Medical Breakthroughs From Penn Medicine

Host: Jennifer Caudle, DO Guest: Scott O. Trerotola, MD, FACR, FSIR Is there a way to predict complex removal of inferior vena cava filters, and if so, what is the success rate? Dr. Scott Trerotola adresses these and other questions in details. Dr. Trerotola is Stanley Baum Professor at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Chief of Vascular and Interventional Radiology and Vice Chair for Quality of the Department of Radiology at the University Of Pennsylvania Medical Center.

Host: Jennifer Caudle, DO Guest: Gary M. Freedman, MD Proton therapy is currently used to treat brain, spinal and prostate cancers, as well as many other tumors. Another potentially significant application is the treatment of breast cancer. Dr. Gary Freedman, Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, discusses advances in proton therapy in breast cancer in association with a national study currently underway at Penn Medicine. Click here for more information about the active trials on proton for breast cancer, or you can visit clinicaltrials.gov for enrollment information.

Host: Jennifer Caudle, DO Guest: Pavan Atluri, MD What are the latest advances in minimally invasive & robotic operations? And, which patients are candidates for robotic procedures? Host Dr. Jennifer Caudle welcomes Dr. Pavan Atluri, Assistant Professor of Surgery; Director of the Cardiac Transplantation and Mechanical Circulatory Assist Program; and, Director of the Minimally Invasive and Robotic Cardiac Surgery Program in the Division of Cardiovascular Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Atluri will discuss the latest advancements at Penn Medicine where he and his colleagues have been working for several years to perfect the robotic, minimally invasive, mitral valve repair procedure. And, don't forget to view some of the additional content below.

Host: Frank Russomano There are far too many diseases that do not have proven means of prevention or effective treatments. As such, health care providers must gain better insights into the biology of these diseases to make a difference for the millions of patients who suffer from them. Precision medicine is an emerging approach for treatment and prevention that accounts for individual variability in genes, environment, and lifestyle. Host Frank Russomano welcomes Brian Wells, Associate Vice President of Health Technology and Academic Computing at Penn Medicine, to discuss how Penn Medicine contributes to the precision medicine initiative, from technological developments to supportive infrastructures.

Host: Lee Freedman, MD When a patient's facial structures are severely impacted by trauma or disease, the physical and psychological tolls are devastating. What are some of the latest advances in facial reconstruction? Joining Dr. Lee Freedman are Dr. Steven Cannady, Assistant Professor of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery, and Dr. Oren Friedman, Director of Facial Plastic Surgery and Associate Professor of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery, both at Penn Medicine.

Host: Lee Freedman, MD Given the multitude of concerns a male patient with cancer must deal with, sexual dysfunction and infertility are two such concerns that often gets bypassed by clinicians addressing more "priority" issues. What kinds of challenges do these patients deal with, and how can physicians better assess and manage them? Joining Dr. Freedman to discuss sexual health and fertility in male cancer survivors is Dr. Puneet Masson, Director of the Male Infertility Program and Assistant Professor of Urology at Penn Medicine.

Host: Lee Freedman, MD Osteosarcoma is a relatively rare but feared disease. What exactly is an osteosarcoma and how should it be worked up and treated? Host Dr. Lee Freedman discusses this diagnosis with Dr. Kristy Weber, Abramson Family Professor in Sarcoma Care Excellence and Professor, Vice-Chair of Faculty Affairs, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery; Director of the Sarcoma Program, Abramson Cancer Center; Chief, Orthopaedic Oncology.

Host: Lee Freedman, MD Oropharyngeal cancer is part of a growing proportion of head and neck malignancies. This has also been associated with the increase in infection of the oropharynx by oncogenic strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV). And, transoral robotic surgery, or TORS, has allowed for minimally invasive surgery for HPV-related and non-HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer. To discuss this topic and much more, host Dr. Lee Freedman welcomes Dr. Gregory Weinstein, Professor and Vice Chair and the Director of the Division of Head and Neck Surgery. He is also the Co-Director of The Center for Head and Neck Cancer in The Department of Otorhinolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

Host: Lee Freedman, MD Cerebrovascular Neurosurgery is the highly specialized care for all aspects of cerebrovascular disease. What are the most common diseases treated by a cerebrovascular neurosurgeon? What are the latest treatment options and advances in this field? Host Dr. Lee Freedman welcomes Dr. Michelle Smith, Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, to discuss these questions and much more.

