About

Dr. Irfan Ahmed completed his Orthopaedic training at Temple University School of Medicine, Department of Orthopaedics Surgery. He completed a Hand Surgery fellowship at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston. He holds an MBBS degree from Dow Medical College obtained in 2001. Dr. Ahmed is an Associate Professor in the Department of Orthopaedics at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, where he also serves as the Chief of the Clinical Division. His areas of interest include the hand, elbow, shoulder, and microvascular surgery. He is certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery in Surgery of the Hand and Orthopaedic Surgery. His professional practice is based at NJMS-UH Cancer Center in Newark, NJ.

Research topics

• Internal medicine
• Medicine
• Surgery
• General surgery
• Physical therapy
• Intensive care medicine
• Pharmacology

Selected publications

• Clinalignnet: A Clinician-Interactive Framework for Faithful and Aligned Explainability in MRI

  2026-04-08

  article

  Deep learning models achieve significant diagnostic effectiveness in medical imaging but remain hindered by their lack of explainability. This study presents ClinAlignNet, a clinician-interactive and fidelity-driven explainability framework for brain MRI analysis. The method combines a residual counterfactual mechanism with alignment-based regularisation and uncertainty estimation to produce explanations that are anatomically coherent and clinically faithful. Evaluated on fifty patient cases from the Children's Brain Tumour Network, ClinAlignNet demonstrates superior performance to Grad-CAM and LIME with higher Dice (0.8874), Jaccard (0.8973), XAlign (0.9285), and Explanation Fidelity Score (0.896), while achieving a lower Hausdorff distance (23.96). Qualitative assessment by clinicians and a brain surgeon confirmed that the generated explanations align strongly with tumour boundaries and expert annotations. The framework bridges the gap between algorithmic transparency and clinical reasoning, offering a reliable pathway for the adoption of explainable AI in neuro-oncological diagnosis.

  PublisherDOI

• Incidence of Video Game-Related Upper Extremity Injuries in the United States

  SurgiColl · 2025-03-22 · 1 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Objectives Video game use is becoming increasingly popular and is projected to continue to rise for the foreseeable future. Gamers are at risk for unique upper extremity injuries related to overuse or trauma when playing interactive gaming systems. The purpose of this study was to characterize gaming-related upper extremity injuries in patients presenting to emergency departments across the United States over the past twenty years. Methods Data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) was queried for all upper extremity injuries related to using computer equipment and electronic games between 2001 and 2020. Narrative descriptions containing the keywords “game,” “gaming,” and “play” were isolated and then reviewed to identify injuries related to gaming. Demographic information, location of injury, and type of injury were collected. Results A total of 1,269 injuries were reported during the 20-year study period, with an extrapolated national incidence of 41,939. Most injuries occurred in males (66.9%) and those aged 10-19 (29.5%). The most common body parts injured were the finger (23.1%), followed by the hand (metacarpal) (21.3%) and wrist (19.0%). The most common injury types were strains and sprains (28.0%), followed by contusions and abrasions (17.0%). Conclusion Video game-related injuries represent a potentially modifiable or preventable cause of upper extremity injury. With the increased use and modernization of gaming systems, physicians should proactively educate patients and parents about this type of injury.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Comparative Efficacy of Eucalyptus globulus Labill, Extracts Along With Their Green Synthesized Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles against Brassica Aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae L. (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

  Sarhad Journal of Agriculture · 2025-01-01

  articleOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• Fulminant Tuberculous Pericarditis Presenting as Cardiac Tamponade in an Infliximab-Treated Patient

