Damage Control Endografting for the Unstable or Unfit Patient.

Background: In the elective setting, both open surgical and endovascular therapies may be reasonable treatment options for many vascular conditions. However, an unstable or unfit patient with a vascular emergency may be less able to tolerate a definitive open vascular operation. We now report the outcomes for "damage control" endografting for unstable or unfit patients with vascular emergencies as bridge therapy before definitive open therapy.

Effect of sleep deprivation on the performance of simulated laparoscopic surgical skill.

Background: Resident work hours may impact patient care. We hypothesized that "call-associated" acute sleep deprivation has no effect on technical dexterity as measured on a minimally invasive surgery trainer, virtual reality (MIST VR) surgical simulator.

Methods: Thirty-five surgical residents were prospectively evaluated pre-call (rested), on-call (rested), and post-call (acutely sleep deprived).