title: Recording of surgical processes: a study comparing senior and junior neurosurgeons during lumbar disc herniation surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Evaluating surgical practice in the operating room is difficult, and its assessment is largely subjective.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Recording of standardized spine surgery processes was conducted to ascertain whether any significant differences in surgical practice could be observed between senior and junior neurosurgeons.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four procedures of lumbar discectomies were consecutively recorded by a senior neurosurgeon. In 12 cases, surgery was entirely performed by a senior neurosurgeon with the aid of a resident, and in the 12 remaining cases, surgery was performed by a resident with the aid of a senior neurosurgeon. The data recorded were general parameters (operating time for the whole procedure and for each step), and general and specific parameters of the surgeon's activities (number of manual gestures, number and duration of actions performed, use of the instruments, and use of interventions on anatomic structures). The Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison between the 2 groups of neurosurgeons.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The operating time was statistically lower for the group of senior surgeons. The seniors statistically demonstrated greater economy in time and in gestures during the closure step, for sewing and for the use of scissors, needle holders, and forceps. The senior surgeons statistically worked for a shorter time on the skin and used fewer manual gestures on the thoracolumbalis fascia. The number of changes in microscope position was also statistically lower for this group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a relationship between surgical practice, as determined by a method of objective measurement using observation software, and surgical experience: gesture economy evolves with seniority.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Rennes University Hospital, INSERM, U746, Faculty of Medicine, INRIA, VisAGeS Unit/Project, CNRS, UMR 6074, IRISA, University of Rennes I, Rennes, France. laurent.riffaud@chu-rennes.fr
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Riffaud
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Neumuth
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Morandi
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Trantakis
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Meixensberger
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Burgert
authors.forename: Brivael
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Trelhu
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jannin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000379:methods*; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000601:surgery*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000193:education / Q000379:methods*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D011996:Records / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult