Quantification of fluorescein droplets and reporting of data
Each surgeon undertook five simulated tonsil procedures. The Coblation
wand was activated on the strawberries for five minutes (Figure 1d)
before the surgical field and surgeon was assessed for fluorescein
droplet deposition using an ultraviolet (UV) lamp. The presence of
droplet was assessed in binary fashion: present or not present. The
results were collated as frequency of droplet detection and illustrated
as a heatmap; 0 = white, 1-2 = yellow, 3-4 = orange and 5 = red.
For the surgical field, a 10cm diameter circle was cut out of the
epicentre of the black square sheet to allow access into the oropharynx.
A 30cm line was drawn to each corner of the square to divide it into
four quadrants representing areas within the immediate surgical field.
Another black square sheet measuring 42cm x 42cm was placed over the
pillow (Figure 2a). The surgeon was assessed based on anatomical
subsites (Figure 2b): hands, forearm, upper arm, chest, neck, face visor
and the area under the visor (mask and upper face).
The surgical field was then cleaned and re-checked with the UV lamp.
Remnant strawberries were carefully removed and replaced with fresh
fluorescein-soaked pieces. The Coblation wand was cleaned and activated
externally to ensure both irrigation and suction was functioning
properly. The surgeon’s PPE was also cleaned and where necessary,
changed.