title: Intraoperative consultation in digestive surgery. A consecutive series of 800 frozen sections.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess indications and quality of frozen sections in digestive surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  All the frozen sections from the department of digestive surgery from Amiens hospital performed between 01/07/2006 and 01/07/2010 were assessed. Assessment of frozen section forms, reading of pathology reports, and reviewing of frozen section slides were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eight hundred frozen sections were performed in 349 patients. From one to 14 surgical specimens were sent for frozen section (mean 2.3). Frozen sections were performed in 77% of the cases for cancer surgery (n=268), most of the time pancreatic surgery (28.4%) and liver surgery (24.6%). Frozen sections were performed in 69% of the cases for diagnosis, in 29% of the cases to assess surgical margins and in 2% of the cases to assess if tissue specimen was appropriate for pathological diagnosis. Frozen sections were sent all days of the week (except Saturday and Sunday), during all the year, between 8 H 30 and 17 H 15. Thirty-seven percent of the cases were sent between 12 H and 14 H. Response time was 15 minutes (3 to 57 minutes). Rate of differed diagnoses was 2%. Rate of discordant diagnoses was 3.4%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Frozen section is a rapid and accurate tool in digestive surgery. Local adjustment of the organization of the Pathology Department could enhance the rapidity and the quality of pathology diagnoses.
authors.affiliation: Service d'anatomie pathologique, CHU d'Amiens, université de Picardie-Jules-Verne, place Victor-Pauchet, 80054 Amiens cedex 01, France. chatelain.denis@chu-amiens.fr
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chatelain
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shildknecht
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Trouillet
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brasseur
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Darrac
authors.forename: J-M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Regimbeau
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003951:Diagnostic Errors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003938:Diagnostic Techniques, Digestive System / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004066:Digestive System Diseases / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013505:Digestive System Surgical Procedures; D005260:Female; D005629:Frozen Sections / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007430:Intraoperative Care / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D016037:Single-Blind Method