Congrats to Dr. Samuel Licata on completing his 1,500th robotic-assisted surgery at UPMC Trinity! 🩺 This milestone underscores UPMC Trinity's commitment to bringing advanced, minimally invasive surgical innovation to the local community. Robotic systems offer enhanced precision, smaller incisions & faster recovery times for patients! Read more about this milestone: upmc.com/media/news/101226-u… #MedTech #RoboticSurgery #UPMCTrinity @UPMC

A Historic Milestone for @PittSurgery and @UPMC A major milestone for our team: Drs. Armando Ganoza and Amit Tevar performed the first robotic kidney transplant at UPMC! This achievement reflects the Department of Surgery's continued commitment to surgical innovation and advancing care for our transplant patients. Congratulations to the entire team! We're proud to announce that Drs. Armando Ganoza and Amit Tevar performed the first robotic kidney transplant at UPMC, a landmark achievement for our transplant program and for the field of transplant surgery.Robotic-assisted transplantation represents a significant evolution in how complex transplant procedures can be performed. Compared to traditional open surgery, a robotic approach has the potential to offer patients smaller incisions, reduced blood loss, less postoperative pain, and faster recovery times all while maintaining the precision and safety that transplant surgery demands. This achievement didn't happen in isolation. It reflects years of institutional investment in surgical innovation, a multidisciplinary team's dedication to advancing patient care, and a culture at UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh Department of Surgery that continually pushes the boundaries of what's possible in modern medicine. Congratulations to Drs.Ganoza and Tevar and to the entire surgical, nursing, and transplant teams who made this moment possible. We look forward to what this milestone means for the future of transplant care both for our patients and for the field at large. #PittSurgery #UPMC #TransplantSurgery #RoboticSurgery #KidneyTransplant #SurgicalInnovation #OrganTransplant #UniversityOfPittsburgh #PittMed #DepartmentOfSurgery

Register for a special one-day symposium on one of the fastest-evolving areas in medicine. Featuring Dr. Chandan K. Sen and other leading experts, the summit takes you in depth into: 🔹 Regenerative medicine 🔹 Gene therapy for regeneration 🔹 Exosomes 🔹 Targeted therapies for disorders of aging 🔹 Stem cell therapies for arthritis and fibrotic conditions 🔹 General principles of longevity A world-class scientific faculty with unparalleled expertise will present these topics. Who should attend: clinicians, scientists, medical students, graduate students in engineering and the health sciences, biotech entrepreneurs, allied health professionals, advanced practice providers, and anyone interested in this emerging field. 🔗 Register here: ifats.memberclicks.net/2026s… #IFATS #RegenerativeMedicine #Longevity #StemCells #PittSurgery

🎉 We're heading to the ACS Clinical Congress 2026 in Washington, D.C.! Please join us in celebrating Timothy R. Billiar, MD, FACS, this year's Wangensteen Scientific Forum Award honoree, at his dedication ceremony on Monday, September 28 (8:00–9:30 AM ET, Room 207A). We'd also like you to stop by our presentations and posters throughout the conference — come say hello and learn more about our research and training program! #ACSClinicalCongress2026 #ACS2026 #PittSurgery #SurgicalResearch @UPMC_SurgRes @PittNeurology @UPMC_Vascular @AmCollSurgeons

World-class surgical training starts with leadership that bridges rigorous academics and clinical excellence. In this spotlight, current General Surgery Resident Vrishketan Sethi, MD, shares what makes @PittSurgery a standout training environment: compassionate program leadership under Program Director Dr. Ken Lee, a tailored curriculum designed to support every trainee, and the vibrant life and landmarks of Pittsburgh from the Cathedral of Learning to Carnegie Mellon. Watch Dr. Vrishketan Sethi discuss training, mentorship, and life in the Steel City:surgery.pitt.edu/education/c… #PittSurgery #ResidentSpotlight #VrishketanSethiMD #GeneralSurgery #SurgicalTraining #AcademicSurgery #MedEd #Pittsburgh

