Development and validation of a composite scoring system for robot-assisted surgical training--the Robotic Skills Assessment Score.

BACKGROUND: A standardized scoring system does not exist in virtual reality-based assessment metrics to describe safe and crucial surgical skills in robot-assisted surgery. This study aims to develop an assessment score along with its construct validation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All subjects performed key tasks on previously validated Fundamental Skills of Robotic Surgery curriculum, which were recorded, and metrics were stored. After an expert consensus for the purpose of content validation (Delphi), critical safety determining procedural steps were identified from the Fundamental Skills of Robotic Surgery curriculum and a hierarchical task decomposition of multiple parameters using a variety of metrics was used to develop Robotic Skills Assessment Score (RSA-Score). Robotic Skills Assessment mainly focuses on safety in operative field, critical error, economy, bimanual dexterity, and time. Following, the RSA-Score was further evaluated for construct validation and feasibility. Spearman correlation tests performed between tasks using the RSA-Scores indicate no cross correlation. Wilcoxon rank sum tests were performed between the two groups. RESULTS: The proposed RSA-Score was evaluated on non-robotic surgeons (n = 15) and on expert-robotic surgeons (n = 12). The expert group demonstrated significantly better performance on all four tasks in comparison to the novice group. Validation of the RSA-Score in this study was carried out on the Robotic Surgical Simulator. CONCLUSION: The RSA-Score is a valid scoring system that could be incorporated in any virtual reality-based surgical simulator to achieve standardized assessment of fundamental surgical tents during robot-assisted surgery.

Fundamental skills of robotic surgery: a multi-institutional randomized controlled trial for validation of a simulation-based curriculum.

OBJECTIVE: To develop and establish effectiveness of simulation-based robotic curriculum--fundamental skills of robotic surgery (FSRS). METHODS: FSRS curriculum was developed and incorporated into a virtual reality simulator, Robotic Surgical Simulator (RoSS). Fifty-three participants were randomized into an experimental group (EG) or control group (CG). The EG was asked to complete the FSRS and 1 final test on the da Vinci Surgical System (dVSS). The dVSS test consisted of 3 tasks: ball placement, suture pass, and fourth arm manipulation. The CG was directly tested on the dVSS then offered the chance to complete the FSRS and re-tested on the dVSS as a crossover (CO) group. RESULTS: Sixty-five percent of participants had never formally trained using laparoscopic surgery. Ball placement: the EG demonstrated shorter time (142 vs 164 seconds, P = .134) and more precise (1.5 vs 2.5 drops, P = .014). The CO took less time (P <.001) with greater precision (P <.001). Instruments were rarely lost from the field. Suture pass: the EG demonstrated better camera utilization (4.3 vs 3.0, P = .078). Less instrument loss occurred (0.5 vs 1.1, P = .026). Proper camera usage significantly improved (P = .009). Fourth arm manipulation: the EG took less time (132 vs 157 seconds, P = .302). Meanwhile, loss of instruments was less frequent (0.2 vs 0.8, P = .076). Precision in the CO improved significantly (P = .042) and camera control and safe instrument manipulation showed improvement (1.5 vs 3.5, 0.2 vs 0.9, respectively). CONCLUSION: FSRS curriculum is a valid, feasible, and structured curriculum that demonstrates its effectiveness by significant improvements in basic robotic surgery skills.

Young surgeons' attitudes regarding surgery and professional organizations.

BACKGROUND: Attitudes of young surgeons regarding professional organizations are unclear. We surveyed young surgeons to assess their opinions regarding the role of The American College of Surgeons in the future of surgery. METHODS: A 21-question on-line survey was distributed to all young (age <45 years) ACS members. Questions were related to demographics, membership, educational, and health policy initiatives. RESULTS: Among 2689 respondents, reimbursement and malpractice were the most important issues to surgeons at all levels of training. Organizational attributes of importance to young surgeons included leadership, educational tools, mentorship, and avenues to participate in organized medicine. They value programs to address patient safety, surgical quality, reimbursement, and health policy. CONCLUSIONS: Methods to recruit and retain young surgeons into medical organizations should include educational efforts, mentorship programs, practice-management courses, health policy reform, and opportunities for involvement in organizational activities.

The prognostic superiority of log odds of positive lymph nodes in stage III colon cancer.

