Alfredo Verastegui

Dr. Alfredo Verastegui

Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Alabama, USA
+1
orcid

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

2Years (2025-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

View All Publications
2 October 2025 in Complications
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
STSibi Krishna Thiyagarajan
Sibi Krishna Thiyagarajan
Alfredo VerasteguiAlfredo Verastegui
Alfredo Verastegui
JSJohn A Stauffer
John A Stauffer
JJJ J
J J
Background: Despite advances in surgical techniques and perioperative care, pancreatic resections such as pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) and distal pancreatectomy (DP) remain high-risk procedures. Postoperative complications significantly impact morbidity, mortality, and patient quality of life. Methods: This narrative review summarizes recent literature on major complications following pancreatic surgery, including postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF), delayed gastric emptying (DGE), and post-pancreatectomy hemorrhage (PPH), with an emphasis on incidence, risk factors, outcomes, and current preventive strategies. Results: POPF is a leading complication, occurring in 5–22% of cases and often linked with sepsis and hemorrhage. Key risk factors include high BMI, soft pancreatic texture, and small duct size. Preventive measures like Pasireotide, modified anastomosis techniques, and neoadjuvant therapy show variable success. DGE affects up to 57% of PD patients and is associated with prolonged recovery; antecolic reconstruction and erythromycin may reduce incidence. PPH, though less frequent (3–13%), can be life-threatening, particularly when secondary to POPF. Endovascular approaches are now favored for late arterial bleeding. Other complications include wound infections, abscesses, bile leaks, and pulmonary issues, all contributing to extended hospital stays and diminished quality of life. Conclusions: Pancreatic surgery continues to carry significant risks, with POPF, DGE, and PPH being the most impactful complications. While multiple interventions have shown promise, standardized protocols and predictive tools are still needed. Surgery should be performed in high-volume centers with experienced multidisciplinary teams to optimize outcomes.

28 May 2025 in Annals of Vascular Surgery
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
OGOliver Antonio Gómez-Gutiérrez
Oliver Antonio Gómez-Gutiérrez
Alfredo VerasteguiAlfredo Verastegui
Alfredo Verastegui
MGMauricio Gonzalez-Urquijo
Mauricio Gonzalez-Urquijo
VMViviana Alejandra Mendoza-Villa
Viviana Alejandra Mendoza-Villa
CSCarolina Sulvaran-Flores
Carolina Sulvaran-Flores
ADAndrés Domínguez
Andrés Domínguez

18 December 2025 in Vascular Medicine
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
Alfredo VerasteguiAlfredo Verastegui
Alfredo Verastegui
RCRegina Castaneda
Regina Castaneda
OGOliver Antonio Gómez-Gutiérrez
Oliver Antonio Gómez-Gutiérrez
MGMauricio Gonzalez-Urquijo
Mauricio Gonzalez-Urquijo
OTOscar de la Torre
Oscar de la Torre
MFMario Alejandro Fabiani
Mario Alejandro Fabiani
Background: Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a global health challenge. Advances in artificial intelligence (AI), such as large language models (LLMs) and chain-of-thought (CoT) reasoning, offer novel approaches for clinical recommendations. This study compared the readability and guideline adherence of responses from physicians and AI for a standardized PAD case. Methods: This cross-sectional study gathered responses from 30 specialized physicians (11 cardiologists, 19 vascular surgeons) across seven Latin American countries and 13 LLM systems (10 standard, three CoT). Both groups addressed diagnosis, treatment, risks, and prognosis; LLMs responded as vascular specialists. Responses were blindly evaluated with five validated Spanish readability indices and compared to the 2024 ACC/AHA multisocietal PAD guideline. Three experts scored guideline adherence; nonparametric tests were applied. Results: Guideline adherence did not differ significantly between physicians (median 5.8 [3.4–7.6]) and LLMs (7.3 [4.7–9.7], p = 0.169), though CoT-LLMs achieved the highest scores (9.7 [8.5–11.0]). LLMs more often recommended supervised exercise (84.6% vs 30.0%, p = 0.002) and revascularization for quality of life (69.2% vs 20.0%, p = 0.004), whereas physicians favored cilostazol (60.0% vs 30.8%, p = 0.104). LLM responses had lower Readability μ values (46.9 vs 51.4, p = 0.012). Inter-rater reliability was highest for CoT-LLMs (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] = 0.98) versus physicians (ICC = 0.76). Conclusion: LLM showed comparable guideline adherence to physicians although CoT models achieved the highest scores. The difference in physician and AI treatment preferences suggest the potential of AI as adjunct clinical tools and warrants further study.

