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EUS-RFA Offers Safe Option for Intraductal Neoplasms

EUS-guided radiofrequency ablation is a safe alternative for patients with branch-duct IPMNs showing worrisome features who cannot undergo surgery.

  • Technical success was 100% in 62 procedures, with 98% achieving local control.
  • Adverse events occurred in 27%, primarily mild abdominal pain; no deaths reported.

This procedure effectively prevents cancer progression in patients unsuitable for traditional surgery.

  • Notably, 17% of lesions completely disappeared, and 86% reduced in size during follow-up averaging 4.1 years.

Journal Article by Barras J, Lorenzo D (…) Barthet M et 2 al. in Gastrointest Endosc

Copyright © 2026. Published by Elsevier Inc.

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Navigating Role Ambiguity in Surgical Education

In surgery, unclear team roles amid rising demands can lead to poor learning, burnout, and patient safety risks.

  • Role ambiguity during high case volumes disrupts teamwork and learning, impacting both residents and advanced practice providers.
  • Increased cognitive load and diminished educational opportunities are evident when residents face unclear responsibilities.

Addressing these systemic issues can enhance both resident training and patient care quality.

  • Implementing structured role frameworks can alleviate these pressures and safeguard clinician well-being.

Journal Article by Cha JS, Tucker EL, Lauer KV and Smith B in J Am Coll Surg

Copyright © 2026 by the American College of Surgeons. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Laparoscopic Approach to Complex Liver Resection for Cholangiocarcinoma

Laparoscopic hemi-hepatectomy with portal vein resection offers effective options for patients with perihilar cholangiocarcinoma and portal vein involvement.

  • Successfully completed in 450 minutes with minimal blood loss (200 ml).
  • Achieved negative resection margins for a patient with Bismuth-Corlette type IV cholangiocarcinoma.

Consider this approach for select patients to improve surgical outcomes while maintaining safety.

Journal Article by Wang L, Cheng M (…) Yang J et 4 al. in Ann Surg Oncol

© 2026. Society of Surgical Oncology.

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Laparoscopic Sectionectomy: Safe, Low-Cost Technique In Action

A new laparoscopic posterior sectionectomy approach demonstrates effective liver resection while minimizing costs and resource use.

  • Success with a single-energy device led to an R0 resection in a patient with a liver lesion.
  • Operative time was 220 minutes with an estimated blood loss of only 60 ml.
  • The patient was discharged on postoperative day 5, showing a complication-free recovery.

This technique proves feasible in various settings, emphasizing careful planning and skillful execution.

Journal Article by Gundavda K and Mehta S in Ann Surg Oncol

© 2026. Society of Surgical Oncology.

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Adjuvant Radiotherapy Boosts Survival in Node-Positive PDAC

Adjuvant radiotherapy improves survival for patients with margin-negative, node-positive pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma after surgery.

  • Median overall survival (OS) for adjuvant radiotherapy patients was 26.0 months versus 24.1 months for those without it (p < 0.001).
  • Stage IIb patients benefited most, showing a notable OS improvement; no difference was seen in Stage III patients.

Consider adjuvant radiotherapy for appropriate Stage IIb patients to enhance outcomes after pancreaticoduodenectomy.

  • Analysis included 20,974 patients, predominantly Stage IIb (92.8%).

Journal Article by Khan MMM, Joseph EA (…) Allen CJ et 6 al. in Ann Surg Oncol

© 2026. Society of Surgical Oncology.

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Delayed surgery worsens outcomes in adhesive small bowel obstruction.

  • Early mortality rises with surgical delay: 3.6% (0-1 days) to 7.1% (≥9 days).
  • Bowel resection rates increase from 18.0% to 24.5% as delays lengthen.

Timely surgical intervention is critical to improve patient survival and reduce long-term recurrence rates.

  • Non-operative treatment leads to recurrence in 23.5% vs. 8.8% for surgical patients; laparoscopic surgery further lowers recurrence to 7.2%.

Journal Article by Chierici A, Lareyre F (…) Raffort J et 4 al. in Ann Surg

Copyright © 2026 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Burnout Interventions for Surgeons: Insights from a Review

Surgeons face significant burnout, and this review evaluates intervention effectiveness to combat it.

  • 44 studies examined various strategies, including organizational changes and individual support methods like mentorship and mindfulness.
  • Improvements in burnout scores were noted; however, many lacked statistical significance, raising concerns about their reliability.

Ongoing research is crucial to develop effective solutions in a field that grapples with stigma around mental health.

  • Limited generalizability due to small sample sizes and volunteer biases highlights the need for rigorous, broader studies.

Journal Article by Randall CA, Farrugia A and Patel A in Ann Surg

Copyright © 2026 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Elevated FIT Test: IBD Risk Higher Than CRC for Young Patients

Surgeons should note that inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is frequently diagnosed following a positive faecal immunochemical test (FIT), particularly in patients under 50.

  • 2.3% of patients with FIT ≥10 µg Hb/g were diagnosed with IBD; this drops to 0.1% with lower levels.
  • Among patients under 50 with elevated FIT and faecal calprotectin (FCP), the IBD risk skyrockets to 21%.

Considering these findings, incorporating routine FCP testing could refine diagnosis and management strategies for young patients presenting with bowel symptoms.

  • The combined risk for either condition in those with FIT ≥10 µg Hb/g is 7.1%, but drops to 3.3% with normal FCP.

Journal Article by Ng JCK, Morton AJ (…) Humes DJ et 4 al. in Br J Surg

© The Author(s) 2026. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of BJS Foundation Ltd. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.
© The Author(s) 2026. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of BJS Foundation Ltd. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.

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Socioeconomic Disadvantage Cuts Survival in Pancreatic Cancer

Living in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas significantly reduces survival in patients with nonmetastatic pancreatic cancer, even with guideline-concordant treatment.

  • Patients in high deprivation areas had a 1.9 times higher risk of decreased survival compared to those in lower deprivation areas.
  • Not receiving guideline-concordant treatment increased the risk of poor outcomes by 1.7 times.

Surgeons should consider the socioeconomic context when selecting patients for treatment and address barriers to care.

  • Factors like aggressive tumor biology and high comorbidity also contribute to worse survival outcomes.

Multicenter Study by Fonseca AL, Liapis I (…) Heslin MJ et 7 al. in J Am Coll Surg

Copyright © 2026 by the American College of Surgeons. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Noninvasive Liver Tests Identify Surgical Risks in CRLM Patients

Noninvasive tests for liver fibrosis can predict complications in colorectal liver metastases surgery.

  • High fib-4 index or SAFE score correlates with greater postoperative complication rates.
  • Analysis involved 107 patients, with findings validated in a separate cohort of 277.

Preoperative fibrosis assessment should be standard to optimize surgical outcomes.

Journal Article by Tuffs C, Marg O (…) Strowitzki MJ et 11 al. in Ann Surg Oncol

© 2026. The Author(s).

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