Common General Surgery Procedures Research Articles

Obesity in Adolescents and Youth: The Case for and against Bariatric Surgery

Obesity in Adolescents and Youth: The Case for and against Bariatric Surgery

Effects of a Surgical Receipt Program on the Supply Costs of Five General Surgery Procedures

BackgroundSurgical supplies occupy a large portion of health care expenditures but is often under the surgeon's control. We sought to assess whether an automated, surgeon-directed, cost feedback system can decrease supply expenditures for five common general surgery procedures. Materials and methodsAn automated “surgical receipt” detailing intraoperative supply costs was generated and emailed to surgeons after each case. We compared the median cost per case for 18 mo before and after implementation of the surgical receipt. We controlled for price fluctuations by applying common per-unit prices in both periods. We also compared the incision time, case length booking accuracy, length of stay, and postoperative occurrences. ResultsMedian costs decreased significantly for open inguinal hernia ($433.45 to $385.49, P < 0.001), laparoscopic cholecystectomy ($886.77 to $816.13, P = 0.002), and thyroidectomy ($861.21 to $825.90, P = 0.034). Median costs were unchanged for laparoscopic appendectomy and increased significantly for lumpectomy ($325.67 to $420.53, P < 0.001). There was an increase in incision-to-closure minutes for open inguinal hernia (71 to 75 min, P < 0.001) and laparoscopic cholecystectomy (75 to 96 min, P < 0.001), but a decrease in thyroidectomy (79 to 73 min, P < 0.001). There was an increase in booking accuracy for laparoscopic appendectomy (38.6% to 55.0%, P = 0.001) and thyroidectomy (32.5% to 48.1%, P = 0.001). There were no differences in postoperative occurrence rates and length of stay duration. ConclusionsAn automated surgeon-directed surgical receipt may be a useful tool to decrease supply costs for certain procedures. However, curtailing surgical supply costs with surgeon-directed cost feedback alone is challenging and a multimodal approach may be necessary.

Predictors of laparoscopic versus open inguinal hernia repair.

Inguinal hernia repair (IHR) is among the most common general surgery procedures. Multiple studies have examined costs and benefits of laparoscopic approach versus open repair. This study aimed to identify patient, surgeon, and hospital demographic predictors of laparoscopic versus open IHR. We conducted a retrospective analysis of 342,814 IHRs (241,669 open; 101,145 laparoscopic) performed in adults (age ≥ 18) from 2010 to 2015 using the Premier Hospital Database. Multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate the adjusted odds ratio of an IHR being laparoscopic versus open with respect to several demographic variables. The odds of an IHR being laparoscopic increased from 2010 to 2015. A laparoscopic procedure was more likely in patients who were < age 65 (OR 1.29, CI 1.24-1.31, p < 0.0001), male (OR 1.31, CI 1.27-1.34, p < 0.0001), privately insured (OR 1.36, CI 1.33-1.40, p < 0.0001), and neither white, black, nor Hispanic (OR 1.11, CI 1.09-1.14, p < 0.0001). The likelihood of a procedure being laparoscopic decreased 13% with each one-unit increase in Charlson comorbidity index value (OR 0.88, CI 0.87-0.89, p < 0.0001). Surgeons were more likely to perform a laparoscopic procedure if they had larger annual IHR caseloads (≥ 45/year; OR 1.57, CI 1.53-1.60, p < 0.0001), and operated at large hospitals (> 500 beds; OR 1.36, CI 1.33-1.39, p < 0.0001) in New England (OR 2.38, CI 2.29-2.47, p < 0.0001). Non-predictors of a laparoscopic procedure included urban/rural hospital location (OR 1.02, CI 0.10-1.05, p = 0.06) and hospital teaching status (OR 1.01, CI 0.99-1.03, p = 0.2084). Use of laparoscopic IHR is increasing. Patient age, gender, race, and insurance type, as well as surgeon annual volume, hospital size, and hospital region were predictors of a laparoscopic procedure. Further studies are needed to explain and remedy underlying differences impacting these predictors.

