The American surgeon
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The American surgeon · Apr 2018
Comparative StudyRedefining the Surgical Council of Resident Education (SCORE) Curriculum: A Comparison with the Operative Experiences of Graduated General Surgical Residents.
Our objective was to investigate the number and classify surgical operations performed by general surgery residents and compare these with the updated Surgical Council on Resident Education (SCORE) curriculum. We performed a retrospective review of logged surgical cases from general surgical residents who completed training at a single center from 2011 to 2015. The logged cases were correlated with the operations extracted from the SCORE curriculum. ⋯ Twenty-eight residents graduated with an average of 1017 major cases. Each resident completed 66 (67%) core cases and 17 (32%) advanced cases an average of one or more times with 39 (40%) core cases and 6 (11%) advanced cases completed five or more times. Core procedures that are infrequently or not performed by residents should be identified in each program to focus on resident education.
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The American surgeon · Apr 2018
Central Lymph Node Dissection Improves Lymph Node Clearance in Papillary Thyroid Cancer Patients with Lateral Neck Metastases, Even after Prior Total Thyroidectomy.
The oncologic benefit of a central lymph node dissection (CLND) at the time of modified radical neck dissection (MRND) in patients with papillary thyroid cancer who have previously undergone a total thyroidectomy (TT) has not been studied. Patients with lateral cervical metastases were divided into two treatment groups: the concurrent cohort (TT with CLND and MRND), and the interval cohort (CLND and MRND after prior TT). Primary outcomes were lymph node metastases, skip metastases, level VI cancer recurrence, hypoparathyroidism and recurrent laryngeal nerve injury. ⋯ Three patients developed hypoparathyroidism (3.7%). All permanent morbidities occurred in the concurrent group. CLND at the time of MRND for metastatic papillary thyroid cancer frequently identifies level VI metastases and can be done with low operative morbidity by experienced endocrine surgeons, even in patients who have undergone a prior TT.
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The American surgeon · Mar 2018
Early Craniectomy Improves Intracranial and Cerebral Perfusion Pressure after Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.
After traumatic brain injury, decompressive craniectomy (DC) is a second-tier, late therapy for refractory intracranial hypertension. We hypothesize that early DC, based on CT evidence of intracranial hypertension, improves intracranial pressure (ICP) and cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP). From September 2008 to January 2015, 286 traumatic brain injury patients requiring invasive ICP monitoring at a single Level I trauma center were reviewed. ⋯ For 50 DC propensity matched to 50 non-DC patients, the midline shift was 7(11) versus 0(5) mm (P < 0.001), abnormal ICP (hours > 20 mm Hg) was 1(10) versus 8(16) (P = 0.017), abnormal CPP (hours < 60 mm Hg) was 0(6) versus 4(9) (P = 0.008), daily minimum CPP (mm Hg) was 67(13) versus 62(17) (P = 0.010), and daily maximum ICP (mm Hg) was 18(9) versus 22(11) (P < 0.001). However, LOS [33(37) versus 25(34) days], mortality (24 versus 30%), and Glasgow Outcome Score Extended [3.0(3.0) versus 3.0(4.0)] did not improve significantly. Early DC for CT evidence of intracranial hypertension decreased abnormal ICP and CPP time and improved ICP and CPP thresholds, but had no obvious effect on the outcome.
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The American surgeon · Mar 2018
The Impact of Methamphetamine Use on Trauma Patients at a Level I Trauma Center: A 10-Year Retrospective Review.
The effects of methamphetamines (MAs) on trauma patient outcomes have been evaluated, but with discordant results. The purpose of this study was to identify hospital outcomes associated with MA use after traumatic injury. Retrospective review of adult trauma patients admitted to an American College of Surgeons verified-Level I trauma center who received a urine drug screen (UDS) between January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2013. ⋯ A positive drug screen result of other drug without MA demonstrated a significantly lower risk for mortality, but longer intensive care unit and hospital length of stay, as well as increased ventilator days than negative results. Results of MA only did not alter the risk of mortality. These findings suggest that patients who test positive for MAs are not at an increased risk of in-hospital mortality when compared with patients having a negative drug screen.
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The American surgeon · Mar 2018
Biography Historical ArticleHerman Boerhaave, the Dutch Hippocrates, a Forgotten Father of Medicine.
In today's medical community, when people say the name Herman Boerhaave, most assimilate it to Boerhaave syndrome. His influence on medicine is seen every day in hospitals around the world. ⋯ It has been said that during the Age of Reason, he was the "Bearer of the Enlightenment of Medicine." He is a forgotten father of medicine. To preserve medical history, educators should give students a brief summary of the contributors to medicine to remind us how much of their lives they gave to further medical knowledge.