General Surgery Residency Program

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• Colorectal Surgery
• Communicative Disorders
• General Surgery
• Otolaryngology
• Transplant
• Communicative Disorders
• Pediatric Surgery
• Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
• Surgical Oncology
• Thoracic and Cardiovascular
• Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapeutics
• Hand Surgery

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This website, louisvillesurgery.com, provides information on a broad range of surgery related topics. The site is designed to provide information about general aspects of surgery for students, patients and concerned persons. The information provided should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, please consult your physician immediately. < Close >

UofL Department of Surgery surgeons are the first in Kentucky to use the da Vinci Robot to treat patients with colorectal and head and neck conditions. The Robot enables surgeons to perform delicate operations with breakthrough precision. It provides the surgeons with exceptional vision, precision, dexterity and improved access to the treatment site. As a result, patients experience less pain and quicker recovery.

Colorectal surgeon Dr. Jeffrey Jorden, Assistant Professor, Division of General Surgery, is the first in the region to use the technology to treat colorectal patients. In April, otolaryngolgists Drs. Jeffrey Bumpous and Kevin Potts teamed up to complete the first daVinci TransOral Robotic Surgery (TORS) in Kentucky and surrounding region. They were able to remove the cancerous tissue without any major incisions.

TORS is a minimally invasive surgery where the surgeons can access the cancerous area through the throat. As with all minimally invasive procedures the goals are to minimize incisions, preserve function, reduce pain and facilitate quicker recoveries.

“As you can imagine there is nowhere more important than the head and neck,” Potts said. “It’s where we swallow, breath and speak.”

Operating through the mouth is not new, but doing it using the daVinci opens up new possibilities. Previously, surgeons had to use long instruments, over one foot in length, which can magnify hand tremors. Older procedures also carry visibility limitations.

The daVinci eliminates those complications with smooth movements and a 3D HD camera, Bumpous said, “The daVinci puts the camera at site of the cancer and gives us the ability to see everything. It ultimately results in better outcomes for our patients.”

U.S. News & World Report has listed 13 Department of Surgery physicians as Top Doctors as part of the publication’s online health services program, which provides referral information on thousands of physicians nationwide.

The Department of Surgery represents 38 percent of the 34 total physicians from the Louisville Metro area named to the list.

According to U.S. News, physicians selected as “Top Doctors” have been “nominated by their peers and named to a highly selective list of America’s top physicians by achieving national recognition for outstanding work.”

The 13 Department of Surgery providers recognized by U.S. News are:

• Sheldon J. Bond, MD, Pediatric Surgeon
• Jeffrey Bumpous, MD, ENT-Otolaryngologist
• Robert N. Cacchione, MD, Surgeon
• Mary E. Fallat, MD, Pediatric Surgeon
• Michael B. Flynn, MD, Surgical Oncologist
• Susan Galandiuk, MD, Colon and Rectal Surgeon
• Michael H. McCafferty, MD, Colon and Rectal Surgeon
• Kelly M. McMasters, MD, Surgical Oncologist
• J. David Richardson, MD, Thoracic Surgeon
• Mark S. Slaughter, MD, Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
• Gordon R. Tobin, MD, Plastic Surgeon
• Gary Vitale, MD, Surgeon
• Bradon J. Wilhelmi, MD, Plastic Surgeon

For more information, go to http://health.usnews.com

Dr. Frank Miller at right.

Trauma surgeon Dr. Frank Miller, Professor of Surgery, Division of General Surgery, recently returned from overseeing a Physicians for Peace medical training project at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre, Malawi. Physicians for Peace, an international non-profit based in Norfolk, VA, has recently assumed responsibility for recruiting volunteers to serve as surgical faculty overseeing the Malawi hospital’s Surgical Intern Training (SIT) Project. Dr. Miller was the first volunteer surgeon sent by Physicians for Peace to lead the training at this large (1,000+ bed) hospital.

The SIT Project is designed to train interns and registrars (known as residents in the US) in basic surgical techniques. According to Physicians for Peace President and CEO, Brigadier General Ron Sconyers (USAF-Ret), “Because of the shortage of trained surgeons in Malawi, this project is a critical training ground for recent graduates and of the Malawi College of Medicine. We are very thankful to Dr. Miller for his volunteer service and for sharing his surgical craft to ensure that future Malawi surgeons have the skills needed to provide surgical care to their patients.”

The project has a dedicated clinic and operating space, along with a clinical officer. Physicians for Peace surgical faculty will typically accept a 3-month volunteer assignment. The role of the volunteer surgeon is to provide hands on training and guidance to the interns through this clinic.

Identifying qualified surgical faculty for the SIT Project is not easy. First the surgeon must be available for a 3-month period. In addition, Physicians for Peace is looking for surgeons who will focus on the education and training aspects, not only on clinical care. Finally, a successful medical volunteer must be culturally sensitive and be able to adapt to the conditions of the local country and hospital. Dr. Miller was able to bring each of these strengths to the project.

“Dr. Miller has enjoyed a distinguished career as a surgeon and educator in the Department of Surgery at University of Louisville School of Medicine for several decades. In addition to treating patients with great skill and compassion even in the most difficult circumstances imaginable, Dr. Miller is a professor who uses his surgical expertise to train generations of surgeons,” said Dr. Kelly McMasters, Ben A. Reid Sr., MD Professor and Chairman of the Department of Surgery at the University of Louisville. “He has touched the lives of innumerable patients and students.”

Dr. Miller, who has a long history of international medical service in Tanzania, Vietnam, Ghana and Nigeria, learned of the Physicians for Peace opportunity through the American College of Surgeons’ Operation Giving Back Program. Operation Giving Back encourages humanitarian service by helping surgeons find volunteer opportunities best suited to their expertise and interests, both in the US and internationally. Despite his extensive international experience, Dr. Miller notes: “This surgical faculty rotation was different from all my other international medical experiences. There is a tremendous need for experienced surgical faculty, because this large hospital is where the most complicated cases in Malawi are transferred. I saw cases I would never see in the US.” Dr. Miller was actively involved in teaching, and explained: “The medical students were enthusiastic and wanted to learn, just like medical students in the west.”

Dr. Swapna Chandran, Assistant Professor of Surgery, Division of Otolaryngology, has been named Medical Director of the Norton Voice Care Center. Dr. Chandran is a voice fellowship-trained ENT. She specializes in adult and pediatric voice disorders, adult and pediatric upper aerodigestive disorders, intracapsular tonsillectomy and general pediatric ENT. She also has completed a pediatric ENT fellowship. To learn about the Norton Voice Care Center, please visit http://www.nortonhealthcare.com/voicecare.

Dr. Glen Franklin, Associate Professor of Surgery, Division of General Surgery, and Medical Director for the Surgical Intensive Care Unit and Burn Unit at University of Louisville Hospital, is featured in a new ULH commercial about his role as a trauma surgeon. He also is featured in ULH’s “Sharing Our Story” blog. To view the commercial and read the blog, please go to: uoflhealthcare.org.

Dr. Kelly McMasters received the William J. Rothwell Faculty Award. The annual award honors a faculty member who has distinguished him/herself amongst colleagues in the area of development.