Cohort Study Of Consecutive Cases Research Articles

Ankle Arthroplasty—Does Preoperative Fixed Equinus Affect Patient-Reported Outcomes

Postoperative sagittal range of motion, in particular degree of dorsiflexion, is critical for satisfactory outcomes in total ankle arthroplasty (TAA). Although there is literature discussing techniques to treat a preoperative fixed equinus we are not aware of any papers presenting patient outcomes. We present patient-reported outcomes for our cohort of patients undergoing TAA with preoperative fixed equinus compared to plantigrade ankles. This is a single surgeon, cohort study of consecutive cases. Cases of primary TAA were identified from a local joint registry which prospectively records Foot and Ankle Outcome Scores (FAOS), Short Form-36 (SF-36), and patient satisfaction. Revision cases or those with inadequate data were excluded. Patients were classified as fixed equinus or neutral based on both preoperative weightbearing lateral radiographs and clinical records. Overall 259 cases were identified, 92 were excluded leaving 167 cases for analysis (mean follow-up 81.7 months), 147 were classified as neutral and 20 fixed equinus. The fixed equinus group were significantly younger (neutral 63.9 vs equinus 52.9, p < .001). Stiffness was the only FAOS domain that was detectibly different at baseline (neutral 36.6 vs equinus 25.6, p=.044). Final FAOS scores, change from baseline and patient satisfaction was the same in all domains for both groups. There was no difference in revision rates. With the numbers available we did not demonstrate a postoperative difference in outcomes for patients with preoperative fixed equinus.

Local/Regional Anesthesia Versus General Anesthesia in Phalanx Fractures/Dislocations

Background: Traditionally, surgical repair of phalanx fractures was performed under general anesthesia. However, the emergence of regional and local anesthesia, otherwise known as Wide-awake Local Anesthesia No Tourniquet, provides an alternative approach where general anesthesia is undesirable. The choice of anesthetic approach resides with clinicians, though it is important to factor in the evidence that regional/local provides not only an alternative anesthesia approach but also potentially avoids comorbidities associated with general anesthesia. This study hypothesizes that the use of local/regional anesthesia for phalanx fracture/dislocation has comparable outcomes to general anesthesia and provides for fewer adverse events. Methods: To answer the research purpose, the investigators designed and implemented a retrospective cohort study of consecutive cases reported to the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2019. The study population included patients in the NSQIP database who underwent operative fixation of a phalanx fracture or dislocation in 2 cohorts, those with local/regional anesthesia or general anesthesia. The predictor variables were preoperative patient demographic data, including age, gender, surgical specialty, elective surgery, diabetes, smoking, hypertension, and open wound. Results: A total of 2831 patients were identified in the NSQIP database between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2019. Local/regional anesthesia was performed in 13% of patients with the remaining 87% receiving general anesthesia. Surgical site occurrences were not clinically significant between the 2 groups. Overall, 30-day post-operative complications in the local/regional cohort included one patient with a deep vein thrombosis (0.03%) and pulmonary embolus (0.02%). Overall, 30-day post-operative complications in the general anesthesia cohort included pneumonia (0.12%) and stroke (0.08%). Conclusions: Surgery using the regional/local anesthesia techniques for patients with phalanx fractures or dislocations is safe and can be used in situations where general anesthesia is undesirable as post-operative 30-day complications are similar to those with general anesthesia.

Resect, rewire, and restore: Nerve transfer salvage of neurological deficits associated with soft tissue tumors in a retrospective cohort series at a tertiary reconstructive center

We aimed to explore the effectiveness of nerve transfer as an intervention to restore neurological deficits caused by extremity tumors through direct nerve involvement, neural compression, or as a consequence of oncological surgery. A retrospective cohort study of consecutive cases was conducted, including all patients who underwent nerve transfers to restore functional deficits in limbs following soft tissue tumor resection. The threshold for a successful nerve transfer was a BMRC motor grade of 4/5 and sensory grade of 3-3+/4 with protective sensation. In total, 29 nerve transfers (25 motor and 4 sensory) were completed in 11 patients, aged 12-70 years at referral, over a 6-year period to 2020. This included 22 upper limb and 3 lower limb motor nerve transfers. The timing of delayed nerve transfer reconstructions was 1-15 months following primary oncological resection, with immediate simultaneous reconstructions performed in 4 cases. The threshold for success was achieved in 82% of upper limb and 33% of lower limb motor nerve transfers, while all sensory transfers were successful in restoring protective sensation. Nerve transfer surgery, a well-established technique in restoring deficits following traumatic nerve injury, is further demonstrably relevant in extremity oncological reconstruction, especially as it can be performed remotely to the tumor location or resection site and introduces a healthy nerve or fascicle to rapidly reinnervate distal muscles without sacrificing major function. This study further illustrates the importance of early recognition and referral to specialist services where multi-disciplinary surgical resection and reconstructive planning can be conducted. IV Clinical Case Series.

