High-volume Hospitals Research Articles

Observational study of the extent of lymph node metastasis among patients who underwent pancreatoduodenectomy for non-ampullary duodenal cancer using the National Clinical Database in Japan.

798 Background: Non-ampullary duodenal cancer (NPDC) is a rare cancer that occurs in 0.3% of all cancers of the gastrointestinal tract. The first Japanese guidelines for this entity were published in 2021, and resection by pancreatoduodenectomy was weakly recommended as a standard treatment. Although presence of regional lymph node metastasis was identified as a prognostic factor among patients who underwent resection with curative intent, the recommendation concerning the optimal extent of lymphadenectomy based on big data was lacking. Methods: We conducted an observational study of patients who underwent pancreatoduodenectomy for NPDC between 2018 and 2021 in Japan, using the National Clinical Data (NCD) database. The NCD database is web-based, is linked with the board certification systems of several domestic surgical societies and covers >95% of the operations carried out by surgeons at 5,728 institutions in Japan. All cases of pancreatoduodenectomy for NPSC were retrieved from the NCD database after rigorously checking appropriateness of the patient selection, and surgeons in charge of these patients were invited by e-mails to fill in some additional data for this study during a time slot of Oct 2022 ~March 2023. Data thus obtained were the analyzed with particular focus on the incidence of metastases to each lymph node station, stratified by the tumor location in relation to the papilla. In addition, safety of surgery was compared between high-volume (institutions conducting ≥30 major hepatobiliary-pancreatic surgery) and low-volume (<30) hospitals. The study was funded in part by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare as a project to create guidelines for rare cancers. Results: Data of 881 patients from 600 institutions were obtained for the analysis. Male constituted 68% and the median age was 70 years. The depth of invasion and presence of nodal metastasis were significant prognostic factors. The median number of lymph node retrieval was similar between the high-volume and low-volume hospitals (19: 95%CI 12~27 versus 18: 95% CI 11~25). Distribution of metastatic nodes depended on the location of tumor. Incidence of nodal metastasis exceeded 10% in lymph node station Nos. 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 in cancers located on the oral side of the papilla. Thus, stomach-conserving pancreatoduodenectomy was considered appropriate only for cancers located distal to the papilla. The incidences of Grade IIIb~IVb complications (4% versus 7.1%), Grade V complications (0.4% versus 1.9%), and mortality within 30 days (0.4% versus 2.6%) were lower in high-volume hospitals. Conclusions: Stomach-preserving pancreatoduodenectomy is recommended only for NDPC located distal to the papilla. Centralization of surgery may be desirable.

The association between hospital volume and overall survival in adult AML patients treated with intensive chemotherapy.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) requires specialized care, particularly when administrating intensive remission induction chemotherapy (ICT). High-volume hospitals are presumed more adept at delivering this complex treatment, resulting in better overall survival (OS) rates. Despite its potential implications for quality improvement, research on the volume-outcome relationship in ICT administration for AML is scarce. This nationwide, population-based study in the Netherlands explored the volume-outcome relationship in AML. Data from the Netherlands Cancer Registry on adult (≥18 years of age) ICT-treated AML patients, diagnosed between 2014 and 2018, were analyzed. Hospital volume was assessed against OS using mixed-effects Cox regression, adjusting for patient and disease characteristics (i.e. case mix), with hospital as a random effect. Our study population consisted of a total of 1761 patients (57% male), with a median age of 61 years. The average annual number of ICT-treated patients varied across the 24 hospitals (range 1-56, median 13, and interquartile range 8-20 patients per hospital per year). Overall, an increase of 10 ICT-treated patients annually was associated with an 8% lower mortality risk [hazard ratio (HR) 0.92, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.87-0.98, P= 0.01]. This association was not significant at 30-day (HR 1.02, 95% CI 0.89-1.17, P= 0.75) and 42-day (HR 0.96, 95% CI 0.85-1.08, P= 0.54) OS but became apparent after 100-day OS (HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.83-0.99, P= 0.05). There is a volume-outcome association within AML care. This finding could support hospital volume as a metric in AML care. However, it should be acknowledged that centralizing care is a complex process with implications for health care providers and patients. Therefore, any move toward centralization must be judiciously balanced.

