Surgical Team Members Research Articles

Simulation centers accreditation guidelines and good practice

AbstractIn 2005, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) launched an innovative program to accredit simulation centers based on rigorous standards and criteria. These standards and criteria were developed through an intense two‐year process that involved internationally‐renowned experts in the field of surgical simulation and individuals who were leading technical skills training centers in the US and Canada. We pilot‐tested the accreditation model, as well as the standards and criteria to ensure that they were robust and reliable. A few years ago we revised the accreditation model to one of continuing certification with longer accreditation cycles and detailed annual reports and targeted reviews as necessary. The accredited simulation centers are called ACS‐accredited Education Institutes given their broad scope of activities focusing on skills training, verification, and validation. The accreditation model includes two levels – comprehensive and basic, and there are different standards and criteria for each level of accreditation. The program has grown significantly and now includes 92 ACS‐accredited Education Institutes of which 82 are in the US and 10 in other regions of the world, including Canada, UK, Europe, Middle East, and Latin America. The program continues to grow and there is an annual meeting in Spring each year called the ACS Surgical Simulation Summit that provides opportunities to present scientific work, best practices, and latest advances in surgical simulation. In addition to the representatives from the ACS‐accredited Education Institutes, several other experts participate as well. The program continues to support the needs of practicing surgeons, surgery residents, medical students, and members of surgical teams. The ACS Division of Education looks forward to increasing international participation in this unique and one‐of‐a‐kind network.

P199 IS ROUTINE ICU ADMISSION NECESSARY AFTER TRANSTHORACIC ESOPHAGECTOMY FOR ESOPHAGEAL AND ESOPHAGOGASTRIC JUNCTION CANCER?

Abstract Aim We evaluated short-term outcomes of esophagectomy for esophageal and esophagogastric carcinoma without routine postoperative admission to Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Background & Methods esophagectomy is subject to high rates of complications and mortality even when performed in high-volume centers and conventional postoperative management often involves routine ICU admission according to recent guidelines and recommendations1 . From January 2018 to June 2019 a total of 112 esophagectomies were performed in the Upper GI Surgery division of Humanitas Research Hospital. We included the 83 patients that underwent transthoracic esophagectomy with a hybrid technique (laparoscopy + right thoracotomy) and high intrathoracic anastomosis for esophageal and esophagogastric junction cancer. Preoperative assessment included a prehabilitation program (nutritional evaluation, respiratory physiotherapy and adjustment of cardiologic therapy). Postoperatively, patients were managed by surgical team members. We retrospectively recorded data on necessity of ICU, operative times, complication rate (according to ECCG)2,3, length of hospital stay, in-hospital, 30-day and 90-day mortality. Results 68 patients were males and 15 females. Mean age was 65 years old (range 29-82). 67 patients underwent neoadjuvant therapy (49 chemo-radiotherapy, 18 chemotherapy alone). Postoperative ICU admission was necessary in 6 patients (9,5%), reasons for admission were necessity of ventilatory weaning in 2 patients, high lactate levels in one patient, glottic oedema following oro-tracheal intubation in one patient, while in the other cases ICU admission was planned for severe comorbidities. Mean duration of prehabilitation was 20.3 days (1-107). Mean surgery duration was 452.4 minutes (337-549). Overall complication rate was 33.8%, with the most common complications being atrial fibrillation (50% of all complications) and urinary retention (20%). There were two type I anastomotic leaks. Median length of hospital stay was 11 days (range 8-29). All patients were alive at 30 and 90 days after surgery. Conclusion routine ICU admission is not necessary after transthoracic esophagectomy for cancer in over 90% of patients. Careful patients’ evaluation, stratification of the surgical risk and systematic use of a prehabilitation program, along with adequate peri-operative management, can narrow the need for postoperative ICU admission in the setting of a high-volume centre without any impact on short-term outcomes.

Total hip arthroplasty planning.

