Blog

Surgical residents face significant financial challenges for childcare.

A study of 295 U.S. surgical residency programs indicates that 98.3% demonstrated negative net income after accounting for living expenses and childcare costs. This trend persisted across various child age groups and regions, with the West exhibiting the steepest losses averaging -$18,852. The findings reveal that the current salaries of surgical residents are insufficient to support family stability, potentially dissuading candidates from pursuing surgical training or starting families while in residency.

Journal Article by Mercante MG, Tocco EG (…) Witt RG et 7 al. in JAMA Netw Open

read the whole article in JAMA Netw Open

open it in PubMed

Large language models can improve surgical patient education

A multicenter analysis revealed that ChatGPT-4o effectively enhances patient education before and after surgery. Evaluating audio responses to frequently asked questions, the model achieved an average accuracy score of 4.12/5 and a relevance score of 4.46/5. Postoperative responses were notably more accurate and less harmful than preoperative ones. Results suggest that integrating ChatGPT-4o in clinical settings could significantly improve patient satisfaction and informed decision-making in surgical care.

Multicenter Study by Aghamaliyev U, Karimbayli J (…) Renz BW et 12 al. in Int J Surg

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

read the whole article in Int J Surg

open it in PubMed

Thermal ablation shows comparable efficacy with better safety for colorectal liver metastases.

A multi-center study of 303 patients with colorectal liver metastases revealed no significant difference in early recurrence patterns after resection versus thermal ablation. Both treatments showed similar 6-month recurrence-free survival rates; however, thermal ablation demonstrated a lower incidence of serious complications and shorter hospitalization. Key risk factors for early recurrence were identified, including the diameter of metastases and clinical risk score. Thermal ablation may be preferable as a first-line treatment option.

Multicenter Study by Kong Y, Huang X (…) Zhou X et 2 al. in J Gastrointest Cancer

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

read the whole article in J Gastrointest Cancer

open it in PubMed

Improved surgical performance lowers risk of delayed gastric emptying

A study analyzing 192 robotic gastro-enterostomy procedures found that enhanced surgical performance, assessed via objective structured assessment of technical skills (OSATS), correlates with a reduced incidence of delayed gastric emptying (DGE). DGE occurred in 21.9% of patients, with an OSATS score above 25 associated with a 59.9% reduced risk of grade B/C DGE. Additionally, a learning curve evaluation indicated proficiency at 34 procedures, significantly lowering DGE rates.

Journal Article by Zwart MJW, van den Broek BLJ (…) Besselink MG et 19 al. in Ann Surg

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

read the whole article in Ann Surg

open it in PubMed

Structured preoperative briefings significantly enhance surgical training outcomes

Findings reveal that implementing structured preoperative educational briefings markedly improves surgical education and trainee performance metrics. A systematic review identified 20 studies demonstrating 93 instances of statistically significant improvements post-briefing implementation. The new ‘goals, autonomy, preparation, and strategy’ (GAPS) framework emerged from thematic analysis, guiding effective briefing discussions. This framework facilitates goal-oriented learning, enhances trainee autonomy, and prepares participants to ensure smoother surgical operations, benefiting surgical specialties universally.

Systematic Review by Norton J, Ambler O (…) Yule S et 2 al. in Br J Surg

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

read the whole article in Br J Surg

open it in PubMed

ICG-guided lymphadenectomy improves survival in gastric cancer

A study involving 459 gastric cancer patients showed that indocyanine green (ICG)-guided lymphadenectomy significantly enhanced survival outcomes after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Patients in the ICG group had a higher number of lymph nodes harvested and demonstrated improved three-year overall survival (78.6% vs 66.6%) and recurrence-free survival (74.0% vs 57.0%) compared to non-ICG counterparts. Efficacy was particularly notable in patients with ypN2/3 and those with a major pathological response.

Journal Article by Tang YH, Huang ZN (…) Huang CM et 12 al. in JAMA Surg

read the whole article in JAMA Surg

open it in PubMed

Guidelines established for managing high-risk acute cholecystitis patients

An international Delphi consensus study outlines management strategies for high-surgical risk patients with acute cholecystitis. Early laparoscopic cholecystectomy is preferred for those who fail conservative treatment. For severe cases, percutaneous cholecystostomy is recommended to alleviate symptoms quickly. The study emphasizes the importance of assessing surgical candidacy after infection control and designates a minimum duration for percutaneous cholecystostomy in patients unsuitable for surgery. This consensus acts as a guide for clinicians navigating complex cases.

Journal Article by Pesce A, Ramirez-Giraldo C (…) Cirocchi R et 29 al. in Int J Surg

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

read the whole article in Int J Surg

open it in PubMed

Nomograms Enhance Prognostic Accuracy in Early Gastric Cancer with Lymph Node Metastasis

A study established two nomograms to predict risks and prognosis for T1-T2 stage gastric cancer patients with lymph node metastasis. Analyzing data from 5,350 patients, key risk factors included age, tumor size, and grade. The developed nomograms demonstrated excellent calibration and clinical applicability, significantly distinguishing overall survival between low-risk and high-risk groups. These tools aim to improve clinical decision-making and personalize treatment strategies for affected patients.

Journal Article by Nie GL, Geng L (…) Jiang H et 2 al. in Front Med (Lausanne)

Copyright © 2025 Nie, Geng, Zhang, Chu and Jiang.

read the whole article in Front Med (Lausanne)

open it in PubMed

Sustained-release anti-JUN therapy effectively reduces postoperative adhesions

A novel therapeutic approach utilizing a sustained-release anti-JUN agent demonstrated significant efficacy in preventing postoperative adhesions in preclinical models. Encapsulated in a shear-thinning hydrogel, this small-molecule inhibitor minimized adhesion quantity and reduced fibrosis at the microstructural level. The treatment proved safe and well-tolerated in both murine and porcine models, suggesting strong potential for clinical application in surgical settings, where abdominal adhesions are a common complication.

Journal Article by Foster DS, Guo JL (…) Longaker MT et 19 al. in Sci Transl Med

read the whole article in Sci Transl Med

open it in PubMed

Machine learning effectively predicts postpancreatectomy acute pancreatitis

A novel machine learning model successfully predicts postpancreatectomy acute pancreatitis (PPAP) in patients following pancreaticoduodenectomy. In a cohort of 381 patients, 88 (23.09%) developed PPAP, which was notably associated with a higher occurrence of postoperative pancreatic fistulas (55.68%). Various algorithms, including logistic regression and gradient boosting, were tested, with recursive feature elimination optimizing variable selection. This model aims to enhance proactive management strategies for clinicians dealing with this surgical complication.

Journal Article by Ma JM, Wang PF (…) Wang XD et 6 al. in World J Gastroenterol

©The Author(s) 2025. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.

read the whole article in World J Gastroenterol

open it in PubMed