The Operative Word

The American College of Surgeons

In this series the hosts talk to authors featured in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons (JACS), the official scientific journal of the American College of Surgeons.

  1. FEB 26

    E41: Identifying Diagnostic Gaps and Mitigation Strategies for Older Adult Emergency General Surgery Patients: A Scoping Review

    In this episode, Lillian Erdahl, MD, FACS, is joined by Jessica Liu, MD, MS, MPH, from the Department of Surgery, Harbor UCLA Medical Center. They discuss Dr Liu’s recent article, “Identifying Diagnostic Gaps and Mitigation Strategies for Older Adult Emergency General Surgery Patients: A Scoping Review,” in which the authors identified the current diagnostic issues, clinical tools, and clinician feedback strategies in the older adult emergency general surgery (EGS) setting. While challenges unique to older adults exist, variability in the use of tools to improve identification of older adult conditions in EGS and gaps in feedback to improve diagnosis remain.   Disclosure Information: Drs Erdahl and Liu have nothing to disclose.   To earn 0.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ for this episode of the JACS Operative Word Podcast, click here to register for the course and complete the evaluation. Listeners can earn CME credit for this podcast for up to 2 years after the original air date.   Liu, Jessica K MD, MS, MPH; Peters, Xane D MD, MS; Remer, Sarah L MD; Beestrum, Molly MLIS; Cooper, Zara MD, FACS, MPH; Russell, Marcia M MD, FACS; Hall, Bruce L MD, FACS, PhD; Ko, Clifford Y MD, FACS, MSHS, MS. Identifying Diagnostic Gaps and Mitigation Strategies for Older Adult Emergency General Surgery Patients: A Scoping Review. Journal of the American College of Surgeons 241(5):p 904-916, November 2025. | DOI: 10.1097/XCS.0000000000001480   Learn more about the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, a monthly peer-reviewed journal publishing original contributions on all aspects of surgery, including scientific articles, collective reviews, experimental investigations, and more.   #JACSOperativeWord   Copyright © 2026 by the American College of Surgeons (ACS). All rights reserved.   The contents of these materials may be cited in academic publications but otherwise may not be reproduced, disseminated, or transmitted in any form by any means without the express written permission of ACS. These materials may not be resold nor used to create revenue-generating content by any entity other than the ACS without the express written permission of the ACS. The contents of these materials are strictly prohibited from being uploaded, shared, or incorporated in any third-party applications, platforms, software, or websites without prior written authorization from the ACS. This restriction explicitly includes, but is not limited to, the integration of ACS content into tools leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, large language models, or generative AI technologies and infrastructures.

    19 min
  2. JAN 29

    E40: From Surgeon Well-Being to Artificial Intelligence: 2025 Highlights

    In this episode, JACS Editor-in-Chief Tom Varghese, MD, FACS, and Digital Media Editor Lillian Erdahl, MD, FACS, review 6 impactful articles from the past year, highlighting key themes shaping modern surgical practice. Dr Erdahl focuses on the surgeon as a subject, discussing research on moral distress, second-victim syndrome, health policy challenges, and peer surgical coaching. Dr Varghese then explores advances in surgical science, including pragmatic applications of artificial intelligence for risk prediction and operative documentation, as well as comparative evidence on robotic, laparoscopic, and open operation. Together, they emphasize clinically relevant research, thoughtful innovation, and ongoing critical inquiry to support surgeons and improve patient care. Listen to the podcast episodes mentioned at facs.org/operative-word.   Articles discussed: Surgeon Perception and Attitude Toward the Moral Imperative: Institutionally Addressing Second Victim Syndrome in Surgery A Framework for Managing Moral Challenges Related to Health Policy for the Surgeon What About the Coach? Mixed Methods Study Assessing the Experience of Coaches in a Peer Surgical Coaching Program Validation of Artificial Intelligence-Based POTTER Calculator in Emergency General Surgery Patients Undergoing Laparotomy: Prospective, Bi-Institutional Study Enhancing Accuracy of Operative Reports with Automated Artificial Intelligence Analysis of Surgical Video Robotic vs Laparoscopic vs Open Ventral Hernia Repair: Insights from a Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials   Disclosure Information: Drs Varghese and Erdahl have nothing to disclose.   Learn more about the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, a monthly peer-reviewed journal publishing original contributions on all aspects of surgery, including scientific articles, collective reviews, experimental investigations, and more.   #JACSOperativeWord

    45 min
  3. 11/20/2025

    E39: Postoperative Pain Management in the US vs Low- and Middle-Income Countries by US Surgeons

