Readability of American Society of Metabolic Surgery's Patient Information Publications.

INTRODUCTION: Appropriate education and information are the keystones of patient autonomy. Surgical societies support this goal through online informational publications. Despite these recommendations, many of these sources do not provide the appropriate level of reading for the average patient. Multiple national organizations, including the AMA and NIH, have recommended that such materials be written at or below a 6th-grade level. We therefore aimed to evaluate the readability of patient information publications provided by the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). METHODS: Patient information publications were collected from the ASMBS webpage (https://asmbs.org/patients) and evaluated for readability. Microsoft Office was utilized to calculate Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL) scores. Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) is a 0-100 score, with higher scores equating to easier reading (≥80 = 6th-grade reading level). Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL) rates text on a US grade school level. Qualitative and univariate analyses were performed. RESULTS: Eleven patient information publications were evaluated. None of the publications achieved an FRE score of 80 or an FKGL of a 6th-grade reading level. The average FRE score was 35.8 (range 14.9-53.6). The average FKGL score was 13.1 (range 10.1-17.5). The publication with the highest FRE and lowest FKGL (best readability) was that for benefits of weight loss. The brochure with the lowest FRE and highest FKGL (worst readability) was that for Medical Tourism. CONCLUSIONS: Although the ASMBS patient information publications are a trusted source of patient literature, none of the 11 publications met the recommended criteria for patient readability. Further refinement of these will be needed to provide the appropriate reading level for the average patient.

The Laparoscopy in Biliary Exploration Research and Training Initiative (LIBERTI) trial: simulator-based training for laparoscopic management of choledocholithiasis.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy with common bile duct exploration (LCBDE) is equivalent in safety and efficacy to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) plus laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) while decreasing number of procedures and length of stay (LOS). Despite these advantages LCBDE is infrequently utilized. We hypothesized that formal, simulation-based training in LCBDE would result in increased utilization and improve patient outcomes across participating institutions. METHODS: Data was obtained from an on-going multi-center study in which simulator-based transcystic LCBDE training curricula were instituted for attending surgeons and residents. A 2-year retrospective review of LCBDE utilization prior to LCBDE training was compared to utilization up to 2 years after initiation of training. Patient outcomes were analyzed between LCBDE strategy and ERCP strategy groups using χ2, t tests, and Wilcoxon rank tests. RESULTS: A total of 50 attendings and 70 residents trained in LCBDE since November 2020. Initial LCBDE utilization rate ranged from 0.74 to 4.5%, and increased among all institutions after training, ranging from 9.3 to 41.4% of cases. There were 393 choledocholithiasis patients analyzed using LCBDE (N = 129) and ERCP (N = 264) strategies. The LCBDE group had shorter median LOS (3 days vs. 4 days, p < 0.0001). No significant differences in readmission rates between LCBDE and ERCP groups (4.7% vs. 7.2%, p = 0.33), or in post-procedure pancreatitis (0.8% v 0.8%, p > 0.98). In comparison to LCBDE, the ERCP group had higher rates of bile duct injury (0% v 3.8%, p = 0.034) and fluid collections requiring intervention (0.8% v 6.8%, p < 0.009) secondary to cholecystectomy complications. Laparoscopic antegrade balloon sphincteroplasty had the highest technical success rate (87%), followed by choledochoscopic techniques (64%). CONCLUSION: Simulator-based training in LCBDE results in higher utilization rates, shorter LOS, and comparable safety to ERCP plus cholecystectomy. Therefore, implementation of LCBDE training is strongly recommended to optimize healthcare utilization and management of patients with choledocholithiasis.

