Abstract 1122‐000101: First‐in‐Human Experience Using the Millipede 088 Aspiration Catheter in Stroke Thrombectomy

Introduction : Studies have suggested that closely matching the catheter size to the vessel size may improve the effectiveness of clot aspiration in stroke thrombectomy. A new category of “super‐bore” aspiration catheters with 8Fr OD and 0.088in ID has recently been developed to further improve reperfusion success. In this work we report on early clinical experience using a CE Marked device called Millipede 088 developed by Perfuze (Galway, Ireland). Methods : The clinical, procedural, and radiological data were reviewed for consecutive cases in which Millipede 088 was used. Millipede 088 was navigated to the target vessel over a 6F intermediate catheter with or without a microcatheter and microwire, at the discretion of the physician. Performance was evaluated in terms of successful intracranial navigation and reperfusion measured using the mTICI scale. Results : Ten patients (age 55–89 years, 50% male) with intracranial large vessel occlusions (LVOs) were treated ‐ 4 ICA and 6 M1 LVOs. In two cases, the patients had concomitant tandem lesions requiring additional treatment. Millipede 088 was delivered intracranially in all cases, and to the target vessel in 8 cases. In two cases in which Millipede 088 was not advanced to the target vessel, it was placed intracranially for distal flow control, and an intermediate catheter was used for clot aspiration. In one case, following mTICI 2b reperfusion after aspiration, a stentriever was deployed via Millipede 088 to retrieve a distal M2 clot. Excellent reperfusion (mTICI 2c‐3) at the end of the procedure, was achieved in all (100%) of patients. First‐pass mTICI 2c‐3 was achieved in 5 patients (50%). No sICH or other complications were reported. Conclusions : In this first in man experience, aspiration thrombectomy using the Millipede 088 proved to be technically feasible and safe. Excellent reperfusion was achieved in all patients. The Millipede 088 represents a promising option for stroke thrombectomy.

A Comparative Analysis of Ophthalmology Resident Physician Performance Based on Use of Parental Leave

Background Taking parental leave during ophthalmology residency may be perceived to negatively affect resident surgical volume and educational outcomes. However, limited data exist on whether taking parental leave is associated with objective measures of resident performance. The objective of the present study was to determine the association between taking parental leave and key measures of resident performance. Methods Educational records of ophthalmology resident physicians who graduated from 2015 to 2019 at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Wilmer Eye Institute were reviewed. Measures of resident performance assessed were Ophthalmic Knowledge Assessment Program scores, number of publications during residency, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education milestones scores, and surgical volumes. These outcomes were compared for residents who took parental leave compared with their peers who did not take parental leave. Results Twenty-five residents were included in the study. Four female residents (16%) took parental leave 8 weeks in duration. There were no significant differences between residents who did and did not take parental leave when considering mean Ophthalmic Knowledge Assessment Program scores (p = 0.27), number of publications during residency (p = 0.19), milestone scores (p-value range 0.09–0.40), and surgical volume by subspecialty category (p-value range 0.11–0.45). Conclusion Parental leave did not negatively influence any of the studied measures of resident performance.

Assessing Physician Performance Using Multisource Surveys: Do Biases Exist Due to Gender, Country of Training, Native Language, and Age?

Background: With a growing number of foreign-trained physicians joining the United States workforce, there is a need to assess their job performance fairly. The purpose of this study was to explore the fairness of a multisource competency assessment on U.S.- and non-U.S.-trained physicians. Methods: We conducted a non-experimental retrospective analysis on physicians working in the United States (n=258) who participated in a physician assessment and education program. Results: There were no significant differences in performance outcomes at the scale level of teamwork, motivating or discouraging behaviors, technical practice, and patient interactions, nor the item level based on demographic differences. Conclusions: The PULSE 360 is a powerful tool that can be used to evaluate physician performance without bias due demographic differences including: gender, country of physician medical training, physician native language, or age.

Does Pass/Fail on Medical Licensing Exams Predict Future Physician Performance in Practice? A Longitudinal Cohort Study of Alberta Physicians

ABSTRACT The purpose of this longitudinal study was to gather extrapolation evidence of validity by assessing whether performance on a national medical licensing exam, in addition to practice and socio-demographic variables, is predictive of future physician performance in practice. The study focused on a cohort of 3,404 physicians who were registered with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) and who completed the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination (MCCQE) Parts I and II between 1992–2017. Separate multivariate quasi-Poisson regression models were run to assess the degree of relationship between first-time pass/fail status on the MCCQE I and II, and several CPSA socio-demographic variables and several CPSA socio-demographic variables, in addition to complaints/physician and various prescribing flags. Candidates who failed the MCCQE I on their first attempt had 27% more complaints lodged against them, compared to those who passed. Physicians who failed the MCCQE II on their first attempt prescribed 2+ benzodiazepines and 2+ opioids to 30% more patients than those who passed. Conclusions: Performance on the MCCQE Part I and II is an important predictor of physician performance. Combined with other critical variables, these measures provide important evidence to aid in risk modeling efforts and to guide educational interventions for physicians at an early stage of their careers.

