Bias and discrimination in surgery: Where are we and what can we do about it?

Bias is an inclination or preconceived outlook that favors toward or against an idea, person, or group. It manifests in implicit and explicit ways throughout all aspects and institutions of society. These cognitive shortcuts are often based on stereotypes and can lead to prejudice and discrimination in medicine as they mediate interactions with patients, between providers, and at the institutional level. It is important to understand the drivers and consequences of bias in order to overcome barriers to representation, equity, and inclusion. This paper provides definitions of bias; discusses its manifestations across academic medicine at the institutional and individual levels; and concludes by examining techniques to reduce bias and measure progress. Equity for patients, families, and members of the broader surgical community cannot be achieved without reducing bias and discrimination. We call for action to increase intentional efforts that reduce the influences of bias in healthcare, research, and education, particularly in the field of pediatric surgery.     

Comparative effectiveness research: what is it and why do we need it in nephrology?

The USA leads other industrialized countries in health care spending but lags behind in terms of health outcomes. There has been growing interest in comparative effectiveness research (CER) as a means to identify best practices to create a more efficient and effective health care system. Two key concepts of CER are that it should (i) compare two or more alternative tests, therapies or procedures and (ii) be conducted in persons, clinical settings and conditions that are representative of the real world. The goal of CER is to provide evidence for clinicians, patients, policy makers and others to make informed decisions that will ultimately improve the overall health of specific subgroups and of the population as a whole. In this narrative review, we first describe the strengths and limitations of various types of studies that constitute CER, including randomized clinical trials, observational studies and systematic reviews, providing examples from the nephrology literature. Because of the concerns regarding confounding in observational CER, we also provide an overview of methods to reduce confounding in these types of studies. Finally, we will discuss why CER pertaining to kidney disease care needs to be a top priority in order to move our field from a largely opinion-based specialty to an evidence-based specialty.     

Who are we and what do we think?

BACKGROUND: The American Society of Breast Surgeons was founded on the principal of professional and practical development of its members. The Society undertook a survey of its members to identify issues and concerns and to guide future action. METHODS: The survey was prepared by the membership committee and a website was created for responses and analysis. The survey was posted on the website and mailed to 1530 members. Overall there was a 31% response. RESULTS: Demographic data regarding practice patterns, technology utilization, and current problems showed a diverse Society with varying needs and problems. CONCLUSIONS: The Society will pursue professional development in ultrasonography training, coding and reimbursement, and emerging technologies. The Society is committed to providing regional training programs, certification, and professional interaction. The Society will continue to look to the members for feedback and guidance.     

Isolated extraabdominal colonic tissue: What do we know about it?

A newborn presenting with an isolated ectopic colonic tissue arising from the vulva without any associated anomaly is reported. The clinicopathologic features of this rare entity are discussed with special emphasis on embryologic basis.     

Breast cancer and HIV: what do we know?

The present acquired human immunodeficiency syndrome-defining neoplasms are Kaposi's sarcoma, non-Hodgkins lymphoma, and cervical cancer. However, other malignancies have recently been associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Is there also a link between breast cancer and HIV infection? Breast cancer seems to be more aggressive in the setting of immunocompromise by HIV infection, as demonstrated by the clinical course of two patients recently treated at this institution and review of the available literature. As the acquired human immunodeficiency syndrome epidemic affects increasing numbers of women and survival improves, surgeons will be frequently called on to diagnose and treat breast cancer in the HIV+ patient.     

Vascular calcification and uremia: what do we know?

In the last decade, the nephrology community has focused its attention on the main cause of morbidity and mortality in chronic renal failure patients: cardiovascular disease. In addition, recent studies pointed out that vascular calcification (VC) is a major cause of cardiovascular disease in the dialysis population. Interestingly, the pathogenesis of VC and soft tissue calcification in chronic kidney disease (CKD) has been extensively investigated. Nowadays we know that VC is associated not only with passive calcium phosphate deposition, but also with an active, cell-mediated process. To better understand the pathogenesis of VC in CKD, numerous regulatory proteins have been studied, because of their ability to inhibit mineral deposition in the vessels. We here examine the state of the art of those substances recognized as regulatory key factors in preventing VC in uremic conditions, such as fetuin A (alpha2-Heremans-Schmid glycoprotein), matrix gamma-carboxyglutamic acid protein, pyrophosphate, osteoprotegerin and bone morphogenetic protein. We conclude that at present it is too early to introduce these novel markers into clinical practice.     

The burden of hardware removal in ankle fractures: How common is it,why do we do it and what is the cost? A ten-year review

BackgroundAnkle fractures account for 9% of all fractures and 40% require surgical management. The ankle is the most common site of hardware removal. The purpose of our study was to investigate the incidence, indication and economic cost associated with removal of hardware from the ankle.MethodsWe conducted a ten-year retrospective review of 1482 patients treated by open reduction internal fixation for an unstable ankle fracture. Skeletally immature patients were excluded. Data collected was cross referenced from patient medical records, the radiological and electronic patient database. The casemix and hospital inpatient enquiry system (HIPE) were used to calculate costs.ResultsThe mean age was 39.9 years with 53.6% male. 185 patients (12.5%) underwent hardware removal with unplanned removal performed in 6% of cases. The average cost of removal was €1113.ConclusionRemoval of hardware continues to be a common operation with significant costs to all involved. More than one in 10 patients underwent future removal of hardware.Level of evidence: Level 3.