Scrubcast

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month! In this episode of Scrubcast, host Rachel Baker interviews Dr. Cindy Kin, an associate professor in Stanford University's Department of Surgery. Dr. Kin delves into her choice to specialize in colorectal surgery and shares insights on the increasing trend of colon cancer in younger patients. She discusses the importance of early detection and elaborates on her research to improve patient outcomes post abdominal surgery through 'prehabilitation.'

Dr. Kin also talks about her role as the Director of Wellness at Stanford and her efforts to improve the well-being and work-life balance of fellow physicians. Only a few months in, she has already kicked off several new projects. She explains “Tell Us About It;” a new program developed in conjunction with our Quality Improvement team.

With the advent of GLP1s like Ozempic, aren’t Bariatric Surgeons out of a job?

We take a deep dive into obesity treatments with Dr. Dan Azagury, an Associate Professor in the Division of General Surgery and Chief of Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Surgery at Stanford University's Department of Surgery. We discuss topics such as how GLP1s were discovered and the benefits and risks of GLP-1 agonists. We also touch on the importance of holistic treatment for obesity and how medication and surgery are just two of the mechanisms for weight loss in their arsenal.

To close out the show, Dr. Azagury shares his admiration for Dr. Claude LeCoultre, who was Head of the Department of Pediatric Surgery at the University of Geneva from 1991 to 2004, and—of course—the best advice he’s received in 10 words or less.

You can learn more about Stanford Medical Weight Loss program here: https://stanfordhealthcare.org/medical-clinics/bariatric-surgery/medical-weight-loss-program.html

In this extended episode of Scrubcast, host Rachel Baker interviews Dr. Varya Kirchner, an associate professor in the Division of Abdominal Transplantation at Stanford University. They discuss the latest advancements in medicine, with a focus on autologous islet cell transplant, a new procedure being done at Stanford.

The conversation explores the process, recovery, and potential for the procedure, as well as the meaningful collaboration between the various specialties involved. HPB Surgeon Dr. Brendan Visser along with Interventional Radiologists Drs. Avnexh Thakor and Alex Vexeridis describe their contributions to the transplant process.

Dr. Kirchner also recognizes the contributions of significant mentors in her career, shares advice she received, and discusses plans for developing a pediatric transplantation program.

00:02 Introduction to Scrubcast and Guest

00:22 Dr. Kirchner's Journey into Transplant Surgery

01:29 Understanding Islet Cells and Their Importance

02:21 The Process of Autologous Islet Cell Transplant

03:10 Challenges and Impact of Chronic Pancreatitis

07:40 Bringing the Procedure to Stanford

08:51 The Role of General Surgery in Transplantation with Dr. Brfendan Visser

16:07 The Role of Interventional Radiology in Transplantation with Drs. Avnesh Thakor and Alex Vezeridis

23:10 The Future of Autologous Islet Cell Transplant

26:11 Identifying Candidates for Autologous Islet Cell Transplant

31:12 Conclusion and Future Plans

Can you teach an old drug new tricks?

In this episode, we interview Dr. Nazish Sayed, an assistant professor in the Division of Vascular Surgery and the Cardiovascular Institute at Stanford University. Dr. Sayed has a unique role as a research faculty in the Department of Surgery and his expertise in vascular disease. We talk about the beneficial effects of statins on vascular function (in addition to their well-known cholesterol control function) and how statins can prevent cardiovascular diseases. Dr. Sayed et al published a paper in Nature Cardiovascular Research in May 2023 on statins at the molecular level (https://www.nature.com/articles/s44161-023-00267-1), and we discuss the challenges faced in getting the paper published (four years!). The episode concludes with a discussion of Dr. Joseph Wu, Dr. Joseph Woo, and Dr. Sayed's future research plans.

Dr. Varvara Kirchner, an associate professor in the Division of Abdominal Transplantation, explains autologous islet cell transplant. In addition to the procedure, its benefits, and its ideal candidates, she and host, Rachel Baker, also discuss the history of the procedure, Dr. Kirchner's mentors, and her future plans for the program.

Dr. Thomas Weiser attempted to take the politics out of the gun control topic buy looks at the dollars and cents of firearm injuries. After a first study showed that hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayer money was being used to pay for hospitalizations, he dug deeper and looked at the impact of firearm legislation and the expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

To read the paper published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, click here: https://www-sciencedirect-com.laneproxy.stanford.edu/science/article/pii/S0749379723003227?via%3Dihub

Learn more about the Gabby Giffords Gun Law Scorecard here:

https://giffords.org/lawcenter/resources/scorecard/

Dr. Weiser is a Clinical Professor in the Division of General Surgery at Stanford University. He is a general, emergency, and trauma surgeon, and surgical intensivist. He is also the Director of Global Engagement for Stanford’s Department of Surgery.

What does it take to become a surgeon scientist? Professor Emeritus Dr. Jeffrey Norton, who has been operating and conducting basic science experiments for more than 40 years, says the key is fun.

As he looks toward retirement, we take an opportunity to examine his legacy including his contributions to gene-directed surgery. We also talk about mentorship: his mentors Drs. Murray Brennan and Watts Webb, his mentees, and his mentorship philosophy.

If you want to learn more about the research Dr. Norton has inspired, please join us at his festschrift on Friday, October 13 at Stanford’s Center for Academic Medicine. RSVP here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf04Fl3H__kD2p0C9ohrHWI1WZdAzaU_tD8eKvGMVibLNLvvw/viewform?usp=sf_link

You can also watch his grand rounds presentation on hereditary diffused gastric cancer (CDH1 mutation) here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFL7hJiWtwE

DYK that one-quarter to one-half of all hospital waste is generated by the OR? Dr. Paige Fox, an Associate Professor in our Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery is trying to change that. She talks to us about her endeavor to green the OR using a method that she has shown works in different hospital settings and for different types of operations.

In addition to her sustainability work, Dr. Fox also operates a wet lab doing basic science and is the Director of Stanford’s PRS Residency Program. She gives us an update on her biosensor collaboration with Stanford School of Engineering legend Dr. Zhenan Bao (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41928-018-0071-7) and has advice for MS4s entering Match 2024.

What happens when an engineering major goes to medical school? You get someone like Dr. James Wall. Dr. Wall is a pediatric surgeon at Stanford’s Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, but he’s also an innovator focusing on creating devices that solve health challenges faced by children and moms-to-be.

As Wall says during the show, children are 25% of the population, 100% of the future, but only a tiny percentage of medical patents. We talk about his work as a PI for the UCSF-Stanford Pediatric Device Consortium and how one team of innovators made their idea a reality.

We also talk about his work as a Program Director for the Byers Center for Biodesign Fellowship Program and a new opportunity for global health made possible by a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

This is a special two-part episode with the poster and podium winners from our annual Holman Day celebration. In part 2 we speak with the winners in the clinical, educational, and health services research science category.

Dr. Vy Ho is a rising Chief Resident in our Vascular Surgery Residency Program. Like her colleague Shaunak, she also looked at aneurysms but from an HSR point of view. She shares her research recommended screening rates and possible barriers to care.

Dr. Kirbi Yelorda is a rising Chief resident in our General Surgery Residency Program. As a future colorectal surgeon, it’s no surprise that her health services research project focused on colorectal cancer and how it is affected by social risk factors.

Holman Day is Stanford Surgery’s celebration of all things science. It is named after Dr. Emile Holman, the founder of academic surgery at Stanford University. Learn more: https://surgery.stanford.edu/holman/2023.html