ACS Updates Guidelines Regarding Overlapping Surgeries

Overlapping Surgeries

 Medscape April 18, 2016
In light of news reports questioning the practice of one surgeon performing in two surgeries scheduled at the same time, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) has updated its guidelines to clarify when this may be appropriate and what patients should know before consent.
The guidelines are part of a larger document called Statements on Principles, revised by ACS April 12.....

 The guidelines state: "A primary attending surgeon's involvement in concurrent or simultaneous surgeries on two different patients in two different rooms is not appropriate."

But "overlapping" surgeries are different, they say, and may be appropriate; for instance, if "key or critical elements" of the first operation are finished, freeing up the primary attending to start an operation in another room while others finish the first operation.