Objective: Surgical site infections (SSIs) are among the most common healthcare-associated infections occurring following 1%-3% of all surgical procedures. Their rates are the highest following abdominal surgery. They are still associated with increased morbidity and healthcare costs despite the advancement in the medical field. Many risk factors for SSIs following abdominal surgery have been identified. The aim of this study is to comprehensively assess these risk factors as published in peer-reviewed journals.
Design: A systematic review was conducted with accordance to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines.
Setting: The databases for search were PubMed and Cochrane Library, in addition to reference lists. Studies were retrieved and assessed for their quality. Data were extracted in a designed form, and a stratified synthesis of data was conducted to report the significant risk factors.
Participants: Patients undergoing general abdominal surgery.
Intervention: The intervention of general abdominal surgery.
Main outcome measures: To identify and assess the risk factors for SSI following abdominal surgery.
Results: Literature search yielded 813 articles, and the final screening process identified 11 eligible studies. The total number of patients is 11 996. The rates of SSI ranged from 4.09% to 26.7%. Nine studies were assessed to be of high quality, the remaining two studies have moderate quality. Stratified synthesis of data was performed for risk factors using summary measures (OR/risk ratio, 95% CI, and p value). Male sex and increased body mass index (BMI) were identified as significant demographic risk factors, and long operative time was among the major significant procedure-related risk factors.
Conclusions: Male sex, increased BMI, diabetes, smoking, American Society of Anesthesiologists classification of >2, low albumin level, low haemoglobin level, preoperative hospital stay, long operative time, emergency procedure, open surgical approach, increased wound class, intraoperative blood loss, perioperative infection, perioperative blood transfusion, and use of drains are potential independent risk factors for SSI following abdominal surgery.
Objectives: This report describes the use of an Everolimus-eluting stent (Xience Skypoint stent) for the treatment of medically-refractory ICAD.
Design: Retrospective, case-series.
Setting: In-hospital patients.
Participants: All patients in this report had a history of stroke secondary to ICAD. All patients failed aggressive medical treatments and had recurrence of symptoms despite anticoagulation or dual-antiplatelet therapy plus a statin. Diagnostic angiogram in each case showed severe vessel stenosis, therefore patients were recommended for intracranial artery stenting.
Main outcome measures: Technical feasibility of deploying Xience Skypoint stent for treatmet of ICAD.
Results: The Xience Skypoint stent was safely and effectively deployed in the vertebral artery (x1) and the internal carotid artery (x2) using trans-ulnar (x1), trans-radial (x1), and trans-femoral (x1) approaches without the use of an intermediate catheter.
Conclusion: Second-generation EES such as Xience Skypoint may be utilized for treatment of medically-refractory ICAD. This technical report serves as a proof of concept for further studies analysing long-term safety and efficacy of such stents for treatment of ICAD.
Objectives: While procedure length is considered an important metric for cardiothoracic surgical procedures, the relationship between procedure length and adverse events (AEs) in congenital cardiac catheterizations has little published data available. Furthermore, most existing congenital cardiac catheterization risk prediction models are built on logistic regression models. This study aimed to characterize the relationship between case length and AE occurrence in congenital cardiac catheterization while adjusting for known risk factors and to investigate the potential role of non-linear analysis in risk modeling.
Design: Age, case type, and procedure duration were evaluated for relationships with the primary outcome using logistic regression. Non-linearity of the associations with continuous risk factors was assessed using restricted cubic spline transformations.
Setting and participants: All diagnostic and interventional congenital cardiac catheterization cases performed at Boston Children's Hospital between January 1, 2014 and October 31, 2019 were analyzed.
Main outcome measure: The primary outcome was defined as the occurrence of any clinically significant (level 3/4/5) AE.
Results: A total of 7011 catheterization cases met inclusion criteria, with interventional procedures accounting for 68% of cases. Median case duration was 97 min. A multivariable model including age, procedure type, and case duration showed a significant relationship between case duration and AE occurrence (OR 1.07 per 10 min increase, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.09, p<0.001).
Conclusions: This study demonstrated the importance of procedure duration as a potential frontier for procedure risk management. Better understanding of the role of procedure duration in cardiac catheterizations may provide opportunities for quality improvement in patient safety and resource planning.
Objectives: Workplace-based assessment (WBA) is a key requirement of competency-based medical education in postgraduate surgical education. Although simulated workplace-based assessment (SWBA) has been proposed to complement WBA, it is insufficiently adopted in surgical education. In particular, approaches to criterion-referenced and automated assessment of intraoperative surgical competency in contextualized SWBA settings are missing.Main objectives were (1) application of the universal framework of intraoperative performance and exemplary adaptation to spine surgery (vertebroplasty); (2) development of computer-assisted assessment based on criterion-referenced metrics; and (3) implementation in contextualized, team-based operating room (OR) simulation, and evaluation of validity.
Design: Multistage development and assessment study: (1) expert-based definition of performance indicators based on framework's performance domains; (2) development of respective assessment metrics based on preoperative planning and intraoperative performance data; (3) implementation in mixed-reality OR simulation and assessment of surgeons operating in a confederate team. Statistical analyses included internal consistency and interdomain associations, correlations with experience, and technical and non-technical performances.
Setting: Surgical simulation center. Full surgical team set-up within mixed-reality OR simulation.
Participants: Eleven surgeons were recruited from two teaching hospitals. Eligibility criteria included surgical specialists in orthopedic, trauma, or neurosurgery with prior VP or kyphoplasty experience.
