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Emotional Intelligence Mitigates Burnout in Medical and Surgical Residents

Post author By STITCHES Newsletter
Post date 31/10/2023
Categories In General Surgery, Perspectives, Opinions and Curiosities

A 3-year study investigated the connection between emotional intelligence and burnout in medical and surgical residents. The research, conducted at a Michigan hospital, revealed a significant rise in burnout levels during the first year of residency. Emotional exhaustion increased by 44% but later decreased by 23% in the third year. Both medical and surgical residents experienced reduced well-being, particularly in the first year. Notably, emotional intelligence was linked to lower emotional exhaustion, highlighting its role in combating burnout during medical and surgical residency.

Journal Article by Wasfie T, Kirkpatrick H (…) Vogel M et 3 al. in BMC Surg

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North American Center Achieves Global Benchmark for Laparoscopic Liver Resections

Post author By STITCHES Newsletter
Post date 31/10/2023
Categories In General Surgery, HPB & Spleen

A single-center study evaluated laparoscopic liver resections at Toronto General Hospital to compare their performance with established global benchmarks. Out of 178 cases analyzed, 25% qualified as low-risk cases. For these low-risk cases, the postoperative major morbidity and 90-day mortality rates after different types of liver resections were all at 0%. High-risk cases post-2017 had good outcomes except for one category, while high-risk cases operated before 2017 had some outcomes that didn’t meet the global cut-off. The study demonstrates that the North American center achieved outcomes comparable to global benchmarks for laparoscopic liver resections.

Journal Article by Choi WJ, Babakhani S (…) Sapisochin G et 12 al. in BMC Surg

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Fragmented Care in Pancreatic Cancer Doesn’t Impact Survival

Post author By STITCHES Newsletter
Post date 31/10/2023
Categories In General Surgery, HPB & Spleen

A study on localized pancreatic cancer investigated whether fragmented care, where patients receive systemic therapy at a different facility than their surgery, affected survival. Among over 11,000 patients, those treated in Commission on Cancer accredited facilities were more likely to receive neoadjuvant therapy, but overall survival didn’t significantly differ compared to non-fragmented care or fragmented care in non-accredited facilities. The study suggests that the accreditation status of the treatment facility doesn’t substantially impact the survival of patients with localized pancreatic cancer.

Journal Article by Park SS, Verm RA (…) Baker MS et 6 al. in BMC Surg

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Preoperative Smoking Cessation Interventions: Impact and Variability

Post author By STITCHES Newsletter
Post date 31/10/2023
Categories In General Surgery, Perspectives, Opinions and Curiosities

A systematic review analyzed nine articles from 1998 to 2019 to evaluate pre-hospital smoking cessation interventions’ impact on smoking rates for surgery patients. These interventions included methods like nicotine replacement therapy, e-cigarettes, counseling, and medications. Among 1,762 patients in the studies, six reported smoking status on the day of surgery, with four studies showing differences in smoking cessation rates. The research highlights the need for further investigation into the best practices for successful pre-surgery smoking cessation, considering the variability in interventions, settings, and outcomes.

Journal Article by Ricker AB, Manning D (…) Reinke CE et 3 al. in Am J Surg

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Impact of COVID-19 on Female Surgeons: New Normal Work Environment

Post author By STITCHES Newsletter
Post date 31/10/2023
Categories In General Surgery, Perspectives, Opinions and Curiosities

A survey of 139 female surgeons conducted in 2021 explored the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on their lives. The study revealed that 71.2% of respondents felt the pandemic worsened their clinical practice, with 30.9% experiencing a decrease in income. Many faced challenges, including caring for children, elderly family members, and increased household chores. These findings highlight the need for awareness and support to address the evolving needs of female surgeons in a changing work environment.

