Expedited Surgery Research Articles

Exploring the acceptability of and adherence to prehabilitation and rehabilitation in patients undergoing major abdominal surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Prehabilitation combines exercise, nutritional, and psychological interventions administered before surgery to improve patient outcomes. This comprehensive review and meta-analysis examined the feasibility, adherence, and effectiveness of prehabilitation in frail, high-risk individuals undergoing major abdominal surgery. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, MEDLINE, Embase, and Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) databases to identify relevant studies evaluating prehabilitation programs published between 2010 and 2023, either as observational studies or randomized clinical trials (RCTs). The 23 articles (13 RCTs and 10 observational studies) included 1849 older male and female patients aged 68.7±7.2 years. Nineteen of the included studies reported on adherence to prehabilitation programmes, which was generally good (>75%) over different models, settings, and durations. Factors such as patients' desire for expedited surgery, self-assessment of fitness, personal and professional obligations, health issues, holidays, and advancement of surgery dates negatively affected adherence to prehabilitation programmes. When compared with rehabilitation or standard pre- and post-surgical care, prehabilitation was associated with a 25%, albeit not statistically significant reduction in postoperative complications, according to data from 14 studies reporting on postoperative complications (OR 0.75, 95% CI 0.48 to 1.17, P= 0.43; I2=65%). Prehabilitation has been found to improve the 6-min walk test significantly by 29.4m (MD+29.4m, 95% CI 5.6 to 53.3, P=0.02; I2=39%), compared with rehabilitation or standard pre- and post-surgical care. Prehabilitation was acceptable to patients, with good adherence, and improved physical function.

Characteristics of Adrenal Hemorrhage: A Single Clinic's Experience.

<b>Introduction:</b> Adrenal hemorrhage (AH) is a very rare and potentially life-threatening disease which may be secondary to trauma or of non-traumatic etiology.<b>Aim:</b> The aim of the study was to present the characteristics and management of adrenal hemorrhage and show that adrenal hemorrhage is more common than expected and that the clinical symptoms are not specific.<b>Materials and methods:</b> This retrospective study involved 199 patients with postoperative diagnosis of adrenal hemorrhage.<b>Discussion:</b> The factors identified as potential causes of adrenal hemorrhage are adrenocortical carcinoma, pheochromocytoma, and adrenal adenoma. The study group included 199 patients with postoperative diagnosis of AH. It showed that all patients with postoperative diagnosis had pheochromocytoma (n = 54), adrenal adenoma (n = 68), or adenocarcinoma (n = 17). If we look more careful at the results, we can find only 30% of patients (n = 39) with preoperative diagnosis of AH. This group of 39 patients was prepared for expedited surgery. In this group of patients, the preoperative diagnosis of AH was pheochromocytoma 28% (n = 11), adenocarcinoma (n = 4), and adrenal adenoma (n = 9).<b>Conclusions:</b> Bleeding into adrenal tumors is still an insufficiently understood topic due to its unpredictability and, as can be seen in our material, of varying severity. Out of 199 patients, only 30% (n = 39) were prepared for surgery with a preoperative diagnosis of AH; most of them had pheochromocytoma. We suggest that is very important to prepare patients for surgery with a preoperative diagnosis of AH using α-adrenoreceptor antagonists. Prolongation of the diagnostic process (time between the imaging examination and the surgery) may result in the disease progressing and adrenal bleeding.

Patient, parent and carer perspectives surrounding expedited paediatric epilepsy surgery