Transscleral vs endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation: safety and efficacy when combined with phacoemulsification

PurposeTo compare the effectiveness and safety of phacoemulsification combined with endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation (phaco/ECP), phacoemulsification combined with MicroPulse transscleral cyclophotocoagulation (phaco/MP-TSCPC), and phacoemulsification alone (phaco) in the treatment of coexisting cataract and glaucoma.MethodsRetrospective cohort study of consecutive cases at Massachusetts Eye & Ear. The main outcome measures were the cumulative probabilities of failure between the phaco/ECP group, phaco/MP-TSCPC group, and the phaco alone group with failure defined as reaching NLP vision at any point postoperatively, undergoing additional glaucoma surgery, or the inability to maintain ≥ 20% IOP reduction from baseline with IOP between 5–18 mmHg while maintaining ≤ baseline medications. Additional outcome measures included changes in average IOP, number of glaucoma medications, and complication rates.ResultsSixty-four eyes from 64 patients (25 phaco/ECP, 20 phaco/MPTSCPC, 19 phaco alone) were included in this study. The groups did not differ in age (mean 71.04 ± 6.7 years) or length of follow-up time. Baseline IOPs were significantly different between groups (15.78 ± 4.7 mmHg phaco/ECP, 18.37 ± 4.6 mmHg phaco/MP-TSCPC, 14.30 ± 4.2 mmHg phaco alone, p = 0.02). Primary open-angle glaucoma was the most common type of glaucoma in the phaco alone (42%) and phaco/ECP (48%) groups while mixed-mechanism glaucoma was the most common type in the phaco/MP-TSCPC group (40%). Surgical failure was less likely in eyes in the phaco/MP-TSCPC (3.40 times, p = 0.005) and phaco/ECP (1.40 times, p = 0.044) groups compared to phaco alone based on the Kaplan–Meier survival criteria. These differences maintained statistical significance when differences in preoperative IOP were taken into account using the Cox PH model (p = 0.011 and p = 0.004, respectively). Additionally, surgical failure was 1.98 times less likely following phaco/MP-TSCPC compared to phaco/ECP (p = 0.038). This difference only approached significance once differences in preoperative IOP were accounted for (p = 0.052). There was no significant difference in IOP reduction at 1 year between groups. Mean IOP reductions at 1 year were 3.07 ± 5.3 mmHg from a baseline of 15.78 ± 4.7 in the phaco/ECP group, 6.0 ± 4.3 mmHg from a baseline of 18.37 ± 4.6 in the phaco/MP-TSCPC group and 1.0 ± 1.6 from a baseline of 14.30 ± 4.2 mmHg in the phaco alone group. There were no differences in complication rates among the three groups.ConclusionsBoth Phaco/MP-TSCPC and phaco/ECP appear to provide superior efficacy for IOP control when compared to phaco alone. All three procedures had similar safety profiles.

The osteocutaneous SCIP flap: A detailed description of the surgical technique and retrospective cohort study of consecutive cases in a tertiary European centre

In the era of increasing popularity of the superficial circumflex iliac perforator (SCIP) flap, osteocutaneous variants of the flap have been described as well. Despite their benefits such as customizability and low donor site morbidity, these flaps have not yet gained broad acceptance. By reviewing our case series, we aim to promote the safe application of this promising new tool in osteoplastic reconstructions. We performed a single-centre, retrospective chart review of all cases in which osteocutaneous SCIP-flaps were used. We describe our surgical technique and present the surgical, functional and aesthetic outcomes of the patients in our cohort. Since September 2019, we have used osteocutaneous SCIP flaps in six patients, five in the extremities and one for the head and neck region. The vascularised bone segment was measured on average 4.9cm (range 4-7cm) x 3cm (range 1.5-4cm) and was combined with a skin paddle of a mean length of 14.3cm (range 8-20cm) and width of 6.3cm (range 5-8cm). One flap underwent emergency revision due to venous congestion. All flaps survived and healed uneventfully. Long-term follow-up shows adequate bony integration and stable soft tissue coverage with good functional restoration and minimal donor site morbidity. The osteocutaneous SCIP flap provides a large and thin skin island and a "moderately sized" vascularised bone segment with minimal donor site morbidity and can be successfully used in selected cases of osteoplastic reconstruction.

Clinicopathologic Characteristics and Postsurgical Follow-Up of Noninvasive Follicular Thyroid Neoplasm with Papillary-Like Nuclear Features in the Postnomenclature Revision Era.

