Surgical Readings
In this series from the American College of Surgeons, Frederick “Rick” L. Greene, MD, FACS, talks to the authors of recent articles in prominent medical journals that offer timely, highly relevant, and sometimes practice-changing information for surgeons and their surgical teams. In each episode, Dr. Greene and his guests will discuss key takeaways and insights and offer perspectives on how this information will affect care for the surgical patient. Talk about the podcast on social media using #SurgicalReadings.
In this series from the American College of Surgeons, Frederick “Rick” L. Greene, MD, FACS, talks to the authors of recent articles in prominent medical journals that offer timely, highly relevant, and sometimes practice-changing information for surgeons and their surgical teams. In each episode, Dr. Greene and his guests will discuss key takeaways and insights and offer perspectives on how this information will affect care for the surgical patient. Talk about the podcast on social media using #SurgicalReadings.
Episodes
Aug 20, 2026
Aug 20, 2026
12 min
In this episode, host Rick Greene, MD, FACS, talks with Eren Berber, MD, MBA, FACS, a professor of surgery and director of robotic endocrine surgery at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, about a recent article in the Annals of Surgical Oncology, Laparoscopic Versus Robotic Adrenalectomy: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Dr. Berber and colleagues compared laparoscopic and robotic adrenalectomy for perioperative outcomes, including cost, as well as ergonomics and conversion from the original surgical plan.
Talk about the podcast on social media using the hashtag #SurgicalReadings
Aug 20, 2026
12 min
Jul 8, 2026
Jul 8, 2026
22 min
A multicenter randomized clinical trial in Finland has found that, among patients initially treated with antibiotics for uncomplicated acute appendicitis, the rate of recurrence and appendectomy at 10-year follow-up supports the use of antibiotics. In this episode, host Rick Greene, MD, FACS, talks with Paulina Salminen, MD, PhD, FACS(Hon), from the University of Turku in Finland, who is lead author of the study, Antibiotic Therapy for Uncomplicated Acute Appendicitis Ten-Year Follow-Up of the APPAC Randomized Clinical Trial, in The Journal of the American Medical Association.
Talk about the podcast on social media using the hashtag #SurgicalReadings
Jul 8, 2026
22 min
Jun 10, 2026
Jun 10, 2026
17 min
With a growing reliance on GLP-1 treatments for obesity, researchers at VanderbiltUniversity in Nashville, Tennessee, compared body composition changes betweenpatients who used GLP-1s versus patients who underwent bariatric surgery for obesitytreatment. In this episode, host Rick Greene, MD, FACS, talks with Jason M. Samuels, MD,FACS, one of the authors of Body Composition Changes After Bariatric Surgery orTreatment With GLP-1 Receptor Agonists about the findings, which showed that whileboth treatments reduced fat mass, surgery helped preserve fat-free mass such as muscleand organ tissues.
Talk about the podcast on social media using the hashtag #SurgicalReadings
Jun 10, 2026
17 min
May 6, 2026
May 6, 2026
20 min
In this episode, host Rick Greene, MD, FACS, talks with Ronald J. Weigel, MD, PhD, MBA, FACS, Medical Director of ACS Cancer Programs, about a new report from the ACS National Cancer Database (NCDB) that notes key trends in cancer treatment, as well as in-depth reports on outcomes for prostate cancer, esophageal cancer, and melanoma. Dr. Weigel also describes the history of the NCDB and future plans that will lead to more rapid and robust insights on cancer occurrence and treatment.
Talk about the podcast on social media using the hashtag #SurgicalReadings
May 6, 2026
20 min
Apr 1, 2026
Apr 1, 2026
20 min
In this episode, host Rick Greene, MD, FACS, talks with Brajesh Lal, MBBS, FACS, professor of vascular surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and chief of vascular service at the Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Dr. Lal and colleagues recently published research on Medical Management and Revascularization for Asymptomatic Carotid Stenosis in The New England Journal of Medicine, finding that adding stenting to medical management for carotid stenosis helps reduce the risk of stroke or death within 4 years; however, Dr. Lal tells Dr. Greene it’s too soon to discount the benefits of carotid endarterectomy.
Talk about the podcast on social media using the hashtag #SurgicalReadings
Apr 1, 2026
20 min
Mar 4, 2026
Mar 4, 2026
15 min
In this episode of Surgical Readings, host Rick Greene, MD, FACS, connects with Lejla Hadzikadic-Gusic, MD, MS, FACS, for an engaging conversation about a study that is reshaping the way surgeons localize nonpalpable malignant breast disease. Dr. Hadzikadic-Gusic discusses her randomized trial, published in the Annals of Surgery (A Randomized, Single-Center, Superiority Trial of Radioactive Seed Location versus Wire Localization for Malignant Breast Disease), comparing two commonly used localization methods: traditional wire placement and radioactive seed technique. Listeners will hear how her team set out to answer an important question in breast surgery: Can we improve the patient experience without compromising clinical outcomes? While both techniques performed similarly in achieving clear surgical margins, the study uncovered compelling differences in what matters to patients and care teams. Tune in to learn how radioactive seed localization led to higher satisfaction, less anxiety, and greater convenience for patients—and offered workflow advantages for surgeons.
