[THE ROLE OF SIMULATION IN SURGICAL TRAINING--A NEW ERA].

Surgical training, which was traditionally based on the apprentice model, is undergoing a fundamental change since the introduction of virtual reality simulators into the training program of surgical residents. With the introduction of these simulators we can expect to see an improvement in the surgical abilities of new surgeons and a decrease in costs--as seen in the aviation world. Virtual reality simulators include a visual and tactile interface which is meant to train young surgeons in full procedure before the actual surgery. The available operation encompasses a multitude of surgical disciplines--gynecology, urology, orthopedics, vascular surgery, general surgery and more. The simulator allows the surgeon to practice complicated procedures and to be exposed to emergency situations without risking the patient's life. We opened in the Carmel Medical Center a multi disciplinary simulation center 18 months ago. The center includes simulators for gynecology, orthopedics, urology, general surgery, vascular surgery and advanced cardiac life support. The center cooperates with the Faculty of Medicine at the Technion in order to train young surgeons in all surgical disciplines. In this period of time we followed the improvement in the endoscopic abilities of the basic skills course participants.

High positive antibody titers and adverse pregnancy outcome in women with antiphospholipid syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), high positive antibody titers are associated with adverse pregnancy outcome. DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study of prospectively collected data. SETTING: Sheba Medical Center, Israel, a tertiary referral center. POPULATION SAMPLE: Pregnant women with APS. METHODS: Anticardiolipin, a-ß2-glycoprotein I antibodies, and lupus anticoagulant were measured before pregnancy. Women were divided into those with antibody titers >four times the upper limit of normal (high positive titer, HPT group), and the rest, into the positive titer (PT) group. All women were treated with daily enoxaparin and aspirin. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Composite adverse fetal/neonatal outcome, defined as one or more of the following: fetal/neonatal loss, preterm birth ≤ 32 weeks, and birthweight below than 10th percentile. Composite adverse fetal/neonatal outcome was compared between the HPT and PT groups. Maternal adverse outcomes were also compared. RESULTS: 51 women with APS were followed during 55 pregnancies, 20 in the HPT and 35 in the PT groups. The two groups were similar with regard to previous obstetric and clinical characteristics. Among HPT women, only 7/20 (35%) pregnancies culminated in appropriately grown, live-born infants >32 weeks' gestation, compared with 27/35 (77%) PT pregnancies. The risk of adverse fetal/neonatal outcome was 5.7 times higher (95%CI 1.9-17.7) for HPT than for PT women. CONCLUSIONS: Pregnant women with APS and high positive antiphospholipid antibody titers are a unique and extremely high risk group for adverse fetal/neonatal outcome. Stricter surveillance and possibly additional therapy options should be explored for this patient population.

Analysis of serial coronary artery flow patterns early after primary angioplasty: new insights into the dynamics of the microcirculation.

BACKGROUND: The temporal behavior of the coronary microcirculation in acute myocardial infarction may affect outcome. Diastolic deceleration time and early systolic flow reversal derived from coronary artery blood flow velocity patterns reflect microcirculatory function. OBJECTIVES: To assess left anterior descending coronary artery flow velocity patterns using Doppler transthoracic echocardiography after primary percutaneous coronary intervention, in patients with anterior AMI. METHODS: Patterns of flow velocity patterns of the LAD were obtained using transthoracic echocardiography-Doppler in 31 consecutive patients who presented with anterior AMI. Measurements were done at 6 hours, 36-48 hours, and 5 days after successful PPCI. Measurements of DDT and pressure half times (Pt%), as well as observation for ESFR were performed. RESULTS: In the first 2 days following PPCI, the average DDT (600 +/- 340 msec) was shorter than on day 5 (807 +/- 332 msec) (P < 0.012), FVP in the first 2 days were dynamic and bidirectional: from short DDT (< 600 msec) to long DDT (> 600 msec) and vice versa. On day 5 most DDTs became longer. Pt1/2 at 6 hours was not different than at day 2 (174 +/- 96 vs. 193 +/- 99 msec, P = NS) and became longer on day 5 (235 +/- 98 msec, P = 0.012). Bidirectional patterns were also observed in the ESFR in 6 patients (19%) at baseline, in 4 (13%) at 36 hours, and in 2 (6.5%) on day 5 after PPCI. CONCLUSIONS: Flow velocity patterns of the LAD after PPCI in AMI are dynamic and reflect unpredictable changes in microcirculation.