Surgery/Specialties 
Editor's Note Although cadaver-based education is far from perfect, medical schools should reconsider eliminating these programs for surgeons and other professionals, first-year medical student Nadir Al Saidi argues in a March 31 commentary in Stat. “The weight of an actual body beneath your inexperienced hands is as real a preparation…
Editor's Note Some patients with early-stage breast cancer who achieve a complete response to pre-surgical chemotherapy and radiation may safely avoid surgery, according to a March 27 announcement from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The report details a Phase II trial, published in JAMA Oncology, finding that…
Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced significant updates taking effect immediately to the eligibility requirements for its cardiac and stroke certifications, developed in collaboration with the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Stroke Association (ASA). According to the April 2 announcement, key revisions involve the removal of percutaneous coronary…
Editor's Note Intermountain Health researchers have uncovered a practical solution for reducing the risk of opioid-induced respiratory depression (OIRD) in same-day surgery patients, showing that a basic monitoring device—specifically, a pulse oximeter—can save lives, News Channel Nebraska March 27 reports. The study, published in the Respiratory Care Journal, focused on…
Editor's Note According to a study presented at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons 2025 Annual Meeting, same-day discharge for total joint arthroplasty (TJA) patients with a history of atrial fibrillation (AF) is both feasible and safe, Medscape March 31 reports. This finding challenges the common assumption that patients with…
Editor's Note Arthroplasty implants may release metals that accumulate in the central nervous system (CNS), potentially contributing to neurotoxic effects, according to a study published March 28 in JAMA Network Open. Researchers found that patients with large joint replacements had significantly higher levels of cobalt, chromium, titanium, niobium, and zirconium…
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…
Editor's Note Preoperative mental health assessment significantly increases the odds of a postoperative “textbook outcome” for older patients, according to research published on March 15 in the journal Surgery. The median age for the patient population analyzed at the time of surgery was 74 years. Focusing on more than 32,500…
Editor's Note Surgical removal of enlarged tonsils and adenoids significantly decreases medical visits and prescription use in children with mild sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), according to a March 17 study in JAMA Pediatrics. Supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the study found that adenotonsillectomy led to a 32% reduction…
Editor's Note HST Pathways’ most recent industry report, discussed on the Advancing Surgical Care Podcast by HST CEO David Thawley and Bill Prentice, CEO of the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA), offers insights into cardiology and orthopedic procedures done in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) in 2024, Ambulatory Surgery Center News…
