Kenneth S. Azarow, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.A.P.

  • Professor of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery, School of Medicine
  • Kenneth A.J. Mackenzie Professor of Surgery and Chair, Department of Surgery, Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, School of Medicine
  • Helen B. Professor of Pediatric Surgery, Pediatrics, School of Medicine
  • Surgeon-in-Chief, OHSU

Biography

Dr. Ken Azarow is a pediatric surgeon and the Mackenzie Professor and Chair of Surgery and Surgeon-in-Chief at OHSU. He joined the Doernbecher surgical team in 2013 after five years in Omaha, Nebraska and following a distinguished 25 year career in the United States Army. He was appointed Interim Chair of the OHSU Department of Surgery in 2016 and has served as Mackenzie Professor and Chair of Surgery since 2019.

His first assignment after his pediatric surgery fellowship was to Madigan Army Medical Center. His progression at Madigan has taken him to the positions of director of the General Surgery Residency Training Program and chief of the Department of Surgery which he held at the time of his retirement from the Army. While in Omaha he developed and initiated the Pediatric Surgery Training Program at the University of Nebraska. His entire professional career has been dedicated to training surgeons so that they can take care of the next generation of children.

Dr. Azarow and his wife are very proud of their three daughters who have successfully navigated growing up in both a military and a medical family. The family is an avid animal-loving group. 

Education and training

  • Degrees

    • B.S., 1981, Franklin & Marshall College
    • M.A., 1983, Hahnemann University
    • M.D., 1987, F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

  • Residency

    • General Surgery, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C., 1987-1992

  • Fellowship

    • Pediatric Surgery, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 1994-1996

  • Certifications

    • American Board of Surgery, 1993; recertified 2001, 2010, 2019
    • American Board of Surgery - Pediatric Surgery, 1998; recertified 2005, 2012, 2019

Memberships and associations:

  • American Academy of Pediatrics, Fellow
  • American College of Surgeons, Fellow
  • American Pediatric Surgical Association
  • American Surgical Association
  • Association for Academic Surgeons
  • Association of Pediatric Surgery Training Program Directors
  • Canadian Association of Pediatric Surgeons
  • North Pacific Surgical Association, past chair
  • Pacific Coast Surgical Society
  • Pediatric Trauma Society
  • Society of University Surgeons
  • Portland Surgical Society

Areas of interest

  • Unconscious Bias and Equity in Surgery
  • Lung regeneration after injury and due to congenital etiologies
  • Genetic predisposition and clinical outcomes – congenital diaphragmatic hernia
  • Surgical education in the new millennium
  • Developmental outcomes in infants and children with surgically correctable anomalies

Publications

Elsevier pure profile

Publications

  • Common variants increase risk for congenital diaphragmatic hernia within the context of de novo variants

    American Journal of Human Genetics
    1. Lu Qiao
    2. Carrie L. Welch
    3. Rebecca Hernan
    4. Julia Wynn
    5. Usha S. Krishnan
    6. Jill M. Zalieckas
    7. Terry Buchmiller
    8. Julie Khlevner
    9. Aliva De
    10. Christiana Farkouh-Karoleski
    11. Amy J. Wagner
    12. Andreas Heydweiller
    13. Andreas C. Mueller
    14. Annelies de Klein
    15. Brad W. Warner
    16. Carlo Maj
    17. Dai Chung
    18. David J. McCulley
    19. David Schindel
    20. Douglas Potoka
    21. Elizabeth Fialkowski
    22. Felicitas Schulz
    23. Florian Kipfmuller
    24. Foong Yen Lim
    25. Frank Magielsen
    26. George B. Mychaliska
    27. Gudrun Aspelund
    28. Heiko Martin Reutter
    29. Howard Needelman
    30. J. Marco Schnater
    31. Jason C. Fisher
    32. Kenneth Azarow
    33. Mahmoud Elfiky
    34. Markus M. Nöthen
    35. Melissa E. Danko
    36. Mindy Li
    37. Przemyslaw Kosiński
    38. Rene M.H. Wijnen
    39. Robert A. Cusick
    40. Samuel Z. Soffer
    41. Suzan C.M. Cochius-Den Otter
    42. Thomas Schaible
    43. Timothy Crombleholme
    44. Vincent P. Duron
    45. Patricia K. Donahoe
    46. Xin Sun
    47. Frances A. High
    48. Charlotte Bendixen
    49. Erwin Brosens
    50. Yufeng Shen
    51. Wendy K. Chung

