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SURGhub improves access to surgical education worldwide

The United Nations Global Surgery Learning Hub (SURGhub), launched in June 2023, aims to enhance surgical training for underserved populations. By offering 76 high-quality e-learning courses tailored for low-resource settings, it attracted over 11,451 learners from 190 countries within just 18 months. Remarkably, 55% of users are from low- or lower-middle-income countries, and courses have a median rating of 4.6/5. FUTURE efforts will expand course offerings and incorporate diverse languages to improve accessibility and impact.

Journal Article by O’Flynn E, Tolani MA (…) Ibbotson G et 34 al. in World J Surg

© 2025 The Author(s). World Journal of Surgery published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Surgery/Société Internationale de Chirurgie (ISS/SIC).

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Complicated postoperative courses linked to specific risk factors.

A review of 901,205 laparoscopic cholecystectomy cases over 20 years revealed that 13% experienced complicated hospital stays. Key risk factors included older age, male gender, and acute conditions like cholecystitis. Complicated cases were more likely to require subtotal cholecystectomy or conversion to open surgery, leading to higher rates of common bile duct injury and mortality. The study underscores the importance of preoperative risk assessment and timely surgery to mitigate complications.

Journal Article by Zeineddin A, Harris J (…) Williams M et 4 al. in Am Surg

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Glucose assessment outperforms traditional biomarkers in pancreatic cyst differentiation

Mucinous pancreatic cystic lesions (PCLs) significantly increase cancer risk but can be difficult to identify. A study indicates that endoscopic ultrasound-guided intracystic glucose measurement effectively distinguishes mucinous from non-mucinous PCLs, boosting sensitivity to 88-95% and specificity to 76-91%, surpassing traditional carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) tests. By coupling glucose analysis with DNA-based biomarkers, clinicians can enhance risk stratification for surgical decisions, improving patient management while reducing unnecessary surgeries for benign conditions. Future studies should focus on standardizing practices.

Review by Bruni A, Tuccillo L (…) Barbara G et 8 al. in J Clin Med

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Innovative Fish-Derived Sutures Show Promise in Surgical Repairs

A novel drug-eluting, biologically absorbable suture from decellularized fish swim bladder significantly enhances wound closure across various tissues. Specifically, necrostatin-1 (nec-1) sutures exhibit superior tensile strength and maintain integrity in extreme pH conditions. The drug-loaded sutures inhibit cell proliferation by 40% and reduce foreign body reactions, with less neovascularization observed compared to controls. These findings suggest that swim bladder-derived sutures can improve surgical outcomes by minimizing inflammation and offering staged drug release.

Journal Article by Sun P, Cui H (…) Lai Y et 3 al. in Int J Surg

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

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Ileocecal resection enhances microbial health in Crohn’s disease.

A multi-omics analysis of ileal mucosa and mesentery samples from Crohn’s disease patients illustrates notable improvements in microbial health following ileocecal resection. Among 34 patients studied, significant spatial changes in microbiota and metabolites were identified pre- and post-surgery. Metabolites were further analyzed, revealing crucial insights into their roles. These findings underscore ileocecal resection as a potentially effective treatment for inducing remission in Crohn’s disease, paving the way for microbiome-driven therapeutic strategies.

Journal Article by Xia K, Jiao Y (…) Lin M et 13 al. in United European Gastroenterol J

© 2025 The Author(s). United European Gastroenterology Journal published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of United European Gastroenterology.

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Telemedicine expands oncology service capacity without increasing overall visits.

A significant growth in telemedicine utilization was observed in ambulatory surgical oncology at a high-volume academic center from 2019 to 2023. Overall visit volumes surged by 44%, while the clinician workforce increased by 16.8%. Unique patients served rose by 39%, primarily through enhanced return visits rather than new ones. Telemedicine adoption grew dramatically from 0.5% to 37%, demonstrating its potential to improve patient access and operational efficiency without raising healthcare utilization overall.

Journal Article by Parameswaran V, Miller M (…) Shah S et 8 al. in Ann Surg Oncol

© 2025. Society of Surgical Oncology.

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AI Model Matches Senior Endoscopists in Esophageal Cancer Treatment

An artificial intelligence model developed for marking detection and incision guidance during esophageal endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) demonstrated promising performance. Compared to junior endoscopists, the AI achieved a notable accuracy of 63.21%, precision rates of up to 85.76%, and an average distance error of 0.096, significantly outperforming junior practitioners while matching senior endoscopists. These results suggest the model could enhance the safety and effectiveness of minimally invasive treatments for early esophageal cancer.

Journal Article by Liu R, Yuan X (…) Hu B et 12 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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Digital tools enhance postoperative pain management at home

A scoping review of 26 studies reveals digital and telemedicine tools significantly improve postoperative pain management at home. These technologies, including mobile apps and wearable sensors, facilitate patient monitoring and communication with healthcare professionals, leading to better pain control, reduced opioid use, and high patient satisfaction. However, challenges such as low digital literacy among some populations persist. Effective implementation of these tools demands further research and investment in training and infrastructure to ensure equitable healthcare access.

Review by Azzellino G, Aitella E (…) De Martinis M et 2 al. in J Clin Med

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Immunotherapy-based regimens show promise in gastric cancer treatment

A meta-analysis of high-quality trials shows immunotherapy-based neoadjuvant regimens, particularly combining immunotherapy with chemotherapy and targeted therapy, significantly improve pathological complete response (PCR) rates and overall survival in locally advanced gastric cancer. The neoadjuvant immunotherapy plus chemotherapy (NICT) and NICT plus targeted therapy (NICTT) groups outperformed traditional chemotherapy, although the NICTT group faced increased severe treatment-related adverse events. The study highlights that certain tumor characteristics may enhance responsiveness to these novel regimens.

Journal Article by Liang C, Yu Z (…) Li L et 8 al. in Int J Surg

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

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ERCP shows high success in managing traumatic pancreatic injuries

A systematic review revealed that endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) achieves an impressive 89% success rate in treating traumatic pancreatic injuries (TPI). The procedure notably enhanced pancreatic duct integrity and led to lower complication rates (4-17%), primarily pancreatitis and bleeding. Mortality remained low at 3-5%, and ERCP significantly reduced hospital stays by an average of 3.1 days compared to surgery. However, pediatric patients experienced slightly lower success rates than adults, indicating the need for cautious interpretation.

Review by Karpuzcu HC and Erdoğan Ç in World J Emerg Surg

© 2025. The Author(s).

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