Latest Surgery News & Announcements

The Yale Organ Transplantation and Immunology program completed its 750th liver transplant on Dec. 10, 2025. The landmark procedure reflects continued growth in procedural volume and strengthens the program’s trajectory toward designation as a nationally recognized Center of Excellence.

Michael G. Caty, MD, MMM, Robert Pritzker Professor of Surgery; chief of the Division of Pediatric Surgery at Yale School of Medicine (YSM); and surgeon-in-chief of Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital (YNHCH), is retiring from his leadership roles after more than 13 years of dedicated service. Effective Jan. 1, 2026, Robert Cowles, MD, will assume these roles in an interim capacity, and a national search for a permanent successor will launch in the coming weeks.

On Oct. 15, 2025, Benjamin L. Judson, MD, MBA, the Charles W. Ohse Professor of Surgery (Otolaryngology), assumed the role of chair of the Yale School of Medicine (YSM) Department of Surgery; surgeon-in-chief of Yale New Haven Health; and chief of surgery at Yale New Haven Hospital (YNHH). He previously served in these interim roles for six months and was selected for the permanent position after a national search. Judson joined the YSM faculty in 2010 and has since held several leadership positions across the department and health system, most recently as chief of the Division of Otolaryngology, a role he assumed in 2019. In a recent interview, Judson shared insights into his career, perspective, and vision.

The Yale School of Medicine Department of Surgery is pleased to announce the promotion of Claudia Chujoy, MHA, to the position of director of administration, effective immediately.

Six Department of Surgery faculty appointments and promotions were approved by the Board of Permanent Officers on Nov. 19, 2025.

Elspeth Hill, MD, has been appointed director of peripheral nerve and brachial plexus surgery in the Department of Surgery at Yale School of Medicine. Since joining the faculty in 2022, she has built a regional referral base for complex nerve care, establishing the complex nerve multidisciplinary clinic and adult spasticity program. Her clinical work spans pediatric and adult nerve reconstruction, including innovative procedures such as nerve transfers, hyperselective denervation, and Yale’s first nerve transfer for a spinal cord injury patient in 2023.

Ania Shea, educational administrator for the Department of Surgery, has received the 2025 Rosemarie L. Fisher, MD, Graduate Medical Education Excellence Award. Established in 2018, the award honors program directors and coordinators who demonstrate exceptional mentorship and dedication to trainee development. For 18 years, Shea has been central to the department’s education mission, serving as general surgery residency program coordinator before leading the Education Office, which oversees five residency programs, 13 fellowships, and the medical student clerkship. Like Fisher, celebrated for her transformative leadership, Shea’s impact continues to shape the next generation of surgeons and strengthen the culture of excellence across all educational programs.

Raul Guzman, MD, has been appointed vice chair of faculty affairs for the Department of Surgery, following six months of interim service.

Department of Surgery Division Administrator, Alfonsina Fraschilla, MBA, has received the Linda K. Lorimer Award for Distinguished Service.