Response Process Validity Evidence for Video Commentary Assessment in Surgery: A Qualitative Study.

OBJECTIVES: Well-developed mental representations of a task are fundamental to proficient performance. 'Video Commentary' (VC) is a novel assessment intended to measure mental representations of surgical tasks that would reflect an important aspect of task proficiency. Whether examinees' actual response processes align with this intent remains unknown. As part of ongoing validation of the assessment, we sought to understand examinees' response processes in VC. DESIGN: Grounded theory qualitative study. In 2019, residents were interviewed about their understanding of and approach to VC. Using grounded theory, we created a theoretical model explaining relationships among factors that influence residents' response processes and performance. Residents' perceived purpose of VC was also explored using Likert-type questions. SETTING: Academic surgical residency program. PARTICIPANTS: Forty-eight surgical residents (PGY-1 to PGY-5). RESULTS: Analysis of narrative comments indicated that residents' perceived purposes of VC generally align with the educator's intent. Resident response processes are influenced by test characteristics, residents' perception and understanding of VC, and residents' personal characteristics. Four strategies seem to guide how residents respond, namely a focus on speed, points, logic, and relevance. Quantitative results indicated residents believe VC scores reflect their ability to speak quickly, ability to think quickly, and knowledge of anatomy (mean = 5.0, 4.5, and 4.4 respectively [1 = strongly disagree, 6 = strongly agree]). PGY-1 and PGY-2 residents tend to focus on naming facts whereas PGY-4 and PGY-5 residents focus on providing comprehensive descriptions. CONCLUSIONS: Residents generally have an accurate understanding of the purpose of VC. However, their use of different approaches could represent a threat to validity. The response strategies of speed, points, logic, and relevance may inform other clinical skills assessments.

Video Commentary: Rapid-Fire Assessment of Surgical Cognitive Skills.

OBJECTIVE: We describe the use of "Video Commentary", an assessment using a set of operative videos, to assess trainees' surgical cognitive skills (operative knowledge, spatial awareness, and surgical insight). DESIGN & SETTING: The Video Commentary assessment has been routinely administered to Postgraduate Year (PGY) 1-5 general surgery residents since 2014 as part of a biannual multistation, OSCE-type exam at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. Video Commentary is a rapid-fire, 6-minute assessment, where trainees watch a series of 20 to 30 second operative video clips and comment on them as they play. Each clip varies in procedure, approach, difficulty, and complexity. The combination of video clips differs according to trainees' PGY level except for a few videos that overlap among PGY groups. The name of the procedure is provided at the beginning of each clip with a countdown timer showing in the corner of the screen. A comprehensive checklist is used to score trainees' performance in real-time. DISCUSSION: Assessment of trainees of different levels and staff surgeons show a positive correlation with the experience level (p = 0.0001). The assessment provides a safe alternative to assess trainees in the operating room and encourages them to become more effective communicators. With the use of technology, large video databases can be created to provide just-in-time tailored feedback to the trainees. CONCLUSIONS: Video Commentary can serve as a time and resource-efficient assessment of trainees' surgical cognitive skills and insight. The use and demand of real-time commentary on operative videos may provide a viable approach to help surgeon educators determine trainees' baseline, progression, and readiness to advance.

Inspiring Young Learners Toward a Career in Healthcare Using Simulation.

STATEMENT: To inspire young learners toward a career in healthcare and provide them opportunities to learn lifesaving skills, a hospital-based simulation center collaborated with a local middle school to develop a 88-minute simulation-based educational activity. The activity consisted of eight 10-minute stations on lifesaving and basic medical skills. One hundred fifty students participated. Evaluation surveys showed students favored stations with extensive hands-on activities and valued the opportunity to interact with health professionals. Students also reported more interest in science careers after the visit. This collaborative effort is time-efficient and low-budget simulation-based learning experience that had an immediate impact on middle school students.

A Simulation Suture Compared With a Clinical Suture for Training on Laparoscopic Simulators: Objective Measurements Indicate Acceptable Physical Characteristics.