Comparative study on open appendicectomy versus laparoscopic appendicectomy in a tertiary care centre

Background: Appendicectomy is one of the most common procedure in general surgery, accounts for approximately 1% of all surgical operation. Laparoscopic appendicectomy are likely to have less postoperative pain, early discharge, decreased wound infection, better cosmesis and also early return to routine work. Laparoscopic procedure for appendicectomy is compared with open surgical technique with respect to duration of surgery, post operative pain, duration of analgesic, post operative complications, post operative length of hospital stay and return to routine work.Methods: This is a prospective and comparative study from September 2013 to August 2014 involved 100 cases, 50 open and 50 lap appendicectomy, which were randomly selected and were operated in department of surgery, Dr S. M. C. S. I. Medical College, Karakonam.Results: In present study pain score was 2.7±0.9 for open group as compared to 1.3±0.5 in lap group (P&lt;0.05) because of longer incision stretch of muscles and wound infection. Post operative complications like vomiting was lower in laparoscopic group with 8% as compared with 36% in open group (P&lt;0.05) and ileus was lower in lap group with 17.3±7.1 and for open group 30.8±8.9 with P&lt;0.05 which were significant. There is significant reduction in incidence of post operative wound infection in lap group 4% as compared to open group 26% (P&lt;0.05). Duration of post operative hospital stay was significantly low for lap group 2.8±0.9 as compared to open group 4±2.9. The return to normal activity was low for lap group 8±3.15 days as compared to open group 13.7±3.15 days. Duration of surgery for open appendicectomy was 48.2±12.4 and for lap appendicectomy was 68.5±20.3.Conclusions: Laparoscopic appendicectomy is better than open appendectomy in selected patients with acute or recurrent appendicitis.

Outcomes of common general surgery procedures for patients discharged over weekends at a tertiary care hospital in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUNDHospitals usually reduce staffing levels and services over weekends. This raises the question of whether patients discharged over a weekend may be inadequately prepared and possibly at higher risk of adverse events post-discharge.OBJECTIVESTo assess the outcomes of common general surgery procedures for patients discharged over weekends, and to identify the key predictors of early readmission.DESIGNRetrospective cohort study.SETTINGA tertiary care center.PATIENTS AND METHODSPatients discharged from general surgery services during the one-year period between January and December 2016 after cholecystectomy, appendectomy, or hernia repairs were included. Patient demographic information, comorbidities, and complications as well as admission and follow-up details were collected from electronic medical records.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURESOutcomes following weekend discharge, and the predictors of early readmission.SAMPLE SIZE743 patients.RESULTSThe operations performed: 361 patients (48.6%) underwent a cholecystectomy, 288 (38.8%) an appendectomy, and 94 (12.6%) hernia repairs. A significantly lower number of patients were discharged over the weekend (n=125) compared to those discharged on weekdays (n=618). Patients discharged during the weekend were younger, less likely to have chronic diseases, and had a significantly shorter average length of stay (LOS) (median 2 days, IQR: 1, 4 vs. median 3 days, IQR: 1, 5, P=.002). Overall, the 30-day readmission rate was 3.2% (n=24), and weekend discharge (OR=2.25, 95% CI 0.52–9.70) or any other variable did not predict readmission in 30 days. However, 14-day post-discharge follow-up visits were significantly lower in the weekend discharge subgroup (83.1% vs. 91.2%, P=.006).CONCLUSIONWeekend discharge was not associated with higher readmission rates. Physicians may consider discharging post-operative patients over a weekend without an increased risk to the patient. Day of discharge, length of stay and increased patient age are not predictors of early readmission.LIMITATIONSSingle-center study and retrospective.