Readiness of US General Surgery Residents for Independent Practice.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluates the current state of the General Surgery (GS) residency training model by investigating resident operative performance and autonomy. BACKGROUND: The American Board of Surgery has designated 132 procedures as being "Core" to the practice of GS. GS residents are expected to be able to safely and independently perform those procedures by the time they graduate. There is growing concern that not all residents achieve that standard. Lack of operative autonomy may play a role. METHODS: Attendings in 14 General Surgery programs were trained to use a) the 5-level System for Improving and Measuring Procedural Learning (SIMPL) Performance scale to assess resident readiness for independent practice and b) the 4-level Zwisch scale to assess the level of guidance (ie, autonomy) they provided to residents during specific procedures. Ratings were collected immediately after cases that involved a categorical GS resident. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and supplemented with Bayesian ordinal model-based estimation. RESULTS: A total of 444 attending surgeons rated 536 categorical residents after 10,130 procedures. Performance: from the first to the last year of training, the proportion of Performance ratings for Core procedures (n = 6931) at "Practice Ready" or above increased from 12.3% to 77.1%. The predicted probability that a typical trainee would be rated as Competent after performing an average Core procedure on an average complexity patient during the last week of residency training is 90.5% (95% CI: 85.7%-94%). This falls to 84.6% for more complex patients and to less than 80% for more difficult Core procedures. Autonomy: for all procedures, the proportion of Zwisch ratings indicating meaningful autonomy ("Passive Help" or "Supervision Only") increased from 15.1% to 65.7% from the first to the last year of training. For the Core procedures performed by residents in their final 6 months of training (cholecystectomy, inguinal/femoral hernia repair, appendectomy, ventral hernia repair, and partial colectomy), the proportion of Zwisch ratings (n = 357) indicating near-independence ("Supervision Only") was 33.3%. CONCLUSIONS: US General Surgery residents are not universally ready to independently perform Core procedures by the time they complete residency training. Progressive resident autonomy is also limited. It is unknown if the amount of autonomy residents do achieve is sufficient to ensure readiness for the entire spectrum of independent practice.

The gallbladder: what's new in 2022?

This review focuses mainly on the imaging diagnosis, treatment, and complications of acute cholecystitis which is the most common benign disease of the gallbladder. The American College of Radiology appropriateness criteria for the imaging evaluation of patients with right upper quadrant pain and the Tokyo Guidelines for evaluating patients with acute cholecystitis and acute cholangitis are presented. The recent articles for using US, CT, MR, and HIDA in the evaluation of patients with suspected acute cholecystitis are reviewed in detail. The clinical management and postoperative complications are described. Because gallbladder polyps and adenomyomatosis can mimic gallbladder malignancies and acute cholecystitis, their imaging findings and management are presented. Finally, due the recent literature reporting better results with CT than US in the diagnosis of acute cholecystitis, a suggested approach for imaging patients with right upper quadrant pain and possible acute cholecystitis is presented in an addendum.

A comprehensive review of laparoscopic redo fundoplication.

BACKGROUND: The last decade has seen the publication of multiple case series investigating the feasibility of performing reoperative fundoplications using laparoscopic techniques. Most of these studies are small and reflect initial experiences with the procedure. To examine the collective experience with laparoscopic redo fundoplications, a systematic review was conducted. METHODS: The MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases (January 1999 to March 2010) were reviewed. A total of 17 series representing 1,167 cases were selected. RESULTS: The mean patient age was 51.8 years, and 42.8% of the patients were men. The most common indication for reoperation was recurrent gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and the most common etiology of failure was herniation of the wrap. The mean operative time was 172 min, and the mean hospital stay was 2.8 days. Intraoperative complications occurred in 18.6% of cases, and the most common complication was gastrointestinal perforations (14.2%). The rate of conversion from laparoscopic to open surgery was 7.4%. The average postoperative follow-up period was 18 months. Postoperative complications were encountered with 16.9% of the patients, and the most common categorized complication was incisional hernia (1.6%). Success rates, defined variably, averaged 81%. CONCLUSIONS: This review demonstrates that although technically challenging, redo laparoscopic fundoplication can be an effective tool in the operative management of clinically significant problems after primary fundoplication.

Natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES(®)): a technical review.

