Hand-sewn bowel anastomosis (HSBA) is an essential skill for surgical residents to learn, as it is used in numerous surgical procedures. However, the opportunities to practice this skill before attempting it on patients are limited. Practice on simulators can help improve this technique, but there is a paucity of realistic, cost-efficient simulators for the acquisition of HSBA skills. This technical report describes the development of our simulator that consists of a small bowel manufactured from silicone and a 3D-printed clamp system to hold the bowel in place. Our simulator was co-designed by a clinical team of surgeons and then assessed for perceived acceptability and effectiveness by 16 junior residents in various surgical specialties at our faculty. A majority of the learners rated our simulator to be a good or very good learning tool for HSBA, although they suggested some minor improvements.Overall, our silicone small bowel model appears to be an effective and inexpensive way to acquire this surgical skill.

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<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Olfactory dysfunction is one of the main symptoms of COVID-19 and may last beyond resolution of the infection. The most promising intervention for post-viral olfactory dysfunction is olfactory training (OT), which involves exposing the olfactory system to a range of odors daily. This approach is thought of promoting the regeneration of olfactory receptor cells, but its effectiveness in patients with post-COVID-19 olfactory dysfunction has yet to be confirmed. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> This double-blind randomized pilot study compared the effectiveness of OT versus placebo in the treatment of post-COVID-19 olfactory dysfunction. Twenty-five participants were recruited in each group. OT protocol consisted of sniffing 4 scents (rose, orange, clove, and eucalyptus) for 5 min twice daily for 12 weeks. Olfactory function was assessed before and after the training using (1) a validated odor identification test (UPSIT-40) and (2) a 10-point visual analog scale; we further assessed the presence of (3) parosmia. <b><i>Results:</i></b> While we did not observe any effect of OT on olfactory test scores, we observed a significant improvement of subjective olfactory function in the intervention group, while no such effect was observed in the placebo group. Finally, the frequency of parosmia was significantly lower in the intervention group. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> This study highlights an increase in subjective but not objective olfactory function when performing OT for 12 weeks. Further, parosmia seems to be positively affected by OT. These results may serve as a starting point for larger scale studies to assess the efficacy of OT for treatment of post-COVID-19 olfactory dysfunction.

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ObjectivePostoperative airway concerns persist despite a low rate of post‐supraglottoplasty complications for children with laryngomalacia. The objective of this study is to determine the factors associated with the need for intensive care unit (ICU) admission following supraglottoplasty.MethodsA 7‐year retrospective cohort analysis was conducted between 2014 and 2021. A patient requiring ICU level of care was defined as the use of respiratory support such as intubation, positive pressure ventilation, high‐flow nasal cannula, or multiple doses of nebulized epinephrine.ResultsAbout 134 medical charts were reviewed; 12 patients were excluded because of concurrent surgery. Age at the time of surgery was 2.8 (4.3) months (median [interquartile range]). About 33 (27.0%) ultimately required ICU‐level care. Prematurity (odds ratio [OR] 13.8), neurological condition (OR ∞), American Society of Anesthesiology class 3–4 (OR 6.5), and younger age (OR 1.8) were more likely to require ICU admission. No patient above 10 months of age needed ICU monitoring. The use of respiratory support justifying ICU was known within the first 4 h after surgery for almost all (32/33, 97%) of these patients. 4/33 (12.1%) were kept intubated and the remaining needed non‐invasive ventilation. Only one patient (1/122, 0.8%) was reintubated 12 h after surgery for progressive respiratory distress.ConclusionApproximately a quarter of patients required ICU‐level care after supraglottoplasty. For nearly all patients without comorbidities requiring ICU, this can be safely predicted within the first 4 h after surgery. Our data suggest that selected patients undergoing supraglottoplasty may be safely monitored outside of an ICU setting after an observation period in the post‐anesthesia care unit.Level of Evidence4 Laryngoscope, 2023