Management of High Grade Splenic Injuries in Rural America.

BACKGROUND: Rural surgeons face unique challenges when managing patients with high-grade (III-V) blunt splenic injury (BSI) given limited access to interventional radiology and blood products. Patients therefore may require transfer for splenic artery embolization (SAE) when resuscitation may still be ongoing. This study aims to evaluate current resource utilization in a rural trauma population with limited access to SAE and blood products. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of adult patients with high-grade BSI at one Level 1 trauma center and two Level 2 trauma centers was performed. Patients were evaluated for resources used after transfer to the regional trauma center. Primary outcomes measured were SAE, operative management (OM), and blood product utilization. Secondary outcomes measured included injury severity score (ISS) and mortality. RESULTS: Final analysis included 134 transferred patients. 16% underwent SAE, 16% underwent OM, and 69% were treated successfully with nonoperative and non-procedural management (NOM). 52% of the SAE patients had sustained a grade III splenic injury, 38% grade IV, and 10% grade V. 84% of patients required <3 units of packed red blood cells (PRBC) and 57% of patients required none. 80% of transferred patients required <3 total units of all combined blood products. DISCUSSION: The majority of patients with BSI transferred to a tertiary trauma center from a rural facility were successfully managed without SAE and required minimal transfusion of blood products. In the absence of other injuries necessitating transfer to a tertiary trauma center, rural surgeons should consider management of high grade splenic injuries at their home institution.

Current Trends in Surgical Procedures Performed in Rural General Surgery Practice.

BACKGROUND: The procedures that rural general surgeons perform may be changing. It is important to recognize the trends and practices of the current rural general surgeon in efforts to better prepare general surgeons who desire to enter a practice in a rural environment. The aim of this review is to detail the recent operative case volumes of 6 rural locations in the upper Midwest where general surgery is practiced. METHODS: The Enterprise Data and Analytics department of Sanford Health compiled all surgical procedures performed within the Sanford Health System between January 1, 2013 and August 31, 2018. Procedures performed by a total of 58 general surgeons in locations of under 50 000 people are included in this review. RESULTS: From January 1, 2013 to August 31, 2018, 38 958 surgical procedures were performed in rural locations. Endoscopic procedures made up 61.6% of a rural general surgeon's practice. Cholecystectomy (6.3%), hernia repair (6.3%), and appendectomy (3.7%) were the principle nonendoscopic procedures performed by rural surgeons, comprising 16.3% of the case volume. Added together, endoscopy, cholecystectomy, hernia repair, and appendectomy made up 77.9% of the rural general surgeon's caseload. Vascular procedures (2.5%), breast procedures (1.8%), obstetrics (0.4%), and urology procedures (0.2%) are also included in this review. CONCLUSIONS: Rural general surgeons are vital to the surgical workforce in the United States. Recognizing a trend that rural general surgeons perform less subspecialty procedures and more endoscopic procedures will provide direction for those interested in pursuing a career in rural general surgery.

Initial and Ongoing Training of the Rural Surgeon.

Over the last 2 decades, rural locations have realized a steady decrease in surgical access and direct care. Owing to societal expectations for equal general and subspecialty surgical care in urban or rural areas, the ability to attract, train, and hold onto the rural surgeon has come into question. Our current general surgery training curriculum has been reevaluated as to its relevance for rural surgery and several alternatives to the traditional surgical training model have been proposed. The authors discuss and evaluate current and proposed methods for surgical training curriculums and methods for rural surgeon retention through continuing education models.

Are general surgery residents ready to practice? A survey of the American College of Surgeons Board of Governors and Young Fellows Association.

