February Journal Club

Firstly, congrats to everyone who has finished CST interviews. Its not to much longer before you find out the good news (fingers crossed). Anyway, I have decided to choose a systematic review on Negative pressure wound therapy ("Vac dressings") for this month's journal club. I find this subject incredibly interesting and have been working on a review of my own after being inspired by Dr Paul Liu who was the Chief of Plastics at Rhode Island Hospital where I did my placement last summer. As always, the article details are below and I will put up my comments in the next few days. I would be interested in what every one else thinks.

J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2012 Jan 9. [Epub ahead of print]

The methodology of negative pressure wound therapy: Separating fact from fiction.

Glass GE, Nanchahal J.

Basic surgical skills course

Apologies for delay in postings. Completed the basic surgical skills course at Queen Elizabeth hospital last week. It was the first time the course has been trialled to run over 2 days outside the Royal College of Surgeons (normally 2.5 days). This of course meant earlier start (8am), late finish (1800), and shorter lunch break (30mins). Of course any surgical doctors will agree the above timetable almost feels like a holiday.

The course content was not altered in anyway,and there were plenty of time allowed to complete all the tasks. At the end of the course, 100% of participants preferred the 2 day course over the 2.5 days as it meant less annual leave/study leave were required to complete the course.

Having completed a similar course as an undergraduate (instructed by Mr Paraskeva at Imperial college), i found it relatively straightforward course, and it greatly helps if the candidates are familiar with the 'Reef knot'.

I particularly enjoyed the 'debridement of necrotic tissue' part of the course, as well as stacking the sugar cubes using laparascopic instruments in a box trainer. I was slightly dissapointed with my 'tower of 8', as the 9th cube slipped from the grasper and then  ricochet off the sidewall and flattened my hard work.

Although the basic surgical skills course deals a low blow to the bank balance (currently ranging from £650-£700), If the 2 day course is implemented it might mean a reduction in cost. However, the course it self uses up a lot of resources including many consultant's time who have to give up their clinic/theatre list in order to tutor the trainees.

In summary, a very useful and a thoroughly enjoyable course that is not just for surgeons, but for any medical professionals who perform minor surgery (GP, Dermatologist, A&E etc).

The courses are usually very popular, and sell out months in advance, so i recommend contacting centres at the earliest oppurtunity to reserve your place.

Please visit the royal college of surgeons website for more information regarding the course http://www.rcseng.ac.uk/education/courses/basic_surgical_skills.html?searchterm=bss

Romesh