Surgery Shelf Prep!

Chris and Mars take you through pulmonary, hematology, and endocrine considerations for your shelf exam in Preoperative Care Part 2.

This episode dives into: ✅ The most common post-op pulmonary complications like atelectasis and pneumonia—and how to prevent them. ✅ Why smoking cessation timing matters and optimizing asthma/COPD patients pre-op. ✅ Managing anticoagulants: Warfarin, DOACs, aspirin, and clopidogrel before surgery. ✅ Diabetes management: insulin adjustments, perioperative glucose targets, and when to give stress-dose steroids. ✅ Shelf pearls on hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and Malignant Hyperthermia—know the triggers, signs, and treatment.

In this part 1 of 2 episodes, Chris and Mars break down the essentials of optimizing patients for surgery, focusing on cardiac risk assessment and perioperative management.

We’ll cover: ✅ The Revised Cardiac Risk Index (RCRI) – your go-to tool for identifying high-risk patients. ✅ How to evaluate functional capacity with METs. ✅ Perioperative management of Pacemakers and ICDs. ✅ The “don’t miss” triad of Severe Aortic Stenosis and when to postpone surgery. ✅ Why Pulmonary Hypertension increases surgical risk. ✅ Timing surgery after a recent MI and how to manage patients with CABG or stents. ✅ High-yield pearls on continuing beta-blockers, holding ACE inhibitors/ARBs, and the role of statins in surgical patients. Be sure to stick around for Part 2!

In this high-yield episode of Surgery Shelf Prep, Chris and Mars break down the most important high yield facts about the gallbladder. From risk factors, anatomy, and complications, they’ll guide you through the key facts, subtle differences, and testable pearls you need to crush on exam day. Listen in for rapid-fire questions and answers, quick tips to avoid common shelf pitfalls, and clear explanations of tricky topics. Whether you’re on your commute or scrubbing in, this episode is your edge for the surgery clerkship.

In this biliary episode, Chris and Mars break down the critical complications that can occur after a cholecystectomy—an essential topic for the surgery clerkship and shelf exam. They explore early post-op issues like bile leaks, bilomas, and common bile duct injuries, plus late complications like postcholecystectomy syndrome and sphincter of Oddi dysfunction. You’ll learn how to recognize key presentations, and master management strategies, including when to call for ERCP or take a patient back to the OR. Perfect for med students prepping for their surgery clerkship, NBME shelf, or USMLE Step 2 CK.

In this episode, Chris and Mars break down three crucial gallbladder topics for your surgery shelf: porcelain gallbladder, gallbladder carcinoma, and biliary dyskinesia. Learn why porcelain gallbladder is no longer considered an automatic ticket to the OR, how to recognize the subtle early signs of gallbladder cancer, and the key diagnostic test for biliary dyskinesia. Perfect for medical students prepping for the surgery clerkship or shelf exam—tune in to sharpen your surgical knowledge!

Ready, Set, Go! Chris and Mars break down three biliary tract heavyweights for your surgery shelf: Choledocholithiasis, Ascending Cholangitis, and Mirizzi Syndrome. These conditions may look similar on the surface but have key differences in presentation, diagnosis, and management that will save you points on exam day—and lives in the hospital.

You’ll learn: ✅ Why fluctuating jaundice should make you think stones in the CBD. ✅ The Charcot triad and Reynolds pentad—and why they’re surgical emergencies. ✅ Why RUQ ultrasound can miss stones and when to upgrade to MRCP or ERCP. ✅ The hallmark finding of Mirizzi Syndrome and why surgery is the only definitive treatment. ✅ High-yield antibiotic regimens and ERCP complications you can’t afford to miss.

Perfect for medical students preparing for their surgery clerkship, NBME shelf exam, or Step 2 CK. Plug in your headphones and let Chris and Mars help you lock down these essential concepts.

Get WEIRD! Chris and Mars break down acute cholecystitis, one of the most tested topics on the surgery shelf and Step 2 CK. From the pathophysiology of gallstone obstruction to the key physical exam findings and definitive management, this episode will solidify your knowledge for test day. Learn how to distinguish biliary colic from cholecystitis, understand the role of ultrasound and HIDA scanning, and master the high-risk scenarios like acalculous and emphysematous cholecystitis.

In this episode, Chris and Mars break down the gallbladder—its anatomy, physiology, and why gallstones are such a hot topic for the surgery shelf. Learn the key landmarks of the biliary tree, the types of gallstones, and the patients most at risk for complications. They also cover critical surgical concepts like Calot’s triangle and the “critical view of safety” during cholecystectomy. Perfect for medical students prepping for their surgery clerkship and shelf exam!

In this high-yield episode, Chris and Mars break down the essentials of breast diseases for the Surgery Shelf exam. From benign breast masses to invasive carcinomas, they cover the clinical pearls and rapid-fire facts you need to crush test day. Learn how to differentiate fibrocystic changes from fibroadenomas, when to suspect cancer in postmenopausal patients, and the red flags for inflammatory breast cancer. They’ll also hit key surgical considerations, including breast cancer management options, BRCA mutation counseling, and nerve injuries during axillary dissection. Perfect for med students prepping for their surgery clerkship and shelf exam!

In this high-yield episode, Chris and Mars break down BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations—essential knowledge for your surgery shelf and Step 2 CK. Learn how these tumor suppressor genes work, the key red flags for suspecting BRCA mutations, and why prophylactic surgery is often the best strategy for ovarian cancer prevention. We’ll also cover high-risk screening protocols, chemoprevention options like Tamoxifen, and critical distinctions between BRCA1 and BRCA2 carriers (including male patients!). Perfect for medical students prepping for their surgery clerkship and exams. Give this a listen before your next clinic!