Talk about the podcast on social media using the hashtag #SurgicalReadings
Copyright © 2026 by the American College of Surgeons (ACS). All rights reserved.
The contents of these materials may be cited in academic publications but otherwise may not be reproduced, disseminated, or transmitted in any form by any means without the express written permission of ACS. These materials may not be resold nor used to create revenue-generating content by any entity other than the ACS without the express written permission of the ACS. The contents of these materials are strictly prohibited from being uploaded, shared, or incorporated in any third-party applications, platforms, software, or websites without prior written authorization from the ACS. This restriction explicitly includes, but is not limited to, the integration of ACS content into tools leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, large language models, or generative AI technologies and infrastructures.
Mar 4, 2026
15 min
Feb 4, 2026
Feb 4, 2026
18 min
In this episode, host Rick Greene, MD, FACS, talks with Samuel A. Gold, MD, from the urology service in the Department of Surgery at Memorial Sloan Cancer Center in New York, New York, about using intraoperative fluorescence to illuminate nerve structures during robotic-assisted prostatectomy. Dr. Gold’s phase-1 study, published in JAMA Surgery (Rizedisben in Minimally Invasive Surgery), found that the fluorophore was generally well tolerated and clinically effective, which could revolutionize prostatic surgery and lead to wider applicability.
Talk about the podcast on social media using the hashtag #SurgicalReadings
Feb 4, 2026
18 min
Jan 7, 2026
Jan 7, 2026
14 min
In this episode, host Rick Greene, MD, FACS, talks with Vishal R. Patel, MD, MPH, from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, about a recent article in JAMA Surgery on Mortality Among Surgeons in the United States. Dr. Patel and colleagues found that, among all physician types, risk of mortality is highest among surgeons. Dr. Greene probes for the common causes of death among surgeons and what mitigation strategies can be put in place to change this somewhat surprising statistics.
Talk about the podcast on social media using the hashtag #SurgicalReadings
Jan 7, 2026
14 min
Jul 11, 2025
Management of Pediatric Surgical Patients
Jul 11, 2025
Jul 11, 2025
32 min
In the latest episode of Surgical Readings from SRGS, host Rick Greene, MD, FACS, is joined by Associate Editors Carmelle Romain, MD, FACS, and Manish Raiji, MD, FACS, from the University of Chicago’s Department of Surgery. Together, they explore key topics in pediatric surgical care, including necrotizing enterocolitis, intestinal obstruction, pediatric trauma resuscitation, and more.
Learn more about Selected Readings in General Surgery, an American College of Surgeons publication that highlights highly relevant and practice-changing information from the world’s most prominent medical journals.
#SurgicalReadings #SRGS
Jul 11, 2025
32 min
May 30, 2025
May 30, 2025
30 min
In this episode of Surgical Readings, Dr. Rick Greene leads an insightful discussion with Drs. Carla Fisher and Kay Yoon-Flannery on the diagnosis and management of breast disease. The conversation explores a range of topics, including both benign and malignant breast conditions. A comprehensive review of breast cancer is presented, covering management of the primary lesion, evolving approaches to axillary staging and therapy, the use of genetic and genomic testing, and the value of chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
Learn more about Selected Readings in General Surgery, an American College of Surgeons publication that highlights highly relevant and practice-changing information from the world’s most prominent medical journals.
#SurgicalReadings #SRGS
May 30, 2025
30 min
About the Podcast
In this podcast series, Frederick “Rick” L. Greene, MD, FACS, talks to the editors and experts featured in Selected Readings in General Surgery, an American College of Surgeons (ACS) publication that highlights highly relevant and practice-changing information from the world’s most prominent medical journals.
In each episode, Dr. Greene and his guests will talk about key takeaways and insights from various articles and offer perspectives on how this information will affect care for the surgical patient.
Talk about the podcast on social media using #SurgicalReadings.

About the Host
Dr. Greene is a renowned author, editor, and expert in surgical oncology. He is the medical director of the Cancer Data Registry at the Levine Cancer Institute in Charlotte, NC, and has served the ACS in many prominent leadership roles. The opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the participants and not necessarily that of the American College of Surgeons.