Preoperative planning is mandatory to achieve the restoration of a correct and personalized biomechanics of the hip.The radiographic review is the first and fundamental step in the planning. Limb or pelvis malpositioning during the review results in mislead planning.Correct templating is possible using three different methods: acetate templating on digital X-ray, digital 2D templating on digital X-ray and 3D digital templating on CT scan.Time efficiency, costs, reproducibility and accuracy must be considered when comparing different templating methods. Based on these parameters, acetate templating should not be abandoned; digital templating allows a permanent record of planning and can be electronically viewed by different members of surgical team; 3D templating is intrinsically more accurate. There is no evidence in the few recently published studies that 3D templating impacts positively on clinical outcomes except in difficult cases.The transverse acetabular ligament (TAL) is a reliable intraoperative soft tissue reference to set cup position.Spine–hip relations in osteoarthritic patients undergoing hip joint replacement must be considered.Cite this article: EFORT Open Rev 2019;4:626-632. DOI: 10.1302/2058-5241.4.180075

IDENTIFYING BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS OF EXOSKELETON IMPLEMENTATION IN THE OPERATING ROOM.

Introduction Members of the surgical team experience musculoskeletal (MS) symptoms that impact occupational health. Although the prevalence of MS symptoms in this population is well-recognized, limited interventions with sustained success exist for the operating room (OR) environment. The purpose of this work was to determine the facilitators of and barriers to exoskeleton technology in the OR, as a potential intervention to reduce upper-body MS pain and discomfort for surgical team members. Methods After providing informed consent, participants completed a two-part study: focus groups and a simulated laparoscopic skills task while wearing a passive arm-support exoskeleton (Levitate AirFrameTM). Seven surgical residents, four surgical technicians, and two attending surgeons participated in this study. A script including questions on technology adoption, supporting workers tasks/job, and safety and health (adapted from Kim et al., 2016) was used to guide each focus group. Content analysis of the focus groups was completed by three study team members to identify relevant themes from participants’ responses, and two raters coded all remaining sessions. Subsequently, nine participants completed repetitions of the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery peg transfer task for 10 minutes wearing the noted exoskeleton. Afterwards, their overall impressions of the exoskeleton were assessed using the System Usability Scale (SUS; Brooke, 1996). Results/Discussion Four main themes related to the adoption of exoskeletons in the OR were identified: characteristics of individuals, benefits, barriers, and intervention characteristics. Theme 1: Characteristics of individuals. It was noted that implementation of exoskeletons would require a champion at an institution to spearhead the efforts. Additionally, individual curiosity and awareness of MS ergonomics problems were found as facilitators of adoption. Theme 2: Benefits. Expected long-term benefits of an exoskeleton were mentioned. Specifically, stakeholders anticipated a decrease in MS symptoms and expected that it would help with workforce retention and prevention of early retirement. The user role that was identified to most benefit from exoskeletons were the surgical assistants ( n = 9). Theme 3: Barriers. Seven categories of barriers were found. Safety and sterility were major concerns in the OR. Main concerns included ensuring that the arm cuffs were not in the area of surgical scrub (i.e., below the elbows) and the added bulk to wear inside the surgical gown. Furthermore, the factors of familiarity, perception, buy-in, and immediate results were noted to influence the use of an exoskeleton. Theme 4: Intervention characteristics. The theme of intervention characteristics was identified separately from benefits and barriers, as the categories in this theme could either help facilitate or hinder the adoption of exoskeletons in the OR. Workers reported that investment, specifically monetary, and maintenance of the equipment would likely influence wide-spread adoption. Usability of the exoskeleton was indicated as having a large influence on adoption. Workers in all roles noted that whether they adopt the exoskeleton during surgical procedures would depend on usability. The mean SUS score for the exoskeleton tested was 82.2 out of 100 ( SD = 7.9), which was within the acceptable range of usability. Passive exoskeleton technology has the potential to minimize MS symptoms and fatigue for the surgical team (Liu et al., 2018). The current work identified themes for adopting exoskeletons in the OR, and thus builds a better understanding of facilitators of and hinderances to stakeholders using this technology. Exoskeletons were suggested as having the potential to improve workforce retention and decrease MS symptoms. These results suggest that the use of arm-support exoskeletons can be valuable, though barriers such as cost and team member buy-in need to be addressed. Acknowledgements. This work was supported by Cooperative Agreement T42 OH008455, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the CDC or DHHS. The exoskeleton used in this study was loaned by the Levitate company; the company had no involvement in study design, analysis, or interpretation, nor the decision for publication.