ObjectiveMost paediatric epilepsies with MRI visible lesions do not respond to antiseizure pharmacotherapy. Such medication resistance, which often takes years to become formally defined, is commonly required for surgical candidacy. Expedited surgical referral at lesional epilepsy diagnosis may result in better seizure, cognitive and developmental prognoses. This study explored the views of patients, parents and carers regarding epilepsy surgery, treatment priorities, and participation in a proposed expedited surgery trial. Methods205 patients, parents and carers (61% UK-based, 26% North American) responded to electronic surveys from February to May 2022. Participants were recruited through social media sites, epilepsy charities and societies. Categorical choice and free-text questions were used to investigate participant perspectives, and Pearson’s chi-squared test was utilised to detect meaningful differences amongst respondent subgroups. ResultsAlmost 90% of respondents who had experienced epilepsy surgery (either themselves or their child) reported seizure cessation or reduction. Postoperative outcome measures prioritised most frequently were seizure freedom (66%), quality of life (47%), seizure severity (30%), seizure frequency (28%) and independence (27%). Most participants support expedited surgery in suitable patients (65%), with just over half (51%) willing to participate in the proposed trial. Many participants (37%) were undecided, often due to fears surrounding neurosurgery. Subgroup perspectives were broadly similar, with more parents and caregivers favouring expedited surgery compared to patients (p = .016) and more UK-based participants willing to take part in an expedited surgery trial compared to those from North America (p = .01). ConclusionsPatients, parents and carers are open to considering expedited surgery for lesional epilepsies and would support a trial exploring this approach. Priorities from treatment were largely similar between participant subgroups, with seizure, quality of life and neuropsychological outcomes ranked highly. Accounting for these preferences will facilitate the delivery of a trial that is patient- and caregiver-focused, enhancing feasibility, satisfaction and benefit for prospective participants.

CEPOD—collaborative effort for patient outcome development

Background: Operating theatres available 24 h a day for emergency surgery (CEPOD theatres) were introduced in the early 1990s after recommendations of a Confidential Enquiries into Perioperative Deaths (CEPOD).1 However, their efficiency remains a challenge. Multiple interdependent factors interact for a patient to be operated on in a timely and safe way. This project attempted to identify inefficiencies in the process of getting an emergency patient to theatre and introduced improvements to the system to optimise use of theatre time. Methods: Over a 1-month period, we collected data on 95 patients who were operated on in the CEPOD theatre. Data collection was done between 0800 and 1800 every day, including weekends. The information collected included time of booking, time of surgery, CEPOD category, and length and reason for delay if applicable. The steps in preparation that were considered were preparation by the surgeon, anaesthetist and the ward, team briefing, sending and arrival to the CEPOD theatre. Results: There were missing data for three patients, with data for the remaining 92 analysed. In most of the cases (61%), a delay in one or more steps in the preparation was identified. Half of the bookings belonged to the urgent category (total 46) that required surgery within 2–6 h, but in 56% of these the target was not met. The median waiting time for immediate surgery was 1 h, for urgent surgery was 7 h and 7 min, and for an expedited surgery was 15 h. When analysing the cases with delays individually, there was a clear pattern in which one delay led to delays in the subsequent steps. Conclusion: There are many steps that could be taken to streamline the patient flow and reduce delays, with the potential to improve patient outcomes. We presented the data at clinical governance meetings of all surgical subspecialties and collated feedback on improving efficiency and engagement. The action plan included an 8 am CEPOD theatre ‘huddle’ where surgical specialties discuss their listed patients and agree a list order, a transparent and remotely accessible electronic booking system, a ‘golden’ patient prepared the previous day to be first on the list, a checklist to ensure each patient is adequately prepared, appointment of leads from surgical and anaesthetic teams to drive progress, and better engagement through taking collaborative decisions. A re-audit is in progress. 1.Buck N, Devlin HB, Lunn JN. The report of a confidential enquiry into perioperative deaths. London: Nuffield Provincial Hospitals Trust/King's Fund Publishing Office 1987. Available from https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/files/2017-01/confidential-enquiry-into-perioperative-death-web-final.pdf (accessed 20/03/23)

Income level as a prognostic factor in non-dedifferentiated liposarcoma.

e23558 Background: Liposarcoma is the most common soft tissue sarcoma and primarily arises in subcutaneous fat of the lower extremities. Previous research has shown socioeconomic factors (eg. Income, insurance status, facility type) to be strongly associated with patterns of care as well as overall survival in bone and soft tissue sarcoma patients. Using the NCDB, this study analyzed the association between income and survival in patients with non-dedifferentiated liposarcoma. Methods: The National Cancer Database (NCDB) was used to identify patients diagnosed with Liposarcoma from 2004 to 2019 using the histology codes 8850, 8851, 8852, 8853, 8855, and 8857 as assigned by the Commission on Cancer Accreditation program. Kaplan-Meier, ANOVA Chi-Square, and Cox Proportional Hazards tests were performed. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 27 and statistical significance was set at α = 0.05. Results: Of 4631 patients included in the sample, 1508 (32.5%) were from the highest income ( > $46,000) bracket. High-income patients experienced longer mean overall survival (149 months) compared to middle (136.5 months) and low (130 months) income patients (p < 0.001). After controlling for age, tumor size, stage, and surgery of primary site, low-income patients experienced higher hazard ratios relative to the middle- and high-income groups (HR1.56; p < 0.001). On presentation, higher income patients had less co-morbidities, and tumors which were less aggressive (grade) and advanced (NCDB stage & metastasis) (p < 0.001). Furthermore, they were more likely to undergo surgery (90.3%) and had the shortest interval between diagnosis and definitive surgical procedure (p < 0.001). No differences were seen in surgical margins, palliative care, tumor size, or radiation dose. Conclusions: This study found that high-income patients with non-dedifferentiated liposarcoma experience improved overall survival and expedited surgery compared to middle- and low-income groups. Further research could elucidate the true cause of this disparity.

