Patient Positioning for Hand, Wrist, and Elbow Surgery: Stretcher Versus Operating Room Table

Brett Lewellyn120 enrolled

Overview

The purpose of this study is to determine if there is any difference with regard to complication rates for performing surgery on an operating room (OR) table vs performing surgery on a stretcher with a hand table. The OR table and the stretcher with a hand table are the two types of operative surfaces the investigators will compare. The aim of this study is to compare surgeries of finger, hand, wrist, forearm, and elbow. The investigators will conduct the research at two outpatient surgery centers and an inpatient hospital center to see if operating room surface and time of surgery has any effect on complications after surgery. The investigators also will compare the costs of the two types of operative surfaces for the surgery.

The primary objective is to determine if there is any difference with regard to complication rate for performing surgery on an OR table vs performing surgery on a stretcher with a hand table. Outcome measures will include any complications recorded by postoperative questionnaires filled out by patients, and examination of the data to see if there is any statistically significant (using P values) data.

Study Type

OBSERVATIONAL

Enrollment

120

Conditions

Post-operative Complications Operative Surfaces

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 88 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Inclusion criteria will involve skeletally mature adult patients who are to be operated on by the principal investigator, in a one year time frame, for any surgical procedure of the upper extremity from the fingertip to the middle portion of the arm above the elbow. Exclusion Criteria: * Exclusion criteria will include: the skeletally immature, any patient with pre-existing neck pain, back pain, or decubitus ulcers; and patients with preexisting "pain" related or other conflicting medical issues: i.e. fibromyalgia; patients who were unable to respond for themselves in postop follow up i.e. dementia, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's and stroke.

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

The primary objective is to determine if there are increased or decreased complications when comparing patients who are having surgical procedures on an OR table vs a standard hospital stretcher.

Time frame: From enrollment to one year postoperative

Secondary Outcomes

This will include determining any correlation between surgical time, length of follow up and complication rate according to surgical procedure and operating surface.