BACKGROUND: Literature showed that lymph node ratio (LNR) and total number of lymph nodes (TNODS) are independent prognostic factors in node-positive colon cancer. Our study assesses the prognostic superiority of the log odds of positive lymph nodes (LODDS) in the same patient population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 24,477 stage III colon cancer cases from the SEER registry were reviewed. Patients were categorized based on LNR into LNR1 to LNR4, according to cutoff points 0.07, 0.25, and 0.50, and based on LODDS into LODDS1 to LODDS5, according to cutoff points -2.2, -1.1, 0, and 1.1. The relative risk (RR), and 95% confidence interval (CI) were evaluated using the method of Kaplan-Meier and Cox model. RESULTS: Patients with LNR4 could be classified into LODDS4 (61.4%) and LODDS5 (38.4%). The survival in these two groups was significantly different (5-year survival, 33.5% vs. 23.3%, p < 0.0001). Univariate analysis showed that the higher LNR (RR = 3.45, 95% CI = 3.26-3.66) or low TNODS (RR = 0.99, 95% CI = 0.986-0.99) was significantly associated with poor survival. However, after adjusting for LODDS status, the association did not appear to be significant (LNR, RR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.65-1.24, p = 0.52; TNODS, RR = 1.001, 95% CI = 0.997-1.005, p = 0.54). CONCLUSION: Colon cancer patients with LNR4 disease represent a heterogeneous group. The previously reported prognostic association of TNODS and LNR and outcome of stage III disease were confounded by LODDS.

Lymph node ratio: role in the staging of node-positive colon cancer.

BACKGROUND: Recent literature has shown that lymph node ratio (LNR) is superior to the number of positive lymph nodes (pLNs) in predicting the prognosis in several malignances other than colon cancer. We hypothesize that LNR may play a similar role in stage III colon cancer. METHODS: We included 24,477 stage III colon cancer cases from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results cancer registry. Patients were categorized into four groups, LNR1 to 4, according to cutoff points 1/14, 0.25, and 0.50. Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazard model were used to evaluate the prognostic effect and estimate the relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of LNR. RESULTS: The 5-year survival for patients with stage IIIA, IIIB, and IIIC was 71.3%, 51.7%, and 34.0%, respectively (P < .0001). There was no survival difference among LNR1 to LNR4 for stage IIIA patients. In stage IIIB patients, the 5-year survival for those with LNR1 to LNR4 was 63.5%, 54.7%, 44.4%, and 34.2%, respectively (P < .0001). In stage IIIC patients, the 5-year survival for those with LNR2 to LNR4 was 49.6%, 41.7%, and 25.2%, respectively (P < .0001). LNR is an independent predictor of survival after adjusting patient's age, tumor size, tumor grade, race, number of pLNs, and total number of LNs harvested. (RR 2.30, 95% CI 2.08-2.55). CONCLUSION: Patients with stage IIIB and IIIC colon cancer represent a heterogeneous group of patients with the majority either overstaged or understaged. LNR is a more accurate prognostic method for stage III colon cancer patients. We propose an algorithm to incorporate LNR into current AJCC staging system.

Utilization of standardized patients to evaluate clinical and interpersonal skills of surgical residents.

BACKGROUND: This project was designed to determine the growth of interpersonal skills during the first year of a surgical residency. METHODS: All categorical surgical residents were given a clinical skills examination of abdominal pain using standardized patients during their orientation (T1). The categorical residents were retested after 11 months (T2). The assessment tool was based on a 12-item modified version of the 5-point Likert Interpersonal Scale (IP) used on the National Board of Medical Examiners prototype Clinical Skills Examination and a 24-item, done-or-not-done, history-taking checklist. Residents' self-evaluation scores were compared to standardized patients' assessment scores. Data were analyzed using the Pearson correlation coefficient, Wilcoxon signed rank test, Student t test, and Cronbach alpha. RESULTS: Thirty-eight categorical residents were evaluated at T1 and T2. At T1, in the history-taking exercise, the scores of the standardized patients and residents correlated (Pearson = .541, P = .000). In the interpersonal skills exercise, the scores of the standardized patients and residents did not correlate (Pearson = -0.238, P = .150). At T2, there was a significant improvement in the residents' self-evaluation scores in both the history-taking exercise (t = -3.280, P = .002) and the interpersonal skills exercise (t = 2.506, P = 0.017). In the history-taking exercise, the standardized patients' assessment scores correlated with the residents' self-evaluation scores (Pearson = 0.561, P = .000). In the interpersonal skills exercise, the standardized patients' assessment scores did not correlate with the residents' self-evaluation scores (Pearson = 0.078, P = .646). CONCLUSIONS: Surgical residents demonstrate a consistently low level of self-awareness regarding their interpersonal skills. Observed improvement in resident self-evaluation may be a function of growth in self-confidence.

Outcomes of patients with atherosclerotic upper extremity tissue loss.

