Development and Evaluation of a Presenter Coaching Program at an Academic Surgical Conference.

Objective: Presenting at academic conferences is an important means of disseminating research, networking, and building a professional reputation, but the quality of presentations at conferences is often suboptimal. This project describes the design, implementation, and evaluation of a presentation coaching program offered by an academic surgical society to presenters at its annual meeting.

Design: Oral presenters were paired with a coach and encouraged to meet independently, yet coaching was unstructured.

Planning for grey rhino risks : How to prepare for the 'unforeseeable'.

Grey rhino risks are high-impact but seemingly low-probability risks that get shuttled to the sidelines, often due to a misguided hope that the risk will not materialise in the near term, so mitigation planning can be delayed or dismissed. As the author has argued previously in this journal, it is time to change the way we look at risks in order to reassess and re-prioritise our grey rhino risks. We must stop shrugging our shoulders and treating grey rhinos as 'unforeseeable' and therefore absolving ourselves from doing anything about them.

Single-cell transcriptomic profiling of microvascular endothelial cell heterogeneity in congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a neonatal anomaly that includes pulmonary hypoplasia and hypertension. We hypothesized that microvascular endothelial cell (EC) heterogeneity is different in CDH lungs and related to lung underdevelopment and remodeling. To test this, we evaluated rat fetuses at E21.

Use of Image Guidance During Pediatric Venovenous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Cannulation: A Survey of the American Pediatric Surgical Association.

This study evaluated practices for image guidance during placement of bicaval dual-lumen (BCDL) venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) cannulas in pediatric and adolescent patients and elucidates reasoning behind surgeon practices. A survey covering VV-ECMO practice and opinions was distributed by the American Pediatric Surgical Association (APSA) to all attending members. A total of 110 pediatric surgeons responded (11.

Short-term outcomes of thoracoscopic versus open lobectomy for congenital lung malformations.

Purpose: Thoracoscopic and open approaches for the management of congenital lung malformations (CLM) has been debated. The aim of this study is to compare 30-day outcomes for non-emergent lobectomies in children.

Methods: The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program-Pediatric database was queried for patients undergoing CLM resection from 2013 to 2020.

The Current Pediatric Surgery Job Market: A Perspective of Recent Fellowship Graduates.

Purpose: This study describes the job market from the perspective of recent pediatric surgery graduates.

Methods: An anonymous survey was circulated to the 137 pediatric surgeons who graduated from fellowships 2019-2021.

Results: The survey response rate was 49%.

Discontinuation of the OriGen® Dual-Lumen Right Atrial Cannula Decreased Venovenous ECMO Usage in Neonates and Older Children: A Survey of the American Pediatric Surgical Association.

Introduction: Dual-lumen cannulas for venovenous (VV)-ECMO are widely used in pediatric patients. The popular OriGen® dual-lumen right atrial cannula was discontinued in 2019 without a comparable replacement.

Methods: A survey covering VV-ECMO practice and opinions was distributed to attending members of the American Pediatric Surgical Association.

Pathological Roles for Endothelial Colony-Forming Cells in Neonatal and Adult Lung Disease.

Endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs) are vascular resident and circulating endothelial cell subtypes with potent angiogenic capacity, a hierarchy of single-cell clonogenic potentials, and the ability to participate in blood vessel formation and endothelial repair. Existing literature regarding ECFCs in neonatal and adult pulmonary diseases is confounded by the study of ambiguously defined "endothelial progenitor cells," which are often not true ECFCs. This review contrasts adult and fetal ECFCs, discusses the effect of prematurity on ECFCs, and examines their different pathological roles in neonatal and adult pulmonary diseases, such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, pulmonary artery hypertension, pulmonary fibrosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Plasma p217+tau versus NAV4694 amyloid and MK6240 tau PET across the Alzheimer's continuum.

Introduction: We evaluated a new Simoa plasma assay for phosphorylated tau (P-tau) at aa217 enhanced by additional p-tau sites (p217+tau).

Methods: Plasma p217+tau levels were compared to F-NAV4694 amyloid beta (Aβ) positron emission tomography (PET) and F-MK6240 tau PET in 174 cognitively impaired (CI) and 223 cognitively unimpaired (CU) participants.