Bridging pre-surgical endocrine therapy for breast cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic: outcomes from the B-MaP-C study

PurposeThe B-MaP-C study investigated changes to breast cancer care that were necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Here we present a follow-up analysis of those patients commenced on bridging endocrine therapy (BrET), whilst they were awaiting surgery due to reprioritisation of resources.MethodsThis multicentre, multinational cohort study recruited 6045 patients from the UK, Spain and Portugal during the peak pandemic period (Feb–July 2020). Patients on BrET were followed up to investigate the duration of, and response to, BrET. This included changes in tumour size to reflect downstaging potential, and changes in cellular proliferation (Ki67), as a marker of prognosis.Results1094 patients were prescribed BrET, over a median period of 53 days (IQR 32–81 days). The majority of patients (95.6%) had strong ER expression (Allred score 7–8/8). Very few patients required expedited surgery, due to lack of response (1.2%) or due to lack of tolerance/compliance (0.8%). There were small reductions in median tumour size after 3 months’ treatment duration; median of 4 mm [IQR − 20, 4]. In a small subset of patients (n = 47), a drop in cellular proliferation (Ki67) occurred in 26 patients (55%), from high (Ki67 ≥ 10%) to low (< 10%), with at least one month’s duration of BrET.DiscussionThis study describes real-world usage of pre-operative endocrine therapy as necessitated by the pandemic. BrET was found to be tolerable and safe. The data support short-term (≤ 3 months) usage of pre-operative endocrine therapy. Longer-term use should be investigated in future trials.

Assessing operative delay and complications in hip fracture patients on anticoagulants and antiplatelets

Hip fractures represent a prevalent geriatric cause of morbidity and mortality. The presence of multiple comorbidities requiring the use of an anticoagulant or antiplatelet medication adds complexity to management and influences outcomes. International guidelines suggest expedited surgery within 48 h; however, anticoagulant and antiplatelet medications commonly cause delays. Research exploring health outcomes in this group is unclear. Therefore, we aimed to determine the impact of anticoagulant and antiplatelet medications on operative delay and overall complications in hip fracture patients. A retrospective cohort study of hip fractures was performed at a tertiary hospital over a 3-year period from 1st January 2018 to 31st December 2020. Data collected included demographics, time to surgery, length of stay, postoperative blood transfusion, venous thromboembolism, acute coronary syndrome, stroke, infections in hospital and 120-day mortality. Patients were categorised based on the use of direct oral anticoagulants, warfarin and antiplatelet medications. In total, 474 patients were included and 43.5% were on an anticoagulant or antiplatelet medication. Patients on these medications had more than twice the rate of operative delay (41.7% versus 17.2%, p < 0.001) with the greatest in the direct oral anticoagulant group (92.7% delay). After controlling for age and gender, this was still significant for direct oral anticoagulant (p < 0.001) and antiplatelet group patients (p = 0.02). These patients also had a 20% increased overall complication rate (p < 0.001). On subgroup logistic regression, the increased complication rate was noted in the direct oral anticoagulant group (p = 0.006) and the antiplatelet group (p < 0.001) but not in the warfarin group (p = 0.25). Time to surgery beyond 48 h was associated with a double increase in the odds of a postoperative complication (p = 0.005). There is a significantly greater delay to surgery in hip fracture patients on anticoagulant or antiplatelet medications as well as a higher incidence of complications. Guidelines to expedite early safe surgery in this high-risk patient group are required.

Expedited epilepsy surgery prior to drug resistance in children: a frontier worth crossing?