Host: Lee Freedman, MD Patients with ulcerative colitis often need to take multiple medications to achieve and sustain remission. But there is a pionering surgical approach, the laparoscopic J-pouch procedure, that can not only cure patients from this disease, but also eliminate risk of future colorectal cancer. Dr. Najia Mahmoud, Chief of the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery and Associate Professor of Surgery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, joins Dr. Lee Freedman to discuss the risks and benefits of this procedure for patients with ulcerative colitis.

Host: Lee Freedman, MD Host Dr. Lee Freedman is joined by Francis Marchlinski, MD, Director of Electrophysiology at the University of Pennsylvania Health System; and, the Director of Electrophysiology Laboratory, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. In this segment, Dr. Marchlinski discusses premature ventricular contractions (PVCs), when to consider catheter ablation, the use of catheter ablation as primary therapy before medication and epicardial ablation.

Host: Lee Freedman, MD Heated/Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) is one of the most innovative treatments available today for complex abdominal cancers. What is it? Who is a candidate? And, what are the expected outcomes for our patients? Host Dr. Lee Freedman welcomes Dr. Giorgos Karakousis, Assistant Professor of Surgery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania to discuss HIPEC.

Host: Lee Freedman, MD How does surgery and stenting for carotid lesions help prevent stroke? What are the latest approaches, clinical trials, and philosophy for dialysis access for patients? Host Dr. Lee Freedman welcomes Dr. Benjamin Jackson to answer these questions and the latest innovations in vascular surgery at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital. Dr. Jackson is an Assistant Professor of Surgery in Radiology at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital.

Host: Lee Freedman, MD Joining host Dr. Lee Freedman is William C. Welch, MD, FACS, FICS, Professor of Neurosurgery and Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, and Vice Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at Pennsylvania Hospitall. Dr. Welch will discuss the surgical treatment options for both lumbar spinal stenosis and cervical stenosis. He will also explore the causes and treatment options for lower back pain.

Host: Lee Freedman, MD Hip pain can be a major roadblock to an active lifestyle, and even effect activies of daily living. This is sometimes even more profound when seen in younger patients. How can we preserve hip function in younger patients, for whom replacement is not an option? In this segment, Dr. Lee Freedman speaks to Dr. Atul Kamath, Director, Center for Hip Preservation and Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

Host: Lee Freedman, MD According to the American Cancer Society, about 10,000 pituitary tumors are diagnosed each year in the United States. What is the state of the art approach to the diagnosis and treatment of these tumors? Dr. Lee Freedman talks to Dr. Sean Grady, Chairman, Department of Neurosurgery Charles Harrison Frazier Professor of Neurosurgery Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Host: Lee Freedman, MD Presentation of lumps and bumps are common in the primary care setting, but the appropriate approach is vital to determine whether there may be a deeper problem. A better understanding can lead to more effective treatment. Expert guest Dr. Kristy Weber discusses musculoskeletal tumors during her discussion with host Dr. Lee Freedman. Dr. Weber is the Abramson Family Professor in Sarcoma Care Excellence as well as Professor, Vice-Chair of Faculty Affairs, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery; and Director of the Sarcoma Program, Abramson Cancer Center; and Chief, Orthopaedic Oncology.

Host: Lee Freedman, MD What are the new advances in Head and Neck Cancer? What are the new trials in sparing patients' voice box? To answer these questions and more, host Dr. Lee Freedman is joined by radiation-oncologist Alexander Lin, MD, Assistant Chief, Head and Neck Service, University of Pennsylvania Department of Radiation Oncology and Director of Clinical Proton Operations, University of Pennsylvania, Department of Radiation Oncology at the Roberts Proton Therapy Center at the University of Pennsylvania.

Host: Lee Freedman, MD The Philadelphia Chromosome provided the first evidence that genetic abnormalities were linked to cancer. This discovery at Penn Medicine more than 50 years ago ushered in the modern period of cytogenetics. Now, the Center for Personalized Diagnostics (CPD) builds on this legacy and is set to pave the way for a new era of genomic and therapeutic pathology. The Center is a joint initiative with the Abramson Cancer Center and integrates molecular genetics, pathology informatics and genomic pathology to empower physicians and patients to truly customize their treatment options accordingly. Host Dr. Lee Freedman welcomes Dr. David Roth, Chair of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Simon Flexner Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Penn Medicine to discuss the unique Center and offerings for patients.

Host: Lee Freedman, MD Guest: Jean Bennett, MD, PhD Host Dr. Lee Freedman and Dr. Jean Bennett, the FM Kirby Professor of Epistemology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, explore how the study of molecular genetics of inherited retinal degenerations can help develop treatments for congenital eye disorders, as well as adult-onset diseases and possibly disorders that affect the body outside the eye.