Hospital Volume Research Articles

Rural versus urban commuting patients with stage III colon cancer: is there a difference in treatment and outcome?

To evaluate if there are differences in outcomes for patients with stage III colon cancer in those from urban vs. rural commuting areas. Data were evaluated on patients diagnosed with stage III colon cancer between 2012 and2018 from the Louisiana Tumor Registry. Patients were classified into rural and urban groups. Data on overall survival, time from diagnosis to surgery and time from surgery to chemotherapy, and sociodemographic factors (including race, age, and poverty level) were recorded. Of 2652 patients identified, 2159 were urban (81.4%) and 493 rural (18.6%). No age difference between rural and urban patients (p = 0.56). Stage IIIB accounted for 66.7%, followed by IIIC (21.6%) and IIIA (11%), with a significant difference between rural and urban patients based on stage (p = 0.02). There was no difference in the extent of surgery (p = 0.34) or tumor size (p = 0.72) between urban and rural settings. No difference in undergoing chemotherapy (p = 0.12). There was a statistically significant difference in receiving timely treatment for hospital volume (p < 0.0001) and poverty level (p < 0.0001), but no difference in time from diagnosis to surgery (p = 0.48), and time from surgery to chemotherapy (p = 0.27). Non-Hispanic Blacks were less likely to receive timely treatment when compared with non-Hispanic Whites for both surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy, (aHR 0.91, 95% CI 0.83-0.99) and (aHR 0.86, 95% CI 0.77-0.97), respectively. There was no difference in Kaplan-Meier overall survival curves comparing rural vs. urban patients (p = 0.77). There was no statistical difference in overall survival, time to surgery, and time to adjuvant chemotherapy between rural and urban patients with Stage III colon cancer.

Impact of Hospital Volume on Long-Term Outcomes After Endovascular Therapy for Peripheral Artery Disease.

To investigate the association between annual hospital volume of endovascular therapy (EVT) and long-term outcomes in patients with lower-extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD). We identified patients who underwent percutaneous endovascular transluminal angioplasty and thrombectomy of the extremities or percutaneous endovascular removal in the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination inpatient database from April 2014 to March 2020 linked to the Survey of Medical Institutions data. A generalized linear model analysis was performed to assess 12-month amputation, all-cause death, composite outcome (amputation and death), and readmission. We also analyzed length of hospital stay and total health care costs during the first hospitalization. Among 127 486 eligible patients, 31 579, 31 913, 31 999, and 31 995 were in the first (1-27 cases/year), second (28-44 cases), third (45-67 cases), and fourth (68-289 cases) quartiles, respectively. There were no significant differences in 12-month amputation among the second (odds ratio [OR], 0.97; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.90-1.04), third (OR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.93-1.07), and fourth (OR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.93-1.07) quartile volumes compared with the first quartile. Significant differences were observed in 12-month death (OR for fourth quartile with reference to the first quartile, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.65-0.76), composite outcome (OR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.80-0.89), and readmission (OR, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.02-1.09). We found that the annual hospital volume of EVT was not associated with decreased 12-month amputation in patients with lower-extremity PAD. In contrast, all-cause death and composite outcome were significantly decreased in hospitals with the highest volume. The association between hospital volume of endovascular therapy and long-term adverse clinical outcomes remains unclear. The present analyses showed no significant differences in 12-month amputation rates among the hospital volumes, whereas higher-volume quartiles were significantly associated with decreased 12-month all-cause death rates and composite outcome. There was also a positive association in the length of stay between the first quartile volume and the others, while no significant difference in total health care costs among the quartiles was observed. Further investigations are needed, including insights into operator volume and procedural characteristics, to clarify the relationship between hospital volume and long-term adverse outcomes.

Disparities in Initial Thyroid Cancer Care by Hospital Treatment Volume: Analysis of 52,599 Cases in California.