Epilepsy surgery is an established safe and effective treatment for selected candidates with drug-resistant epilepsy. In this opinion piece, we outline the clinical and experimental evidence for selectively considering epilepsy surgery prior to drug resistance. Our rationale for expedited surgery is based on the observations that (i) a high proportion of patients with lesional epilepsies (e.g. focal cortical dysplasia, epilepsy-associated tumours) will progress to drug resistance; (ii) surgical treatment of these lesions, especially in non-eloquent areas of brain, is safe; and (iii) earlier surgery may be associated with better seizure outcomes. Potential benefits beyond seizure reduction or elimination include less exposure to antiseizure medications, which may lead to improved developmental trajectories in children and optimize long-term neurocognitive outcomes and quality of life. Further, there exists emerging experimental evidence that brain network dysfunction exists at the onset of epilepsy, where continuing dysfunctional activity could exacerbate network perturbations. This in turn could lead to expanded seizure foci and contribution to the comorbidities associated with epilepsy. Taken together, we rationalize that epilepsy surgery, in carefully selected cases, may be considered prior to drug resistance. Last, we outline the path forward, including the challenges associated with developing the evidence base and implementing this paradigm into clinical care.

Impact of Distance From the Hospital and Patient Transfer on Pediatric Testicular Torsion Outcomes

Background: Testicular torsion is the most common pediatric emergency that requires prompt diagnosis and surgical treatment to prevent testicular loss. Distance from the hospital where the patient will be undergoing treatment for testicular torsion and transfer from an outside facility are factors that may impact whether a testis is salvageable. We sought to determine whether these factors play a role in pediatric testicular torsion outcomes. Materials and Methods: We identified males aged 1-18 years with testicular torsion between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2020. The patients’ distance from our hospital and whether they were transferred from an outlying hospital were a particular focus. Results: The number of miles from our hospital and transfer from an outlying hospital were not significantly different between boys who underwent an orchiectomy versus an orchiopexy (p=0.258 and p=0.574, respectively). The number of miles from our hospital was negatively correlated to age at surgery (rho=-0.22, p=0.01). Significantly (p<0.001) more transfers were seen in patients who lived far (>22.1 miles) from our hospital (32/69 (46%)) versus near our hospital (10/68 (15%)). For every mile boys lived from our hospital, there was no difference (adjusted odds ratio (OR)=0.98 (0.96, 1.00), p=0.10) in the likelihood of receiving an orchiectomy versus an orchiopexy when adjusting for age, symptom duration, and degrees of torsion.Conclusions: Our study determined that neither distance from our hospital nor transfer from an outlying hospital affected the orchiectomy rate. An expedited medical evaluation and surgery offer the best prognosis for salvaging the testes.

P-OGC67 Gastric GISTs: Can presentation, Location and Radiological Features predict behaviour? – Experience in a UK cohort

Abstract Background Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs) most commonly arise in the stomach, vary significantly in behaviour and can be difficult to risk stratify accurately pre-operatively. They are increasingly being identified incidentally during endoscopies or cross-sectional imaging. They have malignant potential and but vary from very low to high-risk. Pre-operatively, histological diagnosis can be achieved by performing endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) guided fine-needle aspirate or biopsy, but samples often contain insufficient material. This study aims to assess other features help identify aggressiveness of GISTs pre-operatively to help guide management decisions. Methods This is a retrospective cohort study analysing patients treated surgically for GIST from 2011-2020 at a UK tertiary centre. Exclusion criteria were non-gastric GISTs and patients who received a different diagnosis post-operatively. Hospital electronic patient record and e-noting systems were used to collect data. Risk groups were stratified according to the NCCN risk classification for GIST. ‘Very low risk’ and ‘low risk’ groups were combined in the analysis to form the ‘lower risk’ group; ‘moderate risk’ and ‘high risk’ categories combined to form the ‘higher risk’ group. Statistical analyses were conducted using STATA version 15. Results 171 patients were included in total. OGD diagnosed gist on histology if ulcerated in 14.7% of cases. EUS biopsy was performed in 39% of cases pre-operatively – 84.6% of these were diagnostic. There was a higher proportion of higher risk GISTs in the GOJ/cardia region than lower risk GISTs (16.2% versus 6.7%), though this did not reach statistically significance (p = 0.32). A greater proportion of higher risk tumours were irregular in outline (p=.26), heterogenous (p = 0.003) and necrotic (p = 0.001) than lower risk tumours. In addition, higher risk tumours were significantly more likely to be exophytic than lower risk tumours, which were significantly more endophytic (p = 0.05). A ROC curve including all the variables had an AUC of 0.8971. Conclusions This is the largest analysis of gastric GISTs in a UK population. This study found that a higher proportion of higher risk tumours were irregular, heterogenous and necrotic than lower risk tumours. In this study, a greater proportion of higher risk tumours arose in the GOJ/cardia. In keeping with muscularis origin, endoscopic biopsy was found to be a poor diagnostic tool unless ulcerated. EUS and FNA biopsies had a much higher rate of histological confirmation. This knowledge might help facilitate a more individualised approach with non-operative surveillance in lower risk tumours or expedited surgery in higher risk lesions.

