  Background: The critical view of safety (CVS) is poorly adopted in surgical
practices although it is ubiquitously recommended to prevent major bile duct
injuries during laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). This study aims to determine
whether performing a short intraoperative time out can improve CVS
implementation. Methods: Surgeons performing LCs at an academic centre were
invited to perform a 5-second long time out to verify CVS before dividing the
cystic duct (5-second rule). The primary endpoint was to compare the rate of
CVS achievement between LCs performed in the year before and the year after the
5-second rule. The CVS achievement rate was computed using the mediated
video-based assessment of two independent reviewers. Clinical outcomes, LC
workflows, and postoperative reports were also compared. Results: Three hundred
and forty-three (171 before and 172 after the 5-second rule) of the 381 LCs
performed over the 2-year study were analysed. After the implementation of the
5-second rule, the rate of CVS achievement increased significantly (15.9 vs
44.1 %; P<0.001) as well as the rate of bailout procedures (8.2 vs 15.7 %;
P=0.045), the median time to clip the cystic duct or artery (17:26
[interquartile range: 16:46] vs 23:12 [17:16] minutes; P=0.007), and the rate
of postoperative CVS reporting (1.3 vs 28.8 %; P<0.001). Morbidity was
comparable (1.75 vs 2.33 % before and after the 5-second rule respectively;
P=0.685). Conclusion: Performing a short intraoperative time out improves CVS
implementation during LC. Systematic intraoperative cognitive aids should be
studied to sustain the uptake of guidelines.