P-1668. Perioperative Antibiotic Use for Heart Transplantation at Children’s Hospitals in the United States

Abstract Background Data on perioperative antibiotic use for pediatric heart transplantation are scarce, although such information can inform the optimal approaches for perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis. Methods We identified children undergoing heart transplantation in the Pediatric Health Information System database. The primary outcomes of interest were perioperative antibiotics other than cefazolin single therapy and prolonged duration (defined as more than 1 postoperative calendar days) of postoperative antibiotics.Figure 1.Rate of the Use of Cefazolin Single Therapy at the Time of Transplantation Surgery in Children’s Hospitals by Transplantation VolumeHospitals that performed 50 or more transplantations were included in this FigureThe hospital with the rate of 0% (#28) was a 4th-quartile transplantation volume hospital Results Cefazolin was used predominantly (i.e. > 50% of cases) as part of the perioperative antibiotic regimen at 22 of 28 (78.6%) hospitals, while only 12 of 28 hospitals (42.9%) predominantly used cefazolin as a single therapy. The predominant use of two or more antibiotics (with or without cefazolin) perioperatively was seen in 12 of 28 hospitals (42.9%). The median postoperative duration of antibiotics was 2 calendar days (interquartile range: 1-3). Patients undergoing transplantation at higher transplantation volume hospitals were less likely to receive antibiotics other than cefazolin single therapy or to receive prolonged duration (odds ratio, OR: 0.45 [95% confidence interval, CI: 0.38-0.53], and OR: 0.76 [95%CI: 0.63-0.91], respectively, for the 4th quartile hospitals).Figure 2.Factors Associated with the Use of Perioperative Antibiotic Other Than Cefazolin Single Therapy among Children Undergoing Heart Transplantationa obtained using multivariable logistic regressionAbbreviations: CI, confidence interval; ECMO, extracorporeal membrane oxygenationHospitals that performed 50 or more transplantations were included Conclusion Perioperative antibiotic use for heart transplantation varies substantially across children’s hospitals. Higher transplantation volume hospitals were more likely to use cefazolin single therapy and shorter durations of antibiotics although there remain rooms for improvement. Careful review of the best available evidence should be incorporated in developing institutional perioperative antibiotic approaches for heart transplantation, particularly at low-volume hospitals.Figure 3:Factors Associated with Postoperative Duration of Antibiotics More Than 1 Calendar Daysa obtained using multivariable logistic regressionAbbreviations: CI, confidence interval; ECMO, extracorporeal membrane oxygenationHospitals that performed 50 or more transplantations were included Disclosures Kengo Inagaki, MD, AstraZeneka: Grant/Research Support

Incidence and treatment of anastomotic leakage after esophagectomy in German acute care hospitals: a retrospective cohort study.

Anastomotic leakage (AL) is a major concern following esophagectomy due to the associated morbidity and mortality. The impact of hospital volume on postoperative outcomes after esophagectomy has previously been reported. The aim of this study was to analyze the current trends in postoperative anastomotic leakage and associated failure-to-rescue after esophagectomy in relation to hospital volume in German acute care hospitals using real-world data from the German Diagnosis-Related Groups (G-DRG) database. A retrospective secondary data analysis of the G-DRG database was performed for all in-hospital cases of patients undergoing esophagectomy from 2013 to 2021. AL and in-house mortality rates were assessed in relation to hospital case volume and endoscopic treatment modalities. The study included 32335 cases. The mean reported AL rate was 17.1% with a mean failure-to-rescue rate of 18.9%. AL rates did not differ between hospitals with an annual case-volume ≤ 25 procedures/year vs.>25 procedures/year (16.8% vs. 17.6%, OR 1.06, P =0.07). However, in high-volume centers (> 25 procedures/year), in-hospital mortality for cases with AL (failure-to-rescue) was lower compared to medium-volume (10-25 cases/year) and low-volume (1-9 cases/year) centers (14.2% vs. 21.5% vs. 25.1%). The use of EVT increased over time, reaching 58.1% of AL cases in 2021 compared to 14.2% in 2013, while the use of self-expanding metal stents (SEMS) decreased from 37.0% in 2013 to 9.3% in 2021. AL rates after esophagectomy remain high. In-house mortality is significantly lower in high-volume hospitals highlighting the importance to consider improvements in centralization of procedures. Further efforts are needed to reduce AL rates and improve outcomes after esophagectomy.

The Effects of Hospital Delivery Volume and Travel Time on Perinatal Mortality and Delivery in Transit: Causal Inference with Triangulation.

