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Found 42 results
  1. News Article
    A study has demonstrated that AI can create more accurate operative reports than surgeons. Published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, it is the first report on fully automated, video-based AI surgical documentation. The research highlights the potential of AI-driven solutions to reduce administrative burdens and improve surgical documentation. Surgeons frequently regard the creation of operative reports as essential yet time-consuming. These reports are inevitably subjective and may contain inaccuracies or incomplete information. The administrative task of documentation has also been recognised as a potential factor in physician burnout. Recent advancements in AI, especially in computer vision, have allowed automated systems to accurately detect surgical steps from video footage. Researchers aimed to create a platform that automates the generation of video-based AI surgical operative reports for robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). Using an AI-powered algorithm, surgical steps were automatically identified in video recordings and mapped to pre-specified text to generate narrative AI operative reports. The accuracy of these AI-generated reports was then compared to traditional surgeon-written reports using an expert review of raw surgical video footage as the gold standard. The findings suggest that AI-driven operative reporting can enhance accuracy, reduce the documentation burden, and improve transparency in surgical procedures. Read full story Source: Surgery News, 24 March 2025
  2. News Article
    If you have any say, you might want to avoid scheduling your next surgery on a Friday. The most comprehensive analysis of what happens to patients who have surgery on Fridays versus Mondays, published in JAMA by more than a dozen US and Canadian researchers, is unequivocal: The people who underwent all kinds of procedures before the weekend suffered on average more short-term, medium-term, and long-term complications than people who went under the knife after the weekend was over. The study was based in Ontario and included more than 450,000 patients who received one of the 25 most common surgeries between 2007 and 2019. Previous studies have generally found the same effects across different types of health systems: One UK-based study had reported better outcomes for Monday surgeries after 30 days. A paper looking at Dutch patients detected higher mortality rates after one month for patients who had Friday surgeries compared to Monday. This appears to be a phenomenon no matter the country, as prior US-based research also attests. People who received pre-weekend surgeries — defined as a Friday or a Thursday before a long weekend — were overall about 5% more likely to experience one of those complications within a year of their surgery than people who got post-weekend procedures (on Monday or the Tuesday after a long weekend). The effect was stronger for heart and vascular surgeries; it was negligible for obstetric and plastic surgeries. Researchers found Friday surgeries were more likely to be performed by junior surgeons when compared to Monday surgeries. “This difference in expertise may play a role in the observed differences in outcomes,” they wrote, based on a statistical analysis that controlled for other factors. There could also be fewer senior colleagues on the hospital campus for the junior physicians to consult with, the authors said. In addition, the weekend doctors and nurses may be less familiar with the patient’s case, raising the risk that complications will be caught later and therefore lead to worse outcomes. Read full story Source: Vox, 21 March 2025
  3. News Article
    The parents of a one-year-old girl who died after 'gross neglect' have called the mistakes made at a hospital where she was being cared for 'unbelievable'. Eleanor Aldred-Owen, from Mold, was diagnosed with bicoronal craniosynostosis at just 12 weeks old. This condition meant that the sutures, the fibrous tissue joints connecting the bones of the skull, had fused prematurely, preventing normal growth and necessitating surgery to alleviate potential pressure on her brain. An inquest into Eleanor's death held at Gerard Majella Coroner's Courthouse in Liverpool on Wednesday (December 18) heard how Eleanor attended Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool for surgery on September 29 2023, but complications arose and the hospital missed crucial opportunities to address them. Eleanor’s parents Rachel and Chaz have now issued a heartbreaking statement following the inquest saying their lives are "empty and quiet" without their daughter. "We have found the failings in care identified by the hospital and recognised by the Coroner as unbelievable. We thought Eleanor would be cared for by specialists, instead there were 24 identified lessons to be learned in relation to her post operative care. "The process of the Trust investigation was not an experience we found helpful and in particular we found the stance taken in preparation for the inquest and in the Trusts submissions to the Coroner only made this worse. "We are intensely grateful to the Coroner for her thorough investigation and her conclusion that Eleanor died as a result of numerous gross failures to provide her basic medical care, of course none of this changes the fact we have to continue our lives without Eleanor.” Read full story Source: Wales Online, 19 December 2024
  4. Content Article
    The Centre for Perioperative Care have many case studies on their website on preoperative optimisation and assessment, older people undergoing surgery and hip fracture care. Preoperative optimisation Preoperative assessment Case Studies: Older people undergoing surgery Hip fracture care Postoperative phase
  5. Content Article
    This project aims to develop peer consensus centred on specific themes defined by the steering group covering topics relevant to the optimal, universal and evidence-based care bundle to reduce surgical site infections (SSIs). It will support building expert consensus around best practices when selecting the care bundle to reduce surgical site infections in practice. It is hoped that the output will support best practice patient management in Europe. The survey takes under 10 minutes to complete. Please review each statement and indicate your level of agreement with it (tick one box only per statement). Please only complete this questionnaire once. Your anonymous responses will be a source of data for the development of a consensus publication. This project has been initiated and funded by Becton Dickinson and is being managed and delivered by Triducive.
