Contrary to popular opinion, technical skills are not the only important denominator of good surgical outcomes. There are several other, seemingly minor, components that can contribute to desirable outcomes. Many of these are problems or impediments which can actually be removed to ensure better results. So, can we identify the preventable undesirable issues that affect surgical outcomes and eliminate them?
A number of observational studies in operating theaters have identified some environmental hurdles that seem to influence an outcome. Looking at cardiac surgery (high-risk complex surgery) and general and orthopedic surgery (high volume, rapid turnover cases) shows that minor problems, distractions, or equipment problems were associated with increased operating time and a reduction in operative performance. So as pointed out earlier, it seems that it is not only technical skill, but…
