Predictors of the response of operating room personnel to surgeon behaviors.

PURPOSE: Several studies have assessed the physician-nurse relationship, particularly between females working together. While the surgeon workforce is increasingly represented by females, gendered relationships and biases in the operating room remain largely unstudied. METHODS: We performed a prospective randomized study in which operative support staff, including nurses, surgical technologists, and surgical assistants, assessed scenarios describing questionable surgeon behaviors. Respondents were randomized to a survey that either discussed a female or male surgeon. For each scenario, one of the four standardized responses was selected. The respondents' assessments of surgeon behaviors were analyzed. RESULTS: The response rate was 4.4% (3128/71143). Females were more likely than males to deem the surgeon's behavior inappropriate regardless of surgeon sex (p = 0.001). The likelihood of writing up the surgeon was predicted by role, with technologists, nurses, and assistants reporting surgeons at frequencies of 65.5%, 53.2%, and 48.8%, respectively (p = 0.008). While the overall respondents did not show a propensity to write-up either sex differentially (p = 0.070), technologists were significantly more likely to report female surgeons than male surgeons (p = 0.006). CONCLUSION: Characteristics of operative personnel were correlated with varying tolerance of surgeon behaviors, with specific subgroups more critical of female surgeons than males. Further exploration of these perceptions will serve to improve interactions in a diverse workplace.

Effect of Operating Room Personnel Generation on Perceptions and Responses to Surgeon Behavior.

BACKGROUND: Little is known regarding the impact of operating room (OR) personnel generation on their perceptions to various surgeon behaviors. We aimed to characterize these relationships by evaluating their responses to 5 realistic intraoperative scenarios. METHODS: Operating room personnel were asked to assess surgeon OR behavior across a standardized set of 5 scenarios via an online survey. For each scenario, respondents were asked to identify the behavior as either acceptable, unacceptable but would ignore, unacceptable and would confront the surgeon, or unacceptable and would report to management. Chi-squared analyses were used to compare responses to surgeon behavior with respondent generation. RESULTS: There were 3101 respondents, of which 41% of respondents were baby boomers (n = 1280), 31% were generation (Gen) X (n = 955), and 28% were Gen Y (n = 866). Overall, when compared to Gen X or Gen Y, baby boomers were significantly more likely to find surgeon behaviors of impatience (P < .001), being late for a case (P < .001), swearing in the OR (P < .001), and shouting with a bleeding patient (P = .001) to be inappropriate and would talk to the surgeon. Alternatively, Gen Y respondents were more likely to find fault with surgeon behaviors that deviate from rules and regulations, such as forgetting a time-out (P = .001), when compared to baby boomers and Gen X respondents. DISCUSSION: Results of our study demonstrate that OR personnel generation affects their perceptions and response to surgeon behavior. Understanding these tendencies can guide efforts to improve OR interactions among team members.

Robot assisted transaxillary surgery (RATS) for the removal of thyroid and parathyroid glands.

BACKGROUND: Robotic assisted transaxillary surgery (RATS) is a minimally invasive approach for the removal of the thyroid and/or parathyroid glands through the axilla. This anatomically directed technique, popularized by Chung, eliminates a visible scar and affords excellent high definition optics of the cervical anatomy. We report an initial series of single access RATS in the U.S. METHODS: The prospective endocrine surgery database at a tertiary care center was used to capture all patients who underwent RATS between October 2009 and March 2010. All procedures were performed using a single transaxillary incision. RESULTS: Fourteen operations were performed on 13 patients. Indications for RATS were indeterminate thyroid nodules in 11 patients, the need for completion thyroidectomy in 1 patient, and primary hyperparathyroidism in 2 patients. For patients who underwent robotic assisted thyroid lobectomy, the median thyroid nodule size was 2.1 cm (range, 0.8-2.8 cm), and the median body mass index was 25.33 (range, 21.3-34.4). Mean and median total operative times for robotic assisted thyroid lobectomies were 142 minutes and 137 minutes respectively (range, 113-192 minutes). Operative time for the 2 patients who underwent robotic assisted parathyroidectomy was 115 and 102 minutes. Minor complications occurred in 4 patients (28.5%), with no significant perioperative morbidity or mortality. CONCLUSION: RATS is feasible. We believe that further study of the RATS technique for removing thyroid lobes and parathyroid glands is warranted. This initial series suggests that careful, continued investigation is necessary prior to routine implementation into clinical practice across the U.S.