Cohort Of Surgery Research Articles

NCOG-20. RADIATION-RELATED MORBIDITY OUTCOMES IN ATYPICAL MENINGIOMA PATIENTS: A RETROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY

Abstract Atypical meningiomas present with unique challenges in management and prognosis. Given their tendency to recur, adjuvant radiation therapy (ART) is frequently utilized, however there are few reports on radiation-related morbidity in this patient population. The study aims to investigate the radiation-related complications in atypical meningioma patients treated with or without ART. The primary outcomes were the incidence and severity of RT-related morbidity. All patients treated for atypical meningiomas at our institution between January 1, 2014 and January 1, 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were grouped into two cohorts, those who were initially treated with surgical resection only and those who also received adjuvant RT. Radiation morbidity grading was assigned for all patients that received radiation treatments during their clinical course based on established grading systems. Fisher’s Exact and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to determine associations between the two groups. There were 76 patients who were initially treated with surgery only and 23 patients who had surgery and ART. Mean length of follow-up among all patients was 55.6 months. Significantly lower rates of RT-related morbidity in the surgery only group were observed compared to the surgery and RT cohort (15.8% vs. 60.9%, p < 0.0001). Among patients in the surgery only cohort, 23 patients received RT at recurrence or progression. When comparing this subgroup to those who underwent ART, there was no significant difference in the severity of RT-related morbidity (p=0.2724). In this series, patients receiving ART experienced a higher incidence of radiation-related morbidity. When comparing only those who received RT, there was no difference in the incidence or severity of radiation-related morbidity between the two cohorts.

Associations Between Androgen Exposure, PCOS, and Transmasculine Individuals with Central Serous Chorioretinopathy

Objectiveor Purpose: The prevalence of central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR) among transmasculine, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and androgen-exposed patients remains largely unexplored. While these groups involve patients with elevated testosterone levels, previous literature is inconclusive on the influence of testosterone on CSCR. This study aimed to determine the relationship between CSCR and cohorts with exogenous androgen exposure, female-to-male (FTM) transgender individuals, and those diagnosed with PCOS. DesignCross-sectional study. SubjectsPatients with CSCR, receiving exogenous androgens, FTM transgender individuals (defined as gender identity disorder (GID), endocrine disorder not otherwise specified, sex-discordant hormone therapy, and FTM surgery), and patients with PCOS. MethodsAn electronic health records platform of over 100 million patients was examined for this study. Patients were identified through ICD-10 and procedural codes. Patients with prior steroid prescriptions, anxiety disorders, and fluticasone use were excluded. Prevalence and prevalence odds ratios (OR) of comorbid CSCR were calculated utilizing R Studio and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Main Outcome MeasuresPrevalence, prevalence ORs, and 95% CIs of CSCR. ResultsAmong 21,056 CSCR patients, the mean age was 61 years [SD±15], with 67.95% being male. The prevalence of CSCR was highest among those receiving exogenous androgen therapy (24.13 per 1,000 CSCR patients; OR: 5.84, 95% CI: 5.35-6.37). The FTM surgery (OR: 3.04) and sex discordant hormone therapy (OR: 5.32) cohorts also showed significant associations with CSCR (p < 0.05). PCOS patients had a more limited but still significant association (OR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.013-1.49). GID did not show a significant relationship with CSCR (p > 0.05). ConclusionsThis study which investigated the associations between FTM transgender, PCOS patients, and CSCR demonstrates that conditions linked with elevated androgens are associated with higher odds of CSCR. These findings emphasize the value of ophthalmic screenings in these populations, particularly within the transgender healthcare community.

Factors influencing hospital stay duration in an elective cardiac surgery cohort

Abstract Cardiac surgery has become more complex in recent years, with increases in patient age, complexity, and associated costs. The use of a multidisciplinary strategy to analyze and standardize patient management offers significant benefits. The development of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) programs has proven useful in various types of surgery, recently including cardiac surgery, yielding good results. One of the primary objectives of ERAS programs is the reduction of the Inpatients' length of stay (LOS), with the subsequent improvement in the patient experience and a reduction in costs. The aim of this study is to analyze preoperative and postoperative factors related to the LOS reduction in a cohort of elective cardiac surgery patients included in the Cardiac ERAS program at our hospital. All patients included in the ERAS program, corresponding to elective cardiac surgery, were included in the analysis. 138 patients were divided into four quartiles based on the inpatient’s LOS. An extensive search was conducted in our quality control database, which contains 470 variables on the factors more strongly associated with LOS. The results were analyzed using Chi-Square test for categorical and the Kruskal-Wallis test for continuous variables, generally of non-normal distribution. The results are summarized in the table. Age, poor mobility, surgery other than coronary bypass, and reoperation were the non-modifiable factors most associated with a prolonged LOS. Lower preoperative hemoglobin and albumin levels were associated with an increase in LOS. A class 3 or 4 NYHA functional class, chronic pulmonary disease, and anticoagulation use were associated with higher LOS. Classic cardiovascular risk factors, such as dyslipidemia, hypertension, and tobacco use, were not associated with differences in hospitalization duration. Postoperative and intraoperative factors associated with higher LOS included extubation in the operating room or within six hours, ICU stay duration, mobilization on postoperative days one and two, time to oral food tolerance and gut motility recovery, hyperglycemia on postoperative day one, the duration of arterial, venous, and urinary catheters, the amount of fluids on postoperative day one and the opioid use in POD 2. The complications most associated with a prolonged duration were any infectious complication, any respiratory complication, reoperation, readmission to intensive care, transfusion after 12 hours or at any time during hospitalization, prolonged postoperative sedation, and any rhythmic complication. Conclusion In our cohort of elective patients for cardiac surgery, factors traditionally addressed by ERAS programs were identified as being associated with a longer inpatient’s length of stay. Pre-operative nutritional and anemia optimization, early extubation and mobilization, and the prevention of respiratory and infectious complications should be targeted to improve hospital stay duration.

