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 […]
Author: STITCHES Newsletter
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% […]
AI Model Matches Senior Endoscopists in Esophageal Cancer Treatment
An artificial intelligence model developed for marking detection and incision guidance during esophageal endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) demonstrated promising performance. Compared to junior endoscopists, the AI achieved a notable accuracy of 63.21%, precision rates of up to 85.76%, and an average distance error of 0.096, significantly outperforming junior practitioners while matching senior endoscopists. These results […]
Digital tools enhance postoperative pain management at home
A scoping review of 26 studies reveals digital and telemedicine tools significantly improve postoperative pain management at home. These technologies, including mobile apps and wearable sensors, facilitate patient monitoring and communication with healthcare professionals, leading to better pain control, reduced opioid use, and high patient satisfaction. However, challenges such as low digital literacy among some […]
Immunotherapy-based regimens show promise in gastric cancer treatment
A meta-analysis of high-quality trials shows immunotherapy-based neoadjuvant regimens, particularly combining immunotherapy with chemotherapy and targeted therapy, significantly improve pathological complete response (PCR) rates and overall survival in locally advanced gastric cancer. The neoadjuvant immunotherapy plus chemotherapy (NICT) and NICT plus targeted therapy (NICTT) groups outperformed traditional chemotherapy, although the NICTT group faced increased severe […]