The Hernia Gods Podcast
A podcast dedicated to the discussion of hernia surgery and hernia surgeons. The name "The Hernia Gods Podcast" refers to the abstract hernia gods that surgeons hope are on their side during complex cases. The views expressed belong solely to the hosts and guests and do not represent the official policy of Orlando Health or any employers.
Episodes
The Hernia Gods Podcast - E32 - Salvatore Docimo, Jr., DO, MBA, FACS, FASMBS
Send us Fan MailOn this episode of the Hernia Gods Podcast, Dr. Luke Elms sits down with Dr. Salvatore Docimo to explore what drives a surgeon to take on the cases others won’t.From complex abdominal wall reconstruction and the rise of robotics to the mindset, work ethic, and experiences that shaped his career, this is a candid conversation about pushing boundaries and tackling the toughest hernia
The Hernia Gods Podcast - E31 - Andrea Pakula, MD, MPH, FACS
Send us Fan MailOn this episode of the Hernia Gods Podcast, we’re joined by Dr. Andrea Pakula, a surgeon specializing in robotic surgery, complex hernia repair, and abdominal wall reconstruction. Dr. Pakula shares her journey from trauma and acute care surgery to developing her expertise in hernia surgery and minimally invasive techniques. We discuss the robotic learning curve, pushing the boundar
The Hernia Gods Podcast - E30 - Philip George, MD
Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the Hernia Gods Podcast, Dr. Luke Elms sits down with Dr. Philip George, Assistant Professor of Surgery at Columbia University Medical Center, to talk about his unconventional journey into medicine, surgery, and ultimately the world of hernia.From discovering surgery through mentors like Dr. Brian Jacob and Dr. Igor Belyansky, to navigating fellowship during the
The Hernia Gods Podcast E29 - Luke Elms, MD
Send us Fan MailIn this special episode of the Hernia Gods Podcast, Dr. Luke Elms, takes listeners behind the scenes to share the story of how the podcast began and the purpose behind it. Luke talks about his own experiences with imposter syndrome, the inspiration he found at the American Hernia Society conference, and why he believes even the most respected surgeons are ultimately “mere mortals”
The Hernia Gods Podcast E28 - Sean Orenstein, MD
Send us Fan MailOn this episode of the Hernia Gods Podcast, Dr. Luke Elms sits down with Sean Ornstein, MD to discuss his journey into hernia and abdominal wall surgery. Sean shares how his early love of fixing things led him to surgery, his research years studying mesh and hernia repair, and his training alongside leaders in the field at Case Western. They also dive into the evolution of hernia s
The Hernia Gods Podcast E27 - Agustin Alvarez, MD
Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the Hernia Gods Podcast, Dr. Luke Elms sits down with Agustin Alvarez, MD, from Chile, to discuss his unique journey in surgery, overcoming career challenges, and the importance of persistence. They dive into balancing family and career, global collaboration, patient relationships, and the future of AI in medicine—while emphasizing the importance of keeping the h
The Hernia Gods Podcast E26 - Prof. Ramana Balasubramaniam
Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the Hernia Gods Podcast, Dr. Luke Elms sits down with renowned abdominal wall surgeon Prof. Ramana Balasubramaniam to discuss innovation, authenticity, and the lessons learned from a career at the forefront of minimally invasive surgery. From pioneering techniques in India to building a new practice in Australia, Dr. Ram shares candid insights on embracing failur
The Hernia Gods Podcast E25 - Alfredo Carbonell, II, D.O, FACS, FACOS
Send us Fan MailIn Episode 25 of The Hernia Gods Podcast, Dr. Luke Elms sits down with Dr. Alfredo Carbonell II, a nationally recognized leader in abdominal wall reconstruction and complex hernia surgery. The conversation goes beyond the operating room, exploring the experiences, mentors, and mindset that have shaped Dr. Carbonell’s career.Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed on
The Hernia Gods Podcast E24 - Igor Belyansky, MD
Send us Fan MailEpisode 24 of The Hernia Gods Podcast with guest Igor Belyansky, MD features a conversation about his experience of immigrating to the US, mentorship in fellowship, balancing family and career, and the future of hernia surgery.Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed on this podcast belong solely to the hosts and guests, and do not serve as a representation of or nec
The Hernia Gods Podcast E23 - Michael J. Rosen, MD
Send us Fan MailEpisode 23 of The Hernia Gods Podcast with Michael J. Rosen, MD features a candid conversation about mentorship, complications, the ACHQC, and his thoughts on the surgery community's relationship with industry.