Intravenous versus oral tranexamic acid in elderly transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion patients: A prospective cohort study

BackgroundTranexamic acid (TXA) can effectively reduce intraoperative blood loss and transfusion rates. However, in spinal surgery, the number of surgical levels can significantly influence intraoperative and postoperative bleeding, particularly among the elderly, contributing to the persistently high rate of transfusion during the perioperative period. To verify the safety and efficacy of different application methods of TXA in elderly patients undergoing transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF), a prospective cohort study was conducted. MethodsA total of 958 patients undergoing TLIF were randomly assigned to receive 2 g of oral TXA two hours before surgery or 15 mg/kg of intravenous TXA 30 min before surgery, or to a control group. The samples were further divided into three categories based on the number of fused segments (one-level fusion, two-level fusion, and three-level fusion). The primary outcomes were the total blood loss and transfusion rate. Secondary outcomes included intraoperative blood loss, postoperative blood loss, drainage volume, time until drain removal, perioperative transfusion volume, length of stay, thrombotic events, and other adverse events. Results336 patients received intravenous TXA and 314 patients were received oral TXA. Patient demographic factors were similar between groups. In the one-level fusion surgery cohort, comparisons across the three groups revealed no statistically significant disparities in total blood loss, transfusion rates, or drainage volumes (P > 0.05). In both two-level and three-level fusion surgeries, patients administered with TXA experienced a notably reduced perioperative bleeding compared to the control group (P < 0.01). Interestingly, a significant disparity was observed in the drainage volumes between the intravenous and oral administration groups (P = 0.026), specifically within the context of two and three-level fusion procedures. ConclusionIn elderly patients undergoing TLIF surgery, both intravenous and oral administrations of TXA are safe and effective. Oral TXA, being more economical and non-invasive compared to intravenous injection, holds promise for clinical use.

A Comparative Analysis of Pain Assessment Methods in the Initial Postoperative Phase Following Different Pilonidal Cyst Surgeries.

Background and Objectives: In this study, we aimed to evaluate pain intensity in patients after pilonidal disease surgeries of varying extent using pressure algometry and the visual analog scale and to explore potential correlations between these methods. Materials and Methods: A total of 78 adult patients with symptomatic pilonidal cysts were enrolled in this study. The patients were divided into two groups based on the type of surgery assigned to each patient at the pre-hospital consultation: pit-picking surgery (n = 39) and radical excision (n = 39). The pain levels at the surgical site were assessed and compared using the visual analog scale (VAS) and pressure algometry the morning before surgery and the day after the operation. Results: There was no statistically significant difference (p > 0.05) in VAS measurement results between surgical groups when comparing pain intensity experienced by patients before, during, and after surgery. Notably, specific pressure algometry variables (pressure pain tolerance left 2.05 ± 1.46 compared to 1.42 ± 0.73 kg/cm2, p = 0.02; maximum pressure pain tolerance left 2.91 ± 1.33 compared to 2.32 ± 1.14 kg/cm2, p = 0.04; maximum pressure pain tolerance center 2.51 ± 1.07 compared to 1.91 ± 0.91 kg/cm2, p = 0.01; interval of pressure pain tolerance center 0.98 ± 0.62 compared to 0.59 ± 0.39 kg/cm2, p = 0.00) on the first postoperative day were significantly lower in the "pit-picking" group compared to the excision group. Furthermore, no statistically significant correlation was found between VAS and pressure algometry measurements either before surgery or on the first postoperative day. Conclusions: In the early postoperative period following pilonidal disease surgery of varying extents, pain measured with the VAS does not differ. In contrast, the pressure algometry method showed greater pain in the minimally invasive surgery cohort on the first postoperative day. However, further larger studies are needed to compare these pain assessment methods in reporting pain intensity experienced during patient movement.

