Judgment Errors in Surgical Care.

Background: Human error is impossible to eliminate, particularly in systems as complex as healthcare. The extent to which judgment errors in particular impact surgical patient care or lead to harm is unclear.

Study Design: The American College of Surgeons NSQIP (2018) procedures from a single institution with 30-day morbidity or mortality were examined.

Errors in Surgery: A Case Control Study.

Objective: While errors can harm patients they remain poorly studied. This study characterized errors in the care of surgical patients and examined the association of errors with morbidity and mortality.

Background: Errors have been reported to cause <10% or >60% of adverse events.

A Novel Thyroid Ultrasound Proficiency Metric Designed Through a Multidisciplinary Delphi Approach.

Background: Thyroid ultrasounds extend surgeons' outpatient capabilities and are essential for operative planning. However, most residents are not formally trained in thyroid ultrasound. The purpose of this study was to create a novel thyroid ultrasound proficiency metric through a collaborative Delphi approach.

Use of fibrin sealant as a hemostatic agent in expanded polytetrafluoroethylene graft placement surgery.

Background: The low thrombogenicity, porosity, and limited elasticity of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) vascular grafts, although beneficial, may exacerbate the problem of suture-line bleeding at vascular anastomoses and consequently lead to increased operating times. The overall objective of this prospective, randomized, controlled, subject-blinded, multicenter phase 2 study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a fibrin sealant containing 500 IU/mL thrombin and synthetic aprotinin (FS; marketed in the United States under the name TISSEEL) for hemostasis in subjects undergoing vascular surgery and receiving prosthetic ePTFE vascular grafts.

Methods: FS was compared with manual compression with surgical gauze pads, a standard of care for hemostasis in vascular surgery.

Improving dialysis access: regional anesthesia improves arteriovenous fistula prevalence.

An autologous arteriovenous (AV) fistula is the preferred form of angioaccess for chronic hemodialysis. A prospective study was carried out to evaluate the potential of regional anesthesia to improve AV fistula prevalence. One hundred ninety-three patients underwent preoperative duplex ultrasound evaluation over a 14-month period.

Management of subclavian arterial injuries following inadvertent arterial puncture during central venous catheter placement.

Subclavian artery injuries after central venous catheter placement constitute a rare but potentially fatal complication. In this case series, the authors describe several endovascular treatment options in the management of iatrogenic subclavian arterial injuries resulting from inadvertent arterial placement of central catheters.

Mechanical pleurodesis aided by peritoneal drainage: procedure for hepatic hydrothorax.

Background: Hepatic hydrothorax in the setting of decompensated cirrhosis is a challenging and common clinical problem. Traditional therapies such as diuretics and transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts can be effective therapies in selected patients but in patients ineligible for, or intolerant of, these traditional therapies, few effective therapeutic options remain for the management of hepatic hydrothorax.

Methods: We present a series of 5 consecutive patients with refractory hepatic hydrothorax who underwent combined thorascopically guided mechanical and chemical pleurodesis aided by an intraperitoneal drain that prevented reaccumulation of the ascites while pleural inflammation and adhesion were progressing.

Absorbable cyanoacrylate as a vascular hemostatic sealant: a preliminary trial.

No absorbable cyanoacrylate tissue adhesive for safe internal surgical use is available. This prospective multicenter preliminary study was designed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of an investigational absorbable cyanoacrylate (IAC) as an adjunct to hemostasis in arteriovenous shunt (AVS) procedures for dialysis access. Consenting adults (10) underwent placement of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) upper extremity vascular grafts for AVS access using continuous 5-0 or 6-0 polypropylene after heparinization (> or =3000 units i.

Fibrin sealant improves hemostasis in peripheral vascular surgery: a randomized prospective trial.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of an investigational fibrin sealant (FS) in a randomized prospective, partially blinded, controlled, multicenter trial.

Summary Background Data: Upper extremity vascular access surgery using polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE) graft placement for dialysis was chosen as a reproducible, clinically relevant model for evaluating the usefulness of FS. The FS consisted of pooled human fibrinogen (60 mg/mL) and thrombin (500 NIH U/mL).

Utility of percutaneous intervention in the management of tunneled hemodialysis catheters.

A variety of interventional techniques have been developed to restore function to dysfunctional tunneled hemodialysis catheters (THC). The relative efficacies of these techniques were evaluated retrospectively to determine which therapy might be most beneficial. The records of malfunctioning THCs referred to interventional radiology between November 1995 and December 1999 were retrospectively reviewed.

Fibrin sealant facilitates hemostasis in arteriovenous polytetrafluoroethylene grafts for renal dialysis access.

A prospective randomized study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of fibrin sealant (FS) in patients undergoing upper-extremity polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) graft placement for dialysis. This procedure appears to be a reproducible and clinically relevant model for evaluating FS in vascular surgery. Consenting adult patients (n = 28) undergoing placement of a PTFE graft (6 mm) were randomized to either the treatment group using FS (Hemaseel APR, Haemacure Corp.