INTRODUCTION: The clinical NOTES literature continues to grow. This review quantifies the published human NOTES experience to date, examines instrument use in detail, and compiles available perioperative outcomes data. METHODS: A PubMed search for all articles describing human NOTES cases was performed. All articles providing a technical description of procedures, excluding cases limited to diagnostic procedures, specimen extraction, fluid drainage or gynecological procedures, were reviewed. Two reviewers systematically cataloged the technical details of each procedure and performed a frequency analysis of instrument use in each type of case. Available outcomes data were also compiled. RESULTS: Forty-three discrete articles were reviewed in detail, describing a total of 432 operations consisting of transvaginal (n = 355), transgastric (n = 58), transesophageal (n = 17), and transrectal (n = 2) procedures, with 90% of cases performed in hybrid fashion with laparoscopic assistance. Cholecystectomy (84% of cases) was the most common procedure. Analysis of key steps included choice of endoscope, establishment of peritoneal access, dissection, specimen extraction, and closure of the access site. Analysis of instrument use during transvaginal cholecystectomy revealed variation in the choice of endoscope and the technique for establishment of access. A majority of these procedures relied heavily on the use of rigid and transabdominal instrumentation. Closure of the vaginotomy site was found to be well standardized, performed with an open suturing technique. Similar analysis for transgastric procedures revealed consistency in the choice of flexible endoscope as well as access and closure techniques. Perioperative outcomes from NOTES procedures were reported, but the data are currently limited due to small case numbers. CONCLUSIONS: NOTES is most commonly performed using a hybrid, transvaginal approach. Although some aspects of these procedures appear to be well standardized, there is still significant variability in technique. More outcomes data with standardized reporting are needed to determine the actual risks and benefits of NOTES.

Preoperative ultrasound measurements predict the feasibility of gallbladder extraction during transgastric natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery cholecystectomy.

BACKGROUND: Extraction of a gallbladder through an endoscopic overtube during natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) transgastric cholecystectomy avoids potential injury to the esophagus. This study examined the rate of successful gallbladder specimen extraction through an overtube and hypothesized that preoperative ultrasound findings could predict successful specimen passage. METHODS: Gallbladder specimens from patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy were measured, and an attempt was made to pull the specimens through a commercially available overtube with an inner diameter of 16.7-mm. A radiologist blinded to the outcomes reviewed the available preoperative ultrasound measurements from these patients. Ultrasound dimensions including gallbladder length, width, and depth; wall thickness; common bile duct diameter; and size of the largest gallstone (LGS) were recorded. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to determine whether ultrasound findings and patient characteristics (age, body mass index [BMI], and sex) could predict the ability of a specimen to pass through the overtube. RESULTS: Of 57 patients, 44 (77%) who had preoperative ultrasounds available for electronic review were included in the final analysis. Gallstones were present in 35 (79%) of these 44 patients. Intraoperative gallbladder perforation occurred in 18 (41%) of the 44 patients, and 16 (36%) of the 44 gallbladders could be extracted through the overtube. Measurement of LGS was possible for 23 patients, and indeterminate gallstone size (IGS) was determined for 12 patients. The rate for passage of perforated versus intact gallbladders was similar (40% vs. 23%; p = 0.054). The LGS (odds ratio [OR], 1.17; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-1.33; p = 0.021) and IGS (OR, 22.97; 95% CI, 1.99-265.63; p = 0.025) predicted failed passage on multivariate logistic regression analysis. The passage rate was 80% for LGS smaller than 10 mm or no stones present, 18% for LGS 10 mm or larger, and 8% for IGS (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: A majority of cholecystectomy specimens cannot pass through an endoscopic overtube. Preoperative ultrasound findings can predict successful specimen extraction. An IGS or a gallstone 10 mm or larger should be considered a relative contraindication to transgastric NOTES cholecystectomy.

Imposter Syndrome in Surgical Trainees: Clance Imposter Phenomenon Scale Assessment in General Surgery Residents.