    In this episode, Tom Varghese, MD, FACS, is joined by Ziad Sifri, MD, FACS, from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, and Matthew Linz, MD, from Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. They discuss Drs Sifri and Linz’s recent article, “Postoperative Pain Management in the US vs Low- and Middle-Income Countries by US Surgeons,” in which they found that surgeons in the US prescribe significantly more opioids after inguinal hernia repair compared with when they operate on short-term surgical trips to low- and middle-income countries, despite continued efforts to reduce opioid overprescription in the US.   Disclosure Information: Drs Varghese, Linz, and Sifri have nothing to disclose. To earn 0.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ for this episode of the JACS Operative Word Podcast, click here to register for the course and complete the evaluation. Listeners can earn CME credit for this podcast for up to 2 years after the original air date. Linz, Matthew S MD1; Parvin-Nejad, Fatemeh P MD2; Srinivasan, Nivetha MD3; Vegunta, Geetasravya MD1; Eng, Ashley K BS1; Kim, Eugene BA MBS; Alexander, Imani BS1; Elgammal, Fatima MD2; Benson, Ryan MD2; Benneh, Albert Y MD4; Gyakobo, Mawuli K MD5,6; Lopez, Lorena MD7; Jalloh, Samba MD8; Sifri, Ziad C MD FACS2. Postoperative Pain Management in the US vs Low-and-Middle-Income Countries by US Surgeons. Journal of the American College of Surgeons ():10.1097/XCS.0000000000001538, July 30, 2025. | DOI: 10.1097/XCS.0000000000001538   Learn more about the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, a monthly peer-reviewed journal publishing original contributions on all aspects of surgery, including scientific articles, collective reviews, experimental investigations, and more. #JACSOperativeWord

    21 min
  4. 10/30/2025

    E38: What About the Coach? Mixed-Methods Study Assessing the Experience of Coaches in a Peer Surgical Coaching Program

    In this episode, Lillian Erdahl, MD, FACS, is joined by Eilidh Gunn, MBChB MRCSEd, from the Surgical Sabermetrics Laboratory at the University of Edinburgh. They discuss Dr Gunn’s recent article, “What About the Coach? Mixed-Methods Study Assessing the Experience of Coaches in a Peer Surgical Coaching Program.” As peer-led surgical coaching becomes an increasingly popular professional development activity, this study explores the impact of participation on surgeons acting as coaches. Using a concurrent, mixed-methods design, results demonstrate that coaches found participation worthwhile and that it affected their own clinical practice. Learn more about the SCOPE program here.   Disclosure Information: Drs Gunn and Erdahl have nothing to disclose. To earn 0.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ for this episode of the JACS Operative Word Podcast, click here to register for the course and complete the evaluation. Listeners can earn CME credit for this podcast for up to 2 years after the original air date.   Gunn, Eilidh GM MBChB MRCSEd1; Sinyard, Robert D MD MBA2; Cummins, Emily R PhD3; Yule, Steven PhD4; Smink, Douglas S MD, MPH, FACS5. What About the Coach? Mixed-Methods Study Assessing the Experience of Coaches in a Peer Surgical Coaching Program. Journal of the American College of Surgeons ():10.1097/XCS.0000000000001506, July 24, 2025. | DOI: 10.1097/XCS.0000000000001506    Learn more about the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, a monthly peer-reviewed journal publishing original contributions on all aspects of surgery, including scientific articles, collective reviews, experimental investigations, and more. #JACSOperativeWord

    32 min
  5. 09/25/2025

    E37: Expanding the Public Health Role of Pediatric Trauma Centers: Drug Screening for Adolescent Trauma Patients

    In this episode, Lillian Erdahl, MD, FACS, is joined by Jordan Rook, MD, from UCLA, and Lorraine Kelley-Quon, MD, FACS, from Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and Keck School of Medicine of USC. They discuss Drs Rook and Kelley-Quon’s recent article, “Expanding the Public Health Role of Pediatric Trauma Centers: Drug Screening for Adolescent Trauma Patients,” in which the authors found that biochemical drug screening for injured adolescents is decreasing at pediatric trauma centers, despite increasing national adolescent overdose deaths. Given high rates of substance use among injured adolescents, this is a missed opportunity to intervene on problematic substance use and prevent future adolescent overdose deaths.   Disclosure Information: Drs Rook, Kelley-Quon, and Erdahl have nothing to disclose. To earn 0.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ for this episode of the JACS Operative Word Podcast, click here to register for the course and complete the evaluation. Listeners can earn CME credit for this podcast for up to 2 years after the original air date.   Rook, Jordan M MDa,b; Spurrier, Ryan G MD FACSc,d; Lee, Jenna S MDc; Safavi, Arash MD MHSC FACSc,d; Barrington-Trimis, Jessica PhDe; Ignacio, Romeo C MD MS MPath FACSf; Juillard, Catherine J MD MPH FACSa; Kelley-Quon, Lorraine I MD MS FACSc,d,e. Expanding the Public Health Role of Pediatric Trauma Centers: Drug Screening for Adolescent Trauma Patients. Journal of the American College of Surgeons ():10.1097/XCS.0000000000001596, August 22, 2025. | DOI: 10.1097/XCS.0000000000001596    Learn more about the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, a monthly peer-reviewed journal publishing original contributions on all aspects of surgery, including scientific articles, collective reviews, experimental investigations, and more.   #JACSOperativeWord

