Addressing Professionalism, Social, and Communication Competencies in Surgical Residency Via Integrated Humanities Workshops: A Pilot Curriculum.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to conduct professionalism and social competencies (PSC) training by integrating humanities into structured workshops, and to assess reception of this curriculum by first-year surgical residents. DESIGN: An IRB-approved, pilot curriculum consisting of 4 interactive workshops for surgical interns was developed. The workshops were scheduled quarterly, often in small group format, and supplemental readings were assigned. Humanities media utilized to illustrate PSC included survival scenarios, reflective writing, television portrayals, and social media. Emphasis was placed on recognizing personal values and experiences that influence judgment and decision-making, using social media responsibly, identifying and overcoming communication barriers related to generational changes in training (especially technology and work-life balance), and tackling stereotypes of surgeons. Anonymous and voluntary pre- and postcurriculum surveys were administered. Univariate analysis of responses was performed with JMP Pro v12 using Fisher's exact, χ2, and Students' t-tests for categorical and continuous variables. SETTING: The study took place at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, OH, within the general surgery program. PARTICIPANTS: Surgical interns at the Cleveland Clinic were included in the study. A total of 16 surgical interns completed the curriculum. RESULTS: Sixteen surgical interns participated in the curriculum: 69% were domestic medical school graduates (DG) and 31% were international medical school graduates (IMG). Overall, the majority (81%) of residents had received PSC courses during medical school: 100% of DG compared to 40% of IMG (p = 0.02). Before beginning the curriculum, 86% responded that additional PSC training would be useful during residency, which increased to 94% upon completion (p = 0.58). Mean number of responses supporting the usefulness of PSC training increased from 1.5 ± 0.2 before the curriculum to 1.75 ± 0.2 upon completion (p = 0.4). When describing public and medical student perceptions of surgeons, 60% and 83% of adjectives used were negative, respectively. When describing perceptions of female surgeons, 88% of adjectives used were negative. CONCLUSIONS: Most interns received prior PSC coursework; however, the majority still desired additional training during residency. After completion, a greater percentage of interns responded that PSC training was important and choose more reasons in favor of the curriculum. Formalized didactics should be strongly considered, especially in programs with IMG. Future areas of investigation include expanding the cohort to additional years of residency; potentially identifying unique PSC needs for each postgraduate year.

A competency-based simulation curriculum for surgical resident trauma resuscitation skills.

BACKGROUND: Evidence-based curricula for nonprocedural simulation training in general surgery are lacking. Residency programs are required to implement simulation training despite this shortcoming. The goal of this project was the development of a simulation curriculum that measurably improves milestone performance and replaces traditional experienced-based training with a competency-based model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: SimMan 3G® (Laerdal Medical, Wappingers Falls, NY, USA) was utilized for simulation. Needs assessment targeted trauma and shock resuscitation. Scenario design applied deliberate practice methodology. Learner performance data included items such as identification of shock physiology, resuscitation products used, volume delivered, use of resuscitation end-points, and knowledge of massive transfusion. Characteristics essential for a successful program were tabulated. RESULTS: Forty-eight residents in postgraduate year (PGY) 2-5 participated representing 100% of the 48 eligible for the training. Senior residents (PGY 4 and 5) demonstrated near universal improvement. Junior residents (PGY 2 and 3) improved in some areas but showed more skill decay between sessions. Overall, milestone performance improved with each training session, and resident feedback was universally positive. CONCLUSIONS: This prototype curriculum improved surgical resident competency in shock resuscitation in a simulated patient care environment. It can be modified to accommodate centers with fewer resources and can be implemented by clinical faculty. The essential characteristics of a successful program are identified.

A rare case presentation of a symptomatic omphalomesenteric cyst in an adult, 24-year-old patient, treated with laparoscopic resection.

A persistent omphalomesenteric duct remnant is a rare finding, which typically presents in the pediatric population. Most commonly, it is encountered in the form of a Meckel's diverticulum. In rare instances, omphalomesenteric cysts have been reported in the pediatric population. We present a case of a symptomatic omphalomesenteric cyst in an adult male and our management of this entity.

Development of an artificial placenta IV: 24 hour venovenous extracorporeal life support in premature lambs.

An extracorporeal artificial placenta would change the paradigm of treating extremely premature infants. We hypothesized that a venovenous extracorporeal life support (VV-ECLS) artificial placenta would maintain fetal circulation, hemodynamic stability, and adequate gas exchange for 24 hours. A near-term neonatal lamb model (130 days; term = 145 days) was used (n = 9). The right jugular vein was cannulated for VV-ECLS outflow, and an umbilical vein was used for inflow. The circuit included a peristaltic roller pump and a 0.5 m(2) hollow fiber oxygenator. Lambs were maintained on VV-ECLS in an "amniotic bath" for up to 24 hours. Five of nine fetuses survived for 24 hours. In the survivors, average mean arterial pressure was 69 ± 10 mm Hg for the first 4 hours and 36 ± 8 mm Hg for the remaining 20 hours. The mean fetal heart rate was 202 ± 30. Mean VV-ECLS flow was 94 ± 20 ml/kg/min. Using a gas mixture of 50% O(2)/3% CO(2) and sweep flow of 1-2 L/min, the mean pH was 7.27 ± 0.09, with Po(2) of 35 ± 12 mm Hg and Pco(2) of 48 ± 12 mm Hg. Necropsy revealed a patent ductus arteriosus in all cases, and there was no gross or microscopic intracranial hemorrhage. Complications in failed attempts included technically difficult cannulation and multisystem organ failure. Future studies will enhance stability and address the factors necessary for long-term support.

Gastrostomy tube placement in infants and children: is there a preferred technique?

PURPOSE: Advances in percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) and laparoscopic (LAP) techniques, including LAP-assisted PEG, offer alternatives to the standard open gastrostomy technique. This study compares the outcomes of the PEG and LAP techniques. METHODS: All gastrostomy tube placements were reviewed at our institution from January 2004 to October 2008. Demographic, procedural, and outcome data were collected. Univariate and logistic regression statistical analysis was performed with SPSS (SPSS, Chicago, IL), and P < or = .05 considered significant. RESULTS: Of 238 gastrostomy tubes placed, 134 were PEG (56.3%) and 104 were LAP (43.7%). Most tubes were inserted for failure to thrive (74.4%) and feeding difficulties (52.1%). Patient weight and age were increased and operative time decreased for PEG compared with other methods. Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy patients also had a statistically higher number of postoperative complications, requiring a return trip to the operating room (P = .02). CONCLUSION: Minimally invasive PEG and LAP techniques have supplanted the open technique for most patients. Operative time for PEG placement is shorter than other methods, and patients chosen for the PEG method of placement are older and of greater weight. However, there were significant and more serious postoperative complications requiring a second operation in the PEG group when compared with the LAP group.

A unique case of a giant congenital pulmonary hemangioma in a newborn.

Congenital pulmonary hemangiomas are extremely rare lesions. We present a unique case of a giant congenital pulmonary hemangioma in an otherwise healthy newborn who presented with respiratory distress at birth. This was managed with resection after an unsuccessful trial of nonoperative management. The clinical, radiographic, and pathologic features of this unique case are discussed in the context of a review of the literature.