Challenges in differential diagnosis and treatment of cervical root resorption vs. root caries.

External cervical root resorption may be occasionally mistaken for root caries and vice versa. Radiographical and clinical differential diagnoses of cervical root resorption and root caries are essential for correct treatment planning and a successful treatment outcome. This article reviews the contemporary literature and summarises the prevailing professional consensus pertaining to external cervical root resorption.

Universal genetic counseling in breast cancer patients significantly improves overall testing rates and improves completion rates in subpopulations.

Purpose: The NCCN guidelines recommend genetic testing in those patients at increased risk of breast cancer in order to identify candidates for increased frequency of screening or prophylactic mastectomy. However, genetic testing may now identify patients who may benefit from recently developed targeted breast cancer therapy. In order to more widely identify these patients, we implemented genetic counseling for all patients diagnosed with breast cancer.

Residents underestimate their robotic performance: evaluating resident robotic console participation time.

Lack of formal national robotic curriculum results in a void of knowledge regarding appropriate progression of autonomy in robotic general surgery training. One midwestern academic surgical training program has demonstrated that residents expect to independently operate more on the robotic console than they perceive themselves to do. As such, our study sought to evaluate expectations of residents and faculty regarding resident participation versus actual console participation time (CPT) at a community general surgery training program.

Lessons from other fields of medicine, Part 1: Breast cancer.

Through the understanding of multiple etiologies, pathologies, and disease progression trajectories, breast cancer shifted historically from a singular malignancy of the breast to a complex of molecular/biological entities, translating into individualized disease-modifying treatments. As a result, this led to various de-escalations of treatment compared with the gold standard in the era preceding systems biology: radical mastectomy. Targeted therapies have minimized morbidity from the treatments and mortality from the disease.

Mathilde Schott, A Woman's Influence in the Revolution of the Scalpel in the 1890s.

Surgery relies on the scalpel; the surgeon's first instrument in every case. From early knives crafted in the pre-historic era to today, the scalpel has evolved along with medical and surgical fields but maintained its critical role and symbolism of operative intervention. A significant catalyst for change in surgical instrument development in the late 1800s was the evolution of anesthesia and antisepsis.