HYGIENIC ASSESSMENT OF X-RAY AND LASER RADIATION AT SURGEONS’ WORKPLACES

Introduction. Modern surgery is a complex, multifaceted area of medicine that plays an important role in the struggle for health, working capacity and human life. In recent years, in surgery, much attention has been paid to the improvement and development of new surgical equipment, including that based on ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, its application range being widened, which allows patients being provided with high-tech and less traumatic procedures. However, the use of such equipment resulted in the appearance of new adverse occupational factors of ionizing and non-ionizing nature at the workplaces of surgical team members, which can have a negative effect on the personnel. Material and methods. Data of x-ray and laser radiation level studies at the workplaces of medical personnel in modern operating rooms are reported. Results. Total normalized power of the effective x-ray dose during the use of x-ray surgical unit at the workplaces of surgical teams in most cases was revealed not to exceed allowable dose rate, while in the process of certain procedures, such as vessel embolization, it can exceed allowable levels. The total annual effective radiation exposure dose of x-ray surgery teams depends on the number of performed operations, their type, complexity, and can exceed a basic radiation dose limit for A and B group personnel. The intensity of diffusely reflected laser radiation at workplaces of surgeons can significantly exceed maximum allowable levels, sometimes up to 600 times. Discussion. Considering an ever-gaining use of high-tech equipment generating laser and X-ray radiation and increasing number of exposed medical personnel, hygienic assessment of these radiation levels at workplaces of surgical team members and development of measures to improve working conditions is an important issue for maintaining workers’ health. Conclusion. To assess the occupational risk degree to the health of surgeons it is necessary to conduct in-depth studies of their health status.

1187 Utilizing Lean Methodology to Optimize Operating Room Efficiency: A Multidisciplinary Process-Mapping Exercise

Study Objective Optimizing surgical capacity while maintaining high quality patient care is an ongoing challenge in the operating room, particularly for complex procedures requiring significant resources, such as robotic hysterectomy. Process Mapping is a Quality Improvement (QI) strategy which can identify common barriers to surgical efficiency and quality of care by dividing a process into its individual components and analyzing each step separately. Our aim was to design an ideal-state intraoperative pathway for robotic hysterectomy in order to improve operating room efficiency and minimize case cancellation. Design Surgical care team members were invited to a meeting where process steps were evaluated and suggestions for improvements were identified. Various QI/LEAN methodologies were utilized including affinity diagrams with multi-voting, parallel processing strategies and checklist development. Setting Canadian tertiary-care academic hospital Patients or Participants A “current-state” process map for robotic hysterectomy was developed with input from the intraoperative care team consisting of gynecologists, anesthesiologists and nursing staff Interventions Output from the exercise included the design of a “future-state/ideal-state” process map incorporating proposed multidisciplinary strategies for improved efficiency and plans for subsequent implementation. Measurements and Main Results In the 5 months following introduction of the ideal-state process map, mean surgical case time for robotic hysterectomy decreased by 28 mins (11%) and case cancellation rate decreased by 70%. Mean case time, case cancellation rates and the acceptability of proposed interventions will be analyzed in a recurring fashion as part of a Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle. Conclusion A multi-disciplinary approach to improving operating room efficiency allowed for sharing of responsibility and improved communication between team members. Engagement of all stakeholders is fundamental to ensuring accurate analysis of current process flow and successful deployment of QI strategies. This process mapping exercise can be easily applied to other surgical procedures and expanded for use in surgical teaching and education.

Supporting Surgical Teams: Identifying Needs and Barriers for Exoskeleton Implementation in the Operating Room.

