Vascular Surgery Faculty
Dr. Rectenwald, Chair, Division of Vascular Surgery, Professor
Dr. Rectenwald is a graduate of the Medical College of Georgia. He then completed his general surgery training at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida followed by a vascular surgery fellowship at the University of Michigan where he remained as faculty for 10 years prior to becoming division chief at University of Texas Southwestern. He is certified in General Surgery and Vascular Surgery by American Board of Surgery. His academic interests include graduate medical education, inferior vena cava filters, complex open aortic and endovascular procedures, and management of peripheral arterial disease. Email: rectenwald@surgery.wisc.edu.
Dr. Acher, Professor
Dr. Acher is certified by the American Board of Surgery. His clinical interests include prevention of ischemic spinal cord injury in repair of thoraco-abdominal aneurysms (TAA), renal and visceral arterial occlusive disease, minimally invasive endovascular surgery, treatment of cerebral vascular occlusive disease for stroke prevention (carotid and subclavian revascularization), and limb salvage in severe vascular disease. Dr. Acher’s current research activities include participation in a VA cooperative study on aneurysm detection and management, research in treatment of thoracoabdominal aneurysm, and prevention of paraplegia in thoracic aneurysm surgery. Email: acher@surgery.wisc.edu.
Dr. Bennett, Associate Professor, Associate Program Director Vascular Surgery Residency and Fellowship
Dr Bennett completed her medical school, general surgery residency and vascular surgery fellowship at Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina. She specializes in vascular and endovascular surgery with specific interest in aortic, carotid and limb salvage surgery. She is also interested in vascular thoracic outlet syndrome interventions and management of venous obstruction. Her research interests include: outcomes and access-to-care disparities, methodology for large database analysis to improve model integrity and pre-hospital management of ruptured AAA and dissections. Email: bennettk@surgery.wisc.edu.
Dr. Carr, Associate Professor
Dr. Carr completed her general surgery residency at St. Louis University Hospital and her vascular surgery fellowship at Northwestern University Medical School. Dr. Carr specializes in vein care. Email: scarr@wisc.edu.
Dr. DiMusto, Associate Professor, Program Director Vascular Surgery Residency and Fellowship
Dr. DiMusto completed his undergraduate, medical school, general surgery residency, and vascular surgery fellowship at the University of Michigan. His main clinical interest is in aortic disease, including aneurysms, dissections, and occlusive disease. He performs both open and complex endovascular repair of the aorta. He spent two years during residency studying the molecular biology underlying the gender difference in abdominal aortic aneurysm formation. He also has an interest in education of medical students, residents, and fellows. Email: dimusto@surgery.wisc.edu.
Dr. Feinberg, Professor
Dr. Richard Feinberg leads the UW Health Vein Center and is board certified in vascular surgery, with over 25 years of experience treating venous disease. Dr. Feinberg offers patients the benefit of minimally invasive diagnostic tools and techniques to treat venous disease, providing patients the highest level of comfort and relief so they may return home with desired results and minimal pain, downtime, and scarring. Email: feinberg@surgery.wisc.edu.
Dr. Hoch, Professor
Dr. Hoch is certified by the American Board of Surgery, with a certificate of additional qualifications in vascular surgery. Dr. Hoch has special interests in complex and aortic visceral artery occlusive disease, carotid artery reconstruction, repair of thoracoabdominal aneurysms, use of the minilaparotomy technique to repair aortic aneurysms, and the use of endovascular techniques to repair abdominal aortic aneurysms and manage patients with lower extremity arterial occlusion. Dr. Hoch also has clinical research interests in magnetic resonance imaging in vascular patients, thrombolytic therapy, medical management of patients with claudication, and minimally invasive care of vein disease. Email: hoch@surgery.wisc.edu.
Dr. Morgan, Assistant Professor
Dr. Morgan completed her integrated vascular surgery residency and vascular biology research fellowship at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, Illinois. While there she worked to develop a self-assembling nanofiber that would deliver a hemostatis agent to the site of bleeding via a targeting binding protein. Email: morganc@surgery.wisc.edu.
Dr. Parra, Associate Professor
Dr. Parra completed his general surgery residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin. He then completed his vascular surgery fellowship at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. Email: parra@surgery.wisc.edu.
Dr. Schwarze, Associate Professor
Dr. Schwarze specializes in vascular and endovascular surgery, clinical medical ethics and health services research. Her UW Health practice comprises all aspects of peripheral vascular health and she is particularly interested in preventive vascular care. Her specific surgical interests include aortic aneurysm, carotid surgery, peripheral artery disease (PAD), endovascular therapy for vascular disease and minimally-invasive surgery. Dr. Schwarze’s research interests include clinical medical ethics and decision-making for surgical patients. Email: schwarze@surgery.wisc.edu.
Dr. Smith, Associate Professor, Vice Chair of Education
Dr. Smith completed medical school at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and was subsequently the first trainee to complete the UW-Madison Department of Surgery integrated vascular surgery residency program. Dr. Smith is certified by the Vascular Surgery Board of the American Board of Surgery. She specializes in the treatment of complex venous disorders, including Nutcracker Syndrome, Pelvic Congestion Syndrome, and May-Thurner Syndrome. Her research seeks to examine the association between educational variables, including programs, policies, and individual measures of competence, with patient care outcomes in unsupervised practice. Email: smithb@surgery.wisc.edu
Dr. Tefera, Vice Chair of Global Surgery
Dr. Tefera is certified by the American Board of Surgery. He is the Vice Chair of Global Surgery for the Department of Surgery as well as the head of ACS Operation Giving Back. Dr. Tefera specializes in all aspects of vascular surgery, with special interests in aortic aneurysm treatment with endovascular stent grafts and angioplasty of peripheral arteries including carotid artery, illiac and superficial femoral artery. Dr. Tefera has clinical research interests in abdominal aortic aneurysm treatment with endovascular stent graft and distal peripheral artery bypass surgery as well as angioplasty and stent for limb salvage. Email: tefera@surgery.wisc.edu.
Dr. Yamanouchi, Assistant Professor
Dr. Yamanouchi specializes in vascular and endovascular surgery. He is board certified in surgery in Japan. Dr. Yamanouchi provides a wide range of services including Adbominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Repair – Endovascular, Adbominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Repair – Open, Amputation, Angioplasty with Stent Placement, Carotid Endartecotomy, Peripheral Artery Bypass, Thoracic Aortic Aneursym – Endovascular, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome Treatment, and Varicose Vein Treatment. Dr. Yamanouchi’s research interests include the pathogenesis of abdominal aortic aneurysm and restenosis after angioplasty including balloon angioplasty and stent placement. He is also devoted to the development of novel materials for vascular bypass graft and gene delivery method to treat the patients who suffers peripheral arterial disease. Email: yamano@surgery.wisc.edu.
Dr. Weiss, Associate Professor
Dr. Weiss completed his general surgery training and vascular surgery fellowship at Emory University. He remained on the faculty at Emory for several years, and was involved with medical student and resident education. He then spent the next 17 years in community practice, first in Jackson, Mississippi and then Madison, Wisconsin. He joined the UW faculty in July 2018, bringing with him clinical interests in dialysis access procedures, limb salvage, aneurysmal disease and cerebrovascular disease. Email: weissv@surgery.wisc.edu.