News

DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) - An infection took a local woman's arms and legs, but a life-changing surgery at Duke gave back her independence. Deb Kelly is the first person in North Carolina to receive a bilateral hand transplant.

The Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research has released its 2018 rankings of NIH funding for basic and clinical science departments, revealing that Duke Surgery ranks highest nationwide with more than $30 million in funding committed to research.

The KLS-Martin Group, a medical technology company that focuses on specialty markets, such as cranio-maxillofacial surgery, has awarded a $20,000 unrestricted educational grant for use toward the Allied Cleft Quality-Improvement and Research Network (ACQUIREnet) project.

In another first for the state and the region, a Duke Health team of over 40 hand surgeons, anesthesiologists, operating room staff, residents, fellows, lab technicians, and other key staff performed a bilateral hand transplant on Thanksgiving Day.

With a buzzing phone and dinging inbox repeatedly begging for her attention, Dr. Georgia Beasley momentarily tunes out the chaos to discuss the journey that led to her current position at Duke. Here, she splits her time between treating melanoma patients in the clinic and researching novel treatments for the disease in the laboratory.

Smartphone technology could predict how well chronic wounds will heal

More than 6.5 million Americans with diabetes are affected by foot ulcers, which are the leading cause of lower extremity amputation. Of those patients who develop a foot ulcer, 6% will be hospitalized and approximately 14–24% will require amputation. Patients with diabetes are at an increased risk of foot ulcers due to several factors, including nerve damage, poor circulation, and trauma.

The Duke Division of Plastic, Maxillofacial, and Oral Surgery recently hosted the 5th Annual Craniomaxillofacial (CMF) Trauma Anatomy Course for residents involved in the management of CMF trauma. Directed by Dr. David Powers, Associate Professor of Surgery, the course provides training in anatomy and treatment protocols, focusing on the principles of soft tissue management and its role in the treatment of CMF trauma and the principles of rigid fixation using conventional surgical hardware.

Photo: Dr. Jeffrey Marcus, Professor and Chief, Division of Plastic, Maxillofacial, and Oral Surgery, and Dr. Brett Phillips, Assistant Professor of Surgery

Colton Southern had plenty to smile about after surgery last year. In fact, it was the first time in the eight-year-old boy’s life that he was able to show how happy he was. Colton’s facial muscles were so weak when he was born that he was unable to show expression. Facial reanimation surgery at Duke Children’s Hospital brought a smile to Colton’s face -- and to the faces of his thankful family.

Read Colton's story on the Duke Health Blog

The Translating Duke Health Children’s Health & Discovery Initiative (CHDI) has awarded Duke surgeons $100,000 over the next two years for a project to improve the care of patients with cleft lip and/or palate in North Carolina.