Scholars@Duke
Alberto J Monreal

Alberto J Monreal

Medical Instructor in the Department of Surgery
Surgical Oncology

Selected Publications

A Dwindling Matter: An Analysis of Medicare Reimbursement for Endocrine Surgery Procedures From 2000 to 2023.

Journal Article Ann Surg · June 1, 2025 OBJECTIVE: To evaluate Medicare reimbursement trends for endocrine surgeries from 2000 to 2023. BACKGROUND: As the population ages, demand for endocrine surgeries is expected to increase. Understanding reimbursement trends is essential to ensure the financ ... Full text Link to item Cite

Exploring actionable targets to address disparities in thyroid cancer survival: A study of patients with aggressive variants of papillary thyroid cancer.

Journal Article Am J Surg · May 20, 2025 BACKGROUND: Despite compromised survival, disparities studies on aggressive variants of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) are sparse. METHODS: Using the NCDB (2004-20), adult Non-Hispanic Whites (NHW), Non-Hispanic Asians or Pacific Islanders (NHAPI), Hispani ... Full text Link to item Cite

A Foreign Body in an Unexpected Place-Ingested Hardware Nails Within the Appendix.

Journal Article Am Surg · August 2023 Foreign body ingestion is commonly encountered in clinical practice, with over 100,000 cases reported annually in the United States. The majority of objects pass through the gastrointestinal tract spontaneously and without consequence, with fewer than 1% o ... Full text Link to item Cite

Inverted Meckel's Diverticulum Causing Adult Intussusception after Blunt Trauma.

Journal Article Am Surg · August 2023 Meckel's diverticulum is an uncommon though well described clinical entity. There are few cases of a Meckel's diverticulum having been identified as the lead point for adult intussusception. We report the surgical management of a 45-year-old patient with a ... Full text Link to item Cite

Perforated Appendicitis With Migrated Inguinal Mesh Involvement.

Journal Article Am Surg · September 2022 Mesh-plug hernioplasty has been recognized as a safe and effective surgical repair for primary inguinal hernias and is a common procedure in the United States. Critics of the mesh-plug system describe erosion, migration, and chronic pain as reasons not to ... Full text Link to item Cite

Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) circulating tumor cells influence myeloid cell differentiation to support their survival and immunoresistance in portal vein circulation.

Journal Article PLoS One · 2022 The portal venous circulation provides a conduit for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tumor cells to the liver parenchyma sinusoids, a frequent site of metastasis. Turbulent flow in the portal circulation promotes retention of PDAC shed circulating ... Full text Link to item Cite

Tumor downsizing following neoadjuvant therapy for borderline-resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Journal Article Journal of Clinical Oncology · February 1, 2020 690 Background: Downstaging of pancreatic adenocarcinoma in patients presenting with nonmetastatic, unresectable disease has proven to be associated with improved clinical outcomes. Efforts at rescuing these patients to become su ... Full text Cite

Marital Status and Survival in Patients Diagnosed with Melanoma.

Journal Article Dermatol Res Pract · 2020 INTRODUCTION: Previous research suggests the presence of a spouse may considerably affect melanoma detection rates through more frequent examinations, better access to healthcare, and improved social support. Yet, the role of marital status on melanoma sur ... Full text Link to item Cite