Introduction Cost in healthcare is a complex, multifaceted topic that affects every stakeholder differently. Understanding the financial implications of surgical care as a social determinant of health (SDH) has become an increasingly crucial aspect of this field of study. Patients…
Acknowledgements Preparation of this chapter was supported by NIH grants R01-AG073053, R01-CA261752, UG3-CA260317, U19-AG051426, and P30-AG017265, and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Introduction Beginning in 2007, a series of RNA profiling studies found that human beings who were exposed to…
Introduction An emerging hypothesis about disparities in cancer risk and outcomes among disparity populations is that psychological and social stressors impact biological processes that play a role in the initiation and progression of disease. Allostatic load is an indicator of…
An Introduction to Social Epidemiology Healthy People 2030 emphasizes the need to focus on the social determinants of health (SDH), specifically with the goal to “create social, physical, and economic environments that promote attaining the full potential for health and…
Introduction Health outcomes are mediated by the intersection of socioeconomic and environmental factors with healthcare. Although life expectancy and disease outcomes have improved over time, it is important to note these improvements have not been equal across all populations, with…
Evidence-based surgical practice is rapidly becoming synonymous with “quality” care. The topics of evidence-based care in colorectal surgery are immense and diverse, and many have been covered in other chapters of this textbook. In the following pages, we attempt to…
Mastering the challenges of reoperative pelvic surgery requires preparation, a thorough understanding of pelvic anatomy, the ability to think several steps ahead, considerable experience, and no small measure of courage on the part of the surgeon. This chapter covers the…
Colorectal surgery is associated with a greater risk for infections than most other surgical specialties and is considered an outlier for surgical site infections (SSIs). In addition to SSI, as with other types of surgical operations, patients undergoing colectomy are…
More than a million patients in North America live with some type of intestinal stoma. These stomas are typically constructed as one of the last components of a long and challenging surgical procedure. Stomal construction is important because their function…
Incidence and Consequences of Anastomotic Leak Anastomotic leak is perhaps the most physiologically significant and psychologically devastating complication that commonly occurs following operations for colon or rectal disease. The reported incidence of anastomotic leak following colorectal surgery has varied from…