Background: Racially minoritized patients with thyroid cancer are less likely to receive high-quality and guideline-concordant care. Inaccessibility of high-volume centers may contribute to inequalities in thyroid cancer outcomes. This study sought to understand the extent to which access to higher volume thyroid cancer centers is associated with patient outcomes. Methods: We queried linked California Cancer Registry and California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development databases for thyroid cancer patients who received thyroid surgery between 1999 and 2017. Hospitals were stratified by their median annual volume of thyroid cancer operations: ultra-low volume (0-5 cases/year), low-volume (6-25 cases/year), mid-volume (26-50 cases/year), and high-volume (>50 cases/year). We analyzed the rates of complications, rates of reoperation for cancer recurrence, use of radioactive iodine (131I), and mortality by median hospital volume of thyroid surgery. A multivariable regression controlled for high-risk tumor features. Differences in access by center volume were assessed based on patient demographics. Results: We studied 52,599 thyroid cancer patients who underwent thyroidectomy. Patients who underwent thyroidectomy at ultra-low volume centers were more likely to undergo reoperations for recurrent/persistent disease compared with patients at low- (odds ratio [OR] 1.17 [CI 1.02-1.35]), mid- (OR 1.25 [CI 1.06-1.46]), and high-volume centers (OR 1.26 [CI 1.03-1.56]). Patients who received thyroid operations at ultra-low volume centers were also less likely to receive guideline-concordant 131I ablation compared with patients at higher volume centers (OR 0.77 [CI 0.72-0.82]). A pair-wise comparison between all volume categories for all outcomes revealed no statistically significant differences in outcomes between low-, mid-, or high-volume centers. Only ultra-low volume centers had significantly higher rates of adverse outcomes. Ultra-low volume centers were disproportionately accessed by women (p < 0.05), Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian people (p < 0.01), those from the lowest three quintiles of socio-economic status (p < 0.01), and the uninsured and those on Medicaid or Medicare (p < 0.01) when compared with higher volume centers. Conclusions: Patients receiving thyroid cancer surgery at centers performing ≤5 such operations per year were more likely to require reoperation for recurrent/persistent disease and less likely to receive appropriate 131I ablation. Ultra-low volume centers served higher proportions of socially and economically marginalized communities.

Mortality and failure-to-rescue major complication trends after lung cancer surgery between 2005 and 2020: a nationwide population-based study

ObjectivesTo estimate the evolution of quality indicators (30-day mortality and failure-to-rescue) inpatients who underwent lung cancer surgery in France over the past 15 years and to study the potential influencing...

Pediatric Hospitalizations at Rural and Urban Teaching and Nonteaching Hospitals in the US, 2009-2019

National analyses suggest that approximately 1 in 5 US hospitals closed their pediatric units between 2008 and 2018. The extent to which pediatric hospitalizations at general hospitals in rural and urban communities decreased during this period is not well understood. To describe changes in the number and proportion of pediatric hospitalizations and costs at urban teaching, urban nonteaching, and rural hospitals vs freestanding children's hospitals from 2009 to 2019; to estimate the number and proportion of hospitals providing inpatient pediatric care; and to characterize changes in clinical complexity. This study is a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of the 2009, 2012, 2016, and 2019 Kids' Inpatient Database, a nationally representative data set of US pediatric hospitalizations among children younger than 18 years. Data were analyzed from February to June 2023. Pediatric hospitalizations were grouped as birth or nonbirth hospitalizations. Hospitals were categorized as freestanding children's hospitals or as rural, urban nonteaching, or urban teaching general hospitals. The primary outcomes were annual number and proportion of birth and nonbirth hospitalizations and health care costs, changes in the proportion of hospitalizations with complex diagnoses, and estimated number and proportion of hospitals providing pediatric care and associated hospital volumes. Regression analyses were used to compare health care utilization in 2019 vs that in 2009. The data included 23.2 million (95% CI, 22.7-23.6 million) weighted hospitalizations. From 2009 to 2019, estimated national annual pediatric hospitalizations decreased from 6 425 858 to 5 297 882, as birth hospitalizations decreased by 10.6% (95% CI, 6.1%-15.1%) and nonbirth hospitalizations decreased by 28.9% (95% CI, 21.3%-36.5%). Concurrently, hospitalizations with complex chronic disease diagnoses increased by 45.5% (95% CI, 34.6%-56.4%), and hospitalizations with mental health diagnoses increased by 78.0% (95% CI, 61.6%-94.4%). During this period, the most substantial decreases were in nonbirth hospitalizations at rural hospitals (4-fold decrease from 229 263 to 62 729) and urban nonteaching hospitals (6-fold decrease from 581 320 to 92 118). In 2019, birth hospitalizations occurred at 2666 hospitals. Nonbirth pediatric hospitalizations occurred at 3507 hospitals, including 1256 rural hospitals and 843 urban nonteaching hospitals where the median nonbirth hospitalization volumes were fewer than 25 per year. Between 2009 and 2019, the largest decreases in pediatric hospitalizations occurred at rural and urban nonteaching hospitals. Clinical and policy initiatives to support hospitals with low pediatric volumes may be needed to maintain hospital access and pediatric readiness, particularly in rural communities.

