Surgery/Specialties Editor's Note The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists, and the American Society of ExtraCorporeal Technology on January 19 announced the release of new clinical practice guidelines on the use of anticoagulants during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Among the guideline recommendations are: optimal heparin dosing for initiation and maintenance…
Editor's Note Though needlestick injuries and exposure to bloodborne pathogens continue to be significant hazards for surgeons and nurses, concern about risk is declining, and the true conversion risk is underestimated, this study finds. A survey was distributed to 358 medical students and 247 department of surgery staff at an…
The migration of total joint replacements for knees and hips from inpatient hospital ORs to hospital outpatient departments and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) is spreading. On November 1, 2017, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) bolstered the trend when it approved the removal of total knee arthroplasty (TKA)…
Editor's Note Postoperative mortality rises as the day of the week of elective surgery approaches the weekend and is higher after admission for urgent/emergent surgery on the weekend, this meta-analysis from the University of Calgary finds. The analysis included 10 studies that involved about 6.7 million patients having elective procedures…
Editor's Note In this survey, most respondents chose surgical rather than nonsurgical treatment for acute appendicitis. Of 1,728 respondents, 85.8% chose laparoscopic appendectomy, 4.9% chose open appendectomy, and 9.4% chose antibiotics alone as treatments for themselves. For their child, 79.4% chose laparoscopic appendectomy, 6.1% chose open appendectomy, and 14.5% chose…
Editor's Note Dissemination of low-cost patient education brochures improved disposal of unused opioids after surgery, this study finds. The study involved 334 patients−164 who did not receive the brochure and 170 who did receive it. Patients who received the brochure informing them of appropriate methods for disposal were twice as…
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on January 11 classified the recall by Edwards LifeSciences (Irvine, California) of its Certitude Delivery System as Class I, the most serious. The system is used for delivery of the Edwards SAPIEN 3 transcatheter aortic heart valve. The recall was issued because…
Editor's Note A Persistence Market Research report predicts the global arthroscopic devices market will exceed $1.7 billion by 2022, with a 5.1% compound annual growth rate, according to the January 3 Becker’s Spine Review. A rising demand for minimally invasive procedures and an increasing geriatric population are the main contributors…
Editor's Note The Joint Commission on January 3 announced that it is no longer requiring hospitals, critical access hospitals, or ambulatory care organizations to credential and privilege pathologists who provide diagnostic services through independent reference (contract) laboratories. The Joint Commission says accredited organizations can safely presume that pathologists who work…
Editor's Note The prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in surgeons and interventionalists is high, this meta-analysis finds. Of 5,828 physicians, there was: degenerative cervical spine disease in 17% rotator cuff pathology in 18% degenerative lumbar spine disease in 19% carpal tunnel syndrome in 9%. From 1997 to 2015, the prevalence…
