Implications of equipment failure occurring during surgery

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Surgery
• Surgical Technology
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Formal studies on intraoperative equipment failure frequency are scarce.
• Surgical instruments and equipment degrade over time, impacting performance.
• No established requirements exist for routine instrument inspection or maintenance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the frequency of intraoperative equipment malfunction during cardiac surgical procedures.
• To identify common types of equipment failures in cardiac surgery.
• To assess the impact of equipment failure on surgical case progression.

Main Methods:

• Cardiac surgeons reported equipment malfunctions during a 12-month period.
• Equipment was categorized into theatre infrastructure, large medical equipment, and surgical instruments.
• Data collection focused on the incidence and nature of intraoperative failures.

Main Results:

• A significant 92% of cardiac surgeries encountered equipment issues.
• The most frequent malfunctions involved fine surgical instruments, such as worn needle holders and blunt scissors.
• Failures in theatre infrastructure and large equipment led to four case cancellations, with some instrument failures posing catastrophic risks.

Conclusions:

• The incidence of equipment failure in cardiac surgery is unacceptably high.
• Equipment malfunction can lead to case cancellations and financial losses.
• Annual compulsory inspections for surgical instruments are recommended to improve safety and quality.