Culture of safety and error traps in pediatric thoracoscopy

Growing adoption of thoracoscopy by pediatric surgeons has resulted in increasingly complex operations being performed. Although common complications of these procedures have decreased with experience, surgeons are still at risk to fall into error traps where routine practice in uncommon situations results in unanticipated complications. A background culture of safety that rewards multidisciplinary communication, teamwork, openness and standardization of care can assist surgeons to recognize, address and report error traps when they arise. This article serves to encourage a culture of safety and raise awareness of error traps in pediatric thoracoscopy to minimize potential harm and improve quality of care.