A scoping review aims to investigate the disparities faced by African, Caribbean, and Black (ACB) communities regarding access to and the quality of surgical care in high-income countries with universal healthcare. The review seeks to systematically characterize existing literature, highlighting inequities in surgical outcomes linked to systemic barriers. By identifying evidence gaps, this research will […]
Author: STITCHES Newsletter
New risk scores predict early recurrence in liver cancer patients
Online preoperative and postoperative risk scores have been developed and validated for predicting early recurrence in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing conversion liver resection after treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors and immune checkpoint inhibitors. The preoperative model identified key factors, achieving a c-index of 0.681, while the postoperative model scored 0.706. Both models demonstrate […]
Structured prioritization significantly reduces surgery waiting times
Implementing a structured prioritization process in a tertiary emergency unit dramatically decreased median surgical waiting times from over 17 hours to under 9 hours. Compliance with acceptable waiting time windows also improved significantly, rising from 60.5% to 77.1%. This observational study analyzed 1851 non-elective surgeries in two periods, demonstrating that an urgency classification, kanban dashboard, […]
Advanced machine learning outperform traditional models in gastric cancer prognosis
A new machine learning framework combined with a nomogram has been developed to predict recurrence after radical gastrectomy in patients with non-metastatic gastric cancer and “double invasion.” Among the 559 patients studied, the random survival forests model achieved the highest c-index of 0.791, outperforming other machine learning approaches. This hybrid model effectively integrates multiple variables […]
SURGhub improves access to surgical education worldwide
The United Nations Global Surgery Learning Hub (SURGhub), launched in June 2023, aims to enhance surgical training for underserved populations. By offering 76 high-quality e-learning courses tailored for low-resource settings, it attracted over 11,451 learners from 190 countries within just 18 months. Remarkably, 55% of users are from low- or lower-middle-income countries, and courses have […]
Complicated postoperative courses linked to specific risk factors.
A review of 901,205 laparoscopic cholecystectomy cases over 20 years revealed that 13% experienced complicated hospital stays. Key risk factors included older age, male gender, and acute conditions like cholecystitis. Complicated cases were more likely to require subtotal cholecystectomy or conversion to open surgery, leading to higher rates of common bile duct injury and mortality. […]
Glucose assessment outperforms traditional biomarkers in pancreatic cyst differentiation
Mucinous pancreatic cystic lesions (PCLs) significantly increase cancer risk but can be difficult to identify. A study indicates that endoscopic ultrasound-guided intracystic glucose measurement effectively distinguishes mucinous from non-mucinous PCLs, boosting sensitivity to 88-95% and specificity to 76-91%, surpassing traditional carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) tests. By coupling glucose analysis with DNA-based biomarkers, clinicians can enhance risk […]
Innovative Fish-Derived Sutures Show Promise in Surgical Repairs
A novel drug-eluting, biologically absorbable suture from decellularized fish swim bladder significantly enhances wound closure across various tissues. Specifically, necrostatin-1 (nec-1) sutures exhibit superior tensile strength and maintain integrity in extreme pH conditions. The drug-loaded sutures inhibit cell proliferation by 40% and reduce foreign body reactions, with less neovascularization observed compared to controls. These findings […]
Ileocecal resection enhances microbial health in Crohn’s disease.
A multi-omics analysis of ileal mucosa and mesentery samples from Crohn’s disease patients illustrates notable improvements in microbial health following ileocecal resection. Among 34 patients studied, significant spatial changes in microbiota and metabolites were identified pre- and post-surgery. Metabolites were further analyzed, revealing crucial insights into their roles. These findings underscore ileocecal resection as a […]
Telemedicine expands oncology service capacity without increasing overall visits.
A significant growth in telemedicine utilization was observed in ambulatory surgical oncology at a high-volume academic center from 2019 to 2023. Overall visit volumes surged by 44%, while the clinician workforce increased by 16.8%. Unique patients served rose by 39%, primarily through enhanced return visits rather than new ones. Telemedicine adoption grew dramatically from 0.5% […]