Surgery 101

In this episode Pathologist, Dr. Tyler Rouse, explains 3 ways in which specimens removed during surgery are sent to pathology and the rationale behind each process.

The objectives include:

Fixed – how most specimens are sent to pathology and why;

Fresh – scenarios where a surgeon might send the tissue without fixation;

Frozen – covering intra-operative pathology consults – how this works, and some examples.

In this episode Pathologist, Dr. Tyler Rouse, gives an overview of what Pathology is and how is related to surgery and many other specialties.

The objectives include:

Who are pathologists?

What do they do?

How are pathologists involved in patient care?

In this episode, Anthony Vo, a 4th year medical student from the University of Alberta discusses two common types of skin cancer; Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC).

The objectives for both BCC and SCC include:

Overview of each type of skin cancer

Review of the characteristics and presentation

Discussion of treatment options

Prevention and follow-up

In this episode, Kerry Atkins, a 4th year medical student from the University of Alberta discusses one of the simplest and high yield diagnostic tests: the punch biopsy.

The objectives include:

An overview of the different skin biopsy techniques and when they are appropriate

Indications and contraindications of the procedure

Materials required

And step by step instructions on how to perform a punch biopsy

In this episode, Thoracic Surgeon Dr. Simon Turner discusses Thoracic Trauma. Thoracic trauma is one of the most intimidating situations in all of surgery. The chest contains the heart, lungs and the great vessels, and injury to any of these can quickly result in death if not rapidly corrected. Add to this the fact that the rib cage prevents direct examination of the structures most at risk and also hampers attempts at control of injuries. Thankfully, most immediately life threatening thoracic injuries can be reliably identified using little more than your eyes, ears and hands, if you know how to do it.

The objectives for Thoracic Trauma include the:

Assessment

Identification of life-threatening injuries

Intervention

Diagnosis and treatment

In this episode, Thoracic Surgeon Dr. Simon Turner discusses Dysphagia and Achalasia. Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, is a common presenting complaint to both primary care physicians and surgeons. Patients may mean several different things when they complain of trouble swallowing, and accordingly the differential diagnosis is large and includes both benign and malignant causes. For these reasons its important to have an organized approach to working up a patient with swallowing complaints that can help to efficiently focus investigations and treatment.

This podcast will focus on the surgically treated causes of dysphagia and will discuss in depth one of the more common causes, a disease called achalasia. The objectives include the:

Surgically treated causes of dysphagia

Achalasia

In this episode, Thoracic Surgeon Dr. Simon Turner discusses GERD and Barrett's Esophagus.

Gastro-esophageal reflux disease, or GERD is one of the most common problems encountered by primary care physicians. It is the number 1 outpatient GI related complaint, and of all the patients with chest pain who have a negative work-up for angina, 50% have symptoms due to GERD. In addition to being common, GERD can also be quite serious, with the potential for debilitating symptoms, severe complications and even a risk of cancer.

The objectives include the:

Presentation

Diagnosis

Management

Complications including Barrett's Esophagus

In this episode, Thoracic Surgeon Dr. Simon Turner discusses Lung Cancer. Lung cancer is the most common cancer worldwide and is the number 1 killer of all cancers. Most patients diagnosed with lung cancer will die of their disease within just a few years, however, with more knowledge about its presentation, screening, diagnosis and treatment, lung cancer can often be identified at a curable stage. This podcast will give the listener the basic facts needed to understand this complex disease in the hopes of giving patients the best chance for a good outcome.

The objectives include the:

Risk Factors

Presentation

Screening

Diagnosis and treatment

In this episode, Thoracic Surgeon Dr. Simon Turner discusses Mediastinal Masses.

Imagine that you've ordered a chest x-ray on a patient of yours with shortness of breath. When you look at the x-ray the lungs look normal, but you notice to your surprise that the mediastinum looks quite abnormal. You speak with a radiologist who confirms your suspicions that your patient has a widened mediastinum and a probable mediastinal mass. What is the differential diagnosis of this x-ray finding and what should be done about it?

Because mediastinal masses are not infrequently found incidentally on chest x-rays, every physician should have some basic knowledge about these lesions.

The objectives include the:

Anatomy of the mediastinum

Differential diagnosis of mediastinal masses

Approach to work-up and treatment of these lesions

In this episode, Thoracic Surgeon Dr. Simon Turner discusses Solitary Pulmonary Nodule. This podcast was written in large part by Dr. Keerit Tauh, a graduate of the University of Alberta medical school and currently a cardiac surgery resident at the University of British Columbia.

The objectives include the:

• Definition

• Classification and differential diagnosis

• Approach to diagnosis and management of these lesions