Hospital regionalization involves balancing hospital volume and travel time. We investigated how hospital volume and travel time affect perinatal mortality and the risk of delivery in transit using three different study designs. This nationwide cohort study used data from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway (1999-2016) and Statistics Norway. We compared estimates across three designs: (1) Observed confounder adjustment: Comparing women giving birth at hospitals of different sizes and travel times (1,066,332 births), (2) Sibling comparison: Comparing women who moved between hospital catchment areas between births (203,464 births), (3) Neighbor comparison: comparing women living in neighboring municipalities, but in different hospital catchment areas (460,776 births). The study population included 5080 (0.48%) perinatal deaths and 7063 deliveries in transit (0.66%). For hospitals with 2000 compared with 500 births/year, observed confounder adjustment showed 1.81 times higher perinatal mortality (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.21-2.73). However, sibling and neighbor comparisons showed a factor 0.64 (95% CI 0.43-0.97) and 0.61% (95% CI 0.43-0.88) lower perinatal mortality, respectively. Increased travel time was strongly associated with higher perinatal mortality using observed confounder adjustment, but this was not supported by the other designs. Longer travel time was consistently linked to an increased risk of delivery in transit. Perinatal mortality was higher in high-volume hospitals when adjusting for observed confounders. However, triangulating inferences from the other designs suggested the opposite, estimating that observed confounder control was insufficient. This supports the idea that access to higher-volume hospitals could improve perinatal outcomes at the population level.

Impact of hospital volume on survival in patients with locally advanced colon cancer - A Dutch population-based study.

Locally advanced colon cancer (LACC) often necessitates complex prognosis-determining treatment. This study investigated the impact of hospital volume on short- and long-term outcomes following surgery for LACC. Data involving all patients with LACC categorized as clinical T4 and/or N2, between 2015 and 2019 in the Netherlands, were extracted from the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Hospitals were stratified into low volume (1-19 LACC resections per year), medium volume (20-29 LACC resections per year) and high volume (≥30 LACC resections per year). Data were analysed using Kaplan-Meier curves, logistic regression analysis and Cox-regression models. A total of 49 298 patients were diagnosed with colon cancer, of whom 9206 (18.7%) had locally advanced disease. Of these 9206 patients, resection was performed in 8537 with a median age of 71 (interquartile range: 63-78) years. Patients were more likely to undergo laparoscopic procedures in high-volume hospitals than in low-volume hospitals (OR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.12-1.46). No risk differences in anastomotic leakage or postoperative 90-day mortality were observed according to hospital volume. Five-year overall survival rates were comparable among high-, medium- and low-volume hospitals (58.7% vs. 58.0% vs. 60.0%, p = 0.62). Hospital volume was not associated with overall survival in multivariable analysis. Independent predictors of worse overall survival included older age, higher American Society of Anaesthesiologists score, emergency/urgent setting, anastomotic leakage, higher pTNM status, involved resection margins and no adjuvant chemotherapy. Despite the complexity of surgical treatment, hospital volume was not associated with survival in LACC. Hospital volume might be an imperfect surrogate for quality assessment.

Assessing the Impact of Distance Traveled and Birth Volumes of Hospital Maternity Units on Newborn Outcomes: Population-Based Cohort Study.

The centralization of childbirth and newborn care in large maternity units has become increasingly prevalent in Europe. While this trend offers potential benefits such as specialized care and improved outcomes, it can also lead to longer travel and waiting times, especially for women in rural areas. This study aimed to evaluate the association between hospital maternity unit (HMU) volumes, road travel distance (RTD) to the hospital, and other neonatal outcomes. We conducted a population-based cohort study including all live births in hospitals without intensive care units between 2016 and 2019 in the Lombardy region, Italy. Given the hierarchical structure of our data (births nested within hospitals), we employed log-binomial regression models with random intercepts to estimate relative risks and 95% CIs for evaluating the association between HMU volumes (≥1500 births/year) and RTD (<5 km) with the risk of being transferred and/or death after birth (primary outcome). Secondary outcomes included a low Apgar score at 5 minutes and low adherence to antenatal care (ANC). We controlled for several potential confounders including adherence to the ANC pathway for the primary and low Apgar outcomes. To explore the influence of HMU volumes on the primary outcome, we identified the fractional polynomial model that best described this relationship. Of 65,083 live births, 71% (n=45,955) occurred in low-volume hospitals (<1000 births/year), 21% (n=13,560) involved long-distance travel (>15 km), 1% (n=735) were transferred and/or died after birth, 0.5% (n=305) had a low Apgar score at 5 minutes, and 64% (n=41,317) completely adhered to ANC. The risk of transfer and/or death increased as HMU volume decreased, ranging from 1% for hospitals with 1000-1500 births/year to a 3.6-fold high risk for hospitals with <500 births/year (compared to high-volume hospitals). Travel distance did not affect the primary outcome. Neither HMU volume nor RTD were associated with low Apgar scores. Conversely, the risk of complete adherence to ANC decreased with lower HMU volumes but increased with shorter RTD. Additionally, high-volume hospitals demonstrated a decreasing trend in the frequency of the primary outcome, with transfer and/or death rates ranging from 2% to 0.5% and flattening to 0.5% in hospitals, with activity volume ≥1000 mean births/year. Our findings showed an excess risk of neonatal transfer and/or death for live births in HMUs with low activity volumes without an intensive care unit. In contrast, RTD primarily affected adherence to ANC. Moreover, data suggest that 1000 births/year could be an optimal cutoff for maternity hospitals to ensure an appropriate standard of care at delivery.

