Surgical Care
Perioperative best practices, ERAS protocols, wound closure, anesthesia safety, and surgical recovery science.
40 articles
Prehabilitation: Why Surgeons Now Prescribe Exercise Before Surgery
Structured pre-surgical exercise programs are becoming standard practice for major operations, with data showing shorter hospital stays and fewer complications.
Aug 13, 2026
Single-Use vs. Reusable Surgical Instruments: Revisiting the Cost and Sustainability Trade-Off
The single-use versus reusable surgical instrument debate continues evolving as sterile processing labor costs rise and sustainability considerations gain more formal weight in purchasing decisions.
Jun 16, 2026
The Sterile Processing Staffing Crisis Is Accelerating Automation Investment
Persistent sterile processing department staffing shortages are pushing more facilities toward automation technology that was previously considered a nice-to-have efficiency upgrade.
Jun 15, 2026
Negative Pressure Wound Therapy Supply Economics: Disposable vs. Reusable Systems in 2026
As NPWT adoption continues expanding across acute and post-acute settings, facilities face a real economic and logistical trade-off between disposable and traditional reusable systems.
May 28, 2026
Anesthesia Drug and Supply Shortages Remain Persistent — Here Is How Facilities Are Building Contingency Plans
Periodic anesthesia drug and airway supply shortages continue to disrupt surgical scheduling. Facilities with formal contingency protocols weather them with far less disruption.
May 19, 2026
Surgical Instrument Tray Optimization: The Quiet Cost Lever Hiding in Sterile Processing
Bloated, oversized instrument trays cost more in sterile processing labor and turnover time than most facilities realize. Tray optimization is emerging as an underused cost lever.
May 18, 2026
Same-Day Joint Replacement Is Raising the Bar on Perioperative Supply Readiness
The shift toward same-day discharge total joint replacement demands tighter, more reliable perioperative supply coordination than traditional multi-day inpatient recovery protocols.
May 17, 2026
Ambulatory Surgery Centers Are Outgrowing Improvised Supply Chain Practices
As case complexity and volume at ASCs continue climbing, many centers are discovering their supply chain practices have not scaled alongside their clinical growth.
May 16, 2026
AAMI Level Surgical Gowns Explained: A Procurement Guide to Matching Gowns to Procedure Risk
AAMI barrier level classification remains the standard framework for surgical gown selection, but many facilities over- or under-purchase relative to actual procedure fluid exposure risk.
May 7, 2026
Surgical Site Infection Prevention Bundles Are Expanding Beyond the OR
The most effective SSI prevention programs now extend supply and protocol standardization from pre-admission through post-discharge, not just the intraoperative period.
May 2, 2026
Same-Day Surgery and ERAS Protocols: How Enhanced Recovery Has Transformed Surgical Care
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols — multimodal perioperative care bundles — have reduced hospital stay after major surgery by 2–4 days and complications by 40%. Here's the evidence and implementation guide.
Mar 18, 2026
Negative Pressure Wound Therapy: What's New in Portable Systems
Lighter, quieter, and more affordable negative pressure wound therapy devices are expanding access to advanced wound care outside hospital settings.
Mar 16, 2026
Robotic vs. Laparoscopic Surgery: Comparing Outcomes Across 2.4 Million Procedures
Robotic-assisted surgery has reached 1.2 million procedures annually in the US. Outcome data across multiple specialties show advantages in conversion rates and urological quality-of-life outcomes, but comparable complication rates.
Mar 15, 2026
Surgical Site Infection Prevention: The Evidence-Based Bundle That Cuts SSI Rates by Half
SSIs affect 160,000–300,000 US patients annually and cost $3.5–10 billion. Implementing the evidence-based SSI prevention bundle consistently achieves 40–60% risk reduction.
Mar 12, 2026
Patient Blood Management: Reducing Transfusions and Improving Surgical Outcomes
Allogeneic blood transfusion is associated with increased infection, organ failure, and mortality. PBM programs consistently reduce transfusion rates by 40–60% while improving outcomes.
Mar 10, 2026
Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery: Navigation, Robotics, and Outcomes in 2025
Robotic and image-guided navigation has transformed spinal surgery — reducing screw malposition from 15% to under 2%, minimizing radiation exposure, and enabling outpatient procedures for select cases.
Mar 8, 2026
Joint Replacement Timing: Balancing Waiting Too Long Against Going Too Soon
Deciding when to pursue joint replacement surgery involves genuine trade-offs between waiting and proceeding. The evidence-based factors guiding this important decision.
Mar 7, 2026
Bariatric Surgery in 2025: Outcomes, Metabolic Benefits, and the GLP-1 Competition
Sleeve gastrectomy and RYGB achieve 20–35% total body weight loss with remarkable metabolic benefits. GLP-1 drugs are now competitors — but the surgery-vs-medication comparison favors surgery for severe obesity.
Mar 5, 2026
Surgery for IBD in 2026: How Modern Techniques Have Changed Outcomes
Surgery for Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis has evolved considerably with minimally invasive techniques and better patient selection. What modern IBD surgery involves.