Association between utilization of sentinel lymph node biopsy in vulvar cancer and hospital volume of melanoma and breast cancer: A national cancer database study (2195)

Association between utilization of sentinel lymph node biopsy in vulvar cancer and hospital volume of melanoma and breast cancer: A national cancer database study (2195)

Association of Hospital Volume and Outcomes Following Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting.

Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) has been used to mitigate the negative systemic effects of cardiopulmonary bypass. Recent consortium and single-institution studies suggest an association between operator experience and long-term survival. We thus aimed to ascertain the relationship between institutional OPCAB volume and outcomes using a contemporary nationwide all-payer database. Adult admissions for elective isolated OPCAB were identified from the 2016-2019 Nationwide Readmissions Database. The primary outcome was major adverse events (MAE), defined as a composite of mortality, reoperation, prolonged mechanical ventilation, acute kidney injury requiring dialysis, or perioperative stroke during the index hospitalisation. Secondary outcomes included temporal trends, postoperative length of stay (pLOS), hospitalisation costs, non-home discharge, and 30-day readmission rate. High-volume hospitals (HVH) were defined to have annual caseloads >35 based on cubic spline analysis. Of an estimated 41,154 patients, 59.9% were treated at HVH. The proportion of coronary artery bypass grafting operations that were OPCAB significantly decreased from 21.1% in 2016 to 18.3% in 2019. After adjustment, HVH status was associated with lower adjusted odds of MAE (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.78, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.70-0.88), compared to others. HVH were also associated with shorter pLOS (β -0.10, 95% -0.13, -0.07), reduced costs (β -US$4,900, - US$6,300, - US$3,600), non-home discharge (AOR 0.54, 95% CI 0.45-0.64), and 30-day readmission (AOR 0.86, 95% CI 0.77-0.96). Our results suggest that OPCAB requires a distinct set of surgical expertise and institutional aptitude. As a result, centralisation of care to centres of excellence should be considered.

1131 Could Colorectal Cancer Surgery in the England Benefit from Centralisation? a Retrospective Nationwide Correlative Study

Abstract Background Although centralisation has shown benefit for uncommon cancers and high-risk surgeries, there is controversy regarding its benefit for common malignancies. Minor improvements in colorectal surgical morbidity and mortality have the potential to save lives and conserve limited hospital resources. Aim To investigate the relationship between number of major resection cases per hospital and patient outcome measures. The proposed hypothesis was that number of major cases per hospital is inversely proportional to 90-day mortality, 30-day unplanned readmission, and 2-year mortality rates. Method A correlative study using National Bowel Cancer Audit data from 2016-18 in England was performed. The target population was colorectal cancer patients requiring major resection surgery in England. Bivariate analysis was used to investigate the relationship between number of major resections per hospital, and: 90-day mortality, 30-day unplanned readmission, and 2-year mortality rates. Results Combined patient outcome measures from 56,347 cases across 145 hospitals over 2016-18 were assessed. Correlation coefficients demonstrated no significant correlation between the three studied outcome measures (90-Day mortality [r = 0.100, -0.067-0.257, p = 0.240]; 30-day unplanned readmission rate [r = 0.093,-0.073-0.270, p = 0.284]; 2-year mortality [r = -0.069, -0.236-0.097, p = 0.411]). There is insufficient evidence to conclude a statistically significant relationship between number of major resections per hospital and the patient outcomes studied. Conclusions Centralising care by increasing hospital volume is unlikely a solution to improving colorectal patient outcomes in England. This may reflect the UK’s dedicated colorectal surgical training and minimum resection numbers for accreditation. Further studies will need to assess variables such as surgeon volume and case-mix, particularly with regard to rectal surgery.

Contemporary Relationship Between Hospital Volume and Outcomes in Congenital Heart Surgery