The objective of this study was to identify potential needs and barriers related to using exoskeletons to decrease musculoskeletal (MS) symptoms for workers in the operating room (OR). MS symptoms and injuries adversely impact worker health and performance in surgical environments. Half of the surgical team members (e.g., surgeons, nurses, trainees) report MS symptoms during and after surgery. Although the ergonomic risks in surgery are well recognized, little has been done to develop and sustain effective interventions. Surgical team members (n = 14) participated in focus groups, performed a 10-min simulated surgical task with a commercial upper-body exoskeleton, and then completed a usability questionnaire. Content analysis was conducted to determine relevant themes. Four themes were identified: (1) characteristics of individuals, (2) perceived benefits, (3) environmental/societal factors, and (4) intervention characteristics. Participants noted that exoskeletons would benefit workers who stand in prolonged, static postures (e.g., holding instruments for visualization) and indicated that they could foresee a long-term decrease in MS symptoms with the intervention. Specifically, raising awareness of exoskeletons for early-career workers and obtaining buy-in from team members may increase future adoption of this technology. Mean participant responses from the System Usability Scale was 81.3 out of 100 (SD = 8.1), which was in the acceptable range of usability. Adoption factors were identified to implement exoskeletons in the OR, such as the indicated need for exoskeletons and usability. Exoskeletons may be beneficial in the OR, but barriers such as maintenance and safety to adoption will need to be addressed. Findings from this work identify facilitators and barriers for sustained implementation of exoskeletons by surgical teams.

A Ward-Round Non-Technical Skills for Surgery (WANTSS) Taxonomy

Around half of surgical adverse events occur outside the operating room. However the majority of nontechnical skills (NTS) training programs have been developed for the intraoperative environment. Ward rounds are a crucial part of extraoperative care and to date no specific NTS training manual has been developed targeting emergency general surgical ward rounds. To develop a NTS taxonomy for emergency general surgical ward rounds that can be used to improve surgical team members' NTS and improve outcomes. A literature review of existing NTS taxonomies was conducted, followed by semistructured interviews and observational data collection, to determine good and poor surgical ward-round behaviors. These behaviors were reviewed by a panel of subject matter experts and categorized into a taxonomy, using the Non-Technical Skills for Surgeons taxonomy framework as a guide. The Ward-round Non-Technical Skills for Surgery taxonomy includes examples of good and poor ward-round-specific behaviors, grouped into elements and categories. The taxonomy can be used as both a training and teaching manual for the surgical team. Ward rounds are a crucial part of extraoperative surgical care. The Ward-round Non-Technical Skills for Surgery taxonomy provides surgical teams with a manual to help them improve their ward-round NTS.

Glove damage in total hip arthroplasty

Background. Glove damage during orthopedic operation can reach an incidence of 26.1%, whereas perforations in gloves go unnoticed by surgical team members in most cases (up to 82%), which certainly increases the risk of wound contamination and hemocontact infection transmission.
 Aim. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of glove damage among hip arthroplasty surgical team members, to identify the nature, location, and risk factors of damage to surgical gloves.
 Materials and methods. A total of 1418 surgical gloves (709 pairs) that were used by surgeons, assistants, and surgical nurses during 154 primary and revision total hip arthroplasty (THA) were included in the analysis in this study.
 Results. Damage to surgical gloves was observed in 69 (44.8%) operations: 54 operations of the primary THA (42.2%) and 15 revision THA (57.7%). Of 1418 gloves used, 95 were damaged (6.7%); 68 of 1166 gloves (5.8%) were damaged during primary hip arthroplasty and 27 of 252 gloves (10.7%) were damaged during revision THA. During primary and revision arthroplasties, glove perforations were observed in most cases: 83.6% and 85.7%, respectively. Most of the cases of glove damage were found in surgeons (45.2% of cases), and 41.1% and 13.7% of the cases of glove damage were experience by assistants and operating room nurses, respectively. The most frequent location of damage in the gloves was on the second finger of both hands: on the left, 40.3%, and on the right, 33.3%. Gloves were damaged in 42.1% of cases in primary arthroplasties lasting up to 70 min and in 42.3% of cases in those lasting more than 70 min. In revision hip arthroplasties lasting up to 95 min, gloves were damaged in 38.5%, and in revisions that lasted more than 95 min, in 76.9% cases.
 Discussion. Glove damage during revision THA most often occurs to the surgeon suturing the wound (87.4%) and usually remains unnoticed. Risk factors for glove damage are the length of the operations and the use of sharp tools, knitting needles, and wire.
 Conclusion. Use of apodactyl operational techniques and periodic change of surgical gloves can reduce the risk of damage to gloves and, as a result, reduce wound contamination and the transmission of blood-borne infections.

Effectiveness of a multicomponent safe surgery intervention on improving surgical quality in Tanzania’s Lake Zone: protocol for a quasi-experimental study

IntroductionEffective, scalable strategies for improving surgical quality are urgently needed in low-income and middle-income countries; however, there is a dearth of evidence about what strategies are most effective. This study...

