Gut Check

The Gut Check hosts dive into one of colorectal surgery's debated management questions: Is laparoscopic (minimally invasive) lavage an appropriate strategy for acute diverticulitis?
Once hailed as a promising alternative to emergent resection, lavage has had a turbulent journey through clinical trials, outcomes data, and real-world practice. Our hosts unpack the evidence, discussing when lavage may (or may not) make sense, and exploring why surgeons remain divided. 
Got a topic you want us to tackle next? Case Controversies is listener-driven, and the hosts are taking suggestions for future debates. Send your ideas, tough calls, or clinical dilemmas to [email protected] and you might hear them in an upcoming episode.

All of our hosts join for this episode of Gut Check for a deep dive into one of colorectal surgery's most challenging and debated topics: fistulas. We're joined by special guest Dr. Jeff Van Eps, whose expertise and real-world experience bring fresh perspective. From initial evaluation to surgical decision-making and long-term patient outcomes, this conversation blends evidence, nuance, and plenty of collegial debate.

Our hosts dig into the realities, challenges, and triumphs of caring for patients in America's safety-net hospitals. Despite having no single, universally accepted definition, safety-net hospitals share common threads: they serve high volumes of Medicaid and uninsured patients, operate with limited resources, and play an outsized role in supporting the health of vulnerable communities. Listen in as hosts discuss the policy and funding structures that shape these hospitals, and the lived experiences of surgeons working within them.

In this timely episode of Gut Check, the hosts sit down with Dr. Chris Childers, surgeon, researcher, and health policy expert, to unpack the latest CMS Physician Fee Schedule proposals that could reshape practice in 2026.

Since Gut Check launched three years ago, Dr. Jonathan Abelson and Dr. Erin King-Mullins have helped shape its voice—sparking candid conversations, sharing laughs, and building memorable connections with guests and listeners alike. In this special farewell episode, they revisit the interviews that left a lasting mark, the buzz of the 2024 and 2025 live shows, and the surprises that made hosting so rewarding. As they pass the mic to the continuing Gut Check team, Jon and Erin share their hopes for what's ahead—and a reminder that at its core, the show has always been about the community it serves.