
Behind The Knife: The Surgery Podcast
Behind the Knife is the world’s #1 surgery podcast. From high-yield educational topics to interviews with leaders in the field, Behind the Knife delivers the information you need to know. Tune in for timely, relevant, and engaging content designed to help you DOMINATE THE DAY!
Behind the Knife is more than a podcast. Visit www.behindtheknife.org to learn more.
Latest episodes

Sep 25, 2023 • 22min
Clinical Challenges in Surgical Palliative Care: “When the horse is out of the barn: Skills to avoid offering surgical overtreatment at the end of life"
Dr. Katie O’Connell, surgeon specialized in surgical palliative care, discusses the challenges of offering surgery as the right treatment. Learn about recognizing when surgery is not beneficial, communicating serious news to patients, integrating palliative care into surgical practices, limitations of surgery in end-of-life situations, communicating with patients about surgery and alternative treatment options, describing comfort-focused treatments, and the challenges of surgical palliative care.

Sep 21, 2023 • 26min
Clinical Challenges in Burn Surgery: Electrical Burns - Part 2 of 2
While on your burn rotation, the emergency department calls due to a patient who may have been injured at his job site, coming in contact with a high-voltage line. Join Drs. Tam Pham, Clifford Sheckter, Alex Morzycki and Jamie Oh as they discuss the work-up, management, resuscitation, and subsequent complications and reconstruction for electrical injuries.
Hosts:
- Dr. Tam Pham: UW Medicine Regional Burn Center
- Dr. Clifford Sheckter: Stanford Medicine, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center
- Dr. Alex Morzycki: UW Medicine Regional Burn Center
- Dr. Jamie Oh: UW Medicine Regional Burn Center
Learning Objectives:
- Review the epidemiology and common mechanisms for electrical injuries
- Understand the impact of electrical injuries on different organ systems, including skin, musculoskeletal, cardiac, neurologic, and renal systems
- Be able to guide initial work-up and resuscitation of acute electrical injuries including upper extremity compartment evaluation and release
- Recognize possible long-term complications of electrical injuries and their subsequent management
References:
1. Daskal Y, Beicker A, Dudkiewicz M, Kessel B. [HIGH VOLTAGE ELECTRIC INJURY: MECHANISM OF INJURY, CLINICAL FEATURES AND INITIAL EVALUATION.]. Harefuah. 2019 Jan;158(1):65-69. Hebrew. PMID: 30663297.
2. Pawlik AM, Lampart A, Stephan FP, Bingisser R, Ummenhofer W, Nickel CH. Outcomes of electrical injuries in the emergency department: a 10-year retrospective study. Eur J Emerg Med. 2016 Dec;23(6):448-454. doi: 10.1097/MEJ.0000000000000283. PMID: 25969345.
3. Davis C, Engeln A, Johnson EL, McIntosh SE, Zafren K, Islas AA, McStay C, Smith WR, Cushing T; Wilderness Medical Society. Wilderness Medical Society practice guidelines for the prevention and treatment of lightning injuries: 2014 update. Wilderness Environ Med. 2014 Dec;25(4 Suppl):S86-95. doi: 10.1016/j.wem.2014.08.011. PMID: 25498265.
4. Zemaitis MR, Foris LA, Lopez RA, et al. Electrical Injuries. [Updated 2023 Apr 9]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK448087/
5. Leversedge F, Moore T, Peterson B, Seiler J; Compartment syndrome of the upper extremity. J Hand Surg. 2011; 36(4):P544-559. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhsa.2010.12.008
6. Arnoldo B, Klein M, Gibran NS. Practice guidelines for the management of electrical injuries. J Burn Care Res 2006, 27(4): 439-47
7. Pilecky D, Vamos M, Bogyi P, et al. Risk of cardiac arrhythmias after electrical accident: a single-center study of 480 patients. Clin Res Cardiol 2019, 108(8): 901-908
8. Soar J, Perkins GD, Abbas G, et al. European Resuscitation Council Guidelines for Resuscitation 2010 Section 8. Cardiac arrest in special circumstances: Electrolyte abnormalities, poisoning, drowning, accidental hypothermia, hyperthermia, asthma, anaphylaxis, cardiac surgery, trauma, pregnancy, electrocution. Resuscitation 2010, 81(10): 1400-33
9. Kaergaard A, Nielsen KJ, Casrtensen O, Biering K. Electrical injury and the long-term risk of cataract: A prospective matched cohort study. Acta Ophthalmologica 2023, e88-e94
10. Richard F. Edlich, MD, PhD and others, TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR FASCIOTOMIES IN HIGH VOLTAGE ELECTRICAL INJURIES, The Journal of Burn Care & Rehabilitation, Volume 1, Issue 2, November-December 1980, Pages 22–26.
11. Lee DH, Desai MJ, Gauger EM. Electrical injuries of the hand and upper extremity. JAAOS-Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. 2019 Jan 1;27(1):e1-8.
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://behindtheknife.org/listen/

