Publications by authors named "Kamran Samakar"
Background: Laparoscopic emergent inguinal hernia repair remains controversial despite studies suggesting it is safe and feasible. Variables associated with laparoscopic compared with open emergent inguinal hernia repair are currently not well described. This study aims to investigate patient characteristics and risk factors associated with laparoscopic emergent inguinal hernia repair.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSafety of redo sleeve gastrectomy as a primary revisional procedure.
Surg Obes Relat Dis
November 2024
Background: Insufficient weight loss after primary laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) occasionally requires revisional surgery. A few single-institution studies have examined the safety of redo LSG (RSG) and have shown mixed results.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety of RSG compared with LSG over a period of 30 days.
Article Synopsis
- The readability of online patient education materials (PEMs) for bariatric surgery is often too advanced, exceeding the recommended 6th-grade level, prompting a study on using large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT to improve it.
- The study analyzed 66 FAQ responses from top medical institutions and compared them with responses generated by LLMs, finding that both initial institutional and LLM responses typically ranged from 9th grade to college-level readability.
- After LLMs simplified their initial responses, readability significantly improved, particularly with GPT-4, which produced responses suitable for 6th to 9th-grade reading levels, while Bard's simplified responses were less consistent in comprehensiveness.
Article Synopsis
- There is a lack of studies comparing the opinions of surgical and non-surgical program directors (PDs) on the recent change of the Step 1 exam scoring from a numerical score to a pass/fail system.
- A systematic review conducted in May 2023 found that surgical PDs expressed higher levels of disagreement with the score change and believed it would complicate the comparison of applicants more than non-surgical PDs.
- The review highlighted significant differences in perspectives between the two groups, particularly regarding the emphasis on Step 2 scores in evaluations, indicating a need for further research to create improved guidelines for the residency application process.
Common postbariatric surgery emergencies for the acute care surgeon: What you need to know.
J Trauma Acute Care Surg
December 2023
Article Synopsis
- * Despite fewer postoperative complications, patients still face potential risks after surgery that can occur long after the initial procedure, needing urgent medical attention.
- * The article reviews common bariatric surgeries, their complications, and offers guidelines for emergency care providers to manage these complex cases effectively.
Bariatric surgery remains underutilized despite its proven efficacy in the management of obesity. Provider perceptions of bariatric surgery are important to consider when discussing utilization rates. PubMed, SCOPUS, and OVID databases were searched in April 2023, and 40 published studies discussing providers' knowledge and perceptions of bariatric surgery were included.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Bariatric surgery for adolescent patients has been shown to be safe but potentially underutilized. A better understanding of operative risk in adolescents may temper apprehension to its adoption. This study intends to examine the association between preoperative risk factors and complications following bariatric surgery for adolescent patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: ChatGPT is a large language model trained on a large dataset covering a broad range of topics, including the medical literature. We aim to examine its accuracy and reproducibility in answering patient questions regarding bariatric surgery.
Materials And Methods: Questions were gathered from nationally regarded professional societies and health institutions as well as Facebook support groups.
Introduction: Bariatric surgery is an effective therapeutic modality for obesity and related comorbidities, yet it remains significantly underutilized. Patient perceptions and expectations may influence the decisions of eligible patients in pursuing surgery.
Methods: PubMed, SCOPUS, and OVID databases were searched in July 2022 to identify published studies discussing patient and the public's perceptions of bariatric surgery.
Article Synopsis
- Obesity is a significant issue in low-income and racially diverse populations, with the study exploring the impact of socioeconomic factors on bariatric surgery outcomes at a private hospital (PH) versus a safety-net hospital (SNH).
- The research involved a detailed review of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomies, comparing demographics, socioeconomic status, insurance, and postoperative outcomes, including a survey on dietary and lifestyle habits.
- Results showed that while both hospitals had similar weight loss results and failure rates after surgery, patients at the PH experienced better resolution of diabetes and hypertension than those at the SNH, despite demographic differences.
Background: Minimally invasive approaches to esophagectomy have gained popularity worldwide; however, unplanned conversion to an open approach is not uncommon. This study sought to investigate risk factors associated with converting to an open approach and to evaluate outcomes following conversion.
Methods: Patients undergoing minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) for cancer were identified using the 2016-2019 Procedure Targeted NSQIP Database.
Although postoperative diet modification, exercise, and regular dietitian and surgeon follow-up are often recommended after bariatric surgery (BS), their impact on weight loss is unclear. A Retrospective chart review was conducted for patients who received sleeve gastrectomy or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) between August 2000 and November 2017 with telephone follow-up. Multivariable logistic regression models were used for analyses.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The ratio of hernia size to fascial defect size, termed the hernia-to-neck ratio (HNR), has been proposed as a novel predictive factor for umbilical hernia complications. HNR ≥ 2.5 has been suggested to warrant surgery due to association with bowel strangulation, incarceration, and necrosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Gastric electrical stimulation (GES) and laparoscopic gastrectomy (LG) are known therapeutic options for medically refractory gastroparesis (MRG) although there are limited data comparing their outcomes. We aim to compare clinical outcomes between patients undergoing GES vs upfront LG for the treatment of MRG while examining factors associated with GES failure and conversion to LG.
Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 181 consecutive patients who underwent GES or LG for MRG at our institution from January 2003 to December 2017.
Introduction: Bariatric surgery (BS) has been shown to effectively treat morbid obesity and improve obesity-related comorbidities. Nonetheless, BS remains underutilized among qualified patients.
Materials And Methods: PubMed, SCOPUS, and OVID databases were searched to identify published comparative studies examining BS referral patterns.
Background: We developed a multi-resolution foveated laparoscope (MRFL) to improve situational awareness in laparoscopic surgery. We assessed surgeon objective task performance and subjective attitudes with MRFL when used for box trainer tasks and porcine surgery.
Methods: The MRFL simultaneously obtains a wide-angle view and a magnified view.