Crew resource management: using aviation techniques to improve operating room safety.

Introduction: Since the publication of the Institute of Medicine report estimating nearly 100,000 deaths per year from medical errors, hospitals and physicians have a renewed focus upon error reduction. We implemented a surgical crew resource management (CRM) program for all operating room (OR) personnel.

Methods: In our academic medical center, 19,000 procedures per year are performed in 27 operating rooms.

Conservative treatment of placenta accreta.

Prolonged retained placenta causing a delayed postpartum hemorrhage is a relatively common occurrence. However, there is a dearth of medical literature describing fertility-preserving treatments when standard therapy fails. We present two cases in which protracted retained placenta due to placenta accreta was successfully treated by hysteroscopic resection.