Predictors of good prognosis for pediatric drowning patients.

We evaluated prognostic factors for pediatric drowning patients. The association between functional outcomes and clinical factors was investigated. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using data for pediatric drowning patients from the Korean Community-based Severe Trauma Survey from 2016 to 2020. The primary outcome was a good prognosis at discharge, defined as a Glasgow Outcome Scale score of 1. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate independent factors associated with the primary outcome. From 237,616 patients, we identified 406 drowning patients aged <19 years (mean age, 8.8 years). At discharge, 41.0% of those patients had a good recovery. The absence of prehospital cardiac arrest (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 98.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 32.9-295.8), indoor location (aOR, 4.0; 95% CI, 1.7-9.3), and transfer to a high-volume hospital (aOR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.1-5.8) were significant independent factors associated with a good outcome. Age, sex, the intent of injury, and prehospital time were not associated with the outcome. Our study identified independent prognostic factors for drowning patients, highlighting the importance of prehospital conditions and hospital care settings in determining outcomes. These findings could be useful in developing clinical strategies for managing such patients.

Patient access to perioperative chemotherapy with fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin and docetaxel in patients with resectable gastric cancer in the Netherlands.

The FLOT4 trial demonstrated superior survival of perioperative chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil, oxaliplatin, and docetaxel (FLOT) compared to anthracycline triplets for resectable gastric cancer. These results were presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) congress in June 2017 and published in April 2019. However, adoption of novel treatments in clinical practice often encounters delays. This study assesses the patterns of perioperative chemotherapy utilization and FLOT uptake in clinical practice within the Netherlands. A retrospective cohort study was conducted with resectable gastric cancer patients (cT1-4a,XcNallcM0) between 2015-2020 from the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Descriptive statistics, Cochran-Armitage tests, Fisher's exact or unpaired T-tests, and Jonckheere-Terpstra tests were used to analyze chemotherapy trends and FLOT uptake across hospitals. Among 3290 included patients, 42.9% received neoadjuvant treatment. In 2015, 43.6% of patients received perioperative chemotherapy versus 43.5% in 2020 (p=0.63). 40 out of 62 hospitals (64.5%) adopted FLOT between the ASCO presentation and the full publication. FLOT increased from 42.9% before publication to 86.8% after publication (p<0.0001), while anthracycline triplet use decreased to 0.9% (p<0.0001). Higher hospital volume was associated with fewer days to adoption (p=0.04) but not with adoption of FLOT before publication (p=0.14). Timing of FLOT adoption varied among Dutch hospitals, leading to unequal patient access to effective treatments. Establishing (inter)national guidelines on provisional treatment adjustment pending publication is crucial to reduce variation in access. Moreover, rapid publication of final trial results is imperative to reduce variation in practice and ensure fair patient treatment.

Assessment of intermediate-term mortality following pancreatectomy for cancer.

Pancreatic cancer remains highly lethal, and resection represents the only chance for cure. Although patients are counseled regarding short-term (0-3 months) mortality, little is known about mortality 3-6 months (intermediate-term) following surgery. We assessed predictors of intermediate-term mortality, evaluated hospital-level variation, and developed a nomogram to predict intermediate-term mortality risk. Patients undergoing pancreatic cancer resection were identified from the National Cancer Database (2010-2020). Multivariable logistic regression identified predictors of intermediate-term mortality and assessed differences between short-term and intermediate-term mortality. Multinomial regression grouped by intermediate-term mortality quartiles evaluated hospital-level variation. A neural network model was constructed to predict intermediate-term mortality risk. All statistical tests were 2-sided. Of 45 297 patients, 3974 (8.9%) died within 6 months of surgery of which 2216 (5.1%) were intermediate-term. Intermediate-term mortality was associated with increasing T category, positive nodes, lack of systemic therapy, and positive margins (all P < .05) compared with survival beyond 6 months. Compared with short-term mortality, intermediate-term mortality was associated with treatment at high-volume hospitals, positive nodes, neoadjuvant systemic therapy, adjuvant radiotherapy, and positive margins (all P < .05). Median intermediate-term mortality rate per hospital was 4.5% (interquartile range [IQR] = 2.6-6.5). Highest quartile hospitals had decreased odds of treatment with neoadjuvant systemic therapy, neoadjuvant radiotherapy, and adjuvant radiotherapy (all P < .05). The neural network nomogram was highly accurate (accuracy = 0.9499; area under the receiver operating characteristics curve = 0.7531) in predicting individualized intermediate-term mortality risk. Nearly 10% of patients undergoing pancreatectomy for cancer died within 6 months, of which one-half occurred in the intermediate term. These data have real-world implications to improve shared decision making when discussing curative-intent pancreatectomy.

