Surgery Commons^™

Toward Electrical Impedance Sensing Surgical Drill For Tissue Boundary Detection, Harshavardhan Devaraj

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Dental implantation is an increasingly common procedure used to treat missing teeth. However, surgical drilling to place the implant poses a high risk of injury to critical anatomy, such as inferior alveolar nerve injury or maxillary sinus perforation. A real-time surgical feedback system sensing proximity of these critical anatomy could reduce injury risks. This dissertation investigates the development of such a system that incorporates an electrical impedance sensor into the tip of a surgical drill.

A simulation framework based on finite element method (FEM) was developed to optimize the sensor as it approached a high impedance boundary. The accuracy of …

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (Eras) Protocol For Bariatric Surgery, Krista Bunch

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Bariatric surgery has been utilized in treating severe obesity and offers several benefits, such as sustainable weight loss, treatment of various metabolic comorbidities, and improved life expectancy (Sundbom et al., 2017). With these benefits and procedural improvements, there has been a marked increase in the demand for bariatric surgery and increased interest in shifting some of these procedures to an ambulatory care setting (Stenberg et al., 2022). However, postoperative complications such as pain, nausea, and inability to tolerate oral intake can cause patients to experience an increased length of stay in the hospital and suboptimal outcomes (King et al., 2018). …

Proteoglycan Dysfunction: A Common Link Between Intervertebral Disc Degeneration And Skeletal Dysplasia, Kimheak Sao, Makarand V. Risbud

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

Proteoglycans through their sulfated glycosaminoglycans regulate cell-matrix signaling during tissue development, regeneration, and degeneration processes. Large extracellular proteoglycans such as aggrecan, versican, and perlecan are especially important for the structural integrity of the intervertebral disc and cartilage during development. In these tissues, proteoglycans are responsible for hydration, joint flexibility, and the absorption of mechanical loads. Loss or reduction of these molecules can lead to disc degeneration and skeletal dysplasia, evident from loss of disc height or defects in skeletal development respectively. In this review, we discuss the common proteoglycans found in the disc and cartilage and elaborate on various murine …

Vascular In-Person For Students In The Match Trial: An Investigation Of Postinterview Site Visits To Address The Limitations Of Virtual Interviews, David Rigberg, Brigitte K. Smith, Ting Sun, Benjamin Pearce, Misty Humphries, Malachi Sheahan, Dawn Coleman, Jason Lee

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

PURPOSE: The graduate medical education community implemented virtual residency interviews in response to travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, and this approach has persisted. Although many residency applicants wish to visit in-person prospective training sites, such opportunities could bias programs toward those who are able to meet this financial burden, exacerbating equity concerns. One proposed solution is to offer applicants the opportunity to visit only after a program's rank list is "locked," avoiding favoritism to applicants who visit, but allowing applicants to experience some of the camaraderie, geography, and local effects of an in-person visit. As debate about the optimal …

Randomized Controlled Trial Of The Cmr Immersive Virtual Reality (Ivr) Headset Training Compared To E-Learning For Operating Room Configuration Of The Cmr Versius Robot, Catherine L Eley, Varun Palaniappan, Abbie Carter, Opeyemi Sogaolu, James Horwood, Michael Davies, Jared Torkington, James Ansell

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Robotic surgery offers potential advantages over laparoscopic procedures, but the training for configuring robotic systems in the operating room remains underexplored. This study seeks to validate immersive virtual reality (IVR) headset training for setting up the CMR Versius in the operating room. This single-blinded randomized control trial randomised medical students with no prior robotic experience using an online randomiser. The intervention group received IVR headset training, and the control group, e-learning modules. Assessors were blinded to participant group. Primary endpoint was overall score (OS): Likert-scale 1-5: 1 reflecting independent performance, with increasing verbal prompts to a maximum score of 5, …

Reinforced Tissue Matrix To Strengthen The Abdominal Wall Following Reversal Of Temporary Ostomies Or To Treat Incisional Hernias, Spencer P Lake, Corey R Deeken, Amit K Agarwal

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Abdominal wall deficiencies or weakness are a common complication of temporary ostomies, and incisional hernias frequently develop after colostomy or ileostomy takedown. The use of synthetic meshes to reinforce the abdominal wall has reduced hernia occurrence. Biologic meshes have also been used to enhance healing, particularly in contaminated conditions. Reinforced tissue matrices (RTMs), which include a biologic scaffold of native extracellular matrix and a synthetic component for added strength/durability, are designed to take advantage of aspects of both synthetic and biologic materials. To date, RTMs have not been reported to reinforce the abdominal wall following stoma reversal.

