GERD-screening before bariatric surgery: the predictive value of the GERD-HRQL questionnaire score compared with preoperative EGD findings.

Background: There is an ongoing debate on how to best identify patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) before bariatric surgery. The value of routine preoperative esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) is questioned, and patient reported symptoms are commonly used for screening. The goal of this study is to determine if patient reported symptoms using a validated questionnaire correlate with preoperative EGD findings.

Assessment of Conflicts of Interest in Studies of Breast Implants and Breast Implant Mesh.

Background: With increased collaboration between surgeons and industry, there has been a push towards improving transparency of conflicts of interest (COI).

Methods: A literature search identified all articles published between 2016 - 2018 involving breast implants/implantable mesh from three major United States plastic surgery journals. Industry payment data from 8 breast implant/implantable mesh companies was collected using the CMS Open Payments database.