Welcome to MD Cast by Tampa General Hospital, a gastroenterology podcast library featuring Tampa General Hospital physicians. This library offers convenient, credit-earning educational opportunities for busy clinicians.
Breaking the Cycle of Recurrence: Optimization in Hernia Care
Join Dr. Monica Polcz as she discusses how to reduce ventral hernia recurrence through patient optimization, multidisciplinary care and advanced surgical techniques.
Monica E. Polcz, MD, MS, is a board-certified general surgeon and Assistant Professor of Surgery at USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, specializing in complex hernia repair and abdominal wall reconstruction. Fellowship-trained in advanced GI and minimally invasive techniques, Dr. Polcz combines surgical precision with a patient-centered approach, emphasizing collaboration, individualized care, and optimal outcomes. A published researcher and active member of leading surgical societies, she is also a contributor to the acclaimed podcast Behind the Knife. Driven by innovation and education, Dr. Polcz is dedicated to advancing the field of abdominal surgery through research, teaching, and compassionate care.
Listen to Previous Episodes
Dr. Christopher DuCoin leads an informative discussion on what surgical options are available to those who have difficulty swallowing.
Dr. Christopher DuCoin, MD, MPH, FACS is a board-certified general surgeon. His surgical areas of expertise include: Robotic Surgery of the Foregut (esophagus and stomach). The foregut surgery which he specializes in is both benign and malignant esophageal diseases requiring esophagectomy, paraesophageal hernias, anti-reflux surgery, and esophageal motility disorders such as achalasia. Dr. DuCoin is one of the highest volume surgeons in the country in this clinical space, and a thought leader with over 100 peer review publications. His endoscopy area of expertise is also that of the foregut nature and includes both diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, such as Peri-Oral Endoscopic Myotomy (POEM). He is a passionate about surgical education, teaching residents, fellows, and medical students. He represents Tampa General Hospital on its academic mission.
Listen in as Dr. Pushpak Taunk discusses all things EUS from new applications, identifying treatable disease processes, efficacy of interventional EUS procedures, and comparing efficacy of current approaches.
Dr. Pushpak Taunk leads TGH’s Interventional GI and Advanced Endoscopy Program where he specializes in pancreaticobiliary diseases, therapeutic endoscopy, interventional EUS and endoscopic imaging. He is fellowship-trained in gastroenterology and advanced endoscopy. Dr. Taunk is also an associate professor and director of the Advanced Endoscopy Fellowship in the Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition at USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. He serves as the Director of Endoscopy in the Morsani Ambulatory Surgery Center Division, and he is a member of the Florida Gastroenterological Society, the American College of Gastroenterology and the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.
Featuring Dr. Joseph Sujka and Dr. Camille Thelin, listen in for discussions on diagnosis modalities of gastroparesis, review education and behavior modification as first-line treatments, and identify both medical and surgical options for treatment.
Dr. Joseph Sujka is a board-certified bariatric and general surgeon with specialized expertise in robotic foregut surgery and clinical research. He was awarded the USF Health Patient Experience Award by Press Ganey and the Faculty Surgical Education Award by USF. Dr. Sujka has been invited to deliver lectures around the world on the topics of gastroparesis, bariatrics, and a range of other neurogastromitility-related topics. He has authored over 30 papers, focused on gut dysmotility and the treatment of foregut GI motility conditions. In addition to his clinical and research endeavors, Dr. Sujka serves as the Surgical Clerkship Director at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, where he plays a key role in medical education and mentorship. He is an active member of several surgical societies, including SAGES, American Hernia Society, Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract, Association for Academic Surgery, American Foregut Society, and American College of Surgeons.
Dr Camille Thélin is a board-certified gastroenterologist and internist specializing in lower GI motility, neurogastroenterology, brain-gut interaction disorders and women's digestive health. Since 2021, she has served as Program Director for the USF GI Fellowship — earning her consecutive nominations as USF Program Director of the Year (2023, 2024) — and directs the USF Women's Digestive Health Program. Recognized among Tampa Bay Top Docs and a multi-year USF Health Patient Experience Award recipient, Dr Thélin is an emerging voice in gastroenterology who delivers invited lectures across disciplines at national, international and institutional forums, including premier conferences such as American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) Regional Symposiums. She also serves as an educational consultant for Enterra® Medical and contributes to local and national initiatives through the ACG Women's GI Committee and the Tampa Bay Chapter of Florida Women in GI.
Join Dr. Francesca Dimou for an expert discussion on recognizing bariatric surgery complications, understanding the risks of surgical tourism and what defines this growing trend.
Francesca Dimou MD, MS, FACS, FASMBS, is a fellowship-trained, board-certified general surgeon offering expert bariatric and gastrointestinal surgery services at USF Health. Dr. Dimou is an Associate Professor of Surgery at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and the Director of the TGH+USF Bariatric center. .Dr. Dimou specializes in primary and revisional bariatric surgery, foregut surgery, and endoscopy services. Dr. Dimou's goal is to help patients reach a healthier lifestyle while also improving their quality of life. She utilizes robotic technology to take on complex bariatric operations that may not be undertaken at other centers. She received her Medical Doctorate degree from USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, then completed her surgical residency with USF Health. She received Advanced MIS training fellowship at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City. Dr. Dimou previously served as faculty at Washington University in St. Louis where she performed the first robotic gastric bypass at that institution and built a robotic bariatrics program including complex robotic revisional bariatric surgery within the university. Dr. Dimou was then recruited back to USF Health in October 2023 to bring her expertise to the University of South Florida + TGH bariatric program and take on her role as director of the center.