Frozen Section Timeout: Pilot Study to Reconcile Margins Using 3D Resected Specimen and Defect Scans

Area of Science:

• Surgical Oncology
• Head and Neck Surgery
• Pathology

Background:

• Intraoperative communication and documentation of resection margins require improvement.
• Current methods may lead to uncertainty regarding tumor clearance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate a "frozen section timeout" protocol.
• To enhance communication and documentation of resection margin details during head and neck surgeries.

Main Methods:

• An interactive form with 3D virtual models and a margin results table was developed.
• The "timeout" involved a Zoom call between the operating room and frozen section lab.
• All surgical team members participated, halting other activities for information exchange.

Main Results:

• Twenty-six timeouts were conducted during head and neck surgeries.
• Annotated scans clearly displayed at-risk and supplemental margins.
• Information was shared, documented, and agreed upon by the entire surgical team.

Conclusions:

• The "frozen section timeout" improves intraoperative communication and transparency.
• Enhanced visualization of margins increases understanding and potentially eliminates uncertainty.
• This technique can establish a new standard of care for margin assessment.