in 2023

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Tulane surgeons perform region’s first robotic-assisted kidney transplant In March 2023, surgeons at Tulane performed the Gulf South’s first living donor robotic-assisted kidney transplant, an advance that opens access to a wider range of patients with a high body mass index (BMI).

Tulane joins only a handful of programs across the U.S. that are performing both donor nephrectomy and recipient kidney transplants robotically. This latest advance builds on Tulane’s history as a transplant leader, dating back to when surgeons here performed the region’s first living donor kidney transplant in 1955.

Using the da Vinci Xi robot, the surgical team performed the four-hour procedure on a 32-year-old woman with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, a rare condition that causes scarring in the kidneys and leads to kidney failure. She was not eligible for a traditional open transplant because her BMI was over 40.

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“People tend to focus on the technical aspect, but this is not just a technical stunt. This is about expanding access to someone who would otherwise would have been denied transplantation, which would improve their longevity and lifestyle,” said Hoonbae Jeon, MD, FACS, professor of surgery and chief of the division of abdominal transplant surgery, who was part of the interdisciplinary medical team that performed the robotic-assisted kidney transplant.

More than one in three people in the South are considered obese, with a BMI of 30 or above, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For patients with chronic kidney disease and obesity, their excess weight raises the risk for infectious complications during a traditional open kidney transplant, which involves a 10- to 12-inch incision along the hip. A robotic-assisted kidney transplant, in contrast, involves a series of eightmillimeter incisions and a seven-centimeter incision along the bikini line or belly button to introduce the donor kidney into the recipient.

“By limiting the length of the incision, changing the position of the incision, we are able to reduce the risk of infection,” said Adarsh Vijay, MD, FACS, an assistant professor of surgery in the division of abdominal transplant, who performed the robotic transplant.

To prepare for this first-in-the-region transplant, Jeon and Vijay spent a year training on how to apply robotic-assisted laparoscopic techniques to transplantation. Although they both have extensive experience performing roboticassisted surgery in major liver resections and hepatobiliary surgeries, kidney transplantation involves a different approach. They practiced the innovative approach in wet labs on animal models and with cadaveric blood vessels to simulate the real operation. They further shadowed surgeons at the University of Illinois, a center that has the most experience in this approach.

[ ED& I ] More than 60 percent of our current patients are Black from the Gulf South, which is one of the least privileged areas in the country. We also serve a lot of the South Asian population from rural south Louisiana.

Our new groundbreaking robotic kidney transplant procedure is opening up access to people suffering from obesity who have been denied access to kidney transplantation, and those patients are dominantly Black or Hispanic.

— HOONBAE JEON, MD

TULANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

At the same time, they began screening patients to find both a donor and a recipient who would be appropriate candidates for the first surgery at Tulane.

The first procedure was a success, with the patient experiencing immediate kidney function after surgery, with no surgical complications.

She was discharged home just four days after the procedure and returned quickly to normal activities, which demonstrates the short recovery time this approach offers, Vijay said.

The surgical team plans to perform additional robotic-assisted procedures in the coming year.

“We are currently screening patients carefully to ensure patients selected for this approach are otherwise good transplant candidates.

Though we are being selective for patients being disadvantaged by body weight, we see this approach being extended to all transplant candidates in time,” Vijay said.

In March 2023,

Tulane surgeons performed the

GULF SOUTH’S FIRST living donor robotic-assisted kidney transplant

The

FOUR-HOUR PROCEDURE was performed on a 32-year-old woman with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis

Drs. Jeon and Vijay spent

A YEAR TRAINING

to apply robotic-assisted laparoscopic techniques to transplantation

The patient was discharged four days after the procedure, which demonstrates the

SHORT RECOVERY TIME of this approach

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DIVISION OF

GENERAL, ENDOCRINE & ONCOLOGICAL SURGERY Our division has been a pivotal part of fostering academic growth and research expertise among Tulane students, while also expanding patient access to innovative surgical techniques and providing state-of-the-art care for patients with advanced conditions.

Education & Mentoring

Each year the Division of General, Endocrine & Oncological Surgery publishes nearly 40 papers in toptier journals, a testament to our commitment to scientific advancement. Notably, our medical students are involved in many of those research projects and have given more than 20 research presentations at national conferences this year.

We’re committed to helping students explore research opportunities, not only to create a pipeline of future researchers but to make them more competitive when applying for residency positions. One example: helping our medical students secure travel grants from professional societies to attend national conferences.

TULANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

Our ongoing student mentorship activities include the Acquiring Skills and Practice in Research Excellence (ASPIRE) program, which offers stipends to medical students who conduct research during the summer between their T1 and T2 years. Along with this research opportunity for medical students, our division also participates in the ASPIRE Research Buddy Program, which pairs Tulane undergraduates with School of Medicine students and faculty to help undergraduates gain research experience.

During the program, undergraduates develop an abstract and poster presentation on research they conducted.

Our division’s influence can also be seen in the choices of our top residents. This year, two of our five chief residents have shown a strong interest in specializing in endocrine surgery.

Clinical Innovation

Our division is proud to serve patients who need complex surgeries or treatment for advanced cancers, including advanced thyroid cancer, redo parathyroid surgeries and adrenal cancer cases.

These are cases that benefit from our faculty’s extensive experience and our use of cutting-edge surgical techniques. For example, our division has the most experience in the country with radiofrequency ablation for thyroid nodules and with robotic-assisted thyroid surgery.

That’s why more than half of our patients travel from outside New Orleans to see our surgical specialists.

Whether through clinical innovation or education, our division is committed to advancing the field of surgery to best serve our patients.

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SECTI O N O F

Pediatric Surgery

It has been an exciting year as we continue to develop our clinical service line, creating greater access to high-quality surgical care for children and adolescents in the Greater New Orleans area. In February 2023, the Children’s Hospital of New Orleans (CHNOLA) was verified as an American College of Surgeons Level II trauma center, becoming one of only three verified pediatric trauma centers in the state of Louisiana.

At the same time, we continue to focus on our mission of excellence in education, research and mentoring residents.

TULANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

TRAUMA CENTER VERIFICATION The designation as a Level II trauma center is a significant achievement and reflects years of work by our pediatric surgery faculty and administration. During the multi-year peer review process, assessors from the American College of Surgeons evaluated the hospital’s performance on more than 300 standards and found zero deficiencies. The Level II trauma center status recognizes that we can initiate definitive care for injured patients by providing immediate, 24/7 coverage in general surgery, orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, anesthesiology, emergency medicine, radiology and critical care.

CHNOLA was Louisiana’s first and largest freestanding children’s hospital, but with the trauma center designation and our recently completed $300 million campus renovation, the hospital is set to provide the highest level of pediatric care in the state. We are confident that this investment in pediatric surgery and trauma services will save lives in our community.

TOP TALENT We continue to attract top talent to our program. In 2023, we matched two resident candidates – Jenny Stevens, MD, and Celia Short, MD — into our pediatric surgery fellowship. We look forward to working with them to advance our clinical and research agendas.

Mary Brandt, MD, professor of pediatric surgery, took home a top honor this year from the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Surgery. The group named Dr. Brandt as the William E. Ladd Medal recipient for 2023 — its highest honor — in recognition of her significant contribution to the field of pediatric surgery. Past recipients of the prestigious Ladd Medal include former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop and Dr. Donald Nuss, pioneer of the Nuss procedure.

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SECTI O N O F

Plastic Surgery

This year, the plastic surgery service line has expanded its coverage into the Tulane Downtown, Lakeside and Lakeview campuses, with continued growth at East Jefferson General Hospital. This expansion is just one facet of our efforts to provide access to comprehensive plastic surgery in our region and to increase clinical exposure for our residents.

RESIDENCY RESULTS Our residency program continues to produce high-quality surgeons trained in reconstructive and aesthetic surgical care. Since the plastic surgery residency program partnered with Ochsner Health in 2019, we have been able to increase clinical opportunities for our trainees. In addition to our full-time plastic surgery faculty members, faculty from Ochsner and community practices have helped to provide a robust clinical education to our plastic surgery residents.

TULANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

All of our program graduates have become board-certified in plastic surgery for the last 20 years, highlighting the rigor and excellence of our educational program. In 2023, we achieved continued accreditation and commendation status with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education for compliance with guidelines for plastic surgery residency programs.

In December 2022, we welcomed our new residency program coordinator, Sydney Engh. Under her guidance, we matched plastic surgery residents near the top of our rank list. This new class of residents will begin our program in July 2024.