Main outcome measures: Computer-assisted assessment of surgeons' intraoperative performance.
Results: Performance scores were associated with surgeons' experience, observational assessment (Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skill) scores and overall pass/fail ratings. Results provide strong evidence for validity of our computer-assisted SWBA approach. Diverse indicators of surgeons' technical and non-technical performances could be quantified and captured.
Conclusions: This study is the first to investigate computer-assisted assessment based on a competency framework in authentic, contextualized team-based OR simulation. Our approach discriminates surgical competency across the domains of intraoperative performance. It advances previous automated assessment based on the use of current surgical simulators in decontextualized settings. Our findings inform future use of computer-assisted multidomain competency assessments of surgeons using SWBA approaches.
Objectives: This study aimed to develop the actual pathway to reporting and information transfer in operating theatres in relation to medical technology malfunction/failure. This with the aim of understanding the differences with the pathway published by NHS Improvement and identification of points for improvement.
Design: This is a qualitative study involving stakeholder interviews with doctors, nurses, manufacturers, medical device safety officer and Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.
Setting: Data were collected on reporting pathway used in operating theatres. Clinical staff who took part worked in different trusts throughout UK while manufacturers provided devices in UK and EU/USA.
Participants: Semistructured interviews were completed with 15 clinicians and 13 manufacturers. Surveys were completed by 38 clinicians and 5 manufacturers. Recognised methods of pathway development were used. The Lean Six Sigma principles adapted to healthcare were used to develop suggestions for improvement.
Main outcome measures: To identify the differences between the set pathway to reporting and information transfer to what is occurring on a day-to-day basis as reported by staff. Identify points in the pathway where improvements could be applied.
Results: The developed pathway demonstrated great complexity of the current reporting system for medical devices. It identified numerous areas that give rise to problems and multiple biases in decision making. This highlighted the core issues leading to under-reporting and lack of knowledge on device performance and patient risk. Suggestions for improvement were deduced based on end user requirements and identified problems.
Conclusions: This study has provided a detailed understanding of the key problem areas that exist within the current reporting system for medical devices and technology. The developed pathway sets to address the key problems to improve reporting outcomes. The identification of pathway differences between 'work as done' and 'work as imagined' can lead to development of quality improvements that could be systematically applied.
Objective: To avoid the need for extensive adhesiolysis in patients with small bowel obstruction (SBO). We evaluated the feasibility of using advanced imaging, percutaneous access, and endoscopy as alternative therapies for SBO.
Design: Retrospective case series (IDEAL [Idea, Development, Exploration, Assessment, and Long-term Study Collaborative] stages 1 and 2a).
Setting: Single tertiary referral center.
Participants: Twelve adults with chronic SBO resulting from inflammatory bowel disease, disseminated cancer, radiation, and/or adhesive disease. Participants were included if they underwent one of three novel access procedures. There were no exclusion criteria. The median age of participants was 67.5 years (range 42-81); two-thirds were women; and median American Society of Anesthesiology class was 3.
Interventions: All participants underwent one of three novel access methods, followed by wire-guided balloon dilation of a narrowed area of small bowel. These methods combined endoscopic, fluoroscopic, and surgical techniques. The techniques were (1) a purely endoscopic approach aided by an over-the-scope double-balloon device, (2) a combined endoscopic and percutaneous approach, and (3) a cut-down approach.
Main outcome measures: Procedural success (defined as successful access to the small bowel and successful balloon dilation of the stenotic area). Secondary outcomes included major complications, recurrence, length of stay, and procedure time.
Results: Procedural success was achieved in 10 of 12 patients (83%). At the time of median follow-up of 10 months, recurrence of SBO was observed in two patients. In only one patient, the novel method did not change the treatment plan. No major complications occurred. Conventional operative intervention was avoided in all patients who achieved technical success with one of the novel approaches. The median postprocedure length of hospital stay was 4 days. Median procedure time was 135 min.
Conclusions: Novel minimally invasive approaches to SBO represent feasible alternatives to surgical procedures in select patients. Further study should compare these approaches to standard ones as new methods are refined.
Objectives: To describe a new, international, prospective surgical registry developed to accompany the clinical implementation of the Versius Robotic Surgical System by accumulating real-world evidence of its safety and effectiveness.
Interventions: This robotic surgical system was introduced in 2019 for its first live-human case. With its introduction, cumulative database enrollment was initiated across several surgical specialties, with systematic data collection via a secure online platform.
Main outcome measures: Pre-operative data include diagnosis, planned procedure(s), characteristics (age, sex, body mass index and disease status) and surgical history. Peri-operative data include operative time, intra-operative blood loss and use of blood transfusion products, intra-operative complications, conversion to an alternative technique, return to the operating room prior to discharge and length of hospital stay. Complications and mortality within 90 days of surgery are also recorded.
Results: The data collected in the registry are analyzed as comparative performance metrics, by meta-analyses or by individual surgeon performance using control method analysis. Continual monitoring of key performance indicators, using various types of analyses and outputs within the registry, have provided meaningful insights that help institutions, teams and individual surgeons to perform most effectively and ensure optimal patient safety.
Conclusions: Harnessing the power of large-scale, real-world registry data for routine surveillance of device performance in live-human surgery from first use will enhance the safety and efficacy outcomes of innovative surgical techniques. Data are crucial to driving the evolution of robot-assisted minimal access surgery while minimizing risk to patients.
Trial registration number: CTRI/2019/02/017872.