Editor’s note: Media around the world, including social media, frequently report on American College of Surgeons (ACS) activities. Following are brief excerpts from news stories covering research and activities from the virtual ACS Clinical Congress 2020, October 3–7. To access the news items in their entirety, visit the online ACS Newsroom.
Screening mammography less common among Spanish-only speakers
Diagnostic Imaging, October 5, 2020
“‘Spanish-only speakers appear to have a 27-percent less likelihood of having a screening mammogram than English speakers,’ said lead study investigator Jose L. Cataneo, M.D., a general surgery resident at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC/Metropolitan Group Hospitals).
Cataneo and his colleagues presented their findings, based on women ages 40 and above living in the United States, during the [ACS] Clinical Congress 2020.”
Pitt trauma experts aim to reduce death with blood-clotting agent
UPMC, October 5, 2020
“Severely injured trauma patients who received a blood-clotting drug before arriving at the hospital had a better chance of surviving than those who didn’t, according to new research from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. The results will be reported at the [ACS] Clinical Congress 2020 and published in JAMA Surgery.”
Some breast surgery won’t harm ability to breastfeed
U.S. News & World Report (via HealthDay), October 7, 2020
“Whether they’d had surgery or not, 80% were able to breastfeed or obtain breast milk for bottle-feeding, according to findings presented Saturday at a virtual meeting of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). Research presented at meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.”
Think enjoying a puff has no effect? Researchers say weed users may need more anaesthesia during surgery and have more pain afterward
GrowthOp, October 7, 2020
“During panel discussions at the virtual ACS Clinical Congress 2020, ‘experts underscored the importance of helping patients stop tobacco, vaping and marijuana use before having an operation,’ notes a group statement. Even for routine procedures, experts noted that stop-smoking programs can reduce the risk of complications.”
Virtual care after surgery may be more convenient
Newsmax.com (via HealthDay), October 8, 2020
“Total clinic time was longer for in-person visits than virtual visits (58 minutes versus 19 minutes), but patients in both groups spent the same amount of time with a member of their surgical team (8.3 minutes versus 8.2 minutes) discussing their recovery.
The findings were presented Saturday at a virtual meeting of the [ACS]. Research presented at meetings is typically considered preliminary.”
Do hospitals that primarily serve minority patients offer standard surgical care for patients with breast cancer?
ASCO Post, October 14, 2020
“Among accredited cancer centers in the [U.S.], hospitals serving primarily minority patients are as likely as other hospitals to offer the standard of surgical care for early-stage breast cancer, according to results presented at the virtual [ACS] Clinical Congress 2020 and published by Olga Kantor, MD, MS, and colleagues in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.”
Bariatric surgery tied to lower aortic dissection risk
Medscape, October 15, 2020
“‘It has an incredible impact on hyperlipidemia and hypertension,’ said Luis Felipe Okida, MD, from Cleveland Clinic Florida in Weston. ‘Those are the main risk factors for aortic dissection.’He presented the finding at the virtual [ACS] Clinical Congress 2020. The study was also published online in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.”
Antibiotics found noninferior to surgery in randomized appendicitis trial
General Surgery News, November 16, 2020
“‘[This] gives information to people so that, based on their characteristics, their preferences and their circumstances, including maybe COVID-19, they can figure out what’s right for them,’ Dr. Flum added.
He presented the results at the 2020 American College of Surgeons’ Clinical Congress, which was held virtually. The study was published in The New England Journal of Medicine.”
Limited English-language proficiency may affect frequency of screening mammograms
ASCO Post, October 19, 2020
“Limited English-language proficiency may be a risk factor for receiving screening mammograms less often, according to new study results using national data. These findings, concerning women age 40 and older living in the [U.S.], were presented at the [ACS] Clinical Congress 2020, as well as published by Jose L. Cataneo, MD, and colleagues in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.”
