Journal of the American College of Surgeons
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Comparative Study
Comparison of 30-Day Postoperative Outcomes after Laparoscopic vs Robotic Colectomy.
The robotic platform has been used increasingly to perform colorectal surgery. The benefits of robotic colectomy when compared with laparoscopic colectomy have not been definitively established. ⋯ In this head-to-head comparison of laparoscopic colectomy and robotic colectomy, the majority of postoperative outcomes were equivalent, except for an increase in operative time and shorter length of stay in the robotic group. Robotic colectomy appears to be a safe option for minimally invasive colectomy, but additional studies are needed to elucidate whether it is cost-effective when compared with laparoscopic colectomy.
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Ventral hernias are common sequelae of abdominal surgery. Recently, transversus abdominis release has emerged as a viable option for large or recurrent ventral hernias. Our objective was to determine the outcomes of posterior component separation via transversus abdominis release for the treatment of abdominal wall hernias in the first series of patients at one institution. ⋯ Posterior component separation via transversus abdominis release is a safe and effective method of ventral herniorrhaphy with favorable rates of wound morbidity and recurrence.
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Although influence of technical complications in association to hospital length of stay has been studied extensively in esophageal resection, nontechnical factors responsible for prolonged length of stay have not been reported. Using the NSQIP dataset, we hypothesized that we would be able to identify factors associated with prolonged length of stay after esophagectomy. ⋯ Urinary tract infection and pneumonia after esophagectomy are associated with longer hospital stays. Although meticulous surgical technique remains paramount, our study demonstrates that postoperative nontechnical complications factor into prolonged hospital stays. Focus on such factors can lead to reductions in hospital stays.
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The objective of this study was to characterize potential disparities in academic output, NIH-funding, and academic rank between male and female surgical faculty and identify subspecialties in which these differences may be more pronounced. ⋯ Subspecialty involvement and academic performance differences by sex vary greatly by subspecialty type and are most pronounced at the assistant professor level. Identification of potential barriers for entry of women into certain subspecialties, causes for the observed lower number of publications/citations among female assistant professors, and obstacles for attaining leadership roles need to be determined. We propose a new metric for assessment of publications/citations that can offset the effects of seniority differences between male and female faculty members.
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Comment Letter
Alvimopan Use, Outcomes, and Costs: In reply to Fujita.