Abstract
Introduction
There is no regulation regarding alcohol consumption the day before operating and little evidence demonstrating impaired surgical performance or investigating the duration of the impairment.
Methods
In Study 1, 16 laparoscopic novices were trained on the Minimally Invasive Surgical Trainer Virtual Reality (MIST VR), then randomized to freely consume alcohol (until intoxicated) or to abstain. In Study 2, eight laparoscopic experts were trained on the MIST VR diathermy task (difficult setting). Everybody in this group freely consumed alcohol until intoxicated. All subjects whether they had consumed alcohol or not were assessed the following day at 9am, 1pm and 4pm.
Results
In study 1 both groups performed similarly at baseline (before consuming any alcohol). There was no deterioration in the control group¿s performance the following day. However, the alcohol group took longer to perform the tasks (p < 0.01 at 9am), made significantly more errors (9am (p < 0.001), 1pm (p < 0.003) and 4pm (p < 0.021)), and were less efficient in their use of diathermy (9am (p < 0.0005), 1pm (p < 0.0006) and 4pm(p<0.0034)). In study 2, the experienced laparoscopic surgeons demonstrated a similar performance pattern. In general they took a longer time to perform the task, made more errors particularly at 1pm (p < 0.001), and were less efficient in their use of diathermy (9am (p <0.05), 1pm (p < 0.05) and 4pm (p < 0.01)).
Conclusions
In both studies the alcohol condition subjects laparoscopic performance was significantly degraded the following day even at 4pm in the afternoon.
There is no regulation regarding alcohol consumption the day before operating and little evidence demonstrating impaired surgical performance or investigating the duration of the impairment.
Methods
In Study 1, 16 laparoscopic novices were trained on the Minimally Invasive Surgical Trainer Virtual Reality (MIST VR), then randomized to freely consume alcohol (until intoxicated) or to abstain. In Study 2, eight laparoscopic experts were trained on the MIST VR diathermy task (difficult setting). Everybody in this group freely consumed alcohol until intoxicated. All subjects whether they had consumed alcohol or not were assessed the following day at 9am, 1pm and 4pm.
Results
In study 1 both groups performed similarly at baseline (before consuming any alcohol). There was no deterioration in the control group¿s performance the following day. However, the alcohol group took longer to perform the tasks (p < 0.01 at 9am), made significantly more errors (9am (p < 0.001), 1pm (p < 0.003) and 4pm (p < 0.021)), and were less efficient in their use of diathermy (9am (p < 0.0005), 1pm (p < 0.0006) and 4pm(p<0.0034)). In study 2, the experienced laparoscopic surgeons demonstrated a similar performance pattern. In general they took a longer time to perform the task, made more errors particularly at 1pm (p < 0.001), and were less efficient in their use of diathermy (9am (p <0.05), 1pm (p < 0.05) and 4pm (p < 0.01)).
Conclusions
In both studies the alcohol condition subjects laparoscopic performance was significantly degraded the following day even at 4pm in the afternoon.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | S94-S95 |
| Number of pages | 2 |
| Journal | Journal of the American College of Surgeons |
| Volume | 207 |
| Issue number | 3, Supplement |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Sept 2008 |
| Event | The American College of Surgeons 94th Annual Clinical Congress - San Francisco, United States Duration: 1 Sept 2008 → 1 Sept 2008 Conference number: 94 https://www.facs.org/about-acs/acs-history/past-clinical-congresses/ |