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The impact of specialised orthopaedic surgical nurses on operating room time
Doriana Di Costa1, Alessandro El Motassime1, Giovan Giuseppe Mazzella1
1Orthopedics & Traumatology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCSS, 00168, Roma, Italy; Orthopedics and Traumatology, Università Cattolica Del Sacro Cuore, 00168, Roma, Italy.
Insights
Specialized orthopedic nurses significantly reduce surgical times for proximal femur fractures (PFF) in elderly patients. This finding highlights the importance of dedicated surgical teams for improving patient outcomes and operational efficiency in hip fracture surgery.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Trauma Care
- Geriatric Medicine
Background:
- Proximal femur fractures (PFF) are a major health concern in the elderly, leading to significant mortality and healthcare costs.
- Current treatments include intramedullary nailing and endoprosthesis, with limited research on the impact of specialized surgical teams.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of a specialized surgical nurse on operative timings for proximal femur fracture surgeries.
- To assess the importance of a dedicated orthopedic nursing team in optimizing surgical procedures.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective study of 167 patients undergoing proximal femur fracture surgery at a level-2 trauma center from January 2021 to January 2022.
- Patients were divided into groups based on treatment (intramedullary nail vs. endoprosthesis) and the presence or absence of a specialized surgical nurse.
Main Results:
- Procedures assisted by specialized nurses showed significantly shorter operative times: 55.37 min vs. 81 min for intramedullary nailing (p=0.0001).
- Endoprosthesis procedures were also faster with specialized nurses: 80.2 min vs. 91.48 min (p=0.04).
Conclusions:
- Shorter operative times are crucial for elderly patients undergoing hip fracture surgery.
- A specialized surgical team, including an orthopedic nurse, is essential for reducing operative time and improving surgical efficiency.
Objective:
Proximal femur fractures (PFF) have been widely recognised as a significant social and health issue due to their costs and their impact on patient mortality, representing one of the most common types of fracture in the elderly population. The most commonly used procedures for this type of fracture are intramedullary nailing or endoprosthesis, depending on the fracture pattern. There is limited research on dedicated surgical teams in the fields of orthopedics surgery. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the importance of having a specialised surgical nurse and the impact this can have on surgical timings.
Methods:
This study was conducted in a level - 2 trauma center. We evaluated all patients who underwent surgery at our hospital from January 1st, 2021, to January 1st, 2022. We divided the patients into two groups, based on the type of treatment performed, then further subdivided based on the presence or absence of a specialised surgical nurse in the operating room.
Results:
A total of 167 patients were categorized into two groups: those treated with an intramedullary nail (n = 72) and those receiving an endoprosthesis (n = 95). Each group was further divided based on the presence or absence of a specialised surgical nurse. We noticed significantly shorter operative times in procedures assisted by specialised nurses: 55.37 min (σ 12.97) vs. 81 min (σ 32) for intramedullary nailing (p = 0.0001) and 80.2 min (σ 27) vs. 91.48 min (σ 27) for endoprosthesis (p = 0.04).
Conclusions:
In conclusion, surgical time has a significant impact on elderly patients undergoing surgery for hip fractures. Therefore, a specialised team, including a specialist orthopedic nurse, which helps reduce operative time, is essential.
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