Surgery 101

In this episode we talk about why we feel different emotions and why it’s important to talk about those feelings. We also meet a doctor who can help us if we are having a hard time understanding different feelings.

In this episode we discuss the part of our body that helps us blow out birthday candles, and the special doctor that looks after them.

In this episode we talk about why our heart beats and the special doctor who looks after our hearts.

In this episode we talk about why it’s important to get your vaccines and the special doctor that studies vaccines and the diseases they can help.

in this episode of Surgery ABCs we talk about why food tastes good or bad and the doctor who helps look after these parts of our bodies.

In this episode we discuss why we are ticklish and who the special doctor is that looks after the body parts that can make us feel ticklish.

In this episode we discuss why our pee is yellow and who the special doctor is that looks after the body parts that make pee.

In this episode we discuss why our teeth fall out and who the special doctor is that looks after our teeth.

In this episode we discuss what is happening inside our bodies when we fart. Special guest Colorectal Surgeon Dr. Jonathan White.

In this episode we discuss why your stomach sometimes makes loud sounds and what happens to food inside your stomach.

In this episode, we will cover the basics of labour and delivery, low-risk and high-risk pregnancies and the basics you need to know if faced with an emergency delivery like on an airplane! After listening to this podcast, students will be able to: Describe how to perform initial assessment of a labour patient, distinguish false from true labour, evaluate labour progress, and apply appropriate fetal and maternal monitoring techniques. Describe and manage the stages of normal labour and delivery. Manage obstetric interventions and emergencies. Integrate family-centered care principles into obstetric practice.

In this episode, we’ll walk through the structure of prenatal visits, the timeline of investigations, trimester-specific considerations, and the rationale behind medications and routine testing. By the end of this podcast, learners will be able to: Describe the timeline and structure of prenatal care visits. List the key investigations done at each stage of pregnancy. Outline the routine prenatal screening and imaging. Explain which medications and interventions are commonly recommended in pregnancy.

Today, we will be covering common medical complications of pregnancy including various blood pressure disorders, gestational diabetes and intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy. After this episode, learners will be able to:

 Describe the hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, including key risk factors, diagnostic criteria, and first line management. Explain gestational diabetes mellitus, including risk factors, diagnostic approach, and evidence-based management. Discuss intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, including risk factors, recommended testing, and management. Outline strategies for monitoring individuals with high-risk pregnancies during the antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum period

After listening to this podcast, learners will be able to: 1. Describe the anatomy and blood supply of the distal colon and rectum. 2. List what is resected and what is reconnected during a low anterior resection. 3. Describe the major differences between a low anterior resection and an abdominoperineal resection, and the indications for each. 4. Outline risk factors for anastomotic leak after a low anterior resection.

After listening to this podcast, learners will be able to: 1. Describe the anatomy and blood supply of the proximal colon. 2. Outline the principles of resection for colon cancer. 3. List what is resected and what is reconnected during a right hemicolectomy. 4. Describe what is required for a successful anastomosis in colorectal surgery.

After listening to this podcast, learners will be able to: 1. Describe different types of stomas, including ileostomy, colostomy, urostomy, and mucus fistula. 2. Explain the indications for a permanent versus temporary ostomy. 3. Evaluate the type of stoma a patient has based on clinical history, location, appearance, and output.

Today, we're going to discuss the topic of laryngeal cancer, a difficult head and neck cancer which has significantly improved prognosis if caught early. Laryngeal cancer is a type of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, or HNSCC for short. It typically arises from the epithelial lining of the larynx. After listening to this podcast, learners will be able to understand what laryngeal cancer is, risk factors of laryngeal cancer, common presentations of laryngeal cancer, basics of its diagnosis and treatment, and finally mimics of laryngeal cancer.

After listening to this podcast, you should be able to: Describe the basic anatomy of lymph nodes in the neck List 4 different types of neck dissections, and what they entail Be able to identify common complications of neck dissection Outline the initial management of the common complications of neck dissection

The close of the 20th century saw endoscopy and laparoscopy evolve from passive optical tools into dynamic platforms that integrated real-time guidance, autonomous movement, and computational interpretation for navigation, diagnosis, and therapy.

By the mid-20th century, endoscopy's long-standing challenge of safely illuminating internal structures was transformed by postwar advances—especially Harold Hopkins's 1950s rod-lens system, which enabled brighter, distortion-free, miniaturized imaging that could reliably guide clinical decisions.

By the mid-20th century, endoscopy and laparoscopy were ready for major advancement. Although instruments had evolved into semi-flexible designs, visualization was still limited by glass optics and heat-producing light sources. A breakthrough toward fully flexible, high-resolution imaging emerged through the combined demands of surgery and advances in optical physics, driven by the pioneering work of Harold Hopkins and Basil Hirschowitz.

By the early 20th century, endoscopy had evolved from candle-lit brass tubes into electrically illuminated rigid instruments. The decisive shift toward flexibility — the stage upon which Rudolf Schindler would make his contribution — was the product of several converging advances in optics, illumination, and instrument design that began in the late 19th century.

By the mid-19th century, improvements in illumination and optics transformed endoscopy from a theoretical idea into a practical clinical tool, culminating in Antoine Jean Desormeaux's work in Paris in 1853. Building on Bozzini's Lichtleiter and frustrated by diagnostic limits of palpation, Desormeaux replaced candlelight with a brighter, controllable source known as the gazogène.

In 1806, physician Philipp Bozzini introduced the Lichtleiter, a candle-lit, mirror-lined instrument designed for direct visual inspection of internal organs—an idea far ahead of its time and initially met with skepticism. Though dismissed by many contemporaries, the device is now recognized as the first true endoscope, establishing Bozzini as the founder of endoscopy.

