Gastric leak is the most common cause of major morbidity and mortality after LSG. Routine tests to rule out leaks seem to be superfluous. Rather, selective utilization is recommended. Management options vary, depending mainly on patient disposition. An accepted algorithm for the diagnosis and treatment of gastric leak has yet to be proposed.

EIS seems promising for early detection of breast cancer, and identification of young women at increased risk for having the disease at time of screening. Positive EIS-associated breast cancer risk compares favorably with relative risks of conditions commonly used to justify early breast cancer screening. Patients are satisfied with a screening paradigm involving breast EIS.

Hypothesis: Early, postinjection technetium Tc 99m sestamibi scintigraphy-single-photon emission computed tomography (MIBI-SPECT) can be used as the only localizing study for focused parathyroidectomy in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. Design: During a 26-month period, 82 consecutive patients with primary hyperparathyroidism underwent a standard planar scan using a double-tracer subtraction technique for localization. On the morning of surgery, each patient received radiolabeled technetium Tc 99m sestamibi for intraoperative detection and validation. We performed an early, postinjection SPECT study for comparison with the planar study. Results: The SPECT study revealed a sensitivity of 96% vs 78% for the planar study. The SPECT study was helpful in locating adenomas in 10 patients with multinodular goiter disease, of whom 3 patients had ectopic adenomas and 2 patients had 2 adenomas each. A significant

There are several studies on patients' preference for same-gender physicians, especially female preference for same-gender gynecologists. Data regarding the preferences of urology patients, of whom the majority are males, are scarce. The objective of this study is to assess provider gender preference among urology patients. One hundred and nineteen consecutive men (mean age 57.6 years) who attended a urology clinic in one university-affiliated medical center were prospectively enrolled. A self-accomplished 26-item anonymous questionnaire was used to assess patients' preferences in selecting their urologist. Of the 119 patients, 51 (42.8%) preferred a male urologist. Patients exhibited more same-gender preference for physical examination (38.3%), or urological surgery (35.3%), than for consultation (24.4%). Most patients (97%) preferred a same-gender urologist because they felt less embarrassed. Four patient characteristics were identified to be significantly associated with preference for a male urologist: religious status, country of origin, marital status, and a prior management by a male urologist. Of these, religious status was the most predictive parameter for choosing a male urologist. The three most important factors that affected actual selection, however, were professional skills (84.6%), clinical experience (72.4%), and medical knowledge (61%), rather than physician gender per se. Many male patients express gender bias regarding their preference for urologist. However, professional skills of the clinician are considered to be more important factors when it comes to actually making a choice.