Surgical Conference Research Articles

Quality assessment conferences in surgery

Surgical complications are preventable in up to 50% of cases, actually are various tools to avoid them, one of these are morbidity and mortality conferences. However, there are no guides that define their structure for them to be effective. Objective; Analyze the impact of a new modality of surgical conferences in a sector of benign biliary pathology, called quality evaluation conferences. Methodology: Descriptive observational study where the overall improvement of the sector, the decrease in complications and the quality of patient care are compared. For 6 months, a weekly quality evaluation conference was carried out. It had 5 stages; 1. Analysis of all discharged patients. 2. Review of adverse events. 3. Review of the list and order of patients in the surgical plan. 4. Reproduction of recorded surgeries and review of scientific articles. 5. Review of own scientific works in development. after implementing the conferences, there was a decrease in the number and severity of complications, as well as an improvement in the correct and timely surgical indication. Conclusion; Quality evaluation workshops as an evolution of morbidity and mortality workshops are a novel tool that, when well implemented, can help improve quality standards and in turn be used as a learning option in training centers.

Australasian Students' Surgical Conference (ASSC) 2024 Christchurch

Australasian Students' Surgical Conference (ASSC) 2024 Christchurch

Can We Address the Economic Burden of Attending a Surgical Conference?

Can We Address the Economic Burden of Attending a Surgical Conference?

814 If You Want to Go Far, Go Together: Student Perception of Joint Medical and Surgical Education Programmes

Abstract Aim Medical students have varied specialty interests which acts as a barrier to undergraduate engagement at specialty-specific conferences. The Tomorrow's Doctors 2023 conference, hosted at The Royal Society of Medicine, aimed to improve students’ understanding of current innovations across multiple medical and surgical specialties. The aim of this study is to determine student perception of a combined medical and surgical conference. Method The two-day conference consisted of 8 talks and 8 workshops. Feedback was collected following each day using online questionnaires. Each questionnaire was specific to the agenda of that day. Quantitative and qualitative feedback was collected on students’ perception of combined medical and surgical conferences for undergraduate students. Free-text responses underwent thematic analysis. Results There were 90 delegates on day one and 85 delegates on day two from 16 medical schools. Post-conference feedback was completed by 45 (50.0%) and 42 (49.4%) attendees for days one and two respectively. 82.2% of day one and 88.1% of day two respondents agreed that joint medical and surgical conferences were beneficial for medical students. Thematic analysis of post-conference free-text responses revealed the commonest themes for favouring joint medical and surgical conferences were ability to explore both medical and surgical interests (52.5%), supports career progression (27.5%) and practical application of knowledge gained (17.5%). Conclusions Our feedback demonstrates that joint medical and surgical conferences are perceived as beneficial by current medical students. Future undergraduate conferences should adopt a combined approach to allow students to explore their varied interests and subsequently facilitate informed specialty selection.

Effectiveness of the uChicago Health Inequity Classification System on surgical morbidity and mortality conference: A pilot study

BackgroundAcross surgery, marginalized individuals experience worse postoperative outcomes. These disparities stem from the interplay between multiple factors. MethodsWe introduced a novel framework to assess the role of barriers to access and bias in surgical complications (the uChicago Health Inequity Classification System, CHI-CS) in the setting of morbidity and mortality conference and assessed impact through pre and post implementation surveys. ResultsAccess and bias were related to surgical complications in 14 ​% of cases. 97 ​% reported enhanced M&M presentations with the grading system, and 47 ​% reported a change in decision-making or practice style. Although post-implementation response rate was low, there were improvements in self-reported confidence and comfort in recognizing and discussing these issues. ConclusionsImplementation of the CHI-CS framework to discuss bias and access to care positively impacted the way providers view, discuss, and process health inequities.

