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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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