Beth Jurgensen Retires After 35 Years of Service

Photo of Beth Jorgensen with text overlay that reads "Beth Jorgensen retires after 35 years of service"

Ambulatory coder Beth Jurgensen retires after 35 years at Washington University. She reflects on the many fond memories from throughout her career while looking forward to giving back during retirement.

Campus Catch-Up

Campus Catch-Up 1.7.22

The Washington University campus community is making headlines every day. Members of the School of Medicine are regularly featured in local, national and international news stories. Department of Surgery faculty, staff and medical students are leaders in their specialties, and share their expertise when called upon. Campus Catch-Up collects some of these stories and celebrates members of the community who are receiving recognition.

A Milestone to Remember: 500th Robotic Thoracic Surgery Occurs at Christian Hospital

Christian Hospital's thoracic surgery team celebrates their 500th robotic thoracic surgery.

Washington University thoracic surgeons at Christian Hospital recently accomplished a major milestone in its pursuit of offering precise, leading-edge medical care. On Dec. 1, 2021, thoracic surgeons Varun Puri, MD, MSCI, Nabil Munfakh, MD, and their operative staff carried out Christian Hospital’s 500th robotic thoracic surgery. “I am proud that Christian was the first hospital […]

Ask the Doctor: Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy

The medical term for an enlarged prostate is benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). An enlarged prostate is not a medical problem, but it is a condition patients should understand.

Ask The Residents: Advice to Applicants

General Surgery residents give their “best advice” to current or future applications to hospital residencies. Their insight and recommendations reflect their trials, successes, and learning experiences within the application process. They also emphasize how applying to programs like the General Surgery Residency is a major decision that cultivates professional and personal growth as a physician.

Disparities After Surgery: Readmission from Complications More Common for People of Color

Physicians at Washington University School of Medicine conducted a research study on the disparities of post-surgery complications and readmission, visualizing differences of readmission between white and non-white patients. Patients of color are more likely to require readmission after surgery, which may be related to other lived disparities, such as barriers to accessing equal healthcare to their white counterparts.

Meet the Heart Valve Disease Team

A team of cardiac surgeons, general and interventional cardiologists, cardiac nurses and sonographers work together within the Washington University and Barnes-Jewish Hospital Heart & Vascular Center.

Ask the Doctor: Heart Failure with Dr. Moon

Heart failure is a chronic and progressive condition in which the muscle tissue of the heart cannot pump enough blood to supply oxygen and circulation throughout the body. It results in symptoms like fatigue and shortness of breath but can cause other complications. Multiple types of HF exist and are treated differently depending on the stage.

Ask the Doctor: Colorectal Cancer with the Colorectal Team

Colorectal Cancer Team

Colorectal cancer is a type of cancer that develops in the lower intestine, either the colon or rectum, and causes symptoms such as bowel movement changes, pain and weight loss as it progresses. It is a common cancer that is often detected through regular screening and requires physician diagnosis from specific tests. Colorectal cancer is preventable, treatable and curable through surgical and radiation treatments. Washington University School of Medicine and Siteman Cancer Center provide patients with screening, diagnoses and treatment options.

Meet the Staff: Ken Wamsley, IT Director

Meet the Staff Ken Wamsley

Staff members at Washington University School of Medicine’s Department of Surgery are essential in supporting the institution’s mission of excellence in clinical outcomes, research and education. Meet IT Director, Ken Wamsley!

Ask the Doctor: Diverticulitis with Dr. Kerri Ohman

Diverticulitis is the inflammation or infection of diverticula, small pouches commonly occurring in the colon. The presence of diverticula is known as diverticulosis. If one or several diverticula become inflamed or infected, diverticulitis develops. Diverticulitis causes abdominal pain, fever, nausea and a changes in bowel habits. Mild diverticulitis can be treated with rest, changes in diet and use of antibiotics, but severe or persistent attacks of diverticulitis requires surgery.

Ask The Residents: Advice from Attendings

he expertise and advice provided by our attending physicians and surgeons are integral to the development of our residents. We asked those in the General Surgery Residency about the best advice they received from attendings during their time at Washington University.

Campus Catch-Up

Campus Catch-Up November 26

The Washington University campus community is making headlines every day. Members of the School of Medicine are regularly featured in local, national and international news stories. Department of Surgery faculty, staff and medical students are leaders in their specialties, and share their expertise when called upon. Campus Catch-Up collects some of these stories and celebrates members of the community who are receiving recognition.