BackgroundStudies examining the volume-outcome relationship in congenital heart surgery (CHS) are more than a decade old. Since then, mortality has declined, and case-mix adjustment has evolved. We determined the current relationship between hospital CHS volume and outcomes. MethodsPatients aged ≤18 years undergoing index operations in The Society of Thoracic Surgeons-Congenital Heart Surgery Database (2017-2020) were included. Associations between annual hospital volume and case-mix–adjusted operative mortality, major complications, failure to rescue (FTR), and postoperative length of stay (PLOS) were assessed using Bayesian hierarchical models, overall, by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons-European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (STAT) category, and for the Norwood procedure. ResultsAcross 101 centers (76,714 index operations), median annual volume was 144 operations/y. Operative mortality was 2.7%. Lower-volume hospitals had higher mortality, with an apparent transition zone at ∼190 operations/y (95% credible interval [CrI], 115-450 operations/y), below which a sustained uptick in the estimated odds of death occurred. Odds of death compared with a 450 operations/y reference were 50 operations/y (odds ratio [OR], 1.84; 95% CrI, 1.41-2.37), 100 operations/y (OR, 1.37; 95% CrI, 1.08-1.71), 200 operations/y (OR, 0.92; 95% CrI, 0.1-1.18), 300 operations/y (OR, 0.89; 95% CrI, 0.76-1.04). The volume-outcome effect was more apparent for STAT 4 to 5 than STAT 1 to 3 operations. In the overall cohort, PLOS and complications were similar across hospital volumes, whereas FTR rates were higher at lower-volume hospitals. Lower-volume hospitals had worse outcomes after the Norwood procedure, most notably mortality and FTR. ConclusionsHospital volume is associated with mortality and FTR after CHS. The relationship is strongest for high-risk operations. These data can inform ongoing initiatives to improve CHS care.

SP8.4 National variation in the management of pancreatitis and the effect on patient outcome

Abstract Aim Pancreatitis is one of the most common general surgical presentations, but there is variation in how patients are managed. Our aim was to assess the degree of variation across the United Kingdom (UK) and how it affects patient outcomes. Method A multicentre, observational cohort study was carried out across the UK between March-April 2021. Admission variables including whether the unit was a district general or specialist unit were recorded. Imaging and operative details were collected with 30-day outcomes. Results Data from 113 hospitals were recorded, including 2580 patients. 24(21%) of these hospitals were specialist units. Imaging rates varied between sites, with ultrasound performed within 24 hours of admission on between 14 and 100% of patients and CT between 22 and 100% of patients. Between 0% and 100% of patients received a laparoscopic cholecystectomy within 30 days. Median length of stay was 5 days, but increased to 6 days in low volume centres (p=0.01). Variation in access to ultrasound and to surgery were related to hospital volume, but not whether they were a tertiary unit. Mortality and readmission rates were not correlated to hospital volume but unplanned readmission was higher in non-specialist centres (18.1%v14.4%, p=0.024). Conclusions There is significant inequity in accessing best practise pancreatitis care in the UK, based on admitting hospital. Case volume at a hospital was more significantly associated with access to imaging and surgery, than being a specialist centre, however specialist centres achieved lower rates of unplanned readmission.

Urban-Rural Differences in Receipt of Cancer Surgery at High-Volume Hospitals and Sensitivity to Hospital Volume Thresholds.

Methods for identifying high-volume hospitals affect conclusions about rural cancer care access.

Gastrointestinal hospitalization during COVID-19 pandemic in the United States: Analysis of a nationwide inpatient sample.

We aim to systematically investigate gastrointestinal (GI) hospitalizations in the United States during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic on a national level and the consequence that may inform practice and policies. A retrospective cross-sectional analysis of adult hospitalizations with GI-related diagnoses or procedures in the United States in 2020 was used, with hospitalizations from 2016 to 2019 used for contextual information. Hospitalizations with principal and secondary GI diagnoses decreased by 13.3% and 8.2% from 2019 to 2020, respectively. Most GI diagnoses decreased in 2020, with a few exceptions including alcoholic liver disease (increased by 7.8% as a principal diagnosis) and acute liver failure (increased by 11.6% as a secondary diagnosis). The mortality rate of hospitalizations with GI disease increased in 2020 compared with 2019 (for principal diagnosis: adjusted odds ratio 1.08, 95% confidence interval 1.03-1.13, P=0.001; for secondary diagnosis: adjusted odds ratio 1.10, 95% confidence interval 1.07-1.13, P<0.001). Most GI procedures decreased except for a notable 8.3% increase in gastrostomy. The per-GI-hospitalization rate of procedures increased for hospitalizations with a principal GI diagnosis (56.4% vs 55.6%, P=0.003) or unchanged for hospitalizations with secondary GI diagnoses (18.3% vs 18.2%, P=0.512). The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a decrease in the volume of GI hospitalizations and procedures in 2020, but there was an increase in the mortality rate and some specific diagnoses including alcoholic liver disease and acute liver failure. These findings will likely enlighten future research and healthcare resource allocation for GI diseases.

Trauma Patient Volume and the Quality of Care: A Scoping Review.

