The House of Surgery

Operating While Pregnant: Practical Guidance for Surgeons and OR Teams

In this episode of The House of Surgery, Drs. Katrin Arnolds and Ana Pena discuss the realities of operating while pregnant. Drawing from their own experiences as surgeons and mothers, they share practical tips for staying safe and comfortable in the OR, managing prenatal appointments, navigating workplace expectations, and reducing exposure to radiation, anesthesia gases, surgical smoke, chemotherapy agents, and other potential hazards. This conversation offers valuable insight for pregnant surgeons, trainees, and anyone working alongside pregnant members of the surgical team. Talk about the podcast on social media using the hashtag #HouseofSurgery * Katrin Arnolds, MD, is a board-certified minimally invasive gynecologic surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic in Weston, Florida * Ana Pena, MD, FACS, is a board-certified general surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic in Weston, Florida     Copyright © 2026 by the American College of Surgeons (ACS). All rights reserved.   The contents of this podcast may be cited in academic publications but otherwise may not be reproduced, disseminated, or transmitted in any form by any means without the express written permission of ACS. These materials may not be resold nor used to create revenue-generating content by any entity other than the ACS without the express written permission of the ACS. The contents of these materials are strictly prohibited from being uploaded, shared, or incorporated in any third-party applications, platforms, software, or websites without prior written authorization from the ACS. This restriction explicitly includes, but is not limited to, the integration of ACS content into tools leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, large language models, or generative AI technologies and infrastructures.

ACS Releases New Framework of Workplace Standards for Surgeons

To help support sustainable surgical careers, the American College of Surgeons recently released a framework of workplace standards [https://journals.lww.com/journalacs/abstract/9900/developing_specialty_specific_workplace_standards.1659.aspx] that can be customized by surgical discipline. This episode features Douglas E. Wood, MD, FACS, FRCSEd, Vice-Chair of the ACS Board of Regents, and Philip R. Wolinsky, MD, FACS, ACS Regent, discussing the standards, as well as new resources on surgeon unionization [https://facs.org/unionization].   Talk about the podcast on social media using the hashtag #HouseofSurgery * Douglas E. Wood, MD, FACS, FRCSEd, is the Henry N. Harkins Professor and Chair of the Department of Surgery at the University of Washington in Seattle * Philip R. Wolinsky, MD, FACS, is the Division Chief of orthopaedic trauma and a professor of orthopaedics at Dartmouth University in Lebanon, New Hampshire   Copyright © 2026 by the American College of Surgeons (ACS). All rights reserved.   The contents of this podcast may be cited in academic publications but otherwise may not be reproduced, disseminated, or transmitted in any form by any means without the express written permission of ACS. These materials may not be resold nor used to create revenue-generating content by any entity other than the ACS without the express written permission of the ACS. The contents of these materials are strictly prohibited from being uploaded, shared, or incorporated in any third-party applications, platforms, software, or websites without prior written authorization from the ACS. This restriction explicitly includes, but is not limited to, the integration of ACS content into tools leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, large language models, or generative AI technologies and infrastructures.

2025 Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Lecture • Unraveling the Metabolic Syndrome

This episode features one of the fathers of metabolic surgery, Walter J. Pories, MD, FACS, from Greenville, North Carolina. In his lecture delivered at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress in Chicago, Dr. Pories will discuss his research and insights into underlying molecular biology, with particular attention to fat storage, energy production, and lactic acid levels. He also will focus on how research into bariatric surgery has led to data-driven clarifications of the pathophysiology of obesity and related conditions. Talk about the podcast on social media using the hashtag #HouseofSurgery.

2025 Oncology Lecture – Promising Future of Cancer Therapeutics and Care

This episode features Selwyn M. Vickers, MD, FACS, a pancreatic cancer surgeon and president and CEO of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. During the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer Oncology Lecture at Clinical Congress 2025, Dr. Vickers discussed a transformative era in cancer care, where scientific breakthroughs are reshaping cancer therapeutics and redefining the role of surgeons. Talk about the podcast on social media using the hashtag #HouseofSurgery

2025 International Society of Surgery Lecture – Global Quality Improvement for Breast Cancer Patients

This episode features Kerstin Sandelin, MD, PhD, FACS(Hon), FRCS, a breast surgeon from Stockholm, Sweden, who gave the Distinguished Lecture of the International Society of Surgery during the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Clinical Congress in Chicago. In her lecture, Dr. Sandelin addressed the gaps in breast cancer care throughout the world and offered information about how low- and middle-income countries will benefit from global standardization. Talk about the podcast on social media using the hashtag #HouseofSurgery