Surgery/Specialties 
Editor's Note A new study shows hospitals can meaningfully reduce unnecessary preoperative testing for healthy patients undergoing low-risk surgeries without compromising safety or workflow, JAMA Network October 6 reports. The “Right-Sizing Testing Before Elective Surgery” (RITE-Size) strategy successfully lowered testing rates from 68.0% to 40.3% across three Michigan hospitals, while…
Robotic surgery has moved from cutting-edge to commonplace. The question is no longer whether to use robotics but when to introduce it and how to ensure adoption is efficient, affordable, and seamless for surgical teams. Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) are increasingly adding robotics to their service lines, driven by the…
Office-based surgery (OBS) is one of the fastest-growing care settings in the US. From ophthalmology and dermatology to gastroenterology and even orthopedics, more procedures once limited to hospitals or ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) are now being performed in medical office suites. Among many factors, the growth is being fueled by…
Editor's Note Children’s Health in Dallas leads the nation in pediatric orthopedic surgery, after the US News & World Report 2025–2026 Best Children’s Hospitals rankings showcased familiar national leaders across a range of pediatric specialties, D Magazine and Fierce Healthcare October 7 report. The latest results highlight continued excellence in…
Editor's Note More than 200,000 older Americans underwent back surgeries they likely did need, costing Medicare and Medicare Advantage a combined $1.9 billion, Axios October 9 reports. The findings, based on an analysis by the Lown Institute, raise new concerns about overuse of high-cost procedures with limited benefit, as federal…
Editor's Note Hiring for spinal procedures are tightening and consolidation is accelerating, reshaping where and how ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) secure talent, Becker’s Spine Review October 3 reports. A mounting orthopedic shortage exceeding 5,000 by year-end is making spine one of the hardest specialties to recruit, with timelines stretching and…
Editor's Note Elective surgical procedures such as cholecystectomy and hernia repair can be performed safely in carefully selected patients with cirrhosis, but high-risk individuals still need alternatives, according to an updated American College of Gastroenterology guideline, Medscape October 3 reports. The guideline emphasizes individualized risk stratification that integrates liver disease…
Editor's Note Surgeons across multiple disciplines are confronting a distinct wound pattern tied to xylazine-contaminated opioids and adapting management to avoid unnecessary amputations, the American College of Surgeons October 1 reports. These wounds can resemble necrotizing soft tissue infection at first glance, yet the clinical picture and trajectory differ, calling…
Editor's Note The American College of Surgeons (ACS) has launched a new online tool that helps patients and families locate hospitals recognized for delivering high-quality surgical care, according to an August 26 ACS announcement. The “Find a Hospital” tool highlights facilities that have earned ACS accreditation or verification through an…
Editor's Note Early blood pressure augmentation did not improve neurologic outcomes and was linked to more complications, according to a JAMA Network study published on September 18. In this multicenter randomized clinical trial at 13 US trauma centers, 92 adults with acute cervical or thoracic spinal cord injury were assigned…
