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A predictive model identifies patients at risk for futile liver resection.

A new predictive model effectively identifies patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) at risk of undergoing futile upfront liver resection (LR). Among 1,633 patients analyzed, 16.2% experienced futility—defined as death or recurrence within six months. Key risk factors included tumor burden score, alpha-fetoprotein levels, and albumin-bilirubin grade. The model, which categorizes patients into risk groups, is available online and assists clinicians in making informed preoperative decisions that enhance long-term outcomes.

Journal Article by Altaf A, Khalil M (…) Pawlik TM et 20 al. in Eur J Surg Oncol

Copyright © 2025. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

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Sutureless harmonic scalpel reduces nerve damage in thyroid surgery

A meta-analysis of 43 randomized controlled trials involving over 10,000 patients indicates the sutureless focus harmonic scalpel (UAS) is superior to the conventional clamp-and-tie technique in total thyroidectomy. Notably, the incidence of transient recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy was significantly lower with UAS (3.99% vs. 5.23%). Similarly, transient hypocalcemia occurred less frequently in UAS patients (11.3% vs. 15.4%). These findings suggest UAS may enhance safety and reduce complications in thyroid surgeries.

Systematic Review by Cirocchi R, Matteucci M (…) Sorrenti S et 9 al. in Int J Surg

Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.

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Arterial compression devices improve outcomes in liver cancer treatment

A systematic review and meta-analysis involving 2,338 participants found that arterial compression hemostasis devices significantly reduced compression hemostasis time by 13.9 minutes and limb immobilization time by 8.79 minutes compared to traditional methods. Additionally, these devices lowered the rates of local bleeding, hematoma formation, skin ecchymosis, and other vascular complications. The findings support the superiority of arterial compression devices in improving safety and efficiency during interventional treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Review by Liu H, Yang L, Qin Q and Cui L in World J Surg Oncol

© 2024. The Author(s).

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Acute care surgery could improve South Korea’s emergency care.

Implementing acute care surgery (ACS) in South Korea enhances both trauma and non-trauma emergency services. The model addresses the critical shortage of trauma surgeons and promotes efficient resource allocation, ultimately improving patient outcomes. Research highlights that ACS not only bolsters emergency surgical management but also creates more training opportunities for residents and increases job satisfaction among surgeons. As such, integrating ACS is pivotal for elevating the overall standard of public health care.

Review by Lee JY, Kim S (…) Sul Y et 2 al. in World J Emerg Surg

© 2025. The Author(s).

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Rising colon and rectum cancer rates projected through 2030

Colon and rectum cancer (CRC) continues to rise in China, with 658,321 cases reported in 2021, predominantly in males. The incidence rate for males was 42.24 per 100,000, compared to 21.87 for females, with male mortality rates significantly higher. Projections indicate further increases, particularly among younger males influenced by lifestyle factors such as smoking and alcohol consumption. These findings highlight an urgent need for preventive measures and public health interventions targeting gender disparities and early-onset CRC.

Journal Article by Zhan Z, Chen B (…) Guo Z et 4 al. in Ann Surg Oncol

© 2025. Society of Surgical Oncology.

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ABsite Exam Demonstrates Strong Reliability and Unidimensionality

The internal structure study of the American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination (ABSITE) revealed strong reliability (Cronbach’s alpha >0.9) along with suitable item difficulty (0.66) and item discrimination index (>0.2). Analyzing data from 55,986 unique test results between 2018 and 2023, the findings suggest that ABSITE is a unidimensional tool, which makes it appropriate for formative assessments in surgical education. Future research should explore the constructs measured by the exam.

Journal Article by Carter TM, Sun T, Jones A and Smith BK in Am J Surg

Copyright © 2025 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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A new model predicts perioperative mortality in low-resource settings.

A novel perioperative mortality risk (POMR) model was developed and validated for humanitarian surgical care, utilizing electronic health record data from 49,277 patients. Eight critical, accessible variables were identified: age over 65 years, male sex, Glasgow Coma Scale under 13, high glucose levels, low hemoglobin, elevated heart rate, fever, and high systolic blood pressure. The model showcased an impressive area under the curve, revealing high sensitivity and specificity across different validation sets, making it practical for low-resource environments.

Journal Article by Reynolds CW, Wild H (…) Wren SM et 2 al. in World J Surg

© 2025 International Society of Surgery/Société Internationale de Chirurgie (ISS/SIC).

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Preoperative blood count factors predict early colorectal cancer metastasis

In a study of 268 resected colorectal cancer cases, researchers found that preoperative complete blood count parameters can significantly predict early liver and lung metastases. Decreased red blood cells, lymphocytes, and an elevated monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio correlated with liver metastases, while lower eosinophil counts were linked to lung metastases. Composite scores highlighting these factors revealed a hazard ratio of 8.01 for liver metastasis and 13.69 for lung metastasis, suggesting simple metrics for identifying high-risk patients.

Journal Article by Popęda M, Żok J (…) Bieńkowski M et 2 al. in Int J Colorectal Dis

© 2025. The Author(s).

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Surgical Trends and Outcomes in Korean Gastric Cancer Patients

The 2023 nationwide survey by the Korean Gastric Cancer Association revealed that early gastric cancer comprised 63.1% of cases. Notably, the mean patient age increased to 64.6 years, with those aged ≥71 rising to 31.7% since 1995. The use of totally laparoscopic surgery was predominant at 63.2%, with robotic techniques growing to 9.5%. Post-operative mortality was low at 1.0%, and overall complications were 15.3%. These findings streamline future research directions in gastric cancer care.

Review by Kim DJ, Song JH (…) Kim JW et 67 al. in J Gastric Cancer

Copyright © 2025. Korean Gastric Cancer Association.

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Algorithm Effectively Grades Surgery-Related Adverse Events

An algorithm was developed to automate the grading of surgery-related adverse events using the Clavien-Dindo classification, showing substantial agreement with manual annotations. In a study of 1,379 colorectal procedures, the algorithm achieved a kappa of 0.77 with surgeons and 0.74 with nurses, improving to 0.89 after correcting annotations. The findings suggest promising potential for real-time implementation in healthcare settings, enhancing the efficiency of tracking postoperative complications through electronic health record data.

Journal Article by Båverud Olsson L, Parkan D (…) Buchli C et 3 al. in Ann Surg

Copyright © 2025 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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