John S. Kukora

Congenital and acquired internal hernias: Unusual causes of small bowel obstruction

Fourteen cases of small bowel obstruction caused by congenital or postoperative internal herniation of bowel and treated at the University and Veterans Administration Medical Centers, Jackson, Mississippi between 1970 and 1983 were reviewed retrospectively. Of the total, eight were congenital (three transomental, two paraduodenal, one foramen of Winslow, one ileocecal transmesenteric, and one paracecal) and six acquired (three transmesenteric, one behind a Roux-Y esophagojejunostomy, one behind a Roux-Y pancreaticojejunostomy, and one between limbs of an end colostomy mucous fistula). Gangrenous bowel was present at exploration in nine cases (64 percent, five congenital and four acquired). In no case was a correct preoperative diagnosis of incarcerated or strangulated internal hernia made. In each patient, except for one who died before celiotomy could be performed, reduction of the hernia contents, resection of necrotic bowel, primary anastomosis or, on occasion, enterostomy, and correction of the anatomic defect leading to the herniation were performed. Postoperative mortality was 31 percent (four patients). Each of the four patients had presented initially with gangrenous bowel. The clinical features and management of congenital and acquired internal hernias have been reviewed and correlated with therapeutic outcome. In addition, the difficulties in diagnosis and the features of various types of these hernias have been discussed with comments made regarding prevention of the acquired forms of these rare hernias, along with the embryologic background and methods of management of the various congenital defects.

The present and future use of physician extenders in general surgery training programs: one response to the 80-hour work week.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to assess the use of physician extenders (PEs) in general surgery residency programs. STUDY DESIGN We surveyed the program directors in surgery for the number of chief residents, PEs on general surgery services, PE duties, whether PEs were hired in response to Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education work-hour restrictions, plans to hire additional PEs, and program type. Data were analyzed using the Students t-test; p values are two-tailed and considered significant if <0.05. RESULTS There were 163 programs (65%) that responded, (87 university, 70 nonuniversity, and 6 military programs), with a total of 689 graduating chief residents per year. One hundred sixty programs use 840 PEs (median, 3.5 PEs per program; mean, 5.3 PEs per program, 2 PEs per chief resident). One hundred twenty-seven programs (79%) use at least 1 PE (range 1 to 50 PEs); 93 programs (57%) hired 513 (61%) PEs in response to work-hour restrictions. Before 2003, the mean number of PEs per program was 2.0; after 2003, there were 5.3 per program (p=0.0001). Most common uses of PEs included taking histories and physicals (84%), seeing consults (58%), first-assisting (52%), and seeing patients in the emergency department (47%). Forty-seven of 162 (29%) programs plan to hire more PEs in the next 3 years, 76 programs (47%) would like to, but are unsure of funding; 23 programs (14%) are not planning to increase the total, and 16 programs (10%) are unsure. With available funding, 431 additional PEs may be hired in the next 3 years, for a total of 1,271 PEs in 163 programs, or an average of 7.8 PEs per program and 1.8 PEs per chief resident. CONCLUSIONS PEs have been hired in large numbers to assist on general surgery teaching services, with most hired in response to Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education work-hour restrictions, and most of their duties are intended to aid resident education. Almost 80% of programs currently use PEs; 76% would like to hire more. Currently 1.2 PEs are used per graduating chief resident; this could increase to 1.8 PEs per chief resident in the next 3 years.

Suspicious findings in reduction mammaplasty specimens: review of 182 consecutive patients.

Breast reduction mammaplasty allows examination of specimens from a seemingly healthy population for the presence of proliferative breast disease. The authors reviewed the charts of all reduction mammaplasty patients of a single surgeon over 7.5 years for age, family history, mammographic results, unilateral or bilateral nature of the procedure, and final pathologic diagnosis. Of 182 patients, 168 had bilateral and 14 had unilateral breast reductions. Ages ranged from 16 to 79 years (average and median: 37 years and 35 years respectively). Fifty-seven patients (31%) were younger than 30 years, 53 patients (29%) were between the ages 30 years and 39 years, for a total of 110 patients (60%) younger than 40 years in this study. A total of 163 patients (89%) had a diagnosis of normal breast tissue. Nineteen patients (10%) had proliferative changes: 9 patients (5%) without atypia, 5 patients (3%) with atypia, 3 patients (2%) with sclerosing adenosis, and 1 patient each (0.5%) with papillomatosis and lobular carcinoma in situ. A total of 95% of patients with proliferative changes were older than 30 years. Women ages 30 to 39 years may be at higher risk (15%) of having proliferative changes than previously reported, and histologic examination of all reduction mammaplasties is recommended.

Multi-Institutional Study of Self-Reported Attitudes and Behaviors of General Surgery Residents About Ethical Academic Practices in Test Taking

PURPOSE Correlation exists between people who engage in academic dishonesty as students and unethical behavior once in practice. Previously, we assessed the attitudes of general surgery residents and ethical practices in test taking at a single institution. Most residents had not participated in activities they felt were unethical, yet what constituted unethical behavior was unclear. We sought to verify these results in a multi-institutional study. METHODS A scenario-based survey describing potentially unethical activities related to the American Board of Surgery In-training Examination (ABSITE) was administered. Participants were asked about their knowledge of or participation in the activities and whether the activity was unethical. Program directors were surveyed about the use of ABSITE results for resident evaluation and promotion. RESULTS Ten programs participated in the study. The resident response rate was 67% (186/277). Of the respondents, 43% felt that memorizing questions to study for future examinations was unethical and 50% felt that using questions another resident memorized was unethical. Most felt that buying (86%) or selling (79%) questions was unethical. Significantly more senior than junior residents have memorized (30% vs 16%; p = 0.04) or used questions others memorized (33% vs 12%; p = 0.002) to study for future ABSITE examinations and know of other residents who have done so (42% vs 20%; p = 0.004). Most programs used results of the ABSITE in promotion (80%) and set minimum score expectations and consequences (70%). CONCLUSION Similar to our single-institution study, residents had not participated in activities they felt to be unethical; however the definition of what constitutes cheating remains unclear. Differences were identified between senior and junior residents with regard to memorizing questions for study. Cheating and unethical behavior is not always clear to the learner and represents an area for further education.