Faculty Resources

The Ilitch Department of Surgery provides exceptionally broad and deep services to patients in need of general, plastic, and oncological surgical treatment. Each day, along with providers and staff of other medical disciplines at Wayne Health, our surgeons help diagnose and treat some of the most complex medical/surgical cases in the state.

Patients take comfort in selecting Wayne Health specialists because they know they receive care from the finest doctors with the most advanced medical training, backed by ongoing quality research.

Trauma Protocols

Guidelines for the evaluation and treatment of patients in the ED setting by an integrated, multidisciplinary team.

Robotics Curriculum

Workflow Resources

Guidelines for the evaluation and treatment of patients in the ED setting by an integrated, multidisciplinary team.

Notable Grand Rounds

These assembled papers are edited transcripts of didactic lectures given by mainly senior residents, but also some distinguished attending and guests, at the Grand Rounds of the Michael and Marian Ilitch Department of Surgery at the Wayne State University School of Medicine.

Every week, approximately 50 faculty attending surgeons and surgical residents meet to conduct postmortems on cases that did not go well. That “Mortality and Morbidity” conference is followed immediately by Grand Rounds.

This collection is not intended as a scholarly journal, but in a significant way, it is a peer-reviewed publication by virtue of the fact that every presentation is examined in great detail by those 50 or so surgeons.

It serves to honor the presenters for their effort, to potentially serve as first draft for an article for submission to a medical journal, to let residents and potential residents see the high standard achieved by their peers and expected of them, and by no means least, to contribute to better patient care.

— David Edelman, M.D.

Surgical GI Endoscopy:
52 Years of Experience in the USA

Choichi Sugawa, MD, PhD, FACS, FASA, FASGE, FJGES

Professor Emeritus
Wayne State University

Dr. Sugawa describes and reflects upon his distinguished career in surgical endoscopy, a field in which he was one of the original and leading pioneers.

Legendary Recollections

Anna Ledgerwood, MD, FACS

Professor of Surgery
Wayne State University

Dr. Ledgerwood, a legend in her own right, acknowledges some of the contributions and recounts some of her experiences with the legendary Dr. Choichi Sugawa.

Overcoming Challenges in Surgical Training

David R. Farley, MD

Emeritus Professor of Surgery
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science

What are the main challenges of surgical training and how we can counteract them in the midst of a perfect storm of pressure to make money for the institution, the growing complexity of surgery…

Global Surgery

Todd Lavery, MD, FACS

This paper seeks to elucidate the need globally for surgical care, to describe the challenge of getting global surgery accepted as an essential component of the global health conversation.

The Changing Face of Oncology: Modern Skill Sets for the Cancer Surgeon and Changing Scientific Paradigms

Donald W. Weaver, MD

Pemberthy Professor of Surgery and
Chair of the Department of Surgery
Wayne State University School of Medicine

The overall objective is to show how and why surgery and especially surgical oncology is changing. This paper looks at where surgery is going and where it’s been.

The Wonderful World of Calcium

Charles Lucas, MD

Professor of Surgery
Wayne State University School of Medicine

Calcium (Ca) is the most common element in the body. It is present primarily in bone. Non-skeletal ionized Ca (38%) is free, while protein-bound Ca accounts for 50% of the total.

Medical Malpractice for the Surgeon

John Webber, MD

Professor of Surgery
Wayne State University School of Medicine

This paper discusses medical malpractice as it relates to surgeons and what surgeons should know about it, especially residents just starting to practice.

Physician Impairment: Disruptive, Disabled, Duped & Depressed

Carl Christensen, MD, PhD, D-FASAM, cMRO

Clinical Associate Professor 
Departments of Psychology and OB Gyn
 Wayne State University

To the Joint Commission and the board of medicine, “impairment” means that a doctor is essentially unsafe. This paper examines the factors behind it and describes ways it is handled.

How to Build an Academic Career  Focused on Research

Phillip D. Levy, MD MPH, FACEP, FAHA, FACC

Professor of Emergency Medicine  and Assistant VP for Research 
Wayne State University
Chief Innovation Officer – Wayne Health

Research is not the only way forward in a physician’s career, but if it is where your interest lies, there is a way to go about it in order to be successful.

Transcarotid Artery Revascularization for the Treatment of Cerebrovascular Disease in High-Risk Patients

Sun Kim, MD

Vascular Surgery Fellow
Detroit Medical Center/Wayne State University

Background and epidemiology of carotid artery stenosis & an overview of the transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) system.

“Back” to Basics:
Ergonomics and the OR

Ashley Malach, MD

General Surgery Resident

Are ergonomics important to surgeons as they operate in the OR? The answer is “very.” This paper explains why and suggests how to improve surgeons’ ergonomic health.

Mythbusters, Surgical Edition

Solhee Lee, MD

General Surgery Resident

This paper presents the current literature on common surgical misconceptions concerning C. diff, scrub caps, closing mesenteric defects, male and female surgeons, and surgical smoke.

Navigating the
Institutional Review Board

James H. Paxton, MD MBA

Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine

Understanding the IRB perspective may help researchers to successfully navigate the IRB review process.

Dr. Alexander J. Walt:
Historian, Philosopher,
and Surgical Educator

Dr. Charles Lucas

Professor of Surgery

Despite the tragedy of his family’s early history in Eastern Europe, Dr. Alexander Walt rose to become president of the American College of Surgeons and our own beloved chair.

Management of
Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma

Timothy M. Pawlik, MD, PhD, MPH, MTS, MBA

Professor and Chair, Department of Surgery
The Urban Meyer Ill and Shelley Meyer Chair in Cancer Research
Surgeon in Chief, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

As chemotherapy gets better, previously inoperable patients will become operable. There will be better control of systemic disease enabling us to focus our surgical techniques on the disease.