Outcomes among Patients with End-Stage Kidney Disease and Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia: A Population-based Cohort Study.

To understand mortality and secondary outcomes in patients with both end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) and chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) after no procedural treatment, primary amputation, endovascular treatment, and open surgery. ESKD and CLTI commonly cooccur and limited prior work has demonstrated poor outcomes including one-year survival despite treatment. We conducted a retrospective national cohort study of United States Renal Data System data from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2019 to determine mortality, major postoperative complications, and other outcomes. We performed an exploratory analysis comparing two-year survival by treatment using propensity matching. Of 1,876,652 records with a CLTI diagnosis, we identified 3,908 patients with ESKD and an incident CLTI diagnosis. Mean age at CLTI diagnosis was 65.7 years and 2,405 (61.5%) were male. 2,696 (69.0%) had no procedural treatment, 609 (15.6%) had major limb amputation, 439 (11.2%) had endovascular treatment, and 164 (4.2%) had open surgery. There was 44.9% mortality at one year, along with 41.8% major postoperative complications and 52.6% readmissions at 90 days. Comparing two-year survival, we found no differences between the amputation and endovascular cohorts (P=0.08) and between endovascular and open (P=.06). There was superior two-year survival in the open surgery cohort compared to the amputation cohort (P=0.002). Patients living with both ESKD and CLTI experience poor outcomes irrespective of treatment. Exploratory analyses demonstrated that two-year survival among the three principal procedural treatments was similar except for superior survival among patients undergoing open therapy compared to primary amputation.

Evaluation and Surgical Management of Pediatric Cutaneous Melanoma and Atypical Spitz and Non-Spitz Melanocytic Tumors (Melanocytomas): A Report From Children's Oncology Group.

The purpose of this study was to develop recommendations for the diagnostic evaluation and surgical management of cutaneous melanoma (CM) and atypical Spitz tumors (AST) and non-Spitz melanocytic tumors (melanocytomas) in pediatric (age 0-10 years) and adolescent (age 11-18 years) patients. A Children's Oncology Group-led panel with external, multidisciplinary CM specialists convened to develop recommendations on the basis of available data and expertise. Thirty-three experts from multiple specialties (cutaneous/medical/surgical oncology, dermatology, and dermatopathology) established recommendations with supporting data from 87 peer-reviewed publications. (1) Excisional biopsies with 1-3 mm margins should be performed when feasible for clinically suspicious melanocytic neoplasms. (2) Definitive surgical treatment for CM, including wide local excision and sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB), should follow National Comprehensive Cancer Network Guidelines in the absence of data from pediatric-specific surgery trials and/or cohort studies. (3) Accurate classification of ASTs as benign or malignant is more likely with immunohistochemistry and next-generation sequencing. (4) It may not be possible to classify some ASTs as likely/definitively benign or malignant after clinicopathologic and/or molecular correlation, and these Spitz tumors of uncertain malignant potential should be excised with 5 mm margins. (5) ASTs favored to be benign should be excised with 1- to 3-mm margins if transected on biopsy. (6) Re-excision is not necessary if the AST does not extend to the biopsy margin(s) when complete/excisional biopsy was performed. (7) SLNB should not be performed for Spitz tumors unless a diagnosis of CM is favored on clinicopathologic evaluation. (8) Non-Spitz melanocytomas have a presumed increased risk for progression to CM and should be excised with 1- to 3-mm margins if transected on biopsy. (9) Re-excision of non-Spitz melanocytomas is not necessary if the lesion is completely excised on biopsy.

Textbook oncologic outcome is an easy-to-use composite quality measure that is strongly associated with survival in advanced-stage ovarian cancer

ObjectiveTextbook oncologic outcome (TOO) has been validated in surgical oncology as a composite quality measure correlated with oncologic outcomes. We aimed to assess the association between TOO and overall survival (OS) in patients undergoing primary treatment for advanced epithelial tubo-ovarian cancer (AEOC). MethodsPatients undergoing surgery for AEOC between 2008 and 2019 were identified in the National Cancer Database (NCDB). Primary debulking surgery (PDS) and interval debulking surgery (IDS) cohorts were analyzed separately. TOO was defined as achieving complete debulking, length of hospital stay <10 days, no 30-day readmission, no death within 90 days, and initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy within 42 days. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate 5-year OS by TOO status and Cox regression to evaluate the relationship between TOO and death within 5 years. ResultsA total of 21,657 patients were included: 51.4% in the PDS cohort and 48.6% in the IDS cohort. TOO was achieved (TOO+) in 20.5% of the PDS cohort and 39.2% of the IDS cohort. For the PDS cohort, achieving TOO was associated with improved 5-year OS: 59.0% TOO+ vs. 39.5% TOO- (HR 0.53, 95% CI 0.49–0.57). For the IDS cohort, a similar benefit was seen for 5-year OS: 43.9% TOO+ vs. 31.2% TOO- (HR 0.67, 95% CI 0.63–0.70). Multivariable analysis demonstrated that patients achieving TOO were at lower risk of death within 5 years in both the PDS cohort (HR 0.58, 95% CI 0.54–0.62) and the IDS cohort (HR 0.69, 95% CI 0.65–0.73). ConclusionsThe TOO composite measure is associated with improved long-term survival and could be a useful quality assessment tool for patients undergoing primary treatment for AEOC, irrespective of surgical timing. This tool reflects the ability to deliver risk-based individualized decision-making using a multidisciplinary approach.

