VCU Surgery Newsletter, February 2024

Volume 63 | February 2024

Surgical Notes

A Newsletter from the VCU Department of Surgery

Dr. Patrick Melmer Accepted to Surgical Robotics Fellowship

Dr. Patrick Melmer has been accepted into the inaugural class for the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma ROBO-TRACS fellowship program for robotics in acute care surgery. He is one of 10 junior faculty members selected from across the country to the Intuitive-sponsored program, which is designed to provide advanced robotic skills and strategies for growing acute care surgery robotics programs.

Joseph Morris Retirement

We bid a heartfelt farewell to someone who has played a crucial role behind the scenes in our Department. A person whose skillful hands have captured the intricate moments of countless surgeries, preserving the art and science that unfolds within these walls. As we stand on the verge of saying goodbye to our esteemed surgical photographer and videographer, Joe Morris, we reflect upon his 23 years of service.

Joe has been the silent observer, the unseen artist, who skillfully documented the triumphs, challenges, and moments of resilience within our operating rooms. His lens has been a witness to the precision of our Faculty and Housestaff, the dedication of our medical teams, and the relentless pursuit of excellence that defines our department.

In the world of surgery, where every incision tells a story, Joe has been the storyteller. Through his lens, we've not only seen procedures but felt the commitment, passion, and expertise that define our collective pursuit of healing. Joe’s work has been a testament to the dedication of our entire surgical family.

As Joe embarks on a new chapter of life beyond these operating rooms, let us express our deepest gratitude. Gratitude for the countless hours spent capturing the essence of our profession, for the patience exhibited in the pursuit of the perfect shot, and for the professionalism that defined their every interaction within our surgical community.

Though Joe may be retiring from the Department of Surgery, the images and videos he has captured will forever remain etched in the collective memory of our institution. Today, we not only bid farewell to a skilled photographer and videographer but to a valued member of our surgical family.

Joe, as you step into this new phase of life, may your future be as bright as the images you've captured, and may the memories of your time with us continue to inspire those who follow in your footsteps.

We thank you for your unwavering dedication and contribution to the art of surgery. Wishing you a retirement filled with joy, fulfillment, and the appreciation of a job well done.

Visiting Scholars

Dr. Pham Viet (right) and Dr. Nhung Hoang (middle) from Hue University in Hue, Vietnam, arrived on February 1st and will depart at the end of May. Their visit aims to enhance their skills and techniques in urology and transplant procedures by shadowing respective teams at VCU. Dr. Nhung will also collaborate with the Division of Nephrology on transplant techniques and contribute to ongoing research at VCU.

2023 Blue Ridge Rankings Released

The Department of Surgery pleased to inform you that the latest Blue Ridge Rankings have been released this month, and we are delighted to share that our position has significantly improved. We are now ranked 43, a notable advancement from our position at 54 in the previous calendar year. This positive shift reflects our continuous dedication to excellence and the hard work invested by our Department.

43 | VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY | $3,372,710

"This is a really significant rise in our Blue Ridge Ranking at a time when successful funding is so difficult to achieve" said Dr. David Turner. "It reflects the hard work of the departments faculty who engage in innovative research aimed at new discoveries and creating methods and models to enhance our health and well-being."

The BRIMR ranking is important to our academic medical center as it provides a measure of our success in obtaining NIH funding, which, in turn, impacts their research capabilities, competitiveness, and overall standing in the scientific community. Institutions use this information for strategic planning, attracting talent, and furthering their contributions to medical research and healthcare advancements.

The BRIMR ranking is important to academic health systems for several reasons:

Funding Recognition: The ranking highlights the institutions that have been successful in securing NIH funding for medical research. It serves as a recognition of the institution's ability to attract and manage research grants.
Research Productivity: Institutions with higher NIH funding are often associated with greater research productivity. This includes the number and impact of research publications, contributing to the institution's academic reputation.
Competitive Positioning: A high ranking indicates a competitive position in the field of medical research. It attracts top-tier researchers, faculty, and students, enhancing the institution's ability to contribute significantly to advancements in healthcare.
Strategic Planning: Institutions can use the ranking data for strategic planning. Understanding the NIH funding landscape helps academic health systems identify areas of strength, potential for improvement, and areas where they can focus their research efforts.
Collaboration Opportunities: High-ranking institutions are likely to attract collaborative opportunities with other research-intensive organizations, fostering interdisciplinary research and strengthening the institution's overall research capabilities.

Hume-Lee Transplant Center Completes 100th TPIAT Procedure

This month, the Hume Lee Transplant Center care team completed the 100th TPIAT procedure! TPIAT, or total pancreatectomy with islet cell autotransplantation, is a surgical option for people with debilitating pain and impaired quality of life from acute recurrent or chronic pancreatitis. Hume-Lee is one of a few transplant centers in the nation performing this procedure.

