Experts are questioning a study at a healthcare facility in Israel that suggests live cases can be demonstrated at professional conferences without causing patient harm, according to a heartwire report.
For this study, researchers at Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Israel conducted 101 live cases at 15 meetings from 1998-2010. The live cases included 66 coronary interventions, 15 carotid interventions, one peripheral case, two valve repairs, 12 congenital heart disease cases, and seven complex electrophysiological mapping and ablation interventions.
The researchers found almost all (95 percent) of the live procedures were technically successful. There were no in-hospital deaths, although minor complications followed two procedures. The researchers concluded live demonstrations at professional conferences is safe.
Despite these findings, other experts quickly pointed out the small size of the Israel study. One expert from the Medical University of South Carolina didn't deny safe outcomes from live demonstration were possible, but he was concerned about the educational value of conducting live cases in spite of the potential harm to patients.
Experts generally agreed a much larger study is required to further assess the safety and benefits of performing live cases.
For this study, researchers at Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Israel conducted 101 live cases at 15 meetings from 1998-2010. The live cases included 66 coronary interventions, 15 carotid interventions, one peripheral case, two valve repairs, 12 congenital heart disease cases, and seven complex electrophysiological mapping and ablation interventions.
The researchers found almost all (95 percent) of the live procedures were technically successful. There were no in-hospital deaths, although minor complications followed two procedures. The researchers concluded live demonstrations at professional conferences is safe.
Despite these findings, other experts quickly pointed out the small size of the Israel study. One expert from the Medical University of South Carolina didn't deny safe outcomes from live demonstration were possible, but he was concerned about the educational value of conducting live cases in spite of the potential harm to patients.
Experts generally agreed a much larger study is required to further assess the safety and benefits of performing live cases.
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