  6. Content Article
    In the fast-evolving realm of contemporary healthcare, surgical techniques have attained unprecedented levels of advancement, leading to substantial enhancements in patient care. However, the journey towards complete recovery extends far beyond the operating room, emphasising the importance of effective postoperative care. In this critical phase, patient partnerships play a pivotal role, ensuring a holistic and personalised approach to recovery.
  7. Content Article
    A series of podcasts from Molnlycke UK, with host Steve Feast, discussing topics such as sustainability, patient safety and more. Episodes: Sustainability in the operating theatre - guest speakers Tod Brindle, Molnlycke Medical Director, and Toby Cobbledick, Molnlycke Sustainability Specialist. Preventing surgical site infections: pre-surgery - guest speaker Lindsay Keeley, Patient Safety and Quality Lead AfPP. Preventing surgical site infections: post-surgery - guest speaker Lindsay Keeley, Patient Safety and Quality Lead AfPP. Supporting patients in their recovery from surgery - guest speaker Helen Hughes - Chief Executive of Patient Safety Learning.
  8. Content Article
    Patients have better outcomes with female surgeons, a study from Wallis et al. has found. In a cohort study of 1 million patients, those treated by a female surgeon were less likely to experience death, hospital readmission, or major medical complication at 90 days or 1 year after surgery. This association was seen across nearly all subgroups defined by patient, surgeon, hospital, and procedure characteristics. The analysis, reported in Jama Surgery, showed that 90 days after an operation, 13.9% of patients treated by a male surgeon had “adverse post-operative events”, a catch-all term that includes death and medical complications ranging from problems that require further surgery to major infections, heart attacks and strokes. The equivalent figure for patients seen by female surgeons was 12.5%. Patients seen by female surgeons fared better one year after surgery too, with 20.7% having an adverse postoperative event, compared with 25% of those seen by male surgeons. When the doctors looked purely at deaths post-surgery, the difference was even starker: patients treated by male surgeons were 25% more likely to die one year after surgery than those treated by female surgeons. A second study of 150,000 patients in Sweden, also published in Jama Surgery, paints a similar picture. Dr My Blohm and colleagues at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm reviewed patient outcomes after surgery to remove the gallbladder. They found that patients treated by female surgeons suffered fewer complications and had shorter hospital stays than those treated by men. The female surgeons operated more slowly than their male colleagues and were less likely to switch from keyhole to open surgery during an operation.
  9. Content Article
    Peri-operative medication safety is complex. Avoidance of medication errors is both system- and practitioner-based, and many departments within the hospital contribute to safe and effective systems. For the individual anaesthetist, drawing up, labelling and then the correct administration of medications are key components in a patient's peri-operative journey. These guidelines from the Association of Anaesthetists aim to provide pragmatic safety steps for the practitioner and other individuals within the operative environment, as well as short- to long-term goals for development of a collaborative approach to reducing errors.
  10. Content Article
    Remote digital postoperative wound monitoring provides an opportunity to strengthen postoperative community care and minimise the burden of surgical-site infection (SSI). This study aimed to pilot a remote digital postoperative wound monitoring service and evaluate the readiness for implementation in routine clinical practice. It concluded that remote digital postoperative wound monitoring successfully demonstrated readiness for implementation with regards to the technology, usability, and healthcare process improvement.
  11. Content Article
    Mesh implantation for hernia repair has become standard practice for the majority of hernia repairs. Mesh-based hernia repairs have been shown to be a durable solution, however, postoperative complications, such as chronic postoperative pain, remain a concern. To date, there have been few investigations into the inflammatory response to mesh. In this study, Fadaee et al. present their experience in diagnosing and treating a subpopulation of patients who require mesh removal due to a possible mesh implant illness. They found predisposing factors include female sex, history of autoimmune disorder, and multiple medical and environmental allergies and sensitivities. Presenting symptoms included spontaneous rashes, erythema and oedema over the area of implant, arthralgia, headaches and chronic fatigue. Long-term follow up after mesh removal confirmed resolution of symptoms after mesh removal. The authors hope this provides greater attention to patients who present with vague, non-specific but debilitating symptoms after mesh implantation.
