Sleeve gastrectomy and anti-reflux procedures.

Background: Obesity is an epidemic in the USA that continues to grow, becoming a leading cause of premature avoidable death. Bariatric surgery has become an effective solution for obesity and its comorbidities, and one of the most commonly utilized procedures, the sleeve gastrectomy, can lead to an increase in gastroesophageal reflux following the operation. While these data are controversial, sometimes operative intervention can be necessary to provide durable relief for this problem.

Perioperative outcomes and costs of laparoscopic versus open inguinal hernia repair.

Purpose: Studies comparing laparoscopic (LIHR) vs. open inguinal hernia repair (OIHR) have shown similar recurrence rates but have disagreed on perioperative outcomes and costs. The aim of this study is to compare laparoscopic vs.

Resident involvement in laparoscopic procedures does not worsen clinical outcomes but may increase operative times and length of hospital stay.

Background: Surgical procedures have a learning curve regarding the number of cases required for proficiency. Consequently, involvement of less experienced resident surgeons may impact patients and the healthcare system. This study examines basic and advanced laparoscopic procedures performed between 2010 and 2011 and evaluates the resident surgeon participation effect.

Can surgical performance benchmarking be generalized across multiple outcomes databases: a comparison of University HealthSystem Consortium and National Surgical Quality Improvement Program.

Background: Surgeon's performance is tracked using patient outcomes databases. We compared data on patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy from 2 large databases with significant institutional overlap to see if either patient characteristics or outcomes were similar enough to accurately compare performance.

Methods: Data from 2009 to 2011 were collected from University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC) and National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP).

Alvimopan reduces length of stay and costs in patients undergoing segmental colonic resections: results from multicenter national administrative database.

Background: Alvimopan (Entereg), a peripherally acting mu-opioid receptor antagonist, has been shown to expedite recovery of bowel function after colon resection surgery. Most data are available from industry-sponsored trials. This study aims to evaluate the clinical impact of this drug on perioperative outcomes and costs in patients undergoing segmental colonic resection for diverticular disease.