OBJECTIVE: Simulation sutures are a low-cost option for training purposes, but they may not perform as well as the more expensive clinical suture. Trainees at our institution have raised concerns about their quality and integrity compared with clinical suture. The objective was to determine whether significant differences in strength of the sutures and knot holding capabilities between low and high-cost sutures existed. METHODS: Two sutures were compared: 3-0 braided silk simulation suture (Sim*Vivo LLC, Willsboro, NY) and 3-0 Perma-Hand silk braided clinical suture (Ethicon, Somerville, NJ). The diameter of the suture was assessed with light microscopy. Tensile strength of the suture and knotted suture were assessed. Both sutures were tested dry and wet. RESULTS: Tensile strength of the sutures, knotted or unknotted, were not significantly different. Knot type did not change this comparison. Soaking in saline did not change the tensile strength but did introduce a substantial difference in knot failure mode between sutures. The mean diameter of the Ethicon suture was larger than that of the Sim*Vivo suture, which could influence suture behavior. CONCLUSIONS: The applied mechanical tests identified that clinical and simulation sutures differ some in their inherent mechanical characteristics related to suture handling. However, these differences did not translate to a key measure of performance of a sutured junction, namely, the strength of the knotted suture. Based on the results of the study, any subjective impressions of simulation suture strength and knot holding should not negatively impact its use for medical education.

Surgical interns in 2018: Objective assessment suggests they are better but still lack critical knowledge and skill.

BACKGROUND: The transition from fourth-year medical student to surgical intern is difficult. A lack of repetitions, experience, and knowledge is problematic. We report our experience using simulation-based technical and nontechnical skills to assess the competency of surgical interns in July and January of their intern year. DESIGN: As part of a larger assessment effort, our general surgery interns (2010-2016) have been tested on performing an emergent cricothyrotomy, interpreting 2 arterial blood gases, and reading 3 chest x-rays in fewer than 7 minutes. We retrospectively analyzed general surgery interns' performance on these 3 tests (total score = 20). RESULTS: A total of 210 interns completed both July and January (identical) assessments. Overall mean scores improved from July (12.62 ± 3.44) to January (16.5 ± 2.46; P < .05). During the study period general surgery interns' mean baseline scores improved in both July (P < .05) and in January (P < .05). Although most individual general surgery interns did improve their total scores (92% improved, 3% same, 5% worse) between July and January (P < .05), in January 40% could not perform an emergent cricothyrotomy swiftly, and 6% missed a tension pneumothorax on chest x-ray. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that surgical interns start residency training with low levels of skill and comprehension with emergent cricothyrotomy, arterial blood gas, and chest x-ray. They improve with 6 months of clinical and simulation training. Encouragingly, overall scores for both July and January assessments have improved during the study period. Given that some interns still struggle in January to perform these three tasks, we believe that 2018 interns are better, but still potentially lack critical knowledge and skill.

Correlation of Objective Assessment Data With General Surgery Resident In-Training Evaluation Reports and Operative Volumes.

OBJECTIVE: Faculty evaluations, ABSITE scores, and operative case volumes often tell little about true resident performance. We developed an objective structured clinical examination called the Surgical X-Games (5 rooms, 15 minutes each, 12-15 tests total, different for each postgraduate [PGY] level). We hypothesized that performance in X-Games will prove more useful in identifying areas of strength or weakness among general surgery (GS) residents than faculty evaluations, ABSITE scores, or operative cases volumes. DESIGN: PGY 2 to 5 GS residents (n = 35) were tested in a semiannual X-Games assessment using multiple simulation tasks: laparoscopic skills, bowel anastomosis, CT/CXR analysis, chest tube placement, etc. over 1 academic year. Resident scores were compared to their ABSITE, in-training evaluation reports, and operating room case numbers. SETTING: Academic medical center. PARTICIPANTS: PGY-2, 3, 4, and 5 GS residents at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. RESULTS: Results varied greatly within each class except for staff evaluations: in-training evaluation reports medians for PGY-2s were 5.3 (range: 5.0-6.0), PGY-3s 5.9 (5.5-6.3), PGY-4s 5.6 (5.0-6.0), and PGY-5s were 6.1 (5.6-6.9). Although ABSITE and operating room case volumes fluctated greatly with each PGY class, only X-Games scores (median: PGY-2 = 82, PGY-3 = 61, PGY-4 = 76, and PGY-5 = 60) correlated positively (p < 0.05) with operative case volume and negatively (p < 0.05) with staff evaluations. CONCLUSIONS: X-Games assessment generated wide differentiation of resident performance quickly, inexpensively, and objectively. Although "Minnesota-nice" surgical staff may feel all GS trainees are "above average," objective assessment tells us otherwise.

