Issue, October 2026
Newsletter
Must-Watch Surgery Sessions: Clinical Cases, DNB Viva & a Real DNB Success Story!
October is here, and we’re bringing you the most important learning sessions from September that deserve a place on your revision list.
Surgical residency is not just about reading textbooks. It is about learning how to approach a patient, interpret clinical findings, make decisions under pressure, and present your knowledge confidently in the examination hall.
Whether you are preparing for your DNB Surgery theory, practicals and viva, or strengthening your clinical approach during residency, these sessions offer practical learning you can apply beyond the classroom.
Let’s revisit the sessions you shouldn’t miss!
1. Acute Abdomen: What Should You Do in the First 30 Minutes?
Faculty: Prof. Dr. Anurag Mishra
When a patient presents to the emergency department with acute abdominal pain, the first few minutes can influence every decision that follows. Can you recognise the signs of peritonitis? Can you identify a patient in shock? More importantly, can you decide what needs immediate attention?
In this clinical case discussion, Prof. Dr. Anurag Mishra walks you through a 40-year-old male presenting with abdominal pain, vomiting, fever and abdominal distension, followed by non-passage of stool and flatus.
Important clinical learning points
- Recognising shock: Understand why tachycardia and low blood pressure should raise concern during the initial assessment.
- Reading abdominal examination findings: Learn the significance of distension, tenderness, guarding, rigidity, sluggish bowel sounds and an everted umbilicus.
- Why liver dullness matters: Understand how obliteration of liver dullness can suggest free intraperitoneal air and raise suspicion of hollow viscus perforation.
- Choosing the right investigation: Learn the role of an erect chest X-ray, ultrasound and CT, depending on the patient’s stability and clinical situation.
- Building a differential diagnosis: Discuss peptic ulcer perforation, ileal perforation, perforated appendicitis and other possible causes.
- Prioritising management: Understand why resuscitation, urgent surgical assessment and timely source control take priority over unnecessary delays for investigations in an unstable patient.
Why should you watch this session?
In surgery, knowing a diagnosis is only part of the job. You must also recognise clinical deterioration, interpret examination findings and decide what to do next.
This discussion helps you connect textbook knowledge with bedside decision-making—an essential skill for both residency and examinations.
2. Post-Cholecystectomy Bile Leak | Ward Rounds (Elective) Faculty: Prof. Dr. Anurag Mishra
A patient develops bile-stained drain output on the first postoperative day after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Is it a minor cystic duct stump leak, or could it indicate a major bile duct injury?
Knowing the difference is critical because delayed recognition and inappropriate management can lead to serious complications.
This ward-round discussion takes you through the assessment and management principles of postoperative bile leaks.
Important topics covered
- Post-cholecystectomy bile leak: How to assess drain output and correlate it with the patient’s clinical condition.
- Recognising inflammation and sepsis: Identify warning signs that require urgent evaluation.
- Identifying the source: Understand the distinction between cystic duct stump leaks and major bile duct injuries.
- MRCP and ERCP: Learn how these investigations serve different purposes in defining biliary anatomy and managing appropriate bile leaks.
- Source control: Understand the importance of draining intra-abdominal collections and controlling ongoing leakage.
- Major bile duct injuries: Explore the role of biliary anatomy, Bismuth classification and timely referral to experienced hepatobiliary surgeons.
- Timing of definitive repair: Understand why defining the injury and planning the appropriate intervention are crucial before reconstruction.
Why should you watch this session?
Postoperative complications are not merely theoretical topics. They require you to recognise warning signs, assess the patient’s stability and understand when specialist intervention is needed.
This case-based discussion helps you develop a structured approach to a complication that every surgical resident should understand.
3. DNB Surgery Practical Viva: How to Describe an X-Ray Systematically
Faculty: Dr. Amrit Nasta
Session: Table Viva for DNB Practicals
In a DNB practical viva, recognising an abnormality is important—but can you describe the X-ray in a clear, systematic manner and defend your interpretation when the examiner asks follow-up questions?
A good answer requires structure, attention to detail and an understanding of the clinical relevance of the image.
Important topics covered
- Start with the basics: Identify the body part, view and type of X-ray before interpreting the findings.
- Plain versus contrast X-rays: Understand the basic differences and their relevance.
- PA versus AP chest X-ray: Learn how positioning affects the appearance of the cardiac silhouette.
