Best of: What makes a surgeon great?

We’re taking you into our archive of over 250 episodes to re-share an interview Russ Altman did in 2022 with Stanford Medicine Professor of Surgery, Carla Pugh.  Performing surgery is profoundly complex and requires precision, dexterity and lots of practice. Dr. Pugh shares about how she’s studying the movements of skilled surgeons to better understand what makes them successful, which can in turn help to improve training for new surgeons.

Episode Reference Links:

• Technology Enabled Clinical Improvement Center
• Dr. Pugh’s Research: Use of sensors to quantify procedural idle time 

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• Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website
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Chapters:

(00:00:00) Introduction
Host Russ Altman introduces the episode with Dr. Carla Pugh discussing her research studying the movements of surgeons to improve surgical training.

(00:02:27) Dr. Carla Pugh's Research and Goals
Introduction of Dr. Carla Pugh and her research utilizing sensor technology to quantify physician performance and the long-term goals of her research.

(00:04:32) Wearable Sensors in Surgical Training
How wearable sensors are being used, and the reaction of surgeons to being monitored.

(00:06:21)  Expertise Identification & Universality of Movement
How idle time and motion tracking can distinguish between novice and expert surgeons  & how expert surgeons exhibit similar motion patterns.

(00:10:10) Expert vs. Novice Surgeon Behaviors
Observed differences in speed and precision between expert and novice surgeons, & working volume.

(00:12:48) Ethical Considerations
The ethical considerations of measuring surgeon performance, with a focus on
managing the careers of aging surgeons through data-driven decisions.

(00:16:03) The Role of Robotics in Surgery
The current and future roles of robots in surgery, debunking myths, setting realistic expectations & how this research can be applied.

(00:20:29) Demand for Robotic Surgery and Tech Trust
Patients' trust in technology and robots for surgery and the pitfalls of relying too much on the technology, using orthopedic surgery as a specific example.

(00:23:07) Preserving Human Skills in Medicine
Dr. Pugh elaborates the importance of capturing human surgical skills amidst the rise of automation in order to maintain a record of traditional practices.

(00:24:49) Evolution of Surgical Procedures and Techniques
The evolution of surgical procedures due to technological advancements, and how surgeons transition between different surgical technologies.

(00:27:17) Conclusion

Connect With Us:

Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website

Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon

Connect with School of Engineering >>>Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook