Editor's Note Prostate cancer surgeries for low-risk patients have plummeted since 2010, signaling major progress in reducing overtreatment, according to an April 29 announcement from the University of Michigan. University researchers reportedly found that the proportion of men undergoing prostatectomy for Grade Group 1 prostate cancer—the lowest-risk category—dropped more than…

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Editor's Note Preadmission clinics (PACs) are supporting perioperative care by reducing complications, shortening hospital stays, and improving surgical outcomes—particularly for high-risk patients. As detailed in the April 2025 edition of ASA Monitor from the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), PACs operate as multidisciplinary outpatient hubs where medical optimization, risk assessment,…

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Editor's Note Segmental spinal anesthesia (SSA) has emerged as a safe and effective anesthetic technique for high-risk obstetric patients, particularly those with underlying cardiovascular disease (CVD). A recent case series published on April 29 by Medical Dialogues highlights the successful use of SSA in five parturients undergoing cesarean sections, emphasizing…

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Editor's Note Helping patients taper opioids preoperatively before deploying multimodal care strategies can help prevent instances of patients already with prescriptions going home with even higher doses. That’s the main takeaway from an April 22 MedCentral interview with Marie N. Hanna, MD, division chief for regional anesthesia and acute pain…

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Editor's Note An April 16 article in JAMA Network outlines a three-part communications framework for improving the quality and clarity of perioperative conversations with patients, particularly when time is limited and stakes are high. The article focuses particularly on three core communications skills: attending to emotion, managing uncertainty, and supporting…

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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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Imagine completely eliminating surgical site infections (SSIs) without significantly disrupting perioperative workflows. At Magic Valley Regional Medical Center (MVMC), a mid-sized community hospital in Twin Falls, Idaho, a nurse-led pilot project accomplished just that for breast and colorectal surgeries. As for other procedures, overall infection rates are down by nearly…

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Editor's Note Taking GLP-1 receptor agonists before anesthesia increases the risk of residual gastric contents, but evidence is lacking for a corresponding increase in perioperative pulmonary aspiration risk, according research published April 15 in the journal Anaesthesia. The systematic review and meta-analysis analyzed 28 observational studies involving over 466,000 patients…

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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 Cannabis users may require higher doses of anesthetics during sedation and experience worse physical and psychological symptoms during cancer treatment, according to an April 7 announcement from the University of Oklahoma (OU). Publishing in the journal Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, a multidisciplinary team of university researchers found that cannabis users…

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