Vascular &
Endovascular Surgery–

News & Events

  • March 20, 2013- Dr. Jonathan Golledge wrote an editorial comments on the MKEY paper from Dr. Dalman's lab published in ATVB in January 2013.

    For more information, please refer to the ATVB website.

  • March 20, 2013- Dr. Andrew Tambyraja, an awardee of the SVS International Scholarship 2013 and a Consultant Vascular Surgeon at The University of Edinburgh, will visit us on May 28-29, 2013.

  • March 20, 2013- Dr. Clement Darling, Division Chief of Vascular Surgery at Albany Medical Center Hospital, will visit us on Monday, March 25, 2013. He will give a special lecture on "How Albany Vascular LLC Managed To Corner The Market And Stay On Top" from 7-8 am in the Vascular Surgery Conference Room, H3632.

  • March 14, 2013- Dr. Nicholas Leeper chaired a Vascular Medicine session at the ACC (American College of Cardiology) meeting last weekend with some of the leadership from the SVM (Society for Vascular Medicine).

  • March 13, 2013- Congratulations to Dr. Nicholas Leeper who has been named President of the American Heart Association Board of Directors, Silicon Valley.

    Click here for the press release.

    This is also in today's Silicon Valley Business Journal.

  • February 22, 2013- Congratulations to Dr. Wei Zhou who has been selected for the 2014 American College of Surgeons Traveling Fellowship to Australia and New Zealand!

  • February 7, 2013- Drs. Matthew Mell and Nicholas Leeper are featured in the Stanford Your Health videos discussing Vascular Diseases.

    Your Health: Stanford's Matthew Mell, MD, Discusses Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

    Your Health: Vascular Disease with Stanford cardiologist Nicholas Leeper, MD

  • January 22, 2013- The recently published study, “Loss of CDKN2B Promotes p53–Dependent Smooth Muscle Cell Apoptosis and Aneurysm Formation” was selected as the American Heart Association Journals “Editors’ Pick” this month.  This article, co-authored by Division investigators Nick Leeper and Ron Dalman describes the role of a new gene identified through genome-wide association studies, and its role in heritable AAA disease.

  • December 20, 2012- Dr Mohamed A. Zayed, our PGY-4 resident with staff surgeons at McMaster University

    With our integrated “0+5” Vascular Surgery Residency Program, the residents have a unique opportunity to spend a 3-month rotation at McMaster University (Ontario, Canada) during their 4th year of training.

  • October 18, 2012- Thank you to everyone who participated in the 2012 American Heart Association Silicon Valley Heart Walk. This event was sponsored by Stanford University Hospital and organized in part by Nick Leeper of the Stanford Division of Vascular Surgery.  This year’s walk was a huge success which raised $510,000 for vascular disease research. We hope you enjoyed the walk and see you again next year!

  • October 3, 2012- Congratulations to Dr. Wei Zhou on successfully securing NIH funding (R21) involving both the Stanford Lucas Center and Palo Alto VA. The project, entitled "Neuroimaging Correlates of Memory Decline Following Carotid Interventions", aims to measure cerebral perfusion and cognition changes following carotid revasculization procedures.

  • September 20, 2012- Former faculty member Dr. Edmund J. Harris, Sr. dies at age 92 
Dr. Edmund J. Harris, Sr.

Dr. Edmund J. Harris, Sr. was a true pioneer in our specialty; one of the founding members of what is now called the Northern California Vascular Society. For several years in the mid-1990s, Ed returned to Stanford to join our Division and help establish our vein practice. Although Ed had built and enjoyed a strong, broad-based vascular practice in his younger years, in middle age his visual acuity had diminished somewhat and limited his practice to vein surgery. Chris Zarins recruited Ed to return to Stanford to build a venous practice (with E John Jr.), and we all benefited greatly from Ed's nuanced understanding of venous anatomy and pathophysiology. His precise and uncompromising approach laid the foundation for our successful vein practice today. When Ed moved his family to the Bay Area from Indiana, more than fifty years ago, vascular care as we know it today did not exist.
Ed and his peers provided, often through trial and error, the intellectual underpinnings of our modern practice, and we owe them all a great debt of gratitude for their conviction and commitment to their patients. Even more importantly, Ed was a gentleman of the highest order, a consummate physician, loyal friend and capable mentor. His gentle and effective guidance will be sorely missed by all who had the privilege of working with him. On behalf of the Department of Surgery, and the extended Stanford Vascular Family, we extend our sincere condolences to the Harris family on their loss.

Ron Dalman
Chidester Professor and Chief,
Stanford Vascular Surgery

  • September 13, 2012- Dr. Jason Lee is the first US physician to complete the proctoring and approval process for the Cook Zenith Fenestrated Aortic Endograft (ZFEN), which promises to revoluntionize management of complex abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.
  • August 20, 2012- In memory of Dr. Weesam Alkhatib, dedication of the new Weesam Alkhatib Resident Education Center was held on August 20th. Photos are posted here. Dr. Alkhatib passed away on April 14th, after a short but valiant battle against recurrent cancer. Dr. Alkhatib was an outstanding surgeon, scholar, role model, and friend.  His biggest academic contribution was in his commitment to resident education; for the last two years he directed the Vascular Division’s didactic educational program.
  • July 13, 2012- Dr. Lee comments on the Mets pitcher's surgery in repairing his Axillary branch aneurysm on ESPN. video

  • June 7, 2012- Congratulations to Dr. Wei Zhou on her promotion to Professor of Surgery.

  • June 7, 2012- OIiver Aalami, MD recently joined our team and was appointed Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery.  Welcome, Dr. Aalami!

