scholarly journals TP8.2.10 Impact of COVID-19 on General Surgery Training in a University Hospital with Ring Fenced Elective Centre

2021 ◽  
Vol 108 (Supplement_7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tanzeela Gala ◽  
Quratul Ain ◽  
Chekwas Obasi ◽  
Hajar Rashid ◽  
Sarkhell Radha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Surgery ◽  
Normal Activity ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Surgical Trainees ◽  
Higher Surgical Training ◽  
Theatre Utilisation ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Second Wave ◽  
Training Opportunities ◽  
General Surgery Training

Abstract Aim Higher Surgical training was decimated by the COVID-19 pandemic with cessation of elective care. Trainees raised concerns that the elective restart and need for higher theatre activity to clear backlogs would impact on training opportunities. This study evaluated the resumption of training associated with a ring-fenced elective centre (EC). Methods The EC was established in July 2020 and three time periods were determined: pre-COVID (10/19-2/20), 1st wave of COVID (3/20-7/20) and post EC go-live (8/20-12/20). Data was collated from the E-Logbooks of General Surgery Registrars. Results The normal all-speciality pre COVID theatre-activity averaged 1052 cases/month. During the first wave elective activity decreased to 254 cases/month (24% of normal activity). Within 5 weeks of establishment of the EC, theatre activity was near normal despite a reduced number of theatres (with higher theatre utilisation). Pre COVID, trainees accessed 22.9 cases per month which then dropped to 7.7 cases during the first wave of COVID. Post the go live of the EC, trainees were able to operate on 20 cases per month almost back to normal training levels. Prior to the impact of the second wave, each trainee had developed a deficit of 90 cases during the 5 months pause. Conclusion The ring-fenced elective centre has protected training opportunities for higher surgical trainees. However, the pause in training requires a targeted training recovery plan to overcome the deficit secondary to the first and subsequent waves of COVID to ensure that the JCST target of 1200 cases can be met for CCT.

scholarly journals 1358 Does A COVID Protected Hospital Within A COVID Hospital Enable Elective Care and Training Opportunities?

2021 ◽  
Vol 108 (Supplement_6) ◽  
Author(s):  
H Rashid ◽  
T Gala ◽  
Q Ain ◽  
H Ashraf ◽  
S Vesamia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Critical Care ◽  
Training Environment ◽  
Informatics System ◽  
Surgical Trainees ◽  
Business Informatics ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Second Wave ◽  
Training Opportunities ◽  
And Training

Abstract Introduction Elective care in the UK came to a standstill with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. A restart could only be enabled with ‘green site’ separation and a ‘covid protected’ zone. A ‘hospital within the hospital’ concept was developed including 9 elective theatres, 28 ring fenced elective beds, a surgical enhanced care unit, a canteen, and a separated entrance. This model was underpinned with PPE, enhanced infection control and guidance for staff. The study documented the ability to recover elective activity and therefore provide a training environment for surgical trainees. Method Data was collected weekly (7/20 to 1/21) through the business informatics system with regard to theatres cases completed compared to the activity achieved in the 11-theatre elective estate pre COVID-19. Results Pre COVID-19, an average of 263 cases were completed per week. In the first week of operation, 31% of theatre capacity was achieved. By week 7, 106% of pre COVID was recorded and 130% by week 11. This was maintained until the impact of the second wave where activity has reduced to 50% but is not anticipated to reduce further as local anaesthetic and blocks maybe utilised. Conclusions This ‘hospital within the hospital’ has enabled elective care to return to above normal levels, with increased efficiencies. This has enabled a rapid return to a training environment for trainees disheartened with deployment to critical care in the first wave.

scholarly journals Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on core surgical training

2020 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 133-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khurram Shahzad Khan ◽  
Rona Keay ◽  
Morag McLellan ◽  
Sajid Mahmud
Keyword(s):  
Surgical Training ◽  
Teaching Hospital ◽  
General Surgery ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Outpatient Clinics ◽  
Box Trainer ◽  
Surgical Trainees ◽  
Long Term Impact ◽  
The Impact

Background and aims COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant disruption in training which is even more pronounced in the surgical specialties. We aim to assess the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on core surgical training. Methods All core surgical and improving surgical trainees in West of Scotland region were invited to participate in an online voluntary anonymous survey via SurveyMonkey. Results 28 of 44 (63.6%) trainees responded, 15 (53.6%) were CT1/ST1. 14 (50.0%) working in teaching hospital and 15 (53.6%) working in general surgery. 20 (71.4%) felt that due to the pandemic they have less opportunity to operate as the primary surgeon. 21 (75.0%) have not attended any outpatient clinics. 8 (28.6%) did not have any form of access to the laparoscopic box-trainer. 20 (71.4%) felt their level of confidence in preforming surgical skills has been negatively impacted. 18 (64.3%) found it difficult to demonstrate progress in portfolio. 21 (75.0%) trainees have not attended any teaching. 10 (35.7%) trainees have been off-sick. 8 (28.6%) trainees have felt slightly or significantly more stressed. Conclusion COVID-19 pandemic has an unprecedented negative impact on all aspects of core surgical training. The long term impact on the current cohort of trainees is yet to be seen.