Our trainees are also making an impression with their research skills. Salomon Puyana, MD (PGY 8), was selected to compete for the prestigious Glancy Award at the 2023 Southeastern Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Annual Meeting. The organization chooses just 10 residents from the 11 southeastern states and Puerto Rico to compete for the award, which recognizes residents for excellence in plastic surgery research. Residents must submit original abstracts for research with significant clinical relevance conducted at their institution.

CLINICAL INTEGRATION On the clinical side, we have been working to integrate plastic surgery reconstruction operative procedures as part of the surgical care delivered in other divisions of the Department of Surgery. Plastic surgery chief Abigail Chaffin, MD, FACS, who is a certified wound specialist physician, has been assisting with flaps and skin grafts for patients receiving surgical care in the divisions of neurosurgery, orthopedics and bariatrics. Read more about the types of complex wound surgeries Dr. Chaffin performs on page 54.

The plastic surgery section continues to support the community and our colleagues in the Department of Surgery by providing state-of-the-art reconstructive and aesthetic care for complex patients. We are proud of our work to heal patients, train an ethical and competent plastic surgery workforce for the future, and advance the science of our field.

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Dr. Abigail Chaffin offers hope to patients through complex wound surgery When patients have chronic, non-healing wounds that affect their quality of life and potentially threaten their limbs, they turn to Abigail Chaffin, MD, FACS, CWSP, FAPWCA, one of the few certified wound specialist physicians in the state of Louisiana.

One case from 2019 — a patient who was morbidly obese and suffered from venous hypertension — stands out, said Dr. Chaffin, a professor of surgery and chief of the Section of Plastic Surgery.

Over time, excess fluid in the veins in her legs caused her legs to swell and wounds to develop.

“Her case was so severe, she developed venous gangrene of most of her lower leg, resulting in tissue death. At another hospital, she might have faced amputation of her leg,” said Dr. Chaffin, who treats patients in need of surgical reconstruction and those with chronic wounds that will not heal, despite prior treatment.

TULANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

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Dr. Chaffin and her team performed a series of surgeries to debride the dead tissue in the hospital. The patient then spent several weeks in a long-term acute care facility receiving intravenous antibiotics, nutrition, daily wound care, and compression wrapping to control her leg swelling. Once the wounds improved and showed healthy healing tissue, the patient returned to Dr. Chaffin, who grafted skin from her thighs to replace the skin missing on her lower leg. The patient then returned to the longterm acute care facility for coordinated aftercare before returning home. Today, the patient is fully healed, has lost 150 pounds and has regained most of her mobility.

“She could barely walk when she came in, and she risked amputation of her leg. Now, she’s able to get around much better and has her life back,” Dr. Chaffin said.

While this represents an extreme case of venous hypertension, it is typical of the complex wound surgeries that Dr. Chaffin and her team perform, including reconstruction of wounds from decubitus ulcers, traumatic wounds, pilonidal cysts and hidradenitis suppurativa, among others.

“These are complicated patients, and they have many reasons for their underlying wounds. I always tell patients, ‘I don’t ever see the 18-yearolds who scratch their arm because they heal on their own with a Band-Aid.’ I see the patients who generally have medical or physical reasons for wounds that we need to address, like diabetes or pressure ulcers following paralysis,” Dr. Chaffin said.

Dr. Chaffin completed her plastic surgery fellowship at Tulane and has been a faculty member at Tulane since 2008. Over the last five years, she has treated patients from across the

[ ED& I ] The most frequent cause of the chronic wounds I treat is hidradenitis suppurativa, a condition that disproportionately affects the African American population. My patients often have difficulty getting in to see a doctor and that translates into delayed care and worsening disease.

I’m taking these patients that have poor access to health care, who are underserved minorities, and plugging them into better care. To me, equity, diversity and inclusion means helping underserved patients gain access to care. — ABIGAIL CHAFFIN, MD, FACS, CWSP, FAPWCA

TULANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

Gulf Coast region through a unique collaboration with the MedCentris Corporation, which operates a network of wound medicine specialists and wound healing institutes throughout Louisiana and Mississippi.

As the medical director of the MedCentris Wound Healing Institutes at Tulane and Metairie, she performs complex wound reconstruction surgeries for patients at Tulane’s Lakeview Regional Medical Center, where they receive multidisciplinary limb salvage team care in a hospital setting. She then helps coordinate and direct their follow-up care when they return home through the MedCentris clinics in person or via telemedicine. Partnering with MedCentris to provide the complex support in the pre- and post-surgical periods, a process that often occurs over years, allows Dr. Chaffin to see more wound patients who have exhausted their other medical options.

