Advances in Surgery | Podcast

In the second episode of the Surgery, Pregnancy, and Parenthood podcast series, Dr. Romina Pena hosts Dr. Barbora Esat, a Czech surgeon specializing in abdominal wall surgery and mother. 

Dr. Esat shares her experiences with the challenges of surgical training and the difficulties faced by female surgeons returning to work after having children. She discusses the lack of standardized training programs, the stress of exams, and the absence of support for surgeon-mothers, highlighting the need for better institutional support to help women balance their careers and family responsibilities.

In this podcast episode, Dr. Jacqueline Van Laarhoven, an accomplished surgeon and mom of three, talks about her journey becoming a mother during her surgical training. Dr. Romina Pena, an experienced surgeon without kids, shares her opinion and inquiries about the experience of being a surgeon and being a mother.

In the second and final episode of these podcast series, Dr. Pena wonder about the essential support Dr. Van Laarhoven received from her surgical team when returning to work after becoming a parent, emphasizing the role of colleagues in her successful reintegration. Meanwhile, Dr. Van Laarhoven discusses her journey as a mother and surgeon, underlining the support from her team and the emotional challenges she faced in the initial days of working, constantly thinking about her children at home.

In this podcast, Dr. Cabrera and Dr. Zundel discuss surgical mentorship and sponsorship, highlighting the importance of nurturing surgeons as skilled professionals and well-rounded individuals.

They stress that mentorship should be about time, not money, and extend beyond surgical skills to include personal and professional growth. The mentors underscore that sponsorship is not limited to academic or surgical success; it's about becoming better human beings. They offer practical insights on guiding mentees to excel in surgery and life. This podcast sheds light on how mentorship can shape future surgeons into not only skilled professionals but

In this podcast episode, Dr. Jacqueline Van Laarhoven, an experienced surgeon and mom of three,

In the first episode of a two-part podcast series, Dr. Pena and Dr. Van Laarhoven opened up

Luis Felipe Cabrera Vargas - MD, MACC, FACS, MACCVA, MFELAC, General surgeon, Fellow in vascular and endovascular surgery of Universidad Militar Nueva Granada, President of the Future surgeons

Dr. Rhea Liang - MBChB, BA(Ed,) MSurgEd, FRACS,  FACS, FFSTEd, FRCSEng(Hon), Clinical Sub Dean for GCHHS, Bond University; Consultant General and Breast surgeon, Robina Hospital, Australia

In this podcast, we delve into the experiences and challenges faced by young surgeons during their residency in Latin America. We explore the importance of non-technical skills, emphasizing the significance of effective patient communication and relationship-building with families and colleagues.

Our guests share their opinions on strategies and activities to maintain control and thrive throughout the demanding academic journey of residency. We discuss the value of finding mentors who offer guidance and structure, as well as the benefits of note-taking and leveraging technology to stay organized.

Delegation of tasks is examined, highlighting the importance of climbing the ladder of experience and fostering a sense of teamwork. We also explore the practicalities of developing presentations and meeting administrative requirements, drawing from real-life experiences.

Moreover, we address the delicate balance between work and personal life, recognizing the relevance of maintaining one's well-being and mental health.

Lastly, we shed light on the challenges posed by resource limitations, such as the lack of access to specialized equipment and imaging resources.

In this podcast, Dr. Luis Felipe Cabrera and Dr. Paula Ferrada discuss various aspects of surgical residency and what it takes to become a successful surgeon. They emphasize the importance of non-surgical technical aspects, such as leaving ego outside of the hospital to take decisions that benefit patients the most.

They also discuss some of the challenges faced during surgical residency, including burnout and long-hour shifts. They provide tips to achieve success during the fifth year of residency and address the importance of learning as “a sponge”, absorbing everything from attitude and technical skills to communication and clinical/non-clinical skills.

The discussion also covers the delegation of tasks, essential for time-managing and leadership. Dr. Cabrera and Dr. Ferrada noted that delegation is a signal of strength and it is crucial to select moments where it is necessary to designate tasks.

The management of high thrombotic risk in surgical patients involves many factors. It is very important to use validated scores and individualize each case before prescribing prophylactic treatment and measures. Dr. Pena and Dr. Montané discuss thromboprophylaxis for patients in several scenarios.

In this podcast, Dr. Romina Pena asks Dr Steven Wexner various questions on  General Complications in Colorectal Surgery.

They discuss anastomotic leaks, a difficult problem. Dr. Wexner explains his 4 strategies for mitigating this complication. Also, with the ongoing development of technologies, the doctors talk about their expectations for the future, and how it will affect them on a daily basis, for example, in avoiding multiple crossing staple lines.

Another complication discussed is Surgical Site Infections (SSI). Protocols for prevention were discussed in a previous podcast with Dr Antonio de Lacy - therefore, in this one, Dr Wexner how there still are still SSIs, despite all all the knowledge and prevention in the field. They also talk about how bowel preparation might change due to the microbiome.

The final complication discussed bleeding. Dr Pena asks Dr Wexner sks about his thoughts on the future, specifically, how new technology such as Artificial Intelligence could prevent bleeding. Finally, she asks him about other methods for clean treatment  when facing this stressful complication.

When it comes to Surgical Site Infection (SSI) prevention, normothermia and normoglycemia are the goals. They are important factors in helping the patient recover from surgery successfully, avoiding complications. In this episode, Dr. Pena and Dr. Lacy discuss body temperature and glycemia levels as controllable factors for SSI prevention.

Hypothermia can trigger thermoregulatory vasoconstriction, which decreases tissue oxygen tension. The chemotaxis and phagocytosis of granulocytes are impaired, as well as the motility of macrophages and oxidative killing by neutrophils. Furthermore, it is important to know that Hyperglycemia is associated with an increased risk of SSI.

Bearing in mind that warming devices are used in the operating room and during the surgical procedure with a moderate strength of recommendation.