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Remote Video Coaching Boosts Surgeon Skills in Rural Areas

A remote video coaching program significantly improves surgeons’ non-technical skills in rural hospitals.

  • 13 of 17 surgeons improved their skills in ward rounds after coaching.
  • 10 of 17 showed enhancements in both clinic and operating room settings.

Implementing this program could enhance surgical outcomes by improving communication and decision-making skills.

  • Most surgeons found the intervention valuable for identifying personal strengths and weaknesses.

Journal Article by Ey JD, Mazzarolo D (…) Maddern GJ et 7 al. in ANZ J Surg

© 2025 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

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Alcohol Use Disorder Increases After Bariatric Surgery

Bariatric surgery significantly raises the risk of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and alcohol-related mortality, crucial for surgical decision-making.

  • Gastric bypass (GBP) patients face a 5.07 times higher AUD risk, while vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG) and gastric banding patients are 2.28 and 2.34 times more likely to develop AUD, respectively.
  • Alcohol-related mortality is 6.18 times higher after GBP and 3.56 times higher after VBG compared to usual obesity care; gastric banding’s impact is less certain.

Surgeons must prioritize preoperative assessments and ongoing monitoring for AUD in at-risk patients.

Journal Article by Sjöholm K, Peltonen M (…) Svensson PA et 8 al. in Br J Surg

© The Author(s) 2025. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of BJS Foundation Ltd.

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PANC Classification Improves Prognosis in Pancreatic Cancer

New insights on CA 19-9 dynamics can enhance treatment strategies for pancreatic cancer patients undergoing surgery.

  • In a study with 283 patients, median overall survival was 56.3 months, and recurrence-free survival was 26.0 months.
  • Patients categorized as type 1 (preoperative normalization) or type 2 (post-surgery normalization) had a significantly better prognosis (overall survival of 61.1 and 57.8 months, respectively).

Understanding CA 19-9 response can guide surgical decisions and improve patient outcomes.

  • Types 1 and 2 were identified as independent prognostic factors (hazard ratio = 3.20; p < .001).

Journal Article by Maekawa A, Oba A (…) Takahashi Y et 13 al. in BMC Surg

Copyright © 2025 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Title: High Negative Appendectomy Rates in Overnight Admissions

Children with equivocal appendicitis are often unnecessarily admitted, leading to high rates of negative appendectomies.

  • 54% of patients were admitted for observation after-hours, with 30% undergoing unnecessary appendectomies.
  • An Alvarado score under 5 accurately ruled out appendicitis in all cases, yet 44% of these low-score patients were still admitted.

Discharging children with low Alvarado scores can optimize resource use and reduce unnecessary surgeries.

  • Only 3% of discharged patients required follow-up surgery for appendicitis.

Journal Article by Liesman DR, Papastefan ST (…) Goldstein SD et 6 al. in J Surg Res

Copyright © 2025 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Tailored Chemotherapy for Gallbladder Cancer: A Better Approach

A prognostic model for gallbladder cancer can refine adjuvant chemotherapy decisions and improve patient outcomes.

  • In a study of 2,252 patients, age, tumor grade, N stage, tumor size, and sex predicted overall survival more accurately than the TNM system.
  • The 5-year overall survival rate was only 27.3%.

High-risk patients saw improved survival with adjuvant chemotherapy, while it was detrimental for low-risk and had minimal effect on intermediate-risk groups.

  • Individualized treatment strategies can optimize outcomes and avoid unnecessary treatments for low-risk patients.

Journal Article by Zheng Y, Zhang D and Lu J in HPB (Oxford)

Copyright © 2025 International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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Maximizing Efficiency in Robotic Cholecystectomy

A new service evaluation reveals that implementing high-intensity theatre (HIT) principles can double productivity for robotic cholecystectomy.

  • Up to 10 robotic cholecystectomies can be performed in a single day, compared to 5 laparoscopic cases.
  • Theatre utilization increased by 100%, optimizing patient throughput and revenue potential.

This approach could significantly reduce elective surgery waiting lists while maintaining safety and effectiveness.

  • First documented use of HIT principles in robotic general surgery underscores its impact on surgical practice.

Journal Article by Gray J, Jenkins N (…) van Boxel GI et 2 al. in J Robot Surg

© 2025. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag London Ltd., part of Springer Nature.

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Trisectionectomies Enhance Outcomes in Bismuth Type II-III Cholangiocarcinoma

Trisectionectomies significantly improve survival for patients with localized Bismuth-Corlette type II-III perihilar cholangiocarcinoma.

  • Overall survival improved to 52.4 months with trisectionectomy vs. 31 months for extended hemihepatectomy (p < 0.001).
  • R0 resection rates were higher with trisectionectomies (83.9% vs. 75.8%, p = 0.037).

Consider trisectionectomies for appropriate patients to enhance oncological outcomes without increasing significant morbidity or mortality risks.

  • Grade B-C liver failure occurred more frequently with trisectionectomies (23.4% vs. 11.3%, p = 0.002).

Multicenter Study by Tzedakis S, Dhote A (…) Boudjema K et 23 al. in Ann Surg

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

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Liver Resection for Colorectal Metastases Sets New Outcomes Benchmark

Liver resection remains a gold standard for colorectal liver metastases, providing critical data for patient selection and surgical outcomes.

  • 90-day mortality rate is under 5% across most groups, signaling low operative risk.
  • One-year overall survival exceeds 85% for most subgroups, but drops to 78% for patients with 10 or more metastases.

Timely assessment of these benchmarks will guide surgical decision-making against emerging alternatives like thermal ablation and transplantation.

  • Five-year overall survival rates are: ≥45% for solitary synchronous, ≥58% for solitary metachronous metastases; ≥28% for more than 3 metastases.

Multicenter Study by Viganò L, Risi L (…) Adam R et 12 al. in Ann Surg

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

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New model predicts early recurrence risk in pancreatic tumors

Surgeons can now identify non-functioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors at high risk for early recurrence preoperatively.

  • Early recurrence occurred in 11% of patients, with a median disease-free survival of 16 months.
  • Neoplastic venous thrombosis predicted a 71% chance of early recurrence; without it, patients with a KI-67 index ≥5% and tumor size ≥3 cm had a 19-41% recurrence risk.

Incorporating this model can enhance surgical decision-making and patient counseling regarding prognosis.

Multicenter Study by Partelli S, Guarneri G (…) Falconi M et 7 al. in Ann Surg

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

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New AI Model Detects Perineural Invasion in Colorectal Cancer

This machine learning model improves detection of perineural invasion (PNI) in colorectal cancer, crucial for surgical outcomes.

  • LightGBM model achieved an AUC of 0.996 in training, 0.935 in testing, and 0.918 in external validation across 430 samples.
  • PNI correlates with higher T stage, increased lymph node metastasis, and more lymphovascular invasion.

Adopting this model could refine patient selection and enhance prognosis understanding in colorectal surgery.

Journal Article by Pu T, Sun J (…) Ren G et 3 al. in Med Sci Monit

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