About

Martin Uwah, MD, is a board-certified colon and rectal surgeon and Assistant Professor of Surgery at the University of Chicago. He specializes in treating a wide range of conditions including colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, complex anorectal disorders, and pelvic floor dysfunction. Dr. Uwah is highly trained in advanced minimally invasive techniques and strives to stay current with the latest advancements in his field to provide personalized treatment plans for his patients. In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Uwah is actively involved in research aimed at addressing health disparities related to colon and rectal health. He is also dedicated to education and mentorship, prioritizing the teaching of students, residents, and fellows about colon and rectal conditions. His approach to patient care emphasizes respect and understanding, recognizing the vulnerability of patients at their most critical moments and ensuring they feel heard and cared for throughout their treatment process.

Research topics

• Surgery
• Medicine
• Internal medicine
• General surgery

Selected publications

• The Emperor’s New Virtual Clothes: Conducting Colon and Rectal Surgery Residency Interviews in the Post-COVID Era

  Diseases of the Colon & Rectum · 2025-04-09 · 2 citations

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Combined Robotic Ventral Mesh Rectopexy and Sacrocolpopexy for Multicompartmental Pelvic Organ Prolapse

  Diseases of the Colon & Rectum · 2023 · 16 citations

  • Medicine
  • General surgery
  • Surgery

  BACKGROUND: Multispecialty management should be the preferred approach for the treatment of pelvic floor dysfunction because there is often multicompartmental prolapse. OBJECTIVE: To assess the safety of combined robotic ventral mesh rectopexy and either uterine or vaginal fixation for the treatment of multicompartmental pelvic organ prolapse at our institution. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis. SETTINGS: Tertiary referral academic center. PATIENTS: All patients who underwent a robotic approach and combined procedure and whose cases were discussed at a biweekly pelvic floor multidisciplinary team meeting. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Operative time, intraoperative blood loss and complications, postoperative pelvic organ prolapse quantification score, length of stay, 30-day morbidity, and readmission. RESULTS: From 2018 to 2021, there were 321 operations for patients with multicompartmental prolapse. The mean age was 63.4 years. The predominant pelvic floor dysfunction was rectal prolapse in 170 cases (60%). Pelvic organ prolapse quantification scores were II in 146 patients (53%), III in 121 patients (44%), and IV in 9 patients (3%); 315 of 323 cases included robotic ventral mesh rectopexy (98%). Sacrocolpopexy or sacrohysteropexy was performed in 281 patients (89%). Other procedures included 175 hysterectomies (54%), 104 oophorectomies (32%), 151 sling procedures (47%), 149 posterior repairs (46%), and 138 cystocele repairs (43%). The operative time for ventral mesh rectopexy was 211 minutes and for combined pelvic floor reconstruction was 266 minutes. Average length of stay was 1.6 days. Eight patients were readmitted within 30 days: 1 with a severe headache and 7 with postoperative complications (2.5%), such as pelvic collection and perirectal collection, both requiring radiologic drainage. Four complications required reoperation: epidural abscess, small-bowel obstruction, missed enterotomy requiring resection, and urinary retention requiring sling revision. There were no mortalities. LIMITATIONS: Retrospective single-center study. CONCLUSIONS: A combined robotic approach for multicompartmental pelvic organ prolapse is a safe and viable procedure with a relatively low rate of morbidity and no mortality. This is the highest volume series of combined robotic pelvic floor reconstruction in the literature and demonstrates a low complication rate and short length of stay. See Video Abstract . RECTOPEXIA Y SACROCOLPOPEXIA ROBTICA VENTRAL COMBINADAS CON MALLA PARA EL PROLAPSO DE RGANOS PLVICOS MULTICOMPARTIMENTALES: ANTECEDENTES:El tratamiento multiespecializado debe ser el enfoque preferido para el tratamiento de la disfunción del suelo pélvico, ya que a menudo hay prolapso multicompartimental.OBJETIVO:Evaluar la seguridad de la rectopexia robótica combinada con malla ventral y fijación uterina o vaginal para el tratamiento del prolapso multicompartimental de órganos pélvicos en nuestra institución.DISEÑO:Análisis retrospectivo.AJUSTES:Centro académico de referencia terciarioPACIENTES:Todos los pacientes que se sometieron a un enfoque robótico y un procedimiento combinado y se discutieron en una reunión quincenal del equipo multidisciplinario sobre el piso pélvico.MEDIDAS DE RESULTADO:Tiempo operatorio, pérdida de sangre intraoperatoria y complicaciones. Puntuación de cuantificación del prolapso de órganos pélvicos posoperatorio, duración de la estancia hospitalaria, morbilidad a 30 días y reingreso.RESULTADOS:De 2018 a 2021, se realizaron 321 operaciones de pacientes con prolapso multicompartimental. La edad media fue 63.4 años. La disfunción del suelo pélvico predominante fue el prolapso rectal en 170 casos (60%). Las puntuaciones de cuantificación del prolapso de órganos pélvicos fueron II en 146 pacientes (53%), III en 121 (44%) y IV en 9 (3%); 315 de los 323 casos incluyeron rectopexia robótica de malla ventral (98%). Se realizó sacrocolpopexia o sacrohisteropexia en 281 pacientes (89%). Otros procedimientos incluyeron 175 histerectomías (54%), 104 ooforectomías (32%), 151 procedimientos de cabestrillo (47%), 149 reparaciones posteriores (46%) y 138 reparaciones de cistocele (43%). El tiempo operatorio para la rectopexia con malla ventral fue de 211 minutos y la reconstrucción combinada del piso pélvico de 266 minutos. La estancia media fue de 1.6 días. Ocho pacientes reingresaron dentro de los 30 días, 1 con dolor de cabeza intenso y 7 pacientes con complicaciones posoperatorias (2.5%): colección pélvica y colección perirrectal, ambas requirieron drenaje radiológico. Cuatro complicaciones requirieron reoperación: absceso epidural, obstrucción del intestino delgado, enterotomía omitida que requirió resección y retención urinaria que requirió revisión del cabestrillo. No hubo mortalidades.LIMITACIONES:Estudio retrospectivo unicéntrico.CONCLUSIONES:Un enfoque robótico combinado para el prolapso multicompartimental de órganos pélvicos es un procedimiento seguro y viable con una tasa relativamente baja de morbilidad y ninguna mortalidad. Esta es la serie de mayor volumen de reconstrucción robótica combinada del suelo pélvico en la literatura y demuestra una baja tasa de complicaciones y una estancia hospitalaria corta. (Traducción-Dr. Aurian Garcia Gonzalez )See Editorial on page 195.

  PublisherDOI

• Observation Versus Chemoradiotherapy for Management of Superficial Anal Cancer

  Difficult decisions in surgery: an evidence-based approach · 2023

  1st authorCorresponding
  • Medicine
  • Surgery
  • General surgery
  PublisherDOI

• Hand-assisted minimally invasive distal pancreatectomy: Review of clinical results and predictors of conversion to an open approach

  HPB · 2020

  • Medicine
  • Surgery
  • Internal medicine
  PublisherDOI

• External pancreatic stents after pancreaticoduodenectomy reduce pancreatic fistula rates and severity

  HPB · 2019-03-01

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Perioperative infections after pancreaticoduodenectomy in patients with biliary stents

  HPB · 2019-03-01

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• K. Wissinger

  3 shared

• Joseph Reza

  Temple University Hospital

  3 shared

• J. Pablo Arnoletti

  Orlando Regional Medical Center

  3 shared

• Bela Kudish

  2 shared

• P. Veldhuis

  Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organisation

  2 shared

• C. Canavan

  Carolinas Medical Center

  2 shared

• Natha Kow

  AdventHealth Orlando

  2 shared

• J. Wang

  1 shared