British Journal of Surgery (BJS)

Mr Mike Silva and Mr Gavin Pettigrew, who are both authors on the papers, discuss the problem of acute shortage of donor organs and the alternative use of organs from donors whose hearts have stopped beating.

Trauma: This podcast was recorded to accompany the publication of the BJS supplement dedicated to trauma.

Bariatrics 2: This podcast discusses the cost implications of bariatric surgery and the main complications that occur after surgery

Varicose veins: this podcast discusses the treatment of varicose veins. Lars Rasmussen is first author of an article published in the August 2011 issue of BJS entitled Randomized clinical trial comparing endovenous laser ablation, radiofrequency ablation, foam sclerotherapy and surgical stripping for great saphenous varicose veins. Marianne de Maeseneer is author of the Leading Article in the same issue entitled The endovenous revolution. The articles can be accessed at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bjs.v98.8/issuetoc

Oesophagogastric cancer: this discussion centres around the article entitled - Discrete-choice preference comparison between patients and doctors for the surgical management of oesophagogastric cancer - by Mughal et al.A Commentary on the article is provided by Professor Jane Blazeby and both the article and the Commentary can be accessed free at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bjs.7585/pdf

Obesity is a major healthcare problem. Currently a staggering one-third of the Western population is classified as 'Obese' and this figure is predicted to increase to 60% of men and 50% of women by 2050.

Breast carcinoma: evaluation of intraoperative molecular analysis of sentinel lymph nodes. Mr Mark W. Kissin, Mr Graham T. Layer and Mr Ramsey Cutress are speakers on this BJS podcast, which is focussed on the paper entitled Multicentre evaluation of intraoperative molecular analysis of sentinel lymph nodes in breast carcinoma, which has been published as Early View in the journal. The authors of the article are K. L. Snook, G. T. Layer, P. A. Jackson, C. S. de Vries, S. Shousha, H. D. Sinnett, E. Nigar, H. Singhal, Y. Chia, G. Cunnick & M. W. Kissin, for the OSNA Study Group.

Necrotizing pancreatitis: a systematic review of percutaneous catheter drainage as primary treatment. A systematic review of percutaneous catheter drainage as primary treatment for necrotizing pancreatitis. M. C. van Baal, H. C. van Santvoort, T. L. Bollen, O. J. Bakker, M. G. Besselink and H. G. Gooszen for the Dutch Pancreatitis Study Group. Br J Surg 2011; 98: 18-27. The article can be downloaded free at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bjs.7304/pdf.

Generalized peritonitis due to perforated diverticulitis is usually treated by Hartmann's procedure, an operation that was originally described in 1921. The procedure results in significant morbidity, mainly due to the creation of a temporary stoma that becomes permanent for a significant proportion of patients. A study published in BJS describes an alternative treatment for peritonitis caused by perforated diverticulitis - washing the abdominal cavity with a warm saline solution. This is a laparoscopic rather than an open procedure, with no resulting stoma. The study observed the outcomes of the technique in 100 patients, the largest number studied to date, with surprising results. Will the treatment of perforated diverticulitis change on the basis of this research? Journalist Wendy Barnaby interviews Des Winter, one of the authors of the study, and John Beynon, Editor of BJS, to find out. The original article by Myers et al. is available free to download : Myers E, Hurley M, O'Sullivan, Kavanagh D, Wilson I, Winter DC: at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bjs.6024/abstract Laparoscopic peritoneal lavage for generalized peritonitis due to perforated diverticulitis. Br J Surg 2008, 95(1): 97-101

Antiseptic agents and their use in surgery. In the November 2010 issue of BJS (97:11), a leading article plus three original articles were published on the subject of antiseptic agents and their use in surgery. Listen to a podcast on this subject by Professor David Leaper, author of the leading article, Mr Stewart Walsh, co-author of an article on preoperative antisepsis with chlorhexidine versus povidone-iodine in clean-contaminate surgery, and Dr Stephan Harbarth, co-author of an article on the efficacy of plain soap and water versus alcohol-based rub for surgical hand preparation in a rural hospital in Kenya. A third paper by Fournel et al. will also be discussed and all four articles are available for free download at http://www.bjs.co.uk.

Pain and emotional problems 1 year after surgery. One in seven patients experience more pain, and more physical and emotional problems 1 year after surgery than before their operation and one-quarter have less vitality. Dr Madelon Peters, first author, and Mr John Beynon, editor of the BJS, discuss these surprising findings in this podcast. Article available for free download here http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bjs.7152/pdf

The Rouleaux Club. Three members of The Rouleaux Club are interviewed about six vascular articles previously published in the BJS. The Rouleaux Club was founded in 1989 and it represents the views of trainees in vascular surgery.

Early breast cancer: variations in locoregional therapy in postmenopausal women. Janine van Nes is interviewed about her article in the May 2010 issue of BJS (volume 97, issue 5, pages 671-679). Malcolm Kell, who acted as reviewer, discusses some of the issues raised.