    23 min
  6. 08/21/2025

    E36: Association of Discharge Against Medical Advice with Surgical Outcomes and Healthcare Cost

    In this episode, Tom Varghese, MD, FACS, is joined by Timothy Pawlik, MD, FACS, from The Ohio State University. They discuss Dr Pawlik’s recent article, “Association of Discharge Against Medical Advice with Surgical Outcomes and Healthcare Cost,” in which the authors found that discharge against medical advice (DAMA) among surgical patients is associated with increased 30-day readmission, complication, fragmented care, and higher healthcare cost. DAMA patients were younger, socioeconomically vulnerable, and often had substance use or psychiatric disorders.     Disclosure Information: Drs Varghese and Pawlik have nothing to disclose.    To earn 0.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ for this episode of the JACS Operative Word Podcast, click here to register for the course and complete the evaluation. Listeners can earn CME credit for this podcast for up to 2 years after the original air date.   Sarfraz, Azza MBBS; Khalil, Mujtaba MD; Woldesenbet, Selamawit PhD; Altaf, Abdullah MD; Rashid, Zayed MD; Zindani, Shahzaib MD; Kawashima, Jun MD; Pawlik, Timothy M MD, PhD, MPH, MTS, MBA, FACS. Association of Discharge Against Medical Advice with Surgical Outcomes and Healthcare Costs. Journal of the American College of Surgeons 241(5):p 822-832, November 2025. | DOI: 10.1097/XCS.0000000000001469    Learn more about the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, a monthly peer-reviewed journal publishing original contributions on all aspects of surgery, including scientific articles, collective reviews, experimental investigations, and more.    #JACSOperativeWord

    20 min
  7. 07/24/2025

    E35: Association of State Helmet Laws with Helmet Use and Injury Outcomes in Motorcycle Crashes

    In this episode, Lillian Erdahl, MD, FACS, is joined by Stephanie M Jensen, MD, MPH, and A Britt Christmas, MD, MBA, FACS, from the Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, NC. They discuss the recent article by Drs Jensen and Christmas, “Association of State Helmet Laws with Helmet Use and Injury Outcomes in Motorcycle Crashes,” in which the authors analyzed a decade of motorcycle collision data from an American College of Surgeons-verified Level I Trauma Center positioned at the border of 2 states with differing motorcycle helmet laws. The study found that helmeted patients had reduced injury severity, and that state helmet laws significantly influence helmet usage among motorcyclists. Disclosure Information: Drs Erdahl, Jensen, and Christmas, speakers, have nothing to disclose. To earn 0.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ for this episode of the JACS Operative Word Podcast, click here to register for the course and complete the evaluation. Listeners can earn CME credit for this podcast for up to 2 years after the original air date.   Jensen, Stephanie M MD, MPH; Ricker, Ansley MD; Sing, Ronald F DO, FACS; Ross, Sam MD, MPH, FACS; Cunningham, Kyle W MD, MPH, FACS; Christmas, A Britton MD, MBA, FACS. Association of State Helmet Laws with Helmet Use and Injury Outcomes in Motorcycle Crashes. Journal of the American College of Surgeons 241(3):p 418-425, September 2025. | DOI: 10.1097/XCS.0000000000001400  Learn more about the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, a monthly peer-reviewed journal publishing original contributions on all aspects of surgery, including scientific articles, collective reviews, experimental investigations, and more. #JACSOperativeWord

    23 min
  8. 06/19/2025

    E34: Evaluating Outcomes of Initial Site Visits Across American College of Surgeons Accreditation Programs

    In this episode, Tom Varghese, MD, FACS, is joined by Brett Johnson, MD, and Clifford Ko, MD, FACS, from the American College of Surgeons (ACS). They discuss the recent article by Drs Johnson and Ko, “Evaluating Outcomes of Initial Site Visits Across American College of Surgeons Accreditation Programs,” in which the authors found that ACS accreditation identifies significant gaps in hospital quality, with only 61% of hospitals passing on their initial attempt. However, most ultimately succeed after remediation. These findings highlight that ACS accreditation both validates hospitals meeting rigorous standards and drives quality improvement in those that initially fall short.   Disclosure Information: Drs Varghese, speaker, has no relevant financial conflicts to disclose. Drs Johnson and Ko, speakers, are employees of the American College of Surgeons.   Johnson, Brett A MD, MS, MS; Hobika, Geoffrey G MD; McNamara, Erica J MPH, MM; Ko, Clifford Y MD, MS, MSHS, FACS. Evaluating Initial Site Visit Pass Rate Across American College of Surgeons Accreditation Programs. Journal of the American College of Surgeons 241(4):p 594-600, October 2025. | DOI: 10.1097/XCS.0000000000001441    Learn more about the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, a monthly peer-reviewed journal publishing original contributions on all aspects of surgery, including scientific articles, collective reviews, experimental investigations, and more. #JACSOperativeWord

    23 min
4.7
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

In this series the hosts talk to authors featured in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons (JACS), the official scientific journal of the American College of Surgeons.

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