Impact of a postgraduate year one (PGY-1) otolaryngology bootcamp on procedural skill development.

To measure the impact of an intensive eight-week postgraduate year one (PGY-1) otolaryngology bootcamp on the acquisition and retention of otolaryngology residents' procedural skills compared to the traditional method of skill acquisition through clinical exposure. Residents at our institution were evaluated on their performance of flexible laryngoscopy, suture ligature, and rigid bronchoscopy setup at three time points: pre-bootcamp, one-week post-bootcamp, and one-year post-bootcamp. Video recordings were scored by two blinded faculty reviewers using a multipoint rating system.

Introductory TORS training in an otolaryngology residency program.

Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) is becoming an integral part of the otolaryngology resident experience. While there is widespread agreement that a formal, validated curriculum for TORS training is needed for residents, none presently exists. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate an introductory resident curriculum for TORS training that could be easily adopted at other institutions.

Formation and assessment of a novel surgical video atlas for thyroidectomy.

Within surgery, interactive media have previously been used to educate medical students and residents. Here, we develop and assess the efficacy of a novel surgical video atlas in teaching surgically relevant head and neck anatomy to medical students. A total thyroidectomy was recorded intraoperatively and subsequently narrated to develop a video atlas.

Resident and student education in otolaryngology: A 10-year update on e-learning.

Objectives/hypothesis: E-learning, in its most rudimentary form, is the use of Internet-based resources for teaching and learning purposes. In surgical specialties, this definition encompasses the use of virtual patient cases, digital modeling, and online tutorials, as well as standardized video and imaging. As new technological frontiers rapidly emerge within otolaryngology, e-learning may be an effective alternative to traditional teaching.

Closer to the Mean: An Argument for Decreased Variance in Surgery.

Variation, long accepted to be the norm in otolaryngologic surgical practice, has recently come under scrutinization. Efforts can be seen daily in the operating room to standardize procedures with time-outs, checklists, and protocols. The thought is that by enforcing repetition and eliminating variation, it is possible to decrease human error and reduce cost.

Subscapular system of flaps: An 8-year experience with 105 patients.

Background: Review patient and defect factors in which this donor site is an optimal choice for reconstruction and to discuss strategies to overcome the perceived drawbacks of this system of flaps.

Methods: A retrospective medical chart review was conducted on all patients who underwent the subscapular system of free flaps for head and neck reconstruction.

Results: Ninety-eight reconstructions were performed for mandibular defects, 4 for maxillary defects alone and 3 for combined mandible-maxilla defects.

Criterion-based (proficiency) training to improve surgical performance.

OBJECTIVE To investigate whether training otorhinolaryngology residents to criterion performance levels (proficiency) on the Endoscopic Sinus Surgery Simulator produces individuals whose performance in the operating room is at least equal to those who are trained by performing a fixed number of surgical procedures. DESIGN Prospective cohort. SETTING Two academic medical centers in New York City.

Enucleation of vagal nerve schwannoma using intraoperative nerve monitoring.

Vagal nerve schwannomas are rare, benign, neural sheath tumors. The treatment of enlarging or symptomatic vagal nerve schwannomas is surgical resection. Transecting the vagus nerve results in significant morbidity, and attempts at nerve preservation should be made whenever possible.

From virtual reality to the operating room: the endoscopic sinus surgery simulator experiment.

Objective: Establish the feasibility of a predictive validity study in sinus surgery simulation training and demonstrate the effectiveness of the Endoscopic Sinus Surgery Simulator (ES3) as a training device.

Study Design: Prospective, multi-institutional controlled trial.

Setting: Four tertiary academic centers with accredited otolaryngology-head and neck surgery residency programs.

A mechanical evaluation of two fixation methods using cancellous screws for coronal fractures of the lateral condyle of the distal femur (OTA type 33B).

Purpose: To compare the relative strength and stability of 2 fixation methods for displaced coronal shear fractures of the lateral femoral condyle (Hoffa fractures, OTA Type 33B3).

Setting: University Biomechanics laboratory.

Design: Eight matched pairs of embalmed femurs were divided into 2 groups and simulated Hoffa fractures were created.