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Most Interesting Cases - May 31, 2023


On Wednesday, May 31, 2023, the SWPA Chapter of the American College of Surgeons hosted its annual Most Interesting Case Presentations. Members of the ACS-SWPA and their guests, and students and residents from local programs met again at Monterey Bay Fish Grotto for networking, dinner, and a fun competition.

(In photo left to right: Richard Fortunato, DO, FACS, Chapter President, Michael Paolini, MD, 1st Place Winner, Sarah Burki, MD, 2nd Place, Sowmya Narayanan, MD, PhD 3rd Place, and Ari Reichstein, MD, FACS, Program Chair )


This annual program hosts interesting case presentations by surgical residents from area training programs. Twelve cases were submitted and the top five were selected for discussion at the event.Resident presenters included: Michael Paolini, MD, Department of General Surgery, UPMC Mercy Hospital presented “Cholecysto-colonic fistula causing gallstone ileus”. Brett Szeligo, MD, Division of Colorectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Allegheny Health Network presented “An Unusual Case of Complicated Diverticulitis with Mediastinal Air”. Shinichiro Yokota, MD, PhD, Department of General Surgery, Allegheny General Hospital presented “Eosinophilic gastritis in adults complicated by gastric ulcer perforation”. Sarah Burki, MD, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Allegheny General Hospital presented “Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy After Liver Transplant” and Sowmya Narayanan, MD, PhD, Department of General Surgery, UPMC Presbyterian presented “The tall tales of a tailgut cyst”.

Richard Fortunato, DO, FACS, Chapter President and Ari Reichstein, MD, FACS, Program Chair served as moderators and judges for the evening’s event. Michael Paolini, MD received 1st place for his most interesting case; followed 2nd place awarded to Sarah Burki, MD and 3rd place awarded to Sowmya Narayanan, MD, PhD.  Congratulations to Dr. Paolini and to all presenters.

The ACS-SWPA Chapter looks forward to hosting its Surgical Jeopardy for the second year in the fall. Members will be notified in late summer with details. Members are asked to contact Eileen Taylor, chapter administrator by email to etaylor@acms.org for questions regarding their member status. Physicians interested in joining the society may also contact Ms. Taylor or visit the ACS-SWPA website at https://acs-swpa.org/.


Debates & Dilemmas - March 29, 2023

On Wednesday, March 29, the Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter of the American College of Surgeons (ACS-SWPA) gathered once again at Monterey Bay Fish Grotto. The event, Debates and Dilemmas, attracted over 45 medical students, residents, ACS-SWPA members and their guests to network, socialize, and compete in a debate style competition where regional faculty and residents discussed current surgical dilemmas.

(In photo left to right: 

James Gallagher, MD, Zachary Spigel, MD, Benjamin Kautza, MD, Alessandro Paniccia, MD, Richard Fortunato, DO, ACS-SWPA President, Michael Paolini, MD, and Casey Allen, MD)


Debates and Dilemmas welcomed medical students and residents from Allegheny Health Network, Drexel University, UPMC Mercy, and UPMC Presbyterian. After cocktails and dinner, the debate started off with Michael Paolini, MD, UPMC Mercy (PRO) and Zachary Spigel, MD, AHN (CON) debating on whether residents should unionize. Following the first debate was Casey Allen, MD, AHN, (PRO) and Alessandro Paniccia, MD, UPMC Presbyterian (CON) comparing the pros and cons of neoadjuvant therapy for resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The debates ended with Benjamin Kautza, MD, AHN (PRO) and James Gallagher, MD, AHN (CON) arguing for and against REBOA for Trauma. All three debates had time for rebuttal and audience Q&A.

Ari Reichstein, MD of Allegheny Health Network, and Program Committee Chair of the ACS-SWPA chapter, was a flawless host and kept the debaters in check. Registrants were able to vote on each discussion topic as well as an overall winner. All debate participants walked away with Amazon gift cards and the Grand Prize winner of the coveted Debates and Dilemmas event was Alessandro Paniccia, MD, of UPMC Presbyterian.

Thank you to our sponsor, Guardant Health, who sponsored the dinner portion of the evening.