Clinical, epidemiological, and care profile of hospitalized patients with retinoblastoma in Brazil.

To describe the epidemiological and clinical profile of hospitalized patients with retinoblastoma in Brazil. Using data from the Hospital Cancer Registry of the Instituto Nacional de Câncer, patients with the morphological codes of retinoblastoma who were diagnosed between 2000 to 2018, aged 0-19 years, and followed up in registered hospitals (analytical cases) were selected. The relative and absolute frequencies of demographic, clinical, diagnostic, therapeutic, and outcome variables were described. Hospital performance indicators were calculated and compared between hospitals qualified and not qualified to treat pediatric oncology cases and between hospitals with different case volumes (<20, 20-75, >75 cases). Of the 2,269 identified analytical cases from 86 institutions, 48% were from the Southeast, 54% were male, and 66% were aged <4 years. The proportion of missing data (NA) was too high for several variables. Approximately 84% of the patients were from the public health system, 40% had a positive family history, and 88% had unilateral involvement. The first treatment included surgery in 58.3% of the patients (NA=2), Approximately 36.6% of these patients achieved complete remission, 10.8% achieved partial remission, and 12.7% died (NA=59%). Hospital performance indicators were within the target in >90% of the patients. The median time between the first appointment and diagnosis (6 days, interquartile range [IQR] 1-14) was significantly lower and the median time to death was longer (343 days, IQR, 212-539) in high-volume hospitals (>75 cases) than in medium- and low-volume hospitals. Despite the high proportion of missing data, we found that the delay in diagnosis is due to prehospital factors. Additionally, there is a need for educational programs for healthcare professionals and families that emphasize early identification and referral to specialized centers. Future studies should focus on the impact of Hospital Cancer Registry data completeness on outcomes, causes of delay in diagnosis, regional inequalities, and barriers to accessing specialized services.

Predictive Factors of Inpatient Rehabilitation Stay and Post-Discharge Burden of Care After Joint Replacement for Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis: A Retrospective Study on 1678 Patients

The global demand for end-stage hip and knee osteoarthritis surgical treatment is rising, as is the need of optimal postoperative rehabilitation. Patient stratification is key to provide rehabilitation professionals and policy makers with real-life data in support of early discharge planning and continuous care provision. The aim of this retrospective, observational study was to investigate which factors can predict the burden of care at discharge (BCD) and the inpatient rehabilitation length of stay (LOS) based on a set of demographic, societal, clinical and organizational data collected from a high-volume orthopedic hospital. We included 45.306 variables from 1678 patients. All variables were initially tested individually using a linear regression model for inpatient rehabilitation LOS and a logistic regression model for BCD. Variables that resulted significant (p &lt; 0.05) were subsequently considered in a single, comprehensive linear regression model, or a single, logistic regression model, respectively. Age, living with a family, occupational status, baseline Barthel Index and duration of surgery were predictors of inpatient rehabilitation LOS and BCD. Sex, primary or secondary osteoarthritis, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, body mass index, transfusion, biological risk, type of anesthesia, day of surgery, numeric pain rating scale and baseline cognitive function at baseline were not. Including specific patient comorbidities, surgical access technique and chronic use of pharmacological therapy can improve the predictive power of the model.

A retrospective study assessing RefluxStop surgery for gastroesophageal reflux disease: Clinical outcomes in 79 patients from Germany.

