Discrepancies in Self-Reported and Actual Conflicts of Interest for Robotic Pediatric Urological Surgery.

PURPOSE: Transparency of conflicts of interest is essential when assessing publications that address the benefits of robotic surgery over traditional laparoscopic and open operations. We assessed discrepancies between self-reported and actual conflicts of interest as well as whether conflicts of interest are associated with favorable endorsement of robotic surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We searched the Embase® and MEDLINE® databases for articles on robotic surgery within pediatric urology. We included English language articles published since 2013, when data in the Open Payments program (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Baltimore, Maryland) became available. For all United States based authors Open Payments was used to identify the total amount of financial payment received from Intuitive Surgical®. Chi-square test was used to assess the association between conflicts of interest and favorable endorsement of robotic surgery. RESULTS: A total of 191 articles were initially identified. After exclusion criteria were applied 107 articles remained (267 distinct authors). Of the articles 86 (80.4%) had at least 1 author with a history of payment from Intuitive Surgical, with 79 (91.9%) having at least 1 author who did not declare a conflict of interest despite history of payment. A total of 44 authors (16.5%) had a history of payment from Intuitive Surgical, with an average payment of $3,594.15. Articles with a first and/or last author with a history of payment were more likely to contain a favorable endorsement of robotic surgery compared to articles without a history of payment (85.1% vs 63.6%, p = 0.0124). CONCLUSIONS: Nondisclosure of conflict of interest with Intuitive Surgical is extremely common within pediatric urology. Steps to ensure accurate reporting of conflicts of interest are essential. There appears to be an association between a history of payment and favorable endorsement of robotic surgery.

Live Surgery: Is Operating at Home the Way Forward?

Live surgery events are a popular educational tool, but concerns have been raised, especially regarding patient safety. The Italian Society of Urology has implemented a novel concept in which surgeons operate on their own patients at their own institutions, with the procedures broadcast live at the annual society meetings. This approach retains the live nature of the surgery but removes the risks associated with operating in a foreign environment with distractions.

Prohibición de la litotomía y derivación a expertos en los juramentos médicos de la genealogía hipocrática / Lithotomy's prohibition and referral to experts in medical oaths of hippocratic stemma

Objetivo: Analizar cómo el compromiso del juramento hipocrático de no usar el cuchillo en quienes tienen cálculos y derivar a estos pacientes a expertos fue modificado en juramentos médicos de la genealogía (stemma) hipocrática de diferentes épocas. Métodos: Diecinueve juramentos de stemma hipocrática fueron estudiados: 4 medievales, 2 modernos y 13 contemporáneos. Los juramentos fueron seleccionados de acuerdo con el nombre de los mismos cuando incluían el término «hipocrático» o porque sus autores reconocieron haberse basado en el juramento hipocrático. También se tuvo en cuenta la significación y representatividad en relación con el período histórico, escuelas médicas de renombre, importancia y confiablidad de las fuentes. Resultados: Cuatro juramentos prohíben operar el cálculo (uno medieval, 2 modernos, uno contemporáneo); 4 juramentos mencionan buscar consejo en relación con pacientes (contemporáneos), 3 hacen referencia a no realizar operaciones criminales (contemporáneos); 8 no hacen mención a estos compromisos (3 medievales, 5 contemporáneos). Conclusión: El compromiso del juramento hipocrático de no usar el cuchillo en quienes tienen cálculos y derivarlos a expertos ha sido modificado principalmente en los juramentos contemporáneos. La prohibición original parece haberse dividido en 2 tendencias: aquellos juramentos que mencionan el pedir consejo, y aquellos que refieren no realizar operaciones criminales. Debido al movimiento bioético de la segunda mitad del siglo XX, derivar a colegas más idóneos a aquellos pacientes que exceden las limitaciones del médico constituye una obligación ética. Por lo tanto, es un compromiso que debería estar presente en todos los juramentos contemporáneos