National Selection into General Surgery: A Pilot Study

2011 ◽  
Vol 93 (9) ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
PM Lamont ◽  
G Griffiths ◽  
L Cochrane
Keyword(s):  
General Surgery ◽  
Selection Process ◽  
Personal Communication ◽  
Medical Specialty ◽  
Specialty Training ◽  
Surgery Training ◽  
Medical Careers ◽  
Surgical Trainees ◽  
National Selection ◽  
General Surgery Training

General surgery training in England ceased to run through to completion of training from specialty training level one (ST1) as of August 2010. Instead, a second competitive interview to enter ST3 has been introduced. As a result, up to 180 ST3 vacancies in general surgery should become available for recruitment each year in England, according to figures obtained from Medical Specialty Training (England), the successor to Modernising Medical Careers (MMC) (personal communication). The general surgery specialist advisory committee (SAC) was asked in 2008 by MMC to consider how best to appoint to these ST3 posts. Experience from other surgical specialties has shown that a national selection process offers the potential to recruit the best core surgical trainees.

Operative Experience in the Era of Duty Hour Restrictions: Is Broad-Based General Surgery Training Coming to an End?

2010 ◽  
Vol 76 (6) ◽  
pp. 578-582 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsay M. Fairfax ◽  
A. Britton Christmas ◽  
John M. Green ◽  
William S. Miles ◽  
Ronald F. Sing
Keyword(s):  
General Surgery ◽  
Alimentary Tract ◽  
Gynecologic Surgery ◽  
Case Volume ◽  
Surgery Training ◽  
Resident Work ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Operative Experience ◽  
The Impact ◽  
General Surgery Training

Since the institution of Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) resident work hour restrictions, conflicting evidence exists regarding the impact on resident case volume with most data from single-institution studies. We examined the effect of restrictions on national resident operative experience. After permission from the ACGME, we reviewed the publicly available national resident case log data (1999 through 2008) maintained on the ACGME web site ( www.acgme.org ), including total major cases with subanalysis of the ACGME-specified categories. The mean cases per resident were compared before (1999 to 2003) and after (2003 to 2008) restrictions. After the implementation of duty hour restrictions, the mean number of total cases per resident significantly decreased (949 ± 18 vs 911 ± 14, P = 0.004). Subanalysis showed a significant increase in alimentary tract (217 ± 7 vs 229 ± 3, P = 0.004), skin/soft tissue (31 ± 3 vs 36 ± 1, P = 0.01), and endocrine (26 ± 2 vs 31 ± 2, P = 0.006) cases. However, we observed a significant decrease in head and neck (21 ± 0.3 vs 20 ± 0.3, P = 0.01), vascular (164 ± 29 vs 126 ± 5, P = 0.01), pediatric (41 ± 1 vs 37 ± 2, P = 0.006), genitourinary (10 ± 2 vs 7 ± 1, P = 0.004), gynecologic surgery (5 ± 1 vs 3 ± 0.6, P = 0.002), plastics (16 ± 0.3 vs 15 ± 0.7, P = 0.03), and endoscopy (91 ± 3 vs 82 ± 2, P < 0.001) procedures. Analysis of the ACGME-compiled national data confirms that duty hour restrictions have significantly impacted resident operative experience. Importantly, experience in specialty areas, including vascular and endoscopy, appears to have been sacrificed for consolidation of resources into general surgery services as indicated by the increase in alimentary tract and endocrine cases. These findings raise the following question: Is the era of truly broad-based general surgery training coming to an end?

scholarly journals SP4.1.4 Stay at home, protect the NHS, Save lives? The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on acute surgical services

2021 ◽  
Vol 108 (Supplement_7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Oliver Brewster ◽  
Dale Thompson ◽  
Emma Sewart ◽  
Sarah Richards
Keyword(s):  
Abdominal Pain ◽  
General Surgery ◽  
District General Hospital ◽  
Surgical Patients ◽  
Emergency Admissions ◽  
Emergency Operations ◽  
Surgical Services ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Second Wave