Management Trends and Outcomes of Patients Undergoing Radical Cystectomy for Urothelial Carcinoma of the Bladder: Evolution of the University of Southern California Experience over 3,347 Cases.

There are conflicting reports on outcome trends following radical cystectomy (RC) for bladder cancer. Evolution of modern bladder cancer management and its impact on outcomes was analyzed using a longitudinal cohort of 3,347 patients who underwent RC at an academic center between 1971 and 2018. Outcomes included recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). Associations were assessed using univariable and multivariable models. In all, 70.9% of cases underwent open RC in the last decade, although trend for robot-assisted RC rose since 2009. While lymphadenectomy template remained consistent, nodal submission changed to anatomical packets in 2002 with increase in yield (p <0.001). Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) use increased with time with concomitant decrease in adjuvant chemotherapy; this was notable in the last decade (p <0.001) and coincided with improved pT0N0M0 rate (p=0.013). Median 5-year RFS and OS probabilities were 65% and 55%, respectively. Advanced stage, NAC, delay to RC, lymphovascular invasion and positive margins were associated with worse RFS (all, multivariable p <0.001). RFS remained stable over time (p=0.73) but OS improved (5-year probability, 1990-1999 51%, 2010-2018 62%; p=0.019). Among patients with extravesical and/or node-positive disease, those who received NAC had worse outcomes than those who directly underwent RC (p ≤0.001). Despite perioperative and surgical advances, and improved pT0N0M0 rates, there has been no overall change in RFS trend following RC, although OS rates have improved. While patients who are downstaged with NAC derive great benefit, our real-world experience highlights the importance of preemptively identifying NAC nonresponders who may have worse post-RC outcomes.

Early Versus Delayed Microdiscectomy for Chronic Sciatica Lasting 4-12 Months Secondary to Lumbar Disc Herniation: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

To compare the effect of delaying surgery on clinical outcome in patients with chronic sciatica secondary to lumbar disc herniation. Patients with sciatica lasting 4-12months and lumbar disc herniation at the L4-L5 or L5-S1 level were randomized to undergo microdiscectomy (early surgery) or to receive 6months of nonoperative treatment followed by surgery if needed (delayed surgery). Outcomes were leg pain, Oswestry Disability Index score (ODI), back pain, SF-36 physical component (PCS) and mental component (MCS) summary scores, employment, and satisfaction measured preoperatively and at 6weeks, 3months, 6months, and 1year after surgery. Of the 64 patients in the early surgery group, 56 underwent microdiscectomy an average of 3 ± 2weeks after enrollment. Of the 64 patients randomized to nonoperative care, 22 patients underwent delayed surgery an average of 53 ± 24weeks after enrollment. The early surgery group experienced less leg pain than the delayed surgery group, which was the primary outcome, at 6months after surgery (early surgery 2.8 ± .4 vs delayed surgery 4.8 ± .7; difference, 2.0; 95% confidence interval, .5-3.5). The overall estimated mean difference between groups significantly favored early surgery for leg pain, ODI, SF36-PCS, and back pain. The adverse event rate was similar between groups. Patients presenting with chronic sciatica treated with delayed surgery after prolonging standardized non-operative care have inferior outcomes compared to those that undergo expedited surgery.

Waiting time for hip fracture surgery: hospital variation, causes, and effects on postoperative mortality : data on 37,708 operations reported to the Norwegian Hip fracture Register from 2014 to 2018.