Lung ultrasound in neonates under cardiac surgery: feasible and predictive.

To determine whether pre- and postoperative follow-up based on lung ultrasound is associated with the respiratory and clinical evolution of patients undergoing cardiac surgery in the neonatal period. Prospective observational unicentric study from December 2020 to October 2023 in a neonatal intensive care unit, a referral center for congenital heart diseases (CHD). Neonates with CHD exposed to heart surgery or percutaneous catheterization in their first 28days of life were included. LU follow-up was performed before surgery (LUSpre) and on days 1 (LUS_1), 3 (LUS_3), and 7 (LUS_7) afterwards by mean of a dedicated score (LUS) ranging from 0 to 3 points in 8 areas (total score 0-24). Fifty-five neonates were included. Median gestational age was 39.1weeks (37.8-40.1), birth weight 3088g (IQR 2910-3400). Forty-nine received surgery and 6 only percutaneous catheterization. Median LUSpre score was associated with total respiratory support in the first 30 postoperative days (p = 0.034). Median postoperative LUS was significantly higher than LUSpre in the surgery cohort at all time points (p < 0.05). LUS_1 was associated with respiratory and several clinical outcomes: for each point increase in the ultrasound score, the days on invasive mechanical ventilation, the need for any respiratory support within the first 30 postoperative days, and the length of NICU stay increased significantly (p < 0.05). The presence of consolidations in any area in the postoperative lung ultrasounds was associated with worse respiratory outcomes: higher invasive mechanical ventilation duration (6.84days), longer total respiratory support (6.07days), and NICU admission (21.61days). The presence of consolidations in LUS_7 was significantly associated with the occurrence of ipsilateral diaphragmatic paralysis (odds ratio of 10.25 (95% CI 2.05-51.26, p = 0.006). Performance of lung ultrasound follow-up in CHD in the NICU is feasible and predictive of the respiratory evolution of the patient. LUS_1 presented the highest predictive values. The presence of consolidations is associated with a worse respiratory evolution and if they persist for a week after the procedure, it may raise suspicion of ipsilateral diaphragmatic paralysis.

Expression of Intelectin-1, also known as Omentin-1, is related to clinical phenotypes such as overweight, obesity, insulin resistance, and changes after bariatric surgery.

Intelectin-1 (ITLN1; also Omentin-1, OMNT1) is secreted by adipose tissue (AT) and plays an important role in glucose metabolism regulation, with links to obesity-associated diseases. ITLN1 activity so far has rarely been investigated using RNA-sequencing and in larger cohorts. We evaluated ITLN1 expression among three clinical cohorts of the Leipzig Obesity BioBank-a cross-sectional cohort comprising of 1480 people, a cohort of people with metabolically healthy or unhealthy obesity (31 insulin-sensitive, 42 insulin-resistant individuals with obesity), and a longitudinal two-step bariatric surgery cohort (n = 65). We hypothesized that AT ITLN1 expression is associated with serum omentin-1, clinical parameters associated with obesity, and with weight loss after bariatric surgery. We also investigated the correlation of AT ITLN1 expression with genes related to inflammatory response, lipid metabolism, obesity, and regulation of energy balance. Likewise, we inspected gene group expression and metabolic pathways associated with ITLN1 expression using gene set enrichment and gene correlation analysis. We show that ITLN1 expression differs in VAT and SAT, and should therefore be analyzed separately. Furthermore, ITLN1 expression increases with VAT tissue mass, but is negatively affected by AT tissue dysfunction among individuals with unhealthy obesity, corroborated by interplay with genes related to tissue inflammation. Gene set enrichment and gene correlation analysis of ITLN1 expression suggest that AT ITLN1 expression is related to local inflammatory processes in AT, but also in processes such as regulation of appetite, energy balance, and maintenance of body weight.