Validation of a Novel Inverted Peg Transfer Task: Advancing Beyond the Regular Peg Transfer Task for Surgical Simulation-Based Assessment.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the validity of a novel inverted peg transfer (iPT) task for assessing laparoscopic skills of novices and experts and compare iPT to the regular PT (rPT) task to ensure surgical trainee acquisition of an adequate advanced laparoscopic skills level for safe laparoscopic practice in the operating room. DESIGN: Prospective crossover study. SETTING: Multidisciplinary simulation center and motion analysis laboratory, Mayo Clinic. PARTICIPANTS: Novices were medical students and surgical interns without laparoscopic experience. Experts were surgeons with at least 3 years of experience in laparoscopic surgery. METHODS: This was the first exposure to iPT for both groups. Completion time and performance metrics were recorded. A scoring rubric was used to calculate a normalized performance score between 0 and 100. Wilcoxon rank sum and Mann-Whitney tests were performed with α = 0.05. Receiver-operating characteristic curves were graphed for the 2 task scores to assess the tasks' sensitivity and specificity in differentiating laparoscopic experience level. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Performance measures of completion time, transferred triangles, dropped triangles (errors), and the overall performance score on both tasks between- and within-subjects (i.e., novices and experts). RESULTS: Thirty-six novices and eight experts participated. Both experts and novices had longer completion time and lower scores during iPT than rPT (p < 0.05). Within iPT, novice completion times were 144 seconds longer (p = 0.04), and performance score was 35 points lower than experts (p < 0.01). No differences between novices and experts were observed for completion time or performance scores (p > 0.05) for rPT. The iPT scores had a higher sensitivity and specificity than the rPT (area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve: iPT = 0.91; rPT = 0.69). CONCLUSIONS: iPT is a valid assessment of advanced laparoscopic skills for surgical trainees with higher specificity and sensitivity than rPT. As advanced minimally invasive surgery becomes more common, it is important that tasks such as iPT be included in surgical simulation curricula and training assessment.

A Comparison of Objective Assessment Data for the United States and International Medical Graduates in a General Surgery Residency.

OBJECTIVE: To compare objective assessment scores between international medical graduates (IMGs) and United States Medical Graduates. Scores of residents who completed a preliminary year, who later matched into a categorical position, were compared to those who matched directly into a categorical position at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester. DESIGN: Postgraduate year (PGY) 1 to 5 residents participate in a biannual multistation, OSCE-style assessment event as part of our surgical training program. Assessment data were, retrospectively, reviewed and analyzed from 2008 to 2016 for PGY-1 and from 2013 to 2016 for PGY 2 to 5 categorical residents. SETTING: Academic medical center. PARTICIPANTS: Categorical PGY 1 to 5 General Surgery (GS) residents at Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN. RESULTS: A total of 86 GS residents were identified. Twenty-one residents (1 United States Medical Graduates [USMG] and 20 IMGs) completed a preliminary GS year, before matching into a categorical position and 68 (58 USMGs and 10 IMGs) residents, who matched directly into a categorical position, were compared. Mean scores (%) for the summer and winter multistation assessments were higher for PGY-1 trainees with a preliminary year than those without (summer: 59 vs. 37, p < 0.001; winter: 69 vs. 61, p = 0.05). Summer and winter PGY-2 scores followed the same pattern (74 vs. 64, p < 0.01; 85 vs. 71, p < 0.01). For the PGY 3 to 5 assessments, differences in scores between these groups were not observed. IMGs and USMGs scored equivalently on all assessments. Overall, junior residents showed greater score improvement between tests than their senior colleagues (mean score increase: PGY 1-2 = 18 vs. PGY 3-5 = 3, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Residents with a previous preliminary GS year at our institution scored higher on initial assessments compared to trainees with no prior GS training at our institution. The scoring advantage of an added preliminary year decreased as trainees progressed through residency.

Laparoscopic skill assessment of practicing surgeons prior to enrollment in a surgical trial of a new laparoscopic procedure.

