Cystic Brain Metastasis Outcomes After Gamma Knife Radiation Therapy.

Purpose: The response of cystic brain metastases (BMets) to radiation therapy is poorly understood, with conflicting results regarding local control, overall survival, and treatment-related toxicity. This study aims to examine the role of Gamma Knife (GK) in managing cystic BMets. Methods and Materials: Volumetric analysis was conducted to measure tumor and edema volume at the time of GK and follow-up magnetic resonance imaging studies. Survival was described using the Kaplan-Meier method, and the cumulative incidence of progression was described using the Aalen-Johansen estimator. We evaluated the association of 4 variables with survival using Cox regression analysis. Results: Between 2016 and 2021, 54 patients with 83 cystic BMets were treated with GK at our institution. Lung cancer was the most common pathology (51.9%), followed by breast cancer (13.0%). The mean target volume was 2.7 cm3 (range, 0.1-39.0 cm3), and the mean edema volume was 13.9 cm3 (range, 0-165.5 cm3). The median prescription dose of single-fraction and fractionated GK was 20 Gy (range, 14-27.5 Gy). With a median follow-up of 8.9 months, the median survival time (MST) was 11.1 months, and the 1-year local control rate was 75.9%. Gamma Knife was associated with decreased tumor and edema volumes over time, although 68.5% of patients required steroids after GK. Patients whose tumors grew beyond baseline after GK received significantly more whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT) before GK than those whose tumors declined after GK. Higher age at diagnosis of BMets and pre-GK systemic therapy were associated with worse survival, with an MST of 7.8 months in patients who received it compared with 23.3 months in those who did not. Conclusions: Pre-GK WBRT may select for BMets with increased radioresistance. This study highlights the ability of GK to control cystic BMets with the cost of high posttreatment steroid use.

High-Fidelity Cleft Simulation Maintains Improvements in Performance and Confidence: A Prospective Study.

OBJECTIVE: High-fidelity simulation has a growing role in plastic surgical education. This study tests the hypothesis that cleft lip repair simulation followed by structured debriefing improves performance and self-confidence and that gains are maintained. DESIGN: Prospective, single-blinded interventional study with repeated measures. Trainees performed cleft lip repair on a high-fidelity simulator followed by debriefing, immediately completed a second repair, and returned 3 months later for a third session. Anonymized simulation videos were rated using the modified Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills (OSATS) and the Unilateral Cleft Lip Repair competency assessment tool (UCLR). Self-assessed cleft lip knowledge/confidence and procedural self-confidence were surveyed after each simulation. SETTING: Boston Children's Hospital, a tertiary care academic hospital in Boston, MA, USA. PARTICIPANTS: All trainees rotating through the study setting were eligible. Twenty-six participated; 21 returned for follow-up. RESULTS: Significant improvements (p < 0.05) occurred between the first and second simulations for OSATS, UCLR, and procedural self-confidence. Significant improvement occurred between the second and third simulations cleft lip knowledge/confidence. Compared to the first simulation, improvements were maintained at the third simulation for all variables. Training level moderately correlated with score for UCLR for the first simulation (r = 0.55, p < 0.01), deteriorated somewhat with the second (r = 0.35, p = 0.08), and no longer corelated by the third (r = 0.02, p = 0.92). CONCLUSIONS: Objective performance and subjective self-assessed knowledge and confidence improve with high-fidelity simulation plus structured debriefing and improvement is maintained. Differences in procedure-specific performance seen with increasing training level are reduced with simulation, suggesting it may accelerate knowledge and skill acquisition.

Teaching Unilateral Cleft lip Repair: Lessons from Simulation-Based Mining of Trainee Strengths and Performance Gaps.

OBJECTIVE: To identify specific areas for improvement in cleft lip repair teaching. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of prospectively-collected, blinded data. SETTING: Three residency programs rotating at a single academic children's hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Plastic surgery residents, and craniofacial/pediatric plastic surgery fellows. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Mean scores for each skill in an 18-item Unilateral Cleft Lip Repair competency assessment tool (UCLR) (1-3 scale for each item) were rank ordered. Correlation between level of training (PGY) and performance on steps of the procedure was examined using Pearson R. RESULTS: Simulation participants (n = 26) scored highest on skills in the "Marking" subscale (2.38-2.63 mean score). Procedural steps that scored lowest were: closing the nasal floor (2.00), repairing oral mucosa (2.15) and avoiding over/under-dissection (2.19). Interestingly, none of these skills correlated with PGY, suggesting they do not improve with training. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that marking cleft lip repair is taught well in our current teaching environment, while steps like closing the nasal floor and repairing the oral mucosa are taught less well. Improved teaching of these steps could be achieved with deliberate instruction, video, digital simulation, and high fidelity simulation.

