First Case

12/26/2025

✨𝗙𝘂𝗻 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆: 𝗘𝗽𝗵𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗺 𝗠𝗰𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗮𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘆 ✨

On December 25, 1809, Dr. Ephraim McDowell performed what would become one of the most pivotal operations in surgical history, the first successful removal of an ovarian tumor.

On December 13, 1809, McDowell was called to see Jane Todd Crawford in Green County, Kentucky, 60 miles from his home in Danville. Her physicians thought that Mrs. Crawford was beyond term pregnant, but McDowell diagnosed an ovarian tumor. Crawford begged him to keep her from a slow and painful death.

He described her condition and told her that an operation for cure had never been performed, and that the best surgeons in the world thought it impossible. Crawford said she understood and wanted to proceed, and agreed to travel the 60 miles back to Danville for the operation.

McDowell began the operation on Christmas morning, 1809, and the surgery was performed without anesthetic or antisepsis, since neither of which was known to the medical profession at the time. The entire procedure took 25 minutes, and a massive 22.5-pound ovarian tumor was removed from Mrs. Crawford. She made an uncomplicated recovery, returning home just 25 days later and living for another 32 years.

12/25/2025

From all of us here at First Case, Merry Christmas! 🎄

12/24/2025

🎧 https://educate.beyondclean.net/4rYrLtR 🎧 // In this playful poem, Melanie highlights the hard work of everyone working in the operating room, especially during the holiday season, and reminds us all that what we do every single day makes a difference in the lives of our patients.

Happy Holidays! 🎄☃️

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Articles On-the-Go presents perioperative insights from written articles in a creative, easy to listen, audio format. Think audio book, meets busy Operating Room professional!

12/23/2025

Operative times for robotic bariatric cases decrease as surgeons gain experience, but complication rates are still similar between low and high volume surgeons according to a recent study.

You can read more about the study and the outcomes here: https://www.generalsurgerynews.com/In-the-News/Bariatric/Article/11-25/Robotic-Bariatric-Surgery-Efficiency/78803

Surgeons who perform more robotic bariatric surgeries have shorter operative times than those who perform fewer such procedures, according to new research.

12/22/2025

🎄https://educate.beyondclean.net/44FjLnH 🎄 // Happy Holidays! As we celebrate the season, we're giving you a special bonus episode of First Case featuring Phyllis Quinlan, RN, President and CEO of MFW Consultants. In this timely conversation, Phyllis shares powerful insights on navigating persistent uncertainty, reframing “change” as growth and evolution, and leading teams with empathy, clarity, and solidarity during unprecedented times.

As we close out the year and look ahead to what’s next, this episode offers practical wisdom for leaders and perioperative professionals facing ongoing change without losing sight of their mission or purpose.

12/18/2025

[Brought to you by the First Case Vendor Focus™] Using a quantifiable test method, FDA-cleared rigid sterilization containers were evaluated and compared in their sealing capabilities.

Test 1 – Helium Leak Test
Containers were exposed to a controlled amount of helium inside the system while monitoring helium extrusion. This method directly measures sealing efficiency - a critical factor in sterility maintenance.

Test 2 - Blood Pe*******on Resistance
Using a modified ASTM F1670 synthetic blood pe*******on test, the ONE TRAY IST filter demonstrated significantly better resistance compared to competitors.

What the data showed
• ONE TRAY® demonstrated the most efficient helium leak rate
• Competing containers showed 2.15x to 4.78x higher leak rate
• ONE TRAY® ranked #1 in sealing efficiency
• Ranked #1 for total surface area contact and compressive force
• The ONE TRAY filter showed better resistance to blood pe*******on

If you have any questions or would like to learn more about ONE TRAY, drop our team a line! https://educate.beyondclean.net/4qktRmv

12/18/2025

[Brought to you by the First Case Vendor Focus™] What if reorganizing your medical devices could reduce trays, not add them?

ONE TRAY IST's EZ-TRAX™ allows you to rethink how instrument sets are organized, turning overcrowded, inefficient trays into streamlined, purpose-driven layouts that work smarter for SPD and the OR.

Fewer trays
Faster Assembly
Fewer resources
Lower costs

EZ-TRAX™ organizational inserts are engineered to improve visibility and consistency, helping teams build the same set, the right way, every time.

Need inspiration? Explore the EZ-TRAX™ Set Layout Library at https://educate.beyondclean.net/4s3wLxw to see real-world layouts designed to help facilities save time, money, and resources.

Want to talk reorganization? Reach out to our team here! https://educate.beyondclean.net/4skpr0P

Better organization isn’t cosmetic; it’s operational efficiency.

TRAY

12/18/2025

[Brought to you by the First Case Vendor Focus™] From 10 trays to 4 (knee) and 6 trays to 4 (hip), MASTER RECONFIGURATION with EZ-TRAX™. If you are a facility struggling with set turnover, excessive back up sets, or dealing with holes in wraps, then you should consider EZ-TRAX™ and ONE TRAY IST.

Smarter layouts and fewer containers - the answer to efficiency!

See over 18 OEM sets reconfigured into EZ-TRAX™ in our set layout library --> https://educate.beyondclean.net/4p0HXbC

Curious what your total joint sets could look like reconfigured? Let’s talk! https://educate.beyondclean.net/4p51cAO

12/18/2025

Hey and superstars! We are pumped to have another First Case Vendor Focus™ series coming at you today! 🙌

On select weekdays, we open up our social media channels for , to bring you some of the hottest new products, solutions, and services out there helping you deliver the best patient care, every patient, every time. Stay tuned in just a bit for today's series featuring ONE TRAY IST! We hope you enjoy!

[Let us know if you have a favorite brand or vendor you'd like to see featured by commenting below or by emailing us at [email protected]]

12/17/2025

Orthopedics is one of the busiest, and most equipment-intensive, service lines in health care. In this First Case Articles On-the-Go episode, Lindsay Joyce and Melanie Perry break down the Top 10 (plus one) foundational things every perioperative professional should know about working in orthopedic surgery. From nerve blocks and imaging to implants, positioning, labs, and dressings, this episode focuses on the universal essentials that set teams up for safe, efficient, and successful orthopedic cases.

🎧 Listen in for practical insights that help make orthopedics feel more manageable and a lot less intimidating. https://educate.beyondclean.net/3YvScJX

12/16/2025

Intraoperative frozen section pathology plays a key role in early-stage lung cancer surgery by providing real-time information on lymph node involvement and resection margins. By delivering rapid, highly accurate results, frozen sections allow surgeons to adjust the surgical plan immediately, helping ensure complete tumor removal during the initial operation.

🔗 Read the full article to learn how this collaborative approach between surgeons and pathologists enhances intraoperative decision-making and supports curative intent in early-stage lung cancer surgery.
https://educate.beyondclean.net/4j9tU28

12/15/2025

🎧𝙒𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙬𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙞𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙖𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙛 𝙎𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣 18, 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚'𝙨 𝙖 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙤 𝙎𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣 9! https://educate.beyondclean.net/4iTa1vX 🎧 // Have you ever wondered just what the Infection Preventionist (IP) was doing when they came into your Operating Room? Well, you’re not alone! In this season premiere of Season 9, we speak to Jill Holdsworth, Manager of Infection Prevention at Emory University Hospital Midtown. In this episode, we’re going to learn about the role of the IP in the hospital, what they’re looking for when they come into the OR, and discover how we can build relationships with our IPs and improve collaboration between our departments. Tune in now!