Matthew M Gangidine, BS, Kristy Pugh, MS, Mark W Bowyer, MD, FACS. Uniformed Services University
Objectives: The military surgeon faces unique challenges in the pursuit of the provision of excellent trauma care in the deployed setting. This challenge can be exacerbated by the fact that military surgeons often have a state-side practice that may differ significantly in terms of volume and type of surgery performed vs the injuries dealt with down-range. The Advanced Surgical Skills for Exposure in Trauma (ASSET) Course is one solution that has attempted to bridge this gap, through a one-day cadaver course focused on the exposure and control of critical combat injuries. A significant number of military surgeons have now attended this course as part of pre-deployment training. The objective of this study was to evaluate the utility of this course in terms of its impact on preparing surgeons well to deal with trauma injury patterns more commonly encountered in the deployed setting.
Methods: An online survey was developed and sent out to all military graduates of the ASSET course (n = ~250). Response was voluntary and de-identified. Demographics were collected. Experience of injury patterns and volume seen while deployed were queried, as well as day-to-day state-side practice content. A 5-point Likert scale was utilized to inquire about the impact of the ASSET course on surgeon confidence and competence managing certain traumatic injuries relevant to combat casualty care. Surgeons were also queried regarding the overall effectiveness of the ASSET course as pre-deployment training; this info was also collected for those respondents who has participated in any other pre-deployment trauma training. Finally, info was collected on possible improvements for the ASSET course as a pre-deployment trauma training platform.
Results: * This survey has been developed and is about to be sent out; data collection and analysis has not yet been completed, but will be finished and updated prior to the 4 Dec “data deadline.”
Conclusions: * Final conclusions will be drawn after analysis of survey results. We expect to gain insight on the critical issue of pre-deployment trauma training for the military surgeon. Sustainment and acquisition of these combat-relevant surgical skills are essential for the military surgeon, especially when he or she spends the majority of their state-side practice treating surgical disease distinct from that encountered in the deployed setting. We aim to use these results to improve the ASSET course in particular, and trauma training for the military surgeon in general.
Presented at the SAGES 2017 Annual Meeting in Houston, TX.
Abstract ID: 80642
Program Number: MSS19
Presentation Session: Full-Day Military Surgical Symposium – Trauma/Critical Care Presentations
Presentation Type: MSSPodium