46 The Impact of a Student Led Surgical Conference on Student Knowledge and Interest in Surgical Training

46 The Impact of a Student Led Surgical Conference on Student Knowledge and Interest in Surgical Training

Isolated rheumatic tricuspid valve regurgitation: it is only rare not just a myth: rare case report

BackgroundIsolated rheumatic tricuspid regurgitation (IRTR) is a rare condition that can manifest as right heart failure (RHF) and pulmonary hypertension (PH) symptoms. Diagnosing and treating IRTR in cases of latent RHD can be a challenge and crucial for future research to establish new guidelines for echocardiography in RHD that focus not only on the mitral and aorta but also the tricuspid valve.Case presentationA young female patient with clinical symptoms of RHF suspected IRTR due to latent RHD from echocardiography. Echocardiography revealed significant thickening and calcification of all tricuspid valve (TV) leaflets, with partial prolapse posterior leaflet and severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR) with a high probability of PH, no significant anatomical and functional abnormality pulmonary valve (PV), mitral valve (MV), and aortic valve (AV). She was administered daily doses of Ramipril, bisoprolol, spironolactone, and furosemide. Although she received therapy, she persisted in suffering dyspnea when doing mild physical activity (NYHA functional class III). She was admitted to the surgical conference, due to our center’s limitation of percutaneous intervention for valve replacement, and she was approved to undergo tricuspid valve replacement (TVR) surgery.ConclusionsEchocardiography plays a crucial role in identifying latent RHD. Isolated rheumatic TR shows echocardiographic results similar to rheumatic mitral regurgitation, except for the presence of a high-velocity jet. Diuretics temporarily slow symptoms, but disease progression remains uncertain. TV surgery is effective for severe symptoms, but isolated TVR is rare and has a poor prognosis.

AB056. SOH24AB_012. The impact of a student led surgical conference on student knowledge and interest in surgical training

AB056. SOH24AB_012. The impact of a student led surgical conference on student knowledge and interest in surgical training

Third national surgical consensus conference of the Italian Association of Breast Surgeons (ANISC) on management after neoadjuvant chemotherapy: The difficulty in reaching a consensus

IntroductionNeoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) has a profound impact on surgical management of breast cancer. For this reason, the Italian Association of Breast Surgeons (ANISC) promoted the third national Consensus Conference on this subject, open to multidisciplinary specialists. Materials and methodsThe Consensus Conference was held on-line in November 2022, and after an introductory session with five core-team experts, participants were asked to vote on eleven controversial issues, while results were collected in real-time with a polling system. ResultsA total of 164 dedicated specialists from 74 Breast Centers participated. Consensus was reached for only three of the eleven issues, including: 1) the indication to assess the response with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (79 %); 2) the need to re-assess the biological factors of the residual tumor if present (96 %); 3) the possibility of omitting a formal axillary node dissection for cN1 patients if a pathologic Complete Response (pCR) was confirmed with analysis of one or more sentinel lymph nodes (82 %). The majority voted in favor of mapping both the breast and nodal lesions pre-NAC (59 %), and against the omission of sentinel lymph node biopsy in cN0 patients in the case of pathologic or clinical Complete Response (69 %). In cases of cT3/cN1+ tumors with pCR, only 8 % of participants considered appropriate the omission of Post-Mastectomy Radiation Therapy. ConclusionThere is still a wide variability in surgical approaches after NAC in the “real world”. As NAC is increasingly used, multidisciplinary teams should be attuned to conforming their procedures to the rapid advances in this field.

Prescriber decision-making on antithrombotic therapy after endovascular intervention for peripheral artery disease: a protocol for a discrete choice experiment

IntroductionPeripheral artery disease (PAD) is a major risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, despite surgical and endovascular treatments. Emerging evidence supports the use of immediate antithrombotic medications after endovascular...

AORN Global Surgical Conference & Expo 2024 Speaker Interviews.

AORN Global Surgical Conference & Expo 2024 Speaker Interviews.

Meeting abstracts of the 1st Surgical AI Conference

Meeting abstracts of the 1st Surgical AI Conference

Engagement Opportunities at the AORN Global Surgical Conference & Expo 2024.