Sep 18, 2023 • 20min
Clinical Challenges in Burn Surgery: Electrical Burns - Part 1 of 2
While on your burn rotation, the emergency department calls due to a patient who may have been injured at his job site, coming in contact with a high-voltage line. Join Drs. Tam Pham, Clifford Sheckter, Alex Morzycki and Jamie Oh as they discuss the work-up, management, resuscitation, and subsequent complications and reconstruction for electrical injuries.
Hosts:
- Dr. Tam Pham: UW Medicine Regional Burn Center
- Dr. Clifford Sheckter: Stanford Medicine, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center
- Dr. Alex Morzycki: UW Medicine Regional Burn Center
- Dr. Jamie Oh: UW Medicine Regional Burn Center
Learning Objectives:
- Review the epidemiology and common mechanisms for electrical injuries
- Understand the impact of electrical injuries on different organ systems, including skin, musculoskeletal, cardiac, neurologic, and renal systems
- Be able to guide initial work-up and resuscitation of acute electrical injuries including upper extremity compartment evaluation and release
- Recognize possible long-term complications of electrical injuries and their subsequent management
References:
1. Daskal Y, Beicker A, Dudkiewicz M, Kessel B. [HIGH VOLTAGE ELECTRIC INJURY: MECHANISM OF INJURY, CLINICAL FEATURES AND INITIAL EVALUATION.]. Harefuah. 2019 Jan;158(1):65-69. Hebrew. PMID: 30663297.
2. Pawlik AM, Lampart A, Stephan FP, Bingisser R, Ummenhofer W, Nickel CH. Outcomes of electrical injuries in the emergency department: a 10-year retrospective study. Eur J Emerg Med. 2016 Dec;23(6):448-454. doi: 10.1097/MEJ.0000000000000283. PMID: 25969345.
3. Davis C, Engeln A, Johnson EL, McIntosh SE, Zafren K, Islas AA, McStay C, Smith WR, Cushing T; Wilderness Medical Society. Wilderness Medical Society practice guidelines for the prevention and treatment of lightning injuries: 2014 update. Wilderness Environ Med. 2014 Dec;25(4 Suppl):S86-95. doi: 10.1016/j.wem.2014.08.011. PMID: 25498265.
4. Zemaitis MR, Foris LA, Lopez RA, et al. Electrical Injuries. [Updated 2023 Apr 9]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK448087/
5. Leversedge F, Moore T, Peterson B, Seiler J; Compartment syndrome of the upper extremity. J Hand Surg. 2011; 36(4):P544-559. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhsa.2010.12.008
6. Arnoldo B, Klein M, Gibran NS. Practice guidelines for the management of electrical injuries. J Burn Care Res 2006, 27(4): 439-47
7. Pilecky D, Vamos M, Bogyi P, et al. Risk of cardiac arrhythmias after electrical accident: a single-center study of 480 patients. Clin Res Cardiol 2019, 108(8): 901-908
8. Soar J, Perkins GD, Abbas G, et al. European Resuscitation Council Guidelines for Resuscitation 2010 Section 8. Cardiac arrest in special circumstances: Electrolyte abnormalities, poisoning, drowning, accidental hypothermia, hyperthermia, asthma, anaphylaxis, cardiac surgery, trauma, pregnancy, electrocution. Resuscitation 2010, 81(10): 1400-33
9. Kaergaard A, Nielsen KJ, Casrtensen O, Biering K. Electrical injury and the long-term risk of cataract: A prospective matched cohort study. Acta Ophthalmologica 2023, e88-e94
10. Richard F. Edlich, MD, PhD and others, TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR FASCIOTOMIES IN HIGH VOLTAGE ELECTRICAL INJURIES, The Journal of Burn Care & Rehabilitation, Volume 1, Issue 2, November-December 1980, Pages 22–26.
11. Lee DH, Desai MJ, Gauger EM. Electrical injuries of the hand and upper extremity. JAAOS-Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. 2019 Jan 1;27(1):e1-8.
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://behindtheknife.org/listen/

