Welcome to Humanism in Surgery, a new series where we take a deep dive into the extremes of humanity within the field of surgery. As surgeons, there are times when we feel deeply human and times when we feel we have lost our humanity. These experiences impact us immensely and shape our careers in important ways. It's time these stories are told! For those of you who are fans of NPR, think of this as Story Core for surgery.  Today, Dr. Patrick Georgoff is joined by Dr. Tamara Fitzgerald, Associate Professor of Pediatric Surgery at Duke University, and Dr. Ted Pappas, Professor of Surgery and Master Surgeon at Duke University.  Please visit https://behindtheknife.org to access other high-yield surgical education podcasts, videos and more.   If you liked this episode, check out our recent episodes here: https://app.behindtheknife.org/listen

A patient with a large TBSA burn injury presents to a local emergency department and you are the only surgeon on duty that evening. With snow covered roads and poor visibility, the patient requires initial stabilization prior to transfer to the regional burn center. You are faced with some difficult clinical decisions as you begin their resuscitation. Join Drs. Tam Pham, Rob Cartotto, Julie Rizzo, Alex Morzycki and Jamie Oh as they discuss the clinical challenges in initiating burn resuscitation, pitfalls in long-distance transport, and more.  Hosts: ·       Dr. Tam Pham: UW Medicine Regional Burn Center ·       Dr. Robert Cartotto: University of Toronto, Ross Tilley Burn Centre  ·       Dr. Julie Rizzo: Brooke Army Medical Center  ·       Dr. Alex Morzycki: UW Medicine Regional Burn Center ·       Dr. Jamie Oh: UW Medicine Regional Burn Center Learning Objectives: ·       Describe initial fluid strategies, including the recommendations of the Advanced Burn Life Support (ABLS) course, traditional resuscitation formulas, and the Rule of 10.   ·       Describe logistical and medical challenges of long-distance transport to a regional burn center. ·       Understand recent advances learned from recent conflicts in military burn casualty care.  ·       List options for intravenous access.  ·       Understand endpoints of resuscitation, including adjuncts which may help guide fluid titration.  1.     Cartotto R, Johnson LS, Savetamal A, et al. American Burn Association Clinical Practice Guidelines on Burn Shock Resuscitation. J Burn Care Res 2023 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38051821/ 2.     Renz EM, Cancio LC, Barillo DJ, et al. Long-Range Transport of War-Related Burn Casualties. J Trauma 2008 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18376156/ 3.     Adibfar A, Camacho F, Rogers AD, Cartotto R. The Use of Vasopressors During Acute Burn Resuscitation. Burns 2021 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33293152/ 4.     Chung KK, Wolf SE, Cancio LC, et al. Resuscitaiton of Severely Burned Military Casualties: Fluid Begets More Fluid. J Trauma 2009 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19667873/ 5.     Chung KK, Salinas J, Renz EM, et al. Simple Derivation of the Initial Fluid Rate for the Resuscitation of Severely Burned Adult Combat Casualties: in Silico Validation of the Rule of 10, J Trauma 2009 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20622619/ Joint Trauma System Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG)-Burn Care, updated 2022 Please visit https://behindtheknife.org to access other high-yield surgical education podcasts, videos and more.   If you liked this episode, check out our recent episodes here: https://app.behindtheknife.org/listen

Your patient was in a terrible car crash and is currently intubated with multiple traumatic injuries that will need surgery. Family has just arrived and all they’ve heard is that he has a broken leg. How do you share this serious news with family? What do you do when they become angry, cry or bombard you with questions that you don’t have answers to? Join the surgical palliative care team from the University of Washington as we role play a difficult conversation with a standardized patient. We will identify common challenges that arise and discuss key skills to navigate these situations. Hosts:  Dr. Katie O’Connell (@katmo15) is an assistant professor of surgery at the University of Washington. She is a trauma surgeon, palliative care physician, director of surgical palliative care, and founder of the Advance Care Planning for Surgery clinic at Harborview Medical Center, Seattle, WA. Dr. Ali Haruta is a PGY7 current palliative care fellow at the University of Washington, formerly a UW general surgery resident and Parkland trauma/critical care fellow.  Dr. Lindsay Dickerson (@lindsdickerson1) is a PGY5 general surgery resident and current surgical oncology research fellow at the University of Washington. Dr. Virginia Wang is a PGY2 general surgery resident at the University of Washington. Learning Objectives: ·      Identify common pitfalls encountered during difficult conversations ·      Learn how to synthesize complex medical information and construct a succinct headline statement to deliver a digestible take-home message ·      Develop skills to respond to emotional cues using empathetic statements References: ·      “Responding to Emotion.” Vitaltalk. Accessed March 4, 2024. https://www.vitaltalk.org/guides/responding-to-emotion-respecting/ ·      “Serious News.” Vitaltalk. Accessed March 4, 2024. https://www.vitaltalk.org/guides/serious-news/ Please visit https://behindtheknife.org to access other high-yield surgical education podcasts, videos and more.   If you liked this episode, check out our recent episodes here: https://app.behindtheknife.org/listen

