Department Of Surgery

There have long been more questions than answers when it comes to abdominal hernia repair surgeries, but now, thanks to a database full of information supplied by both surgeons and patients, those answers are coming to light and driving nationwide improvements. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers are comparing two types of weight-loss options to determine which is the most effective in helping obese patients reach a more ideal weight before undergoing kidney transplant surgery. Read More

Microtubules are the “railroad tracks” essential for moving intracellular “freight” around in the cell. They’re also part of the spindle that pulls the two centrosomes apart during cell division. Read More

For three years, 79-year-old Jerry Mock didn’t fully enjoy family vacations or gatherings with friends because his gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) was so debilitating that eating even a bite of food after 1 p.m. guaranteed he’d have intense burning pain in his throat and chest that night. Read More

Surgical oncologist Carmen Solórzano, M.D., senses she has a reputation for being tough on residents. It doesn’t bother her. Read More

George Washington University biomedical engineering student Sydney Bailes spent her summer carefully creating silicone layers of precise consistencies, and she hopes to spend winter break continuing work on the project that can one day help junior surgical trainees practice a critical skill — inserting surgical instruments for abdominal surgeries. Read More

Using bioinformatics approaches, Vanderbilt investigators have identified gene expression networks that are deregulated in mouse and human stomach cancers. Read More

Vanderbilt University Medical Center cancer researcher James Goldenring, M.D., Ph.D., has received a two-year, $200,000 grant from the DeGregorio Family Foundation in Pleasantville, New York, to begin clinical trials of a potential approach for reversing precancerous stomach lesions. Read More

New findings that reveal complex interactions in esophageal adenocarcinoma could lead to diagnostic, prognostic or therapeutic biomarkers. Read More

The Vanderbilt Eskind Diabetes Center hosted a Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Patient Day Seminar earlier this month, with 60-70 attendees from all over the United States gathering to learn more about the condition and its treatment. Read More

A signaling protein overexpressed in upper gastrointestinal cancers is an attractive therapeutic target. Read More

Neat stacks of paper are lined up on the desk of Timothy Geiger, M.D., with each stack representing a challenge. For example, one sheet has a flow chart sketched on it — Geiger’s musing on ways to more efficiently use Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s (VUMC) operating rooms, matching the best locations with case types and surgical teams. Read More

Ronald Clements, M.D., professor of Surgery and the past director of Bariatric Surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, died Jan. 19 at home surrounded by his family. He was 50. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers have discovered a link between Helicobacter pylori infection, inflammation and gastric cancer that could suggest new anti-cancer therapies. Read More

James O’Neill, M.D., professor of Surgery and former chair of the Section of Surgical Sciences at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), has received an International Surgical Volunteerism Award from the American College of Surgeons (ACS) for more than three decades of service as a surgeon and educator in medically underserved countries. Read More

A peptide molecule relaxes airway smooth muscle and may be a potential therapeutic for asthma that has become resistant to standard therapies. Read More

On June 30, John Tarpley, M.D., retired after 23 years of service at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) and the Nashville VA Medical Center. The next day, he packed a suitcase, and on July 2 he boarded a Kenya-bound plane, a move that was absolutely no surprise to all who know him. Read More

Kamran Idrees, M.D., MSCI, assistant professor of Surgery, has received a Young Investigator Award from the Society of Surgical Oncology Foundation (SSO). Read More

Twenty-four retiring faculty members were recognized during Vanderbilt’s Commencement ceremony May 13, when the university honored their years of service and bestowed on them the title of emeritus or emerita faculty. Read More

During a deployment as a military surgeon more than a decade ago, Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Tim Nunez, M.D., felt ill prepared to perform complex trauma surgeries for an Iraqi family caught in a fire fight, but he's now committed to helping military personnel become better trained for these types of emergencies. Read More