Development of a Polygenic Risk Score to Predict Diverticulitis.

Background: Despite its prevalence and associated morbidity, we remain limited in our ability to predict the course of a patient with diverticular disease. Although several clinical and genetic risk factors have been identified, we do not know how these factors relate to one another.

Objective: Our aim was to determine whether a polygenic risk score could improve risk prediction for diverticulitis and recurrent diverticulitis compared with a model using only clinical factors.

Detection of Ischemic Colitis on Routine Lower Endoscopy and Its Implications After Repair of Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm.

Background: Ischemic colitis (IC) is a known significant complication after repair of a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA). Lower endoscopy (colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy) is a helpful adjunct to aid decision making for surgical exploration. We believe routine use of lower endoscopy after rAAA repair provides better patient care through expeditious diagnosis and surgical care.

Lymph Node Harvest as a Measure of Quality and Effect on Overall Survival in Esophageal Cancer: A National Cancer Database Assessment.

Surgical therapy for esophageal cancer is the cornerstone of treatment, and the highest quality operation should lead to the highest cure rate. Evaluated lymph node (ELN) count is one quality measure that has been championed. The objective of this study was to explore ELN in esophagectomy, examine predictors of harvesting ≥12 nodes, and determine whether higher ELN improves overall survival (OS).