Please contact your health insurance company to confirm provider participation. For billing and insurance questions, please call our Billing Department at 210-358-3260.
About
“Attention to detail begets success.”
I am the Surgical Director of the University Health Transplant Institute. I am also a transplant surgeon specializing in abdominal organ transplantation, hepatobiliary and pancreas surgery, and general surgery.
My journey into medicine began in an unexpected way: watching the television series M*A*S*H* with my father. That early exposure sparked an interest in surgery and service that ultimately led me to a career in surgery, where precision, teamwork and purpose come together to change lives.
I was born and raised in Fresno, California. I completed medical school at UT Health San Antonio and began my surgical training in the United States Air Force at Wilford Hall Medical Center in San Antonio in 1992. I went on to complete a solid organ transplant fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital, followed by additional training at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the National Institutes of Health. I later returned to San Antonio, where I have dedicated my career to advancing transplant care and outcomes.
Since 2005, I have served as the Surgical Director of the Adult and Pediatric Kidney Transplant Program, helping lead both programs to continued growth and success in patient outcomes. My leadership roles have included Interim Co-Director and Surgeon-in-Chief of the Transplant Institute, and I am honored to now serve as Director — continuing a legacy of excellence in transplant care.
Philosophy of Care
I believe that attention to detail is fundamental to achieving the best outcomes for patients. Through precision, consistency and a commitment to excellence, I strive to deliver the highest level of surgical care.
Favorite Parts of Medicine
Working alongside talented colleagues and partners with a shared commitment to patient care
Performing complex surgeries that offer patients a second chance at life
Mentoring the next generation of surgeons and advancing the field of transplantation
Awards & Recognition
UT Health Master Clinician Award
Administration Leadership Award
Fellow, American College of Surgeons
Meritorious Service Medal
Professional Memberships
American Society of Transplantation
American Society of Transplant Surgeons
United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), Committee Membership
Personal Background
I served in the United States Air Force and later retired from the Air Force Reserves as a lieutenant colonel. My wife and I have raised two daughters.
Hobbies
Outside of medicine, I enjoy spending time with my family, walking our dogs, building models and working on projects around the house.
Video
Articles & Publications
Abstracts
Paez AM, Kamath S, Casiraghi F, Davalli AM, Abrahamian G, Ricotti A, La Rosa S, Comuzzie A, Marando A, Finzi G, Dick E, De Fronzo R, Halff G, Folli F. Chronic exenatide infusion increases insulin sensitivity, decreases insulin secretion and stimulates Islet Cell Proliferation in partially Pancreatectomized Baboons 2012. (Diabetologia; vol. 55).
Kamath S, Chavez AO, Casiraghi F, Cline G, Davalli A, Halff G, Abrahamian G, Bastarrachea R, Comuzzie A, Gastaldelli A., Federici M, Marzano V, Urbani A, De Fronzo RA, Folli, F. Critical role of triglycerides and long chain fatty acyl Coa accumulation in liver insulin resistance in the baboon. a new non-human primate model of NAFLD 2011. p. 499-499. (Journal of Hepatology; vol. 54).
Casiraghi F, Chavez AO, Davalli A, Abrahamian GA, Gastaldelli A, Bastarrachea R,Kamath S, Petz R, Zou P,Higgins P,Chang Z, Comuzzie A, Halff G, RALPH DeFronzo RA, Folli F. Effect of Continuous Exenatide Infusion on Insulin Action and Secretion in Partially Pancreatectomized Baboons 2011 Jan. (Diabetes; vol. Supp, no. 1).
Washburn WK, Speeg KV, Guerrero JA, Havranek R, Esterl RM, Abrahamian GA, Cigarroa FG, Halff GA. MELD: Impact of Hepatocellular Carcinoma on the Adult Liver Transplant Waiting List 2003. p. 374A. (Hepatology; vol. 38).
Jay CL, Abrahamian GA, Edwards AR. Care of the Pancreas Transplant Recipient (in press) In: Irwin and Rippes Intensive Care Medicine, 8th Edition (in press). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Health; 2015.
Abrahamian GA. Care of the Pancreas Transplant Recipient In: Irwin RS, Rippe JM. Intensive Care Medicine. Philadelphia: Lippincott; 2012.
