Success, regret, and the struggle for balance.

The genesis of this article was a conversation between the authors: M.I., a senior faculty member, and J.

Increased laparoscopic experience does not lead to improved results with acute cholecystitis.

Background: As laparoscopic experience increases, ever more challenging cases are attempted. Enlarged surgeon experience, along with better technology, has been lauded as improving outcomes. The purpose of this study is to see if this applies to the management of acute cholecystitis.

Laparoscopic surgery in older adults.

This article provides an overview of the current role of laparoscopic surgery in older patients. A retrospective review and analysis of the recent English-language literature on laparoscopic procedures with special attention devoted to those articles focused on geriatric patients was performed. Laparoscopic surgery has rapidly become the fastest-growing discipline within the surgical arena and new applications for laparoscopy continue to be reported.

Anasarca and small bowel obstruction secondary to endometriosis.

Intestinal involvement by endometriotic tissue occurs in up to 37% of patients with endometriosis. The vast majority of patients do not experience symptoms related to the gastrointestinal tract. In particular, the complications of intestinal obstruction and malabsorption secondary to endometriosis are exceedingly uncommon.

Routine pulmonary artery catheterization does not reduce morbidity and mortality of elective vascular surgery: results of a prospective, randomized trial.

Objective: The authors determined whether the preoperative placement of a pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) with optimization of hemodynamics results in outcome improvement after elective vascular surgery.

Summary Background Data: The PAC commonly is used not only in patients who are critically ill, but also perioperatively in major elective surgery. Few prospective studies exist documenting its usefulness.