Adhesions are one of those surgical complications we’d all prefer to never think about—but we don’t get that luxury. They’re common, costly, and often underestimated. Whether it’s a patient returning with chronic abdominal pain, secondary infertility, or adhesive small bowel obstruction, adhesions remain a persistent reminder that the operation doesn’t end when the skin is […]

Practical, evidence-based strategies to shorten ileus and length of stay Every surgeon has lived this story. The operation is clean. The dissection elegant. The anastomosis airtight. Your patient looks stable, lines are out, and pain is well controlled. You’re ready to sign discharge orders—except their abdomen is still distended, and they haven’t passed gas. It […]

Why knowing when not to place a drain may matter more than how to manage one. The Bottom Line: Routine prophylactic abdominal drainage after pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) is no longer universally necessary and may even increase certain risks in low-risk patients. A selective, risk-based approach—reserving drains for high-risk scenarios and removing them early when placed—yields equal […]