Abrahamian GA. Diagnosis and Treatment of Variceal Hemorrhage due to Cirrhosis. In: Esterl RM Speeg KV Abrahamian GA. Acute Care Surgery and Trauma: Evidenced Based Practice. UK: Informa Healthcare, UK, Ltd.; 2009. p. 406 - 414.
Abrahamian GA, Esterl RM. Renal Transplantation. In: Essential Emergency Medicine for the Healthcare Practitioner. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders; 2007.
Abrahamian GA, Cosimi, AB. Antithymocyte globulin and monoclonal antibodies. In: Morris,P.j.(ed):Kidney Transplantation, 5th edition. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders; 2001.
Journal Articles
Jay C, Pugh J, Halff G, Abrahamian G, Cigarroa F, Washburn K. Graft quality matters: Survival after simultaneous liver-kidney transplant according to KDPI Clinical Transplantation 2017 Mar.
Fiorentino TV, Owston M, Abrahamian G, La Rosa S, Marando A, Perego C, Di Cairano ES, Finzi G, Capella C, Sessa F, Casirahi F, Paez An, Adivi A, Davalli A, Fiorina P, Mendoza RG, Comuzzie AG, DeFronzo RA, Halff G, Dick EJ, Folli F. Chronic continuous exenatide infusion does not cause pancreatic inflammation and ductal hyperplasia in non-human primates (Baboons: Papio Hamadryas) Am J Pathology 2015 Jan;185:139-150.
Casiraghi F, Chavez AO, Davalli AM, Abrahamian GA, Gastaldelli A, Bastarrachea RA, Kamath S, Petz R, Zuo P, Ricotti A, Higgins PB, Comuzzie A, Halff GA, DeFronzo RA, Folli F. Continuous exenatide infusion markedly improves insulin sensitivity and disposition index in partially pancreatectomized baboons Diabetologia 2011;54:S213-S214.
Kamath S, Chavez AO, Gastaldelli A, Casiraghi F, Halff GA, Abrahamian GA, Davalli AM, Bastarrachea RA, Comuzzie AG, Guardado-Mendoza R, Jimenez-Ceja LM, Mattern V, Paez AM, Ricotti A, Tejero ME, Higgins PB, Rodriguez-Sanchez IP, Tripathy D, Defronzo RA, Dick EJ, Cline GW, Folli F. Coordinated defects in hepatic long chain Fatty Acid metabolism and triglyceride accumulation contribute to insulin resistance in non-human primates. PLoS One 2011 Nov;6(11):27617-27617.
Folli F, Casiraghi F, Davalli AM, Kamath S, Ricotti A, Chang Z, Gastaldelli A, Abrahamian GA, Halff GA, Defronzo RA, Chavez AO. Insulin sensitivity, beta cell function and subclinical inflammation in the baboon, a non human primate model of insulin resistance, obesity and type 2 diabetes. Diabetologia 2011;54(Suppl):S272-S273.
Tuder D, Pederson WC, Abrahamian GA, Ingari JV, Bagg MC, Person DW, Martyak GG. San Antonio military and civilian hand transplantation program: a case report. Transplant Proc 2011 Nov;43(9):3561-3562.
Nadazdin O, Abrahamian G, Boskovic S, Smith RN, Schoenfeld DA, Madsen JC, Colvin RB, Sachs DH, Cosimi AB, Kawai T, Abrahamian GA. Stem Cell Mobilization and Collection for Induction of Mixed Chimerism and Renal Allograft Tolerance in Cynomolgus Monkeys. J Surg Res 2010 Mar.
Cornejo A, Bohnenblust M, Harris C, Abrahamian GA. Intestinal perforation associated with rituximab therapy for post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder after liver transplantation. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 2009 Sep;64(4):857-860.
Sharron JA, Esterl RM, Washburn WK, Abrahamian GA. Surgical Treatment of an Extrarenal Pseudoaneurysm After Kidney Transplantation. Vasc Endovascular Surg 2009 Feb.
Sogawa H, Boskovic S, Nadazdin O, Abrahamian G, Colvin ROBERT, Sachs DAVID, Cosimi A, Kawai T, Abrahamian GA. Limited Efficacy and Unacceptable Toxicity of Cyclophosphamide for the Induction of Mixed Chimerism and Renal Allograft Tolerance in Cynomolgus Monkeys. Transplantation 2008 Aug;86(4):615-619.