Background: Noninvasive encapsulated follicular variant papillary thyroid carcinoma (EFVPTC) was reclassified as "noninvasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features" (NIFTP) in 2016. Most existing studies that examined outcomes included patients managed as EFVPTC and only retrospectively reclassified as NIFTP. This is the first study to evaluate the clinicopathologic, molecular, and surveillance characteristics of patients diagnosed with NIFTP at the time of surgery and managed based on this diagnosis. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of consecutive cases diagnosed as NIFTP from June 2016 to October 2021 identified from electronic medical records at a large tertiary care institution. Patients with coexisting low-risk thyroid cancers ≥1.0 cm in size or any size aggressive histology were excluded, and review of demographic, clinical, imaging, cytologic, and molecular genetic data was performed. Initial care was delivered according to existing clinical guidelines, with a consensus institutional plan for five-year follow-up after surgery. Results: Among 79 patients with 84 nodules diagnosed as NIFTP after surgery, 83.5% (66/79) were women and the mean age was 51 years (range, 21-84). Mean NIFTP size was 2.4 cm (range 0.15-8.0). On ultrasound, the majority of nodules were categorized as thyroid imaging, reporting and data system TI-RADS 3 (55.3%, 42/76), and TI-RADS 4 (36.8%, 28/76). On cytology, they were typically diagnosed as Bethesda III (69.1%, 47/68) or Bethesda IV (23.5%, 16/68). Molecular testing was performed on 62 nodules, and molecular alterations were found in 93.5% (58/62). The most common alterations identified in NIFTP were RAS mutation (75.4%, 43/57), THADA fusion (12.3%, 7/57), and BRAFK601E mutation (7.0%, 4/57). Fifty-two (65.8%) patients underwent lobectomy and 27 (34.2%) total thyroidectomy, and no patient received completion thyroidectomy. Twenty-one patients (26.5%) had coexisting papillary or follicular microcarcinoma. None of the patients received radioiodine ablation. On a mean follow-up of 28.5 months (range, 6-69 months), no structural or biochemical recurrences were observed. Conclusions: In this large cohort of patients with NIFTP diagnosed at the time of surgery and managed typically by lobectomy with no radioiodine ablation, no evidence of tumor recurrence was identified on a limited follow-up. This finding supports indolent clinical course of NIFTP.

Transoral Robotic Surgery for Recurrent Tumors of the Upper Aerodigestive Tract (RECUT): An International Cohort Study.

Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) is an emerging minimally invasive surgical treatment for residual, recurrent, and new primary head and neck cancers in previously irradiated fields, with limited evidence for its oncological effectiveness. A retrospective observational cohort study of consecutive cases performed in 16 high-volume international centers before August 2018 was conducted (registered at clinicaltrials.gov [NCT04673929] as the RECUT study). Overall survival (OS), disease-free survival, disease-specific survivals (DSS), and local control (LC) were calculated using Kaplan-Meier estimates, with subgroups compared using log-rank tests and Cox proportional hazards modeling for multivariable analysis. Maximally selected rank statistics determined the cut point for closest surgical resection margin based on LC. Data for 278 eligible patients were analyzed, with median follow-up of 38.5 months. Two-year and 5-year outcomes were 69.0% and 62.2% for LC, 71.8% and 49.8% for OS, 47.2% and 35.7% for disease-free survival, and 78.7% and 59.1% for disease-specific survivals. The most discriminating margin cut point was 1.0 mm; the 2-year LC was 80.9% above and 54.2% below or equal to 1.0 mm. Increasing age, current smoking, primary tumor classification, and narrow surgical margins (≤1.0 mm) were statistically significantly associated with lower OS. Hemorrhage with return to theater was seen in 8.1% (n = 22 of 272), and 30-day mortality was 1.8% (n = 5 of 272). At 1 year, 10.8% (n = 21 of 195) used tracheostomies, 33.8% (n = 66 of 195) used gastrostomies, and 66.3% (n = 53 of 80) had maintained or improved normalcy of diet scores. Data from international centers show TORS to treat head and neck cancers in previously irradiated fields yields favorable outcomes for LC and survival. Where feasible, TORS should be considered the preferred surgical treatment in the salvage setting.