Dr. Chaffin’s outcomes and the success of the coordinated care model are getting national attention. In the last year, Dr. Chaffin has been invited to speak about her experience with pressure injuries and atypical wounds at a handful of international surgery conferences.

“I hear from a lot of surgeons, ‘How do you make this work?’” she said. “I tell them that I’m one piece of a circle of continuous care but you’ve got to build the whole circle.”

The need for coordinated wound medicine that can avoid poor outcomes like limb amputation is critical in Louisiana, which has one of the highest lower extremity limb amputation rates in the country. “We’re making a big dent in that by working as a team,” Dr. Chaffin said.

Dr. Chaffin is one of the few

CERTIFIED WOUND SPECIALIST PHYSICIANS in the state of Louisiana

Dr. Chaffin completed her

PLASTIC SURGERY FELLOWSHIP

at Tulane and has been on the faculty since 2008

Patients come to Chaffin through a unique

COLLABORATION WITH THE MEDCENTRIS CORPORATION

Louisiana has one of the

HIGHEST

lower extremity limb amputation rates in the country

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DIVISION OF

MINIMALLY INVASIVE/ BARIATRIC SURGERY The Division of Minimally Invasive Surgery/Bariatric Surgery continues to excel in training, research and clinical programs. This year, the bariatric program received renewed accreditation based on nationally recognized bariatric surgical standards and had an increase in the number of applications to the division’s young fellowship program, and our faculty were recognized for their extensive efforts in patient advocacy.

2023 Highlights

• Tulane Bariatric Center achieved accreditation renewal from the American College of Surgeons Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program • John W. Baker, MD, FACS, received the University Medical Center New Orleans Patient Advocate Award • Shauna Levy, MD, appeared on The Today Show, NBC Nightly News and BBC World News

TULANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

Clinical Excellence

This year, the bariatric center underwent a rigorous peer evaluation and received renewed accreditation through the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP). This accreditation is a significant achievement and provides recognition that our center is providing consistent, high-quality care for patients and achieving excellent surgical outcomes. We are proud of this recognition and look forward to continuing our tradition of clinical excellence as we expand our bariatric program to East Jefferson Hospital.

Research Focus

Our division’s research team includes a postdoctoral scholar, general surgery residents, clinical fellows, medical students and our experienced faculty. So far this year, our research efforts have culminated in several presentations at both national and regional conferences. We have also increased the visibility of our research and the division through publication of multiple papers in index journals.

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Training

This year, our division’s young fellowship program experienced a jump in applications, demonstrating the increased national recognition of our training program. During fellowship, our trainees work to become advanced bariatric and gastrointestinal surgeons who are fully qualified to perform laparoscopic and robotic-assisted surgery. They also gain teaching and research skills, which will become essential for them as they advance in their careers.

We also seek to foster collaboration with other institutions by hosting a Minimally Invasive Surgery resident training event that includes residents from LSU/Ochsner and Tulane.

TULANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

Putting Patients First

Our faculty are dedicated to patient care, and their work doesn’t stop at the hospital doors. John W. Baker, MD, FACS, was awarded the University Medical Center New Orleans 2023 Patient Advocate Award. We are thrilled to see Dr. Baker recognized by his patients and the hospital for his commitment to high-quality patient care.

Shauna Levy, MD, has been using media appearances to educate the public about therapeutic options for obesity and to advocate for treatment access for these patients. Dr. Levy has been featured on The Today Show, NBC Nightly News, BBC World News, The Atlantic Monthly, SiriusXM Doctor Radio, the Food, We Need to Talk podcast, America Dissected podcast, WWL-TV’s The Newell Normand Show, and many more. She has also been invited to speak about her advocacy work at the 2023 American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Conference.

Dr. Shauna Levy has appeared on several national broadcasts to educate the public about therapeutic options for obesity and to advocate for treatment access.

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DIVISION OF

TRAUMA, ACUTE CARE & CRITICAL CARE SURGERY Upholding Tulane’s long tradition of excellence in advancing surgical care for severely injured patients, our faculty have been involved in major efforts to improve trauma resuscitation and to prevent gun violence, among other initiatives.

Division chief Juan Duchesne, MD, is preparing to launch an innovative clinical trial aimed at improving survival for patients who have serious or life-threatening injuries with significant blood loss. The trial will compare two resuscitation strategies: the traditional approach, which involves administering multiple separate units of red blood cells, plasma and platelets, versus a new approach in which surgeons administer whole blood instead of previously separated blood products.