Engagement Opportunities at the AORN Global Surgical Conference & Expo 2024.

AORN Global Surgical Conference & Expo 2024 Speaker Interviews.

AORN Global Surgical Conference & Expo 2024 Speaker Interviews.

The 30th Albanian Surgical Conference & the 7th Albanian Congress of Trauma and Emergency Surgery


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 The 30th Albanian Surgical Conference (ACS 2023) and the 7th Albanian Congress of Trauma and Emergency Surgery (ACTES 2023) represent a significant milestone in the medical community. These concurrent events provide a platform for the exchange of knowledge, collaboration, and the advancement of surgical science in Albania.
 ACS 2023 & ACTES 2023 gather experts, scholars, practitioners, and enthusiasts from the field of surgery, both in traumatic and non-traumatic areas, in the vibrant city of Tirana. The comprehensive program encompasses a diverse range of surgical topics, from abdominal and chest injuries to vascular injuries, emergency surgery, and the challenge of nurse services in the new millennium.
 The theme of this year's events, "Surgery and not only...," reflects the commitment to innovation, best practices, and groundbreaking discoveries. The programs include plenary sessions with renowned experts, scientific presentations, panel discussions, networking opportunities, an industry exhibition, poster awards, cultural and social activities, and Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits.
 Participants can expect a professionally enriching experience that also offers personal rewards. ACS 2023 & ACTES 2023 value the role of each attendee in contributing to the advancement of surgical knowledge and patient care. The events promise to chart new horizons in the field of surgery and foster international collaboration.
 The 30th Albanian Surgical Conference and the 7th Albanian Congress of Trauma and Emergency Surgery are poised to create lasting memories, and their success hinges on the active participation of every attendee. It is an opportunity to inspire, collaborate, and make a lasting impact on surgical care worldwide.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Financial Barriers to Surgical Conferences: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Registration Fees.

Scientific meetings provide much educational value to participants of all career stages. There is a paucity of literature surrounding the costs of attending scientific meetings and how this may affect participation, especially among trainees. The objective of this study is to assess the accessibility of surgical conferences for attendees by analyzing costs related to surgical society membership and conference registration. Societal membership and conference registration fee data were collected according to career stage (i.e., student, resident, fellow, and staff) for the fourteen surgical specialties recognized by the American College of Surgeons (ACS). Fees for participants from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and for virtual-only attendance options were also collected when available. Overall, we included data from 46 surgical societies (32 North American, 14 European or global). The median conference fees for students in the member and non-member categories were 191.55 USD (IQR 42.22-320.99) and 452.40 USD (IQR 294.06-555.00), respectively, representing a 136.2% price increase if not a member. Median conference fees for residents, fellows, and staff in the member category were 65.5%, 66.9%, and 230.9% greater than that for students, respectively. Median prices for residents, fellows, and staff in the non-member category were 49.9%, 54.9%, and 49.9% greater than that for member trainees of the same category, respectively. Our results highlight the substantial costs associated with attending surgical conferences, especially for trainees, representing a significant barrier to already financially burdened trainees, especially those from LMICs, smaller institutions, or less well-off backgrounds.

Protocol for a double-blinded randomised controlled trial investigating the use of adjunct bicarbonate in carpal tunnel release: a single-centre study

IntroductionThis study aims to compare the effectiveness of buffered and non-buffered long-acting local anaesthetics in pain relief during and after carpal tunnel release (CTR) surgery. Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is...