  • June 7, 2012- Photos from the Zarins Festschrift are posted here

  • May 31, 2012- Congratulations to Dr. Mell on the completion of his Master's degree in health services research. His thesis title is "Screening and Surveillance of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms."

  • May 18, 2012- We are very happy to announce that Brant Ullery will be our Vascular Surgery Fellow in July 2013!  Brant is currently a general surgery resident at the University of Pennsylvania.  He received his M.D. in 2008 from Weill Cornell Medical College in New York, and his B.A. degree from Northwestern University in 2004. Congratulations and welcome Brant!

          

  • On May 25th, the Stanford Vascular Family will celebrate the career and accomplishments of our founding Division Chief, Dr. Christopher Zarins. Dr. Zarins retires at the end of May, after a Stanford career spanning 19 years, including 12 as Division Chief (1993-2005). The schedule for the Zarins' Festschrift includes speakers from all phases of Dr. Zarins' career; medical school, training, and his faculty leadership positions at Chicago and Stanford. Included as well will be an overview of Dr. Zarins' recent business ventures in medical entrepreneurship. All interested individuals are invited to join us.

    Please click on the following link for more information about the program: Zarins Festschrift

    Drs. Zarins and Gewertz, at the University of Chicago, 1985
  • May 18, 2012- Congratulations to Stanford medical student, Keith Glover, who was awarded MedScholars funding for the proposal, “Monocyte/macrophage suppression effect on the progression and regression of abdominal aortic aneurysms in the CD11b- diphtheria toxin receptor transgene-expressing apolipoprotein E-deficient mouse model.” Keith will work on this project in the lab of Dr. Ronald Dalman.
  • May 17, 2012- Congratulations to Dr. Zhou on recieving a VA Merit Award. The award will provide additonal support to her NIH-funded research program on evaluating the outcome of vascular interventions for patients with atherosclerosis.
  • May 17, 2012- Congratulations to Sharla White on her appointment to the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute's NHLBI-funded training program: Mechanisms & Innovation in Vascular Disease. Sharla is a post-doc in Dr. Zhou’s lab at the VA Medical Center.
  • April 13, 2012-We are pleased to announce that Benjamin Colvard recently matched into our integrated vascular surgery residency program! Ben received his Bachelors of Arts degree from The University of Texas at Austin in 2008. He is currently a medical student at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, and will receive his medical degree on May 22, 2012. Ben will begin his vascular surgery residency at Stanford on June 20, 2012. Congratulations Ben!

    • Weesam Alkhatib, MD
    1978-2012
  • Weesam Alkhatib, MD died at his parents’ home in Woodland, CA, Saturday April 14th, after a short but valiant battle against recurrent cancer. He was 34 years old. At the time of his death, Dr. Alkhatib served as a faculty vascular surgeon at both Stanford Hospital and Clinics and the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, and held a Clinical Instructor of Surgery appointment in the Stanford School of Medicine. Dr. Alkhatib received his vascular training at Stanford (2008 – 2010), and prior to that, his general surgery training at the University of Kansas/Kansas City (2003 – 2008). Weesam attended Kansas State University from 1999-2003, graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree Chemical Engineering. While at Kansas State, he won honors and recognition for his performance as a varsity athlete in tennis.

Dr. Alkhatib was an outstanding surgeon, scholar, role model, and friend. In his short but meaningful career, his passion, skill and commitment to his patients were an inspiration to all who knew him. As a fellow, he was relentless in his pursuit of clinical and intellectual excellence. As a faculty member, his personal standard of conduct, at all times and under the most trying conditions, was an inspiration to his students, trainees, and colleagues. His biggest academic contribution was in his commitment to resident education; for the last two years he directed the Vascular Division didactic educational program, and at the time of his death he was completing a new handbook for board certification review. In his honor, his manuscript is being finalized by his trainees and will be submitted to the publisher later this year.

Dr. Alkhatib was an integral member of the Stanford Vascular Family, and his contributions, wise counsel, and sense of humor will be sorely missed. Our hearts go out to his many friends and family members around the world. Funeral services for Dr. Alkhatib will be held at the Wiscombe Funeral Home, 116 D Street, Davis, California at 11:00 AM, Saturday, April 21st.

In memory of Dr. Weesam Alkhatib, dedication of the new Weesam Alkhatib Resident Education Center was held on August 20th. Photos are posted here.           

        

  • April 2, 2012- Congratulations to Dr. Lee on his promotion to Associate Professor of Surgery.
  • February 24, 2012- Dr. Leeper recently passed the 2012 American Board of Vascular Medicine (ABVM) examination and is now a board certified diplomat in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease, and Vascular Medicine.
  • January 17, 2012-Vascular Surgery Opportunity

The Vascular Section in Surgical Service at VA Palo Alto Health Care System and the Division of Vascular Surgery in the Department of Surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine are seeking a full time Vascular Surgeon.

  • January 13, 2012- Dr. Lee was recognized by Stanford medical students for his contributions to their education during the 2010-2011 academic year. Dr. Lee received the Teaching Excellence pin on behalf of the School of Medicine as a token of their appreciation for his efforts with the medical students. Congratulations, Dr. Lee!
  • November 29, 2011- Dr. Nick Leeper was a recipient of the 2011 Gilead Sciences Research Scholars Program in Cardiovascular Disease Grant, for his ongoing research into the genetics of vascular disease.  This independent two year research award was given at this year's American Heart Association meeting.  Pictured below is Dr. Leeper (middle) receiving the grant from the Committee Chair, Dr. Peter Libby (right) and a Gilead executive.

      

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