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Background: Multiple guidelines on the management of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) have been published over the past decade. However, practice data are lacking. This study aims to determine whether pancreatectomy procedures, IPMN pathology, or outcomes have changed., Methods: ACS-NSQIP Procedure Targeted Pancreatectomy database was queried for patients with IPMN from 2014 to 2019. Cases were stratified by pathology, tumor stage/cyst size and procedure. Pancreatectomies for IPMN by year, 30-day morbidity, and clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula (CR-POPF) were quantified. Mann-Kendall trend tests were performed to assess surgical trends and associated outcomes over time., Results: 3912 patients underwent pancreatectomy for IPMN. 21% demonstrated malignancy and 79% were benign. Morbidity and mortality occurred in 29.7% and 1.5% of cases, respectively. Over time, no change was observed in use of pancreatectomy for IPMN (10%) or in benign/malignant pathology, or cyst size. Robotic approach increased from 9.1% to 16.5% with decreases in laparoscopic (19.5%-15.0%) and open interventions (71.5%-68.1%, p = 0.016). No change was observed over time in morbidity or mortality; however, rates of CR-POPF decreased (18.8%-13.8%, p < 0.001)., Conclusions: Practice patterns in treatment of IPMN have not changed significantly in North America. More patients are undergoing robotic pancreatectomy, and postoperative pancreatic fistula rates are improving., (Copyright © 2023 International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Several cytotoxic chemotherapies have demonstrated efficacy in improving recurrence-free survival (RFS) following resection of Stage II-IV colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the temporal dynamics of response to such adjuvant therapy have not been systematically quantified., Methods: The Cochrane Central Register of Trials, Medline (PubMed) and Web of Science were queried from database inception to February 23, 2023 for Phase III randomized controlled trials (RCTs) where there was a significant difference in RFS between adjuvant chemotherapy and surgery only arms. Summary data were extracted from published Kaplan-Meier curves using DigitizeIT. Absolute differences in RFS event rates were compared at matched intervals using multiple paired t-tests., Results: The initial search yielded 1469 manuscripts. After screening, 18 RCTs were eligible (14 Stage II/III; 4 Stage IV), inclusive of 16,682 patients. In the absence of adjuvant chemotherapy, the greatest rate of recurrence was observed in the first year (mean RFS event rate; 0-0.5 years: 0.22 ± 0.21; 0.5-1 years: 0.20 ± 0.09). Adjuvant chemotherapy was associated with significant decreases in the RFS event rates for the intervals 0-0.5 years (0.09 ± 0.09 vs. 0.22 ± 0.21, p < 0.001) and 0.5-1 years (0.14 ± 0.11 vs. 0.20 ± 0.09, p = 0.001) after randomization, but not at later intervals (1-5 years). In Stage IV trials, RFS event rates significantly differed for the interval 0-0.5 years (p = 0.012), corresponding with adjuvant treatment durations of 6 months. In Stage II/III trials, which included therapies of 6-24 months duration, there were marked differences in the RFS event rates between surgery and chemotherapy arms for the intervals 0-0.5 years (p < 0.001) and 0.5-1 years (p < 0.001) with smaller differences in the RFS event rates for the intervals 1-2 years (p = 0.012) and 2-3 years (p = 0.010)., Conclusions: In a systematic review of positive RCTs comparing adjuvant chemotherapy to surgery alone for Stage II-IV CRC, observed RFS improvements were driven by early divergences that occurred primarily during active cytotoxic chemotherapy. Late recurrence dynamics were not influenced by adjuvant therapy use. Such observations may have implications for the use of chemotherapy for micrometastatic clones detectable by cell-free DNA-based methodologies., (© 2024 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Introduction: Previous publications have assessed the diversity among medical students, residents, faculty, and department leaders in surgery and medicine overall. We aim to evaluate the diversity among medical school deans in the United States. We quantify and compare the representation of women and underrepresented minority surgeon and non-surgeons., Methods: 151 allopathic medical schools were included. Data regarding demographics, education, training, and previous leadership position were collected from institutional websites, online resources, and July 2021 Association of American Medical Colleges Council of Deans. Demographics for surgeon and non-surgeon were compared using chi square and logistic regression with 5% significance interval., Results: 21.9% (n = 33) of all medical school deans were surgeons. 21.2% (n = 7) were women, which was not significantly different from non-surgeons (22%, P = .92). All the women surgeons were non-Hispanic white, similar to all deans ( P = .83). 78.8% (n = 26) of all surgeon deans were non-Hispanic White compared to 84.7% (n = 100) overall ( P = .28). There were 13 Black deans, four of whom were surgeons, and only one Hispanic dean, who was not a surgeon. Surgeons were more likely to be fellows of their professional society ( P = .012)., Conclusion: The demographic diversity of surgeon and non-surgeon US medical school deans is not significantly different. The deficiencies in leadership diversity in medicine persists among medical school deans. There remains substantial room to improve the representation of women and underrepresented minorities as deans., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Competing Interests: The authors declare no funding or conflicts of interest.