Comparison of machine learning models for predicting the risk of breast cancer-related lymphedema in Chinese women

ObjectivePredictive models for the occurrence of cancer symptoms by using machine learning (ML) algorithms could be used to aid clinical decision-making in order to enhance the quality of cancer care. This study aimed to develop and validate a selection of classification models that used ML algorithms to predict the occurrence of breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) among Chinese women. MethodsThis was a retrospective cohort study of consecutive cases that had been diagnosed with breast cancer, stages I-IV. Forty-eight variables were grouped into five feature sets. Five classification models with ML algorithms were developed, and the models' performance and the variables’ relative importance were assessed accordingly. ResultsOf 370 eligible female participants, 91 had BCRL (24.6%). The mean age of this study sample was 49.89 (SD ​= ​7.45). All participants had had breast cancer surgery, and more than half of them had had a modified radical mastectomy (n ​= ​206, 55.5%). The mean follow-up time after breast cancer surgery was 28.73 months (SD ​= ​11.71). Most of the tumors were either stage I (n ​= ​49, 31.2%) or stage II (n ​= ​252, 68.1%). More than half of the sample had had postoperative chemotherapy (n ​= ​227, 61.4%). Overall, the logistic regression model achieved the best performance in terms of accuracy (91.6%), precision (82.1%), and recall (91.4%) for BCRL. Although this study included 48 predicting variables, we found that the five models required only 22 variables to achieve predictive performance. The most important variable was the number of positive lymph nodes, followed in descending order by the BCRL occurring on the same side as the surgery, a history of sentinel lymph node biopsy, a dietary preference for meat and fried food, and an exercise frequency of less than three times per week. These factors were the most influential predictors for enhancing the ML models’ performance. ConclusionsThis study found that in the ML training dataset, the multilayer perceptron model and the logistic regression model were the best discrimination models for predicting the outcome of BCRL, and the k-nearest neighbors and support vector machine models demonstrated good calibration performance in the ML validation dataset. Future research will need to use large-sample datasets to establish a more robust ML model for predicting BCRL deeply and reliably.

Twenty-Years of Experience in Childhood Glaucoma Surgery.

To quantify the results of childhood glaucoma treatment over time in a cohort of children with different types of childhood glaucoma. A retrospective cohort study of consecutive cases involving children with primary congenital glaucoma, primary juvenile, and secondary juvenile glaucoma at the Childhood Glaucoma Center, University Medical Center Mainz, Germany from 1995 to 2015 was conducted. The main outcome measure was the long-term development of intraocular pressure. Further parameters such as surgical success, refraction, corneal diameter, axial length, and surgical procedure in children with different types of childhood glaucoma were evaluated. Surgical success was defined as IOP < 21 mmHg in eyes without a need for further intervention for pressure reduction. A total of 93 glaucomatous eyes of 61 childhood glaucoma patients with a mean age of 3.7 ± 5.1 years were included. The overall mean intraocular pressure at first visit was 32.8 ± 10.2 mmHg and decreased to 15.5 ± 7.3 mmHg at the last visit. In the median follow-up time of 78.2 months, 271 surgical interventions were performed (130 of these were cyclophotocoagulations). Many (61.9%) of the eyes that underwent surgery achieved complete surgical success without additional medication. Qualified surgical success (with or without additional medication) was reached by 84.5% of the eyes.

1346 Hardware Complications in Cephalomedullary Nailing for Intertrochanteric Hip Fractures: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Abstract Introduction Intertrochanteric hip fractures are common injuries in elderly patients and can result in significant morbidity. The use of cephalomedullary femoral nailing (CMN) has gained popularity, particularly for unstable fracture patterns. We investigated hardware complications and mortality of patients undergoing long and short CMN for intertrochanteric hip fractures. Method We conducted a retrospective cohort study of consecutive cases in a single UK-based trauma unit between 01 July 2016 – 31 Dec 2019. Primary outcome measures were implant failure and revision surgery. The secondary outcome measure was mortality. Results 335 patients were included, mean age 82.9 years. 176 long (LN) and 167 short (SN) CMNs were performed. 25/335 (7.5%) hardware complications occurred resulting in 19 (5.7%) revision surgeries. Overall implant survivorship was 94.3%. There was no statistically significant difference in implant survivorship between LN and SN (p = 0.93), or between proximal screw configuration (p = 0.20). Cox regression analysis did not identify any independent predisposing factors leading to hardware complications. 30-day, 90-day and 1-year mortality rates were 7.9%, 15.2% and 26.5% respectively. There was no significant difference in mortality between LN and SN (p = 0.53). Regression analysis identified age and male gender as statistically significant independent factors of increased mortality. Conclusions For intertrochanteric fractures, there is no difference in hardware complications or mortality between long and short cephalomedullary nails. We highlight the risk of implant fracture at the lag screw-nail interface; accounting for one-quarter of failures. The revision rate of 5.7% due to hardware failure should be a consideration for surgeons undertaking CMN for intertrochanteric fractures.

Epidemiology of Invasive Fungal Diseases in Patients with Hematologic Malignancies and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Recipients Managed with an Antifungal Diagnostic Driven Approach.