BACKGROUND: Imposter syndrome occurs when high-achieving individuals have a pervasive sense of self-doubt combined with fear of being exposed as a fraud, despite objective measures of success. This threatens mental health and well-being. The prevalence and severity of imposter syndrome has not been studied among general surgery residents on a large scale. The primary outcomes of this study were the prevalence and severity of imposter syndrome. STUDY DESIGN: The Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale was administered to residents at 6 academic general surgery residency programs. Multivariable analysis was performed to identify significant differences among groups and predictive characteristics of imposter syndrome. RESULTS: One hundred and forty-four residents completed the assessment (response rate 46.6%; 47.2% were male). Only 22.9% had "none to mild" or "moderate" imposter syndrome. A majority (76%) had "significant" or "severe" imposter syndrome. There were no significant differences in mean scores among male and female residents (p = 0.69). White residents had a mean score of 71.3 and non-White residents had a mean score of 68.3 (p = 0.24). There was no significant difference between PGY1 to PGY5 or research residents (p = 0.72). There were no significant differences based on US Medical Licensing Examination or American Board of Surgery In-Service Training Examination scores (p = 0.18 and p = 0.37, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Imposter syndrome is prevalent among general surgery residents, with 76% of residents reporting either significant or severe imposter syndrome. There were no predictive characteristics based on demographics or academic achievement, suggesting that there is something either inherent to those choosing general surgery training or the general surgery training culture that leads to such substantive levels of imposter syndrome.

Five-year follow-up after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric and partial ileal bypass for treatment of morbid obesity and uncontrolled hyperlipidemia.

BACKGROUND: Morbid obesity is associated with significant co-morbid illnesses and mortality. Hyperlipidemia is strongly associated with atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) is a proven and effective procedure for the treatment of morbid obesity and its related co-morbid illnesses. In a randomized prospective clinical trial, partial ileal bypass showed sustained control of hyperlipidemia and reduced comorbidities. Given risks of surgery, pharmacologic agents are the current primary therapy for hyperlipidemia. However, a morbidly obese patient with medically refractory hyperlipidemia may benefit from a combined laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and partial ileal bypass. We are describing the first case of a totally laparoscopic approach. METHODS: A 56-year-old female patient with morbid obesity (BMI 45.2 kg/m(2)) and medically refractive hyperlipidemia underwent a combined LRYGB and partial ileal bypass in 2002. She was continuously followed for 5 years for weight profile, hyperlipidemia, post-operative complications, and morbidity. RESULTS: Five-year follow-up of the patient showed sustained excess body weight loss. Her lipid profile has approached normal ranges with less medication. She experienced no comorbidities related to surgery or hyperlipidemia. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and partial ileal bypass may be the best option for the patient who has morbid obesity and medically refractory hyperlipidemia and should be considered for select patients.

Natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES): dissection for the critical view of safety during transcolonic cholecystectomy.

BACKGROUND: Natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES), an emerging field in minimally invasive surgery, is driving the development of new technology and techniques. The NOTES approach has several proposed benefits including potentially decreased abdominal pain, wound infections, and hernia formation [1-4]. Cholecystectomy is one of the most commonly performed NOTES procedures to date [5-7]. To perform a safe cholecystectomy and reduce potential bile duct injuries, the cystic duct and artery must first be identified. Establishing this critical view of safety before ligation and division has been shown to reduce bile duct injuries associated with laparoscopic cholecystectomy [8]. This video shows that the critical view of safety can be attained with endoscopic dissection. METHODS: In the porcine model, transcolonic peritoneal access is gained using an endoscopic needleknife and balloon dilator. Once orientation is established, the gallbladder is retracted using percutaneous T-tags. The cystic duct and artery bundle are identified and then meticulously dissected using endoscopic graspers, hook cautery, biopsy forceps, and scissors. The individual cystic duct and artery are isolated and identified, establishing the critical view of safety. Endoscopic clip ligation and division are then performed, and the gallbladder is dissected free. CONCLUSIONS: Dissection of the critical view of safety can be performed in a completely endoscopic fashion using appropriate instrumentation. By achieving this critical view, the incidence of biliary injury during NOTES should be minimal and similar to the incidence of biliary injury during laparoscopic surgery. While completing this procedure, we identified several remaining technical limitations and deficiencies. Endoscopic retraction of tissue still is challenging with currently available instrumentation. Hemostatic endoscopic clips are not currently available for cystic artery and duct ligation. With the development of such instruments, cholecystectomy and other NOTES procedures will become technically more feasible.

Laparoscopic management of a cystic duct cyst.

