Adam S. Weltz

Current experience suggests that artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) may be useful in the management of hospitalized patients, including those with COVID-19. In light of the challenges faced with diagnostic and prognostic indicators in SARS-CoV-2 infection, our center has developed an international clinical protocol to collect standardized thoracic point of care ultrasound data in these patients for later AI/ML modeling. We surmise that in the future AI/ML may assist in the management of SARS-CoV-2 patients potentially leading to improved outcomes, and to that end, a corpus of curated ultrasound images and linked patient clinical metadata is an invaluable research resource.

The enhanced-view totally extraperitoneal (eTEP) technique has been previously described for Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernia Repair. We present a novel application of the eTEP access technique for the repair of ventral and incisional hernias.

Open abdominal wall reconstruction (AWR) was previously one of the only methods available to treat complex ventral hernias. We set out to identify the impact of laparoscopy and robotics on our AWR program by performing an economic analysis before and after the institution of minimally invasive AWR.