Takeaways • Robot-assisted surgery (RAS) is now an option in many specialties and for adult and pediatric patients; RAS-related ethical issues include access and patient privacy. • Intuitive Surgical continues to dominate the marketplace, but many companies are working on expanding their range of options. • Some current trends and…

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Editor's Note Loosening fasting policies before surgery does not increase the risk of post-surgical aspiration, also known as aspiration pneumonia, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis published in the journal Surgery in August 2025. The researchers analyzed 17 studies published between 2016 and 2023, including randomized clinical trials and…

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Editor's Note A mixed reality navigation (MRN) system for neurosurgery achieved performance comparable to traditional optical navigation (TON) in certain clinical scenarios, while significantly reducing equipment costs, according to an August 1 study published in BMC Surgery. The MRN system, built around a Microsoft HoloLens headset and infrared tracking tools,…

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Editor's Note Recent research shows robotic-assisted cholecystectomy (RAC) results in similar bile duct injury rates as laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC), but risks are higher for postoperative complications, longer hospital stays, and more frequent drain use. Published May 21 in JAMA Surgery, the large-scale cohort study analyzed outcomes from over 844,000 acute…

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Editor's Note Clocking long hours has impact beyond fatigue. It may also physically reshape the brain. As reported May 13 by CNN, that is the central finding of a new study showing significant structural brain changes in overworked individuals, particularly in areas tied to emotional regulation and executive function. Conducted…

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Editor's Note Augmented reality (AR) guidance keeps surging in perioperative practice: Pixee Medical just secured FDA 510(k) clearance for its Knee+ NexSight system for total knee arthroplasty, while Augmedics’ xvision platform has already guided 10,000 US spine surgical procedures and is rolling out a new CT-Fluoro registration upgrade. According to…

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Editor's Note Current US CT scan practices could lead to approximately 103,000 future cancers—nearly 5% of all new annual diagnoses—if utilization and radiation dosing patterns persist, according to a risk modeling study published April 14 in JAMA Internal Medicine. Authors emphasized that although CT is often lifesaving, its risks are…

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Editor's Note As aesthetic procedures continue to migrate into freestanding ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), a new Canadian study argues that routine laboratory tests and electrocardiograms—often labeled “low‑value” in hospitals—remain a critical safety net when emergency back‑up is miles away. The manuscript was published by the Aesthetic Surgery Journal on April…

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Editor's Note New research offers a potential explanation for why some patients retain toxic metals long after undergoing an MRI. Published in the journal Magnetic Resonance Imaging, the findings show that gadolinium contrast agents used in MRI scans may react with common dietary compounds to form harmful metal nanoparticles in…

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Editor's Note A new noninvasive procedure called magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) capsulotomy is showing promising results for patients with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Asian Scientist March 26 reports. In a study conducted by researchers in South Korea and published in Molecular Psychiatry, 10 individuals who received MRgFUS capsulotomy at…

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