Editor's Note Research shows repeated fasting for multiple surgeries during a single hospital stay significantly raises the risk of protein-calorie malnutrition, leading to longer recovery times, increased healthcare costs, and a higher likelihood of death. HealthDay covered the news October 21. Presented at the American Society of Anesthesiologists annual meeting,…

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Editor's Note Research shows a deeper neuromuscular block (NMB) can help perform complex abdominal surgeries laparoscopically without impacting intraoperative safety or patient outcomes, according to an October 20 report in MedPage Today. Conducted across European centers and announced at the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) annual meeting, the randomized trial enrolled…

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Editor's Note Female patients undergoing high-risk surgeries are significantly more likely to die from postoperative complications despite experiencing complications at similar rates, according to findings published October 16 in JAMA. Observed in a cohort of 863,305 Medicare beneficiaries, this disparity suggests that clinicians may be less effective at recognizing and…

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Editor's Note Boston Children's Hospital uses digital twins of patients' hearts to improve cardiac surgery precision and ensure positive outcomes, according to an October 15 report in The Washington Post. Digital twins—computerized replications of physical objects and systems—enable surgeons to simulate complex procedures on virtual 3D heart models before making…

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Editor's Note Multiple surgeries can spur gradual cognitive decline in older adults, according to recent research from the University of Sydney. Published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity and detailed in a September 27 university announcement, the study followed nearly half a million adults aged 40 to 69 over 20 years…

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Editor's Note Bariatric surgery significantly reduces the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients with type 2 diabetes and obesity compared to those on GLP-1 diabetes medications, according to a study from Cleveland Clinic. Published in Annals of Surgery and detailed in a September 20 announcement from Cleveland Clinic,…

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Editor's Note Research suggests parathyroidectomy may not provide a mental health benefit for PHPT patients, particularly in the context of preventing new depression. Published September 4 in JAMA Surgery, the study examined 40,231 adults with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT), revealing that early parathyroidectomy does not reduce the risk of developing new…

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Editor's Note Often exceeding federal safety limits, OR noise contributes significantly to communication breakdowns, heightened cognitive load, and increased surgical errors, according to a review of literature published September 17 in Cureus. Identified noise sources include surgical instruments, alarms, and staff conversations, which can reach up to 120 decibels (dBA)—a…

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Editor's Note Aaron James says he’s “pretty much back to being a normal guy, doing normal things” a year after undergoing the world’s first whole-eye and partial-face transplant at NYU Langone Health, according to a September 9 report from the academic medical center. The transplant restored essential facial functions, and…

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Editor's Note Contradicting previous research suggesting potentially improved surgical outcomes for female surgeons, the largest analysis to date finds that gender has only a small statistical, clinically marginal correlation. Appearing in the September issue of Annals of Surgery, the study involved 4,882,784 patients operated on by 11,955 female surgeons (33%…

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