Objectives: The diversity in the governance of the American Society of Transplant Surgeons has not been described. We aimed to quantify the present state of its leadership as a baseline to inform future research., Materials and Methods: Lists of leaders on the American Society of Transplant Surgeons Council, the COVID-19 Strike Force, and 20 different American Society of Transplant Surgeons committees were obtained from the Society's website. Demographic and training information for the members were compiled through internet searches and analyzed., Results: The American Society of Transplant Surgeons Council included 15 members, with 20% women. It was 93.3% non-Hispanic White. The COVID-19 Strike Force included 12 surgeons, 16.7% of whom were female, with 75% non-Hispanic White. Of the 198 committee members, 23.7% were women, 68.7% were nonHispanic White, 16.6% were Asian, 8.1% were Hispanic, and 6.6% were Black. Among female committee members, underrepresented minorities comprised 23.6%. Committee chairs included 23% women, 23% underrepresented minorities, and 2.3% minority women. International medical graduates were more likely men (P = .02)., Conclusions: Representation of women in the American Society of Transplant Surgeons leadership has kept pace with their membership in the transplant surgery workforce. There is a deficiency of female under - represented minorities in leadership positions at the Society. Further interventions are required to recruit underrepresented minorities to transplant surgery, catalog their footprint in the workforce, and champion their role as leaders within the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.

Background: Preemptive renal transplants (PRT) confer better outcomes than renal transplants performed after initiation of hemodialysis. PRTs are occurring at progressively higher residual recipient renal function., Methods: We evaluated donor, recipient, and transplant characteristics of 26,384 preemptive transplants between 2010 and 2019 using the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS) database. Recipients of PRTs were divided into four distinct groups depending upon the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) (GFR [Formula: see text] 10, 10 < GFR [Formula: see text] 15, 15 < GFR [Formula: see text] 19 and > 19, ml/min/1.73 m 2 ) at the time of transplant. We followed graft and patient survival for five years and assessed donor, recipient, and transplant characteristics such as race, gender, and type of insurance., Results: PRTs occurring at GFR > 19 ml/min (early preemptive renal transplants, ePRT) from live and deceased donors were not associated with improved graft nor patient survival compared to the other preemptive transplants. PRTs occurring at GFR range of 10-15 ml/min conferred the best graft survival. Black donor-recipient pairs were 54% less likely to be involved in ePRT, while non-Hispanic White donor-recipient pairs were 20% more likely to receive ePRT., Conclusion: ePRT represents misallocation of valuable organ resources and a waste of native renal function. There is no evidence that ePRT is associated with superior graft or patient survival compared to the other preemptive transplants. Conversely, ePRT produces poorer graft and patient survival outcomes compared to the other PRTs. GFR range of 10-15 ml/min is optimal and associated with superior outcomes., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Introduction: The diversity among surgical directors for liver, kidney, and pancreas transplant departments has not been previously evaluated. We aim to quantify the sex and racial demographics of transplant department leaders and assess the impact on patient outcomes., Methods: Demographics were collected for 116 liver, 192 kidney, and 113 pancreas transplant directors using Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) directory and program websites. Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) 5-tier program outcomes rankings were obtained for each program and matched to leader demographics. A retrospective analysis of transplant recipients from 2010 to 2019 was performed using the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) database., Results: 91.5% of transplant surgical directors were male. 55% of departments had a Non-Hispanic White leader. Asian, Hispanic and Black transplant chiefs were at the helm of 23.3%, 9%, and 5% of divisions respectively. Multivariate cox regression analysis did not identify any differences in patient outcomes by transplant director demographics., Conclusion: There is a paucity of female and URM leaders in transplant surgery. Initiatives to promote research, mentorship, and career advancement opportunities for women and URM are necessary to address the current leadership disparity., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The diversity among general surgery residency, HPB and other fellowship program directors has been previously analyzed. However, the diversity in abdominal transplant surgery fellowship program directors remains unknown., Methods: Abdominal transplant fellowship programs and the corresponding program directors were identified from the American Society of Transplant Surgeons website. Demographic and training information for the members was compiled through internet searches and analyzed., Results: 72 program directors were included. 83.33% were male. 63.9% were non-Hispanic White, 25% were Asian, along with 5.56% Hispanic and Black each. Male program directors were more likely to be Associate Professor (p = 0.041), while females were more likely to be Assistant Professor (p = 0.021). 66% of female program directors were non-Hispanic White., Conclusion: Transplant surgery fellowship programs are primarily led by male and non-Hispanic White surgeons. Female representation as leaders is on par with their membership in the transplant surgery workforce. There is a deficiency of both male and female underrepresented minorities in program director positions., (Copyright © 2021 International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: The authors declare no funding or conflicts of interest.