Patients with hematologic malignancies and hematopoietic cell transplant recipients (HCT) are at high risk for invasive fungal disease (IFD). The practice of antifungal prophylaxis with mold-active azoles has been challenged recently because of drug–drug interactions with novel targeted therapies. This is a retrospective, single-center cohort study of consecutive cases of proven or probable IFD, diagnosed between 2009 and 2019, in adult hematologic patients and HCT recipients managed with fluconazole prophylaxis and an antifungal diagnostic-driven approach for mold infection. During the study period, 94 cases of IFD occurred among 664 hematologic patients and 316 HCT recipients. The frequency among patients with allogeneic HCT, autologous HCT, acute leukemia and other hematologic malignancies was 8.9%, 1.6%, 17.3%, and 6.4%, respectively. Aspergillosis was the leading IFD (53.2%), followed by fusariosis (18.1%), candidiasis (10.6%), and cryptococcosis (8.5%). The overall 6-week mortality rate was 37.2%, and varied according to the host and the etiology of IFD, from 28% in aspergillosis to 52.9% in fusariosis. Although IFD occurred frequently in our cohort of patients managed with an antifungal diagnostic driven approach, mortality rates were comparable to other studies. In the face of challenges posed by the use of anti-mold prophylaxis, this strategy remains a reasonable alternative.

Language Barriers and Timely Analgesia for Long Bone Fractures in a Pediatric Emergency Department.

IntroductionLong bone fractures are common painful conditions often managed in the pediatric emergency department (PED). Delay to providing effective pediatric pain management is multifactorial. There is limited information regarding how the issue of language spoken impacts the provision of adequate and timely institution of analgesia. We sought to determine whether there is a difference between English-speaking and non-English speaking patients with respect to time to pain management for long bone fractures in a multi-ethnic urban PED.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study of consecutive cases over 29 months of children <18 years old who presented to the PED with a first-time long bone fracture. A correlation of multiple clinical variables with timeliness to providing analgesia as a primary outcome was determined. We performed regression analysis to eliminate confounding and to determine the magnitude of each variable’s effect on the outcome.ResultsWe analyzed a total of 753 patient cases (power 0.95). Regression analysis showed that the variable of English vs non-English language spoken was the most significant predictor of timeliness to pain management (p < 0.001). There was a significant difference in median time to triage measurement of pain score (1 minute vs 4 minutes for English vs non-English speakers [p < 0.001]); median time to initial analgesia (4 minutes vs 13 minutes for English vs non-English speakers (p < 0.001]); and median time to opioid analgesia (32 minutes vs 115 minutes for English vs non-English speakers (p < 0.001]), respectively. All measurements of time were from the creation of a patient’s electronic health record. Just 30% of all patients received an opioid analgesic for treatment of long bone fractures, including only 37% with moderate triage pain scores.ConclusionDelay to receiving analgesic medications in pediatric patients with long bone fractures can be augmented by language barriers. Time to providing analgesia for long bone fractures is significantly delayed in non-English speaking families, contributing to disproportionate care in the PED. Furthermore, use of opioid analgesia for fractures in children remains poor.

Patient-Reported Outcome Measures and Radiological Outcomes in Mobile-Bearing Total Ankle Arthroplasty With Varus or Valgus Deformity.

There is increasing evidence that varus deformity does not negatively affect total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) outcomes, but there is a sparsity of evidence for valgus deformity. We present our outcomes using a mobile-bearing prosthesis for neutral, varus, and valgus ankles. This is a retrospective cohort study of consecutive cases identified from a local joint registry. In total, 230 cases were classified based on preoperative radiographs as neutral (152 cases), varus greater than 10 degrees (60 cases), or valgus greater than 10 degrees (18 cases). Tibiotalar angle was again measured postoperatively and at final follow-up (mean follow-up of 55.9 months). A total of 164 cases had adequate patient-reported outcome measures data (Foot and Ankle Outcome Score, Short Form-36 [SF-36] scores, and patient satisfaction) for analysis (mean follow-up of 61.6 months). The groups were similar for body mass index and length of follow-up, but neutral ankles were younger (P = .021). Baseline scores were equal except SF-36 physical health, with valgus ankles scoring lowest (P = .045). Valgus ankles had better postoperative pain (P = .025) and function (P = .012) than neutral. Pre- to postoperative change did not reach statistical significance except physical health, in which valgus performed best (P = .039). Mean final angle for all groups was less than 5 degrees. There was no significant difference in revision rates. Our study is consistent with previous evidence that varus deformity does not affect outcome in TAA. In addition, in our cohort, outcomes were satisfactory with valgus alignment. Postoperative coronal radiological alignment was affected by preoperative deformity but within acceptable limits. Coronal plane deformity did not negatively affect radiological or clinical outcomes in TAA. Level III, retrospective comparative study.