BACKGROUND: Choledochal cysts are rare cystic dilatations of the biliary tree. Though their cause is uncertain, these cysts are usually referred for surgical resection because of their association with developing malignancy. Traditionally, choledochal cysts have been classified under 5 main types. Not included in this classification are cysts of the cystic duct, a condition that is even rarer, with only 14 cases reported in the literature to date. We describe one such rare case of a cyst of the cystic duct that we successfully treated via laparoscopic resection. METHODS AND RESULTS: A 41-year-old male was found to have a biliary abnormality on a routine follow-up computed tomography (CT) scan for an unrelated medical condition. Further magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) imaging identified a cystic dilation consistent with a Type II choledochal cyst. Laparoscopic resection was performed using a total of 5 trocars, at which time a cyst of the cystic duct was found instead of the expected Type II choledochal cyst. Intraoperative cholangiography was used as a surgical adjunct to confirm the anatomy, and resection of the cyst was completed without complications. CONCLUSIONS: Our case adds to the body of reports showing that cysts of the cystic duct, while extremely rare, do occur and need to be recognized. Given the preoperative similarity between cystic duct cysts and other choledochal cysts, proposal for a new "Type VI" category for choledochal cysts may be considered so that clinicians can be prepared for this variation. Once recognized, cysts of the cystic duct can be safely and effectively removed by laparoscopic excision, as we have demonstrated.

NOTES: cadaveric rendezvous hybrid small bowel resection.

BACKGROUND: Natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) is an emerging field in minimally invasive surgery that is driving the development of new technology and techniques [1-4]. Before NOTES gains widespread popularity, it must be proven to be a safe and efficacious technique [5]. There are several proposed benefits to the NOTES approach, including potentially decreased abdominal pain, wound infections, and hernia formation. METHODS: Currently, most investigational NOTES procedures are performed using a single transgastric, transcolonic, or transvaginal access point to the abdomen. In order to provide greater range of motion and freedom of movement, a rendezvous procedure using simultaneous transgastric and transcolonic approaches was used to perform a small bowel resection. This video demonstrates a successful NOTES hybrid small bowel resection with the use of two laparoscopic ports in a cadaveric model. A powered stapling device attached to a flexible shaft is introduced transcolonically and facilitates division and re-anastamosis of the small bowel. A dual-channel operating endoscope introduced transgastrically allows for precise dissection and creation of enterotomies necessary for the small bowel resection. CONCLUSIONS: While technically challenging, NOTES hybrid small bowel resection can be accomplished with specially designed instrumentation utilizing the rendezvous technique. There are several technical limitations preventing this procedure from being completed in a pure NOTES fashion. A safe method of creating blind enterotomies will be needed to eliminate laparoscopic visualization of the enterotomy sites. Adequate endoscopic exposure and retraction of tissue is still difficult and currently requires percutaneous adjuncts. New closure devices will be needed for safe and reliable NOTES enterotomy closure. With the development of such instruments, this, as well as other NOTES procedures, will become more technically feasible.

Is the operative autonomy granted to a resident consistent with operative performance quality.

BACKGROUND: We investigated attending surgeon decisions regarding resident operative autonomy, including situations where operative autonomy was discordant with performance quality. METHODS: Attending surgeons assessed operative performance and documented operative autonomy granted to residents from 14 general surgery residency programs. Concordance between performance and autonomy was defined as "practice ready performance/meaningfully autonomous" or "not practice ready/not meaningfully autonomous." Discordant circumstances were practice ready/not meaningfully autonomous or not practice ready/meaningfully autonomous. Resident training level, patient-related case complexity, procedure complexity, and procedure commonality were investigated to determine impact on autonomy. RESULTS: A total of 8,798 assessments were collected from 429 unique surgeons assessing 496 unique residents. Practice-ready and exceptional performances were 20 times more likely to be performed under meaningfully autonomous conditions than were other performances. Meaningful autonomy occurred most often with high-volume, easy and common cases, and less complex procedures. Eighty percent of assessments were concordant (38% practice ready/meaningfully autonomous and 42% not practice ready/not meaningfully autonomous). Most discordant assessments (13.8%) were not practice ready/meaningfully autonomous. For fifth-year residents, practice ready/not meaningfully autonomous ratings (9.7%) were more frequent than not practice ready/meaningfully autonomous ratings (7.5%). Ten surgeons (2.3%) failed to afford residents meaningful autonomy on any occasion. CONCLUSION: Resident operative performance quality is the most important determinant in attending surgeon decisions regarding resident autonomy.

