OR fire virtual training simulator: design and face validity.

BACKGROUND: The Virtual Electrosurgical Skill Trainer is a tool for training surgeons the safe operation of electrosurgery tools in both open and minimally invasive surgery. This training includes a dedicated team-training module that focuses on operating room (OR) fire prevention and response. The module was developed to allow trainees, practicing surgeons, anesthesiologist, and nurses to interact with a virtual OR environment, which includes anesthesia apparatus, electrosurgical equipment, a virtual patient, and a fire extinguisher. Wearing a head-mounted display, participants must correctly identify the "fire triangle" elements and then successfully contain an OR fire. Within these virtual reality scenarios, trainees learn to react appropriately to the simulated emergency. A study targeted at establishing the face validity of the virtual OR fire simulator was undertaken at the 2015 Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons conference. METHODS: Forty-nine subjects with varying experience participated in this Institutional Review Board-approved study. The subjects were asked to complete the OR fire training/prevention sequence in the VEST simulator. Subjects were then asked to answer a subjective preference questionnaire consisting of sixteen questions, focused on the usefulness and fidelity of the simulator. RESULTS: On a 5-point scale, 12 of 13 questions were rated at a mean of 3 or greater (92%). Five questions were rated above 4 (38%), particularly those focusing on the simulator effectiveness and its usefulness in OR fire safety training. A total of 33 of the 49 participants (67%) chose the virtual OR fire trainer over the traditional training methods such as a textbook or an animal model. CONCLUSIONS: Training for OR fire emergencies in fully immersive VR environments, such as the VEST trainer, may be the ideal training modality. The face validity of the OR fire training module of the VEST simulator was successfully established on many aspects of the simulation.

Allogeneic transfusion after predonation of blood for elective spine surgery.

UNLABELLED: The literature suggests preoperative autologous blood donation in total joint arthroplasty is associated with increased overall transfusion rates compared with nondonation and is not cost-effective for all patients. We asked whether the amount of intraoperative blood loss and blood replacement differs between autologous donors and nondonors in elective spine surgery and whether the rates of allogeneic blood transfusions differ between the two groups; we then determined the cost of wasted predonated units. We retrospectively reviewed 676 patients who underwent elective lumbar spine surgery and compared relevant data to that in a matched cohort of 51 patients who predonated blood and 51 patients who received only cell-saver blood and underwent instrumented spinal fusion. Patients who predonated blood had similar blood loss as patients who did not predonate, but they had more blood replacement (1391 cc compared with 410 cc). Patients who predonated blood also had a lower preoperative hemoglobin level and wasted a half unit of blood on average. There was no major difference in allogeneic blood transfusion rates between the two groups. Our data suggest for short, instrumented lumbar fusion surgeries in patients with a normal coagulation profile, preoperative blood donation is not beneficial. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II, therapeutic study.

The novel use of intraoperative laser-induced fluorescence of indocyanine green tissue angiography for evaluation of the gastric conduit in esophageal reconstructive surgery.

BACKGROUND: Esophagectomy with reconstruction using a gastric conduit is associated with a relatively high rate of anastomotic leakage. We used indocyanine green tissue angiography to evaluate the gastric conduit intraoperatively before gastroesophageal anastomosis to identify ischemia. METHODS: We performed an institutional review board-approved retrospective review of all esophagectomies performed from 2010 to the beginning of 2011. Patient histories and perioperative outcomes were reviewed retrospectively. Postoperative morbidity and 30-day mortality were determined. RESULTS: Eleven patients had an esophagectomy performed using this technology. All had adequate perfusion on gross examination. All but 1 had good perfusion with tissue angiography, and there were 2 anastomotic leakages leaks including this patient. There were no mortalities at 30 days. CONCLUSIONS: We report preliminary results using this imaging system in esophageal reconstructive surgery. Larger randomized controlled studies are needed to determine if surgical outcomes can be improved using this technology.

Nuss procedure: decrease in bar movement requiring reoperation with primary placement of two bars.

BACKGROUND: The Nuss procedure, first reported in 1998, is currently the treatment of choice for pectus excavatum. The most significant bar-related complication documented is bar movement, requiring reoperation in 3.4%-27% of reports. Our report compares the initial placement of one Nuss bar versus two to prevent bar displacement. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: An Institutional Review Board-approved, retrospective chart review was performed of all Nuss procedures performed from November 2000 through February 2010. Since November 2006, all initial Nuss procedures were started with the intent of placing two bars. Haller index, patient demographics, duration of surgery, length of stay, postoperative wound infections, and bar movement requiring reoperation were collected and compared for the one-bar versus two-bar patient populations. RESULTS: In total, 85 Nuss procedures (58 with one-bar and 27 with two-bar primary Nuss procedures) were analyzed. Two attending pediatric surgeons performed all the procedures. Reoperation for bar movement when one bar was initially placed occurred in 9 patients (15.5%). No patients with initial placement of two bars required operative revision for a displaced Nuss bar (15.5% versus 0%, P=.05). Patient age and Haller index were not statistically different between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrate improved bar stability with no reoperative intervention when pectus excavatum is initially repaired with two Nuss bars. Primary placement of two bars has now become standard practice in our institution for correction of pectus excavatum by the Nuss procedure and would be our recommendation for consideration by other centers.