BACKGROUND: Outcomes of surgical trials hinge on surgeon selection and their underlying expertise. Assessment of expertise is paramount. We investigated whether surgeons' performance measured by the fundamentals of laparoscopic surgery (FLS) assessment program could predict their performance in a surgical trial. METHODS: As part of a prospective multi-institutional study of minimally invasive inguinal lymphadenectomy (MILND) for melanoma, surgical oncologists with no prior MILND experience underwent pre-trial FLS assessment. Surgeons completed MILND training, began enrolling patients, and submitted videos of each MILND case performed. Videos were scored with the global operative assessment of laparoscopic skills (GOALS) tool. Associations between baseline FLS scores and participant's trial performance metrics were assessed. RESULTS: Twelve surgeons enrolled patients; their median total baseline FLS score was 332 (range 275-380, max possible 500, passing >270). Participants enrolled 87 patients in the study (median 6 per surgeon, range 1-24), of which 72 (83%) videos were adequate for scoring. Baseline GOALS score was 17.1 (range 9.6-21.2, max possible score 30). Inter-rater reliability was excellent (ICC = 0.85). FLS scores correlated with improved GOALS scores (r = 0.57, p = 0.05) and with decreased operative time (r = -0.6, p = 0.02). No associations were found with the degree of patient recruitment (r = 0.02, p = 0.7), lymph node count (r = 0.01, p = 0.07), conversion rate (r = -0.06, p = 0.38) or major complications(r = -0.14, p = 0.6). CONCLUSIONS: FLS skill assessment of surgeons prior to their enrollment in a surgical trial is feasible. Although better FLS scores predicted improved operative performance and operative time, other trial outcome measures showed no difference. Our findings have implications for the documentation of laparoscopic expertise of surgeons in practice and may allow more appropriate selection of surgeons to participate in clinical trials.

Objective Assessment of General Surgery Residents Followed by Remediation.

OBJECTIVE: Surgical training programs often lack objective assessment strategies. Complicated scheduling characteristics frequently make it difficult for surgical residents to undergo formal assessment; actually having the time and opportunity to remediate poor performance is an even greater problem. We developed a novel methodology of assessment for residents and created an efficient remediation system using a combination of simulation, online learning, and self-assessment options. DESIGN: Postgraduate year (PGY) 2 to 5 general surgery (GS) residents were tested in a 5 station, objective structured clinical examination style event called the Surgical X-Games. Stations were 15 minutes in length and tested both surgical knowledge and technical skills. Stations were scored on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = Fail, 2 = Mediocre, 3 = Pass, 4 = Good, and 5 = Stellar). Station scores ≤ 2 were considered subpar and required remediation to a score ≥ 4. Five remediation sessions allowed residents the opportunity to practice the stations with staff surgeons. Videos of each skill or test of knowledge with clear instructions on how to perform at a stellar level were offered. Trainees also had the opportunity to checkout take-home task trainers to practice specific skills. Residents requiring remediation were then tested again in-person or sent in self-made videos of their performance. SETTING: Academic medical center. PARTICIPANTS: PGY2, 3, 4, and 5 GS residents at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. RESULTS: A total of, 35 residents participated in the Surgical X-Games in the spring of 2015. Among all, 31 (89%) had scores that were deemed subpar on at least 1 station. Overall, 18 (58%) residents attempted remediation. All 18 (100%) achieved a score ≥ 4 on the respective stations during a makeup attempt. Overall X-Games scores and those of PGY2s, 3s, and 4s were higher after remediation (p < 0.05). No PGY5s attempted remediation. CONCLUSIONS: Despite difficulties with training logistics and busy resident schedules, it is feasible to objectively assess most GS trainees and offer opportunities to remediate if performance is poor. Our multifaceted remediation methodology allowed 18 residents to achieve good or stellar performance on each station after deliberate practice. Enticing chief residents to participate in remediation efforts in the spring of their final year of training remains a work in progress.

Catch me if you can early simulation efforts affect fundamental surgical skill assessment scores.

BACKGROUND: We evaluated whether early exposure to a simulation curriculum enhances acquired surgical skills. METHODS: The "Surgical Olympics" evaluates interns on basic surgical skills and knowledge. After the Summer Olympics (July), interns were randomly divided into groups: "A" participated in a 7-week curriculum once a week, whereas "B" attended 7 weeks of lectures once a week. All interns then participated in the October Olympics. The 2 groups then switched. Finally, all interns completed a January Olympics. RESULTS: Scores were tabulated for the July, October, and January Olympics. Mean scores (A = 182 ± 42, Group B = 188 ± 34; P = .70) were similar in July; in October, group A (mean score = 237 ± 31) outperformed group B (mean score = 200 ± 32; P = .01). Mean total scores in January (A = 290 ± 34, B = 276 ± 34; P = .32) were similar. CONCLUSIONS: Early exposure to a surgical simulation curriculum enhances surgical intern performance in our Surgical Olympics. Subsequent simulation experience helps learners close this gap.

Basic Cardiac Surgery Skills on Sale for $22.50: An Aortic Anastomosis Simulation Curriculum.

