Faculty Bibliography

BACKGROUND:Organizational effects on job satisfaction, burnout, work-life balance, and perceived support have not been studied in the context of the clinical learning environment. We evaluated the relationship between academic resources and resident well-being, the clinical learning environment, and in-service examination performance of surgical residents. MATERIALS AND METHODS:Residents of general surgery and surgical specialty programs were recruited from March 2016 through June 2016 across the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast regions. Program directors were asked to allow distribution of a paper survey or to forward an electronic survey link onto residents. Five dichotomous questions were asked regarding access to academic resources. Validated measures were obtained assessing resident well-being and perceived clinical learning environment. Data were analyzed through t-tests and chi-squared test of independence. RESULTS:We received 276 respondents across 50 programs. Residents perceiving adequate support to succeed had less burnout (P = 0.008), better resilience (P = 0.009), better job satisfaction (P < 0.001), less work/life strain (P = 0.001), better workplace climate (P < 0.001), better organizational support (P < 0.001), and were more likely to have high performance on the in-service examination (P = 0.001). Specific resources including educational stipends, review questions, in-service board prep, and support for poor performers correlated with improved well-being and perceived clinical learning environment. CONCLUSIONS:Provision of academic resources has implications beyond in-service examination performance, correlating with improved resident well-being and perceptions of the clinical learning environment.

BACKGROUND:Historically, management of pancreatic cancer has been determined based on whether the tumor was amenable to resection and all patients deemed resectable received curative intent surgery followed by adjuvant therapy with chemotherapy (CT) ± RT. However, patients who undergo resection with microscopic (R1) positive margins have inferior rates of survival. The purpose of this study is to identify patients who have undergone pancreatectomy for pancreatic cancer, determine the surgical margins, types of adjuvant therapies given and patterns of failure. Our hypothesis was that in patients who have surgery without pre-operative therapy, there is a high rate of R1 resections and subsequent local recurrence, despite adjuvant therapy. METHODS:CT alone, stratified by surgical margin status. RESULTS:13 months, P=0.06), but there was no significant difference in time to death compared to patients with CT alone (P=0.68). CONCLUSIONS:After curative resection, the addition of RT to CT improves PFS in both R0 and R1 settings. However, patients with R1 have significantly worse PFS and OS compared to patients with R0 and even aggressive adjuvant therapy does not make up for the difference. The paradigm has shifted and now for patients with resectable pancreatic cancers we recommend neoadjuvant CT + RT to improve RT targeting and treatment response assessment and most importantly, improve chances of obtaining R0.

INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND:Desmoplastic melanoma is a rare variant of melanoma that has been reported to demonstrate unique clinical behavior when compared with other histological subtypes. In this study, we present the clinical course of patients with this unusual diagnosis. We hypothesized that desmoplastic melanoma would differ from nondesmoplastic melanoma with regard to its presentation, rate of regional metastasis, and recurrence pattern. METHODS:After institutional review board approval, a retrospective chart review was performed on all patients with a diagnosis of desmoplastic melanoma since 1998. The following data were collected: patient demographics, histopathological details of the lesion, initial treatment, and clinical course. In addition, the available slides were reviewed by a dermatopathologist. RESULTS:Twenty-eight patient charts were reviewed. Mean age at diagnosis was 65 years. Fifty-seven percent of patients were men, and 67% of the lesions originated from the head and neck. Of the 28 patients, 11 had pathology slides that were adequate for evaluation. Pure desmoplastic melanoma, defined by more than 90% of the specimen demonstrating desmoplastic features, was found in only 3 patients. Taking into account all cases, the mean Breslow thickness was 5.09 mm and ulceration was present in 12.5% of lesions. Regional disease was discovered in 18% of patients. The mean follow-up time was 43 months, and the overall recurrence rate was 32%. 66.7% of first recurrences were local. Two of 3 patients with pure desmoplastic melanoma developed regional metastasis. CONCLUSIONS:Our data largely support previous studies that suggest desmoplastic melanoma behaves differently compared with other histological subtypes. However, the incidence of regional disease among patients with pure desmoplastic melanoma appears to be higher in our study than in previous reports. Although this rare variant typically presents with advanced local disease, the rate of regional metastasis is less than what would be expected for similar thickness, nondesmoplastic cutaneous melanoma. The recurrence pattern is different compared with nondesmoplastic melanoma, and the most common site of recurrence is local. Discrepancy in the literature regarding the clinical behavior of this disease may be related to inconsistent pathological criteria for diagnosis. Further research will help clarify the optimal management of desmoplastic melanoma.

