The British journal of surgery
-
Review
Systematic review of the safety and efficacy of osseointegration prosthesis after limb amputation.
Osseointegration, an approach for direct skeletal attachment of a prosthesis to an amputated limb, may address many of the problems associated with socket prostheses. The safety of osseointegration remains uncertain. The aim of this study was to summarize evidence on functional and clinical outcomes, as well as adverse effects of osseointegration for patients with a limb amputation. ⋯ Osseointegration after limb amputation improves prosthetic use, comfort when sitting, walking ability, mobility, gait and quality of life. However, it is associated with an increased risk of soft tissue infection.
-
Multiple treatment options are generally available for most diseases. Shared decision-making (SDM) helps patients and physicians choose the treatment option that best fits a patient's preferences. This review aimed to assess the extent to which SDM is applied during surgical consultations, and the metrics used to measure SDM and SDM-related outcomes. ⋯ At present, SDM in surgery is still in its infancy, although surgeons and patients both think of it favourably. Future studies should evaluate the effect of new interventions to improve SDM during surgical consultations, and its assessment using available standardized and validated metrics.
-
Acquiring new motor skills to learn complex movements and master the use of a diverse range of instruments is fundamental for developing expertise in surgery. Although aspects of skill development occur through trial and error, watching the performance of another individual (action observation) is an increasingly important adjunct for the acquisition of these complex skills before performing a procedure. The aim of this review was to examine the evidence in support of the use of action observation in surgery. ⋯ Observational learning is an effective method for learning surgical skills. An improved understanding of observational learning may further inform the refinement and use of these methods in contemporary surgical training curricula.