The TROOP trial — Trauma Resuscitation with Group O Whole Blood or Products — will be conducted at Tulane and 12 other leading trauma centers across the U.S. The study, which is being funded by the NIH, is expected to include 1,100 patients and run until 2027. We look forward to the results, which hold the potential to change the standard of care for bleeding trauma patients and to save thousands of lives.

TULANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

Meanwhile, Sharven Taghavi, MD, director of acute care surgery, is working on several fronts to prevent gun violence in our community. He is the co-investigator of a study that seeks to help victims of gun violence by testing interventions to reduce further injuries involving guns. Dr. Taghavi is also using his voice as a trauma surgeon to raise awareness about gun violence as a public health issue, including appearing at New Orleans City Hall for national Wear Orange Day. Read more about Dr. Taghavi’s research efforts on page 64.

Faculty Recognition

This year, our faculty have been recognized with local and international awards that spotlight their commitment to teaching and research.

• Juan Duchesne, MD, was awarded the 2023 University Medical Center New Orleans Physician’s Leadership Award and Physician Quality Champion Award • Patrick McGrew, MD, was awarded the 2023 Owl Club’s Best Clerkship Award • Sharven Taghavi, MD, was chosen to be the 2023 Royal Australian College of Surgeons (RACS) ACS International Exchange Scholar, which funded Dr. Taghavi’s travel to Australia to attend the group’s annual meeting

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Dr. Sharven Taghavi spearheads hospital-based gun violence prevention program New Orleans has a decades-long history of gun violence that has taken a devastating toll on the community both in lives lost and the millions of dollars spent on hospital care. But researchers at Tulane are investigating the underlying causes of firearm injuries in the city in an effort to drive evidence-based prevention efforts.

Sharven Taghavi, MD, MPH, MS, FACS, FCCP, the director of acute care surgery at Tulane Medical Center and an associate professor in the surgery department, has joined with colleagues in the Tulane School of Public Health to provide support to victims of firearm injuries and test strategies to prevent them from experiencing future gun violence.

Dr. Taghavi, who joined the Tulane faculty in 2018, is the co-investigator on a five-year study on hospital-based injury prevention at the University Medical Center that aims to enroll 280 people ages 18 to 24 years old who have been hospitalized with a firearm injury. The study, which was launched in late 2022, will

TULANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

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evaluate a bundle of public health interventions, including gun safety classes, distribution of biometric gun locks and education on safe gun storage, motivational interviewing, and frequent follow-ups with social workers, among other interventions, to reduce exposure to further gun incidents and injuries.

“Gun violence is a very complex problem, and there’s not just one solution to it. That’s why the intervention is going to look at a multidisciplinary approach,” Dr. Taghavi said.

The idea behind approaching victims of firearm injuries is to treat gun violence like other diseases, such as diabetes or cancer.

From left: Julia Fleckman, assistant professor of public health; Tulane trauma surgeon Dr. Sharven Taghavi; Tamara Jackson, executive director of Silence Is Violence; clinical psychologist Joseph Constans; and trauma psychologist Erika Rajo of University Medical Center of New Orleans. The team is leading a community-integrated approach that works with victims of gun violence and hospital trauma staff to reach individuals ages 18 to 24 years old. Photo by Paula Burch Celentano.

“When we treat diseases, we identify patients who are at risk, and we intervene. If you believe the argument that gun violence is a disease, you identify an at-risk population and consider the circumstances that led them to be in that position and see if you can help mitigate some of that,” he said.

The hospital-based injury prevention program is the first in Louisiana and is part of the work of Tulane’s Center for Youth Equity, a multidisciplinary research and education initiative focused on youth violence prevention in the Gulf South. The Center for Youth Equity, which was launched in 2021, has been

TULANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

recognized by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC chose the Center for Youth Equity at Tulane University as one of five centers across the country to receive funding for research that drives local solutions to reduce rates of youth violence.

The Center for Youth Equity aims to be a hub for research and community-engaged outreach in the Gulf South and is exploring the root causes of youth violence, including the disproportionate rates of violence in African American communities. Dr. Taghavi and his research colleagues are examining both nationwide and local data, including trauma registry data, census data and other sources, to tease out the structural causes that lead to gun violence. Their work, demonstrating that structural racism is associated with gun violence in major U.S. cities, was recently published in JAMA Surgery.