BACKGROUND: Current resident and student duty-hour restrictions necessitate efficient training, which may be aided by simulation. Data on the utility of low-cost simulation in cardiothoracic surgery are scant. We evaluated the effect and value of a low-cost, low-fidelity aortic anastomosis simulation curriculum. METHODS: Twenty participants (11 medical students, 9 residents) completed an aortic anastomosis on a porcine heart as a pretest. Participants were then provided access to a 14-minute online video created by a cardiac surgeon and given a low-cost task trainer for self-directed practice. Five weeks later, participants performed another aortic anastomosis on a porcine heart as a posttest. Pretest and posttest performances were filmed, deidentified, and graded blindly and independently by two cardiac surgeons using a standardized assessment tool (perfect score, 110; passing score, 58 or higher). Participants were surveyed anonymously after the posttest. RESULTS: The mean (SD) aortic anastomosis performance score improved significantly from pretest (53.3 [25.3]) to posttest (83.6 [15.3]; p < 0.001). Pass rates also improved significantly (35% versus 95%, p < 0.001). Medical students' scores improved most (p = 0.01). All 20 participants reported improved confidence in performing the task, and 18 believed that the online video was essential to better performance. The cost of the curriculum totaled $22.50 per participant, with 6 hours of total staff time required for assessment. CONCLUSIONS: An aortic anastomosis training and simulation curriculum improves the skills of student and resident trainees with minimal expense and staff time commitment. Such a curriculum may be of great value to both cardiothoracic training programs and their trainees.

Optimizing training cost-effectiveness of simulation-based laparoscopic inguinal hernia repairs.

BACKGROUND: Motor learning theory suggests that highly complex tasks are probably best trained under conditions of part task (PT), as opposed to whole-task (WT) training. Within PT, random practice of tasks has been shown to lead to improved skill retention and transfer. METHODS: General surgery residents were equally randomized to PT vs WT, mastery learning type, and simulation-based training of laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair. Training time and resources used to reach mastery (skill acquisition), performance at 1-month testing (skill retention), and intraoperative time and performance scores (skill transfer) were compared. RESULTS: Forty-four general surgery trainees were randomized. All residents achieved mastery benchmarks. Trainees in the PT group achieved mastery on average 17 minutes faster (60.2 ± 23.8 vs 77.1 ± 24.8 minutes, P = .02, saving 6.2 instructor hours), used fewer material resources (curricular cost savings of $2,380 or $121 per learner), and were more likely to retain mastery level performance at 1-month retention testing (59% vs 22.7% P = .03). No differences in intraoperative performance were encountered. CONCLUSIONS: For laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair, random PT simulation-based training seems to be more cost-effective, compared with WT training.

A multi-institutional survey of newer surgery faculty on the impacts of education debt and debt repayment strategies.

BACKGROUND: The cost associated with becoming a physician is significant, and studies have shown that surgeons, in particular, accrue higher debts than matched controls from other specialties, and the public. These findings, along with the current era of economic turmoil, prompted our investigation into the effects of educational debt on the career, family and lifestyle choices of recently graduated surgeons. Our goal was to query young surgical faculty about the education debt carried, the burden it presents as they embark on a career, and the financial management strategies employed to pay down their debt. STUDY DESIGN: This study is a one-time, cross-sectional survey of regular and adjunct faculty from the University of Minnesota and the Mayo Clinic-Rochester. Participation was voluntary and responses were collected anonymously via SurveyMonkey. Respondents were sorted into two groups: those with and without education debt at the time of residency graduation. We compared these groups on a number of variables. RESULTS: Of the 111 respondents (111/152, 73% response rate), 69 (62.2%) carried debt at the time of graduation from residency. The median educational debt at graduation was $100,000, and surgeons with educational debt carried a significantly higher burden of consumer and total debt than those without educational debt at graduation (p < 0.001). This continued after graduation with 74% (51/69) of residents with debt at graduation falling below the benchmark 36% debt-to-income ratio, and 45% (17/32) of those without debt at graduation in this same high risk financial situation. CONCLUSIONS: Educational debt places a large financial responsibility on the shoulders of most newer faculty. The debt-to-income ratio demonstrated through our results was considerable for both study groups, and unwise according to financial literature. This is of utmost importance to leaders in academe, as salaries are generally lower than private practice colleagues. This can begin in residency with explicit and practical information on surgeon reimbursement, income ranges, and revenue sources (faculty, clinical), debt repayment strategies, and overall training on financial matters early in their residency.

Cost-effectiveness of contralateral prophylactic mastectomy versus routine surveillance in patients with unilateral breast cancer.

