Is thymectomy necessary during parathyroidectomy for secondary hyperparathyroidism in patients with end-stage kidney disease?

Background: Guidelines recommend thymectomy at the time of parathyroidectomy for secondary hyperparathyroidism to reduce the likelihood of persistent or recurrent disease. We sought to determine the frequency of thymectomy and explore its impact on recurrence of secondary hyperparathyroidism.

Methods: Using TriNetX, a multi-institutional electronic health record and insurance claims network, we conducted a retrospective cohort study of adults with secondary hyperparathyroidism who underwent parathyroidectomy with or without thymectomy from 2005 to 2023.

From Athlete to Surgeon: Examining Sports and Grit Among General Surgery Residents.

Objective: The transition of Step 1 to pass/fail has generated concerns over selecting promising candidates. Holistic reviews integrate other proficiencies, including extracurriculars such as sports. Grit - defined as perseverance and passion for long-term goals - has been positively associated with competitive activities and is predictive of academic success.

Pregnancy and Parenthood Among US Surgical Residents.

Importance: The ability to pursue family planning goals is integral to gender equity in any field. Procedural specialties pose occupational risks to pregnancy. As the largest procedural specialty, general surgery provides an opportunity to understand family planning, workplace support for parenthood, obstetric outcomes, and the impact of these factors on workforce well-being, gender equity, and attrition.

Adrenal cysts less than 10 cm can be safely observed.

Background: Adrenal cysts are rare and appropriate management is unclear due to a lack of data on their natural history. Understanding adrenal cyst growth patterns would assist in clinical management.

Methods: This single-institution study included all adult patients diagnosed with simple adrenal cysts between 2004 and 2021.

A multi-institutional study from the US ROPE consortium examining factors associated with endocrine surgery exposure for general surgery residents.

Background: Prior analyses of general surgery resident case logs have indicated a decline in the number of endocrine procedures performed during residency. This study aimed to identify factors contributing to the endocrine operative experience of general surgery residents and compare those who matched in endocrine surgery fellowship with those who did not.

Methods: We analyzed the case log data of graduates from 18 general surgery residency programs in the US Resident Operative Experience Consortium over an 11-year period.

Defining the Disparity: A Multi-Institutional Analysis of Factors Associated With Decreased Resident Operative Experience.

Introduction: Technical learning in surgical training is multifaceted and existing literature suggests a positive relationship between case volume and proficiency. Little is known about factors associated with a decreased volume of operative experience. This study aimed to identify resident and program factors associated with general surgery residents (GSR) in the bottom quartile of logged case volume upon program completion.

Disparities in the Operative Experience Between Female and Male General Surgery Residents: A Multi-institutional Study From the US ROPE Consortium.

Objective: To examine differences in resident operative experience between male and female general surgery residents.

Background: Despite increasing female representation in surgery, sex and gender disparities in residency experience continue to exist. The operative volume of male and female general surgery residents has not been compared on a multi-institutional level.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Operative Experience Among General Surgery Residents: A Multi-Institutional Study from the US ROPE Consortium.

Objective: To determine the relationship between race/ethnicity and case volume among graduating surgical residents.

Background: Racial/ethnic minority individuals face barriers to entry and advancement in surgery; however, no large-scale investigations of the operative experience of racial/ethnic minority residents have been performed.

Methods: A multi-institutional retrospective analysis of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education case logs of categorical general surgery residents at 20 programs in the US Resident OPerative Experience Consortium database was performed.

Do General Surgery Residents Begin Specializing Before Fellowship? A Multi-Institutional Study from the US ROPE Consortium.

Background: Single-center data suggest that general surgery residents perform more cases related to their future fellowship compared with their peers. This study aimed to determine whether this experience was true for residents across multiple programs.

Study Design: Data from graduates of 18 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited general surgery residency programs in the US Resident OPerative Experience (ROPE) Consortium were analyzed.

How Program Directors Understand General Surgery Resident Wellness.

Objective: Burnout among general surgery residents is prevalent. Guidance on how program directors (PDs) can effectively intervene on general surgery resident wellness is lacking. In this study, we explore how PDs learn about burnout among their residents and support their well-being.

A multi-institutional study from the US ROPE Consortium examining factors associated with directly entering practice upon residency graduation.

Background: There is concern regarding the competency of today's general surgery graduates as a large proportion defer independent practice in favor of additional fellowship training. Little is known about the graduates who directly enter general surgery practice and if their operative experiences during residency differ from graduates who pursue fellowship.

Methods: Nineteen Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited general surgery programs from the US Resident OPerative Experience Consortium were included.

Fetus in fetu: use of intraoperative ultrasound for safe excision of a rare entity.

A prenatally diagnosed abdominal mass at 36 weeks and 0 days was further characterised by postnatal ultrasound and MRI to be likely a rare case of fetus in fetu in an otherwise healthy male. Due to close proximity to both the coeliac axis and superior mesenteric artery (SMA), surgical excision was delayed for several months. Interim CT with intravenous contrast performed at 2 months of age demonstrated the SMA travelling through the posterior aspect of the mass.

"The Story I Will Never Forget": Critical Incident Narratives in Surgical Residency.

Objective: We sought to better understand what defines a critical incident experience for the surgical trainee.

Summary Background Data: Critical incidents are formative moments stamped indelibly on one's memory that shape professional identity. The critical incident technique-using participants' narratives to identify patterns and learn from their perceptions-has been explored in some healthcare settings, but there has been no inquiry within surgery.

Identifying institutional factors in general surgery resident wellness and burnout.

Background: Effects of the institutional macrocosm on general surgery resident wellbeing have not been well studied. We sought to identify organizational factors that impact resident wellness and burnout.

Methods: Using a modified Delphi technique, an open-ended survey and two subsequent iterations were distributed to wellness stakeholders at two institutions to identify and stratify institutional factors in six burnout domains.

Surgery clerkship offers greater entrustment of medical students with supervised procedures than other clerkships.

Background: Medical student procedural participation is increasingly limited, creating concerns over poor preparation for internship. Inadequate experiences may also compromise patient safety. This study explores variances in procedural entrustment of medical students between core clerkships during the first clinical year.

Gender Disparity in Referral for Definitive Care of Malignant Pleural Effusions.

Background: Gender disparities exist in cancer care. Malignant pleural effusions (MPEs) carry a poor prognosis and are managed by different physicians. This study sought to evaluate referral patterns and gender differences for definitive treatment and outcomes of MPE patients.

Assessment of Female Medical Students' Interest in Careers in Cardiothoracic Surgery.

Objective: Although over half of medical students are females, women comprise only 21% of cardiothoracic (CT) surgery residency applicants and 5% of the CT workforce. We sought to gain insight into female medical students' perceptions of CT surgery and identify targets to increase interest.

Design: A 33-question survey queried career selection factors, perceptions of CT surgery, and ways to increase interest in the field.

Dissociation of SHP-1 from spinophilin during platelet activation exposes an inhibitory binding site for protein phosphatase-1 (PP1).

We have recently shown that a critical regulatory node in the platelet signaling network lies immediately downstream of platelet receptors for thrombin and TxA2. This node is comprised of a scaffold protein (spinophilin, SPL), a protein tyrosine phosphatase (SHP-1), and either of the two members of the Regulators of G protein Signaling family predominantly expressed in platelets (RGS10 or RGS18). The SPL/RGS/SHP-1 complex is present in resting platelets, dissociating when thrombin or TxA2, but not ADP or collagen, activate SHP-1 and release RGS10 and RGS18 to dampen signaling.