  • Being small for gestational age is not an independent risk factor for mortality in neonates with congenital diaphragmatic hernia

    Journal of Perinatology
    1. A. Zenilman
    2. W. Fan
    3. R. Hernan
    4. J. Wynn
    5. A. Abramov
    6. C. Farkouh-Karoleski
    7. G. Aspelund
    8. U. S. Krishnan
    9. J. Khlevner
    10. K. Azarow
    11. T. Crombleholme
    12. R. Cusick
    13. D. Chung
    14. M. E. Danko
    15. D. Potoka
    16. F. Y. Lim
    17. D. J. McCulley
    18. G. B. Mychaliska
    19. D. Schindel
    20. S. Soffer
    21. A. J. Wagner
    22. B. W. Warner
    23. W. K. Chung
    24. V. P. Duron

  • The need for early Kasai portoenterostomy

    Pediatric Surgery International
    1. Lorraine I. Kelley-Quon
    2. Eveline Shue
    3. Rita V. Burke
    4. Caitlin Smith
    5. Karen Kling
    6. Elaa Mahdi
    7. Shadassa Ourshalimian
    8. Michael Fenlon
    9. Matthew Dellinger
    10. Stephen B. Shew
    11. Justin Lee
    12. Benjamin Padilla
    13. Thomas Inge
    14. Jonathan Roach
    15. Ahmed I. Marwan
    16. Katie W. Russell
    17. Romeo Ignacio
    18. Elizabeth Fialkowski
    19. Amar Nijagal
    20. Cecilia Im
    21. Kenneth S. Azarow
    22. Daniel J. Ostlie
    23. Kasper Wang

  • Attitudes Affecting Decision-making for Use of Radiologic Enteral Contrast in the Management of Pediatric Adhesive Small Bowel Obstruction

    Journal of Surgical Research
    1. Shannon N. Acker
    2. Jose Diaz-Miron
    3. Romeo C. Ignacio
    4. Katie W. Russell
    5. Katrine Lofberg
    6. Stephen B. Shew
    7. Pamela N. Peterson
    8. Lorraine I. Kelley-Quon
    9. Aaron R. Jensen
    10. Justin Lee
    11. Ben Padilla
    12. Caitlin A. Smith
    13. Zachary J. Kastenberg
    14. Kenneth S. Azarow
    15. Daniel J. Ostlie
    16. Kasper S. Wang
    17. Thomas H. Inge

  • Contemporary General Surgery Resident Learning Experience in Pediatric Surgery

    Journal of the American College of Surgeons
    1. John R. Potts
    2. Mary E. Fallat
    3. Jeremy Gaskins
    4. Kenneth S. Azarow
    5. Donna A. Caniano

  • Courtesy Authorship Practices among First and Senior Authors

    Annals of surgery
    1. Mary E. Condron
    2. Melina R. Kibbe
    3. Kenneth S. Azarow
    4. Matthew J. Martin

  • Minimizing Variance in Gastroschisis Management Leads to Earlier Full Feeds in Delayed Closure

    Journal of Surgical Research
    1. Elizabeth A. Gilliam
    2. Kathryn Vu
    3. Pavithra Rao
    4. Sanjay Krishnaswami
    5. Nicholas Hamilton
    6. Kenneth Azarow
    7. Cynthia Gingalewski
    8. Mubeen Jafri
    9. Andrew Zigman
    10. Marilyn Butler
    11. Elizabeth A. Fialkowski

  • Rare and de novo variants in 827 congenital diaphragmatic hernia probands implicate LONP1 as candidate risk gene

    American Journal of Human Genetics
    1. Lu Qiao
    2. Le Xu
    3. Lan Yu
    4. Julia Wynn
    5. Rebecca Hernan
    6. Xueya Zhou
    7. Christiana Farkouh-Karoleski
    8. Usha S. Krishnan
    9. Julie Khlevner
    10. Aliva De
    11. Annette Zygmunt
    12. Timothy Crombleholme
    13. Foong Yen Lim
    14. Howard Needelman
    15. Robert A. Cusick
    16. George B. Mychaliska
    17. Brad W. Warner
    18. Amy J. Wagner
    19. Melissa E. Danko
    20. Dai Chung
    21. Douglas Potoka
    22. Przemyslaw Kosiński
    23. David J. McCulley
    24. Mahmoud Elfiky
    25. Kenneth Azarow
    26. Elizabeth Fialkowski
    27. David Schindel
    28. Samuel Z. Soffer
    29. Jane B. Lyon
    30. Jill M. Zalieckas
    31. Badri N. Vardarajan
    32. Gudrun Aspelund
    33. Vincent P. Duron
    34. Frances A. High
    35. Xin Sun
    36. Patricia K. Donahoe
    37. Yufeng Shen
    38. Wendy K. Chung