Circulating tumor DNA, more commonly referred to as ctDNA, has emerged as an attractive and potentially highly sensitive biomarker for patients with colorectal cancer. But what exactly is ctDNA, does it have any prognostic value for patients with colorectal liver metastasis, and how can it be incorporated into the management of said patients? In this episode from the HPB team at Behind the Knife, listen in on the discussion about ctDNA and its role in the perioperative management of colorectal liver metastasis.   Hosts Anish J. Jain MD (@anishjayjain) is a T32 Research Fellow at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center within the Department of Surgical Oncology. Timothy E. Newhook MD, FACS (@timnewhook19) is an Assistant Professor within the Department of Surgical Oncology. He is also the associate program director of the HPB fellowship at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.  Jean-Nicolas Vauthey MD, FACS (@VautheyMD) is Professor of Surgery and Chief of the HPB Section, as well as the Dallas/Fort Worth Living Legend Chair of Cancer Research in the Department of Surgical Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Learning Objectives: -Develop an understanding of what circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is.  -Develop an understanding of what makes ctDNA unique from other “tumor markers” like CEA. -Develop an understanding of the prognostic value of ctDNA for colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM).  -Develop an understanding of the current role of ctDNA in the perioperative treatment of patients with CRLM. -Develop an understanding of how ctDNA can be incorporated into future treatment algorithms for patients undergoing hepatic resection for CRLM. Papers Referenced (in the order they were mentioned in the episode): 1)    Newhook TE, Overman MJ, Chun YS, et al. Prospective Study of Perioperative Circulating Tumor DNA Dynamics in Patients Undergoing Hepatectomy for Colorectal Liver Metastases. Ann Surg. 2023;277(5):813-820. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35797554/ 2)    Nishioka Y, Chun YS, Overman MJ, et al. Effect of Co-mutation of RAS and TP53 on Postoperative ctDNA Detection and Early Recurrence after Hepatectomy for Colorectal Liver Metastases. J Am Coll Surg. 2022;234(4):474-483. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35290266/ Please visit https://behindtheknife.org to access other high-yield surgical education podcasts, videos and more.   If you liked this episode, check out our recent episodes here: https://app.behindtheknife.org/listen

Taking a lactating patient the OR? Prescribing antibiotics? What about a CT scan with IV contrast? Pump and dump, right? WRONG. It's time to get educated! Today, we review the finer points of caring for our lactating patients.  In this episode Dr. Patrick Georgoff is joined by Dr. Austin Eckhoff, general surgery resident at Duke University, Dr. Annie Dotson, family medicine and breastfeeding medicine physician at Duke University, and Dr. Katrina Mitchell, breast surgeon at Ridley Tree Cancer Center in Santa Barbara, CA.  Resources:  https://www.bfmed.org/ https://www.e-lactancia.org/ https://physicianguidetobreastfeeding.org/ - -  TRASH THE PUMP & DUMP: https://physicianguidetobreastfeeding.org/trash-the-pump-and-dump/trash-pump-dump/ Please visit https://behindtheknife.org to access other high-yield surgical education podcasts, videos and more.   If you liked this episode, check out our recent episodes here: https://app.behindtheknife.org/listen

