Concurrent surgery across two parallel operating theatres carries risks, say researchers

Researchers have warned of the risks of having a single surgeon work across two parallel operating theatres and cast doubt on the method as a means of treating more patients to cut NHS waiting lists.They say there is no evidence that “overlapping surgery” delivers increased productivity compared with two surgeons focused on their own lists, and warn that there are proven “small but very real risks” to patient outcomes, safety, and training.Researchers led by Jaideep Pandit, clinical director of operating theatres at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, express their concerns in a paper published in Anaesthesia.1Some NHS trusts, including Guy’s and St Thomas’, in London, are trialling versions of overlapping surgery, known as high intensity theatre (HIT), to help reduce the backlog for non-emergency surgery caused by the pandemic.Pandit told The BMJ that he could not comment on individual trusts’ initiatives and there was potential for overlapping surgery to…
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