SPOTLIGHT GALLERY

Muslim women are among the most overlooked category of physicians in history. Be it textbook or technique, they are often left out when they have served as pillars holding up the clinical lifeline. Among these inspirational figures is Rufaydah Al-Aslamia. Born in approximately 620 AD, Rufaydah was among the first people in Medina (Modern-day Saudi Arabia) to accept Islam. She was born into the Bani Aslam tribe of the Khazraj tribal confederation in Medina.  Rufaydah was among

Fluorescent dye imaging is an important advancement in safety improvement during gallbladder surgery, especially laparoscopic cholecystectomy. One of the most serious complications of this procedure is bile duct injury, which can cause serious morbidity, prolonged hospitalization, and long-term complications like strictures or liver dysfunction. Traditional identification of biliary anatomy relies on visual inspection and the “critical view of safety” technique. However, infl

The use of decellularized scaffolds has emerged as a promising strategy in cardiac tissue repair, particularly following myocardial infarction (MI), where non-reversible cardiomyocyte loss leads to scar formation and heart failure. Due to the limited regenerative capacity of adult cardiac muscle, current treatments aim to manage symptoms rather than fully restore functional heart tissue. Decellularized extracellular matrix (ECM) scaffolds are a novel regenerative approach tha

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, debilitating inflammatory skin disease that causes painful nodules, abscesses, and tunneling sinus tracts in areas rich is apocrine glands, such as armpits, groin, buttocks, and inner thighs. It disproportionately affects young adults and is significantly more common in women than men. The disease stems from follicular occlusion followed by rupture and secondary inflammation, though its precise cause is not fully understood. Because

Awake spinal surgery is a growing technique in which patients remain conscious during spine procedures, relying on regional or local anesthesia instead of general anesthesia. “Over the past two decades, spinal surgeons have pushed for these techniques because they may provide reduced financial burdens on patients, faster recovery times, and better outcomes” (NIH, no author). Common procedures performed this way include laminectomies, discectomies, anterior cervical discectomy

Surgical resection remains one of the most effective treatments for solid tumors. The central challenge of surgery is achieving maximal tumor removal while preserving healthy tissue and critical structures. Even with advanced imaging and magnification, tumor margins are not always visually distinct. Cancer cells often infiltrate surrounding tissue in subtle ways, making it difficult to determine exactly where to stop resection. Real-time intraoperative metabolomics offers a t

Minimally invasive surgery has transformed modern medicine by reducing incision size, shortening hospital stays, and accelerating recovery. Yet many of these procedures rely on energy-based tools that generate heat, including electrosurgery, laser interstitial thermal therapy, radiofrequency ablation, and microwave ablation. While thermal energy allows surgeons to cut, coagulate, or destroy diseased tissue with precision, excessive or poorly controlled heat can unintentionall

Beginning at around 35–37°C, Normothermic Machine Perfusion keeps kidneys and livers functioning during transplant preparation. Instead of slowing things down with ice, this method uses warm, oxygen-rich fluid - either blood or a substitute - to mimic natural conditions. While stored on the machine, the organ continues working much like it would inside a person. Because cells stay active, damage from lack of oxygen drops sharply. Function can be checked live, just before surg

A cornea is the clear, dome-shaped covering at the front of each of your eyes. The cornea helps keep debris, germs, and other particles out. It also plays a critical role in filtering UV rays. The cornea has 6 layers (Epithelium, Bowman’s layer, Stroma, Pre-Descemet’s layer, Descemet’s layer, and the Endothelium. Each layer has a specific job, but the cornea’s true strength comes from how the layers work together. Damage to the cornea can lead to significant blurred vision, e

Metallic implants are defined as medical devices made from metallic biomaterials used in orthopedic surgery for applications such as joint replacement and bone fracture fixation. While metallic implants can also be used for orthopedics, they can also be used for dental procedures as well. On the other hand, ceramic implants are dental implants made out of ceramic material that are shaped like a small screw. They are inserted into the jawbone of the tooth gap and are used to r

