Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Surgery for August 2019. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.

Offers of Viable Deceased Donor Kidneys Frequently Refused

FRIDAY, Aug. 30, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Transplant candidates receive a large number of offers of viable deceased donor kidneys that are refused on their behalf, according to a study published online Aug. 30 in JAMA Network Open.

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Deep Infections Occur in 6 Percent of Knee Fracture Repairs

FRIDAY, Aug. 30, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Deep surgical site infections (SSIs) occur in nearly 6 percent of periarticular knee fracture repairs, according to a review published online Aug. 23 in JAMA Network Open.

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2001 to 2016 Saw Large Increase in Mohs Surgery for Melanoma

THURSDAY, Aug. 29, 2019 (HealthDay News) — From 2001 to 2016, the use of Mohs surgery for melanoma increased more than threefold, according to a study published online Aug. 28 in JAMA Dermatology.

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Female Surgical Residents Have Lower Salary Expectations

THURSDAY, Aug. 29, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Female residents in general surgery have lower expectations for a minimum starting salary and perceive salary negotiations less favorably than male residents, according to a study published online Aug. 28 in JAMA Surgery.

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Low Nurse and Support Staffing Tied to Higher Inpatient Mortality

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 28, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Low levels of nurse and nursing support staffing are associated with increased inpatient mortality, according to a study published online Aug. 7 in BMJ Quality & Safety.

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Losing 20 lb Improves Knee Replacement Outcomes

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 28, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Losing at least 20 lb before total knee arthroplasty is associated with better outcomes among morbidly obese patients, according to a study published online Aug. 21 in The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.

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Rule Changes for Donor Organs Could Increase U.S. Kidney Transplants

MONDAY, Aug. 26, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Greater acceptance of organs from deceased donors who were older and had comorbidities could provide survival benefits among individuals awaiting kidney transplant in the United States, according to a study published online Aug. 26 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

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Changes to Rectus Muscles From Pregnancy May Impact Abdominoplasty

MONDAY, Aug. 26, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Pregnancy alters the shape of the rectus abdominis muscle, which may in turn affect abdominoplasty outcomes, according to a study published in the August issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

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Patient Confidentiality Rule Changes Aim to Fight U.S. Opioid Crisis

FRIDAY, Aug. 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Patient confidentiality rule changes meant to help fight the opioid crisis in the United States have been proposed by the federal government.

AP News Article

Radiologists Performing More Paracenteses, Thoracenteses

FRIDAY, Aug. 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The proportion of paracentesis and thoracentesis procedures performed by radiologists is continuing to increase, according to a study published online Aug. 14 in the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology.

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Rx Size Predicts Persistent Opioid Use After Cardiothoracic Surgery

THURSDAY, Aug. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Prescription size is associated with increased new persistent opioid use among patients after cardiothoracic surgery, according to a study published online Aug. 22 in the Annals of Thoracic Surgery.

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Risk Factors ID’d for Worse QOL From Knee Osteoarthritis

THURSDAY, Aug. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) — It may be possible to identify persons at risk for suffering a worsening in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) due to knee osteoarthritis (OA), according to a study published online July 19 in PLOS ONE.

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Factors ID’d in Pregnancy Chances After Kidney Transplant

TUESDAY, Aug. 20, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Rates of pregnancy following kidney transplant have remained steady, but Hispanic women are more likely to become pregnant in the three years following transplant than white women, according to a study published online Aug. 9 in PLOS ONE.

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Mechanical, Oral Antibiotic Bowel Prep Yields No Benefit for Colectomy

MONDAY, Aug. 19, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Mechanical and oral antibiotic bowel preparation (MOABP) does not reduce surgical site infections (SSIs) or the overall morbidity of colon surgery versus no bowel preparation (NBP), according to a study published online Aug. 8 in The Lancet.

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Periop Covert Stroke ID’d in 7 Percent of Older Surgery Patients

FRIDAY, Aug. 16, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Seven percent of older patients undergoing inpatient, noncardiac surgery have perioperative covert stroke, which is associated with an increased risk for cognitive decline, according to a study published online Aug. 15 in The Lancet.

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AI Program May Aid in Pathologic Evaluation of Breast Biopsies

FRIDAY, Aug. 16, 2019 (HealthDay News) — An artificial intelligence program outperforms pathologists for differentiating ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) from atypia, according to a study published online Aug. 9 in JAMA Network Open.

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Advertising Can Promote Interest in Health-Related Research

THURSDAY, Aug. 15, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Advertising current local health-related research using large TV monitors in emergency department waiting rooms can increase the short-term interest in health-related research, according to a study published online Aug. 1 in BMJ Open.

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Postoperative Opioid Rx Size Down After Guideline Release

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 14, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A reduction in postoperative opioid prescription size was observed following release of evidence-based opioid prescribing guidelines in Michigan, according to a research letter published in the Aug. 15 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Radial Artery Access Used for Neuroendovascular Procedures

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 14, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Radial artery catheterization is an alternative approach to performing a wide range of neuroendovascular procedures and has a low rate of complications, according to a study published online July 17 in Stroke.