The American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination will officially be switching from reporting percentile scores by year level to percent of questions correct. What does this change mean for residents? Podcast hosts Dr. Ananya Anand, Dr. Joe L’Huillier, and Dr. Rebecca Moreci are joined by three fellow CoSEF members for this discussion: Dr. Gus Godley, Dr. Colleen McDermott, and Dr. Josh Roshal.  Hosts: –Dr. Ananya Anand, Stanford University, @AnanyaAnandMD, ananya_anand@stanford.edu –Dr. Joseph L’Huillier, University at Buffalo, @JoeLHuillier101, josephlh@buffalo.edu –Dr. Rebecca Moreci, Louisiana State University, @md_moreci, morecir@med.umich.edu –COSEF: @surgedfellows Special guests:  -Dr. Gus Godley, University of Chicago, frederick.godley@uchicagomedicine.org, @GusGodley -Dr. Colleen McDermott, University of Utah, colleen.mcdermott@hsc.utah.edu -Dr. Josh Roshal, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, jaroshal@utmb.edu, @Joshua_Roshal Learning Objectives:  Listeners will:  – Understand the changes to the ABSITE score reporting by the American Board of Surgery  – Describe both positive impacts and limitations of this change from the resident perspective – List possible ideas for further refinements to standardized exams in medicine   References:  -Yeo HL, Dolan PT, Mao J, Sosa JA. Association of Demographic and Program Factors With American Board of Surgery Qualifying and Certifying Examinations Pass Rates. JAMA Surg. Jan 1 2020;155(1):22-30. doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2019.4081 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31617872/ -Sathe TS, Wang JJ, Yap A, Zhao NW, O’Sullivan P, Alseidi A. Proposed Reforms to the American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination (ABSITE). https://www.ideasurg.pub/proposed-absite-reforms/ -Miller AT, Swain GW, Midmar M, Divino CM. How Important Are American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination Scores When Applying for Fellowships? J Surg Educ. 2010;67(3):149-151. doi:10.1016/j.jsurg.2010.02.007  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20630424/ -Savoie KB, Kulaylat AN, Huntington JT, Kelley-Quon L, Gonzalez DO, Richards H, Besner G, Nwomeh BC, Fisher JG. The pediatric surgery match by the numbers: Defining the successful application. J Pediatr Surg. 2020;55(6):1053-1057. doi:10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2020.02.052 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32197826/ -Alnahhal KI, Lyden SP, Caputo FJ, Sorour AA, Rowe VL, Colglazier JJ, Smith BK, Shames ML, Kirksey L. The USMLE® STEP 1 Pass or Fail Era of the Vascular Surgery Residency Application Process: Implications for Structural Bias and Recommendations. Annals of Vascular Surgery. 2023;94:195-204. doi:10.1016/j.avsg.2023.04.018  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37120072/ -Williams M, Kim EJ, Pappas K, Uwemedimo O, Marrast L, Pekmezaris R, Martinez J. The impact of United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) step 1 cutoff scores on recruitment of underrepresented minorities in medicine: A retrospective cross‐sectional study. Health Sci Rep. 2020;3(2):e2161. doi:10.1002/hsr2.161 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32318628/ -Lucey CR, Saguil A. The Consequences of Structural Racism on MCAT Scores and Medical School Admissions: The Past Is Prologue. Academic Medicine. 2020;95(3):351. doi:10.1097/ACM.0000000000002939 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31425184/ -Natanson H, Svrluga S. The SAT is coming back at some colleges. It’s stressing everyone out. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2024/03/18/sat-test-policies-confuse-students/. Published March 19, 2024. Accessed April 5, 2024. -de Virgilio C, Yaghoubian A, Kaji A, Collins JC, Deveney K, Dolich M, Easter D, Hines OJ, Katz S, Liu T, Mahmoud A, Melcher ML, Parks S, Reeves M, Salim A, Scherer L, Takanishi D, Waxman K.. Predicting Performance on the American Board of Surgery Qualifying and Certifying Examinations: A Multi-institutional Study. Archives of Surgery. 2010;145(9):852-856. doi:10.1001/archsurg.2010.177 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20855755/ -Weighted test content from the ABS:  https://www.absurgery.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/GS-ITE.pdf -USMLE program announces upcoming policy changes | USMLE. Accessed April 9, 2024. https://www.usmle.org/usmle-program-announces-upcoming-policy-changes   Please visit https://behindtheknife.org to access other high-yield surgical education podcasts, videos and more.   If you liked this episode, check out our recent episodes here: https://app.behindtheknife.org/listen

The ABSITE score report is changing… what does it mean? CEO of the American Board of Surgery Dr. Jo Buyske discusses ABSITE and MUCH more.   Hosts: Dr. Scott Steele, Dr. Nina Clark, Dr. Jessica Millar Guest: Dr. Jo Buyske, President/CEO of the American Board of Surgery Resources:  Announcement - ABSITE Percentiles:  https://www.absurgery.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/ABSITE-Percentiles.pdf  ABSITE Data Tools: https://sandbox.absurgery.org/default.jsp?publicdata   Please visit https://behindtheknife.org to access other high-yield surgical education podcasts, videos and more.   If you liked this episode, check out our recent episodes here: https://app.behindtheknife.org/listen

