# Study protocol for the Intraoperative Complications Assessment and Reporting with Universal Standards (ICARUS) global cross-specialty surveys and consensus

## TL;DR

This paper outlines a global initiative to improve the reporting of intraoperative complications by creating standardized methods and gathering expert consensus.

## Contribution

The ICARUS collaboration introduces a cross-specialty approach to assess and standardize the reporting of intraoperative adverse events.

## Key findings

- Current methods for assessing and reporting intraoperative adverse events are inconsistent and flawed.
- Only half of relevant journals provide guidelines for reporting these events.
- The ICARUS initiative aims to establish universal standards through global surveys and consensus.

## Abstract

Annually, about 300 million surgeries lead to significant intraoperative adverse events (iAEs), impacting patients and surgeons. Their full extent is underestimated due to flawed assessment and reporting methods. Inconsistent adoption of new grading systems and a lack of standardization, along with litigation concerns, contribute to underreporting. Only half of relevant journals provide guidelines on reporting these events, with a lack of standards in surgical literature. To address these issues, the Intraoperative Complications Assessment and Reporting with Universal Standard (ICARUS) Global Surgical Collaboration was established in 2022. The initiative involves conducting global surveys and a Delphi consensus to understand the barriers for poor reporting of iAEs, validate shared criteria for reporting, define iAEs according to surgical procedures, evaluate the existing grading systems’ reliability, and identify strategies for enhancing the collection, reporting, and management of iAEs. Invitation to participate are extended to all the surgical specialties, interventional cardiology, interventional radiology, OR Staffs and anesthesiology. This effort represents an essential step towards improved patient safety and the well-being of healthcare professionals in the surgical field.