Editor's Note Intraoperative hypotension does not appear to be a clinically important predictor of surgical site infections (SSIs), this study finds. Because hypotension compromises local tissue perfusion, researchers from the Cleveland Clinic hypothesized that intraoperative hypotension might promote infection. Among 2,521 patients included in the analysis, there was no adjusted…

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Editor's Note The number of additional attending anesthesiologists and in-room providers (ie, anesthesia residents, nurse anesthetists) involved in a surgical procedure was independently associated with an increased odds of postoperative complications in this study. Though a surgical patient may receive anesthesia care from several anesthesia providers, the safety of anesthesia…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on January 11 classified the recall of Stryker Fuhrman’s Pleural and Pneumopericardial Drainage Sets as Class I, the most serious. Stryker (Tempe, Arizona) received two reports that the catheter included in the Drainage Set broke off in the patient’s pleural cavity during…

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Editor's Note Participation in the American College of Surgeons, National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) is associated with a reduction in postoperative adverse events, and the magnitude of quality improvement increases with time in the program, this study finds. Hospitals in the ACS NSQIP program for at least 3…

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Editor's Note This 20-year study of more than 11,000 solid organ transplant patients found they had a 1.93 to 2.84 times higher risk of dying from cancer. The risk was highest for skin cancer, followed by non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and liver cancer. The administration of immunosuppressants or less aggressive cancer treatment…

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Editor's Note Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programs have led to reduction in length of stay and improved outcomes. This study finds that investment in an ERAS program also leads to financial savings. Despite positive results from international ERAS programs, the US has been slow to adopt such programs, in…

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Editor's Note The new Josie Robertson Surgery Center, opened by Memorial Sloan Kettering (New York City), is a first-of-its-kind facility that allows cancer patients to go home within a day of significant surgical procedures. The surgery center has 12 ORs and can accommodate 60 surgical procedures per day. Surgeons, anesthesiologists,…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on January 4 issued two final orders to strengthen the requirements for surgical mesh to repair pelvic organ prolapse tranvaginally. One order reclassifies surgical mesh from class II (moderate risk) to a class III (high-risk) device. The second order requires manufacturers to…

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Editor's Note Very low pressure irrigation with saline is an acceptable, low-cost alternative for irrigating open fractures, this study finds. Managing open fractures requires wound irrigation and debridement, but the effectiveness of various pressures and solutions remains controversial. Researchers investigated the effects of castile soap versus normal saline irrigation delivered…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on December 31, 2015, released draft guidance on “Public Notification of Emerging Postmarket Medical Device Signals (Emerging Signals).” The draft proposes a policy for how the FDA will notify the public about “emerging signals” (ie, new information) of possible device risks before…

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