In this episode our team dives into the diagnosis, workup and management of malignant pleural mesothelioma. Listen as we debate the pros and cons of surgical management of this disease with extrapleural pneumonectomy versus pleural decortication and discuss the nuances of choosing the right approach for the right patient. Learning Objectives - Describe the workup and staging of a patient with malignant pleural mesothelioma - List the subtypes of malignant pleural mesothelioma, characteristics of resectable disease, and patient factors which impact surgical candidacy  - Describe the approach to an extrapleural pneumonectomy and pleural decortication - Analyze which surgical approach is best for various subsets of patients - Describe the adjuvant treatment for malignant pleural mesothelioma Hosts Kelly Daus MD, Adam Bograd MD, Peter White MD, Brian Louie MD Please visit https://behindtheknife.org to access other high-yield surgical education podcasts, videos and more.  If you liked this episode, check out more recent episodes: https://app.behindtheknife.org/listen

Can appendicitis wait until the morning? Join Drs. Ashlie Nadler, Jordan Nantais, Graham Skelhorne-Gross, and Marika Sevigny from our Emergency General Surgery Team as they discuss the role of deferring appendectomies from overnight to the next morning. Paper 1: Patel SV, Zhang L, Mir ZM, Lemke M, Leeper WR, Allen LJ, Walser E, Vogt K. Delayed Versus Early Laparoscopic Appendectomy for Adult Patients With Acute Appendicitis: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Ann Surg. 2024 Jan 1;279(1):88-93. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37436871/ -Non-inferiority randomized controlled trial comparing delayed appendectomy group with surgery taking place after 0600 the morning following a decision to operate versus the immediate appendectomy group with surgery taking place between 8pm and 4am and within 6 hours of a decision to operate -A priori non-inferiority margin of 15% for 30-day complications -Intention-to-treat analysis with risk difference -12% in favor of the delayed group (p < 0.001) -Superiority as on per protocol analysis -Underpowered at 91% due to early closure of study due to loss of reliable day time emergency triage operating time Paper 2: Jalava K, Sallinen V, Lampela H, Malmi H, Steinholt I, Augestad KM, Leppäniemi A, Mentula P. Role of preoperative in-hospital delay on appendiceal perforation while awaiting appendicectomy (PERFECT): a Nordic, pragmatic, open-label, multicentre, non-inferiority, randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2023 Oct 28;402(10412):1552-1561. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37717589/ -Non-inferiority randomized controlled trial comparing appendectomy within 8 hours versus 24 hours -No difference in rate of perforation on intention-to-treat or per protocol analyses Please visit https://behindtheknife.org to access other high-yield surgical education podcasts, videos and more.  If you liked this episode, check out more recent episodes: https://app.behindtheknife.org/listen

Before 1952, open heart surgery was considered science fiction. The heart was off limits to surgeons despite more than half a million Americans dying annually from heart disease. Doing nothing was the strategy. However, the status quo would soon change thanks to a few brave and imaginative surgeons who dared to break the most rigid of medical taboos: Do not touch the human heart. We sat down with Dr. Gerald Imber, author of the new book “Cardiac Cowboys: The Heroic Invention of Heart Surgery” to discuss how five men raced to invent an entirely new field of surgery.  Guests: Jessica Millar, MD- General Surgery Resident- University of Michigan; Education Fellow- Behind the Knife Nick Teman, MD- Associate Professor of Cardiac Surgery and Critical Care- University of Virginia  Gerald Imber- Assistant Clinical Professor of Plastic surgery at the Weill-Cornell Medical Center, Attending Surgeon at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, and Director of a private clinic in New York City, NY; Author of “Wendell Black, MD”, “Genius on the Edge: The Bizarre Double Life of Dr. William Stewart Halsted”, and “Cardiac Cowboys: The Heroic Invention of Heart Surgery”.  Want to hear more from Dr. Imber- be sure to check out his podcast series, Cardiac Cowboys, based on Dr. Imber’s book. You can listen to an introduction of the Cardiac Cowboys series here: https://shorturl.at/rKLM8 Please visit https://behindtheknife.org to access other high-yield surgical education podcasts, videos and more.   If you liked this episode, check out more recent episodes: https://app.behindtheknife.org/listen