Publications by authors named "N Germann"
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of training with a personal, portable laparoscopic endo-trainer (PLET) on residents' laparoscopic skills.
Methods: The study took place at a tertiary-care academic university hospital in Switzerland. All participants were randomized to either a home- or hospital-based PLET training group, and surgical skill performance was assessed using five laparoscopic exercises.
Article Synopsis
- The study focuses on comparing the long-term quality of life (QoL) outcomes between two surgical methods for esophageal cancer: open Ivor Lewis esophagectomy (Open-E) and a hybrid approach (hRob-E) that combines laparotomy and robot-assisted surgery.
- Patients were evaluated 36 to 40 months post-surgery using specific QoL questionnaires, revealing that both groups had similar emotional and cognitive functioning, but noticeable differences in physical functioning and pain.
- Results suggest that while global health status remains stable post-surgery, hRob-E patients may experience better physical functioning and less pain compared to those who underwent Open-E, indicating potential advantages of the hybrid approach.
Article Synopsis
- Medical students need to learn how to cope with failure in clinical training, as it's an inevitable part of becoming a physician, but curricula rarely address this topic effectively.
- A workshop was conducted by surgical consultants and a life coach, incorporating various teaching methods, aiming to help students identify, communicate about, and reflect on failures while developing coping strategies.
- Participants rated the workshop positively, feeling more prepared to handle future challenges and appreciating the opportunity to discuss failure in a safe environment, which could help reduce stigma in medical education.
The study reports on a simple system to fabricate skin substitutes consisting of a naturally occurring bacterial polysaccharide gellan gum. Gelation was driven by the addition of a culture medium whose cations induced gellan gum crosslinking at physiological temperature, resulting in hydrogels. Human dermal fibroblasts were incorporated in these hydrogels and their mechanical, morphological, and penetration characteristics were studied.
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