The Art of Surgery: Balancing Compassionate With Virtual Care.

The recent drive to include virtual care in surgical practice has been accelerated due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many physicians feel that communicating via telehealth is unlike traditional methods of providing health care, and thus guidance on maintaining excellence in communication is necessary, especially as academic literature on virtual care in surgery is nonexistent. Challenges faced in transitioning to virtual care include the inability to utilize body language, barriers to traditional physical examination, exacerbation of existing vulnerabilities and inequities in patient groups, the declining quality of medical education, and the fragmentation of the multidisciplinary health care team.

Autoinfarction of Giant Parathyroid Adenoma after Preoperative Withdrawal of Anticoagulants.

A 71-year-old man with known history of atrial fibrillation (treated with routine rivaroxaban therapy) was found to have incidental biochemical elevated calcium and parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels. His physical examination demonstrated the presence of a palpable right neck mass. Subsequent imaging studies revealed a large parathyroid mass as well as multiple bone lesions, raising the suspicion of parathyroid carcinoma.

Characteristics of Adrenal Masses in Familial Adenomatous Polyposis.

Background: Adrenal masses are a known extraintestinal manifestation of familial adenomatous polyposis. However, the literature on this association is largely confined to case reports.

Objective: This study aimed to determine the characteristics of adrenal masses in familial adenomatous polyposis and their clinical significance, as well as to estimate their prevalence.

Clinical Safety of Renaming Encapsulated Follicular Variant of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma: Is NIFTP Truly Benign?

Background: Renaming encapsulated follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma (EFVPTC) to noninvasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features (NIFTP) was recently suggested to prevent the overtreatment, cost and stigma associated with this low-risk entity. The purpose of this study is to document the incidence and further assess the clinical outcomes of reclassifying EFVPTC to NIFTP.

Methods: We searched synoptic pathologic reports from a high-volume academic endocrine surgery hospital from 2004 to 2013.

How Social Are We? A Cross-Sectional Study of the Website Presence and Social Media Activity of Canadian Plastic Surgeons.

The internet and social media are increasingly being used by patients not only for health-related research, but also for obtaining information on their surgeon. Having an online presence via a website and social media profile is one-way plastic surgeons can meet this patient driven demand. The authors sought to document current website and social media usage of Canadian plastic surgeons and to determine if this usage correlated with years in practice.

Ethics and genomic medicine, how to navigate decisions in surgical oncology.

Using genetic information to make medical decisions and tailor treatments to individuals will likely provide major benefits and become an important part of health care. Surgical oncologists must ethically apply scientific genetic information in a complex and evolving environment to the benefit of their patients. In this review we address ethical issues associated with: indications for genetic testing, informed consent for testing and therapy, confidentiality, targeted therapy, prophylactic surgery, and genetic testing in children.

Postoperative disposition and health services use in elderly patients undergoing colorectal cancer surgery: a population-based study.

Background: Little is known about the postoperative status and support needs of patients undergoing colorectal cancer operations. The objective of this study was to describe the disposition and resource use of Ontario's elderly population undergoing colorectal cancer operations as well as to identify predictors of outcomes using population-based data.

Methods: A total of 33,238 patients aged 50 years and older with a diagnosis of colorectal cancer were identified using International Classification of Diseases 9 and 10 codes in the Ontario Cancer Registry linked to procedure codes in the Canadian Institute for Health Information Discharge Abstract Database representing colorectal operations within 6 months of diagnosis from 1997 to 2004.

Pre and peri-operative erythropoietin for reducing allogeneic blood transfusions in colorectal cancer surgery.

Background: Patients with colorectal cancer are frequently anaemic and many receive allogeneic red blood cell transfusions peri and post-operatively. Transfusions are accompanied by complications and may increase the rate of recurrence in patients who have a colorectal resection. Recombinant erythropoietin was first used in dialysis patients and more recently in orthopedic surgery to facilitate autologous transfusions.