Sep 14, 2023 • 30min
Clinical Challenges in Surgical Education: Thriving as a Surgical Intern
Surgical residency is hard. In some ways, intern year may be the hardest. We’ve been there. We’re a group of surgical residents formally known as the Collaboration of Surgical Education Fellows (CoSEF), a multi-institutional organization of surgical education research fellows working together to foster peer mentorship, networking, and scholarly collaboration. We’ve collectively reflected on our experiences as surgical interns across the country. Join Drs. Ananya Anand, Joe L’Huillier, and Rebecca Moreci as they discuss three tips for thriving as a surgical intern.
Hosts:
–Dr. Ananya Anand, Stanford University, @AnanyaAnandMD
–Dr. Joseph L’Huillier, University at Buffalo, @JoeLHuillier101
–Dr. Rebecca Moreci, Louisiana State University, @md_moreci
–COSEF: @surgedfellows
Learning Objectives:
Listeners will:
– List CoSEF’s three tips for thriving as a surgical intern
– Challenge their definition of patient ownership
– Recall the “Golden Rule” of treating others how you want to be treated
– Appreciate the importance of self-care in surgical residency
References:
L’Huillier, Joseph C. MD; Lund, Sarah MD; Anand, Ananya MD; Jensen, Rachel M. MD; Williamson, Andrea J.H. MD; Clanahan, Julie M. MD, MHPE; Moreci, Rebecca MD; Gates, Rebecca S. MD, MMHPE. Thriving as a Surgical Intern: Three Tips From the Collaboration of Surgical Education Fellows (CoSEF). Annals of Surgery Open 4(3):p e306, September 2023. | DOI: 10.1097/AS9.0000000000000306
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://behindtheknife.org/listen/
Ad referenced in episode: https://jomi.com/

Sep 11, 2023 • 33min
Journal Review in Hepatobiliary Surgery: Advances in Liver Venous Deprivation and Hypertrophy
For patients with insufficient future liver remnant (FLR) volume, adequate hypertrophy after Portal Venous Embolization (PVE) is associated with reduced likelihood of post-operative hepatic insufficiency. But what happens when PVE isn’t enough to obtain adequate volume prior to surgery? In this episode from the HPB team at Behind the Knife, listen in on the discussion about advances in venous deprivation techniques that can potentially increase resection rates and hypertrophy
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 Portal Venous Embolization (PVE)
- Develop an understanding of Sequential Hepatic Venous Embolization (HVE)
- Develop an understanding of Radiological Simultaneous Porto-hepatic Venous Embolization (RASPE)
- Develop an understanding of the traditional two-stage hepatectomy with PVE
- Develop an understanding of the Fast Track Two-Stage Hepatectomy
Papers Referenced (in the order they were mentioned in the episode):
1) Niekamp AS, Huang SY, Mahvash A, Odisio BC, Ahrar K, Tzeng CD, Vauthey JN. Hepatic vein embolization after portal vein embolization to induce additional liver hypertrophy in patients with metastatic colorectal carcinoma. Eur Radiol. 2020 Jul;30(7):3862-3868. doi: 10.1007/s00330-020-06746-4. Epub 2020 Mar 7. PMID: 32144462.
2) Laurent C, Fernandez B, Marichez A, Adam JP, Papadopoulos P, Lapuyade B, Chiche L. Radiological Simultaneous Portohepatic Vein Embolization (RASPE) Before Major Hepatectomy: A Better Way to Optimize Liver Hypertrophy Compared to Portal Vein Embolization. Ann Surg. 2020 Aug;272(2):199-205. doi: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000003905. PMID: 32675481.
3) Nishioka Y, Odisio BC, Velasco JD, Ninan E, Huang SY, Mahvash A, Tzeng CD, Tran Cao HS, Gupta S, Vauthey JN. Fast-track two-stage hepatectomy by concurrent portal vein embolization at first-stage hepatectomy in hybrid interventional radiology / operating suite. Surg Oncol. 2021 Dec;39:101648. doi: 10.1016/j.suronc.2021.101648. Epub 2021 Aug 16. PMID: 34438236.
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://behindtheknife.org/listen/