Cleft Lip Repair Competence Can Be Evaluated with High-fidelity Simulation.

Background: Demonstrating competency before independent practice is increasingly important in surgery. This study tests the hypothesis that a high-fidelity cleft lip simulator can be used to discriminate performance between training levels, demonstrating its utility for assessing procedural competence. Methods: During this prospective cohort study, participants performed a unilateral cleft lip repair on a high-fidelity simulator. Videos were blindly rated using the Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills (OSATS) and the Unilateral Cleft Lip Repair Competency Assessment Tool (UCLR). Digital measurement of symmetry was estimated. Influence of training level and cumulative prior experience on each score was estimated using Pearson r. Results: Participants (n = 26) ranged from postgraduate year 3 to craniofacial fellow. Training level correlated best with UCLR (R = 0.4842, P = 0.0122*) and more weakly with OSATS (R = 0.3645, P = 0.0671), whereas cumulative prior experience only weakly correlated with UCLR (R = 0.3450, P = 0.0843) and not with OSATS (R = 0.1609, P = 0.4323). UCLR subscores indicated marking the repair had little correlation with training level (R = 0.2802, P = 0.1656), whereas performance and result did (R = 0.5152, P = 0.0071*, R = 0.4226, P = 0.0315*, respectively). Correlation between symmetry measures and training level was weak. Conclusions: High-fidelity simulation paired with an appropriate procedure-specific assessment tool has the construct validity to evaluate performance for cleft lip repair. Simply being able to mark a cleft lip repair is not an accurate independent assessment method nor is symmetry of the final result.

Department-focused electronic health record thrive training.

A novel approach of department-focused electronic health record (EHR) training was implemented to improve efficiency and time management of EHR use. Based off baseline log data, 5 in-person training sessions were designed, focusing on the common inefficiencies of 6 chosen participants. Log data of 4 key metrics and 2 efficiency scores were analyzed 4 months post-training. A survey was conducted to assess self-reported EHR competence. Individually, several participants had improved efficiency scores. There was a reduced average time spent in the inbox per day, in notes per dictation, and in notes per day. This translated to an average of 8.9 min saved per day (range 0-29.1 min/day) and 37.1 hours saved per year (range 0-116.2 hours/year). From the post-training surveys, all participants felt more efficient in their use of the EHR. This study demonstrates an example of department-focused EHR training and log-based analysis improving time management and efficiency.

The Role of Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Radiation-Induced Heart Disease: From Bench to Bedside.

Radiation is a key modality in the treatment of many cancers; however, it can also affect normal tissues adjacent to the tumor, leading to toxic effects. Radiation to the thoracic region, such as that received as part of treatment for breast and lung cancer, can result in incidental dose to the heart, leading to cardiac dysfunction, such as pericarditis, coronary artery disease, ischemic heart disease, conduction defects, and valvular dysfunction. The underlying mechanisms for these morbidities are currently being studied but are not entirely understood. There has been increasing focus on the role of radiation-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and the ensuing impact on various cardiac functions in both preclinical models and in humans. Cardiomyocyte mitochondria are critical to cardiac function, and mitochondria make up a substantial part of a cardiomyocyte's volume. Mitochondrial dysfunction can also alter other cell types in the heart. This review summarizes several factors related to radiation-induced mitochondrial dysfunction in cardiomyocytes and endothelial cells. These factors include mitochondrial DNA mutations, oxidative stress, alterations in various mitochondrial function-related transcription factors, and apoptosis. Through improved understanding of mitochondria-dependent mechanisms of radiation-induced heart dysfunction, potential therapeutic targets can be developed to assist in prevention and treatment of radiation-induced heart damage.

Multi-modal 3D Simulation Makes the Impossible Possible.

B.Y. was born full term after a large vertex encephalocele was diagnosed prenatally. The unique challenge to repairing B.Y.'s encephalocele was a microcephalic skull and large proportion of likely functional extracranial brain tissue, which would need to be preserved. At Boston Children's Hospital, a simulation-based collaborative presurgical planning and rehearsal process, using both digital and 3D printed models, enabled successful technical completion and outcome of an otherwise inoperable case.