  12. Content Article
    Anaemia is associated with adverse outcomes of surgery. The blood loss of surgery or trauma can cause or worsen anaemia. People who have anaemia have a worse result from their operation including poorer wound healing, slower mobilisation and an increased risk of death. The Centre for Perioperative Care (CPOC) perioperative anaemia guideline has been developed using a whole pathway approach. It contains recommendations for patients of all ages undergoing surgery and for healthcare professionals in both emergency and elective surgical settings and across specialties. The aim of this guideline is to ensure that the patient is at the centre of the whole process, and that everyone involved in their care carries out their individual responsibilities to minimise the risk from anaemia.  To make the best of this approach we need to make sure patients and all health care professionals including GPs and multidisciplinary hospital teams work together to: Identify anaemia early in the pathway. Make the patient aware of this and all actions going forward. Find the cause of the anaemia. Use tried and tested treatments for anaemia before surgery. This could include advice on changes in diet, oral treatments such as iron supplements and the use intravenous iron when necessary. Make sure the patient has a personalised treatment programme including providing appropriate information about the pros and cons of the different approaches suggested to the patient and how long these should be continued. Communicate clearly between different members of the team so that operations are not cancelled unnecessarily and improve the interface between primary care and hospitals. Talk openly to the patient about the benefits and risks of managing anaemia and the surgery.
  13. Content Article
    Hypothermia is a common problem in the operating theatre, and it contributes to many poor outcomes including rising costs, increased complications and higher morbidity rates. This literature review in the Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing aimed to determine the best method and time to prewarm a patient in order to prevent hypothermia during or after surgery. The authors suggest that forced-air warming is most effective in preventing perioperative hypothermia. Eighty-one percent of the experimental studies reviewed found that there was a significantly higher temperature throughout surgery and in the post-operative care unit for patients who received forced-air prewarming.
  14. Content Article
    This guideline covers preventing and managing inadvertent hypothermia in people aged 18 and over having surgery. It offers advice on assessing patients’ risk of hypothermia, measuring and monitoring temperature, and devices for keeping patients warm before, during and after surgery. This guideline includes recommendations on: information for patients measuring temperature warming patients before their operation, including transfer to the operating theatre keeping patients warm during their operation, including ambient temperature in the operating theatre and temperature of intravenous fluids keeping patients warm after their operation
  15. Content Article
    In order to prevent hypothermia during or after surgery, patients can be warmed before or during the induction of anaesthesia. If the patient is warmed before, this is known as prewarming, and if they are warmed at the same time that anaesthetics are given, this is known as cowarming. This study in the Journal of Anaesthesiology and Clinical Pharmacology aimed to investigate whether cowarming is as good as prewarming in preventing the occurrence of intraoperative hypothermia.
  16. Content Article
    The purpose of this investigation by the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) is to help improve patient safety in relation to the care of patients who have NHS-funded surgery in an independent hospital. This was initiated in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, where because of increased pressure on the NHS, independent hospitals have been providing more care for NHS patients, including urgent elective surgical care and delivery of cancer pathways. The HSIB investigation reviewed the experience of a patient with a diagnosis of bowel cancer, who was booked to undergo laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery to remove part of his bowel in in an independent hospital. Following surgery, the patient made slow progress and on day eight following surgery he started to deteriorate rapidly. He was transferred to the local NHS hospital for investigation and further surgery. He died later the same day as a result of sepsis following a complication of his recent surgery. The investigation explored: Safety issues associated with the establishment of surgical services in independent hospitals to support the NHS and in particular the specialist services that are in place to deliver patient care. The assessment of patients prior to surgery to identify their risk and suitability for an operation and where it was to be undertaken; this included identification of patients with frail physical states. Key findings included: National and local NHS organisations had limited understanding of independent hospitals’ capabilities. This resulted in variation in how independent hospitals were used during Covid-19. Some independent hospitals saw patients with increasingly complex conditions and undertook more complex operations during Covid-19. The increasing complexity was well managed where capability of the independent hospitals had been evaluated and addressed prior to implementation of new services. Where pathways between NHS and independent hospitals were effective, it was often found that relationships between the hospitals had been longstanding and direct. There was variation in how preoperative assessments were undertaken across NHS and independent hospitals. This included what tests were ordered and risk assessments undertaken. Preoperative nutrition screening was inconsistent across NHS and independent hospitals. Examples were identified where it was not undertaken, or undertaken too late to allow any preoperative optimisation – that is, to make sure the patient was in the best possible nutritional state before their operation. Remote preoperative assessment became the norm during Covid-19, but created risks when staff were not able to see the patient. Lack of video call facilities and staff preference meant assessments were commonly done by telephone. Safety recommendations HSIB recommends that NHS England and NHS Improvement ensures that effective processes have been implemented in integrated care systems to identify local capability and capacity of their independent acute hospitals. HSIB recommends that NHSX expands its work programme addressing the challenges associated with interoperability of information systems used in healthcare to include transfer of information between the NHS and independent sector in support of safe care delivery. HSIB recommends that the Care Quality Commission reviews and appropriately develops its methodology for regulatory assurance of arrangements between NHS and independent providers for the provision of care across care pathways. This is to include any screening and risk management processes used to ensure the safe transfer of care between providers. HSIB recommends that NHS England and NHS Improvement reviews models of perioperative care for their value and impact. This should inform future work to support implementation of a standardised approach, based on evidence, across all healthcare providers that deliver surgical services. HSIB recommends that NHS England and NHS Improvement establishes a process to ensure that findings of the National Institute for Health Research’s policy research programme into frailty in younger patient groups are reviewed and acted upon.