Disparities in operative outcomes in patients with comorbid mental illness

BackgroundPatients with mental health disorders have worse medical outcomes and experience excess mortality compared with those without a mental health comorbidity. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between mental health comorbidities and surgical outcomes. MethodsThis retrospective cohort study used the National Inpatient Sample (2009–2011) to select patients who underwent one of the 4 most common general surgery procedures (cholecystectomy and common duct exploration, colorectal resection, excision and lysis of peritoneal adhesions, and appendectomy). Patients with a concurrent mental health diagnosis were identified. Multivariable logistic regression examined outcomes, including prolonged length of stay, in-hospital mortality, and postoperative complications. ResultsOf the 579,851 patients included, 38,702 patients (6.7%) had a mental health diagnosis. Mood disorders were most prevalent (58.7%), followed by substance abuse (23.8%). After adjustment for confounders, including sex, race, number of comorbidities, admission status, open operations, insurance, and income quartile, we found that having a mental health diagnosis conferred a 40% greater odds of including prolonged length of stay (OR 1.41, P < .001) and increased odds of any complication (OR 1.18, P < .001). Odds of death were slightly less in the mental health diagnosis cohort. ConclusionsGeneral surgery patients with comorbid mental disease experience a greater incidence of postoperative complications and longer hospitalizations. Recognizing these disparate outcomes is the first step in understanding how to optimize care for this frequently marginalized population.

Laparoscopic Subtotal Cholecystectomy: A Surgical Alternative to Reduce Complications in Complex Cases

IntroductionLaparoscopic cholecystectomy is a common procedure in general surgery, and in complex cases it is important for the surgeon to know all the alternatives with low associated morbidity. Laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy should be considered as an option when a critical view of safety cannot be obtained, because it has a low complication rate and gives the advantages of minimally invasive surgery. MethodsRetrospective study of laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomies in an eight years period. ResultsA total of 1059 laparoscopic cholecystectomies were performed; 22 were subtotal cholecystectomies, without conversion. Biliary fistula (9%) and intraabdominal collections (4.5%) were the most common complications described. No iatrogenic bile duct injuries or deaths were reported. Our follow-up period was 32 months, no recurrences were reported. ConclusionsLaparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy is a safe and effective procedure. It should be considered as an option in complex cases.

Colecistectomía laparoscópica subtotal como alternativa quirúrgica segura en casos complejos

IntroductionLaparoscopic cholecystectomy is a common procedure in general surgery, and in complex cases it is important for the surgeon to know all the alternatives with low associated morbidity. Laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy should be considered as an option when a critical view of safety cannot be obtained, because it has a low complication rate and gives the advantages of minimally invasive surgery. MethodsRetrospective study of laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomies in an eight years period. ResultsA total of 1,059 laparoscopic cholecystectomies were performed; 22 were subtotal cholecystectomies, without conversion. Biliary fistula (9%) and intraabdominal collections (4.5%) were the most common complications described. No iatrogenic bile duct injuries or deaths were reported. Our follow-up period was 32months, no recurrences were reported. ConclusionsLaparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy is a safe and effective procedure. It should be considered as an option in complex cases.

Postoperative urinary retention after inguinal hernia repair: a single institution experience.

Inguinal hernia repair is a common general surgery procedure with low morbidity. However, postoperative urinary retention (PUR) occurs in up to 22% of patients, resulting in further extraneous treatments.This single institution series investigates whether patient comorbidities, surgical approaches, and anesthesia methods are associated with developing PUR after inguinal hernia repairs. This is a single institution retrospective review of inguinal hernia from 2012 to 2015. PUR was defined as patients without a postoperative urinary catheter who subsequently required bladder decompression due to an inability to void. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were performed to quantify the associations between patient, surgical, and anesthetic factors with PUR. Stratification analysis was conducted at age of 50years. 445 patients were included (42.9% laparoscopic and 57.1% open). Overall rate of PUR was 11.2% (12% laparoscopic, 10.6% open, and p=0.64). In univariate analysis, PUR was significantly associated with patient age>50 and history of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Risk stratification for age>50 revealed in this cohort a 2.49 times increased PUR risk with lack of intraoperative bladder decompression (p=0.013). At our institution, we found that patient age, history of BPH, and bilateral repair were associated with PUR after inguinal hernia repair. No association was found with PUR and laparoscopic vs open approach. Older males may be at higher risk without intraoperative bladder decompression, and therefore, catheter placement should be considered in this population, regardless of surgical approach.