Guideline Implementation: Sterile Technique

Establishing and maintaining a sterile field to help prevent surgical site infections requires specific knowledge and skills and is among the most important responsibilities of the perioperative RN. Perioperative RNs should remain vigilant in monitoring the sterile field, communicate when a break in sterile technique occurs, and collaborate with other surgical team members to correct the break in technique. The AORN "Guideline for sterile technique" provides guidance to perioperative personnel on the principles and processes of sterile technique. This article elaborates on key takeaways from the guideline, including using sterile technique when donning sterile gowns and gloves, delivering sterile items to the sterile field, using drapes to establish a sterile field, and maintaining the sterile field. Perioperative RNs should review the complete guideline for additional information and for guidance when writing and updating policies and procedures.

Operating Room Personnel Determine Efficiency of Pediatric Spinal Fusions for Scoliosis

Study DesignRetrospective chart review. ObjectivesTo investigate the effect of different surgeons, anesthesiologists, and cRNAs individually and in teams on various perioperative and operative time intervals in a large, high-volume children's hospital. Summary of Background DataAlong with individual factors, studies have indicated that team factors play a role in efficiency, with larger teams leading to increased procedure times. An operating room (OR) staff dedicated to orthopedics has been reported to decrease turnover time; however, the characteristics and behaviors of surgical team members, to our knowledge, have not been analyzed as possible factors contributing to pediatric OR efficiency, and limited research has been conducted in the field of orthopedic personnel. MethodsChart review identified consecutive pediatric and adolescent patients who had primary posterior spinal fusion (PSF) of ≥7 levels for correction of spinal deformity. Time intervals and delays were recorded based on previous studies looking at OR efficiency and adjusted to the specific time points available in our perioperative nursing records. ResultsAdjusted for etiology, osteotomy, fusion levels, distance from hospital, staff switch, and body mass index, there was a significant difference in patient wait time among anesthesiologists, surgeon-anesthesiologist, and anesthesiologist-certified registered nurse anesthetist (cRNA) teams; in surgery prep time and total prep among surgeons and SA teams; and in surgery time and total room time among surgeons. There were no significant differences among cRNAs, individually, in any time interval. ConclusionsAnesthesiologists have a significant effect before and surgeons have a significant effect after entry into the OR. Identification of this variability provides an opportunity to study the differences in habits and processes of high- and low-efficiency teams, which can then be applied to all teams with the goal of improving performance of all surgical teams. Level of EvidenceLevel IV, case series.

Concerns About Verbal Communication in the Operating Room: A Field Study

To assess verbal communication patterns which could contribute to poor performance among surgical team members in an operating room. There exist certain challenges in communication in health care settings. Poor communication can have negative effects on the performance of a surgical team and patient safety. A communication pattern may be associated with poor performance when the process of sending and receiving information is interrupted or the content of conversation is not useful. This cross-sectional field study was conducted with 54 surgical teams working in two Iranian hospitals during 2015. Two observers recorded all verbal communications in an operating room. An in-depth assessment of various annotated transcripts by an expert panel was used to assess verbal communication patterns in the operating room. Verbal communication patterns which could contribute to poor performance were observed in 63% of the surgeries, categorized as communication failures (17 events), protests (23 events), and irrelevant conversations (164 events). The anesthesiologists and the circulating nurses had the most concerning communication patterns. The failure of devices and poor planning were important factors that contributed to concerning patterns. Concerning patterns of verbal communication are not rare in operating rooms. Analyzing the annotated transcripts of surgeries can conduce to identifying all these patterns, and their causes. Concerning communication patterns can be reduced in the operating room by providing interventions, properly planning for surgeries, and fixing defective devices. The method used in this study can be followed to assess communication problems in operating rooms and to find solutions.

Retracted Article: Application of 3D printing technology in orthopedic medical implant - Spinal surgery as an example.