Results: Compared to Aβ- CU, the plasma levels of p217+tau increased 2-fold in Aβ+ CU and 3.

Rhinos and risk assessments: Adjusting risk assessment methodologies to account for 'unforeseeable' events.

It is wrong to describe the COVID-19 pandemic as a 'black swan' (ie a catastrophic event that no one saw coming). Far more apt would be to call it a 'grey rhino' - something that has long been predicted but overlooked by leadership the world over. This paper argues that it is time to stop relying on outdated risk formulas and adjust risk assessment methodologies to account for these grey rhinos.

Leprosy's Untainted Child.

In the face of an obdurate disease, the Mission to Lepers made a virtue out of "saving" children from leprosy and from paganism by separating them from their parents so that they became a source of publicity, sponsorship, and fund-raising. This policy transformed a benevolent work of mercy into a professional one, for it soon became clear that children separated from their parents did not develop leprosy. Consequently, the asylum became a site where scientific conclusions were made about the transmission of the disease, and the authority of the mission was enhanced at international medical conferences.

Comparison of early versus delayed strategies for repair of congenital diaphragmatic hernia on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Purpose: For the last seven years, our institution has repaired infants with CDH that require ECMO early after cannulation. Prior to that, we attempted to decannulate before repair, but repaired on ECMO if we were unable to wean after two weeks. This study compares those strategies.

Concomitant mitral valve procedures in patients undergoing implantation of continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices: An INTERMACS database analysis.

Background: Management of existing mitral valve (MV) disease in patients undergoing left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation remains controversial.

Methods: Among continuous-flow LVAD patients with moderate to severe mitral regurgitation entered into the Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support (INTERMACS) database between April 2008 and March 2014 (n = 4,930), outcomes were compared between patients who underwent MV repair (MVr, n = 252), MV replacement (MVR, n = 11) and no MV procedure (no MVP, n = 4,667). Impact on survival was analyzed by stratified actuarial and hazard function multivariable methodology.

Long-Term Outcomes of Transoral Incisionless Fundoplication in a High-Risk Pediatric Population.

Introduction: Laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication (LNF) is the standard for surgical treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), but postoperative complications and pain are common in patients with severe neurological impairment (NI) and those undergoing reoperative procedures. Transoral incisionless fundoplication (TIF) is an endoscopic alternative to treat GERD. Long-term results in pediatric populations are unknown.

Steroid use for refractory hypotension in congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

Purpose: Guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of adrenal insufficiency (AI) in newborns with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) are poorly defined.

Methods: From 2002 to 2016, 155 infants were treated for CDH at our institution. Patients with shock refractory to vasopressors (clinically diagnosed AI) were treated with hydrocortisone (HC).

Concomitant aortic valve procedures in patients undergoing implantation of continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices: An INTERMACS database analysis.

Background: Management of existing aortic insufficiency (AI) and mechanical aortic valves in patients undergoing left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation remains controversial. Surgical options to address these issues include closure, repair or replacement of the valve.

Methods: Continuous-flow LVAD/biventricular VAD patients entered into the INTERMACS database between June 2006 and December 2012 were included (n = 5,344) in this analysis.

Concomitant tricuspid valve surgery during implantation of continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices: a Society of Thoracic Surgeons database analysis.

Background: Performing concomitant tricuspid valve procedures (TVPs) in left ventricular assist device (LVAD) patients with significant pre-operative tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is controversial, and no studies have been large enough to definitively guide therapy.

Methods: Between January 2006 and September 2012, 2,196 patients with moderate to severe pre-operative TR from 115 institutions underwent implantation of a continuous-flow left ventricular assist device (LVAD) as reported by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons National Database. Of these, 588 (27%) underwent a concomitant TVP.

Quantification of the functional consequences of atrial fibrillation and surgical ablation on the left atrium using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging.

Objectives: The effect of atrial fibrillation (AF) on left atrial (LA) function has not been well defined and has been largely based on limited echocardiographic evaluation. This study examined the effect of AF and a subsequent Cox-Maze IV (CMIV) procedure on atrial function.

Methods: Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI) was performed in 20 healthy volunteers, 8 patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) and 7 patients with persistent or long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation (LSP AF).