Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39821454›Full record

ArticleSurgical endoscopy2025

Piloting total perioperative telemedicine for elective cholecystectomies for symptomatic cholelithiasis.

Kevin A Martinez, Aleezay Haider, Rafiqul Tarefder, Zafrul Khan, Duncan A Meiklejohn, Jay Zhu

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Surgical endoscopy, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Kevin A Martinez *Department of Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Aleezay Haider *Department of Surgery, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, MSC10 5610, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
Rafiqul TarefderDepartment of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
Zafrul KhanDepartment of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
Duncan A MeiklejohnDivision of Otolaryngology‑Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
Jay ZhuDepartment of Surgery, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, MSC10 5610, Albuquerque, NM, USA. jzhu@salud.unm.edu.ORCID 0000-0002-6812-1082

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTelemedicine has the potential to increase healthcare access while decreasing the environmental impact associated with providing care. We piloted total perioperative telemedicine (TPT) visits for evaluating patients with symptomatic cholelithiasis. We aimed to evaluate the feasibility and environmental impact of TPT by comparing the perioperative and environmental outcomes of patients participating in TPT to those undergoing traditional in-person preoperative evaluations.

methodsDuring a six-month period in 2022, patients referred to a single provider at an academic tertiary care center for uncomplicated cholelithiasis were offered a preoperative telemedicine visit. Adverse events, number of perioperative clinical visits, and patient demographics were then collected retrospectively for elective cholecystectomies performed between 1/1/2022 and 12/31/2022. Perioperative outcomes were compared between patients who underwent TPT versus those evaluated in-person. Life cycle assessment was utilized to compare greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (measured in kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalents, kgCO2-eq) between both groups.

resultsDuring the study period, 12 patients proceeded with elective cholecystectomy for symptomatic cholelithiasis after a preoperative telemedicine evaluation while 31 patients did so after an in-person evaluation. Patients participating in TPT had a similar adverse event rate (8.3% vs. 12.9%, p = 0.67, chi-squared test). Patients participating in TPT had more perioperative clinic visits on average compared to patients undergoing in-person preoperative evaluation (1.42 vs. 1.06, p = 0.004). Of the TPT group, 8 patients (67%) patients proceeded with surgery after initial telemedicine evaluation. TPT resulted in a 51% decrease in perioperative GHG emissions compared to patients who underwent in-person evaluation (60.2-60.9 kgCO2-eq vs. 123.4-123.5 kgCO2-eq, p = 0.0271).

conclusionThis pilot study suggests that TPT is feasible for patients undergoing elective cholecystectomy for symptomatic gallstones. Additionally, TPT significantly reduces GHG emissions associated with caring for a patient through an elective procedure by reducing the average number of required trips to the medical facility.

Indexed as

CholecystectomyCholelithiasisElective Surgical ProceduresPerioperative CareTelemedicineAdultAgedFeasibility StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPilot ProjectsRetrospective StudiesCholecystectomyCholelithiasisEnvironmental impactTelehealthTelemedicine

Identifiers

PMID39821454

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.