A multimodal prehabilitation program enhances functional capacity and body composition before abdominal surgeries for cancer, impacting patient recovery. Participants showed improved peak oxygen uptake by 0.6 ml/kg/min and muscle strength gains of up to 18.9 kg in leg press. However, these improvements were not sustained postoperatively, with measures often returning to baseline or declining. Surgeons […]

Surgeons now have a validated model to predict acute kidney injury in surgical patients, crucial for improving outcomes and reducing costs. AKI incidence was 1.8% in the training set and 2.4% in the external validation set. The model achieved an AUC of 0.87-0.88 and identified key risk factors: inpatient status, ascites, renal failure, preoperative creatinine, […]

A new nationwide surgical registry in Korea reveals important data on 30-day complications, which can help surgeons improve patient selection and surgical outcomes. Overall 30-day complication rate is 38.7%, with major complications at 12.7% and mortality at 0.59%. Mortality is highest after pancreatic surgery (1.17%) and lowest after gastric surgery (0.16%). Understanding these results can […]

Surgeons need to know that patient privilege significantly affects rates of unplanned surgeries and complications in critical procedures. 55.4% of patients from low-privilege areas experienced unplanned surgeries compared to 39.4% from high-privilege areas. Inpatient mortality was 3.1% for low-privilege patients versus 2.1% for high-privilege; perioperative complications were 30.4% vs 23.8%, respectively. Consider the role of […]

Current C-SATS metrics don’t effectively assess proficiency in robotic surgeries, raising concerns for surgeon training. Total GEAR scores correlate with case volumes for robotic-assisted cholecystectomy (r=0.65) and inguinal hernia repair (r=0.54). No correlation was found for novice surgeons or those with fewer than 50 cases, indicating limitations in evaluating their skills. Surgeons need better tools […]

Surgeons must navigate the complex landscape of surgical decision-making for patients with dementia, emphasizing informed choices and collaboration. 28 recommendations were developed, with 25 deemed critically important but feasible only in the long-term. Consensus among 23 stakeholders highlighted the need for better resources and team-based care for surgical candidates with cognitive impairment. Prioritize education on […]

Medicare Advantage plans often limit patient access to surgical specialists, which can affect care delivery and outcomes. Among 36,584 counties, the average Medicare Advantage network included only 57.6% of surgical specialists. Plastic surgery networks had the least access, averaging 47.1%, while vascular, thoracic, and orthopedic networks exceeded 60%. Over 1 million enrollees reside in counties […]

Dexmedetomidine is a standout option for preventing postoperative delirium in older adults. Overall delirium risk post-surgery is 14.5%. Dexmedetomidine shows a significant reduction (odds ratio 0.46) in delirium risk. Corticosteroids also reduce delirium severity but do not affect other outcomes like length of stay or mortality. Be cautious with dexmedetomidine due to potential hypotension and […]

A structured mentoring committee significantly enhances academic trajectories for early-career surgeons. After 8 years, 58 mentees rated the program highly, with 94% finding the information valuable. 90% felt the meetings contributed to their academic success and 88% appreciated the communication following sessions. Implementing formal mentoring in surgical departments can lead to better faculty development and […]