ABSTRACT
There is an old surgical saying that there is no such thing as a postoperative complication. The implication is that complications arising after an operation have their origins in errors committed during the operation. While not the entire truth, this wisdom draws attention to the idea that preventing intraoperative surgical errors can improve patient outcomes. Historically, surgeons looked to their errors as a source of learning through such activities as “morbidity and mortality conference.” Similarly, surgical trainees were thrown into a “trial by fire” environment in which they also learned from their mistakes. Unfortunately, in all instances the errors through which this learning occurred had already resulted in adverse patient outcomes.
