Arch Surg Chicago
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Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) appears to be replacing open thoracotomy for the treatment of posttraumatic thoracic complications. ⋯ Video-assisted thoracic surgery was a safe and effective operative strategy for the treatment of posttraumatic empyema. Therefore, because VATS has been shown in nontrauma patients to reduce morbidity and because it provides better cosmesis, we believe that it should be the initial operative approach to trauma patients with suspected posttraumatic empyema.
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To determine the incidence and type of delayed complications from nonoperative management of adult splenic injury. ⋯ Significant numbers of delayed splenic complications do occur with nonoperative management of splenic injuries and are potentially life-threatening.
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Laparoscopic surgery adapts poorly to apprenticeship models for general surgical training. Standardized skill acquisition and validation programs, targeted performance goals, and a supervised, enforced, skill-based curriculum that readily can be shared between trainee and instructor must replace the observation and incremental skill-acquisition model used in an open surgical environment. The Yale Laparoscopic Skills and Suturing Program was used to develop a data bank for objective evaluation of dexterity and suturing skills for laparoscopic surgical training. The current study compares trainee and senior surgeon performance in this standardized training program. ⋯ Basic skills relevant to laparoscopic performance can be acquired with a high level of competence in a brief course unrelated to prior surgical experience, sex, or age.
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The oncologic consequences of intraperitoneal carbon dioxide (CO2) insufflation during the laparoscopic resection of cancer are under debate. The effect of other insufflating gases or gasless laparoscopy on cancer requires study. ⋯ The restoration of body weight after a laparoscopic surgical procedure was similar with CO2, air, or gasless laparoscopy. Gasless laparoscopy was associated with less renal subcapsular tumor growth than was insufflation with CO2. Therefore, the application of gasless techniques in laparoscopic oncologic surgical treatment demands further study.