AIM: To …

A Clinical Practice Guideline For The Management Of Patients With Acute Spinal Cord Injury: Recommendations On Hemodynamic Management, Brian K. Kwon, Lindsay A. Tetreault, Allan R. Martin, Paul M. Arnold, Rex A.W. Marco, Virginia F.J Newcombe, Carl M. Zipser, Stephen L. Mckenna, Radha Korupolu, Chris J. Neal, Rajiv Saigal, Nina E. Glass, Sam Douglas, Mario Ganau, Vafa Rahimi-Movaghar, James S. Harrop, Bizhan Aarabi, Jefferson R. Wilson, Nathan Evaniew, Andrea C. Skelly, Michael G. Fehlings

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

STUDY DESIGN: Clinical practice guideline development following the GRADE process.

OBJECTIVES: Hemodynamic management is one of the only available treatment options that likely improves neurologic outcomes in patients with acute traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). Augmenting mean arterial pressure (MAP) aims to improve blood perfusion and oxygen delivery to the injured spinal cord in order to minimize secondary ischemic damage to neural tissue. The objective of this guideline was to update the 2013 AANS/CNS recommendations on the hemodynamic management of patients with acute traumatic SCI, acknowledging that much has been published in this area since its publication. Specifically, we sought …

Highlights Of The 2023 Brano Heart Failure Forum, Bela Merkely, Rajko Radovancevic, Bojan Vrtovec, Igor D. Gregoric

The VAD Journal

Since 2007, the Branislav “Brano” Radovancevic Heart Failure Forum (BHFF) has been held annually to provide a venue for experts to present and discuss “Innovations and New Treatment Strategies in Heart Failure.” Clinicians and researchers gather yearly in a different Eastern European city to discuss the latest in heart failure diagnostics and therapeutics. The 2023 BHHF forum was held on the 13^th thru 15^th of September 2023 in Budapest, Hungary. It was attended by over 100 faculty from 16 countries. In addition, participation through online streaming was available. Throughout the forum, 16 sessions focused on challenges and solutions …

Preoperative Warming To Improve Patient Outcomes: Implementation Of A Warming Protocol, Tiara Switzer-Houston

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: Inadvertent perioperative hypothermia (IPH) is noted to be the most common surgical complication. IPH is associated with a variety of complications which are known to impact the well-being of the patient, family, and healthcare system.

PICOT: The PICOT question that guided this scholarly project was scheduled for total hip and knee arthroplasty surgical procedures under general or neuraxial anesthesia greater than 60 minutes (P), how effective is the implementation of an evidence-based pre-surgical warming protocol including forced-air warming (FAW) (I) compared to current practices (C) in improving normothermia readings within 15 minutes of arriving to the PACU, …

The Association Between Robotic Lung Cancer Resection And Esophagectomy Outcomes: A Facility-Level Analysis, Micaela L. Collins, Gregory L. Whitehorn, Shale J. Mack, Brian M. Till, Hamza Rshaidat, Tyler Grenda, Nathaniel R. Evans Iii, Karen A. Chojnacki, Olugbenga T. Okusanya

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

Background: Within the field of robotic thoracic surgery, the association between facility surgical volume, conversion rates, and patient outcomes across multiple procedures has not been explored. This study aims to examine the potential association between robotic lung cancer resection surgical volume and conversion rates for robotic-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy (RAMIE). Methods: A retrospective analysis of the National Cancer Database, between the years 2010–2018 was conducted. Facility-years were categorized into one of four groups based on a combination of robotic lung cancer resection surgical volume and RAMIE volumes. Cutoffs were based on previously identified surgical volume thresholds. Results: A total of …

Comparative Effectiveness Of Endovascular Vs Surgical Arteriovenous Fistulas: A Preliminary Analysis, Melissa M. Cruz, James J. Fitzgibbon, Patrick Heindel, Mohamad Hussain

Research Symposium

Purpose: The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of endovascular arteriovenous fistula (endoAVF) creation versus open surgical AVF (openAVF) for hemodialysis access across centers participating in the Dialysis Access Learning and Innovation Collaborative (DiAL-In Collaborative) in the United States. In this preliminary analysis, we report the baseline characteristics and clinical profile of patients enrolled at a single center.

Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in chronic kidney disease patients who underwent creation of an upper arm autogenous vascular access for hemodialysis (2018-2022) at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA. Data …

Use Of Flow-Through Free Flaps In Head And Neck Reconstruction, Mark A. Maier, Patrick A. Palines, Richard F. Guidry, Mark W. Stalder

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Reconstructive obstacles in composite head and neck defects are compounded in reoperated, traumatized, irradiated, and vessel-depleted surgical fields. In cases that require multiple free flaps, recipient vessel accessibility and inset logistics become challenging. Strategic flow-through flap configurations mitigate these issues by supplying arterial inflow and venous outflow to a second flap in a contiguous fashion. This approach (1) permits the use of a singular native recipient vessel, (2) increases the reach of the vascular pedicle, avoiding the need for arteriovenous grafting, and (3) allows for a greater three-dimensional flexibility in configuring soft tissue and bony flap inset. Methods: To …

Outcomes Of Hepatic Artery-Based Therapies And Systemic Multiagent Chemotherapy In Unresectable Colorectal Liver Metastases: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Henry Stitzel, Victoria Wu, David Bajor, Sakti Chakrabarti, Madison Conces, Lauren Henke, Melissa Lumish, Amit Mahipal, Amr Mohamed, Jordan M. Winter, Jeffrey M. Hardacre, John B. Ammori, Jennifer E. Selfridge, Lee M. Ocuin

Faculty Scholarship

Background: Treatment of unresectable colorectal liver metastases (UCRLM) includes locoregional and systemic therapy. A comprehensive analysis capturing long-term outcomes of these treatment options has not been performed. Objective: A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to calculate pooled outcomes of hepatic artery infusion with systemic chemotherapy (HAI-S), transarterial chemoembolization with systemic chemotherapy (TACE-S), transarterial radioembolization with systemic chemotherapy (TARE-S), doublet (FOLFOX, FOLFIRI), and triplet chemotherapy (FOLFOXIRI). Methods: Outcomes included overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), rate of conversion to resection (CTR), and response rate (RR). Results: A total of 32, 7, 9, and 14 publications were included in the HAI-S, …

Delayed Diagnosis Of Mycobacterium Bovis Bacillus Calmette-Guérin Periprosthetic Joint Infection Following Total Knee Arthroplasty, Christopher E. Pelt, Salika Shakir, Michael J. Cahill, Jakrapun Pupaibool, Barbara C. Cahill

SKMC Student Presentations and Publications

Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) can present challenges in diagnosis and treatment, particularly in the setting of atypical causative organisms such as fungi and mycobacteria. Herein, we present a case and provide a review of the diagnosis and treatment of an unusual PJI caused by bacillus Calmette-Guérin, administered during the treatment of bladder cancer 3 years prior to total knee arthroplasty and subsequent PJI. Although the patient's history of bladder cancer was known, neither his Bacillus Calmette-Guérin treatment nor its potential for distant site spread that could lead to PJI were appreciated, leading to a prolonged diagnostic evaluation and treatment course.

Viscosity Flow Curves Of Agar And The Bounded Ripening Growth Model Of The Gelation Onset, Vincenzo Villani

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The gelation kinetics of agar aqueous solutions were studied by means of the viscosity flow curves using a coaxial Couette cylinder viscometer. The viscosity curves show an unusual sigmoidal trend or an exponential decay to a viscous steady state. An original theory of gelation kinetics was developed considering the coarsening of increasingly larger and more stable clusters due to Ostwald ripening and the breakup of clusters that were too large due to the instability of rotating large particles induced by the shear rate. The developed

The Impact Of Robotic Assistance For Lumbar Fusion Surgery On 90-Day Surgical Outcomes And 1-Year Revisions, Jeremy Heard, Yunsoo Lee, Nicholas D D'Antonio, Rajkishen Narayanan, Mark Lambrechts, John Bodnar, Caroline Purtill, Joshua Pezzulo, Dominic Farronato, Pat Fitzgerald, Jose Canseco, Ian Kaye, Alan Hilibrand, Alex Vaccaro, Christopher Kepler, Gregory Schroeder