Abstract Aims Several centres described a ‘lockdown effect’: a reduction in emergency surgical admissions during national lockdown (23/03/20-01/06/20). The extent and reproducibility of this is unclear. We evaluated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on emergency general surgical activity in a district general hospital. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients admitted under general surgery and urology between 01/01/2017-31/12/2020 using coding data. Unpaired t-tests were used to compare the total monthly admissions, admissions by diagnosis and monthly operations performed between the ‘first wave’ (April-May 2020) and ‘average’ (all months 2017-2019), and between the ‘second wave’ (November-December 2020) and average. Results Overall emergency admissions in 2020 were reduced compared to the mean 2017-2019 (4498 vs 5037). Monthly admissions were significantly reduced in the first wave compared to 2017-2019 (mean monthly admissions=284.5 vs 419.8; p &lt; 0.001) with the greatest reduction in patients with non-specific abdominal pain (mean=58 vs 109; p = &lt;0.001). A significant reduction in monthly admissions with pancreatitis (mean=8.0 vs 14.6; p = 0.010) and diverticulitis (mean=10.5 vs 18.8; p = 0.028) were also observed. This effect was less apparent during the second wave (mean total admissions=384.5 vs 419.8; p = 0.249). Monthly emergency operations were reduced in both the first wave compared to average (68 vs 101.9; p = 0.007) and the second wave (74.5 vs 101.9; p = 0.025). Conclusions We found strong evidence of a ‘lockdown effect’ in our centre during the first wave. The cause is unclear and likely to be multifactorial. Further research is needed to evaluate whether surgical patients came to harm as a result.

Does Protected Research Time During General Surgery Training Contribute to Graduates’ Career Choice?

2011 ◽  
Vol 77 (7) ◽  
pp. 907-910 ◽  
Author(s):  
Syamal D. Bhattacharya ◽  
Judson B. Williams ◽  
Sebastian G. De La Fuente ◽  
Paul C. Kuo ◽  
Hilliard F. Seigler
Keyword(s):  
Training Program ◽  
General Surgery ◽  
Training Period ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Financial Barriers ◽  
Academic Surgery ◽  
Surgery Training ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
The Impact ◽  
General Surgery Training

A number of general surgery training programs offer a dedicated research experience during the training period. There is much debate over the importance of these experiences with the added constraints placed on training surgeons including length of training, Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education limitations, and financial barriers. We seek to quantify the impact of a protected research experience on graduates of a university-affiliated general surgery training program. We surveyed all graduates of a single university-affiliated general surgery training program who completed training from 1989 to 1999. Data was obtained for 100 per cent of the subjects. Most graduates (72/73; 98.6%) completed a dedicated research experience (range: 1-5 years). Presently, 72.6 per cent (53/73) are practicing academic surgery and 82.5 per cent (60/73) are engaged in research activities. Fifty-one of 73 graduates (69.5%) have current research funding including 32.9 per cent (24/73) with National Institutes of Health funding. Of all graduates, 42.5 per cent (31/73) have become full professors with 20.2 per cent (15/73) division/section chiefs and 14.3 per cent (10/73) department chairmen or vice chairmen. Those trainees achieving a career in academic surgery were statistically more likely to have committed 2 or more years to a protected research experience during training ( P < 0.05), fellowship training after general surgery residency ( P < 0.01), and a first job at an academic institution upon completion of training ( P < 0.001). Understanding the importance of resident research experiences while highlighting critical factors during the formative training period may help to ensure continued academic interest and productivity of future trainees.

Postoperative surgical trainee opioid prescribing practices (POST-OPP): A national survey

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 307-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Hall, MD ◽  
Juan C. Mira, MD ◽  
Melissa R. Hoffman, MD, ND ◽  
Hari B. Keshava, MD, MS ◽  
Kevin R. Olsen, MD ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pain Management ◽  
Medical School ◽  
General Surgery ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Management Training ◽  
Prescribing Practices ◽  
Surgical Trainee ◽  
Opioid Prescribing ◽  
Surgical Trainees ◽  
The Impact

