Articles: cations.
-
To overcome persistent gender disparities in academic surgery, it is critical to examine the earliest phase of surgical training. This national study sought to assess whether gender disparities also existed among surgical interns, as a proxy for medical school research experience in both quantity and quality. ⋯ Gender disparities existed in the quality of research experience in the earliest phase of surgical training. These timely results call for additional interventions by the stakeholders of graduate medical education.
-
To assesses the prevalence and severity of CAS in patients undergoing PD/total pancreatectomy and its association with major postoperative complications after PD. ⋯ CAS is common in patients undergoing PD. Higher grade of CAS is associated with an increased risk for clinically relevant complications, including liver perfusion failure and postoperative pancreatic fistula. Precise radiological assessment may help to identify CAS. Future studies should investigate measures to mitigate CAS-associated risks.
-
The American Board of Surgery (ABS) sought to investigate the suitability of video-based assessment (VBA) as an adjunct to certification for assessing technical skills. ⋯ VBA is promising as an adjunct to the current board certification process and should be further considered by the ABS.
-
Sixty percent of patients with esophageal cancer display signs of cachexia at diagnosis. Changes in body composition are common, and muscle mass and quality are measurable through imaging studies. Cachexia leads to functional impairments that complicate treatments, including surgery. We hypothesize that low muscle mass and quality associate with pulmonary function testing parameters, highlighting ventilatory deficits, and postoperative complications in patients receiving esophagectomy. ⋯ Cachexia and low muscle mass are common. Reduced muscle mass and quality independently associate with impaired forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1 second, and total lung capacity. We propose that respiratory muscle atrophy occurs with weight loss. Body composition analyses may aid in stratifying patients. Pulmonary function testing may also serve as a functional endpoint for clinical trials. These findings highlight the need to study mechanisms that lead to respiratory muscle pathology and dysfunction in tumor-bearing hosts.
-
Perioperative anemia has been associated with increased risk of red blood cell transfusion and increased morbidity and mortality after surgery. The optimal approach to the diagnosis and management of perioperative anemia is not fully established. ⋯ Early identification and effective treatment of anemia has the potential to improve clinical outcomes in surgical patients.