Most operating room (OR) personnel have positive attitudes towards music in the OR, perceiving it as calming, helpful for focus, and not distracting or unsafe, according to a survey of 222 surgeons, anesthesiologists, and nurses. Surgeons tended to believe that the decision to play music should be theirs, while anesthesiologists and nurses supported collaborative decision-making. […]
Category: Perspectives, Opinions and Curiosities
Hyper-Realistic Surgical Simulator Enhances Trainee Surgeon Confidence in Operating on Trauma Patients
Researchers introduced a hyper-realistic surgical simulator, the cut suit, with an advanced skills package to improve trainee surgeon confidence in managing operative trauma. The study involved 123 surgery residents from six trauma centers in New York City. After the simulation, 68% of participants agreed that the simulation resembled actual surgery, and the percentage of residents […]
High variability in VTE risk across abdominal surgery procedures, impacting thromboprophylaxis decisions
The study conducted systematic reviews and meta-analyses to estimate procedure-specific risks of symptomatic venous thromboembolism (VTE) and major bleeding after various types of abdominal surgery. They found that the risk of VTE varied widely among different procedures, with laparoscopic cholecystectomy having the lowest median risk (
Telehealth Follow-Up After General Surgery Procedures is Safe and Effective: Study Highlights Lower Complication Rates
Telehealth utilization for postoperative care in general surgery has rapidly increased during the pandemic, but its usage among the veteran surgical population remains limited. A retrospective review of veterans undergoing general surgery found that telehealth follow-up after qualifying procedures was safe and effective. Among the 1075 patients included in the study, 56% followed up in-person […]
Immunonutrition in Major Abdominal Surgery
The meta-analysis of 87 studies involving 8,375 patients revealed that perioperative oral/enteral immunonutrition containing arginine, glutamine, and polyunsaturated fatty acids significantly reduces morbidity rates (odds ratio of 0.32). Additionally, postoperative enteral immunonutrition with RNA, arginine, and polyunsaturated fatty acids may lower mortality rates, but with less certainty (odds ratio of 0.59). However, the impact of […]
Higher social vulnerability linked to increased postoperative complications in surgical patients
A study aimed to investigate the association between social vulnerability and risk-adjusted complications in a diverse surgical patient population. The research involved a retrospective cohort analysis of 31,224 patients from five hospitals. Patients with high social vulnerability were more likely to have various medical comorbidities and experience adverse postoperative outcomes, such as higher rates of […]
Socioecological Determinants of Health Survey: Highly Acceptable and Feasible in Colorectal Surgery Patients
A comprehensive tool consisting of 88 questions measuring 31 socioecological determinants of health was developed and assessed for acceptability and feasibility in adult patients undergoing colorectal surgery. Results showed high acceptability and feasibility (>65%) for all domains, with the majority of participants reporting no trouble completing the survey, minimal burden, sufficient time, and integration into […]
Inefficiencies in Hub-and-Spoke Systems: Balancing Outcomes and Length of Stay
A multi-state cohort study examined hub and spoke healthcare systems and found that while hub hospitals had lower odds of death or serious morbidity (DSM) for complex operations, they had higher odds of prolonged length of stay (LOS) for common operations. This suggests that there is an opportunity to improve system efficiency within these healthcare […]
Telehealth Follow-Up After General Surgery Procedures is Safe and Effective: Study Highlights Lower Complication Rates
Telehealth utilization for postoperative care in general surgery has rapidly increased during the pandemic, but its usage among the veteran surgical population remains limited. A retrospective review of veterans undergoing general surgery found that telehealth follow-up after qualifying procedures was safe and effective. Among the 1075 patients included in the study, 56% followed up in-person […]
Availability and Variation of Parental Leave Policies for General Surgery Residency Programs
Only 6% of general surgery residency program websites and 52% of graduate medical education (GME) websites provide information about parental leave policies. Family Medical Leave Act policies are most commonly reported, followed by maternity, paternity, and adoption/other clauses. The study found that academic programs, program location in the southeastern US, and larger program size were […]