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Impaired laparoscopic performance of novice surgeons due to phone call distraction: a single-centre, prospective study

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Abstract

Background

Distractions such as phone calls during laparoscopic surgery play an important role in many operating rooms. The aim of this single-centre, prospective study was to assess if laparoscopic performance is impaired by intraoperative phone calls in novice surgeons.

Methods

From October 2015 to June 2016, 30 novice surgeons (medical students) underwent a laparoscopic surgery training curriculum including two validated tasks (peg transfer, precision cutting) until achieving a defined level of proficiency. For testing, participants were required to perform these tasks under three conditions: no distraction (control) and two standardised distractions in terms of phone calls requiring response (mild and strong distraction). Task performance was evaluated by analysing time and accuracy of the tasks and response of the phone call.

Results

In peg transfer (easy task), mild distraction did not worsen the performance significantly, while strong distraction was linked to error and inefficiency with significantly deteriorated performance (P < 0.05). Precision cutting (difficult task) was not slowed down by mild distraction, but surgical and cognitive errors were significantly increased when participants were distracted (P < 0.05). Compared to mild distraction, participants reported a more severe subjective disturbance when they were diverted by strong distraction (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Our data reveals that phone call distractions result in impaired laparoscopic performance under certain circumstances. To ensure patient safety, phone calls should be avoided as far as possible in operating rooms.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Visceral, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, University Hospital Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany

    Cui Yang, Julia Heinze, Juergen Weitz, Christoph Reissfelder & Soeren Torge Mees

  2. Institute of Psychology III, Unit of Engineering Psychology and Applied Cognitive Research, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany

    Jens Helmert

Authors
  1. Cui Yang
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  2. Julia Heinze
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  3. Jens Helmert
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  4. Juergen Weitz
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  5. Christoph Reissfelder
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  6. Soeren Torge Mees
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Correspondence to Soeren Torge Mees.

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Conflicts of interest

Cui Yang, Julia Heintze, Jens Helmert, Juergen Weitz, Christoph Reissfelder and Soeren Torge Mees have no conflicts of interest or financial ties to disclose.

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Yang, C., Heinze, J., Helmert, J. et al. Impaired laparoscopic performance of novice surgeons due to phone call distraction: a single-centre, prospective study. Surg Endosc 31, 5312–5317 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00464-017-5609-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00464-017-5609-7

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