Surgery Sett: Recent Episodes
University of Wisconsin Department of Surgery
The Surgery Sett is dedicated to exploring the ideas, inventions and innovations of the worldwide surgical community and their intersections with the Department of Surgery at the University of Wisconsin. Host Dr. Jonathan Kohler interviews surgeons and other medical professionals who visit the UW Department of Surgery, along with surgeons and researchers from our own department.
Episode 14, Michelle Ciucci
In this episode, we hear from Dr. Michelle Ciucci, an associate professor at UW-Madison in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders with a joint appointment in the Department of Surgery, Division of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery. Dr. Ciucci discusses her research on Parkinson’s Disease and covers a broad spectrum of topics related to her work. She makes note of potential signs of early onset, and explains the research that suggests that this disease starts much earlier than was previously thought. Recorded 8/25/2016
Episode 14, Susan Pitt
In this special edition of the Surgery Sett, host Jonathan Kohler sits down with Dr. Susan Pitt, an Assistant Professor in the Division of Endocrine Surgeon here at UW, who’s received a lot of media attention lately. Earlier this month (April 2017), Dr. Pitt made waves when she decided to recreate the cover of The New Yorker’s annual Health, Medicine & the Body Issue, which features four female surgeons standing over an operating table. She posted her recreation to Twitter on April 3, and invited others to join her with
NYerORCoverChallenge. Within days, the tweet caught fire and female surgeons
from around the world began posting their own versions of the cover along with
ILookLikeASurgeon. This viral movement has empowered female surgeons to
express solidarity and increase their visibility in a traditionally male-dominated field. Currently at the UW Department of Surgery, 20 of 38 general surgeons are female. This is significantly higher than the national average of surgeons who are female, which sits around 19% according the American Medical Association. In this episode, Dr. Pitt will delve into some of the specifics of this social media frenzy, and discuss her rational behind the posting. We hope you enjoy! Recorded 4/20/17
Episode 13, Alaa Abd-Elsayed
Dr. Alaa Abd-Elsayed, or Dr. Al, as he likes to be called, is both an assistant professor in the Department of Anesthesiology at UW, as well as the medical director of the UW Pain Services and the Chronic Pain Management Program. Dr. Al discusses the various facets of pain management, including pre and postoperative options, and the concerns surrounding the current pain management system. In addition, Dr. Al explains why he thinks transitional pain clinics are the future of pain management and notes some of the added benefits that a clinic could bring to both surgeons and patients here in Madison. Recorded 9/28/16
Episode 12, Angela Gibson In this episode we hear from Dr. Angela Gibson, an assistant professor of surgery in the Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, and a member of the care team at the UW Health Burn Center. Dr. Gibson talks about her passion for treating burn victims and discusses her journey from registered nurse to certified burn surgeon. In addition, she goes through some of the recent innovations in burn treatment and elaborates on a few of the experiences she’s had while running her own burn treatment lab. Recorded 8/25/16
Episode 11, James Economou
In this episode, guest host, Dr. Daniel Abbott, a surgical oncologist and health sciences researcher at UW- Madison, speaks with Dr. James Economou, professor of surgery and division chief of surgical oncology at UCLA. Dr. Economou has studied cancer treatment for more than two decades and has acquired a vast trove of wisdom along the way. The two discuss how Dr. Economou first became interested in cancer care, and examine the ways that cancer immunology research has brought us closer to finding a cure for this disease. Recorded 9/21/16
Episode 10, Amber Shada
In this episode, Dr. Amber Shada, an assistant professor at UW-Madison in the Division of Minimally Invasive Surgery, talks about her experiences in endoscopic surgery and discusses the procedure Peroral Endoscopic Myotomy (POEM) and its unique relevance to surgeons. In addition, Dr. Shada also explores the future of endoscopic surgery and the exciting potential of robotic platforms. We hope you enjoy! Recorded 9/7/2016
Episode 9, Pauline Chen
In this episode, guest host Dr. Angela Ingraham, a trauma and acute care surgeon at the University of Wisconsin, talks with physician, bestselling author, and New York Times columnist, Dr. Pauline Chen. The two chat about Dr. Chen’s careers as both a clinician and writer and discuss how she’s been able to balance them both within her life. Dr. Chen also highlights the importance of being a role model for residents and the positive impacts this can have on future generations. Recorded 10/12/16
Episode 8, Oya Andacoglu
Our guest Dr. Oya Andacoglu, a Turkish born, former general surgery resident here at UW-Madison, discusses her transition from foreign medical student to general surgery resident and elaborates on some of the challenges foreign residents might face. In addition, Dr. Andacoglu and our host Dr. Jonathan Kohler go over some of the details of living donor liver transplants and discuss the various perspectives that surround it. Recorded 5/4/2016
Episode 7, Philip Goodney
Dr. Phillip Goodney is a vascular surgeon and health services researcher at Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. He is also director at the Center for the Evaluation of Surgical Care for Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and co-director of the VA Outcomes Group at White River Junction VA. In this episode Dr. Goodney joins us to discuss regionalization, the surgeon’s role in smoking cessation, and the impact of patient testimonials. Recorded 4/21/16
Episode 6, Karen Deveney
In this episode, our guest host, Dr. Benjamin Andrew, a resident in our rural general surgery residency program, speaks with Dr. Karen Deveney, professor of surgery and vice chair for education in the Department of Surgery at Oregon Health and Science University. The two discuss the increasing need for rural surgeons across the United States and hit on the importance of program-specific training. Dr. Deveney also explains her connection to rural surgeons and how she would not be here today without them. Recorded 6/8/2016
Episode 5, Jocelyn Burke
Dr. Jocelyn Burke, a former general surgery chief resident who trained at UW-Madison 2009-2016, explores the do’s and don’ts of complex hernia repairs and discusses with Dr. Kohler the always evolving “size of the bite" debate. Recorded 4/13/2016
Episode 4, James Cole Jr.
In this episode we hear from Dr. James Cole Jr., an assistant professor of surgery at UW-Madison and also the Trauma Medical Director at Swedish American Hospital in Rockford, Illinois (a UW affiliated facility). Dr. Cole discusses his time as a Navy Medical Officer and his 24 years of military service. In addition, he speaks on the critical role that war has played in facilitating surgical advancements. Recorded 10/05/16
Episode 3, Leigh Neumayer
We talk to Dr. Leigh Neumayer, chair of the Department of Surgery at the University of Arizona and a distinguished surgical educator, about general surgery residency training. Dr. Neumayer addresses the areas in need of improvement and talks about the changes expected in the future. Recorded 6/1/2016
Episode 2, Nathan Welham
Dr. Nathan Welham, an associate professor in the UW Division of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery and a practicing speech language pathologist, joins us to discuss the incredible story of the functional vocal tissue he and his team grew in their lab last year. Dr. Welham also tells us about the immense amount of media attention these vocal folds received, both here in the United States as well as around the world. We hope you enjoy this episode! Recorded 8/25/16
Episode 1, Joshua Mezrich
In our inaugural episode, host Dr. Jonathan Kohler talks with UW liver and kidney transplant surgeon Dr. Joshua Mezrich, also known as “Big Daddy.” The two discuss Dr. Mezrich’s research on autoimmune diseases, his role as a writer, and even a quirky childhood story about Dr. Mezrich and a piano. We hope you enjoy! Recorded 11/30/15