Non-elective cholecystectomy outcomes have significantly improved from 2015 to 2024, highlighting the benefits of increasing minimally invasive techniques despite a concerning rise in surgical-site infections. Adjusted 30-day mortality decreased from 0.59% to 0.38% (34.8% reduction). Major complications fell from 6.77% to 5.41% (20.1% reduction), while reoperations dropped from 1.54% to 1.14% (26.2% reduction). The length […]

Postoperative antibiotics after appendectomy for acute appendicitis, even in patients with intra-abdominal fluid, do not reduce infection rates. In a study of 1,539 patients, only 18.1% received postoperative antibiotics, with no significant difference in infection rates regardless of intra-abdominal fluid presence. Key risk factors for infection included an ASA score > 2 (HR=5.129), symptom duration […]

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided gallbladder drainage (EUS-GBD) shows a significantly lower rate of unplanned readmissions compared to percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage (PTGBD) in high-risk acute cholecystitis patients. Unplanned readmission rates were 7.0% for EUS-GBD versus 37.1% for PTGBD. Both techniques had comparable clinical success and mortality rates, but EUS-GBD consistently showed lower readmissions in all studies examined. […]

Emergency general surgery is linked to significant post-operative financial strain, with 9.1% of patients facing increased medical debt within a year. Patients with an income under $40,000 were nearly six times more likely to incur debt compared to those over $100,000 (15.2% vs. 2.7%). Uninsured patients had a 4.06-fold higher risk of increased debt compared […]

This paper underscores an enduring principle in cholecystectomy: prioritizing patient safety over procedural completion can prevent injury in difficult cases. McElmoyle advocated for preserving adherent tissue and removing the gallbladder only when safely separable, a strategy that echoes modern approaches to subtotal cholecystectomy. When visibility is compromised by inflammation, surgeons should recognize that avoiding injury […]

A needs assessment reveals that ineffective governance hinders prehospital emergency care in Hawassa, Ethiopia, leading to fragmented services that often serve merely as interfacility transport. Key barriers identified include unclear ownership of prehospital care, inadequate training, and limited resources like medicines and equipment. Strengthening services will require clearer accountability and improved infrastructure, alongside sustained workforce […]

Robotic surgery for emergency general surgery is used less frequently in transferred patients, showing significant hospital-level variation with comparable clinical outcomes to other techniques. Robotic surgery was utilized in only 8.5% of transfer-receiving hospitals, highlighting its limited adoption. Compared to laparoscopy, robotic surgery offered a shorter length of stay (LOS) but at a higher cost, […]

Patients undergoing diagnostic laparoscopy for suspected appendicitis experience low rates of subsequent surgery and complications, reinforcing that routine removal of a macroscopically normal appendix is not justified. 3.5% of patients who underwent diagnostic laparoscopy required a repeat procedure, with a 0.96% risk of actual appendicitis after follow-up averaging 5.2 years. Surgical complications were significantly higher […]