Does the adult thymus have a purpose and function? Are there any long-term health effects of thymectomy? Tune in to another Swedish Thoracic surgery journal review where we discuss the recent paper out of the NEJM which reports on the health consequences of thymus removal in adults. This paper has been widely picked up by the media and our patients frequently bring it into the office. Listen as we discuss the study population, methods, and potential applications of this paper. Learning Objectives: - Review the purpose and function of the thymus. - Discuss the population, methods, and results ..read more

Did you know that 13% of trauma patients who go home with an opioid prescription will develop opioid dependence?  Multimodal pain regimens not only reduce opioid consumption, but also improve pain control.  On this episode of the BIG T TRAUMA series, we explore a multimodal approach to pain management...and tackle some surgical dogma along the way.   Hosts: Patrick Georgoff, MD, Trauma Surgeon, Duke University, @georgoff Teddy Puzio, MD, Trauma Surgeon, University of Texas Houston Gabby Hatton, MD, Trauma Surgery fellow, University of Texas Houston  References: 1.  ..read more

A 70 year old healthy female is referred to you with a 5.7 cm abdominal aortic aneurysm. As an astute clinician you are aware that current guidelines support surgical repair for her AAA. What if there was new data to suggest this patient may not benefit from repair? What would be the optimal size threshold that she would benefit from AAA repair? Tune into this episode of Behind the Knife, where the vascular surgery subspecialty team discusses a paper that challenges current size threshold guidelines for AAA repair.  Hosts:  Dr. Bobby Beaulieu is an Assistant Professor of Vascular Su ..read more

Take a listen into the wild and fascinating world of lung transplantation! One of the biggest challenges for any transplant is organ preservation to provide the best possible recovery and outcome for recipients. That’s especially important for lung transplant, which remains one of the most complex and challenging areas in the field of transplantation. This episode takes a deep dive into the lung transplant landscape and discusses new technologies and innovations that are revolutionizing the field. Jon Williams is joined by Dr. Elliot Wakeam, MD, a thoracic surgeon and lung transplant expert fr ..read more

VTE prophylaxis is more than just some squeezy leg socks and a one-size fits all dose of enoxaparin!  Ever wonder how VTE prophylaxis is similar to constipation?  Have you or a loved one been hurt by a hospital administrator telling you that VTE is a never event?  Come with us, and our special guest Dr. Bryan Cotton, on this journey to the frontier of research attempting to debunk this myth and improve patient care by reducing VTE rates in trauma patients.   Hosts:- Michael Cobler-Lichter, MD, PGY4/R2: University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital/Ryder Trauma Center @mdco ..read more

Most surgeons know about malpractice lawsuits, but did you know that residents and even medical students can be involved in them? Join us for a discussion of what happens when patients sue their treatment teams -- and what happens when those teams involve trainees. Host: Nina Clark, MD, MS Guests: Cindy Hamra, JD, MA is an associate dean in the GME Office at the University of Washington School of Medicine, where she leads the operational, administrative and finance functions.  UW School of Medicine is sponsors clinical training for over 1600 medical and dental residents in fellows in ov ..read more

M&M - we all do it, but what is its purpose? Join Jason and Nina as they talk to two experts about why we present at all, and what we can do to better reach the educational and quality improvement goals of morbidity and mortality conference. Hosts: Jason Bingham, Nina Clark Panelists Keith Lillemoe, MD Chief of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital Professor of Surgery at the Harvard Medical School Luise Pernar, MD, MHPE Bariatric Surgeon Associate Professor of Surgery, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine References https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama ..read more

It’s that time of year (again!)- when medical students- both US and International- are preparing their residency applications. This year, we have been focusing on the special challenges International Medical Graduates face when applying to US surgical residency positions. In our previous episode, we discussed how residents can make their applications stand out to program directors. Today, we will explore the unique challenges, experiences, and the future of IMGs with special guest Dr. Hasan Alam.  Guests: Hasan Alam, MD- Chair of the Department of Surgery and Professor of Surgery (Trauma ..read more

It’s that time of year (again!)- when medical students- both US and International- are preparing their residency applications. In this episode, we will focus on the special challenges International Medical Graduates face when applying to US surgical residency positions and discuss tips and tricks for making IMG residency applicants standout to program directors in the US.  Guests: David Hughes, MD- Clinical Associate Professor of Endocrine Surgery and General Surgery Residency Program Director- University of Michigan Krishnan Raghavendran, MBBS- Professor of Acute Care Surgery and Critic ..read more

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was introduced approximately 30 years ago and quickly became the gold standard due to multiple benefits over open cholecystectomy. It ushered in the laparoscopic revolution but also increased the number of bile duct injuries. Through the dedicated efforts of many the rate of bile duct injury has been reduced, now mirroring open cholecystectomy. The robotic surgery revolution is well underway and unsurprisingly this technology has been applied to cholecystectomy. Given the devastating nature of bile duct injury and the history of increased injury with the last major ..read more