Trainees as Agents of Change in the Opioid Epidemic: Optimizing the Opioid Prescription Practices of Surgical Residents

Opioid abuse has become an epidemic in the United States, causing nearly 50,000 deaths a year. Postoperative pain is an unavoidable consequence of most surgery, and surgeons must balance the need for sufficient analgesia with the risks of overprescribing. Prescribing narcotics is often the responsibility of surgical residents, yet little is known about their opioid-prescribing habits, influences, and training experience. Anonymous online survey that assessed the amounts of postoperative opioid prescribed by residents, including type of analgesia, dosage, and number of pills, for a series of common general surgery procedures. Additional questions investigated influences on opioid prescription, use of nonnarcotic analgesia, degree of engagement in patient education on opioids, and degree of training received on analgesia and opioid prescription. Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education accredited general surgery program at a university-based tertiary hospital. Categorical and preliminary general surgery residents of all postgraduate years. The percentage of residents prescribing opioids postprocedure ranged from 75.5% for incision and drainage to 100% for open hernia repair. Residents report prescribing 166.3 morphine milligram equivalents of opioid for a laparoscopic cholecystectomy, yet believe patients will only need an average of 113.9 morphine milligram equivalents. The most commonly reported influences on opioid-prescribing habits include attending preference (95.2%), concern for patient satisfaction (59.5%), and fear of potential opioid abuse (59.5%). Only 35.8% of residents routinely perform a narcotic risk assessment before prescribing and 6.2% instruct patients how to properly dispose of excess opioids. More than 90% of residents have not had formal training in best practices of pain management or opioid prescription. Surgical trainees are relying almost exclusively on opioids for postoperative analgesia, often in excessive amounts. Residents are heavily influenced by their superiors, but are not receiving formal opioid-prescribing education, pointing to a great need for increased resident education on postoperative pain and opioid management to help change prescribing habits.

A cohort study of a general surgery electronic consultation system: safety implications and impact on surgical yield

BackgroundElectronic consultation (eConsult) systems have enhanced access to specialty expertise and enhanced care coordination among primary care and specialty care providers, while maintaining high primary care provider (PCP), specialist and patient satisfaction. Little is known about their impact on the efficiency of specialty care delivery, in particular surgical yield (percent of ambulatory visits resulting in a scheduled surgical case).MethodsRetrospective cohort of a random selection of 150 electronic consults from PCPs to a safety-net general surgery clinic for the three most common general surgery procedures (herniorrhaphy, cholecystectomy, anorectal procedures) in 2014. Electronic consultation requests were reviewed for the presence/absence of consult domains: symptom acuity/severity, diagnostic evaluation, concurrent medical conditions, and attempted diagnosis. Logic regression was used to examine the association between completeness of consult requests and scheduling an ambulatory clinic visit. Surgical yield was also calculated, as was the percentage of patients requiring unanticipated healthcare visits.ResultsIn 2014, 1743 electronic consultations were submitted to general surgery. Among the 150 abstracted, the presence of consult domains ranged from 49% to 99%. Consult completeness was not associated with greater likelihood of scheduling an ambulatory visit. Seventy-six percent of consult requests (114/150) were scheduled for a clinic appointment and surgical yield was 46%; without an eConsult system, surgical yield would have been 35% (p=0.07). Among patients not scheduled for a clinic visit (n=36), 4 had related unanticipated emergency department visits.ConclusionEconsult systems can be used to safely optimize the surgical yield of a safety-net general surgery service.