Technological progress in medicine, as in other fields, emerges from the interplay of incremental refinement and decisive breakthroughs—those moments when a missing element is discovered and the path forward suddenly accelerates. The evolution of endoscopic surgery over the last century illustrates this well. Yet even today, the terminology surrounding procedures that employ scopes is often misunderstood. "Endoscopy" and "laparoscopy" are frequently used interchangeably, though they refer to distinct techniques, instruments, and purposes.

After listening to this episode, learners should be able to: - Outline the theory and physics of laser refractive surgery - Describe the differences between PRK, LASIK, and SMILE - List key indications, exclusions, and essential pre-op tests - Explain common risks, benefits, and complications of laser eye surgery

After listening to this episode, learners should be able to: 1. Explain the anatomy and optics of the eye related to the optical axis of the eye 2. Describe common refractive errors 3. Explain how refractive errors are measured 4. Recognize important red flags for non-refractive causes of vision loss 5. Summarize current vision correction options

After listening to this podcast, learners will be able to: ● Describe the important features of medical history related to arterial ulcers and diabetic foot ulcers ● Recognize the important physical exam findings associated with arterial ulcers and diabetic foot ulcers ● Outline a treatment plan for patients with Arterial ulcers and diabetic foot ulcers

After listening to his podcast, learners will be able to: ● List four wound prep principles and five patient related factors for caring for patients with chronic wounds ● Describe the important features of the medical history related to venous ulcers ● Recognize the important physical exam signs associated with venous ulcers ● Outline a treatment plan for a patient with a chronic venous ulcer

Today, we will go over what cardiac tamponade is, how it results, and most importantly, how we diagnose and treat it. After listening to this podcast, you will be able to: 1. Define cardiac tamponade and explain its pathophysiology. 2. Describe the boundaries of the cardiac box and list the elements of Beck's triad. 3. Identify the key clinical features of cardiac tamponade and explain how to make the diagnosis. 4. Discuss the management of cardiac tamponade, including emergent interventions and definitive treatment strategies.

Today, we will learn how to diagnose and treat patients who have sustained rib fractures, as well as gain some practical knowledge on how to identify if a patient's problem is more urgent than simple rib fractures. After listening to this podcast, you will be able to: 1. Describe the anatomy of the ribcage and outline the mechanism of simple rib fracture in blunt force trauma. 2. Explain the mechanism of injury in rib fracture with pneumothorax, hemothorax and flail chest. 3. Outline the important elements of the history and physical examination in patients with rib fractures. 4. Outline the management of patients with...

In this episode, we will be focusing on the Whipple procedure itself and will not be covering pancreatic cancer patient presentation or investigations. Dr. David Shapiro's previous podcast on pancreatic cancer is a great resource for that information. Today we will talk about the procedure and look at a patient case. By the end of this podcast, listeners will be able to: • explain the surgical anatomy of the pancreas • describe the essential elements of the Whipple procedure • outline indications for a Whipple procedure

This episode was created by Katie Du, with content expertise provided by Dr. Trevor Schuler. By the end of today's episode, the learner will be able to: 1. 1. Identify renal colic and differential diagnosis 2. 2. Determine appropriate investigations when suspecting nephrolithiasis 3. 3. Evaluate the need for stone treatment and referral to urology 4. 4. Suggest appropriate stone prevention strategies

It goes without saying that surgeries come with a significant stress on the body, it is therefore imperative that patients, particularly those with significant co morbidities are medically optimized prior to surgery. Today we're going to consider how to properly prepare patients for surgery, looking specifically at the medications that patients are taking. After listening to this episode, you should be able to: 1. Explain the two main reasons why we need to know about medications that people are taking before they have surgery. 2. List classes of medications that should be: a. continued during the pre-operative period b. adjusted prior to...

After listening to this podcast, you will be able to: • describe the innervation of the female reproductive system, • identify that pain is often perceived by patients undergoing office gynecological procedures, • outline factors associated with increased pain perception during office gynecologic procedures, • describe evidence-based techniques to reduce pain during gynecologic procedures, including pelvic exams, IUD placement, and endometrial biopsy.

In this episdoe we will explore Thyroid Eye Disease. You may also hear this topic referred to as thyroid orbitopathy or Graves' orbitopathy, but today we will use the overarching umbrella term of Thyroid Eye Disease. After listening to this podcast, learners will be able to: 1. Explain the anatomy and pathophysiology behind thyroid eye disease 2. Recognize signs and symptoms of thyroid eye disease 3. List treatment options for thyroid eye disease, including surgical options

This episode will cover practical tips for recognizing and managing eye trauma. We will look at foreign bodies and globe rupture. Today's learning objectives: 1. Intraocular foreign body: take an effective history and select appropriate imaging depending on the type of foreign body. 2. Globe rupture: recognize that this also an ophthalmic emergency, and recognize signs that may indicate an open globe.

In this episode of Surgery 101 where we will cover practical tips for recognizing and managing eye trauma. This week's episode will cover lacerations and compartment syndrome. For today, our objectives are: 1. Eyelid lacerations: recognize if these involve the eyelid margin or the canalicular system, and recognize why medial lid lacerations are often the most concerning. 2. Orbital compartment syndrome: recognize signs of this ophthalmic emergency and explain why a lateral canthotomy and cantholysis is the urgent procedure of choice.

In this final episode, medical student Sunpreet Cheema and Dr. White reflect upon the surgical innovations and innovators discussed in this ten-part series.

This episode features and interview with Dr. Carol Duncan who discusses her great grandfather's connection to surgical innovation. Dr. Simon Powell Sebastian was a renowned physician, surgeon, and the co-founder of two historic African-American hospitals in Greensboro, North Carolina.