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Increased VTE rates identified in postoperative COVID-19 patients

A meta-analysis of 17 studies involving over 3 million patients reveals heightened venous thromboembolism (VTE) rates among postoperative individuals who were COVID-19 positive. Notably, those undergoing total joint arthroplasty, other orthopedic surgery, and emergency general surgery experienced significantly elevated VTE rates compared to their COVID-19 negative counterparts. No substantial differences were found between pre-pandemic and pandemic VTE incidence rates, indicating a pressing need for further investigation into risk factors related to COVID-19 variants and vaccination.

Systematic Review by Jackson A, Lewis-Lloyd CA (…) Humes DJ et 2 al. in BJS Open

© The Author(s) 2025. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of BJS Foundation Ltd.

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Delayed coloanal anastomosis reduces complications for low rectal cancer.

A study involving 305 patients found that delayed coloanal anastomosis (dcaa) resulted in a significantly lower overall postoperative complication rate of 15% compared to 31% for immediate coloanal anastomosis (icaa). Early and late anastomosis-related complications were also reduced in the dcaa group. Furthermore, at two years post-surgery, patients in the dcaa cohort displayed notably better anorectal function, with lower rates of major low anterior resection syndrome and severe incontinence, indicating dcaa may be the preferred approach.

Journal Article by Kitaguchi D, Seow-En I (…) Chen WT et 5 al. in J Am Coll Surg

Copyright © 2025 by the American College of Surgeons. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Enhanced assessment of blood supply during colorectal surgery

Integrating biophysical modeling and machine learning significantly improves intraoperative assessment of intestinal perfusion in laparoscopic low anterior rectal resection. An analysis of 68 patients demonstrated that the automated model outperformed traditional scoring methods, achieving a root mean square error of 2.47 and a mean absolute error of 1.99. This innovative approach offers a quantitative framework, enhancing surgical evaluation, and fostering more informed intraoperative decision-making in colorectal procedures.

Journal Article by He W, Zhu H (…) Gao Y et 4 al. in Surg Endosc

© 2025. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.

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Surgical complications linked to surgeon age and volume

A systematic review analyzing 2.3 million procedures from 72,000 surgeons reveals a U-shaped relationship between surgeon age and surgical complications. High-volume surgeons maintained stable outcomes up to age 70, while low-volume surgeons faced significant complications after age 55. Complex procedures showed more pronounced age effects compared to minimally invasive ones. The findings advocate for personalized evaluations rather than rigid age-based policies, underscoring the significance of surgical volume and ongoing education for surgeons.

Review by Mussa B, Defrancisco B and Petracco P in Am J Surg

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

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Comprehensive geriatric approaches reduce readmission risks post-surgery

A comprehensive geriatric assessment combined with individualized prehabilitation programs may significantly reduce unplanned hospital readmissions in older adults after digestive surgery. The study emphasizes the importance of addressing underlying frailty, comorbidities, and postoperative complications. By coordinating efforts between surgical teams and geriatric specialists, improved perioperative care can be achieved, consequently minimizing the adverse effects of readmission, such as cognitive disorders and loss of autonomy. Implementing this multifaceted strategy is crucial for elderly patient outcomes.

Review by Puygrenier P, Al Taweel B, Herrero A and Gaillard M in J Visc Surg

Copyright © 2025 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

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Robotic-assisted hepatectomy proves cost-effective and safe.

Findings indicate that robotic-assisted hepatectomy in a high-volume center leads to shorter hospital stays, fewer complications, and lower severe morbidity rates compared to traditional methods. Analyzing 111 patients from Lille University Hospital revealed costs dropped from €12,169 in 2018 to €8,513 in 2021, cumulatively saving €259,576 for the 71 patients in the latter cohort. These results underscore robotic surgery’s growing role as a safe and financially advantageous option for liver procedures.

Journal Article by Rouault A, Pecquenard F (…) Millet G et 3 al. in J Robot Surg

© 2025. The Author(s).

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Worsening frailty scores predict postoperative mortality risk.

Preoperative frailty, measured by the modified frailty index (MFI), significantly predicts postoperative mortality. Patients who experienced in-hospital mortality exhibited higher preoperative MFI scores (0.178) compared to those discharged alive (0.115). This difference persisted on postoperative day 1 (0.240 vs. 0.143) and along the entire hospitalization trajectory. Notably, the increase in MFI scores was substantial for those who died (0.276) versus those discharged (0.014), highlighting the critical role of early frailty recognition for timely interventions.

Journal Article by Mahler R, Rivera R (…) Velanovich V et 2 al. in Langenbecks Arch Surg

© 2025. The Author(s).

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Rising burden of gallbladder diseases amid improved age-standardized rates

The global health burden of gallbladder and biliary diseases persists, with the age-standardized incidence rate decreasing by 12.84% from 1990 to 2021. However, the absolute number of cases increased by 60.11%, primarily due to population aging and growth. Health inequalities persist, particularly in high-burden regions like Honduras, with disparities in healthcare workforce density relative to disease burden. Projections indicate that by 2035, the total cases and deaths will continue to rise, necessitating strategic healthcare interventions.

Journal Article by Dai F, Cai Y (…) Dai Y et 2 al. in BMC Gastroenterol

© 2025. The Author(s).

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Hybrid 3D and Sandwich Techniques Show Superior Outcomes in Hernia Repair

A network meta-analysis of 20 studies evaluated various mesh placement techniques for parastomal hernia repair. Results indicated that the hybrid 3D technique significantly reduced hernia recurrence and surgical site infections compared to keyhole and Sugarbaker methods. Among the assessed methods, the Sandwich technique ranked highest in terms of the lowest recurrence rates. Both hybrid 3D and Sandwich demonstrated lower cumulative complications than alternatives, though no significant differences existed for operative time or hospital stay length.

Review by Sahin OK, Kaya AG (…) Ximenes ENF et 5 al. in Hernia

© 2025. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag France SAS, part of Springer Nature.

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Optimal lymph node yield determined for accurate gastric cancer staging

A cohort study of 6,463 gastric cancer patients established new benchmarks for lymph node harvesting in gastrectomy. Results showed that just five lymph nodes (LNs) sufficed for CT1 patients to maintain a low risk of false negatives, while CT2 patients required 17 nodes. For CT3 and CT4 patients, even 35 nodes did not significantly reduce risks. Depending on surgical type, guidelines emerged: 25 nodes for subtotal gastrectomy and 59 for total gastrectomy to achieve 90% confidence in ruling out nodal disease.

Journal Article by Li R, Sun X (…) Liu N et 4 al. in World J Surg Oncol

© 2025. The Author(s).

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