Comparison of In-Person and Virtual Integrated Vascular Surgery Residency Interviews from the Applicant's Perspective.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic provoked an abrupt transition from in-person to virtual format interviews for integrated vascular surgery residency. Recently, 12 programs (15.8%) resumed in-person interviews in 2023-2024.

Preoperative proteinuria is independently associated with mortality after fenestrated endovascular aneurysm repair.

Objective: Fenestrated endovascular aneurysm repair (FEVAR) has become a mainstay in treating complex aortic aneurysms, though baseline patient factors predicting long-term outcomes remain poorly understood. Proteinuria is an early marker for chronic kidney disease and associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes, but its utility in patients with aortic aneurysms is unknown. We aimed to determine whether preoperative proteinuria impacts long-term survival after FEVAR.

Association between heart failure and arteriovenous access patency in patients with end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis.

Background: Heart disease and chronic kidney disease are often comorbid conditions owing to shared risk factors, including diabetes and hypertension. However, the effect of congestive heart failure (CHF) on arteriovenous fistula (AVF) and AV graft (AVG) patency rates is poorly understood. We hypothesize preexisting HF may diminish blood flow to the developing AVF and worsen patency.

Impact of Integrated Vascular Surgery Residency Training Pathway and Professional Development Time on Career Choice and Research Productivity.

Objective: The limited availability of academic surgery positions has led to increased competition for these jobs. Integrated vascular surgery residency (IVSR) allows for earlier specialization, with some programs providing professional development time (PDT). We hypothesized that IVSR and PDT lead to academic employment and increased research productivity.

Association of Baseline Chronic Kidney Disease Stage With Short- and Long-Term Outcomes After Fenestrated Endovascular Aneurysm Repair.

Background: Fenestrated endovascular aneurysm repair (FEVAR) is a well-established treatment approach for juxtarenal and short-neck infrarenal aortic aneurysms. Recommendations and clinical outcomes are lacking for offering FEVAR in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). We aimed to compare short- and long-term outcomes for patients with none-to-mild versus moderate-to-severe CKD undergoing FEVAR.

Individual and Program-Related Predictors of Academic Vascular Surgery Practice.

Background: Several studies have explored factors affecting academic employment in surgical subspecialties; however, vascular surgery has not yet been investigated. We examined which elements of surgical training predict future academic productivity and studied characteristics of NIH-funded vascular surgery attendings.

Methods: With approval from the Association of Program Directors in Vascular Surgery (APDVS), the database of recent vascular surgery fellowship (VSF) and integrated vascular surgery residency (IVSR) graduates was obtained, and public resources (Doximity, Scopus, PubMed, NIH, etc.

Butyrate Differentiates Permissiveness to Clostridioides difficile Infection and Influences Growth of Diverse C. difficile Isolates.

A disrupted "dysbiotic" gut microbiome engenders susceptibility to the diarrheal pathogen Clostridioides difficile by impacting the metabolic milieu of the gut. Diet, in particular the microbiota-accessible carbohydrates (MACs) found in dietary fiber, is one of the most powerful ways to affect the composition and metabolic output of the gut microbiome. As such, diet is a powerful tool for understanding the biology of C.

Evidence-based surgery for laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Background: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is frequently performed for acute cholecystitis and symptomatic cholelithiasis. Considerable variation in the execution of key steps of the operation remains. We conducted a systematic review of evidence regarding best practices for critical intraoperative steps for laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Anatomic Factors Contributing to External Iliac Artery Endofibrosis in High-Performance Athletes.

Background: External iliac artery endofibrosis (EIAE) classically presents in cyclists with intimal thickening of the affected arteries. We investigated possible anatomical predisposing factors including psoas muscle hypertrophy, arterial tortuosity, inguinal ligament compression, and arterial kinking via a case-control comparison of symptomatic and contralateral limbs.

Methods: All patients with unilateral EIAE treated surgically at our institution were reviewed.

Fatal Case of Perforated Cytomegalovirus Colitis: Case Report and Systematic Review.

We describe a patient with history of heart transplant on maintenance immunosuppression who presented with sigmoid colon perforation from cytomegalovirus (CMV) colitis and performed a systematic review of outcomes after perforated CMV colitis. Cytomegalovirus enterocolitis is uncommon among solid organ transplant patients and can result in small or large bowel perforation. We systematically reviewed articles describing patients with CMV enterocolitis with small or large bowel perforations from PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science from database inception to February 2021.

Impact of COVID-19 on presentation, management, and outcomes of acute care surgery for gallbladder disease and acute appendicitis.

Background: The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly disrupted both elective and acute medical care. Data from the early months suggest that acute care patient populations deferred presenting to the emergency department (ED), portending more severe disease at the time of presentation. Additionally, care for this patient population trended towards initial non-operative management.

Evaluation of Outcomes Following Surgery for Locally Advanced Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors.

Importance: Although outcome of surgical resection of liver metastases from pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs) has been extensively studied, little is known about surgery for locally advanced PNETs; it was listed recently by the European neuroendocrine tumor society as a major unmet need.

Objective: To evaluate the outcome of patients who underwent surgery for locally aggressive PNETs.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This retrospective single-center case series reviewed consecutive patients who underwent resection of T3/T4 PNETs at a single academic institution.

Safety of Foregoing Operation for Small Bowel Obstruction in the Virgin Abdomen: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Our objective was to assess the safety of foregoing surgery in patients without abdominopelvic surgery history presenting with small bowel obstruction (SBO). Classic dogma has counseled early surgical intervention for SBO in the virgin abdomen-patients without abdominopelvic surgery history-given their presumed higher risk of malignant or potentially catastrophic etiologies compared with those who had undergone previous abdominal operations. The term virgin abdomen was coined before widespread use of CT, which now elucidates many SBO etiologies.

Management of Ileal Neuroendocrine Tumors with Liver Metastases.

Purpose: Assessment of treating metastatic ileal neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) with complete resection of primary tumor, nodal and liver metastases, plus administration of long-acting somatostatin analogues (SSAs).

Methods: A prospective database was queried for patients with ileal or pancreatic NETs with pathology-confirmed liver metastases and tumor somatostatin receptors. Patients did not have MEN-1 and had no previous treatment.