Dr. David Bruno, Interim Chair for the Division of Transplant Surgery stated: “I am thrilled to share that VCU/Hume-Lee Transplant has reached a milestone: completing our 100th Total Pancreatectomy with Islet Autotransplantation (TPIAT). Led by Dr. Marlon Levy, internationally recognized expert in the field, our team's dedication to surgical innovation and complex collaboration has knocked it out of the park again! It truly takes a village, from the clinic to the OR, to the wards - and yes, a regulated lab space for isolations and the research that pushes the field forward. Many people, laser focused, compassion, passion TEAMWORK - it doesn't get much better than that!"

Read More and Register...

Dr. Stacy Ranson Nomination

Dr. Stacy Ranson, our current and first Colon and Rectal Surgery fellow, was appointed to the Colon and Rectal Surgery Residency Review Committee through ACGME. The Council of Review Committee Residents (CRCR) serves as an advisory body to the ACGME concerning resident matters, graduate medical education (GME), and accreditation. The Council is composed of the current resident members of the ACGME Board of Directors and each Review Committee.

Over the years, the CRCR has provided a critical resident perspective to the ACGME; with members actively contributing to the ACGME’s work on physician well-being, parental leave, Common Program Requirement revisions, milestones, duty hours and professionalism, addressing resident mistreatment, and many other important issues in accreditation and GME.

With support from the ACGME, the CRCR created and designed the Back to Bedside initiative. This is a competitive grant process that empowers residents and fellows to develop transformative projects that foster meaning in their learning environments; engaging on a deeper level with what is at the heart of medicine: their patients.

The Council’s work continues to grow and has been shared with a wider audience. Members of the CRCR have published articles in the Journal of Graduate Medical Education, presented posters at the ACGME’s Annual Educational Conference (AEC), and led educational sessions at the AEC.

VCU Funding Award for Invention

Dr. Prabhu Senthil-Kumar was recently awarded funding for a device making intubation easier for healthcare providers and safer for people:

Failed or incorrect intubation can result in severe consequences such as anoxic brain injury, coma, cardiac arrest, death, and prolonged ICU stays, with a failure rate of approximately 26%, affecting 3-5 million cases annually. The costs associated with difficult intubation are significant, estimated to exceed $10,000 per incident. Existing airway management methods like direct laryngoscopy, video laryngoscopy, and supraglottic airway devices have limitations, including visualization and navigation challenges, the need for multiple operators, secretion clearance issues, and the inability to oxygenate simultaneously during intubation.

Our innovative solution involves developing an inflatable tubular disposable device to address these challenges by keeping the oropharyngeal airway open, enhancing visualization and navigation, reducing operator requirements, aiding secretion clearance, and enabling simultaneous oxygenation.

Receiving the VCU commercialization award is a crucial milestone, providing essential funding to develop our first prototype and accelerate the translation of our idea from bench to bedside.

Surgery Hosts Robotic Whipple Training

On Friday, January 26, 2024, the Department of Surgery at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), led by Dr. Leopoldo Fernandez and assisted by his partner Dr. Adam Khader, orchestrated a specialized training session for the Robotic Whipple procedure. This educational event provided an opportunity for surgical oncology fellows, Drs. Brian Sparkman and Andrew Francis to refine and practice their skills, with the support of Sarah-Anne Diamond, a Physician Assistant from the Veterans Affairs, and Devon Freudenberger, a VCU general surgery resident with aspirations in surgical oncology. The training was conducted in the technologically advanced Cottrell Surgical Innovation Suite, highlighting the department's commitment to fostering surgical expertise through experiential learning, and culminated four previous days of surgical simulation in the VCU Center for Human Simulation and Patient Safety with the DaVinci XI, generously made available by Intuitive Surgical.

The Whipple procedure, or pancreaticoduodenectomy, is a demanding surgery that involves removing the head of the pancreas, parts of the small intestine, gallbladder, nearby lymph nodes, and sometimes a section of the stomach. It then requires the precise reattachment of the remaining pancreas, bile duct, and stomach to the small intestine to maintain digestive function. Traditionally, this procedure necessitated a large abdominal incision, resulting in lengthy hospitalizations and recovery times. During this training, our surgical oncology fellows were able to perform the entire operation minimally invasively through small incisions.