AimsThis study aimed to describe preoperative waiting times for surgery in hip fracture patients in Norway, and analyze factors affecting waiting time and potential negative consequences of prolonged waiting time.MethodsOverall, 37,708 hip fractures in the Norwegian Hip Fracture Register from January 2014 to December 2018 were linked with data in the Norwegian Patient Registry. Hospitals treating hip fractures were characterized according to their hip fracture care. Waiting time (hours from admission to start of surgery), surgery within regular working hours, and surgery on the day of or on the day after admission, i.e. ‘expedited surgery’ were estimated.ResultsMean waiting time was 22.6 hours (SD 20.7); 36,652 patients (97.2%) waited less than three days (< 72 hours), and 27,527 of the patients (73%) were operated within regular working hours (08:00 to 16:00). Expedited surgery was given to 31,675 of patients (84%), and of these, 19,985 (53%) were treated during regular working hours. Patients classified as American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classes 4 and 5 were more likely to have surgery within regular working hours (odds ratio (OR) 1.59; p < 0.001), and less likely to receive expedited surgery than ASA 1 patients (OR 0.29; p < 0.001). Low-volume hospitals treated a larger proportion of patients during regular working hours than high volume hospitals (OR 1.26; p < 0.001). High-volume hospitals had less expedited surgery and significantly longer waiting times than low and intermediate-low volume hospitals. Higher ASA classes and Charlson Comorbidity Index increased waiting time. Patients not receiving expedited surgery had higher 30-day and one-year mortality rates (OR 1.19; p < 0.001) and OR 1.13; p < 0.001), respectively.ConclusionThere is inequality in waiting time for hip fracture treatment in Norway. Variations in waiting time from admission to hip fracture surgery depended on both patient and hospital factors. Not receiving expedited surgery was associated with increased 30-day and one-year mortality rates.Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2021;2(9):710–720.

287 COVID-19 and Surgical Specialties – Lessons Learnt: A Rural DGH Perspective

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic has seen the restructuring of surgical services worldwide. We aimed to evaluate pre-operative planning and post-operative outcomes in expedited colorectal surgery (ECRS), emergency general surgery (EGS), and emergency orthopaedic surgery (EOS) during the COVID-19 era at our rural hospital.MethodThis was a prospective observational cohort study. Electronic hospital systems identified adult patients who underwent ECRS, major EGS or EOS at our site, from the start of the UK lockdown.ResultsFollowing exclusion criteria, 98 patients were included in data analysis. Post-operative respiratory complications were seen in 27.8% of ECRS patients, 13.3% of EGS patients and 4% of EOS patients. 2 patients were diagnosed with COVID-19, with 1 COVID-19 associated mortality. Length of hospital stay was reduced for EOS in the COVID-19 setting and this was found to be statistically significant (p value <0.001).ConclusionsWhen compared to the literature, COVID-19 related complications in surgical patients were found to be lower at our rural hospital. This could be due to regional variation in the prevalence of COVID-19. If there were to be a second surge, we suggest NHS Trusts should be given the autonomy to make local decisions on modifying their elective caseload, rather than following a national ‘one-size-fits-all’ guideline.

A risk assessment strategy to re-introduce elective neurosurgery patients during COVID-19

Objectives To demonstrate the utilisation of a risk assessment protocol designed to prioritise elective neurosurgical patients against the risks of COVID-19. This tool can be applied to all other surgical specialties. Design Prospective case series of 166 patients. Setting Single-centre tertiary neurosurgical department. Participants All patients awaiting an elective neurosurgical procedure were included in this study. All emergency or life-threatening neurosurgical pathologies affecting patients were excluded. Main outcome measures The risk assessment tool identified patients with progressive neurology and stratified need for surgery against risk of harm during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results Using our risk stratification tool, 6.6% patients required expedited surgery and a further 11.4% patients were removed completely from the waiting list. The majority of patients 47%, required surgery within 3 months. Conclusions This simple tool encourages surgical departments to establish contact with patients during COVID-19. The clinician acquires up-to-date information regarding patient symptomatology and subsequently determines surgical priority, a timescale required for surgery and overall uses of NHS resources efficiently. We recommend the use of this tool for all neurosurgical departments, with a wider application to other surgical specialties during the ongoing pressures of elective backlogs secondary to the persistent COVID-19 pandemic.

Protocol for the UK cohort study to investigate the prevention of parastomal hernia (the CIPHER study).