The Hernia Gods Podcast E22 - Diego Lima, MD MSc
Send us Fan MailEpisode 22 of The Hernia Gods Podcast with Diego Lima, MD MSc features a great discussion on his life and career including going through training again in the US, his contributions to the hernia research world, and AI in surgery.
The Hernia Gods Podcast E21 - Peter Santoro, MD, FACS
Send us Fan MailEpisode 21 of The Hernia Gods Podcast features a great chat with Peter Santoro, MD, FACS about the difference between speed and efficiency, the beauty and struggle of being a parent and surgeon, the difficulty of accepting praise for our work, and the realities of mental health in the medical field.Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed on this podcast belong solel
The Hernia Gods Podcast E20 - Gregory Dumanian, MD
Send us Fan MailEpisode 20 of The Hernia Gods Podcast features a great conversation with Greg Dumanian, MD about his early work in plastic surgery, the role of aesthetics in hernia surgery, and mesh suture!Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed on this podcast belong solely to the hosts and guests, and do not serve as a representation of or necessarily reflect the official policy,
The Hernia Gods Podcast E19 - Paul Colavita, MD
Send us Fan MailEpisode 19 of The Hernia Gods Podcast features Paul Colavita, MD discussing the evolution of a foregut practice, the benefits of getting back in the gym, and the struggle of dealing with a complication.Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed on this podcast belong solely to the hosts and guests, and do not serve as a representation of or necessarily reflect the offi
The Hernia Gods Podcast E18 - Charlotte Horne, MD
Send us Fan MailEpisode 18 of The Hernia Gods Podcast features a great discussion with Charlotte Horne, MD regarding her journey from Canada through her training, the realities of starting a practice and being an attending, and her thoughts on being a female surgeon in the field.Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed on this podcast belong solely to the hosts and guests, and do no
The Hernia Gods Podcast E17 - Mário Rui Gonçalves, MD
Send us Fan MailEpisode 17 of The Hernia Gods Podcast features a fantastic conversation with Mário Rui Gonçalves, MD about his life in Portugal, surgical education, and taking ownership of our patient outcomes.Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed on this podcast belong solely to the hosts and guests, and do not serve as a representation of or necessarily reflect the official pol
The Hernia Gods Podcast E16 - Mazen Al-Mansour, MD
Send us Fan MailEpisode 16 of The Hernia Gods Podcast features a great discussion with Mazen Al-Mansour, MD regarding the stresses of being an international medical graduate and preliminary resident, the realities of being married to someone in the medical field, and his thoughts on teaching residents and the way parenthood has changed his approach.Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions exp
The Hernia Gods Podcast E15 - Edward Felix, MD FACS
Send us Fan MailEpisode 15 of The Hernia Gods Podcast features a legendary conversation with Edward Felix, MD FACS where he discusses the origins of The Ten Commandments of the Myopectineal Orifice, his experience as one of the fist high volume laparoscopic cholecystectomy surgeons, and his opinion on the abandon the sac technique of inguinal hernia repair.Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opin
The Hernia Gods Podcast E14 - Shirin Towfigh, MD FACS
Send us Fan MailEpisode 14 of The Hernia Gods Podcast features Shirin Towfigh, MD FACS of The Beverly Hills Hernia Center talking about her passion for hernias of the groin and groin pain patients, growing her practice and online presence, and the under-representation of females in the hernia literature and algorithms.Check out this link to donate to female hernia research:http://beverlyhillsherni
The Hernia Gods Podcast E13 - Draga-Maria Mandi, MD, PhD
Send us Fan MailEpisode 13 of The Hernia Gods Podcast features Draga-Maria Mandi, MD, PhD from Romania having a incredible conversation about her early life in Romania, the difficulties of surgical training, and ergonomic gender biases in surgery.Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed on this podcast belong solely to the hosts and guests, and do not serve as a representation of or
The Hernia Gods Podcast E12 - Vedra Augenstein, MD