Kawai, T., Sogawa, H., Boskovic, S., Abrahamian GA, Smith, R.N., Wee, S.L., Andrews, D., Nadazdin, O., Koyama, I., Sykes, M., Winn, H.J., Colvin, R.B., Sachs, D.H., Cosimi, A.B. CD154 blockade for induction of mixed chimerism and prolonged renal allograft survival in nonhuman primates. American Journal of Transplantation 2004 Sep;4(0):1391-1398.
Halff G, Speeg KV, Washburn K, Esterl R, Abrahamian G, Mejia A, Nichols L, Neigut D, Dodd G, Cigarroa F, Abrahamian GA. Liver transplantation at the University of Texas Health Science Center/University Hospital in San Antonio. Clin Transpl 2003 Jan:247-253.
Jones WT, Ratner I, Abrahamian G, Washburn WK, Esterl R, Neigut D, Halff G. Use of a SILASTIC Silo for Closure of the Abdominal Wall in a Pediatric Patient Receiving a Cadaveric Split Liver. J Pediatric Surgery 2003 Oct;38(10):E20-22.
Kawai,T., Cosimi,A.B., Wee,S.L., Houser,S., Andrew,D., Sogawa,H., Phelan,J., Boskovic,S., Nadazdin,O., Abrahamian GA, Colvin,R.B., Sach,D.H., Madsen,J.C. Effect of mixed hematopoietic chimerism on cardiac allograft survival in cynomolgus monkeys. Transplantation 2002 Jan;73(11):1757-1764.
Bingener-Casey J, Esterl RM, Kenneth Washburn W, Cigarroa FG, Abrahamian GA, Halff GA. Tc-99m-labeled Red Blood Cell Scanning Localizes Anastomotic Hemorrhage Between the Distal Ileum and Duodenal Stump of an Enteric-drained Pancreas Transplant. Clin Nucl Med 2002 Mar;27(3):205-206.
Kawai,T., Abrahamian GA, Sogawa,H., Wee,S., Boskovic,S., Andrew,D., Nadazdin,O., Mauiyyedi,S., Weymouth,D., Ko,D., Colvin,R., Sach,D.H., Madsen, J.C. Co-stimulatory blockade for induction of mixed chimerism and renal allograft tolerance in nonhuman primates Transplant Proc 2001 Jan;31(1-2):221-222.
Sogawa,H., Kawai,T., Wee,S.L., Boskovic,S., Nadazdin,O., Phelan,J., Abrahamian GA, Ko, D.S., Hong,H., Mauiyyedi,S., Colvin,R.B., Sachs,D.H.,Cosimi,A.B. Comparison of horse antithymocyte globulin with other T cell-depleting antibodies for induction of chimerism and renal allograft tolerance in non-human primates Transplant Proc 2001 Jan;33(1-2):116-117.
Kawai,T., Wee,S.L., Bazin,H., Latinne,D., Phelan,J., Boskovic,S., Ko,D.S., Hong,H.Z., Mauiyyedi,S., Nadazdin,O., Abrahamian GA, Preffer,F., Colvin,R.B., Sachs,D.H., Cosimi,A.B. Association of natural killer cell depletion with induction of mixed chimerism and allograft tolerance in non-human primates. Transplantation 2000 Jan;70(2):368-374.
Abrahamian GA, Cosimi AB, Farrell ML, Schoenfeld DA, Chung RT, Pascual M. Prevalence of hepatitis C virus-associated mixed cryoglobulinemia after liver transplantation. Liver Transpl 2000 Mar;6(2):185-190.
Kawai, T., Poncelet, A., Sachs, D.H., Mauiyyedi, S., Boskovic, S., Wee, S.L., Ko, D.S., Bartholomew, A., Kimikawa, M., Hong, H.Z., Abrahamian GA, Colvin, R. B., Cosimi, A.B. Long-term outcome and alloantibody production in a non-myeloablative regimen for induction of renal allograft tolerance. Transplantation 1999;68:1767-1775.
Abrahamian,G.A.,Polhamus,C.,Muskat,P.,Karulf,R. Diaphragm-like strictures of the ileum associated with NSAID use: a rare complication. South Medical Journal 1998;91:395-397.
Shikora,S.A.,Abrahamian,G.A.,Gaines,C.E. Can a bariatric surgery program succeed without close patient proximity? The experience in a military center. Obesity Surgery 1994;4:238-243.
Call 210-743-4306 to request an appointment with this doctor.