318 Advancing Surgery in Africa Through Education, Mentorship and Research; the Surgery Interest Group of Africa (SIGAf)

Abstract Aim Peer-to-peer surgical education has improved remarkably over the last decade with the aid of interest groups and charity organisations such as ASiT, IncisioN, NANSIG, and StarSURG. Despite these advances, there remains a lack of collaborative interest groups tailored to improving surgical education in Africa. The Surgery Interest Group of Africa (SIGAf) was established in response, and this study assesses its benefits in research, education, and mentorship. Method Feedback data from over 20 virtual sessions grouped into six categories over seven months in 2022 were analysed in this study. The categories included the surgical conference (Exposure to African Surgery), Career talks, Surgical lecture series, Exam preparation lectures, Research and audit lectures and Journal club activities. Data on participant confidence levels, helpfulness, engagement, and interest in the lecture content were examined using a 5-point Likert scale. Results 705 responses were recorded across the six categories. The participants’ confidence level increased from an indeterminate pre-session to a statistically significant fairly confident level post-session. The attendees perceived the conference, career talks, lecture series, and journal club activities as helpful and had the highest level of interest. The surgical conference, career talk and surgical lecture series all had a reasonably good engagement. Conclusions This study has shown that the virtual sessions held by the Surgery Interest Group of Africa aimed at advancing surgery across the continent through education, mentorship, and research have achieved reasonable success.

1278 MANELS: A Retrospective, Multi-National, Longitudinal Study for Quantitative Analysis of Gender Distribution in Speakers at Major Pan-Specialty Surgical Conferences

Abstract Aim Although the proportion of female medical students worldwide is increasing, only an estimated 35% of UK surgical trainees are female, and only 14% of consultant surgeons – these statistics are similar globally. This study aims to quantify the gender distribution in invited speakers and panellists at international pan-specialty surgical conferences in recent years. Method Retrospective analysis of annual meetings organised by 5 international surgical organizations between January 2016 and December 2021 was conducted. Male and female faculty were academically stratified according to mean publications, citations, and H-index. A manel was defined as a session with ≥ 2 speakers, all of whom are men. Sex was determined by specific speaker title in conference program, online autobiography, or Gender Balance Assessment Tool (GBAT). Results Between 22 conferences, there were 1978 invited speakers, of which 25.6% (n = 506) were female. Of the included 74 panel sessions, 48.6% (n = 36) were manels. When considering the gender of invited lecture speakers, there was no significant difference in their mean H-indices (M = 33.4, F = 27.8, p = 0.063) or mean total publications (M = 205.6, F = 169.9). Male invited lecturers had a significantly higher number of citations (M = 7944.7, F = 4211.7, p = 0.025). There was a significant decrease in the proportion of manels between 2016 and 2021 (p = 0.01). Conclusions Despite the increasing representation of women in surgery, only one quarter of invited speakers were female and almost half of panels with two or more speakers were manels despite no difference in speaker H-index or publications. This study highlights the need for new strategies and concerted efforts to increase female representation at surgical conferences.

546 Gender Distribution of Invited Speakers at Major General Surgical Conferences: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Abstract Aim Disparity within gender distribution in surgery manifests underrepresentation of women at the top of their field. Despite increasing women entering the profession, decreased academic representation of women stresses the importance of closing the gender gap. This study aimed to quantify gender distribution of speakers and prevalence of all-male panels (“manels”) at major general surgical conferences. Method Data were collected and analysed retrospectively across four annual general surgical meetings held between 2016 and 2021. Male and female faculty amongst these were academically stratified by mean number of publications, citations and H-index. A ‘MANEL’ was identified as a session with two or more speakers, all identifying as men. Results In total, the 14 conferences across 4 annual meetings identified 454 sessions delivered by 2346 speakers. On average, 21.5% (n = 505) of these were identified as female. From 357 panels, 35.3% (n = 126) of these were identified as manels. No statistically significant difference in percentage of manels was observed between online versus in person conferences (online 42.9% (n = 24), in person 35.8% (n = 96); p = 0.321). Male invited lecturers indicated a significantly higher H-index than female invited lecturers (male = 31.5 vs female = 19.4; p<0.05). No statistically significant difference in the percentage of manels was observed over time (28.3% in 2016, 33.3% in 2021; p = 0.448). Conclusions This provides an evidence basis supporting the underrepresentation of females within major general surgical meetings is a recurring issue despite improvement. This study aims to explicitly highlight the necessity for greater gender distribution and diversity across the general surgical discipline.