Complement lectin pathway protein levels reflect disease activity in juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a longitudinal study of the Nordic JIA cohort

BackgroundTo determine the serum levels of the lectin pathway proteins early in the disease course and 17 years after disease onset and to correlate the protein levels to markers of disease activity in participants from a population-based Nordic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) cohort. Additionally, to assess the predictive value of lectin pathway proteins with respect to remission status.MethodsA population-based cohort study of consecutive cases of JIA with a disease onset from 1997 to 2000 from defined geographical areas of Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark with 17 years of follow-up was performed. Clinical characteristics were registered and H-ficolin, M-ficolin, MASP-1, MASP-3, MBL and CL-K1 levels in serum were analyzed.ResultsIn total, 293 patients with JIA were included (mean age 23.7 ± 4.4 years; mean follow-up 17.2 ± 1.7 years). Concentrations of the lectin protein levels in serum were higher at baseline compared to the levels 17 years after disease onset (p ≤ 0.006, n = 164). At baseline, the highest level of M-ficolin was observed in systemic JIA. Further, high M-ficolin levels at baseline and at 17-year follow-up were correlated to high levels of ESR. In contrast, high MASP-1 and MASP-3 tended to correlate to low ESR. CL-K1 showed a negative correlation to JADAS71 at baseline.None of the protein levels had prognostic abilities for remission status 17 years after disease onset.ConclusionWe hypothesize that increased serum M-ficolin levels are associated with higher disease activity in JIA and further, the results indicate that MASP-1, MASP-3 and CL-K1 are markers of inflammation.

Salvage cryotherapy in patients undergoing endoscopic eradication therapy for complicated Barrett's esophagus.

Background and study aims Some patients with dysplastic Barrett’s esophagus (BE) experience suboptimal response to radiofrequency ablation (RFA), endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR), or the combination. Cryotherapy has been used as salvage therapy in these patients, but outcomes data are limited. We aimed to assess clinical outcomes among a large cohort of patients with dysplastic BE whose condition had failed to respond to RFA and/or EMR. Patients and methods This was a retrospective cohort study of consecutive cases of dysplastic BE or intramucosal carcinoma (IMC) treated with salvage cryotherapy at a tertiary-care academic medical center. The primary goal of cryotherapy treatment was eradication of all neoplasia. The secondary goal was eradication of all intestinal metaplasia. The proportion of patients undergoing salvage cryotherapy who achieved complete eradication of dysplasia (CE-D) and metaplasia (CE-IM), as well as the time to CE-D and CE-IM were calculated. Results Over a 12-year period, 46 patients received salvage cryotherapy. All patients underwent RFA prior to cryotherapy, either at our center or prior to referral, and 50 % of patients underwent EMR. A majority of patients (54 %) had high-grade dysplasia (HGD) at referral, while 33 % had low-grade dysplasia (LGD), and 13 % had IMC. Overall, 38 patients (83 %) reached CE-D and 21 (46 %) reached CE-IM. Median time to CE-D was 18 months, median number of total interventions (RFA, cryotherapy, and EMR) was five, and median number of cryotherapy sessions was two. Conclusion Salvage cryotherapy appears safe and effective for treating BE that is refractory to RFA and/or EMR.

PROMS and Radiological Outcomes in Mobile Bearing Total Ankle Arthroplasty for Patients with Varus or Valgus Deformity

Category: Ankle Arthritis Introduction/Purpose: There is increasing evidence that outcomes for total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) are not adversely affected by pre-operative varus deformity. There is a sparsity of evidence relating to outcomes in valgus ankle arthritis. We present our outcomes using a mobile bearing prosthesis (Mobility TAA system, DePuy, Raynham, Massachusetts, USA) with a comparison of neutral, varus and valgus ankles. Methods: This is a single surgeon, retrospective cohort study of consecutive cases. Cases were identified from a locally held joint registry which routinely records PROMS data pre-operatively and at annual intervals. Patients undergoing primary TAA between March 2006 and June 2014 were included. Rrevision procedures along with those with inadequate radiographic images for deformity analysis were excluded. Patients with inadequate PROMS data were included in the radiological analysis but not the PROMS analysis. Data collected included FAOS (Womac Pain, Function and Stiffness), SF-36 scores and patient satisfaction. Radiological data was gathered from routinely taken AP weight bearing radiographs pre-operatively, immediately post-operatively and at final follow up. Pre-operative deformity was measured between the tibial anatomical axis and a line perpendicular to the talus. Patients were classified as neutral, varus (≥10 degrees varus) or valgus (≥10 degrees valgus). Results: 230 cases (see image) underwent radiological classification (152 neutral, 60 varus, 18 valgus) and were included in the radiological analysis (mean follow-up 55.9 months). 164 cases were included in the PROMS analysis (mean follow-up 61.6 months). The groups were similar with regards to BMI and length of follow-up but neutral ankles were younger (P&lt;0.001). Baseline scores were equal except physical health with valgus ankles scoring lowest (P=0.045). Valgus ankles had statistically better post-operative pain (P=0.0247) and function (P=0.012) than neutral ankles. Pre to post-operative change did not reach statistical significance except physical health where valgus outperformed neutral and varus (p=0.039). Mean post-operative angle was 3.1 and final angle 3.7 with no significant differences. There was no significant differences in revision rates. Conclusion: Our study confirms previous evidence that varus deformity does not affect outcome in TAA. Contrary to this, valgus ankles in our cohort performed better post-operatively than neutral ankles. Post-operative coronal radiological alignment was not affected by pre-operative deformity and was maintained over a number of years. Coronal plane deformity does not negatively impact either radiological or clinical outcomes in TAA should not be considered an absolute contra-indication.

