Arab Board Surgery Clinical key terms

A set of admission and 48-hour laboratory and clinical variables used to grade the severity of acute pancreatitis and predict mortality risk.

A consensus system that divides acute pancreatitis into interstitial edematous and necrotizing types, with severity graded as mild, moderately severe, or severe based on organ failure and local complications.

Pancreatic inflammation with necrosis of pancreatic parenchyma or peripancreatic fat, often complicated by infection and requiring delayed debridement rather than early open surgery.

A treatment strategy for infected pancreatic necrosis starting with percutaneous or endoscopic drainage and escalating to minimally invasive or open necrosectomy only if the patient fails to improve.

The clinical principle that a palpable, non-tender gallbladder in a jaundiced patient suggests a malignant distal biliary obstruction rather than gallstones.

Temporary occlusion of the hepatoduodenal ligament to control inflow of the hepatic artery and portal vein during liver resection or hepatic trauma, with intermittent release to limit ischemia.

Resection of the pancreatic head, duodenum, distal common bile duct, and often the distal stomach or pylorus, most commonly performed for periampullary and pancreatic head malignancy.

A life-threatening decline in synthetic and excretory liver function after resection, defined by elevated bilirubin and prolonged prothrombin time on or after postoperative day five.

The volume of liver expected to remain after resection, usually measured by CT volumetry; an inadequate remnant predicts post-hepatectomy liver failure and may require portal vein embolization.

A staged strategy in severely injured or physiologically deranged patients in which hemorrhage and contamination are controlled quickly, the abdomen is temporarily closed, and definitive repair follows resuscitation.

The self-reinforcing combination of hypothermia, acidosis, and coagulopathy that drives death in major trauma and mandates abbreviated surgery and aggressive correction.

A rapid bedside ultrasound examination of pericardial, perihepatic, perisplenic, and pelvic windows to detect free fluid in hemodynamically unstable trauma patients.

Sustained intra-abdominal pressure above 20 mmHg with new organ dysfunction, managed by decompressive laparotomy and temporary abdominal closure.

The ratio of ankle systolic pressure to brachial systolic pressure measured by Doppler; values below 0.9 indicate peripheral arterial disease and below 0.4 suggest critical limb ischemia.

Chronic limb ischemia producing rest pain, non-healing ulcers, or gangrene, usually with an ankle-brachial index below 0.4 or flat pulse waveforms, threatening limb loss without revascularization.

Elevated pressure within a closed fascial compartment causing pain out of proportion, paresthesia, and muscle ischemia, requiring urgent fasciotomy to prevent necrosis.

Surgical removal of atherosclerotic plaque from the carotid bifurcation to prevent stroke in symptomatic severe stenosis, performed ideally within two weeks of the index ischemic event.

A permanent focal dilation of the infrarenal aorta exceeding 3 cm in diameter, with rupture risk rising steeply above 5.5 cm and an indication for elective repair.

Placement of a stent-graft within the aorta through femoral access to exclude an aneurysm from the circulation, requiring lifelong imaging surveillance for endoleak.

Sampling of a thyroid or breast nodule with a thin needle to obtain cells for cytologic diagnosis; results are reported in standardized categories that guide further management.

A standardized reporting framework for thyroid fine-needle aspiration that assigns six diagnostic categories with defined risks of malignancy and recommended next steps.

Damage to the nerve in the tracheoesophageal groove during thyroid or parathyroid surgery, producing hoarseness from vocal cord paresis; bilateral injury can cause airway obstruction.

Autonomous overproduction of parathyroid hormone, usually from a single adenoma, causing hypercalcemia, nephrolithiasis, bone loss, and constipation; cured by parathyroidectomy.

A catecholamine-secreting tumor of the adrenal medulla causing episodic hypertension, palpitations, and sweating; requires alpha-blockade before surgical resection to prevent intraoperative crisis.

Identification and removal of the first draining lymph node using blue dye or radiotracer to stage regional nodal involvement while sparing unnecessary full axillary dissection.

Removal of axillary lymph node levels I and II for proven nodal metastasis or failed sentinel mapping, carrying risks of lymphedema, seroma, and nerve injury.

Removal of a breast tumor with clear margins while preserving the breast, generally combined with radiotherapy and equivalent in survival to mastectomy for suitable early cancers.

Complete surgical removal of a tumor with microscopically negative margins, a key determinant of local control and survival in curative oncologic surgery.

Systemic or radiation treatment given before surgery to shrink a tumor, improve resectability, or test tumor biology, as in rectal cancer and locally advanced breast cancer.

Sharp dissection of the rectum along the mesorectal fascial envelope with intact removal of the mesorectum, reducing local recurrence in rectal cancer.

A constellation of urgency, frequency, fragmentation, and incontinence after sphincter-preserving rectal resection, related to loss of rectal reservoir and altered innervation.

Hypertrophy of the pyloric muscle in infants causing non-bilious projectile vomiting and a palpable olive; corrected metabolically before pyloromyotomy.

Vomiting of green-stained fluid in a newborn, a surgical emergency suggesting midgut volvulus from malrotation and requiring urgent upper gastrointestinal contrast study.

The need for dialysis within the first week after kidney transplantation, most often from ischemia-reperfusion injury in deceased-donor grafts, and usually reversible.

T-cell mediated immune attack on a transplanted organ, typically within months, presenting with rising creatinine or graft dysfunction and treated with high-dose corticosteroids.

A multimodal perioperative care pathway using prehabilitation, opioid-sparing analgesia, early feeding, and early mobilization to shorten hospital stay and reduce complications.

The process of disclosing a procedure's nature, risks, benefits, and alternatives to a competent patient, who voluntarily agrees; required ethically and legally before elective operations.

Failure of a surgical join between bowel or other hollow organs, allowing luminal contents to escape and causing peritonitis, abscess, or sepsis, often days after surgery.