This study reports outcomes of the RefluxStop procedure treating gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in clinical practice at a high-volume regional hospital in Germany. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 79 patients with chronic GERD that underwent the RefluxStop procedure, comprising high mediastinal dissection, loose cruroplasty, esophagogastroplication between vagal trunks, and fundus invagination of the RefluxStop implant. The primary outcome was GERD Health-Related Quality-of-Life (GERD-HRQL) score and improvement from baseline. Secondary outcomes included proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use and intra- and postoperative complications, including dysphagia, esophageal dilatation, and reoperation. Baseline characteristics (n=79) included large hiatal hernia >3cm (32.4%) and previous antireflux surgery (20.3%). At mean (SD) follow-up of 11 (4.4) months ranging from 4 to 19months, the median (IQR) and mean (SD) improvements in GERD-HRQL score were 100% (90.2-100%) and 92.4% (13.9%) from baseline, respectively. Significant reduction in PPI use was observed from a baseline of 94.9% to 2.5% at follow-up. All cases of preoperative dysphagia (7.6%) completely resolved. New-onset, mild dysphagia occurred in one subject (1.3%) at final follow-up. One subject (1.3%) experienced asymptomatic device migration into the stomach, likely due to surgical technique with a much too tight invagination, with subsequent conversion to Toupet fundoplication. Analysis of this cohort that underwent RefluxStop surgery indicates excellent safety and effectiveness over this short-term follow-up. Significant improvements in quality of life and PPI use were observed in a population where half had either large hiatal hernia >3cm or reoperation for previously failed antireflux surgery, a demographic with usually much higher complication rates.

Outcomes After Thoracoscopic and Open Repair of Esophageal Atresia With Tracheoesophageal Fistula at US Children's Hospitals.

Thoracoscopic repair of esophageal atresia with tracheoesophageal fistula (EA/TEF) has been reported to have superior outcomes to the open approach. We sought to evaluate adoption of thoracoscopic repair at US children's hospitals and compare outcomes to open repair. The Pediatric Health Information System database was used to identify patients with EA/TEF who underwent repair between 2016 and 2023. Patients with birthweight less than 1800g and/or repair after the first 3 days of life were excluded. Postoperative complications, length of stay, and opioid requirements were assessed. Inclusion criteria were met in 618 patients. Eighty thoracoscopic repairs were reported (13%). The proportion of thoracoscopic operations did not change over the study period. Infants managed with a thoracoscopic or open approach were demographically similar. Thoracoscopic repair was associated with a higher incidence of anastomotic stricture (39% vs. 26%, p=0.02), recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury (11% vs 3%, p=0.001), and fewer days of postoperative opioid (5.2 vs. 6.5, p=0.04). Other operative complications, LOS, and duration of TPN did not differ based on operative approach. A small proportion of EA/TEF repairs in US children's hospitals were completed thoracoscopically and adoption of this approach did not increase between 2016 and 2023. Anastomotic stricture and RLN injury were significantly more likely after thoracoscopic repair. Although opioids were administered for one day fewer after thoracoscopic operations, no other metrics favored this approach. These data contrast with recent literature and suggest that the experience of high-volume hospitals may underestimate the morbidity of thoracoscopic EA/TEF repair and overestimate its benefits.

Is There a Pediatric Role for the General Thoracic Surgeon in a General Hospital? A 22-Year Single-Center Experience.

Background: Although general thoracic surgery is usually focused on adult patients, there are some settings of pediatric diseases which can benefit from thoracic surgical procedures. In this study, we retrospectively reviewed the contribution of general thoracic surgeons to pediatric patients in a high-volume hospital. Methods: From September 2002 to August 2024, 8897 consecutive patients were operated on; among them, 202 patients (2.2%) were younger than 18. Age, sex, operatory setting, side, indications, procedures, procedure duration, and perioperative mortality were collected for each patient. Results: Among the 202 patients younger than 18, 27 (13.3%) were 0-6 yo; 13 (6.4%) were 6-12 yo; 162 (80.1%) were 12-18 yo. In the first group, metapneumonic pleural effusion was the most frequent indication (44.4%) and chest drain the most frequent procedure (51.8%). No perioperative mortality was reported. In the second group, metapneumonic pleural effusion was the most frequent indication (30.7%) and chest drain the most frequent procedure (46.1%). No perioperative mortality was reported. In the third group, pneumothorax was the most frequent indication (41.3%) and bullectomy the most frequent procedure; (41.3%); one intraoperative death (0.4%) was reported in a case of major trauma. Conclusions: A general thoracic surgeon can effectively contribute to the surgical care of pediatric patients; in younger patients (<12 yo) urgent procedures related to infections are the most commonly performed; on the other hand, in patients aged between 12 and 18, elective procedures are more commonly performed, these being sympathectomy for hyperhidrosis and bullectomy for pneumothorax the most frequent.

Center Volume Not Associated with Survival Benefit of Inter-hospital Transfer for Pediatric CardiacSurger.

