The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on racial disparities in postoperative outcomes after bariatric surgery.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the outcomes and access to elective surgery across the United States. This study hypothesized that preexisting racial and ethnic disparities were exacerbated by the pandemic for bariatric surgery.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study evaluated the outcome disparities in 1,046,578 patients who underwent bariatric surgery from 2016-2019 (before the COVID-19 pandemic) to 2020-2021 (during the COVID-19 pandemic) using the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program database.

Impact of Holistic Application Scoring on Interview Offers.

Objective: We aimed to develop a holistic screening tool for surgical residency application processing to capture the diverse skills and attributes of the applicant, based on characteristics most commonly associated with success in our residency program.

Design: We developed an application-scoring rubric with 4 domains based on ACGME Holistic reviewing criteria: academic potential, experiences, personal attributes, and clinical competency. We scored academic potential based on a composite of Step 2 score, MSPE tier rank, surgery clerkship grade, college honors, publications, and presentations.

Current status of resident simulation training curricula: pearls and pitfalls.

Background: Residency programs are required to incorporate simulation into their training program. Ideally, simulation provides a safe environment for a trainee to be exposed to both common and challenging clinical scenarios. The purpose of this review is to detail the current state of the most commonly used laparoscopic, endoscopic, and robotic surgery simulation programs in general surgery residency education, including resources required for successful implementation and benchmarks for evaluation.

Evaluation of endoscopic gastrojejunostomy revision after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass for treatment of dumping syndrome.

Background And Aims: Gastrojejunostomy stomal dilation is a frequent cause of weight regain after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and may be a contributing cause of dumping syndrome. This study aims to evaluate the long-term durability of endoscopic gastrojejunostomy revision (EGJR) to resolve dumping syndrome.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed of patients undergoing EGJR at a single institution from January 1, 2013 to December 1, 2018.

"How to" Course for Resident Reviewers: from the Resident and Fellow Education Committee of the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract (SSAT).

The Resident and Fellow Education Committee of the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract (SSAT) hosted a "How to" course for resident reviewers at the 2021 Annual Meeting at Digestive Disease Week. This panel drew from their extensive experience to help neophyte reviewers perform high quality, comprehensive peer reviews. Dr.

Surgical Society Podcasts: A Novel Way to Engage and Educate the Community.

Background: Podcasts are increasingly being utilized in the surgical field as an asynchronous educational resource. This article discusses podcasts devoted to the field of surgery and their growing contribution to surgical education.

Methods: We provide examples of current podcasts and their varied structures, including those that distribute clinical and educational content, discuss recent literature and advancements, interview leaders in the field, and/or showcase unique perspectives on topics such as career development, diversity, and wellness.

Robotic Surgery: At the Crossroads of a Data Explosion.

Background: For the last 20 years, controversies in robotic surgery focused on cost reduction, development of new platforms and technologies, creation and validation of curriculum and virtual simulators, and conduction of randomized clinical trials to determine the best applications of robotics [Leal Ghezzi and Campos in World J Surg 40:2550-2557, 2016].

Methods: This review explores the robotic systems which are currently indicated for use or development in gastrointestinal/abdominal surgery. These systems are reviewed and analyzed for clinical impact in these areas.

Emergent robotic versus laparoscopic surgery for perforated gastrojejunal ulcers: a retrospective cohort study of 44 patients.

Background: Perforated gastrojejunal ulcers are a known complication following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery requiring emergent surgical repair. The robotic approach has not been evaluated for emergency general surgery.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study from 2015 to 2019 was performed identifying all patients who underwent repair of perforated gastrojejunal ulcers after RYGB at a single institution.

The Optimal Approach to Symptomatic Paraesophageal Hernia Repair: Important Technical Considerations.

While the asymptomatic paraesophageal hernia (PEH) can be observed safely, surgery is indicated for symptomatic hernias. Laparoscopic repair is associated with decreased morbidity and mortality; however, it is associated with a higher rate of radiologic recurrence when compared with the open approach. Though a majority of patients experience good symptomatic relief from laparoscopic repair, strict adherence to good technique is critical to minimize recurrence.

The effects of optimal perioperative glucose control on morbidly obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery.

Background: Bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment for morbidly obese type II diabetics. However, guidelines for perioperative glucose control are not well established. We examined management of perioperative glucose levels in diabetic patients undergoing bariatric surgery and determined the impact of optimal glucose control as defined by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) on patient outcomes, including long-term diabetes resolution.

The utility of lymph node mapping sonogram and thyroglobulin surveillance in post thyroidectomy papillary thyroid cancer patients.

Background: The American Thyroid Association recommends lymph node mapping (LNM) ultrasonography 6-12 months after thyroidectomy for patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). The yield of LNM over thyroglobulin (TG) screening is not well defined. We sought to investigate this relationship.

Stem cell antigen-1 localizes to lipid microdomains and associates with insulin degrading enzyme in skeletal myoblasts.

Stem cell antigen-1 (Sca-1, Ly6A/E) is a glycosylphosphotidylinositol-anchored protein that identifies many tissue progenitor cells. We originally identified Sca-1 as a marker of myogenic precursor cells and subsequently demonstrated that Sca-1 regulates proliferation of activated myoblasts, suggesting an important role for Sca-1 in skeletal muscle homeostasis. Beyond its functional role in regulating proliferation, however, little is known about the mechanism(s) that drive Sca-1-mediated events.

X-ray diffraction studies of the thick filament in permeabilized myocardium from rabbit.

Low angle x-ray diffraction patterns from relaxed permeabilized rabbit cardiac trabeculae and psoas muscle fibers were compared. Temperature was varied from 25 degrees C to 5 degrees C at 200 mM and 50 mM ionic strengths (mu), respectively. Effects of temperature and mu on the intensities of the myosin layer lines (MLL), the equatorial intensity ratio I(1,1)/I(1,0), and the spacing of the filament lattice are similar in both muscles.