Non-union Rates in Hind and Midfoot Arthrodesis in Current, Ex-, and Non-smokers

Category: Hindfoot Introduction/Purpose: Arthrodesis is a safe and effective treatment for a number of hind and midfoot conditions. However, non-union rates have historically been reported as high as 41%. A number of factors have been identified that increase non-union rates, the most notable and readily modifiable is a patient’s smoking status. Smoking rates in the UK in 2015 were 19.3% for men and 15.3% for women. We have examined the effect of smoking status (current, ex-smokers and non-smokers) on union rates for a large cohort of patients undergoing hind or midfoot arthrodesis. Methods: This is a single surgeon, retrospective cohort study of consecutive cases. The surgeon’s logbook was used to identify patients undergoing any hind and midfoot arthrodesis procedures from January 2010 until September 2016. Revision procedures and charcot arthropathy cases were excluded along with cases with insufficient records available. Demographic data was collected along with: joints involved, surgical implant used, bone grafting, the use of ultrasound bone stimulation (EXOGEN, Bioventus LLC, Durham, USA) therapy, complications and final outcome with regards to union. Patients were divided according to self-reported smoking status at pre-operative assessment; current smokers, ex-smokers and non-smokers. Union outcome was based on clinical notes and included patient symptoms and radiographic evidence. Delayed union was classed as union occurring after 6 months. The effect of smoking status on deep infection rates and the need for EXOGEN therapy was also analysed. Results: 381 joints were included (see image). The smoking prevalence was 14.0% (accounting for 12.3% of joints) and 32.2% ex-smokers (35.4%). The groups were comparable with regards to gender, diabetes status and BMI. Smokers were younger, had less co-morbidities and were less likely to have had multiple joints fused (p&lt;0.05). Non-union rates were statistically higher in current smokers with a relative risk of 5.81 (95% CI 2.54-13.29, P&lt;0.001), there was no statistically significant difference between ex-smokers and non-smokers. Active smokers had higher rates of deep infection (P=0.05) and the need for EXOGEN use (P&lt;0.001). Within the smoking group there was a trend toward slower union (delayed + non-union) with heavier smoking (p=0.054). Conclusion: This large retrospective cohort study confirms previous evidence that smoking has a considerable negative effect on union in arthrodesis (despite other differences between the groups likely to favour union in smokers). A 5.8 relative risk in a modifiable risk factor is extremely high. Arthrodesis surgery should be undertaken with extreme caution in patients who are actively smoking. Our study shows that after cessation of smoking the risk returns to normal, however we have not quantified the time frame. Further research is needed to quantify the necessary time frame for smoking cessation to reduce non-union risk.

Ankle Arthroplasty

Category: Ankle Arthritis Introduction/Purpose: Total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) has been shown to be an effective treatment for end stage ankle arthritis. Achieving normal anatomical alignment has been shown to be important in long term outcomes and revision rates. Recent data from the British NJR has shown that revision rates are higher in patients with pre-operative fixed equinus. Although there is literature about surgical techniques to deal with pre-operative equinus we are not aware of any papers presenting patient outcomes. We present patient reported outcomes for our cohort of patients with pre-operative fixed equinus compared to those able to achieve a plantigrade ankle. Methods: This is a single surgeon, retrospective cohort study of consecutive cases. A mobile bearing prosthesis was used (Mobility TAA system, DePuy, Raynham, Massachusetts, USA). Cases were identified from a locally held joint registry which routinely records PROMS data pre-operatively and at annual intervals post-operatively. Patients undergoing primary TAA between March 2006 and June 2014 were included, revision procedures along with those with inadequate PROMS data were excluded. PROMS scores used were FAOS (WOMAC Pain, Function and Stiffness), SF-36 scores and patient satisfaction. All pre-operative lateral weight bearing xrays were reviewed to screen for potential fixed equinus deformity (tibia-sole angle &gt;90 degrees). Clinical records were then reviewed to confirm clinical diagnosis of fixed equinus deformity. Results: 259 cases were identified, 95 cases were excluded based on our criteria leaving 164 cases for analysis (mean follow up 61.6 months). 144 were classified as neutral and 20 as fixed equinus. The fixed equinus group were significantly younger (neutral 64.2 vs equinus 53.9, p=0.0002), there was no difference in BMI or length of follow up. There was no difference in baseline scores except WOMAC stiffness, with the fixed equinus group significantly worse (36.9 vs 25.6, p=0.0014). Final PROMS score, change from baseline and patient satisfaction was the same in all domains for both groups. There was no difference in revision rates. Conclusion: A pre-operative fixed equinus deformity does not negatively impact on clinical outcomes in patients undergoing TAA. We are not aware of any previous studies to compare results. As expected the equinus group showed higher levels of stiffness pre-operatively. Contrary to the British NJR dataset we did not find a difference in revision rates.

