Learning outcomes

This course highlights the importance of the clinical management in a Surgical Department along the perioperative period. Nowadays, surgeons cannot limit their daily practice in the operating room as the postoperative period requires clinical skills to recognize complications, radiological skills to understand CT scans or EUS and interventional skills to treat these potentially deadly events. These concepts are even more important when major surgical procedures are performed, therefore in HUB hospitals.
Along the course, the student will learn how to identify minor and major compications, how to find the cause and which should be the best treatment for every scenario.
During the course the students will be introduced to the Enhanced Recovery Protocols philosophy: preoptimization of the patients should, infact, lead to a reduction of postoperative complications.
At last, the course purposes include a "hands on" mini-course on basic technical skills for management of complications (EUS guided percutaneous drain placement, operative endoscopy).

Program

This course will be divided in 3 lessons:
1- introduction to the postoperative complications. The students will be teached on the postoperative management of a surgical patient, pointing the attention on how to recognize a potential complication. During the lesson will be discussed the clinical, radiological, endoscopic instruments to detect the complications and to reach a diagnosis. After that, a brief explanation of non invasive/minimally invasive treatments and when to reoperate the patient will be conducted. Basic concepts of emergency/urgency will be also discussed.
2- Preoptimization of the patients in order to reduce postoperative complications begins at the moment of the first outpatient visit. These concepts are defined in the Enhanced Recovery Protocols. Students will be introduced to these concepts in order to understand their importance and when and how to apply them.
3- "hands on" session in which the students will learn basic techniques for non invasive management of complications. Among them will be possible to learn how to place a percutaneous drain, thoracic drain and (if the endoscopic matherial will be available) basic endoscopic techniques.

Examination Methods

idoneity: frequency based
date: I semester, tuesday november the 10th at 18.00-19.30; tuesday november the 17th at 18.00-19.30
Where: I floor, orange side of the Polo Chirurgico Confortini (Chirurgia esofago stomaco secretariat)
course recommended for: V-VI