🎉 Heading to the @AmCollSurgeons Clinical Congress 2026 in Washington, D.C.! We're proud to share that Timothy R. Billiar, MD, FACS — George Vance Foster Professor and Chair of Surgery at @PittSurgery — is the 2026 honoree of the Wangensteen Scientific Forum Award, one of the most prestigious honors in surgical research, recognizing a surgeon's lifetime achievement in innovation and mentorship. 📅 Mon, Sept 28 | 8:00–9:30 AM ET | Room 207A Join us in celebrating this well-deserved honor — congratulations, Dr. Billiar! 👏 🔗 facs.org/for-medical-profess… #ACSClinicalCongress2026 #ACS2026 #SurgicalResearch #PittSurgery @UPMC_SurgRes @UPMC @HviUpmc @UPMC_Vascular @PittNeurosurg @InstituteStarzl @PittTweet

Pittsburgh is built for surgical training—offering an environment where academic ambition meets genuine community support.General Surgery Resident Danielle Gruen, MD, PhD, shares why Pittsburgh is an exceptional place to train: outstanding quality of life, a collegial culture, and wide-open pathways to pursue clinical and academic interests at the highest national level.Hear Dr. Danielle Gruen discuss what makes training at @PittSurgery unique: surgery.pitt.edu/education/c…  #PittSurgery #ResidentSpotlight #GeneralSurgery #SurgicalTraining #AcademicSurgery #Pittsburgh #MedEd @daniellegruen

Robotic vs. Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: What Our New Multihospital Study Reveals At PittSurgery, we're always asking the same question before every operation: what's actually best for this patient? A new study led by @AmerZureikatMD  analyzing 1,828 patients across 8 hospitals (2020–2021), offers some of the clearest evidence yet on when robotic surgery adds real value in gallbladder removal — and when it doesn't. Key findings: -Robotic cholecystectomy (RC) showed lower rates of adverse outcomes overall (3.3% vs. 8.7% for laparoscopic) and shorter hospital stays. -The advantage was concentrated in high-risk cases (Nassar score ≥7) and patients with elevated BMI — in these groups, laparoscopic surgery carried significantly higher odds of complications or conversion to open surgery.  -For low/intermediate-risk patients with lower BMI, both approaches performed comparably.  -The catch: RC cost roughly $2,200–$2,400 more per case than LC, regardless of risk level.  Dr. Zureikat's team also validated a preoperative risk calculator (AUC ~0.74–0.75) to help surgeons match the right approach to the right patient. Robotic surgery isn't universally "better" — its clinical edge shows up specifically in technically complex or higher-risk cases. For most routine cholecystectomies, laparoscopic surgery remains equally safe and far more cost-effective. Smarter patient selection — not blanket adoption of new technology — may be the real path to better outcomes and resource stewardship. What's your take: should risk-stratified guidelines like this shape hospital purchasing and OR scheduling decisions? JAMA Surgery: Published today Published Online: September 16, 2026. doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2026.4128 #PittSurgery #JAMASurgery #RoboticSurgery#LaparoscopicSurgery #Cholecystectomy#SurgicalInnovation #PatientSafety#ClinicalResearch #EvidenceBasedMedicine#SurgicalOutcomes

A New Chapter in Pitt Surgery Leadership Today marks an important transition for the Department of Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC. After 27 years as Chair, Billiar Timothy, MD, will step down from the role effective September 30. It is difficult to capture the full impact of Dr. Billiar’s leadership in this post. Over nearly three decades, he has helped shape our department through his contributions to patient care, surgical education and research. He has trained generations of surgeons and surgeon-scientists, many of whom have gone on to leadership roles of their own. His scientific contributions, including more than 900 peer-reviewed publications and more than 35 years of continuous NIH funding, have had a lasting influence on the field of trauma and inflammation. We are grateful that Dr. Billiar will continue his work at Pitt in his role as Distinguished Professor of Surgery and at UPMC as Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer. Congratulations to @macky_neal, Watson Chair and Professor of Surgery, on his appointment as interim chair. As a distinguished surgeon-scientist, educator and a busy general and trauma surgeon, Dr. Neal brings excellence in clinical care, translational research, and innovation to this new role. Please join us in thanking Dr. Billiar for his exceptional service and welcoming Dr. Neal as he leads the department through this transition. @TheBilliarLab #PittSurgery #UPMC #SurgicalLeadership #AcademicMedicine #Surgery