The Evolution of the Sagittectomy

Join us in learning about the First Recorded Surgical Operation in North America at the first medical school on the US/Mexican border. Dr. Alan Tyroch, founding chair of surgery and trauma medical director, will explore Cabeza de Vaca’s journey as recorded in La Relación. Cabeza de Vaca was one of Tom Lea’s recurring characters. For the 50th anniversary of the Texas Surgical Society in 1965, he created a sketch that can be found in the lobby of the Woody L. Hunt School of Dental Medicine, given by El Paso plastic surgeon Ronald Gum and his wife, Mary Ann. The finished ink wash painting is on display at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. You can also visit the archetypes of El Paso history in the lobby of the Gayle Greve Hunt School of Nursing. Founding Dean Jeanne Novotney believed that the nobility and determination of Lea’s heroes in the historic federal courthouse downtown would inspire nursing students today. Dean Stephanie Woods and President Rick Lange will join us for wine and Native American light bites afterward, celebrating TTUHSC El Paso’s inclusion on the Tom Lea Trail.