A retrospective international study compared the effectiveness of self-expanding metal stents (SEMs) to plastic stents for preoperative biliary drainage in resectable perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (PCCA). Among 474 patients who received stents, SEMs showed significantly lower rates of stent failure and cholangitis. Both stenting methods led to comparable surgical outcomes, but SEMs excelled in preventing stent dysfunction. […]
Category: General Surgery
KRAS Mutation in Colon Cancer Linked to Poorer 2-Year Survival
In a study on non-metastatic colon cancer patients, researchers explored conditional overall survival (COS) considering laterality, microsatellite instability (MSI), and KRAS mutation status. Among 4,838 patients, those with mutated KRAS experienced worse COS, implying a more aggressive disease course, with a higher risk of death 2 years post-diagnosis. While laterality and MSI status didn’t significantly […]
Social Determinants of Health Impact Acute Care Surgery Outcomes
This study investigated the influence of social determinants of health on the outcomes of patients needing emergency general surgery or trauma care. The research used patient data from 2017 to 2020 in California and looked at the impact of social determinants of health codes related to socioeconomic and psychosocial factors. The findings showed that patients […]
Emotional Intelligence Mitigates Burnout in Medical and Surgical Residents
A 3-year study investigated the connection between emotional intelligence and burnout in medical and surgical residents. The research, conducted at a Michigan hospital, revealed a significant rise in burnout levels during the first year of residency. Emotional exhaustion increased by 44% but later decreased by 23% in the third year. Both medical and surgical residents […]
North American Center Achieves Global Benchmark for Laparoscopic Liver Resections
A single-center study evaluated laparoscopic liver resections at Toronto General Hospital to compare their performance with established global benchmarks. Out of 178 cases analyzed, 25% qualified as low-risk cases. For these low-risk cases, the postoperative major morbidity and 90-day mortality rates after different types of liver resections were all at 0%. High-risk cases post-2017 had […]
Fragmented Care in Pancreatic Cancer Doesn’t Impact Survival
A study on localized pancreatic cancer investigated whether fragmented care, where patients receive systemic therapy at a different facility than their surgery, affected survival. Among over 11,000 patients, those treated in Commission on Cancer accredited facilities were more likely to receive neoadjuvant therapy, but overall survival didn’t significantly differ compared to non-fragmented care or fragmented […]
Preoperative Smoking Cessation Interventions: Impact and Variability
A systematic review analyzed nine articles from 1998 to 2019 to evaluate pre-hospital smoking cessation interventions’ impact on smoking rates for surgery patients. These interventions included methods like nicotine replacement therapy, e-cigarettes, counseling, and medications. Among 1,762 patients in the studies, six reported smoking status on the day of surgery, with four studies showing differences […]
Impact of COVID-19 on Female Surgeons: New Normal Work Environment
A survey of 139 female surgeons conducted in 2021 explored the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on their lives. The study revealed that 71.2% of respondents felt the pandemic worsened their clinical practice, with 30.9% experiencing a decrease in income. Many faced challenges, including caring for children, elderly family members, and increased household chores. These […]
Immediate Release of Electronic Health Information: Clinician and Patient Perceptions
The 21st Century Cures Act mandates the immediate release of electronic health information (EHI) to patients. Researchers surveyed 33 clinicians and 30 patients, conducting interviews with a subset of 8 clinicians and 12 patients to explore their perceptions of this immediate EHI release. Ten themes emerged, revealing differences in how clinicians and patients perceive patient […]
Operative Management of Emergency General Surgery Conditions Incurs Higher Long-term Costs
Research found that for emergency general surgery (EGS) conditions, operative management resulted in higher in-hospital costs compared to non-operative approaches. However, over the long term, only patients with hepatopancreaticobiliary conditions experienced cost equivalence between operative and non-operative management at 90 and 180 days. For other EGS conditions, operative management maintained higher inpatient costs that slightly […]