  • Comparative outcomes of right versus left congenital diaphragmatic hernia

    Journal of pediatric surgery
    1. Alexey Abramov
    2. Weijia Fan
    3. Rebecca Hernan
    4. Ariela L. Zenilman
    5. Julia Wynn
    6. Gudrun Aspelund
    7. Julie Khlevner
    8. Usha Krishnan
    9. Foong Yen Lim
    10. George B. Mychaliska
    11. Brad W. Warner
    12. Robert Cusick
    13. Timothy Crombleholme
    14. Dai Chung
    15. Melissa E. Danko
    16. Amy J. Wagner
    17. Kenneth Azarow
    18. David Schindel
    19. Douglas Potoka
    20. Sam Soffer
    21. Jason Fisher
    22. David McCulley
    23. Christiana Farkouh-Karoleski
    24. Wendy K. Chung
    25. Vincent Duron

  • Establishing best practices for structured NSQIP review

    American journal of surgery
    1. Aaron J. Cunningham
    2. Brian Howell
    3. Stephanie Polites
    4. Sanjay Krishnaswami
    5. Eryn Hughey
    6. Susan Terry
    7. Jenn Fox
    8. Kenneth Azarow

  • Likely damaging de novo variants in congenital diaphragmatic hernia patients are associated with worse clinical outcomes

    Genetics in Medicine
    1. Lu Qiao
    2. Julia Wynn
    3. Lan Yu
    4. Rebecca Hernan
    5. Xueya Zhou
    6. Vincent Duron
    7. Gudrun Aspelund
    8. Christiana Farkouh-Karoleski
    9. Annette Zygumunt
    10. Usha S. Krishnan
    11. Shannon Nees
    12. Julie Khlevner
    13. Foong Yen Lim
    14. Timothy Crombleholme
    15. Robert Cusick
    16. Kenneth Azarow
    17. Melissa Ellen Danko
    18. Dai Chung
    19. Brad W. Warner
    20. George B. Mychaliska
    21. Douglas Potoka
    22. Amy J. Wagner
    23. Samuel Soffer
    24. David Schindel
    25. David J. McCulley
    26. Yufeng Shen
    27. Wendy K. Chung

  • Minimizing variance in pediatric surgical care through implementation of a perioperative colon bundle

    Journal of pediatric surgery
    1. Aaron J. Cunningham
    2. Pavithra Rao
    3. Raga Siddharthan
    4. Kenneth S. Azarow
    5. Arjun Ashok
    6. Mubeen A. Jafri
    7. Sanjay Krishnaswami
    8. Nicholas A. Hamilton
    9. Marilyn W. Butler
    10. Katrine M. Lofberg
    11. Andrew Zigman
    12. Elizabeth A. Fialkowski

  • Rotational thromboelastometry predicts transfusion and disability in pediatric trauma

    Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery
    1. Aaron J. Cunningham
    2. Mary Condron
    3. Martin A. Schreiber
    4. Kenneth Azarow
    5. Nicholas A. Hamilton
    6. Katie Downie
    7. William B. Long
    8. Bryan G. Maxwell
    9. Mubeen A. Jafri

  • Significant practice variability exists in the prevention of venous thromboembolism in injured children

    Pediatric Surgery International
    1. Aaron J. Cunningham
    2. Joseph Tobias
    3. Nicholas A. Hamilton
    4. Martin A. Schreiber
    5. Kenneth S. Azarow
    6. Mubeen A. Jafri

  • Validation of shock index pediatric-adjusted for children injured in warzones

    Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery
    1. Christopher W. Marenco
    2. Woo S. Do
    3. Daniel T. Lammers
    4. John D. Horton
    5. Kenneth Azarow
    6. Matthew J. Eckert

  • Conservative management of urachal anomalies

    Journal of pediatric surgery
    1. Christopher R. Dethlefs
    2. Shahab F. Abdessalam
    3. Stephen C. Raynor
    4. Deborah A. Perry
    5. Sandra M. Allbery
    6. Elizabeth R. Lyden
    7. Kenneth S. Azarow
    8. Robert A. Cusick