To evaluate the relationship between center volume and inpatient mortality after inter-hospital transfer among patients undergoing pediatric cardiac surgery using contemporary real-world data. The Kids' Inpatient Database (KID) was queried for cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) cases (CPB) for years 2016 and 2019. Hospitals were divided into three groups based on terciles of volume: "low": ≤103 cases/year, "mid":104-194 cases/year, and "high": >194 cases/year. Multilevel regression models were created to evaluate the association of volume and inpatient mortality for transferred patients for the entire cohort as well as high-complexity cases. (Risk Stratification for Congenital Heart Surgery (RACHS-2) categories 3,4 and 5). Of 25,749 patients undergoing cases on CPB, 3,511 (13.6%) were preoperative inpatient transfers between hospitals. Compared to direct admissions, unadjusted mortality for patients who were transferred was higher in all groups: 1.7% vs. 5.6% (low-volume), 1.1% vs. 4.6% (mid-volume) and 1.1% vs. 4.9% (high-volume). Compared to low-volume hospitals, inpatient mortality for patients admitted on transfer was not significantly different in mid-volume (OR = 0.85, 95% CI 0.54-1.34, p = 0.483) and high-volume centers (OR = 0.7, 95% CI 0.45-1.12, p = 0.127) for the entire cohort. There was no significant difference in risk-adjusted inpatient mortality for high-complexity cases performed at mid-volume (OR 1.06, p = 0.845, 95% CI (0.62-1.85)) or high-volume hospitals (OR 0.82, p = 0.482, 95% CI (0.48-1.45)). Annual CPB case volume may not accurately predict risk-adjusted inpatient mortality for children transferred for heart surgery. Annual case volume alone should not dictate transfer practices in pediatric heart surgery.

Hospital obstetric volume and maternal outcomes: Does hospital size matter?

AbstractIntroductionIn recent decades, centralization of health care has resulted in a number of obstetric unit closures. While studies support better infant outcomes in larger facilities, few have investigated maternal outcomes. We investigated obstetric unit closures over time and whether obstetric volume is associated with onset of labor, postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) and obstetric anal sphincter injury (OASIS).Material and MethodsAll births registered in Sweden between 1992 and 2019 (Medical Birth Register, N = 2 931 140), linked with data on sociodemographic characteristics and maternal/infant diagnoses, were used to describe obstetric unit closures. After excluding congenital malformations, obstetric volume was categorized (low: 0–1999, medium: 2000–3999, high: ≥4000 births per year). Restricting to 2004 onwards (after most closures), the association between volume and onset of labor (spontaneous as reference) was estimated. Restricting to spontaneous, full‐term (≥37 weeks gestation) cephalic births, we then investigated the association between volume and PPH and, after excluding planned cesarean sections, OASIS. Odds ratios from multilevel (logistic) models clustered by hospital were estimated.ResultsThe 20 dissolved obstetric units (1992–2019) had relatively stable volume until their closure. Compared to the average, women birthing in the highest volume hospitals were older (31.3 years vs. 30.4) and a higher proportion had &gt;12 years of education (57 vs. 51%). Compared to high‐volume hospitals, there was no significant difference in labor starting by elective cesarean section or induction, rather than spontaneously, among low (OR 0.88, 95% CI: 0.73–1.06) and medium (OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.71–1.01) volume hospitals. There were lower odds of PPH among low (OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.63–0.85) and medium (OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.72–0.97) volume hospitals. No significant association was found between obstetric volume and OASIS (low: OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.82–1.18; medium: OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.77–1.05).ConclusionsThere was not a strong relationship between obstetric volume and maternal outcomes. Reduced odds of PPH for women birthing in smaller units may be due to triaging high‐risk pregnancies to larger hospitals. While there was no significant association between obstetric volume and onset of labor or OASIS, other important factors related to closures, such as workload and overcrowding, should be investigated.

Abstract 4128599: Facility-level Variation Underlying Low Inferior Vena Cava Filter Retrieval in the United States

