Scholarly Activity and Gender of an Applicant for a General Surgery Residency.

INTRODUCTION: Applying to general surgery residency is undoubtedly a competitive process. Participation in scholarly activity (SCA) has been cited as a criterion when selecting applicants for interview and in the ranking process. This study aims to evaluate the association between gender of applicants to surgery residency and SCA and to characterize trends in SCAs over time. METHODS: We analyzed the SCA of applicants interviewed at a general surgery residency program over 6-interview cycles (2016-2021). Eight SCA categories were included: (1) Poster Presentation, (2) Oral Presentation, (3) Peer-Reviewed (PR) Journal Articles/Abstracts, (4) PR Journal Articles/Abstracts (Other than Published), (5) PR Online Publication, (6) PR Book Chapter, (7) Nonpeer reviewed Online Publication, and (8) Other Articles/Scientific Monograph. RESULTS: Of a total of 335 interviewed applicants, 288 (86%) had at least one count of SCA. Overall, no difference between male and female applicants was noticed (n = 178, 84.8% versus n = 110, 88%, P = 0.409) and no change in percentage of SCA over the six cycles (P = 0.239). The most reported SCAs were poster presentations (n = 242, 72.2%), oral presentations (n = 159, 47.5%), PR journal articles/abstracts (n = 159, 47.5%). Female applicants have marginally higher median (interquartile range) for SCAs compared to male applicants (5 [3, 8] versus 4 [3, 8], P value 0.272). CONCLUSIONS: No association between gender and SCA among applicants for general surgery residency positions was observed. While more than three-fourths of applicants have at least one SCA, only a small fraction of applicants were published. Students should be made aware of the importance of SCA early in graduate medical education.

Thirty day postoperative outcomes following laparoscopic adrenalectomy for functional adrenal tumors.

BACKGROUND: Functional adrenal tumors (FATs) are rare and if left untreated, there is a substantial risk of morbidity and mortality due to uncontrolled excess hormone secretion. The three most common FATs are cortisone-producing tumors (hypercortisolism), aldosterone-producing tumors (hyperaldosteronism), and catecholamines-producing tumors (pheochromocytomas). The study aims to evaluate demographic characteristics and 30-day outcomes after laparoscopic adrenalectomy of FATs. METHODS: Patients who underwent laparoscopic adrenalectomy for FATs were selected from the ACS-NSQIP database (2015-2017), and divided into three groups (hyperaldosteronism, hypercortisolism, and pheochromocytoma). Preoperative demographics, medical comorbidities, and 30-day postoperative outcomes among the three groups were analyzed using the chi-squared test, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to assess the effects independent variables on the likelihood of increased overall morbidity. RESULTS: Of a total of 2410 patients who underwent laparoscopic adrenalectomy, 345 (14.3%) patients with FATs were included. Patients in the hypercortisolism group were younger, had higher proportion of females, had higher BMI, had a higher proportion of White ethnicity and had a higher proportion of diabetes. The hyperaldosteronism group had a higher proportion of Black ethnicity and a higher proportion of hypertension (HTN) requiring medication. Thirty day postoperative outcomes showed that the pheochromocytoma group had a higher rate of serious morbidity, overall morbidity, and highest readmission rates. There were three deaths, 1 in the pheochromocytoma and 2 in the hypercortisolism groups. Operative time (in minutes) was longer in the hypercortisolism group. Median length of stay was higher in hypercortisolism (2 days) and pheochromocytoma (1.5 day) groups. CONCLUSION: Functional adrenal tumors show distinct variations in patient demographics and postoperative outcomes. It is essential to use this information during the preoperative period to optimize patients prior to intervention and counsel patients about potential postoperative outcomes.

Open surgical approach for infected mesenteric pseudocyst presenting as lifelong, migratory abdominal pain-A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Mesenteric psuedocysts are rare tumors of the gastrointestinal mesentery that are seldom symptomatic. Although these benign tumors are most commonly found incidentally during work-up for other pathology, they can be troublesome in select patients based off size, location and risk of malignant transformation. This case is reported in accordance with SCARE Criteria [1]. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 24 year-old-male presents with life-long migratory abdominal pain presents with a one week history of acute pain associated with nausea. Computed tomography revealed free fluid in the pelvis and a thin-walled mesenteric cyst within the left, mid-abdominal mesentery measuring approximately 4.3 × 4.0 × 4.0 cm. The patient was admitted for resuscitation and planned delayed operative intervention. DISCUSSION: The patient underwent complete open enucleation secondary to location and in an attempt to limit injuries to or resection of small bowel. Pathological analysis revealed a mesenteric cyst with fluid culture positive for Propionibacterium acnes without true cystic wall consistent with an infected mesenteric pseudocyst. These lesions are difficult to diagnose secondary to varied presentation and lack of pathognomonic clinical, laboratory and imaging findings. Mesenteric pseudocyst have a low rate of recurrence after removal; however, surgical management is mandated due to risks of malignant transformation. CONCLUSION: This is a rare case of a mesenteric pseudocyst of small size presenting with lifelong abdominal pain secondary to its location near the root of the mesentery and inflammatory reaction secondary to infection. It is important to maintain a high index of suspicion for mesenteric cyst as many complications may result if misdiagnosed or without proper surgical management.