Mar 5, 2026
Kidney Transplant vs. Continued Dialysis: Understanding the Outcome Differences
Kidney transplantation generally offers better survival and quality of life than long-term dialysis. Understanding the evidence behind this important treatment decision.
Mar 3, 2026
Orthopedic Implant Innovations: From 3D-Printed Titanium to Smart Implants
Additive manufacturing, PEEK composites, and embedded sensor technology are transforming orthopedic implants. Here's what's been proven in clinical trials and what remains on the horizon.
Mar 2, 2026
Wound Closure and Negative Pressure Therapy: Infection and Dehiscence Outcomes Compared
Choice of wound closure material affects infection rates, dehiscence, scarring, and patient satisfaction. Here's a data-driven comparison of sutures, staples, tissue adhesives, and NPWT.
Feb 28, 2026
Modern Anesthesia Safety: How Mortality Has Dropped 100-Fold and What's Next
Anesthesia-related mortality has fallen from 1 in 1,500 in the 1950s to 1 in 250,000 today. Monitoring advances, pharmacology evolution, and safety systems explain the transformation.
Feb 25, 2026
The Organ Transplant Waitlist Crisis: Why Demand Still Outpaces Supply
Thousands remain on transplant waiting lists despite decades of awareness campaigns. Examining the persistent gap between organ need and availability.
Feb 20, 2026
Living Donor Kidney Transplants: Why They Outperform Deceased Donor Options
Kidneys from living donors last longer and work better than those from deceased donors. The evidence behind living donation and how paired exchange expands access.
Feb 18, 2026
Preventing Organ Rejection: How Modern Immunosuppression Balances Protection and Risk
Transplant recipients depend on immunosuppressive drugs to prevent rejection, but these medications carry their own risks. The evidence-based balancing act.
Feb 16, 2026
Smart Bandages: Wound Dressings That Monitor Healing in Real Time
New sensor-embedded dressings can detect infection, pH changes, and moisture levels, alerting clinicians to complications before they become visible.
Feb 15, 2026
Face and Hand Transplants: The Frontier of Reconstructive Transplant Surgery
Vascularized composite allotransplantation restores form and function after devastating injury. The remarkable surgery and its unique challenges.
Feb 14, 2026
Bioengineered Organs: Could Lab-Grown Tissue End the Transplant Shortage?
Scientists are working toward growing replacement organs in the lab. The current state of bioengineered organ research and the hurdles that remain.
Feb 12, 2026
Wound Care Innovation: Bioengineered Skin Substitutes Enter Routine Practice
Lab-grown skin substitutes are moving from specialty burn centers into routine chronic wound clinics, improving healing rates for diabetic and venous ulcers.
Feb 9, 2026
Cardiac Rehab Goes Virtual: Remote Monitoring After Heart Events
Hybrid and fully virtual cardiac rehabilitation programs are expanding access for heart attack and heart failure patients who previously faced major participation barriers.
Jan 27, 2026
The Minimally Invasive Surgery Revolution: Smaller Incisions, Faster Recovery
Minimally invasive techniques have transformed surgery across specialties. Explore how laparoscopic and endoscopic approaches reduce trauma and speed recovery.
Jan 25, 2026
Preventing Surgical Site Infections: The Evidence-Based Bundle Approach
Surgical site infections remain a major source of preventable harm. Learn the evidence-based bundle of practices that dramatically reduce infection risk.
Jan 17, 2026
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Protocols Reach Outpatient Settings
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols, once limited to major inpatient procedures, are now being adapted for same-day outpatient surgery centers.
Jan 14, 2026
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS): Rethinking Perioperative Care
ERAS protocols have transformed surgical recovery by challenging old traditions. Discover how evidence-based perioperative care speeds recovery and improves outcomes.
Jan 9, 2026
Optimizing Surgical Wound Healing: The Science of Recovery
Wound healing determines surgical success as much as the operation itself. Explore the biology of healing and evidence-based strategies to optimize it.
Jan 1, 2026
Modern Anesthesia Safety: How One of Medicine Riskiest Practices Became Remarkably Safe
Anesthesia has become extraordinarily safe through decades of systematic improvement. Explore the advances in monitoring, drugs, and protocols behind this success.
Dec 24, 2025
Robotic Surgery: Weighing the Evidence Behind the Technology
Robotic surgical systems have proliferated rapidly. We examine where robotic surgery genuinely improves outcomes versus where the evidence is more nuanced.
Dec 16, 2025
The Shift to Outpatient Surgery: More Procedures, Faster Home
Procedures once requiring hospital stays are increasingly done same-day. Explore the drivers, benefits, and safety considerations behind the outpatient surgery boom.
Dec 8, 2025
Surgical Smoke: The Hidden Occupational Hazard and How to Control It
Surgical smoke from electrocautery and lasers poses real risks to OR staff. Learn what the evidence shows and how smoke evacuation protects the surgical team.
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