This is the first report of cross-institutional surgical coaching for the continuous professional development of practicing surgeons, demonstrating perceived value among participants, as well as logistical challenges for implementing this evidence-based program. Future research is necessary to evaluate the impact of coaching on practice change and patient outcomes.

Importance Evolving data on the effectiveness of post-mastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) have led to changes in NCCN recommendations, counseling providers to “strongly consider” PMRT for breast cancer patients with tumors ≤5cm and 1-3 positive nodes; however, anticipated PMRT may lead to delay or omission of reconstruction which can have cosmetic, quality of life, and complication implications for patients. Objective To determine whether revised guidelines have increased PMRT and impacted receipt of breast reconstruction. We hypothesized that: 1) PMRT would increase for women affected by the revised guidelines while remaining stable in other cohorts, and 2) that these women would have decreased receipt of breast reconstruction while reconstruction increased in other groups. Design A retrospective, population-based cohort study Setting Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data from 2000 – 2011. Participants Women with stage I-III breast cancer undergoing mastectomy were identified. Our analytic sample (n=62,442) was divided into cohorts based on current NCCN radiation recommendations: “Radiation Recommended” (tumors >5 cm or ≥4 positive lymph nodes), “Strongly Consider Radiation” (tumor ≤5cm, 1-3 positive nodes), and “Radiation Not Recommended” (tumors ≤5cm, no positive nodes). Main Outcome Measure(s) We used joinpoint regression analysis to evaluate temporal trends in our outcomes of interest: receipt of PMRT and receipt of breast reconstruction. Results Rates of PMRT were unchanged in the “Radiation Recommended” and “Radiation Not Recommended” cohorts over the study period. In contrast, receipt of PMRT for the “Strongly Consider Radiation” cohort was unchanged until 2007, then significantly increased (APC 9.0%, p=0.013). Breast reconstruction increased across all cohorts. Despite increasing receipt of PMRT, the “Strongly Consider Radiation” cohort maintained a consistent increase in reconstruction (APC 7.5%) throughout the study period. This is similar to the increase in reconstruction observed for the “Radiation Recommended” (10.7%) and “Radiation Not Recommended (8.4%) cohorts. Conclusions and Relevance NCCN guideline changes have increased PMRT receipt for patients with tumors ≤5cm and 1-3 positive nodes without an associated decrease in receipt of reconstruction. This may represent increasing provider comfort with the prospect of irradiating a new breast reconstruction, and may have significant cosmetic and quality of life implications for patients.

The computer algorithm consistently predicted the panel ratings of individual tasks, and were more objective and reliable than individual assessment by surgical experts.

Background Intestinal malrotation results from errors in fetal intestinal rotation and fixation. While most patients are diagnosed in childhood, some present as adults. Laparoscopic Ladd's procedure is an accepted alternative to laparotomy in children but has not been well-studied in adults. This study was designed to investigate outcomes for adults undergoing laparoscopic Ladd's repair for malrotation. Methods We performed a single-institution retrospective chart review over eleven years. Data collected included: patient age, details of pre-operative work-up and diagnosis, surgical management, complications, rates of re-operation, and symptom resolution. Patients were evaluated on an intent-to-treat basis based on their planned operative approach. Categorical data were analyzed using Fisher's exact test. Continuous data were analyzed using Student's T-test. Results Twenty-two patients were identified (age range 18-63). Fifteen were diagnosed pre-operatively; of the remaining seven patients, four received an intra-operative malrotation diagnosis during elective surgery for another problem. Most had some type of pre-operative imaging, with Computed Tomography being the most common (77.3%). Comparing patients on an intent-to-treat basis, the two groups were similar with respect to age, operative time, and estimated blood loss. Six patients underwent successful laparoscopic repair; three began laparoscopically but were converted to laparotomy. There was a statistically significant difference in length of stay (LOS) (5.0±2.5d vs 11.6±8.1d, p=0.0148) favoring the laparoscopic approach. Three patients required re-operation: 2 underwent side-to-side duodeno-duodenostomy and 1 underwent a re-do Ladd's procedure. Ultimately, 3 (2 laparoscopic, 1 open) had persistent symptoms of bloating (n=2), constipation (n=2), and/or pain (n=1). Conclusion Laparoscopic repair appears to be safe and effective in adults. While a small sample size limits the power of this study, we found a statistically significant decrease in LOS and a trend toward decreased postoperative nasogastric decompression. There were no significant differences in complication rates, re-operation, or persistence of symptoms between groups.

Background: Poor communication is implicated in many adverse events in the operating room (OR); however, many hospitals' scheduling practices permit unfamiliar operative teams. The relationship between unfamiliarity, team communication, and effectiveness of communication is poorly understood. We sought to evaluate the relationship between familiarity, communication rates, and communication ineffectiveness of healthcare providers in the OR. Materials and Methods: We performed purposive sampling of 10 open operations. For each case, six providers (anesthesiology attending, in-room anesthetist, circulator, scrub, surgery attending, and surgery resident) were queried about the number of mutually shared cases. We identified communication events and created dyad-specific communication rates. Results: Analysis of 48 hours of audio-video content identified 2,570 communication events. Operations averaged 58.0 communication events/hour (range, 29.4-76.1). Familiarity was not associated with communication rate (p=0.69) or communication ineffectiveness (p=0.21).