Survival outcomes after omission of surgery for ductal carcinoma in situ

Clinical trials of active surveillance (AS) for Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS) are underway. We sought to understand the historical management of biologically favorable DCIS and to determine the outcomes of patients who did not have immediate surgery. Using data from the NCDB from 2004 to 2017, the selected cohort included women >40 years of age, with low or intermediate grade and hormone receptor (HR) positive DCIS. AS was defined as either no surgery or surgery >12 months from diagnosis. Women in the AS group were compared to women who had immediate surgery. A Cochran-Armitage test was used to assess the trend of AS over year of diagnosis. Kaplan-Meier curves were estimated to compare overall survival (OS), stratified by age (<50, 50–64, ≥65), and Cox proportional hazard models were used to determine the effects of prognostic factors on survival distributions. 74,367 women met study inclusion criteria; 2384 (3.2%) were treated with AS. The proportion of patients in the AS cohort increased yearly, peaking in 2017 at 4.2% (p < 0.01). On multivariable analysis, increasing age (OR 1.02, p < 0.01), black race (OR 1.7, p < 0.001), and being uninsured (OR 2.2, p < 0.001) were associated with increased likelihood of AS. In women <50 years of age, OS outcomes were similar, with 10-year OS of 97.4% in the immediate surgery cohort versus 99.1% in AS cohort (p = 0.43). The proportion of patients with DCIS treated with AS has remained small but is increasing over time. AS of biologically favorable DCIS in younger, healthier women is not associated with adverse survival.

Influence of dental status on postoperative complications in major visceral surgical and organ transplantation procedures—the bellydent retrospective observational study

PurposeThe significance of dental status and oral hygiene on a range of medical conditions is well-recognised. However, the correlation between periodontitis, oral bacterial dysbiosis and visceral surgical outcomes is less well established. To this end, we study sought to determine the influence of dental health and oral hygiene on the rates of postoperative complications following major visceral and transplant surgery in an exploratory, single-center, retrospective, non-interventional study.MethodsOur retrospective non-interventional study was conducted at the Department of General, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, Germany. Patients operated on between January 2018 and December 2019 were retrospectively enrolled in the study based on inclusion (minimum age of 18 years, surgery at our Department, intensive care / IMC treatment after major surgery, availability of patient-specific preoperative dental status assessment, documentation of postoperative complications) and exclusion criteria (minor patients or legally incapacitated patients, lack of intensive care or intermediate care (IMC) monitoring, incomplete documentation of preoperative dental status, intestinal surgery with potential intraoperative contamination of the site by intestinal microbes, pre-existing preoperative infection, absence of data regarding the primary endpoints of the study). The primary study endpoint was the incidence of postoperative complications. Secondary study endpoints were: 30-day mortality, length of hospital stay, duration of intensive care stay, Incidence of infectious complications, the microbial spectrum of infectious complication. A bacteriology examination was added whenever possible (if and only if the examination was safe for the patient)for infectious complications.ResultsThe final patient cohort consisted of 417 patients. While dental status did not show an influence (p = 0.73) on postoperative complications, BMI (p = 0.035), age (p = 0.049) and quick (p = 0.033) were shown to be significant prognostic factors. There was significant association between oral health and the rate of infectious complications for all surgical procedures (p = 0.034), excluding transplant surgery. However, this did not result in increased 30-day mortality rates, prolonged intensive care unit treatment or an increase in the length of hospital stay (LOS) for the cohort as a whole. In contrast there was a significant correlation between the presence of oral pathogens and postoperative complications for a group as a whole (p < 0.001) and the visceral surgery subgroup (p < 0.001). Whilst this was not the case in the cohort who underwent transplant surgery, there was a correlation between oral health and LOS in this subgroup (p = 0.040). Bacterial swabs supports the link between poor oral health and infectious morbidity.ConclusionsDental status was a significant predictor of postoperative infectious complications in this visceral surgery cohort. This study highlights the importance preoperative dental assessment and treatment prior to major surgery, particularly in the case of elective surgical procedures. Further research is required to determine the effect of oral health on surgical outcomes in order to inform future practice.Trial registrationTrial registered under the ethics-number S-082/2022 (Ethic Committee of the University Heidelberg).

Assessment of mechanical bowel preparation prior to nephrectomy in the minimally invasive surgery era: insights from a national database analysis in the United States.

This study was performed to evaluate the association between mechanical bowel preparation (MBP) and perioperative outcomes following nephrectomy in the minimally invasive surgery (MIS) era. All partial and radical nephrectomies between 2019 and 2021 from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database were evaluated. Thirty-day perioperative outcomes were compared between groups where MBP was performed vs. not, in both the MIS and open surgery (OS) cohorts. A propensity score matching technique was utilized within MIS cases to control for covariates. The chi-square and t tests were used to determine significance. A total of 11,869 cases met the inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. Of these, 8,204 (69.1%; comprising 65.3% robotic and 34.7% laparoscopic) underwent MIS, while 3,655 (30.9%) underwent OS. The rate of MBP was higher in the MIS group (16.0% vs. 10.0%, p < 0.001). Within the MIS group, MBP was associated with reduced rates of postoperative ileus (0.9% vs. 1.9%, p = 0.02), while other complications were comparable. Propensity score matching showed no association between MBP and postoperative ileus. However, a lower rate of 30-day readmission in the MBP group became statistically significant (4.4% vs. 6.4%, p = 0.01). Conversely, patients in the MBP group also demonstrated higher rates of pneumonia (1.29% vs. 0.46%, p = 0.002) and pulmonary embolism (0.6% vs. 0%, p < 0.001) after matching. MBP practice prior to nephrectomy is infrequent in both OS and MIS cases, with minor differences in perioperative outcomes for patients undergoing MIS. Routine MBP should continue to be excluded from the standard of care for nephrectomy in the MIS era.