Wide Variation and Excessive Dosage of Opioid Prescriptions for Common General Surgical Procedures.

To examine opioid prescribing patterns after general surgery procedures and to estimate an ideal number of pills to prescribe. Diversion of prescription opioids is a major contributor to the rising mortality from opioid overdoses. Data to inform surgeons on the optimal dose of opioids to prescribe after common general surgical procedures is lacking. We evaluated 642 patients undergoing 5 outpatient procedures: partial mastectomy (PM), partial mastectomy with sentinel lymph node biopsy (PM SLNB), laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC), laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair (LIH), and open inguinal hernia repair (IH). Postoperative opioid prescriptions and refill data were tabulated. A phone survey was conducted to determine the number of opioid pills taken. There was a wide variation in the number of opioid pills prescribed to patients undergoing the same operation. The median number (and range) prescribed were: PM 20 (0-50), PM SLNB 20 (0-60), LC 30 (0-100), LIH 30 (15-70), and IH 30 (15-120). Only 28% of the prescribed pills were taken. This percentage varied by operation: PM 15%, PM SLNB 25%, LC 33%, LIH 15%, and IH 31%. Less than 2% of patients obtained refills.We identified the number of pills that would fully supply the opioid needs of 80% of patients undergoing each operation: PM 5, PM SLNB 10, LC 15, LIH 15, and IH 15. If this number were prescribed, the number of opioid initially prescribed would be 43% of the actual number prescribed. There is wide variability in opioid prescriptions for common general surgery procedures. In many cases excess pills are prescribed. Using our ideal number, surgeons can adequately treat postoperative pain and markedly decrease the number of opioids prescribed.

Results of cholecystectomies 2003-2010 in a small hospital in Iceland

Cholecystectomy is a common procedure in general surgery. The aim of this study was to retrospectivly assess the results of cholecystectomies performed in Akranes Hospital (AH), a small hospital in Iceland. This retrospective study included all patients that underwent a cholecystectomy in AH from 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2010. Patient records were reviewed from AH, as well as from Landspitali University Hospital and Domus Medica. 378 operations were performed. 74% of the patients were women and the mean age was 49.6 years. The majority of operations were elective (87%) and the median operative time was 46 minutes (range: 17-240). The median length of stay was 2 days (range: 1-31). Intra-operative cholangiography (IOC) was performed in 93 of 378 patients (25%). Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, ERCP, was performed consecutively in 22 of those 93 patients (23%). The conversion rate to open surgery was 0.5%. The rate of serious complications was 2.4% of which four (1.1%) patients had a deep infection and 5 (1.3%) had a bile leakage postoperatively. Patients with cholecystitis had an increased risk of serious complications (p=0.007). Reoperation was performed on three patients who had bile leakage. No patient had a serious bile duct injury and mortality was 0%. 254 (67%) patients had 4 week control postoperatively where 13 patients (5%) had mild gastrointestinal symptoms. The results of cholecystectomies in AH are very good and comparable to the results of national and international studies. Key words: laparoscopic cholecystectomy, intra-operative cholangiography, choledocholithiasis, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, complications. Correspondence: Marta Ros Berndsen, mrberndsen3@gmail.com.