OBJECTIVE:To describe and evaluate a root cause analysis (RCA)-based educational curriculum for quality improvement (QI) practice-based learning and implementation in general surgery residency. DESIGN/METHODS:A QI curriculum was designed using RCA and spaced-learning approaches to education. The program included a didactic session about the RCA methodology. Resident teams comprising multiple postgraduate years then selected a personal complication, completed an RCA, and presented the findings to the Department of Surgery. Mixed methods consisting of quantitative assessment of performance and qualitative feedback about the program were used to assess the value, strengths, and limitations of the program. SETTING/METHODS:Urban tertiary academic medical center. PARTICIPANTS/METHODS:General surgery residents, faculty, and medical students. RESULTS:An RCA was completed by 4 resident teams for the following 4 adverse outcomes: postoperative neck hematoma, suboptimal massive transfusion for trauma, venous thromboembolism, and decubitus ulcer complications. Quantitative peer assessment of their performance revealed proficiency in selecting an appropriate case, defining the central problem, identifying root causes, and proposing solutions. During the qualitative feedback assessment, residents noted value of the course, with the greatest limitation being time constraints and equal participation. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:An RCA-based curriculum can provide general surgery residents with QI exposure and training that they value. Barriers to successful implementation include time restrictions and equal participation from all involved members.

OBJECTIVES/OBJECTIVE:To present our experience with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) seeding of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) sites and to review all reported cases to identify risk factors and develop strategies for complication avoidance. MATERIALS AND METHODS/METHODS:The records of 4 patients with PEG site metastasis from HNSCC were identified from the authors' institution. Thirty-eight further cases were reviewed following a PubMed search and evaluation of references in pertinent articles. RESULTS:Review of 42 cases revealed the average time from PEG to diagnosis of metastatic disease to be 8 months. Average time to death from detection of PEG disease was 5.9 months. One-year survival following PEG metastasis was 35.5% with an overall mortality of 87.1%. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:PEG site metastatic disease portends a poor prognosis. Early detection and aggressive therapy may provide a chance of cure. Changes in PEG technique or in timing of adjunctive therapies are possible avenues in further research to prevent this complication.

INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND:The video game industry has become increasingly popular over recent years, offering photorealistic simulations of various scenarios while requiring motor, visual, and cognitive coordination. Video game players outperform nonplayers on different visual tasks and are faster and more accurate on laparoscopic simulators. The same qualities found in video game players are highly desired in surgeons. Our investigation aims to evaluate the effect of video game play on the development of fine motor and visual skills. Specifically, we plan to examine if handheld video devices offer the same improvement in laparoscopic skill as traditional simulators, with less cost and more accessibility. METHODS:We performed an Institutional Review Board-approved study, including categorical surgical residents and preliminary interns at our institution. The residents were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 study arms, including a traditional laparoscopic simulator, XBOX 360 gaming console, or Nintendo DS handheld gaming system. After an introduction survey and baseline timed test using a laparoscopic surgery box trainer, residents were given 6 weeks to practice on their respective consoles. At the conclusion of the study, the residents were tested again on the simulator and completed a final survey. RESULTS:A total of 31 residents were included in the study, representing equal distribution of each class level. The XBOX 360 group spent more time on their console weekly (6 hours per week) compared with the simulator (2 hours per week), and Nintendo groups (3 hours per week). There was a significant difference in the improvement of the tested time among the 3 groups, with the XBOX 360 group showing the greatest improvement (p = 0.052). The residents in the laparoscopic simulator arm (n = 11) improved 4.6 seconds, the XBOX group (n = 10) improved 17.7 seconds, and the Nintendo DS group (n = 10) improved 11.8 seconds. Residents who played more than 10 hours of video games weekly had the fastest times on the simulator both before and after testing (p = 0.05). Most residents stated that playing the video games helped to ease stress over the 6 weeks and cooperative play promoted better relationships among colleagues. CONCLUSIONS:Studies have shown that residents who engage in video games have better visual, spatial, and motor coordination. We showed that over 6 weeks, residents who played video games improved in their laparoscopic skills more than those who practiced on laparoscopic simulators. The accessibility of gaming systems is 1 of the most essential factors making these tools a good resource for residents. Handheld games are especially easy to use and offer a readily available means to improve visuospatial and motor abilities.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE:In recent years, the use of numeric paging in many medical centers has been largely replaced by 1-way alphanumeric paging. There is currently no research studying the potential for alphanumeric paging to lead to problems in communication. The purpose of this article is to determine whether the use of alphanumeric pagers may lead to potential problems in patient care and/or communication. METHODS:Alphanumeric pages sent to residents on 3 surgical services at the Medical College of Virginia Hospital were collected over a 3-month period. The pages were classified according to reason for the page, amount of information provided, and follow-up required. RESULTS:A total of 52,384 alphanumeric pages were sent to residents on the surgical services over a 3-month period. There were 1037 pages (2.0% of total) that contained patient laboratory results. 11,844 pages (22.6% of total) contained a callback number with no sender information and 6198 (11.8% of total) contained a callback number and sender information. Trauma pages totaled 10,312 (19.7% of total). There were 2636 pages (5.0% of total) that contained identifying information, potentially violating HIPAA regulations. CONCLUSIONS:The authors have observed a significant number of occurrences in which alphanumeric pages lack sufficient information, do not indicate the urgency of the page, and still require immediate callback by residents. This potentially interrupts patient care and educational activities.

Complications after transhiatal esophagectomy include pneumonia, recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, and anastomotic leak. Although damage to the trachea is a potential complication, there are minimal reports of tracheal compression after esophagectomy with gastric pull-through. We report a case of severe tracheal compression and obstruction requiring mechanical ventilation presenting 2 days postoperatively. Placement of a silicone tracheal stent relieved the obstruction in the distal trachea and facilitated extubation.