  17. Content Article
    Frailty is a condition characterised by loss of biological reserve, failure of physiological mechanisms and vulnerability to a range of adverse outcomes including increased risk of morbidity, mortality and loss of independence in the perioperative period. With the increasing recognition of the prevalence of frailty in the surgical population and the impact on postoperative outcomes, The Centre for Perioperative Care (CPOC) and the British Geriatrics Society (BGS) have worked together to develop a whole pathway guideline on perioperative care for people living with frailty undergoing elective and emergency surgery. The scope of this guideline covers all aspects of perioperative care relevant to adults living with frailty undergoing elective and emergency surgery. It is written for healthcare professionals involved in delivering care throughout the pathway, as well as for patients and their carers, managers and commissioners. Download frailty pathway infographic Download the guidelines
  18. Content Article
    A group of clinicians and patient group representatives, called the ImPrOve Think Tank, recently convened to address common complication during high-risk surgery they consider to be most urgent and dangerous; haemodynamic instability characterised as significant drops in blood pressure. In this article for The Parliament Magazine, Professor Olivier Huet, Sean Kelly MEP and Ms Luciana Valente discuss why death rates are so high in the 30 days post-surgery, what clinicians can do to improve patient safety and what patients can do to ensure optimal patient safety and care in the perioperative process.
  19. Content Article
    Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) is designed to improve the quality of care within the NHS by reducing unwarranted variations. By tackling variations in the way services are delivered across the NHS, and by sharing best practice between trusts, GIRFT identifies changes that will help improve care and patient outcomes, as well as delivering efficiencies such as the reduction of unnecessary procedures and cost savings. Anaesthesia is the largest hospital speciality in the UK, involved in a third of all hospital admissions, while perioperative care covers a patient's care from when they first contemplate surgery to their full recovery. The GIRFT national report for anaesthesia and perioperative medicine contains 18 recommendations based on information gathered from the 134 trusts in England with an anaesthesia and perioperative medicine service. It seeks to improve outcomes for patients having surgery in the new COVID-19 environment, including reducing the amount of time they spend in hospital. You will need a FutureNHS account to view this report, or you can watch a short video summary summarising key recommendations.
  20. Content Article
    Gary Day had a choroidal melanoma of the left eye. After discussing his treatment options with clinicians at Moorfields Eye Hospital, he elected to have that melanoma removed by an endoresection procedure at the hospital. Gary Day died less than 24 hours after the operation as a result of an air embolism. In the Coroner’s matters of concern, it was noted he was not advised beforehand of the potential risk of death, there was no check for an air embolism after the operation and he probably should have been kept in hospital overnight for observation. The report was sent to Moorfields Eye Hospital but has safety implications for all Trusts performing this procedure. Evidence showed that: 1. Mr Day was not informed that there was any risk of death from the surgery he elected to have, even though there is a risk of air embolus, and therefore death, from this procedure. The Consent Form he signed did not make any reference to a risk of death. 2. There was no check carried out for air embolus after the operation. 3. There was confusion between medical staff as to whether or not Mr Day was to be kept in for an over-night stay in hospital. As it turned out, he was not advised to stay in hospital over-night. 3 Mr Day was allowed to leave 3 hours after the operation had concluded. This meant that when he was taken to the Royal London Hospital on the evening of the 15th December, 2020 clinical staff in hospital did not have immediate access to any medical notes concerning his earlier procedure. The Assistant Coroner listed his concerns and recommendations as follows: (a) Any patient who elects to have an endoresection operation of an choroidal melanoma faces a risk (however small) of air embolism and therefore death. This must be made clear to all patients undergoing such a procedure. (b) There ought to be some check/investigation post operation to determine (or to try and determine as best possible) whether air may have entered the blood stream during the operative procedure. (c) Patients undergoing this operation (which normally lasts between 2-3 hours) should be advised to stay in hospital as an in-patient for at least 24 hours, which would enable careful and extended monitoring of their condition and a swift and informed transfer, if necessary, to an acute care unit of a hospital in the event of a deterioration in their condition.