Revolutionizing burn care, 3D bioprinting technology is changing the game in burn wound reconstruction, changing the life of millions of patients to come.  Burns are a significant cause of trauma, and over the years, the focus of patient care has shifted from simple survival to improving functional and superficial outcomes. More traditionally, closure is largely brought to burn wounds through the forms of conventional skin substitutes or skin grafts. Skin substitutes include

Laparoscopic gastrectomy for cancer is a minimally invasive, oncologically safe, and effective procedure, particularly for early-stage gastric cancer. Robotic gastrectomies are a minimally invasive, robot-assisted procedure used to remove part or all of the stomach, a procedure that has recently emerged in the medical world and is rivaling laparoscopic gastrectomy in efficiency and safety as a treatment for cancer. How do the two procedures work? In short, a laparoscopic gast

The Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a clear, colorless fluid which surrounds the brain and spinal cord. It is produced by the choroid plexus in the ventricles of the brain. A CSF leak occurs when this fluid escapes through a defect in the dura mater, the tough outer membrane surrounding the brain and spinal cord. After skull base surgery, leaks can happen if the surgical site involves the skull base bones or dura mater. CSF leak increases the risk of infections such as meningiti

Gamma Knife Radiosurgery is a noninvasive type of radiotherapy treatment, alternatively called stereotactic radiosurgery. Although, it doesn’t actually use a knife, nor does it require incisions. So, how does it work? It uses very focused, energetic beams of gamma rays to stabilize, shrink, or destroy lesions or tumors.  What kinds of cases are treated with Gamma Knife Radiosurgery? The most common cases include tumors (both malignant and benign) and lesions in the brain, tri

Endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) is a minimally invasive procedure that is designed to treat abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs), which are a type of aneurysm found on the body. There are different types of aortic aneurysms that are classified based on where along the aorta the weakness occurs. Abdominal aortic aneurysms are the most common type of aneurysm. They form bulges found in the largest artery in the human body. These bulges are very dangerous as they can rupture at

Surgery involving the retina has entered a new phase thanks to robotic assistance, especially when dealing with intricate conditions at the back of the eye. Measured in tiny fractions of a millimeter, retinal layers require movements so exact that even slight hand shaking becomes a problem. Since natural hand vibrations often reach about 100 micrometers, they interfere with tasks needing less than 10-micrometer precision. Machines built for these operations reduce human physi

During surgical procedures that use energy-powered devices such as electrocautery or lasers, a byproduct known as surgical smoke or plume is generated. While often overlooked, surgical smoke can be a significant occupational hazard for healthcare workers due to its composition of toxic gases, cellular material, and potentially infectious particles. As awareness grows, surgical smoke evacuation technologies have become essential tools for advancing safety procedures in operati

In the growing scope of technology, medical biodegradable electronics are becoming an established solution for post-surgical monitoring and wound healing. They eliminate the need for device extraction, while providing consistent, continuous data during patient recovery. Traditional sensors that are implanted need secondary surgeries for extraction, increasing the risk of infection and patient safety. Biodegradable electronic devices, fabricated from biocompatible materials th

Aquablation is a one of a kind, real time, minimally invasive, and robot assisted surgical procedure used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), also more commonly known as an enlarged prostate.  First introduced to the urologic community in 2013 and cleared by the Food and Drug Administration in 2017, Aquablation is a transformative resective therapy that brings relief to men suffering from lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). This surgical procedure was developed by P

Sentinel lymph node biopsy is a surgical procedure used to determine if cancer has spread beyond the primary tumor. During the procedure, healthcare providers inject a radioactive tracer or blue dye near the tumor, which travels to the sentinel nodes, the first lymph nodes where cancer would spread. According to Cleveland clinic “the results help providers determine the most appropriate treatment” (No author). This technique is most commonly used for breast cancer and melanom