Cross-Sectional Assessment of Surgical Consult Volume to Determine Optimal Residency Staffing During COVID-19 Lockdown.

Introduction: Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been protocols initiated to reduce its transmission. Despite these measures, critical hospital staff are still at risk of infection with subsequent loss of the workforce. The purpose of this study was to determine the difference in surgical consult volume during a COVID-19 pandemic to extrapolate staffing requirements.

Performance improvement: getting an early start.

Background: The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) and the Surgical Care Improvement Program (SCIP) can be utilized to develop quality initiatives to improve surgical care. Understanding the fundamentals of quality measures provides insight to the six Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) competencies. Resident education needs a robust exposure to quality measures, such as NSQIP and SCIP to prepare surgeons for tomorrow's healthcare system.

A novel noninvasive technique for pulse-wave imaging and characterization of clinically-significant vascular mechanical properties in vivo.

The pulse-wave velocity (PWV) has been used as an indicator of vascular stiffness, which can be an early predictor of cardiovascular mortality. A noninvasive, easily applicable method for detecting the regional pulse wave (PW) may contribute as a future modality for risk assessment. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility and reproducibility of PW imaging (PWI) during propagation along the abdominal aortic wall by acquiring electrocardiography-gated (ECG-gated) radiofrequency (rf) signals noninvasively.

Endoscopic resection of thoracic paravertebral and dumbbell tumors.

Objective: Neurogenic paravertebral tumors are uncommon neoplasms arising from neurogenic elements within the thorax. These tumors may be dumbbell shaped, extending into the spinal canal or exclusively paraspinal. Generally encapsulated, they are located in the posterior mediastinum.

Use of Polyflex stents in treatment of acute esophageal and gastric leaks after bariatric surgery.

Background: This study examined the feasibility of using Polyflex stents in the treatment of enteric leaks after various bariatric operations. Chronic and acute leaks were treated.

Methods: We performed a retrospective case series review.