An AI-based surgical phase recognition model achieved 82.3% accuracy in assessing the skill levels of surgeons performing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Novice surgeons demonstrated significantly longer dissection times compared to experts, with similar patterns observed in clipping and cutting tasks. The model proved effective in categorizing surgical proficiency, identifying key metrics such as phase duration and confidence […]
Author: STITCHES Newsletter
Operative treatment improves outcomes for acute cholecystitis in pregnancy
A systematic review and meta-analysis of nine studies involving 45,883 pregnant women found that operative treatment of acute cholecystitis significantly reduces adverse pregnancy outcomes and hospital stay length compared to nonoperative approaches. Specifically, the odds of negative outcomes were reduced by 40%, and the average hospital stay decreased by over seven days. Importantly, while maternal […]
Preoperative von Willebrand factor predicts liver failure risk.
Combining preoperative von Willebrand factor antigen (vwf-ag) with existing liver function assessments significantly enhances prediction of posthepatectomy liver failure (PHLF). An analysis of 534 patients from the Mayo Clinic revealed that vwf-ag is an independent predictor of PHLF grade B/C. Utilizing two cutoff values, the positive predictive value improved to 27.9%. This model was validated […]
Modified blumgart anastomosis decreases pancreatic fistula rates
A novel modified blumgart pancreaticojejunostomy technique significantly reduces the incidence of clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula (cr-popf) after pancreaticoduodenectomy. In a study involving patients from January 2020 to December 2024, cr-popf occurred in 6.4% of those undergoing the m-bpj approach compared to 15.6% in the conventional group. This technique, featuring an anchoring method and omental […]
AI Enhances Prognostic Assessments in Resected Pancreatic Cancer
AI-powered spatial analysis of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in resected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) shows promise for prognostic assessment. Among 304 patients, those with an immune-inflamed phenotype demonstrated significantly longer overall and recurrence-free survival compared to other immune profiles. High intratumoral TIL density correlated with extended overall survival (median 52.47 months). The study suggests that AI […]
Psychological and sleep interventions enhance recovery in gastric cancer patients
A study involving 198 postoperative gastric cancer patients reveals a structured psychological and sleep enhancement program significantly reduces anxiety, depression, and perceived stress while improving sleep quality. After three months, immune function and inflammatory markers also showed notable improvements. Patients in the intervention group experienced better disease-free survival rates (81.2% vs. 68.5%) and overall survival […]
High-fidelity simulation improves surgical trainees’ confidence in trauma procedures
A new high-fidelity simulation model, known as OS3, significantly boosts surgical trainees’ confidence and skills in managing vascular trauma. Analysis of surveys from 183 participants revealed that increasing postgraduate years correlated with higher self-assessments of knowledge and skills. Despite this, many trainees reported difficulties with critical vascular procedures, emphasizing the utility of the OS3 curriculum […]
Novel surgical technique preserves ghrelin secretion in gastric cancer
A new surgical approach, super subtotal gastrectomy (SSTG), effectively preserves the fornix, a vital site for ghrelin secretion, in patients with upper-third gastric cancer. This innovative technique minimizes the typical impacts on appetite and weight loss associated with traditional proximal gastrectomy or total gastrectomy. In the SSTG group, procedures averaged 333 minutes with minimal blood […]
New deep learning models excel in organ donation image segmentation
Deep learning models, detectron2 and yolov8, significantly improved automated segmentation in organ donation photography, achieving internal validation Intersection over Union (IoU) scores of 0.93 and 0.94 for kidneys, and 0.97 for livers. Compared to traditional methods, which peaked at IoU 0.54, these new models demonstrated superiority in accuracy and speed, completing tasks in just 0.13-1.5 […]
Smoking increases surgical site infection risk in trauma patients
A significant association between smoking and surgical site infections (SSI) was identified in trauma patients, with 24.3% of those studied being smokers. Compared to nonsmokers, smokers had higher SSI rates (0.9% vs. 0.7%) and an increased risk persisted even after controlling for confounding factors. The strongest correlation was observed in patients with severe trauma. These […]