Effect of succimer chelation therapy on postural balance and gait outcomes in children with early exposure to environmental lead.

This study investigated the influence of succimer chelation therapy in eliminating and/or minimizing lead-associated impairments of motor functions such as postural balance and locomotion or gait activities. In this study, postural balance and functional locomotion or gait were quantitated in 161 children in Cincinnati enrolled in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double blind clinical trial. In comparison to the placebo group, the succimer therapy group showed significantly decreased postural sway during dynamic task performance implying improved postural balance. The results from locomotion tests demonstrated significant improvements in functional tasks of obstacle crossing and normal walking in the succimer treated group. While some beneficial neuromotor effects of succimer therapy were observed in the present study there remains several unanswered questions such as how long these effects will persist and how succimer therapy modifies lead-associated cerebellar deficits manifesting as perturbations in vestibular and/or proprioception systems for postural balance and functional locomotion.

A Multicenter Prospective Comparison of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Milestones: Clinical Competency Committee vs. Resident Self-Assessment.

OBJECTIVE: The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education requires accredited residency programs to implement competency-based assessments of medical trainees based upon nationally established Milestones. Clinical competency committees (CCC) are required to prepare biannual reports using the Milestones and ensure reporting to the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Previous research demonstrated a strong correlation between CCC and resident scores on the Milestones at 1 institution. We sought to evaluate a national sampling of general surgery residency programs and hypothesized that CCC and resident assessments are similar. DESIGN: Details regarding the makeup and process of each CCC were obtained. Major disparities were defined as an absolute mean difference of ≥0.5 on the 4-point scale. A negative assessment disparity indicated that the residents evaluated themselves at a lower level than did the CCC. Statistical analysis included Wilcoxon rank sum and Sign tests. SETTING: CCCs and categorical general surgery residents from 15 residency programs completed the Milestones document independently during the spring of 2016. RESULTS: Overall, 334 residents were included; 44 (13%) and 43 (13%) residents scored themselves ≥0.5 points higher and lower than the CCC, respectively. Female residents scored themselves a mean of 0.08 points lower, and male residents scored themselves a mean of 0.03 points higher than the CCC. Median assessment differences for postgraduate year (PGY) 1-5 were 0.03 (range: -0.94 to 1.28), -0.11 (range: -1.22 to 1.22), -0.08 (range: -1.28 to 0.81), 0.02 (range: -0.91 to 1.00), and -0.19 (range: -1.16 to 0.50), respectively. Residents in university vs. independent programs had higher rates of negative assessment differences in medical knowledge (15% vs. 6%; P = 0.015), patient care (17% vs. 5%; P = 0.002), professionalism (23% vs. 14%; P = 0.013), and system-based practice (18% vs. 9%; P = 0.031) competencies. Major assessment disparities by sex or PGY were similar among individual competencies. CONCLUSIONS: Surgery residents in this national cohort demonstrated self-awareness when compared to assessments by their respective CCCs. This was independent of program type, sex, or level of training. PGY 5 residents, female residents, and those from university programs consistently rated themselves lower than the CCC, but these were not major disparities and the significance of this is unclear.

The Feasibility of Real-Time Intraoperative Performance Assessment With SIMPL (System for Improving and Measuring Procedural Learning): Early Experience From a Multi-institutional Trial.