Sep 7, 2023 • 29min
BTK Surgical Oncology Oral Board Review - Sample Episode 2 - Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma
The podcast covers a high-yield oral board review for surgical oncology. It includes tactics, styles, tips, and tricks to help dominate challenging scenarios. One chapter focuses on diagnosing and staging pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Another discusses patient recovery, treatment plans, and surveillance for pancreatic adenocarcinoma. There is also a chapter on determining the feasibility of surgical resection. They highlight the standard of care and surveillance monitoring for pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Sep 4, 2023 • 16min
BTK Surgical Oncology Oral Board Review - Sample Episode 1 - Ductal Carcinoma In Situ
This podcast focuses on Surgical Oncology Oral Board Review. It covers high-yield scenarios, tips, and tricks for passing the oral exam. The most interesting topics include the diagnosis and treatment options for ductal carcinoma in situ, discussing various treatment options, including surgery, surveillance, and radiation therapy for preventing local recurrence.

6 snips
Aug 31, 2023 • 33min
Clinical Challenges in Cardiac Surgery: Common Post-Op Cardiac Surgery Problems
Explore common post-op cardiac surgery problems such as bleeding, low cardiac output syndrome, and post-operative atrial fibrillation. Learn about the management strategies, diagnostic tests, and treatment options for these conditions. Discover the use of mechanical circulatory support and the prophylaxis against post-operative AFib in cardiac surgery patients.

Aug 28, 2023 • 30min
Continuing Medical Education (CME) - What? When? How?
CME - What is it? Why do I need it? How do I get it? How much do I need? How do I keep track of credits?
Listen to BTK's Dr. Kevin Kniery's interview with the CEO of ACCME, Dr. Graham McMahon, to learn about the nuts and bolts of CME as well as recent changes to the program.
Helpful Links:
Behind the Knife's FREE CME: https://behindtheknife.org/cme/
CME Passport: CMEpassport.org
CME Passport/Behind the Knife: https://www.cmepassport.org/activity/search?specialty=behind%20the%20knife
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://behindtheknife.org/listen/

Aug 24, 2023 • 34min
Innovations in Surgery: PEG Tube
In the fifth episode of the “Innovation in Surgery” series, Dan Scheese sits down with Dr. Jeffrey Ponsky to discuss his innovation, the PEG tube. Dr. Ponsky shares many stories about his work with endoscopy in the late 1970s and how the idea for the PEG tube originated.
“The Development of PEG: How it was” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3136860/
“Following the light: A history of the percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube” https://www.facs.org/media/cyrndd5u/07_gastrostomy_tube.pdf
Dr. Ponsky completed his surgical training at University Hospitals of Cleveland in 1976. In 1979, he became the Director of the Department of Surgery at The Mount Sinai Medical Center in Cleveland, where he remained through 1997. In 1997, Dr Ponsky joined The Cleveland Clinic as the Director of Endoscopic Surgery and Executive Director of the Minimally Invasive Surgery Center. In 2005, he assumed the Oliver H. Payne Professorship and Chair of the Department of Surgery at Case Western University School of Medicine. He returned to The Cleveland Clinic as Director of Developmental Endoscopy in 2014. Dr Ponsky has served as president of many organizations including the Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) and the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE). Additionally, Dr. Ponsky has received numerous awards and has published over 300 original articles and book chapters.
Please visit https://behindtheknife.org to access other high-yield surgical education podcasts, videos and more.
If you liked this episode, check out other innovation episodes here: https://behindtheknife.org/podcast-series/innovations-in-surgery/