Great Debates

Bile Duct Injury Prevention Debate: Final Thoughts

The following letters from Guy Voeller, MD, and Michael Brunt, MD, et al, respectively, conclude an ongoing debate about bile duct injury prevention that began with the Great Debates column in the December 2020 issue.

SEPTEMBER 20, 2021

Roux-en-Y or One-Anastomosis Gastric Bypass: Which Is the Better Bariatric Treatment?

This is not a new debate in the United States. It has been going on for more than 20 years, ever since the mini gastric bypass was first introduced. At first, it was a political battle and not based on legitimate data, but hopefully time has changed all that.

JULY 12, 2021

A Response to ‘Guidelines for Avoiding Bile Duct Injury: Beware’

We wish to respond to The Great Debate between Drs. Guy Voeller and Leo Gordon (April 2021) in follow-up to the prior debate on the role of intraoperative cholangiography (IOC)/imaging during laparoscopic cholecystectomy (December 2020).

MAY 28, 2021

Preventing Bile Duct Injuries (Part 2): Should Cholangiography Be Required?

Our debaters not only differ in their solutions to the problem of common bile duct injury, but how, and whether, any solution should be enforced. Because I believe the latter raises important ethical and political questions that we all need to face, we are continuing the debate on prevention of these injuries.

APRIL 6, 2021

Avoiding Bile Duct Injury During Lap Chole: What Is the Best Approach?

There is no question that we all want to avoid this complication. Can it be done, and how, are the questions that we must answer. I am hopeful this month’s debate will make all of us evaluate how we approach the patient needing an elective or emergent cholecystectomy, and in the future, we can significantly reduce the incidence of common duct injury.

DECEMBER 22, 2020

Fixing Health Care: What Is the First Step?

During this coronavirus pandemic, I have been on lockdown at home because I’m considered a senior citizen while many of you have been fighting bravely on the front lines.

JUNE 17, 2020

Should Specialty-Specific Surgery In Urban Areas Only Be Performed By Fellowship-Trained Surgeons?

This month’s debate focuses on an opinion that may influence the way surgeons practice their trade in the future.

MAY 7, 2020

Should Appendicitis Be Treated as a Surgical Emergency?

It’s once again time for us to challenge two experts with opposing opinions to debate in the general surgery octagon. Which one will tap out, and which one will ride off into the sunset the victor? That’s up to you, the readers of General Surgery News.

FEBRUARY 19, 2020

Great Debate: Should Social Media Replace the Traditional Peer Review Process for the Dissemination of Surgical Knowledge?

It has been several months since our last great debate, but it took General Surgery News extra time to clean up the ring after the last no-holds-barred battle.

AUGUST 2, 2019