Blog

Effective measures identified to reduce postoperative ileus

A systematic review encompassing 37 studies and 4,647 patients reveals significant reductions in postoperative ileus with specific interventions. Notably, electro-acupuncture decreased the time to passage of first flatus by 18.33 hours, while prokinetic agents and chewing gum notably reduced time to first stool by 32.27 and 23.05 hours, respectively. These findings highlight the efficacy of non-invasive measures in enhancing recovery after gastrointestinal surgery, offering valuable insights for clinical practice.

Review by Sarmiento-Altamirano D, Arce-Jara D, Balarezo-Guerrero P and Valdivieso R in J Gastrointest Surg

Copyright © 2025. Published by Elsevier Inc.

read the whole article in J Gastrointest Surg

open it in PubMed

Nomogram effectively predicts postoperative pulmonary infection risks

A novel risk prediction nomogram incorporating inflammatory and nutritional indexes has shown strong potential for forecasting postoperative pulmonary infection (POI) in colorectal cancer patients after radical surgery. Analyzing data from 866 patients, researchers identified key factors such as age, respiratory diseases, and systemic inflammation response index that influenced POI. The logistic regression model demonstrated reliable performance with an area under the ROC curve of 0.773, highlighting the nomogram’s effectiveness in enhancing predictive capabilities in clinical settings.

Validation Study by Han J, Yao T (…) Huang H et 8 al. in BMJ Open

© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2025. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ Group.

read the whole article in BMJ Open

open it in PubMed

Prolonging postoperative antibiotic use shows no significant benefit

An umbrella review of 28 articles involving over 80,000 patients reveals that extending postoperative antibiotic prophylaxis (PAP) beyond 24 hours offers no significant advantages in preventing surgical site infections compared to immediate discontinuation. The pooled risk ratio (RR) was found to be 1.07, supporting the WHO’s 2018 recommendation to cease PAP after surgical incision closure in specific procedures. Researchers emphasize the need for more studies to facilitate the effective discontinuation of PAP practices.

Systematic Review by Bwire GM, Magati RB (…) Majigo MV et 9 al. in Syst Rev

© 2025. The Author(s).

read the whole article in Syst Rev

open it in PubMed

Elderly trauma patients face higher mortality and costs.

A retrospective study of 1,743 elderly trauma patients revealed a concerning trend: they exhibited longer hospital stays, higher complication rates, and increased medical expenses compared to younger counterparts. Accidental falls predominated among these cases, particularly impacting women. Key mortality predictors included age, trauma severity, and initial hypotension. The findings suggest a critical need for healthcare policies to address age-related differences in trauma care and emphasize strategies to reduce hospital stays and improve outcomes for the elderly.

Journal Article by Kang LY and Hua HY in J Chin Med Assoc

Copyright © 2024, the Chinese Medical Association.

read the whole article in J Chin Med Assoc

open it in PubMed

Socioeconomic status impacts colorectal surgery outcomes and recovery

Disparities in perioperative outcomes linked to socioeconomic status and race/ethnicity were revealed in a study of 1,519 elective colorectal surgery patients. Low socioeconomic status was associated with decreased adherence to preoperative measures, longer hospital stays (4 vs. 3 days, p<0.001), and higher rates of infectious complications (OR 2.46). Among racial groups, Black patients experienced poorer preoperative education and increased odds of respiratory complications (OR 4.11). Adjustments to care protocols could enhance recovery equity.

Journal Article by Antoniv M, Maldonado LJ (…) Bleday R et 2 al. in Ann Surg

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

read the whole article in Ann Surg

open it in PubMed

Establishing a Research Agenda for Surgical Competency Training

A research agenda for entrustable professional activities in surgical specialties has been proposed to enhance competency-based medical education. Key domains of inquiry include practice readiness, environmental biases, certification features, qualitative feedback, and patient outcomes. This framework aims to integrate innovative training methodologies into residency and address the evolving skill requirements of surgical residents. By evaluating these entrustable professional activities, the study seeks to optimize education and improve patient care in the rapidly advancing field of surgery.

Journal Article by Sandhu G, Jones A (…) Lindeman B et 3 al. in Ann Surg

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

read the whole article in Ann Surg

open it in PubMed

Novel Laparoscopic Technique Improves Liver Resection Outcomes

A new laparoscopic liver resection technique utilizing the ventral avascular area of the inferior vena cava shows promise in improving surgical outcomes. In a study of 256 patients, this method yielded significantly larger tumor resections and reduced intraoperative complications, such as bleeding and tumor compression, compared to traditional approaches. The technique allows for a safer procedure, addressing short hepatic veins after parenchymal transection, thereby enhancing the overall efficacy of laparoscopic liver surgeries.

Comparative Study by Huang K, Chen Z (…) Lan X et 4 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

Predictive model developed for lymph node metastasis in early gastric cancer

A nomogram created to forecast lymph node metastasis (LNM) in submucosal early gastric cancer (EGC) shows significant predictive accuracy. Analyzing data from 389 patients, the model employs risk factors like gender, CA199 levels, and tumor traits, achieving an area under the curve of 0.82 in training and 0.74 in validation sets. This tool aims to refine therapeutic decisions and minimize unnecessary surgeries by providing a reliable preoperative assessment of LNM likelihood.

Journal Article by Yu W, Xu Z (…) Wang D et 6 al. in Surg Endosc

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

read the whole article in Surg Endosc

open it in PubMed

Enhanced recovery protocols improve outcomes after oesophagectomy

A systematic review and meta-analysis of six randomized clinical trials involving 850 patients highlights the benefits of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols following oesophagectomy. The analysis showed significantly reduced overall complication rates, pulmonary complications, and shorter post-operative length of stay and time to flatus in the ERAS group compared to standard care. However, no notable differences were observed in anastomotic leaks, cardiac complications, and mortality rates, emphasizing ERAS’s effectiveness in promoting patient recovery.

Meta-Analysis by Kennelly P, Davey MG (…) Donlon NE et 2 al. in Dis Esophagus

© The Author(s) 2025. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus.

read the whole article in Dis Esophagus

open it in PubMed

Complete pathological response leads to improved survival in pancreatic cancer patients

Following neoadjuvant treatment with FOLFIRINOX for pancreatic adenocarcinoma, researchers observed a median overall survival of 177 months for patients achieving complete pathological response (cpr). Among 101 patients studied, overall survival rates after 1, 3, 5, and 10 years were 93%, 75%, 63%, and 51%, respectively. However, one-third experienced disease recurrence, with preoperative chemoradiotherapy correlated to worse outcomes, indicating it as a significant negative prognostic factor for both overall and recurrence-free survival.

Journal Article by Addeo P, Muzzolini M (…) Bachellier P et 38 al. in Ann Surg Oncol

© 2025. Society of Surgical Oncology.

read the whole article in Ann Surg Oncol

open it in PubMed