Surgical Jeopardy Competition & Dinner - November 9, 2022

On Wednesday, November 9, the SWPA Chapter of the American College of Surgeons hosted a Resident Surgical Jeopardy as an in-person meeting. Monterey Bay Fish Grotto, with its stellar views of Pittsburgh, was the perfect setting for members of the ACS-SWPA and their guests to network, socialize, and compete in a hilariously fun game show and knowledge-based competition.

The Surgical Jeopardy welcomed medical students and residents from Allegheny Health Network, Conemaugh Health System, Drexel University, UPMC Mercy, and UPMC Presbyterian. After cocktails and dinner, the event provided surgical residents the opportunity to compete in a game show to vie for the top prize of $500 in cash. Ari Reichstein, MD of Allegheny Health Network, and Program Committee Chair of the ACS-SWPA chapter, was the perfect game show host. UPMC Mercy: Renee Davis, DO, Hannah Medeck, MD, David Orozco, MD and Peter Zak, MD, ended the evening as the winners of Jeopardy and the $500 grand prize.

SWPA Chapter Members, Marc Brozovich, MD, Hiram Gonzalez-Ortiz, MD, and Harry Null, MD served as moderators and judges for the evening’s event.


Jeopardy Winners, UPMC Mercy: Renee Davis, DO, Hannah Medeck, MD, David Orozco, MD and Peter Zak, MD

Winning Team from UPMC Mercy with Richard Fortunato, DO, FACS, Chapter President, Ari Reichstein, MD, Chapter Program Committee Chair, Hiram Gonzalez-Ortiz, MD, Chapter Member and Harry Null, MD, Chapter Member.


Most Interesting Case Presentations - May 31, 2022

On Tuesday, May 31, the SWPA Chapter of the American College of Surgeons hosted the Most Interesting Case Presentations as ain-person meeting. The Monterey Bay Fish Grotto, with its stellar views of Pittsburgh, was the perfect setting for members of the ACS-SWPA and their guests to reconnect and socialize.


The annual program hosts interesting case presentations by surgical residents from area training programs.  Eight cases were submitted and the top five were selected for discussion at the event.


Resident presenters included:  Cody Woodhouse, MD, Allegheny Health Network, Neurosciences Institute, Department of Neurosurgery.  Nathan Esplin, MD, Allegheny Heath Network, Department of Neurosurgery presented the following on behalf of Dr. Woodhouse “Case of Expectorated Screw Following Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion”;  Jonathan Nakata, MD, UPMC Mercy, Department of General Surgery presented, “Cardiac Tamponade From Embolization of a Fractured Inferior Vena Cava Filter”;  Kimberly Howell, DO, Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center, Department of General Surgery, presented “Portal Mesenteric Thrombosis Following Routine Laparoscopic Surgery”;  Renee Davis, DO, UPMC Mercy, Department of General Surgery, presented “Congenital Peritoneal Encapsulation, Volvulus, SMV Thrombosis, and HIT”; and  Zachary Spigel, MD, MPH, Allegheny Heath Network, Department of General Surgery. Dr. Spigel’s presentation “Primary Biliopancreatic Limb Gallstone Causing Gallstone Ileus After Roux-en-Y Gastric ByPass” was presented by co-author  Johan Van Wyk, DO.

H. Kenneth Williams, MD, FACS, Chapter President and Richard Fortunato, DO, FACS, Program Chair served as moderators and judges for the evening’s event.  Renee Davis, DO received 1st place for her most interesting case;  2nd place was awarded to Cody Woodhouse, MD and 3rd place was  awarded to Jonathan Nakata, MD.  Congratulations to Dr. Davis and to all presenters.


Richard Fortunato, DO, FACS, Program Chair (left) and  H. Kenneth Williams, MD, FACS. Chapter President (far right) with resident presenters Nathan Esplin, MD; Jonathan Nakata, MD;

Kimberly Howell, DO; Renee Davis, DO; and Johan Van Wyk, DO


Award recipients (l. to r.) Jonathan Nakata, MD (3rd place); Nathan Esplin, MD (presenting on behalf of Cody Woodhouse, MD - 2nd place) and Renee Davis, DO (1st place).


American College Of Surgeons - Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter

850 Ridge Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15212

Chapter Administrator: Eileen Taylor | etaylor@acms.org

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