Meet the Pancreatic Cancer Team

Meet the Pancreatic Cancer Team Washington University hepatobiliary-pancreatic & gastrointestinal (HPB-GI) surgeons, along with the multidisciplinary team of specialists at Siteman Cancer Center, are nationally recognized for their screening, diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, pancreatic cancer is the eighth most common cancer in women and the tenth most […]

Ask the Doctor: Hirschsprung Disease with Dr. Baddr Shakhsheer

Hirschsprung disease is a congenital condition that causes issues with the digestive system. The bowel or colon is not able to contract due to a cell deficiency, leading to constipation and other digestive problems. Treatment for this condition includes surgery to repair the colon.

Ask The Doctors: Critical Limb-Threatening Ischemia

Limb ischemia is a peripheral arterial disease that causes reduced blood supply to the limbs. Long-term limb ischemia can progress into chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CL-TI), which requires immediate medical attention and treatment. Dr. Geraghty and the limb preservation team at Washington University answer questions about this condition, risk factors and treatment options.

Meet the Residents: Annie Hess and Robert MacGregor

Hess and MacGregor

Get to know residents Annie Hess and Robert MacGregor in the General Surgery residency program, why they chose Washington University School of Medicine for their surgical training and what it’s like to be a resident in St. Louis.

Washington University’s Surgical Prehabilitation and Readiness (SPAR) Program

Prehabilitation (or rehabilitation before surgery) helps patients be healthy and strong before surgery and has been shown to improve recovery and health outcomes. The Surgical Prehabilitation and Readiness (SPAR) program at Washington University guides patients for the weeks before a procedure by providing strategies and goals to prepare their body and mind.

Campus Catch-Up

Campus Catch-Up 11.5.2021

The Washington University campus community is making headlines every day. Members of the School of Medicine are regularly featured in local, national and international news stories. Department of Surgery faculty, staff and medical students are leaders in their specialties, and share their expertise when called upon. Campus Catch-Up collects some of these stories and celebrates members of the community who are receiving recognition.

Toriola and Zayed Awarded NIH Research Grants

Surgeons Adetunji Toriola, MD, PhD and Mohamed Zayed, MD, PhD from the Department of Surgery have received prestigious R01 grants from National Institutes of Health (NIH) for their research in cancer and vascular medicine, respectively.

The Essentials of Biological Tissue Grafts, Donation and Research at Washington University

There are several sources for biological tissue grafts used for reconstructive, reparative or replacement surgery. Allografts are obtained from tissue donors and transplanted into recipients through the tissue donation process. The decision to donate involves registration as a donor and is an important conversation to have with family. Ongoing surgery and research at Washington University benefits from the donation of tissue grafts or specimens from consented donors.

Health Literacy Month – October 2021

Katherine Glover-Collins, MD, discuss what to expect before surgery with a patient.

Celebrating health literacy this October comes with two initiatives: to increase personal literacy and improve organizational literacy. Patient health literacy and education are important goals for those seeking medical treatment, and hospital programs can encourage the familiarity of patients with the language of health. Organizations are also responsible for providing accessible, understandable information to their patients.

The Importance of Comfort: Patient Gender Selection in Colorectal Surgery

Colorectal screening, diagnosis and treatment are integral parts of overall health, but obstacles related to patient comfort can prevent effective medical intervention for colorectal illness. Having a diverse, accessible department of colorectal surgeons reassures patients and advances the optimal benefits for their colorectal health.

Dr. Evarts Graham and the History of Cardiothoracic Medicine and Research at Washington University

Exploring the history of research in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery begins with the career of surgeon and clinical researcher Dr. Evarts Graham. A gifted cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr. Graham’s research included one of the earliest studies of smoking as it contributed to lung cancer, and this pioneering work has directed similar research on smoking cessation and health impacts for decades.

Campus Catch-Up

Campus Catch-Up 10/15/21

The Washington University campus community is making headlines every day. Members of the School of Medicine are regularly featured in local, national and international news stories. Department of Surgery faculty, staff and medical students are leaders in their specialties, and share their expertise when called upon. Campus Catch-Up collects some of these stories and celebrates members of the community who are receiving recognition.

Three Aspects of Health and Healing: The Biopsychosocial Model in Medicine

The biopsychosocial model is a valuable perspective on health and wellness than can be applied to patient experience. Whether biological, psychological or social health, these aspects of wellness have influence each other and can impact a patient’s condition as well as how care should be administered. This model has helped direct surgeons at WashU hospitals.

Breast Cancer Care

Breast Cancer Surgery

Washington University surgical oncologists and plastic and reconstructive surgeons provide the highest level of care for people with breast cancer.