In the quest to understand 30-day readmission rates following laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, a study involving 235,563 patients identified several influential factors. These factors included age, gender, body mass index (BMI), payment source, length of hospital stay, comorbidities, and hospital characteristics. Older age, male gender, higher BMI, Medicare as the primary payer, and certain comorbidities were […]
Author: STITCHES Newsletter
Gender Disparity in Penetrating Trauma Outcomes: Insights from a Single-Center Study
While penetrating trauma occurs less often in females, a study delving into this specific demographic reveals some intriguing findings. Females, on average, had less severe injuries than males, but the mortality rates were similar. Surprisingly, females underwent fewer surgical or interventional radiology interventions. After accounting for age and injury severity, the study found no significant […]
Identifying Risk Factors for Postoperative Respiratory Failure Outcome
Postoperative complications can lead to death, but what predicts this failure to rescue, especially after respiratory failure? In a study involving 13,047 adult patients, researchers pinpointed eight key predictors. These include age, sex, preoperative health status, conditions like ascites and cancer, and preoperative biochemical markers. Disturbingly, nearly 30% of patients with postoperative respiratory failure didn’t […]
Emergency Parastomal Hernia Repair in Older Adults: Impact of Surgical Techniques on Outcomes
Researchers delved into Medicare claims data from 2007-2015 to unveil the secrets of emergency parastomal hernia repair (PHR) in older adults. Among 6,658 patients, they discovered that this procedure comes with significant complications (62.3% within 30 days), but technique matters. Patients undergoing ostomy resiting had fewer complications. Additionally, the study identified the five-year cumulative incidence […]
Revolutionizing Stage II Colon Cancer Care: A New Tool Predicts High Risk of Recurrence
Researchers have introduced a groundbreaking recurrence prediction value (RPV) system for stage II colon cancer, offering a precise way to identify patients at high risk of cancer recurrence. Using a vast international dataset, they established that RPV successfully stratifies patients into low and high-risk categories. Patients with high RPV demonstrated significantly increased risk of recurrence. […]
Long-term Effects of Hiatal Hernia Repair Methods in GERD Patients: Mesh vs. Sutures
In the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), repairing hiatal hernias alongside antireflux surgery is common. A 13-year follow-up of a randomized clinical trial reveals that using a nonabsorbable mesh for hiatal hernia repair doesn’t significantly reduce hernia recurrence rates compared to crural sutures alone. Moreover, patients who received mesh repair experienced higher dysphagia scores […]
Cracking the Diversity Code: The Lack of Inclusivity in US Surgical Leadership
This study reveals a stark lack of diversity among academic surgical leaders in the United States. Although the medical community recognizes the importance of diversity, surgical department chairs, vice chairs, and division chiefs remain predominantly male and underrepresented by racial and ethnic minorities. Notably, leadership roles associated with diversity and faculty development show greater female […]
Neoadjuvant Imatinib Enhances Resection in Advanced Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors (GISTs)
Neoadjuvant imatinib, a treatment for gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), effectively and safely decreases tumor size, enabling less extensive surgery with a higher rate of complete resection. Among 108 GIST patients, 88% experienced reduced tumor size. Those with specific genetic mutations predicted a positive response to imatinib. Surgical complications occurred in 15% of cases, but 89% […]
Systemic Chemotherapy’s Impact in Colorectal Peritoneal Metastases Patients Undergoing CRS-HIPEC
In patients with colorectal peritoneal metastases (CRC-PM) treated with cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS-HIPEC), systemic chemotherapy (SC) did not significantly enhance overall survival (OS). However, the timing of SC made a difference. Preoperative SC correlated with more major complications and shorter disease-free intervals, while postoperative SC resulted in longer disease-free intervals. The study […]
Ultrasound-Guided Lithotripsy: A Game Changer for Common Bile Duct Stones
Researchers compared treatments for common bile duct (CBD) stones, and ultrasound-guided percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopic lithotripsy (PTCSL) stood out. PTCSL outperformed laparoscopic exploration, with better perioperative outcomes and fewer complications. It also beat endoscopic treatment with fewer instances of pancreatitis, reflux esophagitis, and papillary stenosis. Additionally, the study identified gallstones and family history as independent risk […]