  • Analysis of Gender-based Differences in Surgery Faculty Compensation, Promotion, and Retention

    Annals of surgery
    1. Heather E. Hoops
    2. Karen J. Brasel
    3. Elizabeth Dewey
    4. Sally Rodgers
    5. Jenny Merrill
    6. John G. Hunter
    7. Kenneth S. Azarow

  • De novo variants in congenital diaphragmatic hernia identify MYRF as a new syndrome and reveal genetic overlaps with other developmental disorders

    PLoS genetics
    1. Hongjian Qi
    2. Lan Yu
    3. Xueya Zhou
    4. Julia Wynn
    5. Haoquan Zhao
    6. Yicheng Guo
    7. Na Zhu
    8. Alexander Kitaygorodsky
    9. Rebecca Hernan
    10. Gudrun Aspelund
    11. Foong Yen Lim
    12. Timothy Crombleholme
    13. Robert Cusick
    14. Kenneth Azarow
    15. Melissa E. Danko
    16. Dai Chung
    17. Brad W. Warner
    18. George B. Mychaliska
    19. Douglas Potoka
    20. Amy J. Wagner
    21. Mahmoud ElFiky
    22. Jay M. Wilson
    23. Debbie Nickerson
    24. Michael Bamshad
    25. Frances A. High
    26. Mauro Longoni
    27. Patricia K. Donahoe
    28. Wendy K. Chung
    29. Yufeng Shen

  • A definition of gentle ventilation in congenital diaphragmatic hernia

    Journal of Perinatal Medicine
    1. Christiana Farkouh-Karoleski
    2. Tasnim Najaf
    3. Julia Wynn
    4. Gudrun Aspelund
    5. Wendy K. Chung
    6. Charles J. Stolar
    7. George B. Mychaliska
    8. Brad W. Warner
    9. Amy J. Wagner
    10. Robert A. Cusick
    11. Foong Yen Lim
    12. David T. Schindel
    13. Douglas Potoka
    14. Kenneth Azarow
    15. C. Michael Cotten
    16. Anthony Hesketh
    17. Samuel Soffer
    18. Timothy Crombleholme
    19. Howard Needelman

  • Minimizing variance in Care of Pediatric Blunt Solid Organ Injury through Utilization of a hemodynamic-driven protocol

    Journal of pediatric surgery
    1. Aaron J. Cunningham
    2. Katrine M. Lofberg
    3. Sanjay Krishnaswami
    4. Marilyn W. Butler
    5. Kenneth S. Azarow
    6. Nicholas A. Hamilton
    7. Elizabeth A. Fialkowski
    8. Pamela Bilyeu
    9. Erika Ohm
    10. Erin C. Burns
    11. Margo Hendrickson
    12. Preetha Krishnan
    13. Cynthia Gingalewski
    14. Mubeen A. Jafri

  • Mutations in BMPR2 are not present in patients with pulmonary hypertension associated with congenital diaphragmatic hernia

    Journal of pediatric surgery
    1. Joanne S. Chiu
    2. Lijiang Ma
    3. Julia Wynn
    4. Usha Krishnan
    5. Erika B. Rosenzweig
    6. Gudrun Aspelund
    7. Marc Arkovitz
    8. Brad W. Warner
    9. Foong Yen Lim
    10. George B. Mychaliska
    11. Kenneth Azarow
    12. Robert A. Cusick
    13. Dai H. Chung
    14. Wendy K. Chung

  • Minimizing variance in pediatric gastrostomy

    American journal of surgery
    1. Rachel Sunstrom
    2. Nicholas Hamilton
    3. Elizabeth Fialkowski
    4. Katrine Lofberg
    5. Julie McKee
    6. Thomas Sims
    7. Sanjay Krishnaswami
    8. Kenneth Azarow

  • Performance improvement and patient safety program-guided quality improvement initiatives can significantly reduce computed tomography imaging in pediatric trauma patients

    Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery
    1. Christopher R. Connelly
    2. John D. Yonge
    3. Lynn E. Eastes
    4. Pamela E. Bilyeu
    5. Phillip M. Kemp Bohan
    6. Martin A. Schreiber
    7. Kenneth S. Azarow
    8. Jennifer M. Watters
    9. Mubeen A. Jafri