Henry Ford Study Identifies Techniques to Enhance Operating Room Efficiency

DETROIT – A new study from researchers at Henry Ford Hospital has identified techniques to enhance operating room efficiency for parathyroid surgical procedures. Using a second IV, versus one IV, to measure parathyroid hormone levels before the operation begins significantly shortened non-operative time in the operating room (OR) and total time in the OR. Performing the surgery with the patient under monitored anesthesia care (MAC) versus general anesthesia also shortened non-operative times.

The study was a chart review of consecutive patients undergoing parathyroidectomy, which is removal of the parathyroid glands or parathyroid tumors, by a single surgeon between November 2013 and October 2016. Complete data was available for 190 patients from the study period. Three OR time measurements were compared between groups: pre-incision (time in the room before surgery begins), post-closure (time in the room after surgery is complete), and total time in the OR.

Key findings include:

• Surgeries performed under MAC had statistically shorter pre-incision (33.2 minutes vs. 39.7 minutes), post-closure (10.1 minutes vs. 16.2 minutes), and total operative times (113 minutes vs. 151.5 minutes) versus those in which general anesthesia was used.
•  Of the patients who underwent general anesthesia, all three time periods were statistically shorter in those who had a second IV versus those who had only a single IV (pre-incision 32.2 minutes vs. 41 minutes; post-closure 12.2 minutes vs. 16.9 minutes; total 117.9 minutes vs. 157.4 minutes).

“Improving operating room efficiency is beneficial for patients, surgeons, and health systems as a whole,” said Michael Singer, M.D., Director of Henry Ford’s Division of Thyroid & Parathyroid Surgery, and co-author of the study. “Because every minute counts when optimizing an operating room, these findings offer a significant opportunity to improve efficiency.”

Along with Dr. Singer, the study was co-authored by Henry Ford otolaryngologist Anna Wertz, M.D.

For more information on the Henry Ford Department of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, visit henryford.com/services/ent. 

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Jeff Adkins

586-307-2027

jadkins6@hfhs.org