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

Objectives: To evaluate the (1) 90-day surgical outcomes and (2) 1-year revision rate of robotic versus nonrobotic lumbar fusion surgery. Methods: Patients >18 years of age who underwent primary lumbar fusion surgery at our institution were identified and propensity-matched in a 1:1 fashion based on robotic assistance during surgery. Patient demographics, surgical characteristics, and surgical outcomes, including 90-day surgical complications and 1-year revisions, were collected. Multivariable regression analysis was performed. Significance was set to P < 0.05. Results: Four hundred and fifteen patients were identified as having robotic lumbar fusion and were matched to a control group. Bivariant analysis revealed no significant difference in total 90-day surgical complications (P = 0.193) or 1-year revisions (P = 0.178). The operative duration was longer in robotic surgery (287 + 123 vs. 205 + 88.3, P ≤ 0.001). Multivariable analysis revealed that robotic fusion was not a significant predictor of 90-day surgical complications (odds ratio [OR] = 0.76 [0.32-1.67], P = 0.499) or 1-year revisions (OR = 0.58 [0.28-1.18], P = 0.142). Other variables identified as the positive predictors of 1-year revisions included levels fused (OR = 1.26 [1.08-1.48], P = 0.004) and current smokers (OR = 3.51 [1.46-8.15], P = 0.004). Conclusion: Our study suggests that robotic-assisted and nonrobotic-assisted lumbar fusions are associated with a similar risk of 90-day surgical complications and 1-year revision rates; however, robotic surgery does increase time under anesthesia.

Assessment Of General Surgery Resident Wellness From The Perspectives Of Family, Friends, And Loved Ones, Dana Unninayar, Benjamin Sc Fung, Gordon Best, Isabelle Raiche

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: Surgical trainees have high rates of burnout compared to residents from other specialties. However, burnout is underreported by trainees, limiting potential interventions to improve wellness. Loved ones are an underused resource for assessing wellness and detecting burnout among residents. The purpose of this study is to assess the perceptions and concerns regarding resident wellness and burnout, as well as strategies to improve wellness, from the perspective of loved ones.

Methods: This cross-sectional survey study was conducted in 2022 at an urban academic center after ethics board approval. An anonymous 18-question survey to assess resident burnout, wellness, and …

Operative Versus Nonoperative Management For Diverticulitis Complicated By Abscess, Alix Bernholtz, Abbie R. Bauer

Clinical Research in Practice: The Journal of Team Hippocrates

A clinical decision report using:

You K, Bendl R, Taut C, et al. Randomized clinical trial of elective resection versus observation in diverticulitis with extraluminal air or abscess initially managed conservatively. Br J Surg. 2018;105(8):971-979. https://doi.org/10.1002/bjs.10868

for a patient with a recurrent diverticulitis complicated by abscess formation.

Evaluation Of Perioperative Care And Drivers Of Cost In Geriatric Thoracolumbar Trauma, Omar Tarawneh, Rajkishen Narayanan, Michael Mccurdy, Tariq Issa, Yunsoo Lee, Olivia Opara, Nicholas Pohl, Alexa Tomlak, Matthew Sherman, Jose Canseco, Alan Hilibrand, Alex Vaccaro, Gregory Schroeder, Christopher Kepler

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: As the population of elderly patients continues to rise, the number of these individuals presenting with thoracolumbar trauma is expected to increase.

RESEARCH QUESTION: To investigate thoracolumbar fusion outcomes for patients with vertebral fractures as stratified by decade. Secondarily, we examined the variability of cost across age groups by identifying drivers of cost of care.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We queried the United States Nationwide Inpatient Sample(NIS) for adult patients undergoing spinal fusion for thoracolumbar fractures between 2012 and 2017. Patients were stratified by decade 60-69(sexagenarians), 70-79(septuagenarians) and 80-89(octogenarians). Bivariable analysis followed by multivariable regression was performed to assess independent …

Treatment Of Gastrointestinal Bleeding In The Biliopancreatic Limb With Embolization In A Patient With Duodenal Switch Anatomy, Alice S. Pang, Robert Adamo, Robert Coben

Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: Biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch (BPD/DS) is an uncommon type of bariatric surgery that can rarely lead to bleeding in the biliopancreatic limb. The altered anatomy poses significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges.

CASE PRESENTATION: We present an unusual case of a woman status post-BPD/DS nearly a decade ago who presented with gastrointestinal bleeding in the duodenum of the biliopancreatic limb, a rare phenomenon given the unique surgery.

CONCLUSION: We illustrate a promising minimally invasive option of successfully treating the bleeding by interventional radiology (IR) embolization as an alternative to more invasive and challenging options of balloon-assisted enteroscopy, lumen-apposing metal …