  21. Event
    until
    Join BD this live educational event designed to promote discussions on the following topics: An overview of the latest evidence-based prevention measures of HAI (SSI). Essential bundles of an effective infection prevention and control program management in cardiac surgery. Review of the sustainable change in practice within operating room. The event is designed for cardiac surgeons, infection control and nurses who are interested in learning more about new techniques and methodologies to minimise some of the most challenging post-operative complications, with an opportunity to debate and share opinions with peers through live discussions with internationally renowned faculty. Register
  22. Content Article
    The Centre for Perioperative Care (CPOC) has started work on the UK’s first ever Green Paper on perioperative care.  The Green Paper project is a nine-month programme of consultation and research about how to advance the perioperative care agenda. It aims to draw CPOC’s diverse community of partners together around a shared set of priorities for change and a vision for the future. The project will draw on a wide evidence base, building on work already happening within CPOC, our partner organisations and across the entire health and care sector. We will also reach out to our community of thousands of health professionals and patients to generate new evidence that will enable us to develop future policy and make the best possible case for change. Get involved The Green Paper can't be delivered without the active participation and help of everyone working to deliver better patient-centred care. If you would like to get involved with this project, then please consider joining the informal ‘sounding board’ of healthcare professionals, patients, and policymakers. The kinds of things CPOC will be looking for your help with include: Giving your views as CPOC develop their policy thinking, e.g. by taking surveys, feeding back on draft papers or reports, testing the messaging, and helping plug evidence gaps or prioritise what CPOC explore further. Championing the work on social media and to your personal and professional networks. Blogging for CPOC to share your experiences, reflecting on new findings, and informing the public about this work. Attending workshops or events CPOC may host as part of the consultation work for this project. If interested email [email protected].
  23. Content Article
    This guide from the Patient Safety Movement Foundation gives actions and resources for creating and sustaining safe practices for surgical site infections.
  24. Content Article
    The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) has partnered with the anti-smoking charity ASH (Action on Smoking and Health) to support surgeons in encouraging patients to improve their survival chances by quitting smoking ahead of surgery. Fewer postoperative complications, shorter hospital stays and better long-term outcomes are some of the evidence-based benefits the College’s members are being asked to highlight to patients. The campaign urges all surgeons to view patient consultations as ‘teachable moments’, during which patients may be more receptive to intervention and more motivated to quit. As part of the discussion of risks associated with a procedure, surgeons should outline the reduction in risk associated with smoking cessation, with the recommendation to stop at least two months before the operation.
  25. Content Article
    Today was the Parliamentary launch event of the Surgical Fires Expert Working Group’s report, 'A case for the prevention and management of surgical fires in the UK', which focuses on the prevention of surgical fires in the NHS This report contains important information on surgical fires and their prevention, to be submitted to the Centre for Perioperative Care (CPOC), in order to make the case for its inclusion on their agenda. In the perioperative setting, a fire may cause injury to both the patient and healthcare professionals. Injuries caused by a surgical fire most commonly occur on the head, face, neck and upper chest. The prevention of surgical fires, which can occur on or in a patient while in the operating theatre, is an urgent and serious patient safety issue in UK hospitals.  A Short Life Working Group (SLWG) for the prevention of surgical fires was established in May 2019, following an initial discussion in December 2018 on the issue of surgical fires in the UK. The group of experts from healthcare organisations and bodies across the UK convened four times in 2019 with the aim of compiling this document, in order to recommend surgical fires for a Never Event classification. The group conducted a literature review of best practice and evidence, in the UK and internationally, which informed the development of a number of considerations that could address the issue of surgical fires. This report contains information surrounding the scale of the problem of surgical fires in the UK, in addition to reported experiences of these incidences by both healthcare professionals and patients. It also includes prevention and management materials, and mandatory training that should be consistently delivered to hospital staff, and concludes with recommendations moving forward, in order to ensure the prevention of surgical fires in UK hospitals.
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