Persistent and chronic opioid use after ambulatory surgery in US veterans (2011–2018)

BackgroundOpioid use beyond the perioperative period is a recognized adverse outcome, primarily studied in inpatients after complex major surgeries. Our goals are to determine the risk after ambulatory surgery and identify risk factors associated with long-term opioid prescriptions. MethodsOur ambulatory surgery cohort included 1,393,332 veterans from October 1, 2011, to September 30, 2018 (fiscal year [FY] 12–18). Data included age, sex, race, rurality of patient residence and facility, body mass index, tobacco use, Charlson Comorbidity Index, psychiatric disorder, pain score at surgery, substance use, and medications (benzodiazepine, tricyclics and/or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor and opioids in the 12 months previous). ResultsIn aggregate, 9.6% had 1 or more prescriptions in the 90–180 days after surgery (“Persistent prescription[s]”) and 1.8% had more than 180 days of opioids in the 31–366 days after surgery (“Chronic prescriptions”). For persistent prescription(s), trends over time decreased from 12.5% in FY12 to 7.1% by FY18 (P < .001). Similarly chronic prescriptions decreased from 2.9% in FY12 to 0.8% in FY18 (P < .001). The strongest independent association for persistent and chronic prescriptions after ambulatory surgery was previous prescription opioids, with 2.8 times increased risk for persistent prescriptions (adjusted odds ratio, 2.8; 95% confidence interval, 2.8–2.9; P < .001) and 3.3 times increased risk for chronic opioid prescriptions (adjusted odds ratio, 3.3; 95% confidence interval, 3.2–3.4; P < .001). ConclusionsRates of persistent and chronic opioid prescriptions after ambulatory surgery in the Veterans Health Administration are small and decreasing over time. Providers and patients should have informed discussions regarding risks of opioid postoperative pain management strategies.

Renal angioembolization vs. surgery for high-grade renal trauma: a nationwide comparative analysis.

Renal angioembolization (RAE) is widely employed in low-grade renal injuries and associated with improved patient outcomes, while surgery remains the mainstay for managing high-grade injuries. We compared the outcomes following surgery and RAE in high-grade renal trauma (HGRT). We used the ACS TQIP 2016-2020 to identify patients ≥ 16 years with HGRT who underwent RAE or surgery. Morbidity was the primary outcome, while mortality and lengths of stay were secondary outcomes. We accounted for clinically relevant characteristics using multilevel logistic regression analyses. We included 591 patients, of whom 279 (47.2%) underwent RAE. After adjusting, there was no difference in morbidity, hospital LOS, or ICU LOS. The surgery cohort had increased odds of mortality (aOR 4.93; [95% CI] 1.53-15.82; p = 0.007) compared to RAE. In the penetrating injury subgroup, no associations between management and outcomes were observed. In the grade V injury subgroup, morbidity was significantly higher after surgery (aOR 4.64; [95% CI] 1.49-14.47; p = 0.008). Overall, RAE did not significantly impact morbidity but was associated with improved mortality. RAE could safeguard renal function by augmenting the efficacy of concurrent non-operative interventions. Randomized studies are needed to further validate the utility of RAE in HGRT.

Surgical Treatment of Proximal Hamstring Avulsion Injuries Compared With Nonsurgical Treatment: A Matched Comparative Study With a Mean Follow-up of >4 Years From the Proximal Hamstring Avulsion Surgery Cohort Study

