Journal of the American College of Surgeons
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Multicenter Study
Informed Consent and Informed Decision-Making in High-Risk Surgery: A Quantitative Analysis.
Informed consent is an ethical and legal requirement that differs from informed decision-making-a collaborative process that fosters participation and provides information to help patients reach treatment decisions. The objective of this study was to measure informed consent and informed decision-making before major surgery. ⋯ Surgeons routinely discuss components of informed consent with patients before high-risk surgery. However, surgeons often fail to review elements unique to informed decision-making, such as the patients' role in the decision, their daily life, uncertainty, understanding, or patient preference.
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Review Historical Article
Education, Ethics and History: The Peer Review Process in the US.
Despite the near-universal acceptance of the benefits of a sound peer review process (PRP), the topic of peer review remains a source of controversy among surgeons. The current PRP is plagued by heterogeneity across different hospital and institutional systems. These inconsistencies, combined with a perceived lack of fairness inherent to the PRP in some institutions, led to concerns among practicing surgeons. In this review of the relevant literature on the PRP, we attempted to provide some context and insight into the history of the PRP, its role, its shortcomings, its potential abuses, and some key requirements for its successful execution.
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Morbidity after hepatectomy remains a significant, potentially preventable, outcome. Understanding the pattern of complications and rescue pathways is critical for the development of targeted initiatives intended to salvage patients after operative morbidity. ⋯ Morbidity after hepatectomy is frequent despite low mortality. This study identifies targets for improvement in morbidity and failure to rescue after hepatectomy. Efforts to improve recognition and intervention for infections and early complications are needed to improve outcomes.
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Multicenter Study
Trauma Laparotomy in the UK: A Prospective National Service Evaluation.
Trauma patients requiring abdominal operation have considerable morbidity and mortality, yet no specific quality indicators are measured in the trauma systems of the UK. The aims of this study were to describe the characteristics and outcomes of patients undergoing emergency abdominal operation and key processes of care. ⋯ The majority of trauma patients requiring emergency abdominal operation received a high standard of expedited care in a maturing national trauma system. Despite this, mortality and resource use among high-risk patients remains considerable.
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Financial toxicity (FT) can lead to decreased quality of life and poor treatment outcomes. However, there is limited published data on the extent to which the various surgical treatment approaches for early-stage breast cancer are determinants for FT. ⋯ Choice of BCT or mastectomy was not associated with a differential risk for FT in early-stage cancer. Decisions on ablative approach should be made based on patient preferences and disease-specific criteria. Transparent counseling on FT for high-risk populations promotes patient-centricity.