All Publications

  • Surgical stabilization of flail sternum and bilateral chest wall injury in an octogenarian after horse trampling injury. Trauma surgery & acute care open Tai, J. W., Ko, B., Adams, M. E., Nobuhara, C. K., Knight, A. W., Forrester, J. D. 2025; 10 (4): e001999

    View details for DOI 10.1136/tsaco-2025-001999

    View details for PubMedID 41158727

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC12557740

  • The Impact of Area Deprivation Index on Bariatric Surgical Outcomes Chinn, J., Adams, M., Kulhanek, K. R., Shen, J. X., Tennakoon, L., Bartoletti, S., Azagury, D. E., Esquivel, M. LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS. 2024: S44

    View details for Web of Science ID 001348680700063

  • Differences between male and female patients with pilonidal disease JOURNAL OF PEDIATRIC SURGERY OPEN Chiu, B., Abrajano, C., Shimada, H., Yousefi, R., Dalusag, K., Adams, M., Su, W., Hui, T., Mueller, C., Fuchs, J., Dunn, J. 2024; 6

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.yjpso.2024.100132

    View details for Web of Science ID 001355103700001

  • A standardized treatment protocol for pilonidal disease can influence the health mindset of adolescents. Langenbeck's archives of surgery Mueller, C., Adams, M., Abrajano, C., Yousefi, R., Dalusag, K. S., Hui, T., Su, W., Fuchs, J., Chiu, B. 2024; 409 (1): 93

    Abstract

    Pilonidal disease (PD) significantly impacts patients' quality of life and requires regular maintenance behaviors to achieve cure. Health mindset is a psychological construct which can influence health behaviors and outcomes, with a growth mindset being associated with better outcomes than a fixed. We propose that participation in a standardized treatment protocol can affect the health mindset for adolescents with pilonidal disease.PD patients' demographics, recurrence, and comorbidities were prospectively collected from 2019 to 2022. We assessed patients' mindset score at initial presentation using the validated Three-Item Mindset Scale (1-6) then reassessed during follow-up. t-test was used to compare baseline and follow-up mindset scores and stratified by recurrence or comorbidities. p ≤ 0.05 was considered significant.A total of 207 PD patients (108 males, 99 females) with mean age 18.2 ± 3.7 years were followed for 351 ± 327 days. Mean baseline mindset score (4.76 ± 1.27) was significantly lower than mean follow-up mindset score (5.03 ± 1.18, p = 0.049). Baseline mindset score was significantly lower among patients with PD recurrence (4.00 ± 0.66) compared to those without recurrence (4.8 ± 1.29, p = 0.05). Among patients with PD recurrence, mean baseline mindset score (4.00 ± 0.66) was significantly lower than mean follow-up mindset score (5.27 ± 0.93, p = 0.0038). Patient comorbidity did not affect the baseline or follow-up mindset score.Participation in a standardized treatment protocol is associated with the development of a stronger growth mindset over time for patients with PD. Furthermore, a growth mindset was linked to lower recurrence rate than a fixed mindset. Further investigations into how treatment approaches can work in concert with health mindset are proposed.

    View details for DOI 10.1007/s00423-024-03282-3

    View details for PubMedID 38467936

    View details for PubMedCentralID 10003709

  • Regular Epilation Alone Is an Acceptable Treatment for Asymptomatic Pilonidal Patients Adams, M., Abrajano, C., Dalusag, K., Hui, T. T., Su, W. T., Mueller, C. M., Fuchs, J. R., Chiu, B. LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS. 2023: S374-S375

    View details for Web of Science ID 001094086301215

  • Regular epilation alone is an acceptable treatment for symptom-free pilonidal patients. Pediatric surgery international Adams, M., Abrajano, C., Dalusag, K. S., Hui, T., Su, W., Mueller, C., Fuchs, J., Chiu, B. 2023; 39 (1): 285

    Abstract

    Patients with mild pilonidal disease often experience symptom resolution without excision. We hypothesized that treating symptom-free/asymptomatic pilonidal patients with regular epilation alone had similar recurrence rate as patients who were also treated surgically.Patient data were prospectively collected 2/2019-11/2022 at our Pilonidal Clinic. All patients received regular epilation; all patients presented before 12/2020 also underwent pit excision using trephines. Starting 1/2021, only symptomatic patients underwent pit excision; symptom-free patients at presentation received only regular epilation. Recurrence rates were statistically analyzed.255 patients (male:54.4%, female:45.6%), median age 17.3years (IQR:15.8-19.1) were followed for median 612.5days (IQR:367.5-847). 44.1% identified as Hispanic, 36.5% Caucasian, 17.1% Asian, 2.4% Black. Median symptom duration at presentation was 180.5days (IQR:44.5-542.5). 160 patients were initially treated with surgical excision and regular epilation, while 95 patients with regular epilation only. The failure rate between patients who received surgical excision initially and recurred (9.4%) and patients who received epilation only and recurred (12.6%) was similar, after controlling for sex, race, age, comorbidities, skin type, hair color, hair thickness (p > 0.05). Patients who recurred after only undergoing regular epilation all underwent surgical excision, median 100days (IQR:59.5-123.5) after initial presentation.Regular epilation alone is an acceptable treatment for symptom-free pilonidal patients.