Additive manufacturing has been used in complex spinal surgical planning since the 1990s and is now increasingly utilized to produce surgical guides, templates, and more recently customized implants. Surgeons report beneficial impacts using additively manufactured biomodels as pre-operative planning aids as it generally provides a better representation of the patient’s anatomy than on-screen viewing of computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Furthermore, it has proven to be very beneficial in surgical training and in explaining complex deformity and surgical plans to patients/parents. This paper reviews the historical perspective, current use, and future directions in using additive manufacturing in complex spinal surgery cases. This review reflects the authors’ opinion of where the field is moving in light of the current literature. Despite the reported benefits of additive manufacturing for surgical planning in recent years, it remains a high niche market. This review raises the question as to why the use of this technology has not progressed more rapidly despite the reported advantages – decreased operating time, decreased radiation exposure to patients intraoperatively, improved overall surgical outcomes, pre-operative implant selection, as well as being an excellent communication aid for all medical and surgical team members. Increasingly, the greatest benefits of additive manufacturing technology in spinal surgery are custom-designed drill guides, templates for pedicle screw placement, and customized patient-specific implants. In view of these applications, additive manufacturing technology could potentially revolutionize health care in the near future.

Surgeon as Programmer: Overcoming Obstacles to the Use of Modern Internet Technology for Cardiothoracic Surgery

Leveraging Internet technologies for academic activities can be complex and expensive, costing tens of thousands of dollars. This report describes an experience in eliminating financial barriers and realizing the potential for a new paradigm in applications for surgical education and practice. After developing multiple surgical smartphone applications (apps), the report describes the acquisition of skill sets and resources to create state-of-the-art tools. Learning these techniques is nontrivial but is attainable and clearly defined. The report then discusses the trivial costs associated with complex software development, thereby opening new doors to creative uses of technology. Acquisition of coding skills for smartphones took approximately 100 hours. For a simple app without data storage, EuroSCORE (European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation), total programming time was 25 hours with no additional costs. The more complex autonomy evaluation app, Zwisch Me, was used to evaluate more than 1260 cases from 15 cardiothoracic surgery training programs between January 2016 and August 2018 by using smartphone apps for data collection and a Web dashboard for data reporting. During the first year, all enrollment and data reporting was done manually, at a cost of $124. Automating user enrollment and data reporting increased costs by roughly $240, for an annual expense of $364. Total programming time for this app was approximately 120 hours. Mobile software is underused in the academic surgical arena. The historically large financial barriers to adoption can be overcome by acquisition of coding skills by surgical team members. Direct physician involvement will spawn previously undreamed-of creative applications to enhance practice and education.

Video Technologies for Recording Open Surgery: A Systematic Review.

Video recording of surgical procedures is an important tool for surgical education, performance enhancement, and error analysis. Technology for video recording open surgery, however, is limited. The objective of this article is to provide an overview of the available literature regarding the various technologies used for intraoperative video recording of open surgery. A systematic review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines using the MEDLINE, Cochrane Central, and EMBASE databases. Two authors independently screened the titles and abstracts of the retrieved articles, and those that satisfied the defined inclusion criteria were selected for a full-text review. A total of 2275 publications were initially identified, and 110 were included in the final review. The included articles were categorized based on type of article, surgical subspecialty, type and positioning of camera, and limitations identified with their use. The most common article type was primary-technical (29%), and the dominant specialties were general surgery (22%) and plastic surgery (18%). The most commonly cited camera used was the GoPro (30%) positioned in a head-mount configuration (60%). Commonly cited limitations included poor video quality, inadequate battery life, light overexposure, obstruction by surgical team members, and excessive motion. Open surgery remains the mainstay of many surgical specialties today, and technological innovation is absolutely critical to fulfill the unmet need for better video capture of open surgery. The findings of this article will be valuable for guiding future development of novel technology for this purpose.

Craniofacial Approaches to Pediatric Orbital Tumors.

Primary pediatric orbital tumors requiring surgery are uncommon and often require multidisciplinary management. Commonly used surgical approaches to the orbit include transconjunctival, transcutaneous (eyelid), transcranial, or extracranial osteotomies. This paper reviews a 10-year experience of cases that required a transcranial or extracranial surgical approach at the Birmingham Children's Hospital. A total of 9 patients were identified between the years 2008 to 2017. Pathologies included rhabdomyosarcoma, juvenile ossifying fibroma, optic nerve glioma, and retinoblastoma. Surgical approaches to the orbit included supraorbital bar osteotomy (transcranial) or lateral orbitotomy (extracranial). Surgical team members included neurosurgery, craniofacial surgery, and ophthalmology. This study aims to review the role of surgery in management as well as the specific indications for performing transcranial or extracranial osteotomies. It also highlights the excellent access achieved with the use of these osteotomies in certain cases, especially when compared with transconjunctival or transcutaneous approaches.

