ACS Brief

Latest Stories

Dr. Norman Rich Leaves Enduring Legacy in Vascular Trauma Care and Military Medicine

June 23, 2026

Norman Minner Rich, MD, FACS, DMCC, a distinguished vascular surgeon and recipient of the inaugural ACS Distinguished Military Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019, passed away on June 18 at the age of 92.

Honoring the Legacy of Dr. Pon Satitpunwaycha, Influential Surgeon Philanthropist

June 23, 2026

The ACS mourns the passing of Pon Satitpunwaycha, MD, FACS, a retired general surgeon and longtime ACS Fellow whose philanthropy has had a lasting impact on surgical education, research, and innovation. Through more than $5.1 million in gifts to the ACS, Dr. Pon helped expand opportunities for surgeons and advance the College’s mission to improve the care of surgical patients.

FDA Warns of Breast Biopsy Needles Shortages

June 23, 2026

The FDA has warned of a nationwide shortage of stereotactic breast biopsy needles due to contamination risks with certain Hologic devices, with disruptions expected through March 2027. Healthcare providers are urged to conserve supplies, manage inventory carefully, and prioritize high-risk patients while communicating potential delays.

Read this week's entire issue for the latest news on the ACS and the field of surgery.

June 23, 2026 Issue

ACS Brief

Help Shape Revisions to CoC Operative Standards

Proposed updates to CoC cancer surgery standards aim to reduce administrative burden while strengthening quality improvement efforts.

ACS Brief

Join Tomorrow’s Fireside Chat with Renowned Pediatric Surgeon Dr. Diana Farmer

Register for a fireside chat with Diana L. Farmer, MD, FACS, FRCS, FAAP, MAMSE, on June 24, as she discusses her career and lessons learned.

ACS Brief

Submit ACS Resident Award Nominations by June 30

The ACS seeks nominations for two prestigious resident awards recognizing excellence in teaching and professionalism.

ACS Brief

Young Surgeons: Apply for Claude H. Organ, Jr., MD, FACS, Traveling Fellowship

The family and friends of the late Claude H. Organ, Jr., MD, FACS, have established an endowment through the ACS Foundation. Apply by June 30.

Don't Miss Out!

Go to your MyCME Portal today and verify your ABS ID and date of birth on the Board Certification Tab so you can have your CME data automatically transmitted to the ABS via ACCME.

Surgeons Discuss Body Composition Changes After Bariatric Surgery and GLP-1s

As the use of GLP-1 medications for obesity continues to grow, researchers at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, compared body composition changes among patients who used GLP-1s versus those who underwent bariatric surgery. In the latest episode of the Surgical Readings podcast, host Dr. Rick Greene speaks with Dr. Jason Samuels, a coauthor of the study, about the findings. The study showed that while both treatments reduced fat mass, bariatric surgery was associated with better preservation of fat-free mass, including muscle and organ tissue.

Prehabilitation May Reduce Surgical Complications and Length of Stay

Exercise- and nutrition-based prehabilitation programs are promising strategies for enhancing surgical recovery—but how effective are they? Listen to Drs. Justine Lee and Catherine Cascavita discuss their recent Journal of the American College of Surgeons article, “Exercise- and Nutrition-Based Prehabilitation Programs in Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis,” which showed that patients participating in prehabilitation programs experienced shorter hospital stays and fewer complications across multiple surgical settings.

Literature Selections

Sleeve Gastrectomy Shows Advantages over Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty

New real-world data compare ESG and sleeve gastrectomy, highlighting differences in weight loss, readmissions, and reoperations.

Funding for AI in Surgical Specialties Does Not Align with Disease Burden

Study reveals disparities in NIH surgical AI funding by disease area, geography, and investigator sex.

Past Issues