A novel technique using bilateral rectus muscle turning-over was developed for addressing large midline abdominal wall hernias. In a study of 22 patients, this method achieved significant improvements in quality of life (from 23 ± 13 to 47 ± 6, p = 0.0013) with only one case of hernia recurrence. No significant increase in intra-abdominal […]
Author: STITCHES Newsletter
Cutting of Inter sphincteric Space Outperforms Cutting Seton in Healing
In a study involving 72 patients with high anal fistula, cutting of the intersphincteric space (cois) significantly reduced wound healing time to 35.75 days compared to 55.69 days for cutting seton (cs) (p
Comparable outcomes for ablation and lobectomy in thyroid cancer
A multi-center study involving 1,021 patients with solitary papillary thyroid microcarcinoma compared image-guided thermal ablation to lobectomy. Median follow-up of 96.5 months revealed no significant differences in disease progression or disease-free survival between groups (4.7% vs. 3.4% and 95.5% vs. 97.1%, respectively). However, the ablation group experienced significantly lower complication rates (0.7% vs. 5.2%), shorter […]
Chlorhexidine-alcohol outperforms iodine solutions in preventing surgical infections
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 14 randomized controlled trials demonstrated that chlorhexidine-alcohol significantly reduces the incidence of post-operative surgical site infections (SSIs) compared to aqueous/alcoholic iodine solutions (risk ratio 0.30). This effectiveness spans various surgical procedures, with specific RR values of 0.25 for general surgery, 0.47 for cesarean sections, and 0.47 for other operations […]
Combined assessment of frailty and albumin enhances surgical risk prediction
The study revealed that the combined assessment of frailty, using the modified frailty index 5 (mfi-5), and hypoalbuminemia significantly improves surgical outcome predictions. Analyzing data from 9.8 million patients, researchers found that this combined metric outperformed each factor independently regarding morbidity and mortality risks. Specifically, hypoalbuminemia was prevalent in 18.6% of patients, emphasizing the importance […]
Frailty significantly impacts mortality and morbidity following emergency laparotomy.
A meta-analysis of 12 articles involving 5,704 patients revealed that frailty, assessed via the Clinical Frailty Scale, significantly correlates with both short- (30-day mortality odds ratio 3.84) and long-term (1-year mortality odds ratio 3.03) mortality after emergency laparotomy. Frailty prevalence was found to be 25% overall and 32% in patients aged 55 and older. Additionally, […]
Higher Fresh Frozen Plasma Ratio Linked to Improved Survival
A multicenter cohort study analyzed 1,954 adults with severe blunt trauma, revealing that a high fresh frozen plasma (FFP) to red blood cell (RBC) ratio (greater than 1) was associated with lower in-hospital mortality (OR 0.73). This suggests that patients receiving a higher FFP ratio benefitted from improved survival compared to those with a lower […]
Surgeons express willingness to adopt sustainable practices despite knowledge gaps.
A survey involving 1,024 surgeons revealed that 63% are motivated to improve surgical sustainability; however, less than 10% can estimate the carbon footprint of their practices. Most respondents are unconcerned about negative impacts from sustainability efforts, indicating a readiness to implement proposed changes. Preferred educational formats include online webinars and modules. Notably, a subgroup appears […]
Circulating tumor DNA methylation predicts outcomes in colorectal cancer
The study demonstrated that circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) methylation analysis is a valuable prognostic tool for long-term outcomes in stage IV colorectal cancer. Patients with high levels of CHFR-rmv experienced significantly worse recurrence-free survival compared to those with low levels (p = 0.001), establishing CHFR-rmv as an independent prognostic factor (hazard ratio = 2.63). Likewise, […]
Accredited hospitals improve treatment and survival for Black patients
Findings indicate that non-Hispanic Black patients with colon cancer treated at Commission on Cancer (CoC)-accredited hospitals received significantly more guideline-concordant care than those treated at non-accredited facilities. Specifically, the odds of undergoing necessary lymphadenectomy and chemotherapy were higher (adjusted odds ratios of 1.89 and 2.31, respectively). Moreover, patients at accredited hospitals demonstrated lower cancer-specific mortality, […]