The Readiness Imperative: Leveraging Large Animal Resident Research to Enhance Expeditionary Surgical Skills

Abstract

ABSTRACT Introduction The Defense Health Agency aims to ensure that military surgical residents have the expeditionary general surgical skills necessary to deploy to a combat environment and maintains the Clinical Investigation Programs (CIPs) that foster research during graduate medical education. This project evaluates the potential to achieve both aims simultaneously through a large animal Combat Casualty Care Research Program (CCCRP). Materials and Methods Large animal experimental protocols within a single CIP’s CCCRP were collected from July 1, 2017, to June 30, 2022. Operations performed were tabulated and categorized by Emergency General Surgery procedure equivalent. In addition, procedures performed by a single resident from July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2022, were separately indexed for a more granular analysis. Results The results are presented with total 5-year numbers listed first, followed by single resident 2-year numbers in parentheses. The residents at the CIP carried out 8676 (1,609) tabulated procedures. Major surgical procedures included 573 (154) laparotomies, 364 (129) thoracotomies, 279 (125) splenectomies, 219 (108) craniotomies, 206 (81) hepatorrhaphies, 363 (62) nephrectomies, 383 (48) bowel resections, 215 (48) spine exposures with laminectomies, and 173 (9) sternotomies. Additional procedures included 1028 (127) central venous lines, 878 (127) arterial lines, 90 (67) tube thoracostomies, 199 (37) carotid artery exposures, 394 (29) suprapubic urostomies, and placement of 278 (10) aortic occlusion catheters. At this time, the residents had 17 (10) presentations at national meetings, 8 (7) research awards, and published 20 peer-reviewed manuscripts. Additionally, the residents involved in the CCCRP gained valuable experience in critical care, including management of 110 traumatic brain injuries, 121 Intercranial Pressure catheters, 316 cases of hemorrhagic shock, and 211 massive transfusion protocols, among a variety of other vital critical care skills. Conclusions This large animal CCCRP represents a unique training model that not only achieves its primary goal of fostering graduate medical education research but also bolsters Emergency General Surgery readiness for military surgical residents.