Proficiency Levels and Validity Evidence for Scoring Metrics for a Virtual Reality and Inanimate Robotic Surgery Simulation Curriculum.

Objective: Our institution recently implemented a virtual reality (VR) skills curriculum for general surgery residents using the SimNow simulator. Based on a content alignment study, we revised the curriculum to include only 20 of 33 VR tasks and we added 3 previously validated inanimate tasks. The purpose of this study was to establish expert-derived proficiency levels for all tasks and to evaluate the validity of the scoring for the VR tasks.

Methemoglobin as a marker of acute anemic stress in cardiac surgery.

Biological evidence supports plasma methemoglobin as a biomarker for anemia-induced tissue hypoxia. In this translational planned substudy of the multinational randomized controlled transfusion thresholds in cardiac surgery (TRICS-III) trial, which included adults undergoing cardiac surgery requiring cardiopulmonary bypass with a moderate-to-high risk of death, we investigated the relationship between perioperative hemoglobin concentration (Hb) and methemoglobin; and evaluated its association with postoperative outcomes. The primary endpoint was a composite of death, myocardial infarction, stroke, and severe acute kidney injury at 28 days.

Defining the Price Tag of Complications Following Pancreatic Surgery: A US National Perspective.

Introduction: Pancreatic surgery tends to have a high rate of postoperative complications due to its complex nature, significantly increasing hospital costs. Our aim was to describe the true association between complications and hospital costs in a national cohort of US patients.

Methods: The National Inpatient Sample was used to conduct a retrospective analysis of elective pancreatic resections performed between 2004 and 2017, categorizing them based on whether patients experienced major complications (MaC), minor complications (MiC), or no complications (NC).

Feasibility, effectiveness and transferability of a novel mastery-based virtual reality robotic training platform for general surgery residents.

Background: The annual number of robotic surgical procedures is on the rise. Robotic surgery requires unique skills compared to other surgical approaches. Simulation allows basic robot skill acquisition and enhances patient safety.

The atheroma plaque secretome stimulates the mobilization of endothelial progenitor cells ex vivo.

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) constitute a promising alternative in cardiovascular regenerative medicine due to their assigned role in angiogenesis and vascular repair. In response to injury, EPCs promote vascular remodeling by replacement of damaged endothelial cells and/or by secreting angiogenic factors over the damaged tissue. Nevertheless, such mechanisms need to be further characterized.

Mitral valve repair in a patient with mitral regurgitation and osteogenesis imperfecta tarda.

We present the case of a 62-year-old female with a diagnosis of osteogenesis imperfecta and mitral valve regurgitation. The patient underwent a mitral valve repair without complications. We describe the case and our surgical technique.