key: cord-0043394-gmreoipg
authors: Lau, Joseph W.Y.; Li, Choh-Ming
title: Editor’s Perspectives – June 2020
date: 2020-05-13
journal: Int J Surg
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijsu.2020.05.023
sha: c51a177aec522d07437658593ff27bdf750d2bd6
doc_id: 43394
cord_uid: gmreoipg

nan

In In this issue of International Journal of Surgery, there are 3 systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The first article entitled "Moderate and severe exacerbations have a significant impact on health-related quality of life, utility, and lung function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A meta-analysis" concluded that moderate to severe exacerbations had a substantial and lasting impact on health-related quality of life, utility and lung function in these patients. The second article on "Prognostic significance of the controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score in patients with colorectal cancer" concluded that this score was a practical prognostic factor associated with prognosis of colorectal cancer.

The third article on "The efficacy of patellar denervation with electrocautery after total knee replacement" concluded that patellar denervation significantly improved clinical outcomes, including reducing pain and opioid consumption and postoperative range of motion after total knee replacement.

There are five retrospective comparative studies. The first study compared single anastomosis duodenal switch-proximal approach versus one anastomosis gastric bypass-mini gastric bypass found both procedures to result in excellent control on weight, HOMA-IR index and diabetes mellitus. The second article is a population based cost analysis in Ontario, Canada to compare Health economic evaluation between simultaneous versus staged resection for synchronous colorectal liver metastases. The study concluded that the cost for the staged procedure to be significantly higher despite similar postoperative complications rates between the 2 procedures. The third article is a multi-center study to compare low anterior resection syndrome in ovarian cancer patients. The study concluded that this syndrome was frequent and under-reported in patients who required cytoreductive surgery with rectal resection. The fourth article on "Enhanced recovery after surgery protocols in patients undergoing liver transplantation" concluded the protocol to be safe, feasible and improved patients' recovery. Finally, the fifth article used propensity score-matching analysis to compare single-site robotic versus single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The study concluded that the former procedure was superior to the latter procedure by decreasing the incidence of bile leakage.

There is only 1 retrospective study looking at the risk factors, management and longterm outcomes of incisional hernia after liver transplantation.

This June 2020 issue of International Journal of Surgery is again packed with invited/uninvited/letters to the Editor. It is not entirely surprising to me that our Journal has become the platform for readers to discuss on the various aspects relating to the COVID-19

pandemic. There are 4 invited, 2 uninvited and 6 Letters to the Editor on the COIVD-19

pandemic. Interested readers can find various topics coming from many parts of the world on this global emergency problem.

As usual, there are 39 invited Commentaries from international experts commenting on the various articles which have been published in our Journal. Personally I find it very educational to look at these articles from the perspectives of the experts. Last but not least, there is an article on surgical education entitled "Near-peer OSCE-style joint examination videos improve confidence in the clinical environment" for readers who are surgical educationists.

I am glad to see that our Journal has become one of the platforms to discuss matters not only related to surgical knowledge and advances, but also a platform to discuss on the COVID-19 pandemic. Your commentaries and letters to the Editor to express your views are most welcome by the Journal. 

Past, Present, and Future of Minimally Invasive Abdominal Surgery