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Trends in IVC Reconstruction Show High Patency and Survival

IVC reconstruction during oncologic resections is safe, with robust mid-term outcomes.

  • 80 patients treated; 94%+ primary patency at 2 years.
  • 30-day survival rate was 96.3%, with 2- and 3-year survival at 76.8%.

Most thrombosis occurrences tied to tumor recurrence or technical issues.

Consider this technique in high-volume centers for complex oncologic cases.

Journal Article by Furtado Neves PJ, Simioni A (…) Malgor RD et 5 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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Liver-First Approach Improves Outcomes in Colorectal Cancer

A liver-first surgical approach in stage IV colorectal cancer with isolated liver metastases leads to better survival and fewer complications.

  • Liver resection before colon/rectal resection increased from 5.37% in 2010 to 15.43% in 2020.
  • Patients receiving the liver-first approach had a lower 90-day mortality (1.11% vs 4.47%) and fewer 30-day readmissions (3.69% vs 5.81%).

Select patients with rectal primaries at academic centers may benefit most, improving surgical outcomes significantly.

  • Better overall survival rates were noted for the liver-first approach (hazard ratio, 0.87).

Journal Article by Morocho B, Lightfoot S, Somasundar P and Kwon S in Ann Surg Oncol

© 2026. Society of Surgical Oncology.

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More Female Residents Could Mean More Female Applicants in Surgery

Increasing female representation in surgery can enhance mentorship and attract more women to the field.

  • Higher percentages of female residents correlate with more female applicants (r = 0.943, p < 0.0001).
  • The strongest correlation was seen in urology (r = 1.0, p < 0.0001), followed by general surgery (r = 0.944, p = 0.016).

Prioritizing gender diversity in residency programs could improve recruitment and ultimately lead to a more inclusive surgical workforce.

  • Other specialties showed varying levels of correlation.

Journal Article by Ganem JE and Wirth A in Am J Surg

Copyright © 2026 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Transanal Surgery Offers R0 Resection for Rectal GISTs

Transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) provides promising outcomes for rectal gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) while preserving function.

  • High rates of R0 resection were achieved in 13 patients with rectal GIST, underscoring the technique’s efficacy.
  • Tumor size should not automatically disqualify candidates for en-bloc excision with negative margins.

Neoadjuvant imatinib may help select borderline cases, but more extensive studies are needed to solidify patient criteria and outcomes.

Journal Article by Arezzo A, Distefano G (…) Morino M et 3 al. in Surg Endosc

© 2026. The Author(s).

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Preoperative fitness impacts esophagectomy outcomes

Prehabilitation focusing on nutrition and fitness can significantly influence postoperative recovery in esophageal cancer patients.

  • Higher preoperative BMI linked to more overall complications (p = .029).
  • Better exercise capacity and muscle function correlated with fewer pulmonary complications (p < .045) and improved functional capacity (p < .032).

Addressing fatigue preoperatively is crucial, as it relates to better patient outcomes.

  • Less fatigue pre-surgery associated with improved quality of life and less postoperative fatigue (p ≤ .001).

Journal Article by Reijneveld EAE, Dronkers JJ (…) Veenhof C et 8 al. in J Gastrointest Surg

Copyright © 2026 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Hepatic Artery Infusion Pump Shows Promise in Colorectal Liver Metastases

A small fraction of unresectable colorectal liver metastasis patients qualify for liver transplant, but HAIP chemotherapy can improve outcomes.

  • Only 4.8% of patients in the study were liver transplant-eligible.
  • After HAIP, the median overall survival was 61 months, with a 5-year survival rate of 53%.

This suggests that HAIP may aid in patient selection for surgical interventions.

  • 78% of patients converted to resection after a median of 5 HAIP cycles.

Journal Article by Chandra P, Preston W (…) Kingham TP et 12 al. in Ann Surg

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

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EUS-Guided Biopsy for Pancreatic Cysts: Key Outcomes and Risks

EUS-guided through-the-needle biopsy (EUS-TTNB) offers valuable diagnostic insights for pancreatic cysts but carries significant risks that surgeons must navigate.

  • Diagnostic adequacy is high at 80.3%, with changes in management seen in 16.3% of cases.
  • Adverse events (AEs) occurred in 20.9% of procedures, predominantly acute pancreatitis (15%).
  • Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) significantly raises AE risk (OR 2.24).

Surgeons should use a risk stratification model to enhance patient selection and mitigate complications.

  • Risk categories: low (11.9% AE), moderate (20.6% AE), high (37.0% AE for patients with IPMN).

Journal Article by Lee HS, Song TJ (…) Seo DW et 3 al. in Gastrointest Endosc

Copyright © 2026 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Smaller Staplers Safe in Esophagojejunostomy Outcomes

Using smaller circular staplers in esophagojejunostomy does not harm patients’ quality of life post-surgery.

  • No differences were found in quality-of-life scores between patients using small vs. large staplers.
  • Anastomotic lumen diameter had no impact on quality-of-life outcomes.

Surgeons can confidently select smaller staplers when anatomical constraints arise without compromising patient recovery.

  • Findings challenge the notion that larger stapler sizes are essential for better postoperative outcomes.

Journal Article by Yazdi SAM, Chinisaz F (…) Sahebi L et 2 al. in Ann Surg Oncol

© 2026. Society of Surgical Oncology.

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Laparoscopic Surgery Reduces Complications for Strangulated SBO

Laparoscopic surgery may significantly lower postoperative complications in patients with strangulated small bowel obstruction (SSBO).

  • Complications (Clavien-Dindo grade ≥ II) were 7.4% with laparoscopy versus 29.6% for open surgery (p = 0.036).
  • Conversion to open surgery occurred in 25.6% of laparoscopic cases, primarily in those with prior laparotomies or gastrointestinal surgeries.

Surgeons should consider laparoscopic approaches but assess patient history carefully to anticipate the need for conversion.

Journal Article by Kobayashi T, Suda R (…) Kawachi S et 15 al. in World J Surg

© 2026 International Society of Surgery/Société Internationale de Chirurgie (ISS/SIC).

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Navigating Challenges in Emergency Surgery for Older Adults

Surgeons need to recognize unique diagnostic hurdles when treating older adults in emergency general surgery, as these can lead to worse outcomes.

  • Key challenges identified include atypical presentations, multiple comorbidities, and age-related complications.
  • Emphasis on non-diagnostic factors like functional health, patient preferences, and family involvement must not be overlooked.

Tailoring strategies, like using surgical risk calculators and multidisciplinary teams, could enhance diagnostic accuracy.

  • Practitioners highlighted barriers to implementing these tools, signaling a need for quality improvement in surgical care for this demographic.

Journal Article by Liu JK, Peters XD (…) Ko CY et 3 al. in World J Surg

© 2026 International Society of Surgery/Société Internationale de Chirurgie (ISS/SIC).

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