The ultimate goal is to reduce firearm injuries in New Orleans, Dr. Taghavi said, but it’s also to make positive improvements in patients’ lives. “We’re hoping to show that people have changed their attitudes and beliefs about carrying a firearm; that they were able to achieve some of their life goals, whether that’s furthering their education or improving their financial situation.”

Dr. Taghavi is the co-investigator on a five-year study on

HOSPITAL-BASED INJURY PREVENTION

at University Medical Center

The study, launched in late 2022, will evaluate public health interventions for

REDUCING GUN VIOLENCE

Tulane’s

CENTER FOR YOUTH EQUITY is a multidisciplinary research and education initiative focused on youth violence prevention

The Center is

ONE OF FIVE in the country chosen and funded by the CDC to research local solutions that reduce youth violence rates

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Awards Sharven Taghavi, MD Physician Pipeline Program 2023 HEALTH CARE HERO

Hoonbae Jeon, MD BEST DOCTORS IN AMERICA, NEW ORLEANS MAGAZINE CASTLE CONNOLLY TOP DOCTORS

Anil Paramesh. MD 2022 BEST DOCTORS, NEW ORLEANS MAGAZINE CASTLE CONNOLLY TOP DOCTORS

Adarsh Vijay, MD 2023 FACULTY RECOGNITION AWARD – OUTSTANDING CLINICAL CARE AWARD, PROCEDURAL INDUCTED INTO ALPHA OMEGA ALPHA HONOR SOCIETY-FACULTY

Ralph Corsetti, MD (LCMC Health – Lakeview Hospital) BEST CLINICAL TEACHER OF THE YEAR 2022-2023

Patrick McGrew, MD OWL CLUB AWARD BEST ATTENDING PHYSICIAN

David Yu, MD CLINICAL EXCELLENCE IN SURGERY AWARD

Abigail Chaffin, MD NEW ORLEANS MAGAZINE EXCEPTIONAL WOMEN IN MEDICINE AWARD, 2023 NEW ORLEANS MAGAZINE TOP DOCTORAWARD, PLASTIC SURGERY, 2023

John Baker, MD 2023 UMCNO PATIENT ADVOCATE AWARD

TULANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

Jacquelyn Turner, MD 2023 NEW ORLEANS HEALTH CARE HERO

Juan Duchesne, MD Southern Surgical Association

2021 SHIPLEY AWARD The SSA is one of the oldest surgical societies in the country. Dr. Duchesne is the fourth Tulane faculty member to receive this award.

Giving

The work we do would not be possible without our donors. Thank you for your continued support and generosity.

OVER $10,000

>$999

American Heart Association, Inc.

Phillip F. Fuselier, MD &

Albert E. Barrocas, MD &

James D. Knoepp, MD &

Carlos A. Galvani, MD

Catherine C. Baucom, MD, PhD

American Thyroid Association Ulla Ule, MD

Margaret T. Lindsey

$5,000–10,000 Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund

$999-4,999 Jyoti Arya, MD

John W. Baker, MD &

Melissa Ragan Baker

Karen R. Borman, MD Mary L. Brandt, MD

Philip L. Brewer, MD & Lorraine Brewer

Abigail E. Chaffin, MD & Andrew E. Galloway III

Anthony L. Terranova Jr.