Simulation with 3D Neuronavigation for Learning Cortical Bone Trajectory Screw Placement

Background and Objective Learning a new technique in neurosurgery is a big challenge especially for trainees. In recent years, simulations and simulators got into the focus as a teaching tool. Our objective is to propose a simulator for placement of cortical bone trajectory (CBT) screws to improve results and reduce complications. Methods We have created a platform consisting of a sawbone navigated with a 3D fluoroscope to familiarize our trainees and consultants with CBT technique and later implement it in our department. Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills (OSATS) and Physician Performance Diagnostic Inventory Scale (PPDI) were obtained before and after the use of the simulator by the five participants in the study. Patients who were operated on after the implementation of the technique were retrospectively reviewed. Results During the simulation, there were 4 cases of pedicle breach out of 24 screws inserted (16.6%). After having completed simulation, participants demonstrated an improvement in OSATS and PPDI (p = 0.039 and 0.042, respectively). Analyzing the answers to the different items of the tests, participants mainly improved in the knowledge (p = 0.038), the performance (p = 0.041), and understanding of the procedure (p = 0.034). In our retrospective series, eight patients with L4–L5 instability were operated on using CBT, improving their Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) score (preoperative ODI 58.5 [SD 16.7] vs. postoperative ODI 31 [SD 13.4]; p = 0.028). One intraoperative complication due to a dural tear was observed. In the follow-up, we found a case of pseudoarthrosis and a facet joint violation, but no other complications related to misplacement, pedicle fracture, or hardware failure. Conclusion The simulation we have created is useful for the implementation of CBT. In our study, consultants and trainees have valued very positively the learning obtained using the system. Moreover, simulation facilitated the learning of the technique and the understanding of surgical anatomy. We hope that simulation helps reducing complications in the future.

The Aging Physician and Surgeon

Background: As the population of aging physicians increases, methods of assessing physicians’ cognitive function and predicting clinically significant changes in clinical performance become increasingly important. Although several approaches have been suggested, no evaluation system is accepted or utilized widely. Study Design: Literature was reviewed using Medline, PubMed and other sources. Articles discussing the problems of geriatric physicians were summarized, stressing publications that proposed methods of evaluation. Selected literature on evaluating aging pilots also was reviewed, and potential applications for physician evaluation were proposed. Neuropsychological cognitive test protocols were reviewed, and a reduced evaluation protocol was proposed for interdisciplinary longitudinal research. Results: Although there are several articles evaluating cognitive function in aging physicians and aging pilots, and although a few institutions have instituted cognitive evaluation, there are no longitudinal data assessing cognitive function in physicians over time, and correlating them with performance. Conclusion: Valid, reliable testing of cognitive function of physicians is needed. In order to understand its predictive value, physicians should be tested over time starting when they are young, and results should be correlated with physician performance. Early testing is needed to determine whether cognitive deficits are age-related or longstanding. A multi-institutional study over many years is proposed. Additional assessments of other factors, such as manual dexterity (perhaps using simulators) and physician frailty are recommended, but detailed discussion of these issues is beyond the scope of this article.

Convolutional neural networks for improving image quality with noisy PET data

Goal PET is a relatively noisy process compared to other imaging modalities, and sparsity of acquisition data leads to noise in the images. Recent work has focused on machine learning techniques to improve PET images, and this study investigates a deep learning approach to improve the quality of reconstructed image volumes through denoising by a 3D convolution neural network. Potential improvements were evaluated within a clinical context by physician performance in a reading task. Methods A wide range of controlled noise levels was emulated from a set of chest PET data in patients with lung cancer, and a convolutional neural network was trained to denoise the reconstructed images using the full-count reconstructions as the ground truth. The benefits, over conventional Gaussian smoothing, were quantified across all noise levels by observer performance in an image ranking and lesion detection task. Results The CNN-denoised images were generally ranked by the physicians equal to or better than the Gaussian-smoothed images for all count levels, with the largest effects observed in the lowest-count image sets. For the CNN-denoised images, overall lesion contrast recovery was 60% and 90% at the 1 and 20 million count levels, respectively. Notwithstanding the reduced lesion contrast recovery in noisy data, the CNN-denoised images also yielded better lesion detectability in low count levels. For example, at 1 million true counts, the average true positive detection rate was around 40% for the CNN-denoised images and 30% for the smoothed images. Conclusion Significant improvements were found for CNN-denoising for very noisy images, and to some degree for all noise levels. The technique presented here offered however limited benefit for detection performance for images at the count levels routinely encountered in the clinic.