Objective: The aim is to analyse how the Hippocratic Oath's commitments of not cutting for stone and referral to experts was modified in medical oaths of Hippocratic stemma from different time periods. Methods: Nineteen oaths of Hippocratic stemma were studied: 4 Medieval, 2 Modern, and 13 Contemporary. They were selected according to: name of the oath when it includes the word «Hippocratic» or because their authors recognized having based their oaths on the Hippocratic Oath. Their historical significance and representativity regarding time period, renowned medical schools, and importance and reliability of the sources was also taken into consideration. Results: Four oaths prohibit cutting for stone (one Medieval, 2 Modern, one Contemporary); 4 oaths mention seeking consultation about patients (all Contemporary); 3 mention not performing criminal operations (all Contemporary); 8 do not mention these commitments (3 Medieval, 5 Contemporary). Conclusion: The commitment of the Hippocratic Oath of not cutting for stone and referral to experts has been modified mainly in Contemporary oaths. The original commitment seems to have been split into 2 tendencies: those that mention obtaining consultation, and those that refer to not performing criminal operations. Due to the bioethics movement in the second half of the 20th century, referring patients that exceed the physician's limitations to more skilled colleagues constitutes an ethical obligation. Thus, it should be a commitment present in every Contemporary oath

Would You Want to Be the Patient? "Live Surgical Broadcast" or "As-Live Unedited Surgical Broadcast".

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate patient safety, educational value, and ethical issues surrounding "Live surgical broadcast" (LSB) and "As-live surgical broadcast" (ALB) using data obtained from urologic delegates attending two recent endourology meetings in the United Kingdom. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Two hundred twelve delegates at the UK section meeting of the Société Internationale d'Urologie (SIU) were invited to complete an online survey using SurveyMonkey(®) to compare their previous perceptions of LSB and ALB, and to compare their current experience of ALB to previous experience of LSB. One hundred three delegates at the British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS) Endourology meeting used live voting keypads to compare their experience of LSB and ALB simultaneously, as well as comparing their current experience of ALB to previous experience of LSB. Responses were recorded using a Likert scale. RESULTS: One hundred sixty-five responses were analyzed from the meetings. Most delegates were in specialist practice as a consultant or trainee (89.1%). LSB had been witnessed more than ALB (87.1% vs 66.6%, p=0.049). Based on previous experiences, the educational value of both formats was felt similar, but delegates felt there were significant patient safety benefits with ALB over LSB. Delegates were significantly less likely to recommend a friend or family, or volunteer themselves to be a patient in an LSB setting. On-the-day comparison of LSB and ALB shows a similar educational value to both formats, but with significantly less concern for the surgeon and patient's outcome with ALB. CONCLUSION: ALB offers similar educational opportunities to delegates when compared with LSB, while appearing to offer significant welfare benefits to both surgeon and patient. Further studies are required to objectively quantify these subjective observations.

A survey of healthcare industry representatives' participation in surgery: some new ethical concerns.

OBJECTIVE: To provide preliminary evidence of the types and amount of involvement by healthcare industry representatives (HCIRs) in surgery, as well as the ethical concerns of those representatives. METHODS: A link to an anonymous, web-based survey was posted on several medical device boards of the website http://www. cafepharma.com. Additionally, members of two different medical device groups on LinkedIn were asked to participate. Respondents were self-identified HCIRs in the fields of orthopedics, cardiology, endoscopic devices, lasers, general surgery, ophthalmic surgery, oral surgery, anesthesia products, and urologic surgery. RESULTS: A total of 43 HCIRs replied to the survey over a period of one year: 35 men and eight women. Respondents reported attending an average of 184 surgeries in the prior year and had an average of 17 years as an HCIR and six years with their current employer. Of the respondents, 21 percent (nine of 43) had direct physical contact with a surgical team or patient during a surgery, and 88 percent (38 of 43) provided verbal instruction to a surgical team during a surgery. Additionally, 37 percent (16 of 43) had participated in a surgery in which they felt that their involvement was excessive, and 40 percent (17 of 43) had attended a surgery in which they questioned the competence of the surgeon. CONCLUSIONS: HCIRs play a significant role in surgery. Involvement that exceeds their defined role, however, can raise serious ethical and legal questions for surgeons and surgical teams. Surgical teams may at times be substituting the knowledge of the HCIR for their own competence with a medical device or instrument. In some cases, contact with the surgical team or patient may violate the guidelines not only of hospitals and medical device companies, but the law as well. Further study is required to determine if the patients involved have any knowledge or understanding of the role that an HCIR played in their surgery.