Thomas H. Hawk, MD & Elizabeth L. Hawk

Hoonbae Jeon, MD

Maxine Barrocas

Chrissy Guidry, DO

Joshua S. Landes, MD & Christine M. Landes

Steven D. Jones, MD &

Shauna M. Levy, MD

Emad H. Kandil, MD &

Christopher L. Martin, MD &

Joanitt Montano Nathalie Garreis

Kira N. Long, MD

Elizabeth Duerr Martin

Mary T. Killackey, MD &

Clifton L. McGinness, MD

Madhu Chopra

John D. Pigott III, MD &

John E. DeCell

Memorial Foundation

Patrick R. McGrew, MD Rebekah K. Pigott

Ronald L. Nichols, MD &

Michael K. Puyau, MD &

Anil S. Paramesh, MD

Robert E. Reily, MD

Elsa Nichols

Parker Roberts III, MD &

Suzanne G. Roberts, MD

Susan F. Puyau, MD

Anne Rizzo, MD &

Michael A. Fantini

Community Foundation

Eric R. Simms, MD &

Mohamed Shama, MD

Ralph L. Corsetti, MD &

Jacquelyn S. Turner, MD

Thomas V. Thomas Jr., MD &

Juan C. Duchesne, MD

David C. Yu, MD

of Acadiana

Jina Barcelona Corsetti

Sander S. Florman, MD & Toby Florman

Jaclyn Spiegel, MD

John J. Walsh, MD

George Malcolm Taylor IV, MD Cheryl A. Stanski, MD

Adarsh Vijay, MD

Matthew D. Zelhart, MD

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69

Endowment fund honors legacy of transplant surgeon Edward Lindsey

TULANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

“We are a Tulane family.” That is how Margaret Ann Turfitt Lindsey describes her deep connection with the university. Family graduates include Mrs. Lindsey (NC ’53) and her late husband, Edward S. Lindsey, MD (A&S ’51, M ’58, R ’61), as well as her son-in-law Jack Wilhelm (L ’84) and grandson Edward Wilhelm (L ’13).

It is also one of the reasons she donated funds to the Tulane School of Medicine to create the Edward Stormont Lindsey, MD, Early Career Professorship in Surgery Endowed Fund in 2018, following his death at age 87. Lindsey donates annually to increase the endowment, which helps to support the academic career of a junior faculty member. Every year, the fund supports a faculty member’s compensation and research. Recipients are chosen based on the quality of their research, their commitment to education and their need for start-up funding.

THE EDWARD STORMONT LINDSEY, MD, EARLY CAREER PROFESSORSHIP IN SURGERY ENDOWED FUND SUPPORTS THE ACADEMIC CAREER OF A JUNIOR FACULTY MEMBER. “We can grow our research mission by providing support to a junior faculty member focused on research. To date, this support has led to an increased number of grants being submitted and the wider exposure for our faculty in the national arena related to their research,” said Mary T. Killackey, MD, Chair of the Department of Surgery.

The mission of the endowment reflects Edward Lindsey’s commitment to academic research and his deep sense of service. “He always looked at what he could do for other people,” Lindsey said.

Edward Lindsey aspired to be a physician from the age of 8 and dreamed of attending Tulane for almost as long. “All he could think of was Tulane; he wanted to go to Tulane,” recalled Lindsey.

A scholarship from the Naval ROTC program allowed him to realize that dream, and he entered Tulane as a sophomore in 1948, graduating with a degree in chemistry in 1951. He immediately enrolled in the School of Medicine but was called to active duty during the Korean Conflict. Tulane held his spot, Lindsey said, and he graduated in 1958.

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Following training in general and thoracic surgery on the Tulane service at Charity Hospital, he began a Tulane-sponsored one-year fellowship in transplantation biology at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. The fellowship year was an exciting time, with Tulane arranging for the entire Lindsey family to accompany Edward in Scotland, including their daughter Ann (then age 7) and son Dean (then age 3).

“Ed came home one day and said he had gotten a call from Tulane. They offered to have him train with ‘the best transplant surgeon in the world,’ who was in Edinburgh, Scotland – Sir Michael Woodruff, MD,” Lindsey said. “Tulane School of Medicine had great respect for Ed and provided him with this wonderful opportunity. It was Oscar Creech, MD, the Chair of Surgery, who was instrumental in this. During that time, he experienced a great deal in Edinburgh and beyond.”

When the family returned to Louisiana, Edward joined the Tulane surgical faculty, where over the years he became a leader in the field of kidney transplantation, authoring numerous scientific papers. Edward also served as president of several organizations, including the Tulane Medical Alumni Association, the Alton Ochsner Surgical Association, the Orleans Parish Surgical Association, and the Louisiana Surgical Association. He was also a longtime board member of the Medical Benevolence Foundation.

Though he left Tulane to go into private practice in 1975, Lindsey said his heart was always with the university. When at age 66, Edward decided to retire from medicine, Tulane called him back to service, inviting him to continue teaching anatomy and serving on the admissions committee of the medical school.

Even at the end of his life, Tulane was on his mind. Lindsey said that when her husband was at the hospital, he would ask his nurses where they trained. If they trained at Charity Hospital, he knew he had “the best,” she said.

TULANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

Department of

Surgery

Tulane Medical School Department of Surgery #8622 1430 Tulane Avenue New Orleans, LA 70112-2699 504-988-2317 | surgery@tulane.edu