Background: Inferior vena cava (IVC) filters are commonly implanted in patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE) who are unable to receive anticoagulation, to protect against clot migration to the heart. With prolonged implantation, IVC filters are associated with complications: device fracture, migration, penetration into adjacent organs and worsened VTE. Two Federal Drug Administration advisories and multi-society guidelines have emphasized the importance of timely retrieval but national retrieval rates remain low (&lt;30%). Aims: To quantify hospital-level variation in IVC filter retrieval , describe time-based retrieval rates and examine factors associated with retrieval. Methods: IVC Filter implantation for all patients &gt;= 18 years was identified in the 2016-2020 inpatient and outpatient 100% limited data set Medicare files using claims codes. Hospital information for the implanting facility was cross-linked from the American Hospital Association and Healthcare Cost Report Information System files, including identifying information, teaching status, census location, operating margin and % uncompensated care. IVC filter retrieval rates and time to retrieval from implantation was calculated. Bayesian hospital profiling methods were used to quantify 1-year retrieval rate for all U.S. facilities, adjusting for patient factors – demographics, diagnostic indications and comorbidities. Results: Among Medicare beneficiaries, there were 140,481 IVC Filter implantations across 2,850 facilities. Excluding patients who died within 90 days of implantation (25.7%), retrieval rates at 3 months, 1 year and anytime were 7.9%, 18.7% and 20.0% respectively. IVC Filter retrieval within 1 year varied significantly at the facility-level, from 0-100% . Focusing on facilities with at least 13 IVC filter implantations each year (top 25%ile volume), 1-year retrieval ranged from 0 to 74.5%. Higher 1-year retrieval was seen among higher implantation volume (12.4% bottom quartile, 20.5% top quartile), teaching (21.1% teaching vs. 16.9% nonteaching) and non-safety net (21.1% low uncompensated care, 15.0% high uncompensated care) hospitals. Retrieval rates did not vary significantly by hospital operating margin or rurality. Conclusion(s): There is low overall IVC filter retrieval in the United States with large underlying facility-level variation. Focused examination of high-performing facilities could yield insights on how to improve device retrieval nationally.

Prognosis impact and clinical findings in renal cancer patients: comparative analysis between public and private health coverage in a cross-sectional and multicenter context.

Research on disparities in prognosis and clinical characteristics between public and private healthcare sectors in developing countries remains limited. The study aimed to determine whether patients with public health coverage (1) have a greater mean tumor size at diagnosis compared to those with private health coverage; (2) exhibit differences in clinical staging and TNM classification between groups; and (3) show variations in demographic, clinical characteristics, histopathological findings, and surgical approaches among cohorts. A cross-sectional, multicenter study was conducted on 629 patients from both private and public healthcare sectors, all histologically confirmed and surgically treated for Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC), between 2011 and 2021 in high-volume hospitals in Monterrey, Mexico. To compare variables between groups, we employed independent samples t-tests, Mann Whitney U nonparametric test, along with Pearson's chi-square test complemented by post hoc analyses. Mean tumor size in the public group was 1.9cm greater than in the private group (7.39 vs. 5.51cm, p < 0.001). Patients in the public sector more frequently presented with larger tumors, a higher prevalence of risk factors (excluding BMI and hypertension), advanced disease (OR 2.12, 95% CI 1.43-3.16, p < 0.001), presence of symptoms, elevated TNM, lymphovascular invasion and a lower prevalence of minimally invasive surgery. A male-to-female ratio of 2.6:1 was noted in the private coverage group. This study highlights a notable association between public health coverage and a higher prevalence of advanced RCC, with tumors in private coverage patients being smaller yet larger than commonly reported. There is a crucial need to develop new health policies for early detection of renal cancer in developing countries.

High mechanical thrombectomy procedural volume is not a reliable predictor of improved thrombectomy outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke in the United States.

The volume of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) performed at hospitals is used as one of the criteria for advanced-level designation for stroke care. Our study sought to determine the relationship between annual MT procedural volume and in-hospital outcomes in acute ischemic stroke patients undergoing MT in the United States. We analyzed the National Inpatient Sample from 2016 to 2020. The hospitals were grouped into quartiles based on the volume of MT procedures performed within the calendar year. We compared the rates of routine discharge/home health care; in-hospital mortality, and post-treatment intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) between the quartiles after adjusting for potential confounders. Patients undergoing MT ranged from 15,395 in quartile 1 to 78,510 MT in quartile 4. There were lower rates of discharge home/self-care of 22.5%, 20.8%, and 20.8% for quartiles 2, 3, and 4, respectively, compared with 34.9% in quartile 1. The odds of ICH increased to 1.81 (p < 0.001), 1.84 (p < 0.001), and 1.98 (p < 0.001) among the quartiles from lowest to highest procedural volumes. The odds of home discharge/self-care decreased to 0.66 (p < 0.001), 0.60 (p < 0.001), and 0.63 (p < 0.001) among the quartiles from lowest to highest procedural volumes. The odds of in-hospital mortality increased to 1.92 (p < 0.001), 1.99 (p < 0.001), and 1.84 (p < 0.001) among the quartiles from lowest to highest procedural volumes. We observed a paradoxical relationship between adverse outcomes and the annual procedural volume of MT at the hospital presumably due to the higher severity of acute ischemic stroke treated at high-volume hospitals.