Does laminar flow ventilation reduce the rate of infection? an observational study of trauma in England.

Aims: To determine whether there is any difference in infection rate at 90 days between trauma operations performed in laminar flow and plenum ventilation, and whether infection risk is altered following the installation of laminar flow (LF).

Patients And Methods: We assessed the impact of plenum ventilation (PV) and LF on the rate of infection for patients undergoing orthopaedic trauma operations. All NHS hospitals in England with a trauma theatre(s) were contacted to identify the ventilation system which was used between April 2008 and March 2013 in the following categories: always LF, never LF, installed LF during study period (subdivided: before, during and after installation) and unknown.

Clinical applications of robotic technology in vascular and endovascular surgery.

Background: Emerging robotic technologies are increasingly being used by surgical disciplines to facilitate and improve performance of minimally invasive surgery. Robot-assisted intervention has recently been introduced into the field of vascular surgery to potentially enhance laparoscopic vascular and endovascular capabilities. The objective of this study was to review the current status of clinical robotic applications in vascular surgery.