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
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.
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…
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.
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
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
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
Detroit Medical Center/Wayne State University
Background and epidemiology of carotid artery stenosis & an overview of the transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) system.
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
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.
Management of the Open Abdomen
Christopher Dente, MD, FACS
Professor of Surgery, Emory University
Chief, General Surgery, Emory at Grady
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
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.
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.
Gastrointestinal Cancer Disparities
Eliza W. Beal, MD
Surgical Oncologist
Karmanos Cancer Institute
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.
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.
Liver Transplantation:
Past, Present, and Future
Shunji Nagai, MD, PhD, FACS
Surgical Director
Liver, Intestine, and Multivisceral Transplantation
Henry Ford Transplant Institute
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.
The Long and Winding Road: The Value of Graduated Responsibility in the Delivery of Healthcare
Keith A. Delman, MD
Surgeon-in-Chief, Grady Memorial Hospital
In 1994, Alexander J. Walt called for the cultivation of responsibility in surgical education. This 2025 Walt lecture adds a personal and professional perspective to why it remains important.
Change of Plan: Strategies For Managing Intraoperative Consultations and Unplanned Procedures
Ryan D. Rosen, DO
Chief Resident
Explores the evolving role of intraoperative consultations within general and vascular surgery, including ethical and legal principles governing decision-making in moments of uncertainty and urgency.
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