Laparoscopic right hemihepatectomy offers benefits that may improve patient recovery despite its complexity. Laparoscopic patients had a shorter time to functional recovery (5 vs. 6 days) and shorter hospital stays (5 vs. 6 days). Operating times were longer for laparoscopic procedures (332 vs. 263 min), but other outcomes showed no significant differences. Surgeons should consider […]
Author: STITCHES Newsletter
Attire Doesn’t Affect Patient Trust in Surgeons
Surgeons can confidently wear scrubs or white coats without impacting patient trust. Patients showed no significant difference in trust levels between surgeons in traditional attire (mean score 2.00) and those in scrubs (mean score 2.08). Trust scores were consistent regardless of physician attire across various patient demographics. Surgeons can prioritize comfort and practicality in their […]
Large Language Models Improve Trauma Triage Accuracy
Large language models enhance prehospital trauma triage, potentially improving patient outcomes. LLMs achieved 83.5% triage accuracy, outperforming human clinicians’ 78.9% accuracy (p<0.01). Under-triage with LLMs improved slightly to 4.8%, compared to 5.1% with human triage (p=0.73). Essential transcripts reduced communication length by 80.8% while maintaining accuracy. Integrating LLMs in trauma assessment can lead to better […]
Assessing Rehabilitation Impact After Ventral Hernia Repair
This study finds that functional status post-ventral hernia repair shows initial decline, with limited improvement over time. Among 127 patients, functional tests worsened at 4 weeks post-op, improving significantly only in the five times sit-to-stand test by 10 weeks and plateauing by 1 year. Timed up and go tests did not show long-term improvement. Track […]
Laparoscopic TAPP Offers Clear Benefits Over Open Repair
Laparoscopic transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) repair shows better outcomes than open Lichtenstein repair for inguinal hernias. TAPP patients experience significantly less postoperative pain on day 0 (1.75 points lower), day 1 (0.72 points lower), and week 1 (1.14 points lower). Lower risks with TAPP include surgical site infections (risk reduced by 64%), hematomas (risk reduced by […]
New Technique Enhances Laparoscopic Access Reliability
Surgeons can improve access safety and efficiency with a novel manometric visualization technique for Veress needle entry. Pneumoperitoneum success rates were 99% across standard-weight patients with no complications in both test groups. The modified manometric technique reduced insufflation time to 1 minute, compared to 2 minutes with traditional methods (p < 0.001). For obese patients, […]
Long-term Outcomes of Laparoscopic Nissen Fundoplication
Nissen fundoplication yields lasting relief for GERD, with high satisfaction rates over a decade or more. Heartburn decreased from 94.2% to 33.7%, regurgitation from 68.7% to 13.4%, and esophagitis from 61.7% to 7.4%. Only 17% experienced symptom recurrence, while 87% reported they would choose the procedure again. Postoperative challenges include gas-bloating (53%) and dysphagia (26%), […]
Sustainability’s Role in Surgical Practice
Integrating environmental sustainability into operating room guidelines is feasible and necessary. Surgical practices significantly contribute to healthcare’s environmental impact, driven by disposables, energy use, and anesthetic emissions. A systematic review of 42 studies found the evidence quality was “very low” to “low,” yet consistent environmental threats were identified. Surgical teams should consider actionable sustainability practices […]
Emergency Surgery Outcomes Worse at Non-Transplant Centers
Emergency surgeries in solid-organ transplant patients fare worse at non-transplant centers, particularly for kidney transplants. Among 2,679 cases, 30-day mortality was 4%, with 31% facing complications or mortality. Kidney transplant patients showed 3.52 times higher mortality at academic centers compared to transplant centers. Urgent surgical care for transplant patients should prioritize treatment at transplant centers […]
Pyloroplasty reduces complications in minimally invasive esophagectomy
Adding pyloroplasty during esophagectomy significantly lowers the risk of short-term complications. Patients undergoing pyloroplasty had a pneumonia or anastomotic leak rate of 18% compared to 27% in those without the procedure. The trial led to early stopping when superiority of pyloroplasty was confirmed with a 90% probability. Surgeons can confidently incorporate pyloroplasty to enhance patient […]