Principles and Practice of Bariatric Surgery

Roozbeh Mansour, MD, FACS

Assistant Professor of Surgery

The physiology and complications of bariatric surgery, with an addendum on recent developments contributed by Dr. Alyssa Stroud.

Management of  the Open Abdomen

Christopher Dente, MD, FACS

Professor of Surgery, Emory University
Chief, General Surgery, Emory at Grady

The evolution of management of the open abdomen from a technical standpoint and as it relates to changes in resuscitation paradigms over the last 20 years, with an appendix on institutional influence.

Gastric Cancer

Steve H. Kim, MD, FACS

Chief of Surgical Oncology, Karmanos Cancer Center
Professor of Surgery, Wayne State University School of Medicine
Karmanos Cancer Institute

This paper is primarily about gastric adenocarcinoma but touches also on two other gastric tumors often seen by general surgeons: GI stromal tumors (GIST) and gastric carcinoids.

Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Eliza W. Beal, MD

Surgical Oncologist 
Karmanos Cancer Institute

Discusses the diagnosis and management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and research concerning barriers to surveillance for HCC that result in late diagnosis.

Missed Injuries  in Pediatric Trauma  and How to Avoid Them

Jonathan I. Groner MD

Professor of Surgery, The Ohio State University College of Medicine

Some injuries or conditions are difficult to detect in pediatric trauma. Dr. Groner discusses biases that increase the risk of missed injuries and a standardized approach to avoid missing them.

The History, Current Applications and  Ethical Considerations of Robotic Surgery

Alyssa Stroud, MD

Chief Resident

A fascinating overview of a topic—robotic surgery—that seems poised to intrude more into surgery as robots grow in intelligence.

Two Dozen Years, Two PD’s and Top Lessons Learned From Surgical Education

Randall W. Smith MD, FACS
J. Scott Thomas MD, FACS

Baylor Scott & White – Temple

Highlights and lessons learned from the authors’ experiences as surgical residency program directors.

All About Mesh

Solhee Lee, MD

General Surgeon

Dr. Lee reviews the history, types, properties, clinical application, and other aspects of a material all general surgeons are likely to use at some point in their careers to repair a hernia.

Your Patient is On Fire

Muhammad Jaffar, MD, FASA, FCCM

Professor (Clinical)
Department of Anesthesiology

Dr. Jaffar explores the factors that contribute to surgical fires, focusing on both the personnel involved and the equipment utilized.

Update on Blunt Cerebrovascular Injuries

Jessica D. McGee, MD

Assistant Professor of Surgery

Signs and symptoms, diagnostic imaging, injury grading scale, incidence and treatment of BCVI

Liver Transplants: A Primer for the General Surgeon

Miguel Tobon, MD

Assistant Professor of Surgery
Wayne State University

Key things to know about liver transplants for general surgeons caring for patients who have had or will have a liver transplant

Pathology of the Biliary Tract

Anastasya Chuchulo, MD

PGY 5 Resident, Wayne State University, Dept. of Surgery

A review of current practices, investigational techniques, and decision-making processes in the management of biliary tract diseases,

Time to Say Goodbye: Historical Perspectives and Contemporary Approaches to Palliative Care at the End of Life

Kelly Zhang, MD

PGY6

Explores the evolution of end-of-life care, examines current practices in the United States, and discusses the concept of a “good death.”

Gastrointestinal Cancer Disparities

Eliza W. Beal, MD

Surgical Oncologist
 Karmanos Cancer Institute

Dr. Beal examines the disparities surrounding gastrointestinal cancers and the systemic inequities and social determinants that contribute to disparate health outcomes among various population groups.

C. Walton Lillehei: Innovator, Educator, and Pioneer

Jock Thacker, MD

PGY5 Resident
Department of Surgery

Describes the career and key contributions to medicine and cardiology of Dr. Walt Lillehei, arguably the founding father of cardiac surgery.

The Past, Present and Future of Wellness in Surgery

Molly Belisle, MD

PGY5 Resident
Dept. of Surgery
Wayne State University

Traces milestones in resident well-being and duty hour regulation and adds thoughts and anecdotes concerning the day-to-day challenges faced by surgical residents.

Global Surgical Education:
A Stamp in the Passport to Academic Pursuit

Rondi M. Kauffmann, MD, MPH, FACS, FCS (ECSA)

Vanderbilt University Medical Center

This annual talk honoring the memory of Dr. Alexander A. Walt discusses the past, present and future of global surgery, a calling for surgeons everywhere.

Trauma Anesthesia and
Perioperative Volume Resuscitation

Dr. Robert Joslin

Anesthesiologist

Describes the critical role anesthesia plays in the care of the trauma patient, from the ED through the OR to the ICU), encompassing airway management, pain control, and resuscitation.

Liver Transplantation:
 Past, Present, and Future

Shunji Nagai, MD, PhD, FACS

Surgical Director
Liver, Intestine, and Multivisceral Transplantation
Henry Ford Transplant Institute

The past and present of liver transplantation, with a focus on indications and outcomes, transplant oncology, innovations, and multivisceral transplantation.

Going Green… with ICG

Ashley Malach, MD

John D Dingell VA Medical Center

Dr. Malach discusses the imaging dye indocyanine green (ICG) characteristics, history, preparation, dosing, infrared technology, indications, contraindications, and potential future applications.

Fertility and Family Planning in Residency and Fellowship

Nicole Budrys, MD

Michigan Center for Fertility and Women’s Health

Explores fertility in general and its implications for residents given the intense demands of medical education and training.

Notable Sessions at the 2024 ACS Clinical Congress

Chief Residents

DMC Surgical Residency

Summaries of interesting presentations attended at the American College of Surgeons Congress, 2024.

The Good Ole Days

James G. Tyburski, MD