Point-of-care viscoelastic testing improves the outcome of pregnancies complicated by severe postpartum hemorrhage

Study Objective. To compare the clinical outcomes of patients with severe postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) managed with and without the use of Point-of-Care Viscoelastic Testing (PCVT) to direct blood product replacement. Design. A retrospective cohort study of consecutive cases of severe PPH managed at a single tertiary care center between January 1, 2011 and July 31, 2015. Cases included patients managed using PCVT. Controls were patients managed using a standardized massive hemorrhage transfusion protocol, either because PCVT was not yet available or because no PCVT credentialed providers were on site. Setting. Delivery room, postoperative recovery area, intensive care unit. Patients. There were 6,708 cesarean deliveries and 13,641 vaginal births during the study period. Eighty six patients (0.4% of all deliveries) developed severe PPH. Severe PPH occurred in 1% (68/6,708) of cesarean and 0.1% (18/13,641) of vaginal deliveries. Twenty-eight of these 86 patients (32.6%) were managed with PCVT and 58 (67.4%) without PCVT. Interventions. Patients with severe PPH were managed according to a standardized massive transfusion protocol or a PCVT-based protocol to direct blood product replacement. Measurements. PCVT testing was performed using a ROTEM delta device. Results. Patients in the PCVT cohort received significantly fewer transfusions of packed red blood cells, fresh frozen plasma, and platelet concentrates. They also had a significantly lower estimated blood loss, and a significantly lower incidence of cesarean hysterectomy and postoperative ICU admission as compared with patients not managed using PCVT. The length of postpartum hospitalization was also significantly shorter in the PCVT cohort. Among patients who gave birth within 24 hours of admission, the direct cost of hospitalization was 40% lower for patients in the PCVT cohort. Conclusions. PCVT-based goal-directed blood product replacement management was associated with substantial benefits over a standardized massive transfusion protocol both in terms of patient outcomes and cost of care.

Abstract 18724: Coronary Angiography After Out-of-hospital Cardiac Arrest is Associated With Improved Neurologically Intact Survival

Introduction: Evidence for the effectiveness of coronary angiography after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is conflicting. Our objective was to evaluate the association between receiving coronary angiography within 72 hours of hospital arrival and survival with favorable neurologic outcome. Methods: This was a population-based retrospective cohort study of consecutive cases of adult OHCA transported to and treated at 28 hospitals in Southern Ontario between March 1, 2010 and December 31, 2014. We included patients with atraumatic OHCA, who achieved return of spontaneous circulation, and were alive 6 hours after hospital arrival. Multi-level logistic regression was used to measure the association between early coronary angiography and neurologically intact survival (Modified Rankin Score 0-2), while controlling for potential confounders and clustered data. We controlled for age, sex, initial cardiac rhythm, witness status, bystander resuscitation, EMS response time, prehospital return of spontaneous circulation, location of arrest, daytime presentation, neurologic status at hospital arrival, STEMI status, cardiac history, initiation of therapeutic hypothermia, hospital size and type, and hospital annual cardiac arrest volume. Results: During the period of study, 2678 consecutive OHCA patients met the inclusion criteria. The mean age was 66(±16), 31.7% were female, 54.1% had a bystander witnessed arrest, 35.2% received bystander CPR, 45.9% had a shockable initial rhythm, 30.1% had ST elevation on the first post arrest ECG, and 32.4% received coronary angiography. Receiving coronary angiography was strongly associated with neurologically intact survival (OR 2.30, CI95 1.69-3.15) and survival (OR 2.08, CI95 1.53-2.82). A similar association was observed in the subgroup of patients without STEMI (OR 3.24, CI95 2.16-4.87 and OR 2.66, CI95 1.78-3.99, respectively). Conclusions: Neurologically intact survival among post cardiac arrest patients may be improved with coronary angiography, particularly for patients without STEMI. This observation should be confirmed with future randomized controlled studies.