Background: Increasing opioid-related deaths have heightened focus on combating the opioid epidemic. The impact of surgical trainees on opioid-related deaths is unclear, and there is little data examining the association between trainee pain management education and opioid prescribing practices.Methods: An anonymous, online survey was distributed to members of the Resident and Associate Society of the American College of Surgeons. The survey covered five themes: education and knowledge, prescribing practices, clinical case scenarios, policy, and beliefs and attitudes. Linear mixed models were used to evaluate the influence of respondent characteristics on reported morphine milligram equivalents (MME) prescribed for common general surgery clinical scenarios.Results: Of 427 respondents, 54 percent indicated receiving training in postoperative pain management during medical school and 66 percent during residency. Only 35 percent agreed that they had received adequate training in prescribing opioids. There was a significant association between undergoing formal pain management training in medical school and prescribing fewer MME for common outpatient general surgery scenarios (94 ± 15.2 vs 108 ± 15.0; p = 0.003). Similarly, formal pain management training in residency was associated with prescribing fewer MME in the survey scenarios (92.6 ± 15.2 vs 109 ± 15.2; p = 0.002).Conclusion: In this survey, nearly two-thirds of surgical residents felt that they were inadequately trained in opioid prescribing. Our findings additionally suggest that improving education may result in increased resident comfort with managing surgical pain, potentially leading to more responsible opioid prescribing. Further work will facilitate residency programs’ development of educational curricula for opioid prescribing best practices.

scholarly journals First and second waves among hospitalised patients with COVID-19 with severe pneumonia: a comparison of 28-day mortality over the 1-year pandemic in a tertiary university hospital in Italy

BMJ Open ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. e054069
Author(s):  
Marianna Meschiari ◽  
Alessandro Cozzi-Lepri ◽  
Roberto Tonelli ◽  
Erica Bacca ◽  
Marianna Menozzi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mortality Rate ◽  
Regression Model ◽  
Cox Regression ◽  
Severe Pneumonia ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
P Value ◽  
Cox Regression Model ◽  
Hospitalised Patients ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Second Wave

ObjectiveThe first COVID-19–19 epidemic wave was over the period of February–May 2020. Since 1 October 2020, Italy, as many other European countries, faced a second wave. The aim of this analysis was to compare the 28-day mortality between the two waves among COVID-19 hospitalised patients.DesignObservational cohort study. Standard survival analysis was performed to compare all-cause mortality within 28 days after hospital admission in the two waves. Kaplan-Meier curves as well as Cox regression model analysis were used. The effect of wave on risk of death was shown by means of HRs with 95% CIs. A sensitivity analysis around the impact of the circulating variant as a potential unmeasured confounder was performed.SettingUniversity Hospital of Modena, Italy. Patients admitted to the hospital for severe COVID-19 pneumonia during the first (22 February–31 May 2020) and second (1 October–31 December 2020) waves were included.ResultsDuring the two study periods, a total of 1472 patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia were admitted to our hospital, 449 during the first wave and 1023 during the second. Median age was 70 years (IQR 56–80), 37% women, 49% with PaO2/FiO2 <250 mm Hg, 82% with ≥1 comorbidity, median duration of symptoms was 6 days. 28-day mortality rate was 20.0% (95% CI 16.3 to 23.7) during the first wave vs 14.2% (95% CI 12.0 to 16.3) in the second (log-rank test p value=0.03). After including key predictors of death in the multivariable Cox regression model, the data still strongly suggested a lower 28-day mortality rate in the second wave (aHR=0.64, 95% CI 0.45 to 0.90, p value=0.01).ConclusionsIn our hospitalised patients with COVID-19 with severe pneumonia, the 28-day mortality appeared to be reduced by 36% during the second as compared with the first wave. Further studies are needed to identify factors that may have contributed to this improved survival.

scholarly journals The impact of COVID-19 related lockdown and restrictions on general surgery resident training program in India-outcome of a survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 2750
Author(s):  
Krishna Ramavath ◽  
Satish Subbiah Nagaraj ◽  
Pranay Palle ◽  
Charan Singh
Keyword(s):  
Training Program ◽  
General Surgery ◽  
Resident Training ◽  
General Surgery Resident ◽  
Novel Virus ◽  
The Government ◽  
Surgery Resident ◽  
The Impact ◽  
First Time ◽  
Second Wave

The global spread of the disease COVID-19 pandemic occurred due to novel virus corona 2019-nCoV, first time detected in China Wuhan city then spread throughout the world. In our country during 2020 march to up to starting of June, the government of India has put lockdown all over the country. Some restrictions were continued throughout the year and again has put lockdown in 2021 also. Again, in 2021 February last week second wave of COVID-19 pandemic has started and many states in the country has implemented lockdown as phase wise. COVID-19 lockdown has so much effect on surgery resident training program in India. The aim of this study is to assess the effect of the lockdown and COVID-19 pandemic restriction on general surgery residents training programs across India. It is an online based questionnaire survey using apps like Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram and telephonic services. Data from students was collected through social media who were responded to our questionnaire. Our survey showed that majority surgery trainees across the country felt that the COVID-19 lockdown adversely affected their learning, especially surgical training.

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