Surgery
Study: Weekend effect raises risk of surgical patient mortality, complications
Editor's Note A March 4 study in JAMA Network Open underscores the persistence of the “weekend effect,” a surgical care phenomenon in which the risk of postoperative complications, readmissions and mortality rises immediately before the weekend. The research suggests variations in staffing, resource availability, and care coordination may contribute to…
Study links intraoperative synthetic opioids, worse postoperative pain
Editor's Note Using powerful synthetic opioids remifentanil and sufentanil during surgery increases risk of patients suffering during recovery, according to a study in the journal Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine. HealthDay reported the news February 27. According to the article, researchers analyzed data from 971 patients who underwent surgery—37% orthopedic…
Tooth-in-eye surgery offers hope for restored vision
Editor's Note For the first time in Canada, surgeons aim to restore a patient’s sight by gluing a lens into a removed tooth, temporarily implanting the structure into the cheek to develop a tissue lining, then sewing it onto the front of eye three months later. CTV News reported on…
Preoperative SGLT2i use does not raise DKA risk in emergency surgery
Editor’s Note Preoperative use of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) does not increase the risk of postoperative diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in patients undergoing emergency surgery, according to a study published February 19 in JAMA Surgery. These findings challenge the current FDA recommendation to withhold SGLT2i medications for at least three…
AI models improve prediction of surgical complications using preoperative clinical notes
Editor’s Note Large language models (LLMs) outperformed traditional methods in predicting postoperative complications, according to a study on artificial intelligence (AI) in perioperative risk assessment published February 11 in the journal Nature. Results indicate AI-driven models could enhance patient safety and streamline clinical workflows by detecting complications earlier. Researchers analyzed…
Study identifies potential non-surgical treatment for inguinal hernias
Editor's Note Researchers at Northwestern University successfully reversed hernias in male mice and restored normal anatomy without surgical intervention, according to a February 5 university announcement. The study also found that human hernia tissue shared the same molecular characteristics observed in the mouse model, suggesting a similar biological mechanism. According…
Rural hospital closures drive up surgical travel times and costs
Editor's Note Ongoing hospital closures are driving up travel times and out-of-pocket costs for rural Americans who need surgery, according to a February 12 report in HealthDay. Citing two recent studies published in Annals of Surgery and JAMA, respectively, the article details how rural hospital closures have forced more patients…
Session: Cracking the Code: Innovative Hacks for Preference Card Management and C-Suite Support
Editor's Note Outdated and inaccurate preference cards cost hospitals millions of dollars in delayed surgeries wasted supplies—but with the right strategy, they can become a powerful tool for efficiency and cost reduction. This was among the main takeaways of a 2025 OR Business Management Conference presentation from Jason Goodwin, MPH,…
Study: Post-laparotomy incisional negative pressure wound therapy fails to reduce infection risk
Editor's Note A large international clinical trial found that incisional negative pressure wound therapy (iNPWT) does not reduce surgical site infections (SSIs) following emergency laparotomy. The SUNRRISE trial, conducted across 34 hospitals in the UK and Australia and published January 27 in Jama Network, randomized 821 patients to receive either…
Welcome to the OR Business Management Conference
It is with great pleasure that we welcome you to the 2025 OR Business Management Conference, taking place from February 10 to 12 at the Saddlebrook Resort in Tampa, Florida. We hope you will make the most of this premier event, which is dedicated to equipping perioperative business leaders with…
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