Medical student wants no sponge left behind
Scott Giberson was part of a research team that discovered a flaw in a crucial final check for surgery patients.
Surgeons rely on a wand equipped with radio frequency identification technology to scan the body and detect any retained surgical sponges during or after a procedure. This crucial final check is to prevent complications from sponges accidentally left inside the body.
But what if this process fails? Scott Giberson, a medical and MBA student at Carolina, was part of a research team that investigated this scenario with cadaver models. The team, led by Dr. Alexander Doyal, professor of anesthesiology at the UNC School of Medicine, made an interesting discovery when the wand encountered a left ventricular assist device — a mechanical pump to help a weakened heart — implanted in the cadaver.
“The first time we passed the wand over the sponge and didn’t get the alarm whenever it was placed next to an LVAD, that was a big moment,” Giberson said. “We were all kind of shocked by it. We repeated it over and over and over and got the same result.”
The team discovered that whenever a metallic object, like a scalpel or forceps, is next to the sponge, it cancels out the detection process. The scanner no longer works. Giberson and the team presented their findings at a national anesthesiology conference and are now seeking a place to publish the research.
“We want people to understand that the wand is useful, but it’s not the end-all be-all, and we shouldn’t treat it as such,” Giberson said.
Dr. Alexander Doyal and Scott Giberson presenting their poster on “Surgical Sponge Vanishing Act.” (Submitted photo)
Culture of collaboration
A native of Austin, Texas, Giberson first engaged in research during his undergraduate years at Texas Christian University. For him, research has always been a way to explore his interests.
As a student at the UNC School of Medicine, he was named a Castillo scholar. He received research funding to examine complication rates between two different surgical approaches for a common pediatric elbow fracture.
“That was really instrumental for me,” Giberson said. “It opened up the world of research at the School of Medicine.”
Giberson’s main research interests center around medical education and pediatrics. Most recently, Giberson studied environmental exposures in pediatric patients and examined how residents in the clinical setting discuss these exposures with their patients and families.
“The culture in the School of Medicine is such that faculty are really eager to work with students,” Giberson said. “They’re willing to bring me into something that they’re working on or give me those opportunities.”
Giberson first met Doyal when the anesthesiology professor was looking for a medical student to help him study resident wellness. That introduction led to Giberson’s involvement in the surgical sponge study, and Doyal has been a mentor to him ever since.
“Scott’s one of those students you don’t forget — sharp, thoughtful and genuinely curious,” Doyal said. “He jumps into projects with real enthusiasm and follow-through, and it’s been a lot of fun working with him.”
Bringing innovation to pediatrics
These experiences have shown Giberson the behaviors he wants to model when he becomes an attending physician, always being willing to bring people on and teach them along the way.
He’s in his MBA year now and will begin applying to residency in the fall, hoping to match into pediatrics. With his dual degree, Giberson wants to bring the business side of medicine and the research side of medicine to the field of pediatrics. Wherever he ends up, he’s well-positioned to make it happen.
“I’d love to take what I’ve learned and apply it into these two passions I have and see how we can improve pediatric care through some innovative ideas,” Giberson said.