    View details for DOI 10.1007/s00383-023-05577-w

    View details for PubMedID 37906293

    View details for PubMedCentralID 5448572

  • Time from first clinical contact to abortion in Texas and California. Contraception Adams, M., Kully, G., Tilford, S., White, K., Mody, S., Hildebrand, M., Johns, N., Grossman, D., Averbach, S. 2022; 110: 76-80

    Abstract

    To assess whether having an abortion in Texas, a U.S. state with many restrictive abortion laws, is associated with increased time between contacting an abortion provider and receiving an abortion, compared to having an abortion in California, a less restrictive U.S. state.This is a multisite, cross-sectional survey of 434 patients in 12 abortion facilities (ambulatory surgical centers and clinics) in Texas (n = 291) and three abortion clinics in California (n = 143) from 2018 to 2019. At 11 facilities in Texas the response rate was 76%. The response rate was not collected at other sites. We compare the clinical-contact-to-abortion time interval between the facilities in these two states using mixed-effects multivariable logistic regression, adjusting for age, race, education, household income, parity, marital status, and insurance status. We also compare barriers to scheduling and traveling to abortion appointments.Median clinical-contact-to-abortion time is similar among respondents in Texas and California [(9 vs 8 days, p = 0.86). The odds of having a clinical-contact-to-abortion time ≥7 days is similar among respondents in Texas compared to California (adjusted odds ratio 1.0 (95% confidence interval, 0.4-2.6, p = 0.98). Respondents in Texas travel farther for their abortion (mean 22.1 vs 13.5 miles, p < 0.01), are more likely to sell something of value or delay paying another expense to pay for their abortion (49.7% vs 11.4%, p < 0.01), and to miss work to attend their abortion (73.9% vs 61.3%, p = 0.03).In this study, we found no difference in clinical-contact-to-abortion time between respondents in Texas and those in California. Respondents in Texas, however, face other significant barriers in obtaining abortion care, which result in life disruptions and financial hardship.Patients face greater financial barriers when seeking abortion in Texas compared to California. Though we found no significant difference in clinical-contact-to-abortion time in this sample between the two states, clinical-contact-to-abortion time may be a useful measure of facility congestion and the obstacles patients face obtaining abortion care.

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.contraception.2021.12.009

    View details for PubMedID 34971611

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC9086143

  • Understanding quality of contraceptive services from women's perspectives in Gujarat, India: a focus group study. BMJ open Holt, K., Uttekar, B. V., Reed, R., Adams, M., Kanchan, L., Langer, A., Barge, S. 2021; 11 (10): e049260

    Abstract

    Understanding quality of contraceptive care from clients' perspectives is critical to ensuring acceptable and non-harmful services, yet little qualitative research has been dedicated to this topic. India's history of using incentives to promote contraceptive use, combined with reports of unsafe conditions in sterilisation camps, make a focus on quality important. The study objective was to understand women's experiences with and preferences for contraceptive counselling and care in the public sector in India.Qualitative study using eight focus group discussions (FGDs). FGDs were thematically analysed using a framework approach.Rural and urban areas in one district in Gujarat.31 sterilisation and 42 reversible contraceptive users who were married and represented different backgrounds. Inclusion criteria were: (1) female, (2) at least 18 years and (3) receipt of contraception services in the last 6 months from public health services.Providers motivate married women to use contraception and guide women to specific methods based on how many children they have. Participants found this common practice acceptable. Participants also discussed the lack of counselling about reversible and permanent options and expressed a need for more information on side effects of reversible methods. There were mixed opinions about whether compensation received for accepting long-term methods affects contraceptive decision making. While many women were satisfied with their experiences, we identified minor themes related to provider coercion towards provider-controlled methods and disrespectful and abusive treatment during sterilisation care, both of which require concerted efforts to address systemic factors enabling such experiences.Findings illuminate opportunities for quality improvement as we identified several gaps between how women experience contraceptive care and their preferences, and with ideals of quality and rights frameworks. Findings informed adaptation of the Quality of Contraceptive Counselling Scale for India, and have implications for centring quality and rights in global efforts.

    View details for DOI 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-049260

    View details for PubMedID 34607862

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC8491289