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Introduction Since 2006, the U.S. Navy has conducted six Pacific Partnership (PP) missions throughout Southeast Asia on board the U.S. Naval Ship Mercy (T-AH 19). This study describes trends in overall and surgical specialty operative volumes to better understand the burden of surgical disease treated during these humanitarian and civic assistance (HCA) operations. This information can assist medical planners and surgical leaders involved in future humanitarian missions. Materials and Methods Following approval from the Naval Medical Center San Diego Institutional Review Board, a retrospective review of surgical case data was performed for the six PP missions from 2006 to 2018. Data collected included patient demographics, Current Procedural Terminology codes, and surgical specialty. The primary outcome was surgical case volume per specialty. Secondary outcomes included surgical staffing per mission and overall trends in operative volume. Results A total of 3,826 operative procedures were performed during the study period. Mission years in which case volume for both general surgery and ophthalmology were below their respective medians were associated with the least total surgical services to host nations (HNs). The number of active duty Navy surgeons varied with each mission; however, the staffing for a PP mission generally included at least two general surgeons, one ophthalmologist, one plastic surgeon, one pediatric surgeon, one orthopedic surgeon, one otolaryngologist, one oral surgeon, one urologist, and one obstetrician–gynecologist. Case volume per surgeon was highest in 2006 (50 cases per surgeon) and decreased after 2006, reaching an all-time low during the 2018 PP mission (10 cases per surgeon). Pediatric surgery and plastic surgery had the highest average case volumes per surgeon at 58 and 46 cases per surgeon, respectively, while oromaxillofacial surgery and neurosurgery had the lowest average case volumes per surgeon at 9 and 14 cases per surgeon, respectively. Conclusions Operative volume on military HCA missions is greatly influenced by the priorities of the HN, the mission focus, the number of individuals from the HN that present for screening, and the availability of personnel and resources available on the hospital ship. Future mission planning should optimize general surgery and ophthalmology staffing and essential equipment, as total mission case volumes were highly dependent upon the productivity of these two specialties. Careful determination of the surgical needs of HNs should serve as a guide for the selection of subspecialists to maximize effectiveness in future military HCA missions.

Introduction The optimal surgical approach and treatment algorithm for thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) remain controversial. We sought to examine the outcomes of patients treated at a military medical treatment facility (MTF) for TOS. Methods A retrospective review was performed on all patients who had a first rib resection (FRR) for TOS over a 9-year period at a single MTF. Patient demographics, perioperative details, and patient outcomes were examined. Active duty (AD) status and return to AD were reviewed. Results From 2008-2016, 33 FRRs were performed in 32 patients. Of these, 30 patients were AD with a mean age of 27 years (range, 19-44). The 29 male and 4 female patients were treated for symptoms of venous (23), neurogenic (6), or arterial (4) TOS. The mean time from onset of symptoms was 11 months (range 1 to 120). The FRR was performed via a transaxillary (13), supraclavicular (12), or paraclavicular (8) approach. Of 21 AD patients with venous TOS, 16 (76%) underwent preoperative thrombolysis. A post-operative venogram or ultrasound was performed in 20 patients, documenting vein patency in 18 (90%). Nine patients underwent subsequent venoplasty or stent placement. The majority of patients (15) were placed on anticoagulation for 1-6 months. Two AD patients had perioperative complications including a lymph leak and brachial plexus palsy. Twenty-four (89%) patients returned to AD status. One recruit never returned to AD following successful FRR and two other patients did not return for medical reasons unrelated to the FRR. Conclusion Despite a variety of surgical approaches and often delayed presentation, we identified a high percentage of post-operative vein patency and return to AD status in our population. The debate over surgical approach remains; however, a multimodal approach individualized to the patient’s presentation and meticulous surgical technique led to successful outcomes in our healthy military population.

Isolated iliac artery aneurysms are rare and commonly associated with aortic aneurysms. Hypogastric artery aneurysms (HAAs) are exceptionally rare. The general approach to HAAs has been exclusion and bypass, although when this is complicated by mycotic disease, endovascular techniques can provide unique approaches to management. We present the case of a patient with a mycotic HAA treated with endovascular coil and exclusion followed by aortic to external iliac artery bypass with cadaveric conduit. Keywords: Aneurysm, Hypogastric artery aneurysm, Mycotic aneurysm

Flexion following total knee arthroplasty in the US population generally falls between 100° and 120°. Because of these relatively low flexion arcs, total knee arthroplasty prosthetic designs emerged allowing “high flexion” (≥125°). We hypothesized that a high-flexion implant design, Scorpio Non-Restrictive Geometry cruciate-retaining knee prosthesis, would allow clinical early maximum flexion of at least 125°. A prospective observational cohort study enrolled 87 unselected patients (94 knees) evaluated preoperation and 3 months and 1 year postoperation for clinical flexion, arc of motion, and Knee Society scores. At 1 year, 67% of knees had improved flexion and 23% achieved flexion of at least 125°. Clinically, flexion improved by 6.9° and total arc of motion improved by 10.6° from preoperation to 1-year postoperation. Although this high-flexion design allows increased flexion, many patients fail to achieve flexion of at least 125°.

GREATER EXPECTATIONS: A New Vision for Learning as a Nation Goes to College, a recently published national report by the Association of American Colleges and Universities, calls for a radical restructuring of liberal arts education in American colleges and universities. Rather than defining liberal arts education in terms of course content and credit hours, the report suggests that students in the twenty-first century need institutions of higher education to develop their practical and intellectual skills, dispositions, ethical and civic responsibility, as well as their knowledge of the disciplines taught in their general education and major courses. The report specifies a set of twenty national practical liberal arts outcomes that create "intentional learners" who are empowered, informed, responsible, and able to apply their knowledge and skills to a variety of real world environments.1 This report represents just one recent example of a national movement toward outcome-based education. Whether teachers like it or not, outcome (or standards based) education has become the norm in the United States education system. From kindergarten through college and beyond into professional and graduate programs, teachers at all levels are expected to teach toward defined outcomes that combine knowledge and