Performing in the surgical amphitheater of today: perception of urologists conducting live case demonstrations.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the perception of urologists who have participated in live case demonstrations (LCDs) regarding safety, educational value/benefits, and ethics. METHODS: A 19-question anonymous survey was sent to urologists who performed and/or moderated LCDs at the World Congress of Endourology meetings from 2008 to 2012. E-survey was distributed via e-mail, and automatic reminders were sent 2 weeks after original distribution if no response was obtained. RESULTS: Eighty-one percent (92/113) of the urologists responded to the survey of whom 75% practice full time in an academic setting. Only 48.0% were fellowship trained, however. More than 60% had performed more than five LCDs at their home and/or away institutions. Performing LCD at an away institution was associated with a higher level of anxiety when compared with performing LCDs at a home institution (79.8% vs 34.6%; P<0.01). Respondents considered film equipment and crew; audience and moderator discussions; unfamiliar team, instruments and tools; language barrier; and having to narrate the procedure, as distractors. Seventy-nine percent considered LCD as an ethical practice, and 90.5% regarded LCDs as a "beneficial" and a "great way" to educate. Similarly, considering the various factors and conditions associated with LCDs, 95% would agree to participate in another LCD. CONCLUSION: LCDs are perceived to be an effective mode of education by performers and moderators of LCDs. Standard guidelines and policies are needed, however, for the selection of patient, surgeon and team, equipment, and facility. Studies are needed to evaluate the impact of this education process.

Ethical principles for the management of infants with disorders of sex development.

The Fifth World Congress on Family Law and Children's Rights (Halifax, August 2009) adopted a resolution endorsing a new set of ethical guidelines for the management of infants and children with disorders of sex development (DSD) [www.lawrights.asn.au/index.php?option = com_content&view = article&id = 76&Itemid = 109]. The ethical principles developed by our group were the basis for the Halifax Resolution. In this paper, we outline these principles and explain their basis. The principles are intended as the ethical foundation for treatment decisions for DSD, especially decisions about type and timing of genital surgery for infants and young children. These principles were formulated by an analytic review of clinician reasoning in particular cases, in relation to established principles of bioethics, in a process consistent with the Rawlsian concept of reflective equilibrium as the method for building ethical theory. The principles we propose are: (1) minimising physical risk to child; (2) minimising psychosocial risk to child; (3) preserving potential for fertility; (4) preserving or promoting capacity to have satisfying sexual relations; (5) leaving options open for the future, and (6) respecting the parents' wishes and beliefs.

Acute ethics: risk assessment and the Doctrine of Double Effect in a referral to on-call urology.

The Doctrine of Double Effect has been described as often used in medicine and surgery but is seldom described outside the palliative medicine context. This paper presents a possible clinically focussed illustration of the doctrine of double effect used in an acute urological setting. The authors describe the case of an elderly patient with significant dementia and haematuria who required anticoagulation. Implicit double effect reasoning may have helped the surgical team reach their initial decision with regard to a treatment plan, reconciling a duty to beneficence with a duty not to cause harm. This short case is offered as a stimulus for further discussion over the role of duty-based ethical reasoning in the acute surgical setting. It also highlights a possible need for more detailed case-analysis in identifying areas of interest in surgical ethics.

[Ethics and training in laparoscopic surgery]. / Etica y aprendizaje en cirugía laparoscópica.

Teaching operative skills are of paramount importance to urology training, specially in the period of time of the residency. Because of that, the introduction of laparoscopy in our surgical activity must be followed by a careful planning of progressive training as an answer to this new need that would be well designed trying not to damage in whatever possible way to the patients operated with this new modality of surgical intervention. In this sense, each case and each indication of laparoscopy must be clarified individually, taking into account the basic principles of medical ethics (beneficency, no maleficency, justice and autonomy). So, it will be neccesary to decide about possible risks due to the experience of the surgeon or due to the modality of surgery. In this article, different options of training plannings in laparoscopy are mentioned taking as a reference the experience in laparoscopic prostatectomy, reasons of "prepared reconversion" are exposed and, finally, the authors explain the discussion about the subject and the extent of information offered to the patients looking for the best possibilities of decision making by the patients.