Background: Surgical outcomes for proximal hamstring avulsion injury (PHAI) are well documented, yet comparative analyses with nonsurgical approaches remain scarce. Purpose: To compare the functional outcomes between surgical and nonsurgical interventions for PHAI. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: This comparative study, conducted at a sports surgery center between January 2012 and July 2021, focused on patients with primary PHAI. The study was a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data. Group selection involved utilizing propensity score matching to compare an arm of patients who were surgically treated (indications included patients with complete injury, patients with partial injury with >2 cm of retraction, and patients for whom 6 months of nonsurgical treatment failed) with another arm of patients who refused surgery. The primary outcome was evaluated using the Parisian Hamstring Avulsion Score (PHAS). The secondary outcomes included the Tegner Activity Scale (TAS) score; University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) score; rate and quality of return to sport (RTS); and patient satisfaction. Results: The study included 32 patients (mean age, 55.8 years [SD, 8.4 years]) in the nonsurgical treatment arm and 95 patients in the surgical treatment arm (mean age, 53.4 years [SD, 7.7 years]) (P > .05). The interval from injury to treatment was 5.7 months (SD, 9.6 months) for the surgical group and 12.7 months (SD, 25.9 months) for the nonsurgical group (P > .05). At the final follow-up (nonsurgical group: mean, 56.5 months [SD, 28.2 months]; surgical group: mean, 50.7 months [SD, 33.1 months]), the PHAS was significantly higher in the surgical group (mean, 86.3 [SD, 13.7]) compared with the nonsurgical group (mean, 69.8 [SD, 15.1]) (P < .0001). Higher activity scores were also observed in the surgical group for the TAS and UCLA scores (P = .0224 and P = .0026, respectively). A higher percentage of the surgical group (68.4%) returned to sports compared with the nonsurgical group (46.9%) (P = .0354), with a greater proportion in the surgical group returning at the same or higher level (67.7% vs 26.7%) (P = .0069). Additionally, a higher satisfaction level was reported by patients in the surgical group (89.5%) in contrast to the nonsurgical group (25%) (P < .0001). Three patients in the surgical group experienced complications (2 reruptures and 1 hyperesthesia at the pudendal nerve territories). Odds ratios (ORs) indicated that patients in the surgical group were significantly more likely to achieve or exceed median scores for the PHAS (OR, 6.79; P < .001), TAS score (OR, 2.29; P = .045), and UCLA score (OR, 3.63; P = .003), as well as to RTS at any level (OR, 2.46; P = .031) or at the preinjury level or higher (OR, 6.04; P < .001). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that surgical treatment of PHAI significantly enhances long-term functional scores, including the PHAS, TAS score, UCLA score, satisfaction, and RTS, at a mean follow-up of >4 years compared with nonsurgical treatment. Registration: NCT02906865 (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier)

Cerebrospinal fluid pressure dynamics across the intra- and postoperative setting: Retrospective study of a spine surgery cohort

Timely and sufficient decompression are critical objectives in degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) and spinal cord injury (SCI). We previously investigated intraoperative cerebrospinal fluid pressure (CSFP) for determining surgical outcomes. However, confounding factors during the intra- and postoperative setting need consideration. These are related to type of respiration (i.e., artificial vs. natural) and anesthesia, which affect CSFP dynamics through the interaction between the cardiorespiratory system and the CSF compartment. This retrospective cohort study (NCT02170155) aims to systematically investigate these factors to facilitate CSFP interpretation. CSFP was continuously measured through a lumbar catheter, intra- and postoperatively, in 21 patients with DCM undergoing decompression surgery. Mean CSFP and cardiac-driven CSFP peak-to-valley amplitude (CSFPp) were analyzed throughout the perioperative period, including the immediate extubation period in eight patients. Intraoperative mean CSFP had a median value and {interquartile range} of 10.8 {5.5} mmHg and increased 1.6-fold to 16.9 {7.1} mmHg postoperatively (p < 0.001). CSFPp increased 3-fold from 0.6 {0.7} to 1.8 {2.5} mmHg (p = 0.001). Increased CSFP persisted overnight. During extubation, there was a notable increase in CSFP and CSFPp of 14.0 {5.8} and 5.1 {3.1} mmHg, respectively. From case-based analysis, this was attributed to an arterial pCO2 increase. There was no correlation between respirator settings and CSFP metrics. There were distinct and quantifiable changes in CSFP dynamics from the intra- to postoperative setting related to type of respiration, anesthesia, and level of consciousness. When monitoring CSFP dynamics in spine surgery across these settings, cardiorespiratory factors must be controlled for.

Use of Low-Dose Platelets in Actively Bleeding Patients: A Retrospective Analysis of a Cardiac Surgery Cohort.

During platelet shortages, many hospitals produce low-dose platelets by splitting a standard platelet unit (>3 × 1011 platelets in the United States) in 2, then providing these low-dose units to patients. While low-dose units were previously found to be effective for prophylactic purposes in patients undergoing chemotherapy in the Prophylactic Platelet Dose (PLADO) trial, their use in actively bleeding patients has not yet been assessed. To assess the use and safety of low-dose platelets in actively bleeding patients. We performed a retrospective review of cardiac surgery cases receiving platelet units for 18 months at 1 hospital. Two cohorts, those receiving only whole-dose platelets (37 cases) and those receiving only low-dose platelets (38 cases), were compared during the intraoperative and the 24-hour perioperative period. Mean number of platelet transfusions, dose of other blood products, estimated blood loss, bleeding complications in index cases, and all-cause mortality within 30 days of discharge were compared. There was no significant difference in mean number of intraoperative platelet transfusions between the cohorts (1.61 versus 1.53, P = .57). There was no significant increase in the transfusion of other blood products, estimated blood loss, bleeding complications in index cases, or all-cause mortality within 30 days of discharge in the low-dose platelet cohort, apart from a small increase in requirement for fresh frozen plasma in the perioperative period. These results suggest that low-dose platelets are tentatively equivalent to whole-dose platelets in cardiac surgery during shortages, with similar transfusion requirements and clinical outcomes between groups. Future multicenter studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Bowel Resection Outcomes in Ovarian Cancer Cytoreductive Surgery by Surgeon Specialty