Severe ischemia of the upper extremity causing tissue necrosis occurs much less frequently than in the lower extremity. The clinical outcome of patients diagnosed with digital nonhealing ulcer or gangrene is largely unknown. A retrospective review of patients with upper extremity tissue loss was performed. Patients with ischemia from embolic disease, steal syndromes, and vasospastic or connective tissue disorders were excluded. Thirteen patients with upper extremity ischemic gangrene and/or nonhealing ulcers were treated from January 1995 to June 2002. Comorbid conditions included diabetes mellitus in 10 patients and renal failure in 11 patients. Five patients developed bilateral upper extremity ischemia during the period of evaluation, while 8 had unilateral involvement. Nine patients had dry gangrene of a digit, 5 had nonhealing ulcers, and 1 patient developed wet gangrene from an ischemic ulcer. All 13 patients received local wound care and medical treatment with anticoagulants, calcium channel blockers, or antiplatelet agents. Ischemic lesions healed in 3 of the 5 patients with conservative management. Surgical intervention was performed on 6 patients with dry gangrene, and the patient with wet gangrene underwent amputation of the hand (53.8%). Two patients underwent sympathectomy without improvement. In the remaining 3 patients, tissue loss remained stable. Seven patients died within 2 years of presentation with upper extremity ischemia, with a survival at 24 months of only 14% by lifetable analysis. The local outcome of severe upper extremity ischemia is generally favorable, with good response to either medical management or digit amputation. However, the life expectancy of the patients with upper extremity ischemia from true atherosclerotic disease is dismal. Therefore, surgical intervention should be reserved for infection control or pain relief only.

Application of geostatistics to risk assessment.

Geostatistics offers two fundamental contributions to environmental contaminant exposure assessment: (1) a group of methods to quantitatively describe the spatial distribution of a pollutant and (2) the ability to improve estimates of the exposure point concentration by exploiting the geospatial information present in the data. The second contribution is particularly valuable when exposure estimates must be derived from small data sets, which is often the case in environmental risk assessment. This article addresses two topics related to the use of geostatistics in human and ecological risk assessments performed at hazardous waste sites: (1) the importance of assessing model assumptions when using geostatistics and (2) the use of geostatistics to improve estimates of the exposure point concentration (EPC) in the limited data scenario. The latter topic is approached here by comparing design-based estimators that are familiar to environmental risk assessors (e.g., Land's method) with geostatistics, a model-based estimator. In this report, we summarize the basics of spatial weighting of sample data, kriging, and geostatistical simulation. We then explore the two topics identified above in a case study, using soil lead concentration data from a Superfund site (a skeet and trap range). We also describe several areas where research is needed to advance the use of geostatistics in environmental risk assessment.

Maintaining outcomes in a surgical residency while complying with resident working hour regulations.

BACKGROUND: Regulatory requirements for resident working hours were designed to improve patient care. Compliance challenges a training program to meet procedural and clinical requirements. This is a retrospective study of a 5-year experience in addressing the challenges and studying the impact of compliance on resident caseload and board performance. METHODS: Our surgical program adopted strict start/stop working hours for clinical contact. Program leadership modified the program to establish procedural and performance criteria. Procedures were prioritized and assignments were changed to maximize clinical and procedural experience while reducing redundancy of experience. Procedural activity was monitored frequently. Compliance with working hour regulations was monitored and behavior modified where necessary. A web based computer program was developed to improve measurement of compliance and provide feedback. Outcome measures included both the number of procedures as reported by the ACGME and performance on the American Board of Surgery, Qualifying Examination. RESULTS: Working hour compliance is greater than 95%. First time pass rate on the Qualifying examination is 90% (45/50). There is no significant difference in the procedural activity. CONCLUSION: Complying with working hour regulations improves the quality of a resident's life and can be achieved while maintaining procedural experience and guaranteeing academic development.

Ertapenem monotherapy versus combination therapy with ceftriaxone plus metronidazole for treatment of complicated intra-abdominal infections in adults.

The efficacy and safety of intravenous (IV) ertapenem, 1 and 1.5 g once a day, for treatment of adults with complicated intra-abdominal infection were compared with those of IV ceftriaxone 2 g once a day plus IV metronidazole 500 mg every 8 h. After at least 3 days of IV therapy and satisfactory clinical response, patients could be switched to oral ciprofloxacin plus metronidazole. Fifty-nine patients were randomized to receive ertapenem 1 g and 51 to receive ertapenem 1.5 g; 55 patients were randomized to each comparator group. At the test of cure, 4-6 weeks post therapy, in the 1 g cohort, 84% (26/31) of patients treated with ertapenem and 85% (35/41) with comparator therapy had a favourable clinical and microbiological assessment. Success rates in the 1.5 g cohort were 83% (22/29) and 77% (24/31) in the ertapenem and comparator groups, respectively. Drug-related adverse events were generally similar in both treatment groups. Ertapenem 1 or 1.5 g once a day followed by optional oral therapy appeared similar to combined therapy with ceftriaxone plus metronidazole with the same optional oral switch for treatment of complicated intra-abdominal infections in adults. Although not compared directly in a randomized fashion, the efficacy and safety profiles of ertapenem 1 and 1.5 g appeared comparable. Ertapenem was generally well tolerated and had an overall safety profile similar to ceftriaxone plus metronidazole.