Browsing by Author "Athanasiadis, Dimitrios"

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    Are Perceived Barriers to Exercise and Level of Interest in Fitness Programs Different Between Preoperative and Postoperative Bariatric Surgery Groups?
    (Liebert, 2020-12) Athanasiadis, Dimitrios; Hilgendorf, William; Kubicki, Natalia; Banerjee, Ambar; Surgery, School of Medicine
    Background: Exercise following bariatric surgery is associated with better outcomes. We aimed to assess the level of interest in fitness programs, self-reported exercise duration, and perceived obstacles for exercising in bariatric patients. Materials and Methods: All patients who presented to our hospital for any bariatric clinic visit were administered a questionnaire, which explored their interest in a free 10-min DVD-based workout (DW) versus an internet-based workout (IW), average duration of exercise per week, and two perceived obstacles to exercise. Results: One hundred fifty-nine preoperative and 135 postoperative patients were surveyed. Overall, there was more interest in DW than in IW. The mean duration of exercise in the preop group was 89 ± 92.1 min/week, whereas the postop group reported 84.4 ± 103.7 min/week (p = 0.717). Time was the most frequent obstacle in both groups, whereas orthopedic discomfort was reported less frequently in the postoperative compared with the preoperative population (7% vs. 18.1%, respectively, p = 0.001). Conclusions: Despite the postoperative group reporting less orthopedic pain, mean exercise time per week was the same as the preoperative group. Time constraints were the most frequently reported barrier in both groups, suggesting a pathway for intervention.
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    Bariatric Surgery is Safe for Patients After Recovery from COVID-19
    (Elsevier, 2021-11) Vosburg, R. Wesley; Pratt, Janey S.A.; Kindel, Tammy; Rogers, Ann M.; Kudav, Siddharth; Banerjee, Ambar; Hernandez, Edward; Athanasiadis, Dimitrios; Fischer, Laura E.; Hayes, Kellen; Shin, Thomas H.; Aminian, Ali; Kim, Julie J.; Surgery, School of Medicine
    BACKGROUND: Studies of patients who have undergone surgery while infected with COVID-19 have shown increased risks for adverse outcomes in both pulmonary complications and mortality. It has become clear that the risk of complications from perioperative COVID-19 infection must be weighed against the risk from delayed surgical treatment. Studies have also shown that prior bariatric surgery conveys protection against mortality from COVID-19 and that obesity is the biggest risk factor for mortality from COVID-19 infection in adults under 45 years of age. Studies in patients who have fully recovered from COVID-19 and underwent elective surgery have not become widely available yet. OBJECTIVES: This multi-institutional case series is presented to highlight patients who developed COVID-19, fully recovered, and subsequently underwent elective bariatric surgery with 30-day outcomes available. SETTING: Nine bariatric surgery centers located across the United States. METHODS: This multicenter case series is a retrospective chart review of patients who developed COVID-19, recovered, and subsequently underwent bariatric surgery. Fifty-three patients are included, and 30-day morbidity and mortality were analyzed. RESULTS: Thirty-day complications included esophageal spasm, dehydration, and ileus. There were no cardiovascular, venous thromboembolism (VTE) or respiratory events reported. There were no 30- day mortalities. CONCLUSIONS: Bariatric surgery has been safely performed in patients who made a full recovery from COVID-19 without increased complications due to cardiovascular, pulmonary, venous thromboembolism, or increased mortality rates.
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    Increasing Early Exposure to Laparoscopy: A Cost-Effective Trainer Designed for Medical Students
    (2021-04-22) Cross-Najafi, Arthur; Athanasiadis, Dimitrios; Stefanidis, Dimitrios
    Increasing Early Exposure to Laparoscopy: A Cost-Effective Trainer Designed for Medical Students Intro: Previous studies have shown that exposing medical students to laparoscopy early in their training may inspire them to pursue a surgical career. Commercial laparoscopic trainers provide robust training platforms for surgical residents but are expensive and not easily available to medical students who wish to become familiar with laparoscopic surgery techniques such as through Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS). In this study we assessed the feasibility of constructing an inexpensive, easily reproducible laparoscopic trainer to train medical students to proficiency in FLS. Methods: Construction materials for the trainers were readily available at common retail stores. The box component of this trainer was produced using 1/2-inch and 3/4-inch plywood, 3/4-inch screws, Velcro, super glue, and Peltex Ultra Firm (c). The electronic components of this trainer included a 24-inch Dell monitor, HDMI to VGA adapter, Logitech C615 Portable Webcam, HDMI cord, and Dell Inspiron laptop. The proposed trainer does not include the laparoscopic instruments or task trainers. Power drill and saw are optimal for trainer construction. Cost calculation excludes laptop. Students were then trained to proficiency on FLS tasks using the laparoscopic trainers. Results: The complete laparoscopic trainer (including monitor) was produced for less than 300 dollars. We have produced 2 complete trainers on which 5 students were trained to proficiency in FLS. Feedback on the training experience from students was positive, with a slightly larger monitor cited as the main difference from the commercial trainer setup. Conclusion: The laparoscopic trainer described here was an effective tool for training medical students in FLS. Built with inexpensive, readily available construction materials and functionality for multiple training tasks, it is a highly cost-efficient approach to administering FLS training. Anticipated future applications for the trainer include implementation of surgical education research and expansion of medical student exposure to basic laparoscopy.
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    Measurement of Nontechnical Skills During Robotic-Assisted Surgery Using Sensor-Based Communication and Proximity Metrics
    (American Medical Association, 2021-11-01) Cha, Jackie S.; Athanasiadis, Dimitrios; Anton, Nicholas E.; Stefanidis, Dimitrios; Yu, Denny; Surgery, School of Medicine
    This cohort study uses sensor-based communication and proximity metrics to assess surgeon nontechnical skills during robotic-assisted surgery.
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    Utilizing Eye Tracking to Assess Medical Student Non-Technical Performance During Scenario-Based Simulation: Results of a Pilot Study
    (Springer Nature, 2023) Anton, Nicholas E.; Cha, Jackie S.; Hernandez, Edward; Athanasiadis, Dimitrios; Yang, Jing; Zhou, Guoyang; Stefanidis, Dimitrios; Yu, Denny; Surgery, School of Medicine
    Background: Non-technical skills (NTS) are essential for safe surgical patient management. However, assessing NTS involves observer-based ratings, which can introduce bias. Eye tracking (ET) has been proposed as an effective method to capture NTS. The purpose of the current study was to determine if ET metrics are associated with NTS performance. Methods: Participants wore a mobile ET system and participated in two patient care simulations, where they managed a deteriorating patient. The scenarios featured several challenges to leadership, which were evaluated using a 4-point Likert scale. NTS were evaluated by trained raters using the Non-Technical Skills for Surgeons (NOTSS) scale. ET metrics included percentage of fixations and visits on areas of interest. Results: Ten medical students participated. Average visit duration on the patient was negatively correlated with participants' communication and leadership. Average visit duration on the patient's intravenous access was negatively correlated with participants' decision making and situation awareness. Conclusions: Our preliminary data suggests that visual attention on the patient was negatively associated with NTS and may indicate poor comprehension of the patient's status due to heightened cognitive load. In future work, researchers and educators should consider using ET to objectively evaluate and provide feedback on their NTS.