INDUSTRY SESSIONS
MedTronic Symposium
Driving Surgical Smoke Safety Together: Evidence, Action, and Global Recognition for Your Team
- Friday, 15 May 2026, 12:45 -13:45
- Location: Orlando B
Presented By: Association of PeriOperative Registered Nurses
Dr. Lisa Spruce, DNP, RN, CNOR, CNS-CP, EBP-C, APRN, FAAN – Senior Director of Evidence-Based Perioperative Practice, AORN, Golden, CO, USA
Hannah Campbell, BA, MS, CSM – Program Manager, AORN, Houston, TX, USA
Presentation Outcome
By the end of this presentation, attendees will understand the evidence, risks, and best practices related to surgical smoke safety and gain a clear understanding of how AORN’s Go Clear™ Award is expanding to the EU. Attendees will learn how the award program aligns with evidence-based guidelines, what participation looks like for European facilities, and how the program supports consistent, sustainable smoke evacuation safety across diverse healthcare settings.
Presentation Learning Outcomes
By the end of this presentation, attendees will be able to:
- Describe how surgical smoke is generated.
- Recognize the health risks surgical smoke poses to perioperative team and patients.
- Identify evidence-based strategies and best practices for reducing exposure to surgical smoke.
- Explain how facilities can be implemented and sustain compliance with smoke evacuation practices.
- Describe the steps and structure of the AORN Center of Excellence in Surgical Safety: Smoke Evacuation Program and how organizations progress through the pathway toward recognition.
- Understand how the Go Clear™ Award supports and recognizes organizations worldwide for achieving and sustaining smoke evacuation safety.
Stryker Symposium
Redifining the operating room: responding to the evolving safety, efficiency & sustainability demands
- Friday, 15 May 2026, 14:15 -15:15
- Location: Orlando A
Speaker: Nina Schellekens – European Brand Manager, Neptune – Stryker
Time: 14:15 – 14:35
Topic: Hidden risks in the OR: What needs to change?
- Current challenges in OR Waste Management
- Hazards of surgical smoke
- Risks and inefficiencies of fluid waste management
- Impact on nurse safety, workflow and environment
- The need for integrated solutions
Speaker: Isabel Verniers – former OR Manager – Chief of staff to the CO-CEO/COO at Maria Middelares, Belgium
Time: 14:35 – 15:15
Topic: Driving change in the OR: A hospital perspective
- Real-world perspective: challenges in hospital settings
- How to successfully implement innovative solutions
- Overcoming barriers (budget, adoption, workflow change)
- Best practices & lessons learned
- Impact on safety, efficiency and sustainability
B Braun Hands-on Workshops (1+2)
Hands-On Wound Closure
- Saturday, 16 May 2026, 14:00-14:30
- Saturday, 16 May 2026, 14:30-15:00
- Location: Koločep
Improve Your Skills with Sutures and Glue is an interactive practical session designed to strengthen participants’ skin‑closure techniques. Attendees will practice intradermal closure on skin pads using knotless sutures, followed by hands‑on application of a tissue adhesive for skin closure. The session provides step‑by‑step guidance, allowing participants to refine their skills in a controlled environment and gain confidence with both suture‑based and adhesive‑based closure methods. This workshop is intended to enhance technical proficiency and support safe, effective skin‑management practices.
Ansell
Double Gloving in Surgery. Protecting Patients and Surgical Teams Without Compromising Performance
- Saturday, 16 May 2026, 15:00 -15:30
- Location: Koločep
This interactive workshop explores the role of double gloving as a critical safety practice in modern perioperative care. Surgical teams face ongoing risks from sharps injuries, glove perforation, and potential exposure to bloodborne pathogens. Evidence consistently shows that double gloving significantly reduces these risks while maintaining surgical dexterity and tactile sensitivity.
Participants will review the latest clinical evidence, international guidelines, and real-world data on glove perforation rates across surgical specialties. Through demonstrations and hands-on activities, attendees will explore best practices for implementing double gloving protocols, selecting appropriate glove combinations, and addressing common concerns such as comfort, fit, and tactile performance.
The session will also focus on strategies to support practice change within perioperative teams. Participants will gain practical tools to advocate for double gloving in their institutions and improve compliance among surgical staff.
By the end of the workshop, attendees will leave with actionable insights to enhance safety for both patients and healthcare professionals.