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Coffee May Speed Up Recovery of Function After Bowel Surgery

TUESDAY, Aug. 13, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The time to first postoperative bowel movement after elective laparoscopic colorectal resection is shorter in those drinking coffee versus noncaffeinated tea, according to a study published in the August issue of Diseases of the Colon & Rectum.

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Adherence to Surgical Guidelines Low for Salpingo-Oophorectomy

MONDAY, Aug. 12, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Only two-thirds of all health care providers are fully adherent to surgical guidelines for risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy, according to a study published online Aug. 7 in Obstetrics & Gynecology.

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One-Third of Physicians Will Take 10+ Years to Pay Off Debt

MONDAY, Aug. 12, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Nearly two-thirds of actively practicing physicians are still carrying medical school debt, according to the Medical School Debt Report 2019, published by the staffing firm Weatherby Healthcare.

Medical School Debt Report 2019

Adjuvant RT May Cut Recurrence in Some With Prostate Cancer

MONDAY, Aug. 12, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Adjuvant radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy compared with surgery alone may prolong biochemical recurrence-free survival in patients with locally advanced prostate cancer, according to a study published online July 29 in European Urology.

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Perfusion Assessment Key for Critical Limb Ischemia Diagnosis

MONDAY, Aug. 12, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Strategies for perfusion assessment necessary for critical limb ischemia (CLI) diagnosis remain limited, according to an American Heart Association scientific statement published online Aug. 12 in Circulation.

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Guidelines Issued for Managing Hidradenitis Suppurativa

FRIDAY, Aug. 9, 2019 (HealthDay News) — In a two-part guideline, published in the July issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, the United States and Canadian Hidradenitis Suppurativa Foundations present recommendations for the diagnosis, evaluation, and management of hidradenitis suppurativa.

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Delayed/Foregone Care More Likely for Cancer Survivors With HDHPs

FRIDAY, Aug. 9, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Cancer survivors with high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) are more likely to experience delayed or foregone care, according to a study published online Aug. 8 in the Journal of Oncology Practice.

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No Evidence for Benefits of Opioids After Pediatric Tonsillectomy

FRIDAY, Aug. 9, 2019 (HealthDay News) — For children undergoing tonsillectomy, having perioperative opioid fills is not associated with return visits for pain or dehydration, according to a study published online Aug. 8 in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.

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Giant Cell Arteritis Occurs at Similar Rate in Blacks, Whites

FRIDAY, Aug. 9, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Biopsy-proven giant cell arteritis (BP-GCA) occurs at a similar rate among white and black patients, according to a study published online Aug. 8 in JAMA Ophthalmology.

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Breast Cancer Surgery + Another Procedure Ups Complications

THURSDAY, Aug. 8, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Patients undergoing surgery for breast cancer, who simultaneously have either a plastic or gynecologic procedure, have greater postoperative complications, according to a study published online July 6 in The Breast Journal.

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Younger CRC Patients More Likely to Present With Abdominal Pain

THURSDAY, Aug. 8, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Younger patients with colorectal cancer are more likely to present with abdominal pain and via an emergency, according to a study published online Aug. 6 in Colorectal Disease.

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Major Surgery Linked to Lasting Change in Cognitive Trajectory

THURSDAY, Aug. 8, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Major surgery is associated with a small, long-term change in the average cognitive trajectory, according to a study published online Aug. 7 in The BMJ.

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Ranking for Abdominal Surgeries Not Linked to Patient Outcomes

TUESDAY, Aug. 6, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Patient outcomes may not be better at top-ranked hospitals for common advanced laparoscopic abdominal operations, according to a study published online July 31 in JAMA Surgery.

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Machine Learning Algorithms Can Classify Surgical Expertise in VR Simulation

MONDAY, Aug. 5, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Machine learning can classify participants into levels of expertise with 90 percent accuracy in a virtual reality neurosurgical tumor resection simulation, according to a study published online Aug. 2 in JAMA Network Open.

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Brand-Brand Competition Has Not Cut Prices in Pharma Market

FRIDAY, Aug. 2, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Brand-brand competition in the U.S. pharmaceutical market has not lowered drug list prices, according to a review published online July 30 in PLOS Medicine.

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Trump Admin Announces Plan to Allow Drug Imports From Canada

THURSDAY, Aug. 1, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Americans could import less expensive prescription drugs from Canada under a plan being developed by the Trump administration.

HHS Press Release
PhRMA Statement

Many Hospitals Lack Sufficient Surgery Volumes

THURSDAY, Aug. 1, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Patients can achieve better outcomes by choosing a hospital and a surgeon with adequate, ongoing experience performing a specific surgery, according to a new report entitled Safety In Numbers: The Leapfrog Group’s Report on High-Risk Surgeries Performed at American Hospitals.

Inpatient Surgery Report 2019

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