The utilization of six sigma and statistical process control techniques in surgical quality improvement.

Surgeons have been slow to incorporate industrial reliability techniques. Process control methods were applied to surgeon waiting time between cases, and to length of stay (LOS) after colon surgery. Waiting times between surgeries were evaluated by auditing the operating room records of a single hospital over a 1-month period.

Laparoscopic knot security.

The security of several types of laparoscopic and open knots and varying suture materials was tested in an attempt to improve suture and knot selection for advanced laparoscopic procedures. Six different types of knots and five suture materials were tested. All sutures were of 2-0 size, and laparoscopic knots were tied using a pelvic trainer.

Primary hyperparathyroidism in patients with renal stones.

There has been an observed decline in the incidence of renal stones in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. Some believe that this is related to earlier surgical intervention. Two studies from the 1950s examined the reverse questions to determine the prevalence of primary hyperparathyroidism in patients with renal stones.

Primary hepatocellular carcinoma: hospital based epidemiologic study.

From 1968-1985 a series of thirty-seven patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma was collected from the tumor registry of the Fairfax County Hospital, in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area.