Competing Interests: The authors declare no funding or conflicts of interest.

Objectives: Machine perfusionfor kidney preservation is a common practice. There is no consensus on the best formula for perfusion solutions. We aimed to discern the additives that organ procurement organizations in the United States include in their perfusate and the impact of these additives on transplant outcomes., Materials and Methods: A telephone survey of all 58 organ procurement organizations in the United States regarding additives to their perfusion solutions was conducted. The survey data were merged with transplant recipient outcome data from the United Network for Organ Sharing database.The final analysis included perfused kidneys between January 2014 and March 2019. Logistic regressions were performed to investigate whether a particular perfusion formula was associated with delayed graft function, primary nonfunction, or early graft failure., Results: Additives correlated with decreased rates of graft failure were mannitol in all kidneys and kidneys of lower quality (P < .01) and penicillin/ampicillin in all kidneys (P < .05). Additives associated with increased graft failure regardless of type included verapamil in all kidneys (P < .05) and kidneys of lower quality (P < .01) and arginine with glutathione in all kidneys and low-quality kidneys alone (P < .01)., Conclusions: Further outcomes research and standardized guidelines for additives in machine perfusion of kidneys across all organ procurement organizations are needed.

Introduction: Kidney transplant (KT) directors are general surgeons or urologists. All KT centers must meet established performance standards. However, it has not been established if general surgery and urology led programs have disparate outcomes., Methods: Transplant outcomes and donor-recipient characteristics by director training were investigated. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) directory, program websites were analyzed for surgical director demographics. Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) 1-year kidney survival and deceased donor (DD) wait-time rankings were evaluated. A retrospective analysis of 142 157 KT recipients from 2010 to 2019 was performed using the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) database., Results: One hunderd and seventy three (90.6%) KT programs were led by general surgeons. There were no significant differences in gender, ethnicity, region, credentials, or fellowship completion. Recipients undergoing KT with urology led programs were older (P = .002) and had longer wait-times (P < .001). These centers used higher KDPI (.47 vs. .45, P < .001) and higher HLA mismatch (3.92 vs. 3.89, P = .02) kidneys. Urology led centers utilized living donors less frequently (32.1% vs. 35.8%, P < .001) and had longer CIT (15.44 vs. 12.21, P < .001). Both had similar SRTR ranking of 1-year survival and DD wait-time., Conclusion: Most directors were general surgeon. Patient outcomes did not differ by transplant director training. Urologists represent a viable option for KT leadership and recruitment should be encouraged., (© 2021 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Introduction: Procurement practices across organ procurement organizations (OPOs) for donation after cardiac death (DCD) transplants have not been evaluated., Methods: A national telephone survey of all 58 OPOs inquiring about their procurement practices of DCD organs was conducted. Policies concerning maximum donor body mass index (BMI), location of care withdrawal, pre-mortem heparin administration, vasodilator use, wait times after declaration of death before incisions, inclinations between rapid laparotomy and pre-mortem cannulation, and maximum time before aborting DCD procurement were queried., Results: The survey revealed substantial differences across OPOs. Donor BMI restriction was considered by 36 of 58 OPOs, and 23 sites preferred OR for donor withdrawal of care. Pre-mortem heparin was utilized by 53 OPOs. Only 2 recommended vasodilators. Minimum wait time of 5-minutes was implemented by 41 OPOs. Rapid laparotomy was preferred by 57 organizations. 28 OPOs had a 90-minute limit before aborting DCD procurement., Conclusion: There are substantial variations across OPO protocols for procuring DCD organs. Current practices do not conform to ASTS guidelines for DCD procurement. Further investigations are needed to quantify the impact of OPO policies on transplant outcomes., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.