Healthcare stakeholders in the Netherlands came to an agreement in 2022 to deal with present and future challenges in healthcare. Among others, this agreement contains clear statements regarding the concentration of trauma patients, including the minimal required number of annual severe trauma patients for Major Trauma Centers. This review investigates the effects of trauma patient volumes on several domains of the quality of healthcare. PubMed was searched; studies published during the last 10 years reporting quantitative data on trauma patient volume and quality of healthcare were included. Results were summarized and categorized into the quality domains of healthcare. Seventeen studies were included with a total of 1,517,848 patients. A positive association between trauma patient volume and survival was observed in 11/13 studies with adjusted analyses. Few studies addressed other quality domains: efficiency (n = 5), safety (n = 2), and time aspects of care (n = 4). None covered people-centeredness, equitability, or integrated care. Most studies showed a better survival of trauma patients when treated in high-volume hospitals compared to lower volume hospitals. However, the ideal threshold could not be determined. The association between trauma volume and other domains of the quality of healthcare remains unclear.

Partial Nephrectomy Drives the Association Between High-volume Centers and Decreased Mortality: A Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare Analysis

To better understand the association between high-volume surgical kidney cancer centers and decreased mortality. To identify quality metrics that mediate this association. We designed a cohort of 14,044 patients who were diagnosed with kidney cancer between 2004 and 2013 and underwent a partial or radical nephrectomy using SEER-Medicare data. Hospitals were divided into quartiles based on their total nephrectomy volume for the study period. We investigated 6 quality metrics as potential mediators of the association between hospital volume and mortality using a mediation model. At the highest volume centers, survival was higher at 1-, 3-, 5-, and 10-year time intervals, respectively (91% vs 89%, 80% vs 76%, 70% vs 66%, 45% vs 38%, P<.001) compared to the lowest quartile nephrectomy centers. Receipt of partial nephrectomy for stage ≤T1a tumors explains 52.3% of the total association between hospital nephrectomy volume and mortality. Additionally, patients at the highest-volume centers were more likely to be younger (20% vs 26% 80≤ years old, P<.001), white (82% vs 78%, P<.001), reside in more densely populated counties (≥1 million residents, 62% vs 42%, P>.001), have a shorter mean length of stay (5.03 vs 5.88days, P<.001) when compared to those in the lowest-volume quartile. This analysis of SEER-Medicare data is the first to suggest that partial nephrectomy in the setting of T1a tumors mediates the association between hospital volume and mortality. Quality metrics that reduce mortality should be harnessed to develop more efficient and higher-quality health systems.

Failure to rescue among octogenarians undergoing cardiac surgery in the United States

BackgroundA rapidly growing population, octogenarians are considered at high-risk for mortality and complications after cardiac surgery. Given the recent addition of failure to rescue as a Society of Thoracic Surgeons quality metric, a better understanding of patient and operative factors predictive of failure to rescue in this cohort is warranted. MethodsThe 2010–2020 Nationwide Readmissions Database was used to identify all patients ≥80 years undergoing first-time, elective coronary artery bypass grafting or concomitant valve operations. Patients experiencing failure to rescue, defined as mortality after a major or minor complication, were classified as Failure to Rescue (others: Non-Failure to Rescue). Multivariable regression models were developed to ascertain significant perioperative factors associated with failure to rescue. ResultsOf ∼562,794 octogenarian patients, 76,473 (13.6%) developed complications. Of these, 7,055 (9.2%) experienced failure to rescue. The incidence of failure to rescue decreased across the study time course (9.7% in 2010 to 7.6% in 2019, P = .001). After risk adjustment, age (adjusted odds ratio, 1.05/year; 95% confidence interval, 1.03–1.07), female sex (adjusted odds ratio, 1.40; 95% confidence interval, 1.27–1.53), congestive heart failure (adjusted odds ratio, 1.54; 95% confidence interval, 1.38–1.71), late-stage kidney disease (adjusted odds ratio, 2.38; 95% confidence interval, 1.79–3.17), liver disease (adjusted odds ratio, 9.59; 95% confidence interval, 8.17–11.26), and cerebrovascular disease (adjusted odds ratio, 2.42; 95% confidence interval, 2.12–2.76) were associated with failure to rescue. Relative to isolated coronary artery bypass grafting, combined coronary artery bypass grafting-valve (adjusted odds ratio, 1.67; 95% confidence interval, 1.43–1.95) and multi-valve procedures (adjusted odds ratio, 2.23; 95% confidence interval, 1.75–2.85) were linked with greater odds of failure to rescue. There was no association between failure to rescue and hospital volume. ConclusionDespite improvements in perioperative management, failure to rescue occurs in ∼9% of octogenarians undergoing elective cardiac operations. Although incidence has declined over the past decade, the continued prevalence of failure to rescue underscores the need for novel risk assessments and targeted interventions.

