Arnold Advincula's Surgical Techniques
Simple versus radical hysterectomy
Anatomical nuances and dissection techniques
When using a clinical practice guideline, Dr. Miles Murphy indicated that a systematic review needs to be included, although a meta-analysis is not always required. The poor quality and paucity of RCTs for most patient populations is what limits us.
Dr. Rahn gave an excellent presentation on subgroup analysis, recommending to attendees that they perform these analyses cautiously, describe which groups are analyzed, and have statistical back-up for power and P value calculations.
Dr. Kristen Matteson then spoke about interpreting the literature on screening and diagnostic tests, giving a thorough but understandable review of the basics of statistics. Dr. John Wong rounded out the course, suggesting that because RCTs are expensive and comprise less than 5% of published studies, the analysis of observational studies as RCTs would allow us to better inform our patients and our colleagues on the best treatments, using patient-centered outcomes, efficacy data, and multiple providers. He urged us all to be more skeptical and ask critical questions when dealing with evidence in medicine.
Sharpening ultrasonography skills
Simultaneously, others attended a hands-on learning course on comprehensive pelvic floor ultrasonography, including transperineal, endovaginal, and endoanal imaging, organized by Dr. Abbas Shobeiri.
Tips for the difficult hysterectomy
Dr. Ted Lee (with help from Drs. Arnold P. Advincula, Rosanne Kho, and Matthew Seidhoff) prepared a surgical tutorial on laparoscopic, robotic, and vaginal strategies and techniques for approaching the difficult hysterectomy. The course was phenomenal, as described by many of the members fortunate enough to learn some of the tips and tricks demonstrated by the master surgeons.
Training for the NIH application process
Following the postgraduate courses, Dr. Katherine Hartmann led an “NIH Application Training Camp,” an offering supported by SGS research donations and a generous donation from Dr. Holly Richter. Dr. Hartmann provided in-depth insight into the world of NIH grant funding and provided background prep for a K or R award application. A mock NIH application study section, in which two actual applications were reviewed, demystified the process of grant review (and rejection).
A social end to day 1
To end the first day, a welcome reception was held where residents, fellows, and attendings from different fields of ObGyn mingled and shared drinks, stories, and good laughs.
The "social" activities continue on social media for the rest of the conference. Follow #SGS2015, @gynsurgery, @obgmanagement, and @sukrantmehta for more!
