Surgeries

March 18, 2026

Vanderbilt Health uses novel robotic device to place central lines in FDA trial  

A Chattanooga patient says she’s feeling great after becoming the first to receive the robotic‑assisted central line in Nashville.

By Matt Batcheldor
March 5, 2026

Multidisciplinary clinic improves care for cleft lip/palate patients

A patient care coordinator now works to ensure that families receive a comprehensive care plan rather than needing to coordinate multiple disparate parts of their child’s treatment on their own.

By Evan Dorian
January 7, 2026

Emergency General Surgery recognized with ACS verification

Emergency general surgery account for more than 4 million hospital admissions annually, with patients experiencing three times the mortality rate when compared with elective surgical patients.

By Craig Boerner
The device, which is surgically implanted but does not contain an internal battery, allows patients to control it externally without having to undergo subsequent procedures to replace a power source.
December 12, 2025

Vanderbilt Health now offering patients a new treatment for sleep apnea

The bilateral hypoglossal nerve stimulation device is available to qualified patients who have not been able to benefit from CPAP.

By Evan Dorian
An initiative at VUMC is helping patients recover more quickly from major surgery, leave the hospital earlier and have fewer side effects from their pain management. (photo by Joe Howell)
December 2, 2025

Ketamine fails surgical recovery trial

In a large, placebo-controlled, randomized trial, the pain reliever ketamine posed side effects while failing to aid patient recovery after major surgery.

By Paul Govern
(iStock image)
November 4, 2025

VUMC performs minimally invasive transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement for recent heart transplant recipient

The team used an artificial tricuspid valve, EVOQUE, which received Food and Drug Administration approval in February.

By Jill Clendening
October 27, 2025

Macon County father’s voice restored following oral cancer surgery

After surgical removal of a rare tumor left a sizable hole inside Nick Schrock’s mouth, he could only speak in a muffled, lispy whisper. Tyler Ames, a dentist at VUMC, fashioned a prosthetic device to close the hole and allow Schrock to speak more clearly.
By Jill Clendening
October 13, 2025

Mark Kelley retires, having ‘profoundly shaped surgical oncology’ at VUMC

Kelley is lauded by his colleagues and surgical leaders for his contributions both at VUMC and nationally.
By Jill Clendening
October 10, 2025

VUMC performs nation’s first surgery using latest generation of intraoperative PET-CT scan technology 

PET-CT combines the functional information gained through PET with the structural details gained by a CT scan, aiding in early detection of recurrent disease.
By Evan Dorian
September 26, 2025

Medical students lead and learn in the Global Neurosurgery program

They go beyond their own community to represent Vanderbilt University and VUMC in support of research and education efforts abroad.
By Evan Dorian
September 26, 2025

VUMC’s global neurosurgery program provides education, training and impact through collaborations with partners across continents 

The program seeks to both share and learn in its mission to enhance the neurological health of populations in low resourced settings.
By Evan Dorian
September 23, 2025

Orthopaedic Outreach Day ‘resets the soul’ for patients and volunteers

Thirteen patients received free orthopaedic surgeries, including five sports cases, six hand/upper extremity cases and, for the first time, two foot and ankle surgeries.
By Danny Bonvissuto
August 26, 2025

Grant supports development of head-mounted augmented reality system to guide tumor resection 

The technology will allow surgeons to rely less on a fallible mental construction of the resection plane, thereby reducing the risk of human error affecting the procedure. 
By Evan Dorian