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Long-Term Survival in Rectal Cancer Linked to Care Quality

Achieving textbook outcomes during rectal cancer surgery correlates with better long-term survival more than hospital volume does.

  • Only 28.5% of patients reached textbook outcomes (TO).
  • Patients at high-volume hospitals had a higher TO rate (31.2%) compared to medium (29.6%) and low-volume (23.2%) hospitals.

Prioritizing TO criteria can enhance survival rates regardless of hospital case volume.

  • A 40% reduction in long-term mortality was observed for patients achieving TO, emphasizing quality over quantity in surgical care.

Journal Article by Aly M, Chang YH (…) Wasif N et 3 al. in Ann Surg Open

Copyright © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.

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Single-Incision Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Rivals Traditional Method

Single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SILC) shows promise as a safe alternative to conventional methods, improving recovery times and cosmetic outcomes.

  • Hospital stays are shorter with SILC at 1.94 days, compared to 2.25 days for traditional cholecystectomy.
  • Patients report significantly less pain (2.19 vs. 2.80) and better cosmetic results (2.41 vs. 3.54 on Vancouver scar scores).

Surgeons should consider patient selection and experience to enhance SILC outcomes while monitoring for potential complications.

  • Though complication rates, like bile leakage, were higher in SILC, they were not statistically significant.

Journal Article by Pan X, Zha L (…) Liu D et 6 al. in HPB (Oxford)

Copyright © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

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Endoscopy Revolutionizes GERD Management

Recent advances in endoscopy are changing the way we diagnose and treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), thereby impacting surgical decision-making.

  • High-resolution and image-enhanced endoscopy detect subtle mucosal changes more effectively.
  • Endoscopic interventions like mucosectomy and submucosal dissection offer safe, minimally invasive options for patients who don’t respond to proton pump inhibitors.

Surgeons should consider integrating advanced endoscopic techniques into their practice for better patient outcomes.

  • Functional assessments using endoscopy provide valuable insights into the mechanisms of GERD symptoms and lower esophageal sphincter dysfunction.

Review by Hosaka H, Kuribayashi S (…) Uraoka T et 4 al. in Digestion

© 2025 S. Karger AG, Basel.

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Rising burden of synchronous liver metastasis in cancer patients

Synchronous liver metastasis is on the rise, impacting surgical decisions and outcomes for various cancers.

  • 6% of cancer patients developed synchronous liver metastasis between 2010 and 2021, with a 2.24% annual increase in the early years.
  • Nearly 47.5% of cases were oligometastatic, leading to significantly better survival rates with surgery (5-year survival: 41% vs. 7.4%).

Understanding these trends can help tailor patient selection for surgical interventions, especially in oligometastatic cases.

  • Colorectal, pancreatic, and small intestine cancers are notable for higher rates of oligometastatic liver metastasis.

Journal Article by Zhang X, Lei K (…) Zhang Y et 2 al. in Int J Surg

Copyright © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.

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New scoring system for acute appendicitis guides surgery decisions

Surgeons can now use a scoring system to determine the need for emergency surgery in acute appendicitis patients.

  • A score of 9 or above indicates a 91.9% likelihood of requiring an emergency appendectomy.
  • Scores of 4 or below suggest that 77.6% of patients can be treated conservatively with antibiotics.

This tool enhances decision-making, especially in primary care settings, reducing unnecessary surgeries.

  • The system demonstrated 94.8% sensitivity and 63.6% specificity in clinical validation.

Journal Article by Wang B, Liao K (…) Zheng S et 7 al. in BMC Surg

© 2025. The Author(s).

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Impact of Preoperative Opioid Use Disorder Meds on Surgery Outcomes

Preoperative medication for opioid use disorder (OUD) reduces complications in surgical patients with OUD.

  • Among 917,754 surgical patients, 1.6% had OUD; of these, 27.6% were using medication for OUD preoperatively.
  • Patients with OUD had significantly higher rates of postoperative opioid use (42.2% vs. 8.2%), ED visits (21.7% vs. 6.9%), and readmissions (6.6% vs. 2.2%) compared to opioid-naïve patients.

Preoperative use of medications like buprenorphine or methadone can lead to fewer complications and should be considered in surgical planning for this patient group.

Journal Article by Li AH, Huang Y (…) Wright JD et 5 al. in Ann Surg Open

Copyright © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.

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Elevating Open Surgery Skills in General Surgery Residency

A quarterly cadaver-based training program enhances open surgical skills in residents, vital for addressing trauma surgery gaps.

  • Residents showed significant improvement in complex abdominal and vascular procedures over three years.
  • Chief residents achieved performance parity with attending surgeons in 33 trauma procedures.

This approach helps ensure future surgeons are adequately prepared for open surgical challenges.

  • Flexible module scheduling can adapt to various residency programs, promoting broader access to essential training.

Journal Article by Andreatta PB, Franklin B (…) Bradley M et 2 al. in Ann Surg Open

Copyright © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.

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Fragmented Care Raises Risks for Trauma Patients

Trauma patients frequently face higher risks when readmitted to nonindex hospitals, impacting surgical outcomes.

  • 11.9% of trauma patients had a 90-day readmission after initial hospitalization.
  • 28% were sent to nonindex hospitals, where they faced 11% higher adjusted odds of mortality and 12% increased odds of major complications.

Addressing fragmented care is crucial for improving patient safety and surgical results.

  • Infections like septicemia were the most common reasons for readmission.

Journal Article by Wang BK, Green A (…) Choi J et 3 al. in Ann Surg Open

Copyright © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.

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New framework for post-total pancreatectomy hemorrhage

A proposed classification enhances understanding of bleeding complications after total pancreatectomy, impacting surgical management.

  • 35 patients experienced bleeding complications, highlighting a significant risk.
  • The existing ISGPS classification fails to capture all relevant bleeding sources post-total pancreatectomy.

This novel classification offers a more precise framework for identifying and managing hemorrhagic events, aiding surgeons in improving patient outcomes.

  • A new severity index correlates with bleeding sources, enhancing clinical decision-making.

Journal Article by Timmermann L, Schensar R (…) Malinka T et 2 al. in Langenbecks Arch Surg

© 2025. The Author(s).

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Optimizing Liver Regeneration in ALPPS Surgery

ALPPS surgery enhances liver regeneration by allowing one lobe to proliferate while another manages metabolic tasks.

  • The fast-regenerating lobe (FRL) increases growth when the metabolic load of the non-growing lobes (LLs) is appropriately managed.
  • Transcriptomics and metabolomics show distinct roles: FRL focuses on growth while LLs handle metabolic support.

Surgeons can tailor surgical strategies based on metabolic capacity to optimize outcomes during ALPPS procedures.

  • Reduced ligated volume enhances FRL growth by increasing metabolic activity in LLs, indicating a potential strategy for improving patient selection.

Journal Article by Guerra S, Birrer DL (…) Humar B et 3 al. in Int J Surg

Copyright © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.

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