RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Perioperative management of positioning in gynecological cancersurgery: a national NOGGO-AGO intergroup survey
JF International Journal of Gynecologic Cancer
JO Int J Gynecol Cancer
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP ijgc-2020-001433
DO 10.1136/ijgc-2020-001433
A1 Bommert, Mareike
A1 Wagner, Jenny Katharina
A1 Sehouli, Jalid
A1 Burges, Alexander
A1 Schmalfeld, Barbara
A1 Veldink, Hendrik
A1 Schrettenbrunner, Irmela
A1 Fleisch, Markus
A1 Richter, Rolf
A1 Harter, Philipp
A1 Pietzner, Klaus
YR 2020
UL http://ijgc.bmj.com/content/early/2020/08/14/ijgc-2020-001433.abstract
AB Introduction The daily clinical routine in the operating room includes patient positioning. The number of perioperative positioning-related complications is growing, along with the legal proceedings concerning this topic, and only a few guidelines exist to provide specific recommendations. The aim of this survey was to assess perioperative positioning and associated adverse events during gynecological cancer surgery in Germany.Methods A total of 633 gynecological departments of primary, secondary, and maximum healthcare hospitals in Germany were invited to participate in this multiple-choice online questionnaire. The survey was conducted anonymously for a period of six months. The survey was divided into five different sections: descriptive information about the respondent department, pre- and postoperative management, management of positioning in the operating room based on two fictional case examples, and quality management.Results The response rate of our survey was 29.1 % (184/633). Nearly half of the departments (46.7 %) reported to have had one to five patients with positioning-related complications during the prior 12 months, and 29.1 % had experienced a legal dispute due to positioning-related complications. Departments with more than 50 gynecologic-oncological surgeries per year more often reported positioning-related complications (p=0.003). Standard operating procedures exist in almost every department for laparoscopic (97 %) and open surgery (95.1 %), respectively.Discussion The high number of positioning-related complications throughout all departments of different healthcare levels underlines the relevance of this issue and supports the need for a prospective European registry for further analysis. Training and education for all staff members should be routinely implemented to reduce and prevent positioning-related complications.