Extensive bowel surgery is often necessary to achieve complete cytoreduction in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer. Regardless of who performs the surgery, it has been well documented that bowel resections are a high-risk procedure and an anastomotic leak is a severe complication that can occur. There are few studies addressing whether surgeon type impacts surgical outcomes in this patient population. To compare surgical outcomes between gynecologic oncologist, general surgeons, and a 2-surgeon team approach for patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer who underwent bowel surgery during cytoreductive debulking. This retrospective cohort study used the American College of Surgeons' National Surgical Quality Improvement Program datasets from 2012 through 2020. The aforementioned years of the dataset were analyzed from March 2022 to March 2023 and reanalyzed in May 2024 for quality assurance. Analysis of cytoreductive surgeries performed by a gynecologic oncologist, a general surgeon, or a 2-surgeon team approach for patients with ovarian cancer recorded in National Surgical Quality Improvement Program datasets was included. The 2-surgeon team approach included any combination of the aforementioned surgical specialties. The primary outcome of interest was anastomotic leak after bowel surgery during ovarian cancer debulking. A total of 1810 patients were included in the study; in the general surgery cohort, mean (SD) patient age was 65.1 (11.1) years and mean (SD) body mass index (BMI) (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) was 26.9 (7.4); in the gynecologic oncology cohort, mean (SD) patient age was 63.5 (11.7) years and mean BMI (SD) was 27.7 (6.5); and in the 2-surgeon team cohort, mean (SD) patient age 62.4 (12.1) years and mean (SD) BMI was 28.1 (7.0). Gynecologic oncologists performed 1217 cases (67.2%), general surgery performed 97 cases (5.4%), and 496 cases had 2-surgeon teams involved (27.4%). Bivariate analysis revealed an anastomotic leak rate of 3.6% for gynecologic oncologists, 5.2% for general surgeons, and 0.4% for cases that had 2 surgical teams involved (P < .001). By multivariable analysis, the adjusted odds ratio for anastomotic leak was 1.53 (95% CI, 0.59-3.96) for the general surgeon group (P = .38) vs an adjusted odds ratio of 0.11 (95% CI, 0.03-0.47) for the 2-surgeon team approach (P = .003) with the referent being gynecologic oncology. In this study, the anastomotic leak rate was found to be lower when 2 surgeons participated in the case, regardless of the surgical specialty. These results suggest that team-based care improves surgical outcomes.

Transitions from Aerobic to Anaerobic Metabolism and Oxygen Debt during Elective Major and Emergency Non-Cardiac Surgery.

Intraoperative hemodynamic and metabolic optimization of both the high-risk surgical patients and critically ill patients remains challenging. Reductions in oxygen delivery or increases in oxygen consumption can initiate complex cellular processes precipitating oxygen debt (OXD). This study tested the hypothesis that intraoperative changes in sublingual microcirculatory flow reflect clinically relevant transitions from aerobic to anaerobic metabolism (TRANAM). We included patients undergoing elective major and emergency non-cardiac surgery. Macro- and microcirculatory variables, oxygen extraction, and transitions of metabolism were assessed in both cohorts. In the elective group, OXD was progressively increased over time, with an estimated 2.24 unit increase every 30 min (adjusted p < 0.001). Also, OXD was negatively correlated with central venous pressure (ρ = -0.247, adjusted p = 0.006) and positively correlated with stroke volume variation (ρ = 0.185, adjusted p = 0.041). However, it was not significantly correlated with sublingual microcirculation variables. In the emergency surgery group, OXD increased during the first two intraoperative hours and then gradually decreased until the end of surgery. In that cohort, OXD was positively correlated with diastolic arterial pressure (ρ = 0.338, adjpatients and the critically ill patients remains challengingsted p = 0.015). Also, OXD was negatively correlated with cardiac index (ρ = -0.352, adjusted p = 0.003), Consensus Proportion of Perfused Vessels (PPV) (ρ = -0.438, adjusted p < 0.001), and Consensus PPV (small) (ρ = -0.434, adjusted p < 0.001). TRANAM were evident in both the elective major and emergency non-cardiac surgery cohorts independent of underlying alterations in the sublingual microcirculation.