LAPAROSCOPIC VERSUS OPEN REPAIR OF INGUINAL HERNIA

Background and objective. Inguinal hernia repair is one of the most common general surgery procedures. Laparoscopic repair is technically more demanding, though it has been shown to be superior in terms of pain and discomfort, however, there is no apparent difference in recurrence between laparoscopic and open mesh methods of hernia repair. Over the years we see a relatively slow increase of laparoscopic procedures and even scepticism of the patients; thus we decided to test the hypothesis that more demanding and costly laparoscopic surgery has little benefits over the open procedure. The aim of our study was to compare postoperative pain, short- and long-term outcomes after laparoscopic hernia repair and conventional open hernia repair. Results. Laparoscopic procedure was significantly more often performed for the patients, who were younger, had shorter history of disease. The mean operative time for laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair was significantly longer than for open repair (p=0.02). The pain score for laparoscopic surgery was significantly lower according to VAS on day 1, 2, 3 (overall p≤ 0.002). The patients in the laparoscopic group required significantly lower doses of narcotic analgesics on the third postoperative day; the doses of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were also significantly lower on the second and third postoperative day in this group. The postoperative hospital stay was shorter after laparoscopic repair (p=0.01). Sixty-four patients (71.11%) completed follow-up at one year after the operation. Nine (14.06%) of them had postoperative complications and eight of them were after open hernia repair. Two patients (3.1%) were re-operated (both patients were treated by Lichtenstein hernioplasty): one for inguinal hernia recurrence, another for testicular necrosis. Conclusions. The patients from laparoscopic group had significantly shorter postoperative pain duration (p=0.019), returned to daily activity slightly earlier and had better satisfaction with the operation comparing with the patients who undergone open surgery (p=0.915, p=0.893), but the duration of the sick leave (time off from work) was similar in both hernia repair group (p=0.260). Data shows that laparoscopic hernia repair has advantages in terms of post-operative pain intensity and duration, as well as risk of complications and patient satisfaction.

Early Recovery after Small Bowel Surgery

1.1.Background: Bowel anastomoses are common procedures in both elective and emergency general surgery Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the safety, tolerability and outcome of early oral feeding after small bowel anastomosis. 1.2.Methodology: This is a Quasi experimental study conducted at Surgical unit (ward 26) Jinnah postgraduate medical center, Karachi, Pakistan, during the period from March 2014 to November 2016. In the present study we investigated 59 cases, their ages ranging from 17-45 years. 1.3.Results: Out of 35 elective cases, 51.4% were operated for ileoleal and 20% were operated for ileocolic anastomosis. Out of the 24 emergency cases, 75%, 20.8%, and 4.2% were presenting with, Penetrating abdominal trauma, Blunt trauma, and Intestinal obstruction section to internal hernia. 1.4.Conclusion: Early oral feeding is safe and if associated with careful selection and multimodal postoperative care promotes faster convalescence following small bowel surgery.

Are They Too Old for Surgery? Safety of Cholecystectomy in Superelderly Patients (≥ Age 90).

Cholecystectomy is the most common general surgery procedure in patients older than age 65 years. By 2050, it is estimated that 2.0% of the population will be older than age 90 years. To assess the mortality of cholecystectomy in superelderly patients (≥ age 90 years). Using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database, a retrospective analysis was performed of superelderly patients who underwent laparoscopic and open cholecystectomy between 2005 and 2012. Thirty-day mortality. A total of 1007 cholecystectomies were performed in superelderly patients between 2005 and 2012. Of these surgical procedures, 807 (80%) were nonemergent and 200 (20%) were performed emergently. Two hundred sixteen procedures (21.4%) were open and 791 (78.6%) were laparoscopic. Mortality did not decrease significantly during the study period. The overall mortality was 5.5%, significantly less for the laparoscopic group (3.7% vs 12%, p < 0.001) and for the nonemergent group (4.5% vs 9.5%, p < 0.005). The median length of stay for open cholecystectomy was 9 days compared with 5 days for laparoscopic (p < 0.001); for nonemergent cholecystectomy it was 5 days compared with 7 days for emergent cholecystectomy (p < 0.001). The mortality after cholecystectomy in superelderly patients did not change significantly during the study period. The mortality and morbidity for laparoscopic and elective procedures were significantly lower than for open procedures and for emergent procedures, respectively.