Abdominal surgery sometimes necessitates the creation of a stoma, which can cause future complications including parastomal hernia (PSH), an incisional hernia adjacent to and related to the stoma. PSH affects approximately 40% of patients within 2years of stoma formation. Complications of PSH reduce a patient's quality of life and can be severe (e.g. bowel obstruction). PSHs are difficult to manage and can recur after surgical repair. Therefore, it is very important to prevent a PSH. Surgeons create stomas in different ways and both patient and surgical factors are believed to influence the development of PSH. The aim of the CIPHER study is to investigate the influence of different surgical techniques on the development of PSH. The UK cohort study to investigate the prevention of parastomal hernia (the CIPHER study) aims to recruit 4000 patients undergoing elective or expedited surgery with the intention of forming an ileostomy or colostomy, irrespective of the primary indication for the planned surgery. For each patient, surgeons will describe their methods of trephine formation, mesh reinforcement of the stoma trephine, use of the stoma as a specimen extraction site and wound closure. The primary outcome will be incident PSH during follow-up, defined as symptoms of PSH (custom-designed questionnaire) and anatomical PSH, ascertained by independent reading of usual care CT scans. Secondary outcomes will include surgical site infection, the Comprehensive Complication Index, quality of life (EQ-5D-5L and SF-12), PSH repair and use of NHS resources. Results of the study will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals. All publications relating to the results of CIPHER will use a corporate authorship, 'The CIPHER Study Investigators' with named writing committee members. The CIPHER study will be the first to investigate detailed surgical methods of stoma formation in a large, representative cohort of patients with a range of primary indications, both cancer and noncancer.

Effect of oral anticoagulants on hemostatic and thromboembolic complications in hip fracture: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

BackgroundHip fracture patients on oral anticoagulants (OACs) experience increased time‐to‐surgery and higher mortality compared to non‐anticoagulated patients. However, it is unclear whether pre‐injury OAC status and its associated operative delay are associated with worsening of peri‐operative hemostasis or an increased risk of postoperative thromboembolism. MethodsWe performed a systematic review to identify studies that directly compared hemostatic and thromboembolic outcomes among hip fracture patients on an OAC prior to admission with those not on anticoagulants. Random effects meta‐analyses were used to pool all outcomes of interest (estimated blood loss, transfusion requirements, and postoperative thromboembolism). ResultsTwenty‐one studies involving 21 417 patients were included. Estimated blood loss was higher among patients presenting with OACs compared to those not anticoagulated (mean difference 31.0 mL, 95% confidence interval [CI] 6.2‐55.7). Anticoagulated patients also had a 1.3‐fold higher risk of receiving red blood cell transfusions (odds ratio [OR] 1.34, 95% CI 1.20‐1.51); however, rates of postoperative thromboembolism were similar regardless of anticoagulation status (OR 0.96, 95% CI 0.40‐2.79 for venous thromboembolism; OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.25‐1.36 for arterial thromboembolism). No subgroup effect was found based on anticoagulant type or degree of surgical delay. ConclusionHip fracture patients on OACs experience increased surgical blood loss and higher risk of red blood cell transfusions. However, the degree of surgical delay did not mitigate this risk, and there was no difference in postoperative thromboembolism. The impact of appropriate, timely OAC reversal on blood conservation and expedited surgery in anticoagulated hip fracture patients warrants urgent evaluation.

Complications in image-guided musculoskeletal injections.

To establish the incidence and define the nature of complications occurring following image-guided musculoskeletal injections at our institution. All patients undergoing image-guided musculoskeletal injection during the study period (16/3/2016 to 24/01/2020) were included. Departmental records were reviewed to identify all patients describing possible complications following injection, what therapy was required (if any) and what the outcome was. No patients were excluded. Complications were classified as minor or major. Injections were categorised as follows: cervical spine, lumbar facet joint, lumbar nerve root, caudal epidural and 'other'. The complication rate for each individual category of procedure was compared with the combined complication rate for all other categories by constructing contingency tables and using Fisher's exact test. A total of 8226 patients underwent image-guided musculoskeletal injections within the study period. Exactly 100 patients were identified as having reported a complication, producing an overall complication rate of 1.2%. One complication was categorised as 'major', with the patient requiring expedited surgery. The remainder (99 patients) were categorised as having experienced minor complications. The incidence of complications after 'other' injections was significantly greater than for other categories of injection (1.86%, p = 0.028). There was no significant difference in the complication rate for cervical spine (0.93%, p = 0.257), lumbar nerve root (0.85%, p = 0.401), lumbar facet joint (0.67%, p = 0.326) or caudal epidural (1.29%, p = 0.687) injections. 'Other' injections were subsequently further sub-categorised by anatomical site and imaging modality used. Glenohumeral (2.97%, p = 0.0361) and sacro-iliac (3.51%, p = 0.0498) joint injections were associated with a significantly increased risk of complications. There was no difference in the incidence of complications with fluoroscopic or ultrasound guidance. In conclusion, image-guided musculoskeletal injections are safe and well-tolerated procedures. Complications are rare, occurring in just 1.2% of patients. 99% of complications are minor, either not requiring intervention or resolving with simple supportive treatment.