Prof. Barbara L. Bass: what surgeons do is full of great joy and privilege!

Recent years have seen a fast track of growth in surgical skills and techniques across the broad medical disciplines. This is tailed after by the repeatedly highlighted and renewed concepts such as minimally invasive surgery, medical artificial intelligence, precision medicine and multidisciplinary team. With an aim to exchange the vast knowledge across borders and expedite studies in cutting-edge surgical practices, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Clinical Congress was held in Boston, MA, on October 21–25, 2018. Bringing together multi-disciplined surgeons, surgery residents, medical students and members of surgical teams from all over the world, the Congress sparked a whole bunch of ideas that is believed to benefit more patients worldwide.

Transformative Surgical Team Training

Introduction:Sudden onset disasters exceed the capabilities of local health services. Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs), including the Australian Medical Assistance Team (AUSMAT), are a vital element of the Australian Governments capacity to respond to regional and international sudden-onset disasters. AUSMAT has the capacity to deploy an EMT Type 2 surgical field hospital and has been successfully verified by the World Health Organisation (WHO). All AUSMAT members must complete AUSMAT Team Member training. The National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre, Darwin, Australia is responsible for all AUSMAT training.Aim:To educate and train the Surgical Team (perioperative nurses, surgeons, and anesthetists) in preparation for AUSMAT deployments in the austere environment.Methods:Prior to 2015, the surgical AUSMAT training was conducted via two courses: one for perioperative nurses and a separate course for surgeons and anesthetists. In 2015, the course was redesigned with the aim of collaborative training with all the Surgical Team Members. The new Surgical Team Course (STC) engages all three professions to learn alongside each other and discuss potential difficulties in techniques, the daily running of the operating room, and ethical discussions.Results:Since the rejuvenation of the STC, 15 surgeons, 17 anesthetists, and 18 perioperative nurses have completed the course. The attendees are familiarized with operational and clinical guidelines, the surgical field hospital, and operating room equipment including CSSD. A pivotal component of the course focuses on the essentials of medical records and Minimum Data Set reporting for EMTs as defined by WHO.Discussion:Since 2015, the NCCTRC has successfully run two courses. The revised collaborative model for AUSMAT STC has enhanced the quality of the program and subsequent learning experiences for participants.

Analyzing Communication Patterns of Surgical Team Members Based on the Surgical Safety Checklist in the Operation Room: The Case of 2018

Background: One of the most fundamental causes of medical errors is the lack of proper communication between the members of the treatment team. The World Health Organization (WHO) has introduced the surgical safety checklist (SSC) for surgical safety to provide a safe environment for patients undergoing surgery, improve communication between surgical team members, and prevent potential medical errors. Objectives: This study evaluated the communication patterns of surgical teams in order to examine the ways to implement various guidelines of the SSC. Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, a trained researcher attended 48 operations from late September to late November 2018. The observer recorded qualitatively the communication behaviors of the surgical team in implementing various items of the SSC. The observations were subsequently examined in two general categories of verbal and non-verbal communications. The surgical procedures were observed at three stages: patient’s admission until entry to the operating room, entry to the operating room until anesthesia induction, and anesthesia induction until patient’s transfer from the operating room. Results: In this study, 31 individuals took part in 48 different surgical teams. Observing the communication patterns revealed the lower frequency of verbal communication (13.27%) than that of non-verbal communication (32.12%). The most frequent failure in verbal communication occurred at the anesthesia induction stage (48.57%) and it was related to operating room equipment (6 out of 35 cases of failure). By contrast, the least frequent failure in verbal communication was associated with patient’s admission until entry to the operating room (17.14%). Conclusions: Various cases of communication failure were seen among surgical team members. It is proposed that appropriate training programs be devised to establish a successful communication environment for the correct use of SSC and further clarification of communication patterns in surgical procedures.