Journal Article by Oropallo A, Ratnasekera A (…) Reyna C et 3 al. in Am J Surg

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Immediate Release of Electronic Health Information: Clinician and Patient Perceptions

Post author By STITCHES Newsletter
Post date 31/10/2023
Categories In Digital Surgery and Telemedicine, General Surgery

The 21st Century Cures Act mandates the immediate release of electronic health information (EHI) to patients. Researchers surveyed 33 clinicians and 30 patients, conducting interviews with a subset of 8 clinicians and 12 patients to explore their perceptions of this immediate EHI release. Ten themes emerged, revealing differences in how clinicians and patients perceive patient distress and comprehension. The study emphasizes the need for improving communication and patient-centered tools to help patients better understand complex medical information released electronically.

Journal Article by O’Brien E, Vemuru S (…) Tevis S et 13 al. in Am J Surg

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Operative Management of Emergency General Surgery Conditions Incurs Higher Long-term Costs

Post author By STITCHES Newsletter
Post date 30/10/2023
Categories In Appendix, Gallbladder and Surgical Emergencies, General Surgery

Research found that for emergency general surgery (EGS) conditions, operative management resulted in higher in-hospital costs compared to non-operative approaches. However, over the long term, only patients with hepatopancreaticobiliary conditions experienced cost equivalence between operative and non-operative management at 90 and 180 days. For other EGS conditions, operative management maintained higher inpatient costs that slightly narrowed with time. The study’s results underscore the importance of considering cost implications when deciding between operative and non-operative management in cases with similar clinical outcomes.

Journal Article by Kaufman EJ, Wirtalla CJ (…) Kelz RR et 8 al. in Ann Surg

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Innovative Smartphone App Enhances Liver Surgery Risk Assessment

Post author By STITCHES Newsletter
Post date 30/10/2023
Categories In General Surgery, HPB & Spleen

Researchers have created a novel preoperative model to predict posthepatectomy liver failure (PHLF B+C) using a combination of the aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio (APRI) and albumin-bilirubin grade (ALBI). This APRI+ALBI-based multivariable model (MVM) demonstrated an impressive predictive accuracy with an AUC of 0.77. It also proved to be just as effective as more expensive and time-consuming liver function tests, such as ICG clearance and ALICE. To make risk assessment universally accessible, they’ve developed a smartphone app for easy calculations, offering a cost-effective solution for liver surgery candidates.

Journal Article by Santol J, Kim S (…) Starlinger P et 32 al. in Ann Surg

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Endoscopic Resection Proves Effective for Giant Esophageal Lesions

Post author By STITCHES Newsletter
Post date 30/10/2023
Categories In General Surgery, Surgical Endoscopy, Upper Gastrointestinal Tract

Researchers examined the feasibility and safety of endoscopic resection (ER) for giant esophageal subepithelial lesions (G-SELs) in a large study. They achieved a remarkable 93.3% en bloc resection rate with a low recurrence rate. Some patients experienced adverse events (9.3% intraoperatively and 17.3% postoperatively). A predictive nomogram model was developed, indicating that age, tumor size, shape, growth pattern, and the use of submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection (STER) influence the difficulty of ER. Overall, ER is a promising treatment for G-SELs, with the nomogram effectively predicting procedure difficulty.

Journal Article by Xiang AY, Wang KH (…) Zhou PH et 9 al. in Gastrointest Endosc

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Sex-Related Bias in Faculty Evaluation of Surgical Residents

Post author By STITCHES Newsletter
Post date 30/10/2023
Categories In General Surgery, Perspectives, Opinions and Curiosities

This study delves into the impact of the attending surgeon’s and surgical resident’s gender on evaluations in the operating room. Female attending surgeons rated female residents lower in terms of autonomy compared to their male counterparts. However, male attendings only showed a significant difference in autonomy ratings for female residents in highly complex cases. These findings highlight a gender-specific dynamic in evaluations and suggest the need for periodic evaluations to uncover and address implicit biases within surgical training programs.

Journal Article by Chang AJ, Kwon CM (…) Hoffman RL et 3 al. in Am J Surg

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