BACKGROUND: General surgery residency training has changed with adoption of the 80-hour work week, patient expectations, and the malpractice environment, resulting in decreased resident autonomy during the chief resident year. There is considerable concern that graduating residents are not prepared for independent surgical practice. STUDY DESIGN: Two online surveys were developed, one for "young surgeons" (American College of Surgeons [ACS] Fellows 45 years of age and younger) and one for "older surgeons" (ACS Fellows older than 45 years of age). The surveys were distributed by email to 2,939 young and 9,800 older surgeons. The last question was open-ended with a request to provide comments. A qualitative and quantitative analysis of all comments was performed. RESULTS: The response rate was 9.6% (282 of 2,939) of young and 10% (978 of 9,800) of older surgeons. The majority of young surgeons (94% [58.7% strongly agree, 34.9% agree]) stated they had adequate surgical training and were prepared for transition to the surgery attending role (91% [49.6% strongly agree, 41.1% agree]). In contrast, considerably fewer older surgeons believed that there was adequate surgical training (59% [18.7% strongly agree, 40.2% agree]) or adequate preparation for transition to the surgery attending role (53% [16.93% strongly agree, 36.13% agree]). The 2 groups' responses were significantly different, chi-square test of association (3) = 15.73, p = 0.0012. Older surgeons focused considerably more on residency issues (60% vs 42%, respectively), and young surgeons focused considerably more on business and practice issues (30% vs 14%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Young and older surgeons' perceptions of general surgery residents' readiness to practice independently after completion of general surgery residency differ significantly. Future work should focus on determination of specific efforts to improve the transition to independent surgery practice for the general surgery resident.

Hyperparathyroidism: a rare mediastinal presentation of an ectopic adenoma.

The aortopulmonary window is a rare location of an ectopic parathyroid gland, but one that must be considered in persistent primary hyperparathyroidism despite previously attempted parathyroidectomy. Multiple diagnostic studies, including nuclear scans and anatomical imaging techniques, are crucial for identification of a parathyroid gland in the mediastinum and prevention of unnecessary exploratory surgical intervention. This case report presents a 55-year-old female patient with persistent hyperparathyroidism following a neck exploration and thyroidectomy for a parathyroid adenoma. Serial sestamibi scans and CT imaging over the subsequent few years were suggestive, but not diagnostic, of a mediastinal adenoma. Four years after the initial surgery, however, imaging studies identified the development of a soft tissue mass with increased uptake in the aortopulmonary window. A median sternotomy was performed at that time. An ectopic parathyroid gland was identified during surgery between the aortic arch and the bifurcation of the pulmonary artery, as demonstrated on imaging and confirmed by frozen section. Two years following the sternotomy, the patient remains symptom free with calcium and parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels within reference ranges.

Opting for Christian Science vs. surgical removal: a case report of a giant basal cell carcinoma arising on the back of a 66-year-old man.

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer, with giant basal cell carcinoma comprising only 0.5 percent of all basal cell carcinomas. When a basal cell carcinoma is larger than 5 cm, it is designated as a giant basal cell carcinoma. Neglect is often a contributing factor to these lesions, and local recurrence and metastasis is not uncommon. Presented is a case of a 66-year-old man who presented with a chief complaint of increasing shortness of breath and fatigue. The patient was found to have a large 15 cm x 12 cm pedunculated tumor on his back that had been present for 10 years. The patient had forgone medical attention until presenting with a symptomatic anemia due to his belief in Christian Science, which relies on prayer and divine healing for the treatment of illness. Christian Scientists are allowed to see physicians, but they may present with advanced symptoms or disease presentations due to their beliefs. Fortunately, a computed tomography (CT) scan revealed that the tumor was confined to the skin, and biopsy revealed a basal cell carcinoma. Thus, the patient was able to undergo a wide local excision and split thickness skin graft with clear surgical margins.

Hypercalcemia: an unusual etiology of a common menopausal symptom.

OBJECTIVE: To describe atypical vasomotor symptoms that were secondary to primary hyperparathyroidism. DESIGN: Case report. SETTING: University medical center. PATIENT(S): A 57-year-old, postmenopausal woman with recalcitrant hot flushes. INTERVENTION(S): Parathyroid adenomectomy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Vasomotor symptom relief. RESULT(S): Postoperative relief of atypical vasomotor symptoms. CONCLUSION(S): A patient 17 years postmenopause presented with atypical vasomotor symptoms that did not respond to hormone therapy and proved to be due to hypercalcemia secondary to primary hyperparathyroidism. An atypical manifestation of a common condition or an uncharacteristic therapeutic response should alert health care providers to the possibility of a different diagnosis.

Hyperparathyroidism: robotic-assisted thoracoscopic resection of a supernumary anterior mediastinal parathyroid tumor.

Intrathoracic supernumary fifth-gland parathyroid disease is an unusual presentation for primary hyperparathyroidism. Patients generally present with enlargement of one of the normal four cervical parathyroid glands. This paper is a case report of a young woman who presented with typical symptoms of hyperparathyroidism. She, however, had an atypical anatomic finding, and this case offers a unique means of resection.