Rapid-Fire Session Delves into 10 Hot Topics in General Surgery

A lineup of highly regarded experts will use a lightning-round approach to explore emerging areas of interest in general surgery in the 90-minute session, “Ten Hot Topics in General Surgery.”

ACS Past-President E. Christopher Ellison, MD, FACS, and ACS Regent Kenneth W. Sharp, MD, FACS, will co-moderate this session, which takes place on Tuesday, October 22, from 12:45 pm to 2:15 pm in 303-304 South.

In this rapid-fire style session, panelists will deliver a series of 6-minute presentations on topics featuring innovative, and sometimes controversial, diagnostic, treatment, and management strategies.

“We focus on common issues in general surgery with an emphasis on providing actionable and practical information rather than dry recitations of data,” explained Dr. Sharp.

Each presentation will be immediately followed by a 3-minute, unscripted discussion with the audience, representing a diverse spectrum of thoughts and perspectives, and providing attendees with takeaways for future consideration.

“Surgeons think fast and make decisions quickly,” said Dr. Ellison. “They want to know the keys to success and not the unnecessary facts that sometimes clutter clinical discussions. In an average session, the attendee will take way three to four pearls, whereas in this session, they will leave with up to 10.”

Drs. Ellison and Sharp selected this year’s topics based on an analysis of current research literature, discussions generated in the ACS Communities, presentations featured at scientific conferences, and suggestions offered by attendees at last year’s Hot Topics session.

“We have been very thoughtful about the topics that we included, making sure they are core elements of the practice of general surgery,” explained Dr. Ellison. “These topics include potentially controversial approaches, a new innovation in surgical practice, or an area of practice with increasing numbers of patients.”

This year’s session will cover a wide scope of topics, including a few presentations that focus on prevalent general surgery challenges such as the management of common bile duct stones during laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

“In the past, such cases were treated by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and sphincterotomy,” said Dr. Ellison. “But with advances in technology and skill, we now see laparoscopic common duct exploration being done more commonly with excellent results and shorter hospitalization without the risk of pancreatitis and other ERCP complications.”

Other rapid-fire micropresentations will focus on top-of-mind issues in general surgery.

“The avoidance of antibiotics in the treatment of diverticulitis is potentially a game-changing development,” added Dr. Sharp. “We also will have a presentation that examines the overuse of ultrasound in patients referred for inguinal hernia repair, and a session on the management of breast cancer, which is quickly evolving with strategies to avoid unnecessary axillary surgery.”

A new topic area debuting in this year’s session examines the management of breast masses in the transgender patient. “With the transgender population increasing and aging, we are beginning to see this more often,” said Dr. Ellison. “Due to the hormonal treatment required for these patients, there is a possibility that they will develop breast masses. This session will give an overview of this topic and information for surgeons seeing these patients.”

While this session features a wide spectrum of emerging areas in general surgery, each topic is packaged into concise presentations to enhance retainment of key information.

“I think that succinct presentations without excessive slides and multiple cited studies, while acknowledging the expertise of these speakers, lends credence to the content and will have an impact on the attendees,” said Dr. Sharp.

The full agenda for this year’s session includes:

Use of Ultrasound in the Diagnosis of Inguinal Hernia
Benjamin K. Poulose, MD, MPH, FACS, Columbus, OH

Anastomotic Failure in Blunt Abdominal Trauma
Sharmila Dissanaike, MD, FACS, FCCM, Albuquerque, NM

Clinical Approach to the Transgender Patient with a Breast Mass
Diane Krutzler-Berry, MD, Barboursville, WV

Management of the Axilla after Neoadjuvant Therapy for Breast Cancer
Rachel L. McCaffrey, MD, FACS, Nashville, TN

Endoscopic Retrograde Treatment for Appendicitis: Real or Not?
Steven D. Wexner, MD, FACS, FRCS, Weston, FL

Endoscopic Treatment of Common Bile Injuries
Gary C. Vitale, MD, FACS, Louisville, KY

Radiofrequency Ablation for Thyroid Nodules
Priya Dedhia, MD, FACS, Columbus, OH

Telesurgery Is Possible Today
Jay A. Redan, MD, FACS, Celebration, FL

Non-Antibiotic Treatment for Diverticulitis
Alexander T. Hawkins, MD, MPH, FACS, Nashville, TN

Management of Common Duct Stones: No Stone Left Behind
Irving A. Jorge, MD, FACS, Scottsdale, AZ