Early Morbidity but Not Mortality Increases With Surgery Delayed Greater Than 24 Hours in Patients With a Periprosthetic Fracture of the Hip

BackgroundStudies have identified a possible morbidity and mortality benefit with expedited time to surgery after a native hip fracture. This association after hip periprosthetic fractures (PPF) has been less clearly delineated. The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of time to surgery on rates of 30-day complications. MethodsThe National Surgical Quality Improvement Program registry was used to identify all patients who underwent surgical intervention for hip PPF between 2005 and 2016. Patients were stratified into 2 cohorts based on time from hospital admission to surgery, either ≤24 hours (expedited) or >24 hours (non-expedited). Thirty-day outcome variables were assessed using bivariate and multivariate analyses. ResultsWe identified 857 patients undergoing surgical intervention for hip PPF, of whom 402 (46.9%) underwent expedited surgery and 455 (53.1%) underwent non-expedited surgery. Patients with non-expedited surgery had an average time to surgery of 2.4 days (range, 1-14 days). Multivariate analysis adjusting for differences in baseline patient characteristics revealed that patients with a non-expedited procedure had higher rates of overall complications (odds ratio [OR] = 1.72; P = .014), respiratory complications (OR = 4.15; P = .0029), urinary tract infections (OR = 2.77; P = .020), nonhome discharge (OR = 2.22; P < .001), and blood transfusions (OR = 1.86; P < .001). There was no statistical difference in mortality (P = .093). Patients with non-expedited surgery also had longer total and postoperative (+2.7 days; P < .001) length of stay. ConclusionThis study did not identify any statistical difference in mortality but found an association with increased postoperative complications and non-expedited surgery for PPF. Additional prospective studies may be warranted to identify the causative factors behind this association.

Outcomes of expedited rotator cuff surgery in injured workers: Impact of pathology on readiness for return to work.

The objectives of this study were to (1) examine the overall recovery and satisfaction following an expedited rotator cuff (RC) decompression or repair at 3-6 months and (2) explore group differences (repair vs. decompression) in demographics, clinical, disability, and psychosocial factors. This was a prospective longitudinal study of injured workers whose surgery was expedited. The outcome measures were Quick disabilities of the arm, shoulder, and hand ( QuickDASH), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the readiness for return to work (RRTW) scale, and satisfaction with surgery and overall recovery. Of 118 patients participated in the study, 106 patients, age: 51 (9), 71 males (67%) completed the study. Sixty-four (60%) patients underwent a RC repair and 42 (40%) had RC decompression. Patients improved on average in QuickDASH ( p = 0.004), anxiety ( p = 0.003), and depression scores ( p = 0.004). The majority of patients (75%) were satisfied with surgery. In the decompression group, the pre-contemplation (PC) stage of the RRTW which documents the absence of desire or planning for return to work in the non-working sample ( r = 0.81, p = 0.008) and the uncertain maintenance (UM) stage of the RRTW which explores the worker's struggle to stay at work in the working sample correlated with physical disability as measured by the QuickDASH scores ( r = 0.62, p = 0.0001). In the repair group, the above domains correlated with the depression HADS scores (PC: r = 0.64, p = 0.001 and UM: r = 0.57, p < 0.0001). Expedited RC surgery improved physical disability and mental well-being and was associated with a relatively high satisfaction at a maximum of 6 months. The poorer report of readiness for return to work was associated with higher physical disability in the decompression group and higher report of depression in the repair group. These differential associations may emphasize the importance of physical versus psychological management in patients with different levels of pathology.