Prabhakar Baliga, M.D., Chair of the Department of Surgery, recently attended the Halsted Society’s 100th Annual Meeting in Boston, hosted by the Mass General Brigham Department of Surgery. Named in honor of William Stewart Halsted, M.D., the society recognizes the surgeon’s lasting influence on the profession through a scientific approach to surgical practice. As President of the Halsted Society, Dr. Baliga joined fellow members of this historic organization to exchange ideas and share experiences.

Cynthia Talley, M.D., Professor of Acute Care Surgery, has been elected Secretary of the Board of Governors for the American College of Surgeons (ACS). The ACS is dedicated to improving surgical patient care and safeguarding standards of care through an optimal and ethical practice environment.

Check out this story featuring Dr. Van der Windt and how he is advancing kidney care through robotic-assisted transplant surgery. musc.co/3Wc22m

The Department of Surgery is proud to have a team supporting LowVelo, an annual cycling event that raises money to fund lifesaving and innovative research at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center. If you’re interested in registering, all are welcome to join the Blader Bikers team, led by our own William Hawkins, M.D. Register, donate or volunteer today! lowvelo.org/

As our department continues to grow, we are proud to welcome new expertise and perspectives that will help shape the future of surgery at MUSC!

Last week we had the pleasure of having Rachel Kelz, M.D., MSCE, MBA, William Maul Measey Endowed Professor, University of Pennsylvania, present “Surgical Transformation in an Era of Health System Consolidation” during Grand Rounds. Thank you to Dr. Kelz for visiting our campus and speaking with our faculty and residents. Rachel Kelz, M.D., MSCE, MBA, is pictured here with Prabhakar Baliga, M.D., Chair of the Department of Surgery, and David Mahvi, M.D., Distinguished University Professor.

Exciting news! We are now on Instagram! If you are too, hop on over there and follow us! Click the link below or scan the QR code! instagram.com/muscsurgery/

September is Women in Medicine Month, a time to celebrate the remarkable women whose dedication and expertise strengthen our department every day. We are grateful for our Women Faculty, whose leadership, innovation, and mentorship inspire excellence and help shape the future of medicine.

Rana Pullatt, M.D., recently represented the MUSC at the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO) World Congress in Toronto! Dr. Pullatt chaired the Robotic Surgery Session and robotic surgery lab, helping spotlight advanced robotic techniques and innovation in surgical care. He also earned top honors as his case and video presentation won the IFSO World Cup for Tough Cases!

Congratulations are in order for our recent General Surgery Residency grads! We just received word that they all passed their written boards on their first attempt!

Thank you to David Rogers, M.D., M.H.P.E., M.A., from University of Alabama at Birmingham for presenting at Grand Rounds this week! We all enjoyed his presentation titled "Frontline Surgical Teaching Excellence." Dr. Rogers is pictured center here with Colleen Donahue, M.D., Program Director, General Surgery Residency, and Prabhakar Baliga, M.D., Chair, Department of Surgery.

Earlier this week, Ge Tao, Ph.D., presented “Self-repairing Capacity of Young and Old Hearts." at our monthly Research Seminar Series. Dr. Tao is an Associate Professor in the Department of Regenerative Medicine & Cell Biology at MUSC. Thank you for joining us, Dr. Tao!

The MUSC Department of Surgery is excited to welcome several new faculty members this month! Today, please help us welcome: Lauren Huckaby, M.D., Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery; Oliver Jawitz, M.D., Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery; and Chris Thomas, M.D., Division of Acute Care Surgery.

Check out our latest Surgery Series podcast, featuring Robert Sade, M.D., Professor Emeritus, MUSC Department of Surgery! vimeo.com/1137832588/3a24e38…

Our surgeons and staff enjoyed stopping by Robot Week last week to learn more about new technologies and techniques and how they can be applied to patient care.

Check out this article featuring Dr. Mary Kate Bryant, which discusses the use of electrical stimulation to help ease the symptoms of gastroparesis. #Surgery

Congratulations to our residents! Last weekend, we had General Surgery Residents present at the NC/SC ACS conference. In the Trauma paper competition, Dr. Sleet took 1st place, Dr. Risk took 2nd place, and Dr. Frederick took 3rd place. In the Cancer paper competition, Dr. Rasmussen won 1st place.

Last week, we introduced our General Surgery PGY- 1 to Robotic Surgery in the Surgery Sim lab! We caught a few photos of them trying different exercises on the daVinci Robot and the FLS trainers.

Such an exciting milestone for the College of Medicine!

On Friday, @MUSC_COM raised the final beam on it’s new building during their Topping-Off Ceremony! Dr. Baliga was there to sign the beam on behalf of the Department of Surgery. The new building is set to open in 2027!