PURPOSE: Contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM) rates in women with unilateral breast cancer are increasing despite controversy regarding survival advantage. Current scrutiny of the medical costs led us to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of CPM versus routine surveillance as an alternative contralateral breast cancer (CBC) risk management strategy. METHODS: Using a Markov model, we simulated patients with breast cancer from mastectomy to death. Model parameters were gathered from published literature or national databases. Base-case analysis focused on patients with average-risk breast cancer, 45 years of age at treatment. Outcomes were valued in quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). Patients' age, risk level of breast cancer, and quality of life (QOL) were varied to assess their impact on results. RESULTS: Mean costs of treatment for women age 45 years are comparable: $36,594 for the CPM and $35,182 for surveillance. CPM provides 21.22 mean QALYs compared with 20.93 for surveillance, resulting in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of $4,869/QALY gained for CPM. To prevent one CBC, six CPMs would be needed. CPM is no longer cost-effective for patients older than 70 years (ICER $62,750/QALY). For BRCA-positive patients, CPM is clearly cost-effective, providing more QALYs while being less costly. In non-BRCA patients, cost-effectiveness of CPM is highly dependent on assumptions regarding QOL for CPM versus surveillance strategy. CONCLUSION: CPM is cost-effective compared with surveillance for patients with breast cancer who are younger than 70 years. Results are sensitive to BRCA-positive status and assumptions of QOL differences between CPM and surveillance patients. This highlights the importance of tailoring treatment for individual patients.

Predicting four or more metastatic axillary lymph nodes in patients with sentinel node-positive breast cancer: assessment of existent risk scores.

BACKGROUND: Patients with metastases in four or more axillary lymph nodes (≥4+ALN) represent a subset of patients with breast cancer who are at increased risk of local recurrence and who benefit from postmastectomy radiation. Risk prediction models designed to identify such patients have been published by Rivers et al., Chagpar et al., and Katz et al. We sought to evaluate and compare the performance of these models in an independent patient population. METHODS: We reviewed 454 patients with breast cancer with one to three positive sentinel lymph nodes who underwent completion axillary lymph node dissection at our institution. Each of the three published models was applied to our sample as described in the respective publications. The models' performances were analyzed with the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test and with the area under the curve (AUC). Sensitivity, specificity, and false-negative percentages were calculated for clinically meaningful cutoff points of each score. RESULTS: Of 454 eligible patients, 87 (19.2%) had four or more positive axillary nodes. The Rivers, Chagpar, and Katz models demonstrated good calibration in our population based on the Hosmer-Lemeshow test (p = 0.82, p = 0.73, p = 0.71, respectively). Assessment of discriminatory ability for the models resulted in AUCs of 0.81, 0.73, and 0.81, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The Rivers and Katz models performed well in our patient population and may be clinically useful to predict patients with ≥4+ALN. However, their clinical utility is limited by the current controversy surrounding the use of postmastectomy radiation for all node-positive patients.

Colonoscopic splenic injuries: incidence and management.

PURPOSE: Splenic injuries that occur during colonoscopies are rare. There is no available incidence of this serious complication, and the literature is limited to case reports. Our study looks at single institution experience of splenic injuries during colonoscopy to define the incidence and management of this serious complication. METHODS: All patients from 1980 through June 2008 sustaining a splenic injury during colonoscopy were reviewed. RESULTS: Four patients (of 296,248 colonoscopies) sustained a splenic injury directly from colonoscopy performed at our institution (incidence 0.001%). Three additional patients were treated at our tertiary referral center after splenic injury from colonoscopy performed elsewhere. The mean age at the time of colonoscopy was 54 years (range 40-70 years). The most common presenting symptom was abdominal pain (n = 4) with a mean decrease in hemoglobin of 6.5 g/dl (range 4.5-8.5 g/dl). Splenic injury was diagnosed by computed tomography in five patients. Six patients received a mean of 5.5 U of packed red blood cells (range 2-14 U). All patients were managed with splenectomy, six patients within 24 h of the index colonoscopy, and one patient presented more than 24 h after initial colonoscopy. There was no evidence of preexisting splenic disease in any of the patients by surgical pathology, and there were no postoperative complications or deaths. The mean duration of stay was 10 days (range 7-15 days). All patients are alive at a median follow up of 22 months (range 1-164 months). CONCLUSION: Splenic injury occurring during colonoscopy is a rare but serious complication. Patients presented with abdominal pain and a precipitous decrease in hemoglobin and have all required emergent splenectomy.