Preoperative Chlorhexidine Gluconate Use Can Increase Risk for Surgical Site Infections after Ventral Hernia Repair

There is varying evidence about the use of preoperative chlorhexidine gluconate to decrease surgical site infection for elective surgery. This intervention has never been studied in ventral hernia repair, the most common general surgery procedure in the US. We aimed to determine whether preoperative chlorhexidine gluconate decreases the risk of 30-day wound morbidity in patients undergoing ventral hernia repair. All patients undergoing ventral hernia repair in the Americas Hernia Society Quality Collaborative were separated into 2 groups: 1 group received preoperative chlorhexidine scrub and the other did not. The 2 groups were evaluated for 30-day wound morbidity, including surgical site occurrence (SSO), surgical site infection (SSI), and SSO requiring procedural intervention. Statistical analysis was performed using multivariate regression analysis and propensity score modeling. Multiple factors were controlled for statistical analysis, including patient-related factors and operative factors. In total, 3,924 patients were included for comparison. After multivariate logistic regression modeling, the preoperative chlorhexidine scrub group had a higher incidence of SSOs (odds ratio [OR]= 1.34; 95% CI 1.11 to 1.61) and SSIs (OR= 1.46; 95% CI 1.03 to 2.07). After propensity score modeling, the increased risk of SSO and SSI persisted (SSO: OR= 1.39; 95% CI 1.15 to 1.70; SSI: OR= 1.45; 95% CI 1.011 to 2.072, respectively). Prehospital chlorhexidine gluconate scrub appears to increase the risk of 30-day wound morbidity in patients undergoing ventral hernia repair. These findings suggest that the generalized use of prehospital chlorhexidine might not be desirable for all surgical populations.

Complications in common general pediatric surgery procedures

Complications related to general pediatric surgery procedures are a major concern for pediatric surgeons and their patients. Although infrequent, when they occur the consequences can lead to significant morbidity and psychosocial stress. The purpose of this article is to discuss the common complications encountered during several common pediatric general surgery procedures including inguinal hernia repair (open and laparoscopic), umbilical hernia repair, laparoscopic pyloromyotomy, and laparoscopic appendectomy.

Multidetector CT of expected findings and complications after contemporary inguinal hernia repair surgery

Inguinal hernia repair (IHR) with prosthetic mesh implantation is the most common procedure in general surgery, and may be performed using either an open or laparoscopic approach. This paper provides an overview of contemporary tension-free IHR techniques and materials, and illustrates the expected postoperative imaging findings and iatrogenic injuries. Emphasis is placed on multidetector CT, which represents the ideal modality to comprehensively visualize the operated groin region and deeper intra-abdominal structures. CT consistently depicts seroma, mesh infections, hemorrhages, bowel complications and urinary bladder injuries, and thus generally provides a consistent basis for therapeutic choice. Since radiologists are increasingly requested to investigate suspected iatrogenic complications, this paper aims to provide an increased familiarity with early CT studies after IHR, including complications and normal postoperative appearances such as focal pseudolesions, in order to avoid misinterpretation and inappropriate management.

Mortality in patients with end-stage renal disease and the risk of returning to the operating room after common General Surgery procedures

BackgroundThe prevalence of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) has increased, and there is limited data on the risks faced by this patient population undergoing surgery. MethodsUsing American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program, we identified common surgical procedures undergone by patients with ESRD. These patients were compared with a matched-control group. A subanalysis was performed to determine the risk factors for returning to the operating room in patients with ESRD. ResultsOf the 195,585 patients identified, 1,163 had ESRD. ESRD was associated with increased mortality (odds ratio [OR] 9.05, confidence interval [CI] 4.09 to 20.00) and rates of return to the operating room (OR 2.97, CI 1.99 to 4.46). Returning to the OR was associated with increased operation times (98.9 vs 130.2 minutes, P < .05), mortality (OR 4.35, CI 2.11 to 8.99), and morbidity (OR 7.6, CI 4.68 to 12.41). ConclusionsPatients with ESRD face greater risks when entering the operating room, and further study is needed to elucidate preventable risk factors.