  Cureus · 2025-10-18

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Tuberculous pericarditis (TBP) is a rare but potentially life-threatening manifestation of extrapulmonary tuberculosis (TB), representing a clinically important subset of pericarditis cases. Diagnostic uncertainty arises from variable symptoms and the low sensitivity of available tests. Although culture is the gold standard, it is reliable but too slow to enable a timely diagnosis. Acute and fulminant presentations have been reported in immunosuppressed patients. A 61-year-old woman, recently receiving infliximab and corticosteroids for Crohn’s disease, presented to the emergency department with signs of sepsis and obstructive shock. Echocardiography revealed a large pericardial effusion, prompting urgent pericardiocentesis. Analysis of pericardial fluid was negative for acid-fast bacilli. She remained unwell, with persistently elevated inflammatory markers, bilateral pleural effusions, pulmonary nodules, intra- and extra-thoracic lymphadenopathy, and subsequently developed heart failure. After nearly two weeks, endobronchial ultrasound-guided lymph node aspiration with Cepheid GeneXpert TB PCR confirmed rifampicin-sensitive Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This case is unusual because it combines three rare features: fulminant TBP presenting as acute tamponade, reactivation of TB in the setting of anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy, and transient left ventricular systolic dysfunction following pericardial drainage. It highlights the importance of considering TB pericarditis in immunosuppressed patients, recognizing the limitations of conventional fluid-based diagnostics, and pursuing timely tissue sampling to confirm the diagnosis and guide appropriate therapy.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Peritoneal patch in portal vein reconstruction: Evaluating graft material outcomes in hepatopancreatobiliary and liver transplant surgery - A Systematic Review

  Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences · 2025-03-29 · 1 citations

  reviewOpen accessSenior author

  Background & Objective: In hepatopancreatobiliary and liver transplant surgeries, portal vein repair is often needed. Peritoneal patches (PPs) might provide an advantage over synthetic grafts for portal vein reconstruction. The objective of this systematic review was to compare clinical outcomes, safety, and effectiveness of PPs versus conventional graft materials. Methods: A comprehensive search of multiple databases such as PubMed, CINAHL EMBASE, SpringerLink Pakmedinet, and Google Scholar was conducted for studies focusing on portal vein repair using PPs. Eligible studies were case reports, case series, and retrospective studies from January 2000 to December 2024. Due to the heterogeneity of study designs and outcomes, a qualitative synthesis approach was applied. Results: Six studies were included. The studies reported a variety of surgical techniques and outcomes. Autologous peritoneal interposition grafts and PPs resulted in effective intraoperative portal flow and patency. Some studies, despite generally positive outcomes, reported complications such as thrombosis and significant postoperative events. A rigorous risk of bias assessment was not performed due to the limitations of the study design. Conclusion: PPs may potentially be an alternative for portal vein reconstruction in HPB and LTx surgeries that offer benefits such as availability, adaptability, and lower immunogenic or thrombotic risks. These results should be confirmed with further research in the forms of prospective and comparative studies. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.41.4.10465 How to cite this: Imtiaz S, Khalid IB, Hyidar Z, Chughtai AS, Khan MY, Ahmed I. Peritoneal patch in portal vein reconstruction: Evaluating graft material outcomes in hepatopancreatobiliary and liver transplant surgery - A Systematic Review. Pak J Med Sci. 2025;41(4):1202-1210. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.41.4.10465 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• How Easy Is It to Get a Grip on Hand Pathologies? A Comparative Analysis of ChatGPT Against AAOS, AAHS, and ASSH Patient Information Sheets

  SurgiColl · 2025-12-22

  articleOpen access

  Objectives Chat generative pre-trained transformer (ChatGPT) is a conversational artificial intelligence tool that can compose, analyze, and present information to its users. This comparative study aimed to explore whether ChatGPT can generate patient information sheets on common hand pathologies for the average US patient. The comprehensibility (dubbed “readability”) of ChatGPT was examined and compared to that of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), the American Association of Hand Surgery (AAHS), and the American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) patient information sheets. Methods Patient information sheets related to common hand pathologies were identified through the AAOS, AAHS, and ASSH websites. All entries used were pathologies limited to the hand and wrist. ChatGPT was utilized to generate patient information sheets on the same hand pathologies at the sixth-grade reading level. WebFx was utilized to calculate readability scores for the AAOS, AAHS, ASSH, and ChatGPT-generated patient sheets. Statistical analysis was determined using a paired two-tailed t-test. Statistical significance was defined as P < 0.05. Results Based on the results, patient information sheets from AAOS and ASSH are significantly easier to read on most metrics. Those from AAHS are no different from those generated from ChatGPT except for being easier to read per the Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease and Coleman-Liau Index. Information sheets generated by ChatGPT have a significantly smaller number of words and complex words compared to those from AAOS and ASSH. Conclusions Patients may find it easier to read patient information sheets from AAOS and ASSH compared to those generated by ChatGPT.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Single-incision versus conventional multi-incision laparoscopic appendicectomy for suspected uncomplicated appendicitis

  Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · 2025-09-19 · 2 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  BACKGROUND: Appendicectomy is a well-established surgical procedure to manage acute appendicitis. The operation was historically performed as an open procedure and is currently performed using minimally invasive surgical techniques. A recent development in appendicectomy technique is the introduction of single-incision laparoscopic surgery. This incorporates all working ports (either one multi-luminal port or multiple mono-luminal ports) through a single skin incision; the procedure is known as single-incision laparoscopic appendicectomy or SILA. Unanswered questions remain regarding the efficacy of this novel technique, including its effects on patient benefit and satisfaction, complications, and long-term outcomes, when compared to multi-incision conventional laparoscopy (CLA). This is an update of a review published in 2011. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects of single-incision laparoscopic appendicectomy compared with multi-incision laparoscopic appendicectomy, on benefits, complications, and short-term outcomes, in patients with acute appendicitis. SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled trials (CENTRAL, the Cochrane Library 2018 Issue 2), Ovid MEDLINE (1983 to January 2024), Ovid Embase (1983 to January 2024), the WHO International Clinical Trial Register (January 2024), and Clinicaltrials.gov (January 2024). We also searched reference lists of relevant articles and reviews, conference proceedings, and ongoing trial databases. The searches were carried out on 20 January 2024. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that compared the single-incision procedure SILA against CLA for patients (male and female) over the age of 10 years, diagnosed with appendicitis, or symptoms of appendicitis, and undergoing laparoscopic appendicectomy. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors independently selected studies for inclusion, extracted data into a standardised form, and assessed the risk of bias in the studies. We extracted data relevant to the predetermined outcome measures. Where appropriate, we calculated a summary statistic: odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for dichotomous data and mean difference (MD) with 95% CI for continuous data. We used Review Manager Web for our statistical analysis. MAIN RESULTS: This review was first published in 2011, when there was no RCT evidence available. For this update, we identified 11 RCTs involving 1373 participants (689 in the SILA groups and 684 in the CLA groups). The participants were similar at baseline in terms of age (mean 31.7 (SILA) versus 30.9 years (CLA)) and sex (female: 53.0% (SILA) versus 50.3% (CLA)). Diagnosis of appendicitis was based on clinical assessment; none of the studies used a diagnosis confirmed by imaging as part of their inclusion criteria. The certainty of the evidence was low to moderate, and the outcomes were predominately reported in the short term. Pain scores at 24 hours after surgery may be similar between the SILA and CLA groups (mean score SILA 2.53 versus CLA 2.65; mean difference (MD) in pain score -0.12, 95% CI -0.52 to 0.28; 294 participants, 4 RCTs; low-certainty evidence). SILA probably had superior cosmetic results as indicated by patients using the Body Image questionnaire (5 to 20) (mean score SILA 14.9 versus CLA 12.4; cosmesis score MD 1.97, 95% CI 1.60 to 2.33; 266 participants, 3 RCTs; moderate-certainty evidence). The rate of visceral and vascular injury was probably similar with both techniques (SILA 0/168 versus 4/169; OR 0.20, 95% CI 0.02 to 1.79; 337 participants, 3 RCTs; moderate-certainty evidence). The conversion rate to CLA or open surgery may be higher for SILA procedures than the conversion rate from CLA to open surgery (SILA 32/574 versus CLA 7/569; OR 2.95, 95% CI 1.36 to 6.42; 1143 participants, 9 RCTs; low-certainty evidence). Use of an additional port site was probably more likely with SILA compared to CLA (SILA 28/328 versus CLA 4/336; OR 3.80, 95% CI 1.13 to 12.72; 664 participants, 5 RCTs; moderate-certainty evidence). Mean hospital stay in days was possibly marginally improved with SILA (mean length of stay in hospital for SILA 2.25 days versus 2.29 days for CLA patients; MD -0.13, 95% CI -0.23 to -0.03; 1241 participants, 10 RCTs; moderate-certainty evidence) and time to return to normal activities was probably similar in both groups (SILA 9.28 days versus CLA 10.0 days; MD -0.59, 95% CI -1.99 to 0.81; 451 participants, 4 RCTs; moderate-certainty evidence). We have low-to-moderate confidence in our findings due to differences in the measurement of certain outcomes, and lack of blinding in the studies, which makes them prone to performance bias. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: There is low-to-moderate certainty evidence that single-incision laparoscopic appendicectomy is comparable to conventional laparoscopic appendicectomy in terms of complications, length of hospital stay, return to normal activities, and postoperative pain in the first 24 hours. The disadvantage of SILA may be a higher conversion rate, but SILA is probably associated with better patient cosmetic satisfaction.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Carbon and Oxygen Isotope Variations Within Carbonate Lithofacies: An Example from the Early Triassic Lower Mahil Formation (Upper Khuff-Equivalent) of Al Jabal Al-Akhdar, North Oman, Sultanate of Oman

  Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation/Advances in science, technology & innovation · 2025-01-01

  book-chapter
  PublisherDOI

• Fixation of the Volar Ulnar Corner in Distal Radius Fractures: A Comparative Study

  Hand · 2025-03-27

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to compare outcomes of distal radius fractures with a volar ulnar corner (VUC) component treated with standard volar plating or by specific VUC fixation. This study investigated outcomes, radiographic measures, and specialty-based preference associated with surgical treatment of VUC injuries using VUC-specific fixation versus nonspecific VUC fixation. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed outcomes for 39 patients with a distal radius fracture with VUC component at a level-1 trauma center over 10 years, 2011-2021. Patients underwent either VUC-specific fixation with implants such as a volar rim plate, or with a standard volar plate. The primary outcome of this study was fixation failure and need for revision. Secondary outcomes included complication rate, radiographic alignment, and differences in fixation based on fellowship training. RESULTS: Sixteen of the 39 patients studied had undergone VUC-specific fixation, with a significantly higher rate of use of VUC-specific fixation in fellowship trained hand surgeons compared with fellowship-trained trauma surgeons. There was no significant difference in loss of reduction, revision surgery, or complications. Radiographic measures were statistically similar between both groups postoperatively. Trauma trained surgeons had a significantly increased postoperative radial inclination versus hand-trained surgeons. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that not all VUC injuries require specific VUC fixation, and we may be overtreating distal radius fractures that have a VUC component. Fellowship-trained hand surgeons are more likely to employ VUC-specific fixation methods. Additional studies are warranted to determine whether other considerations such as dynamic testing intraoperatively are worthwhile.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Depth of Invasion in Early Oral Cancer: Is 4MM a Threshold for Elective Neck Dissection?

  Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery · 2024-07-24 · 2 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Khalid Abozguia

  Marshall University

  157 shared

• Michael Frenneaux

  152 shared

• A Henning

  110 shared

• Abdul Maher

  107 shared

• Houman Ashrafian

  University of Oxford

  102 shared

• Thanh Trung Phan

  Royal Stoke University Hospital

  91 shared

• Perry Elliott

  St Bartholomew's Hospital

  88 shared

• William J. McKenna

  University College London

  86 shared

Education

• M.D., Orthopaedics Surgery

  Temple University School of Medicine

• Other

  Dow Medical College

  2001