14 June 2026 in Obesity
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
RCRegina Castaneda
Regina Castaneda
DBDima Bechenati
Dima Bechenati
RGRENE DE JESUS RIVERA GUTIERREZ
RENE DE JESUS RIVERA GUTIERREZ
MEMaria A. Espinosa
Maria A. Espinosa
JVJose Villamarin
Jose Villamarin
MAMaria Daniela Hurtado Andrade
Maria Daniela Hurtado Andrade

3 September 2026 in Journal of the Endocrine Society
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
RGRENE DE JESUS RIVERA GUTIERREZ
RENE DE JESUS RIVERA GUTIERREZ
RCRegina Castaneda
Regina Castaneda
Alfredo VerasteguiAlfredo Verastegui
Alfredo Verastegui
WGWissam Ghusn
Wissam Ghusn
DBDima Bechenati
Dima Bechenati
MAMaria Daniela Hurtado Andrade
Maria Daniela Hurtado Andrade
Purpose: To evaluate the association of long-term, continuous tirzepatide use with cardiometabolic risk parameters and estimated 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk in real-world practice. Methods: This multicenter retrospective observational study included 1028 adults with overweight or obesity who received weekly subcutaneous tirzepatide for at least 12 months within the Mayo Clinic Health System from June 2022 through May 2024. Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk analyses included 275 individuals with complete baseline and 12-month follow-up data. Outcomes were changes in cardiometabolic parameters, estimated 10-year ASCVD risk, and ASCVD risk category. Results: At 12 months, median total body weight loss (TBWL) was 12.6%. Fasting glucose, HbA1c, triglycerides, and alanine aminotransferase decreased by 19.5%, 16.0%, 8.5%, and 10.6%, respectively, whereas HDL-cholesterol increased by 11.3% (all P < .001). Mean 10-year ASCVD risk did not change significantly overall (mean relative change, −3.7%; P = .18), but changes differed by TBWL category (analysis of variance, P < .001). Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk decreased among individuals achieving 10% to 20% TBWL (−9.6%; P = .009) and >20% TBWL (−14.2%; P = .005), but not among those achieving <10% TBWL (+7.7%; P = .22). Low-risk prevalence increased from 38.3% to 46.4% (P < .001), with 11.7% transitioning from higher-risk categories to low risk. Main findings: Continuous tirzepatide use for at least 12 months was associated with clinically meaningful improvements in cardiometabolic parameters. Reductions in estimated 10-year ASCVD risk were observed among individuals achieving at least 10% TBWL, supporting greater weight loss as an important marker of cardiovascular risk improvement.

5 January 2026 in Diabetology
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
RCRegina Castaneda
Regina Castaneda
DSDiego Sepulveda
Diego Sepulveda
RGRENE DE JESUS RIVERA GUTIERREZ
RENE DE JESUS RIVERA GUTIERREZ
JVJose Villamarin
Jose Villamarin
DBDima Bechenati
Dima Bechenati
MAMaria Daniela Hurtado Andrade
Maria Daniela Hurtado Andrade
Background/Objectives: Individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D) achieve less total body weight loss (TBWL) with obesity medications compared to those without T2D. The individualized metabolic surgery (IMS) score, originally developed to predict T2D remission after bariatric surgery, inversely correlates with TBWL response to semaglutide. IMS reflects T2D severity, incorporating HbA1c and T2D duration and medication use. This study aims to evaluate TBWL with tirzepatide across IMS severity categories and identify predictors of response in a real-world cohort. Methods: This retrospective analysis included 717 adults with T2D using tirzepatide for overweight or obesity within the Mayo Clinic Health System. Patients were stratified by IMS severity (mild, moderate, severe) and quartiles. Primary endpoint: TBWL% at 15 months. Secondary endpoints: categorical thresholds (≥5%, ≥10%, ≥15%, ≥20%) and predictors of TBWL%. Linear mixed-effects models and regression models were employed. Results: At 15 months, TBWL was greater in mild versus severe IMS groups (14.8% vs. 11.0%, p = 0.015), with similar trends across quartiles. The proportion achieving ≥ 20% TBWL was nearly two-fold higher in mild versus severe IMS (27% vs. 14%, p = 0.03). Female sex independently predicted greater TBWL, whereas insulin use, higher T2D medication burden (particularly weight-promoting agents), and HbA1c > 7% were associated with less TBWL. Conclusions: Tirzepatide produced clinically meaningful TBWL across all IMS categories, although TBWL declined with increasing IMS severity. Glycemic control and T2D medication use emerged as strong predictors of TBWL. The IMS score may serve as a practical tool to anticipate weight-loss trajectories, guide personalized treatment decisions, and inform patient counseling.