PURPOSE: Intraoperative performance assessment of residents is of growing interest to trainees, faculty, and accreditors. Current approaches to collect such assessments are limited by low participation rates and long delays between procedure and evaluation. We deployed an innovative, smartphone-based tool, SIMPL (System for Improving and Measuring Procedural Learning), to make real-time intraoperative performance assessment feasible for every case in which surgical trainees participate, and hypothesized that SIMPL could be feasibly integrated into surgical training programs. METHODS: Between September 1, 2015 and February 29, 2016, 15 U.S. general surgery residency programs were enrolled in an institutional review board-approved trial. SIMPL was made available after 70% of faculty and residents completed a 1-hour training session. Descriptive and univariate statistics analyzed multiple dimensions of feasibility, including training rates, volume of assessments, response rates/times, and dictation rates. The 20 most active residents and attendings were evaluated in greater detail. RESULTS: A total of 90% of eligible users (1267/1412) completed training. Further, 13/15 programs began using SIMPL. Totally, 6024 assessments were completed by 254 categorical general surgery residents (n = 3555 assessments) and 259 attendings (n = 2469 assessments), and 3762 unique operations were assessed. There was significant heterogeneity in participation within and between programs. Mean percentage (range) of users who completed ≥1, 5, and 20 assessments were 62% (21%-96%), 34% (5%-75%), and 10% (0%-32%) across all programs, and 96%, 75%, and 32% in the most active program. Overall, response rate was 70%, dictation rate was 24%, and mean response time was 12 hours. Assessments increased from 357 (September 2015) to 1146 (February 2016). The 20 most active residents each received mean 46 assessments by 10 attendings for 20 different procedures. CONCLUSIONS: SIMPL can be feasibly integrated into surgical training programs to enhance the frequency and timeliness of intraoperative performance assessment. We believe SIMPL could help facilitate a national competency-based surgical training system, although local and systemic challenges still need to be addressed.

Competency champions in the clinical competency committee: a successful strategy to implement milestone evaluations and competency coaching.

OBJECTIVES: To create a clinical competency committee (CCC) that (1) centers on the competency-based milestones, (2) is simple to implement, (3) creates competency expertise, and (4) guides remediation and coaching of residents who are not progressing in milestone performance evaluations. DESIGN: We created a CCC that meets monthly and at each meeting reviews a resident class for milestone performance, a competency (by a faculty competency champion), a resident rotation service, and any other resident or issue of concern. SETTING: University surgical residency program. PARTICIPANTS: The CCC members include the program director, associate program directors, director of surgical curriculum, competency champions, departmental chair, 2 at-large faculty members, and the administrative chief residents. RESULTS: Seven residents were placed on remediation (later renamed as coaching) during the academic year after falling behind on milestone progression in one or more competencies. An additional 4 residents voluntarily placed themselves on remediation for medical knowledge after receiving in-training examination scores that the residents (not the CCC membership) considered substandard. All but 2 of the remediated/coached residents successfully completed all area milestone performance but some chose to stay on the medical knowledge competency strategy. CONCLUSIONS: Monthly meetings of the CCC make milestone evaluation less burdensome. In addition, the expectations of the residents are clearer and more tangible. "Competency champions" who are familiar with the milestones allow effective coaching strategies and documentation of clear performance improvements in competencies for successful completion of residency training. Residents who do not reach appropriate milestone performance can then be placed in remediation for more formal performance evaluation. The function of our CCC has also allowed us opportunity to evaluate the required rotations to ensure that they offer experiences that help residents achieve competency performance necessary to be safe and effective surgeons upon completion of training.

How I do it: laparoscopic paraesophageal hernia repair.

INTRODUCTION: Paraesophageal hernias are usually complex anatomic abnormalities of the upper gastrointestinal tract capable of causing symptoms and complications including death. Furthermore, they affect patients who are usually older and have other comorbidities. Preferred treatment approach has evolved over time, with laparoscopic repair being the current preferred technique as it causes less hemodynamic changes and is better tolerated than open repairs. TECHNIQUE: In this report, we describe our technique for laparoscopic paraesophageal hernia repair. The most salient technical aspects of this procedure include reduction of the stomach below the diaphragm, circumferential dissection and excision of the hernia sac, closure of the crural defect with our without the addition of mesh, and fundoplication to prevent reflux. CONCLUSION: While this procedure has a low morbidity risk and short hospital stay, anatomic recurrence is frequent even when performed by experienced surgeons.