Send us Fan MailEpisode 12 of The Hernia Gods Podcast features an enthralling conversation with Vedra Augenstein, MD about the hernia community, importance of your partners at work, her experiences during the Bosnian War, and the challenges of being a parent.Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed on this podcast belong solely to the hosts and guests, and do not serve as a represen
The Hernia Gods Podcast E11 - Hector Valenzuela, MD
Send us Fan MailEpisode 11 of The Hernia Gods Podcast features a very honest and open discussion with Dr. Hector Valenzuela regarding his career, how he handles complications, and the work he has done personally to improve for his patients. Check it out!Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed on this podcast belong solely to the hosts and guests, and do not serve as a representati
The Hernia Gods Podcast E10 - Yuri Novitsky, MD
Send us Fan MailEpisode 10 of The Hernia Gods Podcast features a great conversation with Yuri Novitsky, MD about his life, the origins of the TAR, and The Hernia Surgery Summit!Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed on this podcast belong solely to the hosts and guests, and do not serve as a representation of or necessarily reflect the official policy, position, or opinions of Orl
The Hernia Gods Podcast E9 - Barbora East, MD, PhD, FEBS AWS
Send us Fan MailEpisode 9 of The Hernia Gods Podcast features an intriguing discussion with Dr. Barbora East, MD, PhD, FEBS AWS about her life, the unique Czech training pathway, and difficulties of career advancement.Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed on this podcast belong solely to the hosts and guests, and do not serve as a representation of or necessarily reflect the offi
The Hernia Gods Podcast E8 - Mette Willaume, MD
Send us Fan MailEpisode 8 of The Hernia Gods Podcast features an engaging discussion with Mette Willaume, MD regarding her research through the Danish Hernia Registry, imposter syndrome, and how to create a culture of psychological safety in surgery.Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed on this podcast belong solely to the hosts and guests, and do not serve as a representation of
The Hernia Gods Podcast E7 - Ramia Stolt, MD, FEBS-AWS
Send us Fan MailEpisode 7 of The Hernia Gods Podcast features an intriguing discussion with the powerful Dr. Ramia Stolt regarding her personal journey, gender equality in surgery, and strategies to overcome bias. Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed on this podcast belong solely to the hosts and guests, and do not serve as a representation of or necessarily reflect the officia
The Hernia Gods Podcast E6 - Brian P Jacob, MD, FACS
Send us Fan MailIn Episode 6 of The Hernia Gods Podcast, the thoughtful Brian P Jacob, MD, FACS discusses his journey as a private practice surgeon in New York City, his own mental health journey, and staying true to your outcomes.Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed on this podcast belong solely to the hosts and guests, and do not serve as a representation of or necessarily ref
The Hernia Gods Podcast E5 - Ileana Geogloman, MD
Send us Fan MailThe incredible Ileana Geogloman, MD joins The Hernia Gods Podcast as a guest to discuss her journey from Romania to her current role, the basic tenants of a hernia repair, and her thoughts on life as a hernia surgeon..Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed on this podcast belong solely to the hosts and guests, and do not serve as a representation of or necessarily
The Hernia Gods Podcast E4 - Flavio Malcher, MD, FEBS-AWS
Send us Fan MailA great conversation with the always engaging Flavio Malcher about his practice, life in Brazil, and favorite books.Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed on this podcast belong solely to the hosts and guests, and do not serve as a representation of or necessarily reflect the official policy, position, or opinions of Orlando Health or any of our employers.
The Hernia Gods Podcast E3 - Conrad Ballecer, MD
Send us Fan MailA great discussion with Conrad Ballecer, MD about life, career, and surfing.
The Hernia Gods Podcast E2 - Hany Takla MD, FACS, FASMBS
Send us Fan MailA conversation with Dr. Hany Takla about his life, practice, and the hernia surgery community.Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed on this podcast belong solely to the hosts and guests, and do not serve as a representation of or necessarily reflect the official policy, position, or opinions of Orlando Health or any of our employers.
The Hernia Gods Podcast E1 - Welcome!
Send us Fan MailWelcome to The Hernia Gods Podcast. In this episode Luke discusses the concept of the podcast and cool things to come!
