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Introduction: The lack of an effective continuing professional development programme for qualified surgeons, specifically one that enhances non-technical skills (NTS), is an issue receiving increased attention. Peer-based coaching, used in multiple professions, is a proposed method to deliver this. The aim of this study was to undertake a systematic review of the literature to summarize the quantity and quality of studies involving surgical coaching of NTS in qualified surgeons., Methods: A systematic search of the literature was performed through MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Collaboration and PsychINFO. Studies were selected based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data for the included studies was independently extracted by two reviewers and the quality of the studies evaluated using the Medical Education and Research Study Quality Instrument (MERSQI)., Results: Some 4319 articles were screened from which 19 met the inclusion criteria. Ten studies involved coaching of individual surgeons and nine looked at group coaching of surgeons as part of a team. Group coaching studies used non-surgeons as coaches, included objective assessment of NTS, and were of a higher quality (average MERSQI 13.58). Individual coaching studies focused on learner perception, used experienced surgeons as coaches and were of a lower quality (average MERSQI 11.58). Individual coaching did not show an objective improvement in NTS for qualified surgeons in any study., Conclusion: Surgical coaching of qualified surgeons' NTS in a group setting was found to be effective. Coaching of individual surgeons revealed an overall positive learner perception but did not show an objective improvement in NTS for qualified surgeons., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of BJS Society Ltd. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Portal-systemic shunts (PSSs) are rarely seen in healthy individuals or patients with non-cirrhotic liver disease. They may play an important role in hepatic metabolism as well as in the spread of gastrointestinal metastatic tumours to specific organs. Small spontaneous PSSs may be more common than generally thought. However, epidemiological data are scarce and inconclusive. This systematic review examined the prevalence of reported PSSs and the associated detection methods., Methods: Literature up to 2011 was reviewed for adult patients with proven congenital or acquired PSSs. Only PSSs in normal livers were analysed for the methods of diagnosis. Eligible studies were identified by searching relevant databases, including PubMed, Embase, MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library. The selection of eligible articles was carried out using predefined inclusion criteria (adult, non-surgical PSS) and a set of search terms that were established before the articles were identified., Results: Eighty studies were included describing 112 patients with congenital or acquired PSSs. The majority were diagnosed incidentally using Doppler ultrasound imaging and CT., Conclusion: Congenital and acquired PSSs are rare. They are usually clinically asymptomatic and discovered incidentally by radiological techniques. They may be clinically relevant owing to drug, tumour cell, metabolic and pathogen shunting., (© 2014 BJS Society Ltd. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)