The VCU Department of Surgery is committed to the continual enhancement of surgical education by incorporating state-of-the-art techniques such as robotic surgery into their training programs. Providing surgical trainees like Drs. Sparkman, Francis and Freudenberger with opportunities to practice and advance their surgical techniques under the tutelage of experienced professionals like Drs. Fernandez and Khader reaffirms the department's dedication to elevating the quality of surgical care and maintaining the highest standards of medical education and patient outcomes. The VCU Division of Surgical Oncology has been performing robotic Whipple procedures for over a year, achieving impressive results. This year Dr. Sparkman will present video footage of several complex robotic Whipple procedures performed at VCU on the national stage. His video abstract will be featured by the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) during their Annual Meeting in April.

Special thanks to Susan Haynes, Noah Clough and Hank Papiernik for their assistance in coordinating efforts to host this training.

Plastics Residents Published in Journal

Congratulations to Dr. Joey Lewcun (PGY3) and Dr. Megan Newsom (PGY3) in plastics for their recent publication in the Journal of Burn Care & Research:

“Outcomes in Stevens-Johnson Syndrome/Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis Patients Treated With a Medicine-Led Multidisciplinary Approach”!

Women's Leadership Development Program

The HIGHER Ground Women’s Leadership Development Program is a five-month leadership development experience for current and emerging women leaders who are committed to investing in themselves and their organizations. The program is designed to benefit women at all career levels in public, private, nonprofit, and entrepreneurial positions.

Jennifer N. Scott, LPC, NCC

Senior Manager VCU Health Injury and Violence Prevention Program (IVPP)

How long have you been with Surgery?

Since November 6, 2023

Describe your role in your own words.

As the Sr. Manager of IVPP, I support our Assistant Director by ensuring our team members are equipped to effectively execute the processes, protocols, and goals of the program.

Most exciting and/or challenging part of your position?

This position has afforded me the opportunity to constantly learn and grow. I am exposed to new challenges regularly, which helps me to develop both professionally and personally.

What gives you the greatest satisfaction in your job?

My greatest satisfaction is the opportunity to serve the citizens of Richmond City and its surrounding areas. Giving back to the communities; the village that helped raise me.

What do you do for fun outside of work?

I love to dance, dine, and laugh with my husband.

Surgery Research News

Call for Abstracts for DoS Research Day

DoS Research Day Call for Abstracts SUBMISSION DEADLINE: March 25, 2024 by 5PM

Click for More Information

In 2023 the Dixon Lab successfully competed for a sub-award in collaboration with Dr. J. Vincent Edwards at Agricultural Research Service (a division of USDA) to investigate the efficacy of hemostatic dressings with antibacterial agents using both in vitro and in vivo models. The first of three parts of their work has already been published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences entitled “Preparation and Activity of Hemostatic and Antibacterial Dressings with Greige Cotton/Zeolite Formularies Having Silver and Ascorbic Finishes”.

Dr. Martin Mangino won funding from a Defense Health Agency Phase III SBIR grant with Luna Labs to continue work developing field stable blood substitutes for pre-hospital treatment of shock and trauma. The formulations include experimental oxygen carriers, impermeant polymers, and recombinant human fibrinogen and Factor XIII. The award is for $434,700 over 2 years.

Dr. Mangino’s Biotechnology company (Perfusion Medical) recently was awarded (2) phase II STTR grants from the United States Air Force to study new lighter field stable formulations of PM-208 (Perfusaid, a new IV resuscitation solution for shock) and to fund Perfusion Medical’s Phase-I clinical safety and pharmacokinetic trials of PM-208, scheduled to start later this year at VCU. The funding for both awards was over $3.6 Million with sub-awards coming back to his lab at VCU to pay for the Phase I clinical trials and for lab work on reformulations. Mayo clinic in Rochester, MN was also an academic partner in one of the Phase II Air Force grants.

Dr. Loren Liebrecht, MD MS presented on January 23, 2024 an oral talk at the Society of Critical Care Medicine's (SCCM) 2024 Critical Care Congress held in Phoenix, Arizona. Further, her submitted abstract entitled "PEG-20k IV Resuscitation Improves Survival and Microvascular Perfusion in Rat Model of Septic Shock" was selected for a Star Research Award, which represents the top scored abstracts from the Congress and entails a Star Research Award Certificate, $100 cash award, and extended 10-minute oral presentation. Co-authors included surgical chief Dr. Hae Sung Kang, MD, VCU medical student Charles Payne, MS and Becca Deitch, BS, EVMS medical student Aref Rastegar, BS, recently retired surgical technician Nancy Nixon-Lee, surgical research scientist Dr. Ru Li, MD PhD, and Professor of Surgery Dr. Martin Mangino, PhD.

Dr. David Turner was invited to take part in almost 30 hours of meetings with the NCI to discuss the future of Cancer Disparities Research. It consisted of a series of visioning and ideation minilabs entitled “Embracing the Complexity: Transdisciplinary Approaches to Advance the Science of Cancer Health Disparities”