Abstract
Background:
Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) is a complex procedure. Increasing case experience improves operative times for surgeons. Less is known about the impact of experience of other surgical team members.
Methods:
One hundred seventy-nine consecutive LRYGB cases were analyzed. Total operating room times (ORT) and surgical times (STs) were tabulated, and linear regression was used to detect correlation between these times and the case counts of surgical team members. Efficiency measures were evaluated for cases done synchronously on a given day versus individual cases.
Results:
Minimum case count of any scrub nurse present showed a statistically significant relationship to both ORT and ST, with mean decreases of 0.686 ± 0.224 and 0.561 ± 0.207 min per one-case increase in experience, respectively. Successive cases averaged less than standalone procedures.
Conclusions:
Case count of the least experienced scrub nurse appeared to have a significant impact on efficiency in LRYGB. LRYGB cases performed successively showed improved efficiency.
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