- Scapular position and clavicle orientation: Recognise positioning clues that help you identify the view.
- Free air under the diaphragm: Understand its significance and its association with pneumoperitoneum.
- Causes of pneumoperitoneum: Discuss causes other than hollow viscus perforation.
- Limitations of X-rays: Understand why a normal X-ray does not always exclude a small amount of free intraperitoneal air and when CT may be useful.
Why is this important for DNB residents?
Practical examinations test more than what you remember from a textbook. They assess how you observe, organise your answer, interpret findings and respond to the examiner’s questions.
A systematic approach can help you avoid missing basic details and communicate your findings with greater confidence.
4. DNB Surgery Practical: How to Present a Breast Lump Case Faculty: Dr. Amrit Nasta
Case presentation is one of the most important skills to develop before your DNB practical examination. Even when you know the diagnosis, an unstructured presentation can lead to unnecessary questions and make it difficult to demonstrate your understanding.
In this practical viva discussion, Dr. Amrit Nasta guides a resident through the presentation of an elderly woman with a breast lump, axillary swelling and ulceration.
The discussion demonstrates how an examiner may evaluate your reasoning from the very beginning of the case.
Important topics covered
- Structuring the presentation: Begin with relevant patient demographics and present the chief complaints in a logical sequence.
- Connecting history to diagnosis: Understand how age, sex, symptoms and associated findings influence the differential diagnosis.
- Interpreting the clinical clues: Discuss the significance of an axillary swelling alongside a breast lump and the possibility of malignancy.
- Understanding the differential diagnosis: Learn why phyllodes tumour and breast carcinoma may be considered differently, particularly in relation to lymphatic spread.
- Framing the history of present illness: Present the progression of symptoms clearly without adding unnecessary or unsupported details.
- Anticipating examiner questions: Learn how an examiner may challenge the timeline, size of a lump, associated symptoms and your diagnostic reasoning.
What can you learn from this viva?
One of the most useful lessons from this discussion is that a good case presentation is not about saying more; it is about presenting the right information in the right order.
You should be able to explain why each finding matters, which diagnoses it supports and which possibilities it makes less likely.
For DNB residents, practising this approach can help make your presentations more structured and prepare you for the follow-up questions that form an important part of the viva.
5. Struggling with DNB Surgery Theory? Hear Dr. Zaara’s Journey
Interview: Why Dr. Zaara Chose eConceptual for DNB Theory — And Scored 250 Marks!
Preparing for DNB theory while managing residency duties is not easy. Long working hours, limited study time and the pressure to cover extensive subjects can make preparation overwhelming.
If you are facing these challenges, Dr. Zaara’s experience is worth watching.
In this interview, she shares how she approached her DNB Surgery theory preparation, why she shifted her focus towards previous-year questions, and how structured explanations helped her understand and retain difficult topics.
What makes her experience valuable?
- Making preparation manageable: Dr. Zaara explains how she adapted her study approach when she realised that time was limited.
- Using previous-year questions effectively: She shares how she and her study partner focused on DNB previous-year questions during their preparation.
- Learning beyond rote memorisation: She describes how video explanations helped her visualise concepts and understand answers more easily.
- Balancing residency and exam preparation: Her experience highlights the challenges of finding consistent study time alongside personal and professional responsibilities.
- Planning for practicals: She also discusses using eConceptual’s OSCE and practical videos as she prepares for the next stage of her examination.
Her advice to juniors is particularly relevant: build your foundation with standard textbooks early, and make previous-year questions a focused part of your preparation in the months leading up to the examination.
Why should you watch this interview?
Every DNB resident’s journey is different, but learning from someone who has navigated the same examination system can help you rethink your preparation.
If you are unsure how to organise your theory preparation, struggling to retain what you read, or looking for a more structured way to revise, this interview offers a real resident’s perspective.
Your Next Step Towards More Structured Surgical Learning
These sessions are just a glimpse of what you can learn through Conceptual Surgery.
From clinical case discussions and ward rounds to DNB theory preparation, practical demonstrations, table viva sessions and OSCE learning, there is more to explore than a short lecture clip can cover.
Whether you are in the early years of residency or approaching your DNB theory and practical examinations, make every learning opportunity count.
Don’t Miss Out on Your Next Learning Opportunity!
Download the eConceptual App and explore Conceptual Surgery today.