Life-threatening perioperative complications among older adults with spinal metastases: An analysis based on a nationwide inpatient sample of the US

IntroductionWe aimed to investigate the prognostic determinants of life-threatening and fatal complications in patients <80 and ≥ 20 years of age and those ≥80 years who were undergoing surgery for spinal metastases. Materials and MethodsBased on data between 2005 and 2018 extracted from National Inpatient Sample as the largest longitudinal hospital inpatient databases in the United States, statistical analyses were performed to identify prognostic factors (age, sex, household income, insurance status, major comorbidities, primary site of malignancy, types of surgery, surgical approaches, types of hospital admission, and hospital-related characteristics) for major and fatal perioperative complications among older adult patients. ResultsA total of 31,925 patients aged ≥ 20y who were undergoing surgery for spinal metastasis were identified (< 80 y: n = 28,448; ≥ 80 y: n = 35,37). After adjustment, age ≥80 y was significantly associated with greater risk of perioperative cardiac arrest (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.34, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03–1.73) and acute kidney injury (AKI) (aOR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.07–1.41) but lower risk of venous thromboembolic event (VTE) (aOR: 0.80, 95% CI: 0.66–0.96) than <80y. Factors predicting life-threatening complications among patients ≥ 80y were: male sex (<80 y: aOR = 1.14; ≥ 80 y: aOR = 1.35), higher score on Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) (80 y, aOR = 1.21–2.67; ≥ 80 y: aOR = 1.25–2.55), open surgery (<80 y: aOR = 1.24; ≥ 80 y: aOR = 1.35), and greater Metastatic Spinal Tumor Frailty Index (MSTFI) (<80 y: aOR = 2.48–10.03; ≥ 80 y: aOR = 2.69–11.21). Among patients <80y, factors predicting life-threatening complications were: male sex, Black race, greater CCI score, primary tumor at kidney, hematologic cancer, other/unspecified primary site, certain surgical procedures, open surgery, greater MSTFI, emergent admission, and low hospital volume. DiscussionThis study identifies a list of independent risk factors for the presence of life-threatening complications among patients <80 and ≥ 80y who were undergoing surgery for spinal metastasis. The findings contribute to the development of clinical strategies for the surgical management of spinal metastasis, especially for octogenarians, and lower the risk of unfavorable inpatient outcomes.

Percutaneous Closure of the Patent Ductus Arteriosus in Infants ≤2 kg: IMPACT Registry Insights.

Percutaneous patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) closure is becoming the standard of care for definitive closure in progressively smaller and younger neonates. The objective of this study was to assess safety and feasibility of percutaneous PDA closure in patients ≤2 kg. This was a cohort study using the IMPACT Registry (Improving Pediatric and Adult Congenital Treatments) from the American College of Cardiology Foundation's National Cardiovascular Data Registry. Patients who were ≤2 kg at the time of percutaneous PDA closure were included. The primary outcome was the composite of technical failure and/or major adverse event. A total of 1587 attempted PDA closures were included, with a 3% incidence of technical failure and 5.5% incidence of the composite outcome. Major adverse events were observed in 3.8% of the patients; the most common events were device embolization requiring retrieval and unplanned cardiac or vascular surgery in 1.3% and 1.3% of cases, respectively. The incidence of the composite outcome was associated with the need for arterial access (P < .001) as well as annual hospital volume of percutaneous PDA closures in infants ≤2 kg (P = .001). The incidence of the composite outcome has decreased overtime, whereas median weight at the time of procedure has also diminished. Percutaneous PDA closure appears to be safe and feasible procedures in infants ≤2 kg. The incidence of major adverse events has continued to decline over the years and seems to have a strong correlation with individual center case volumes and expertise.

Nationwide volume-outcome relationship concerning in-hospital mortality and failure-to-rescue in surgery of sigmoid diverticulitis.

A correlation between the hospital volume and outcome is described for multiple entities of oncological surgery. To date, this has not been analyzed for the surgical treatment of sigmoid diverticulitis. The aim of this study was to explore the impact of the annual caseload per hospital of colon resection on the postoperative incidence of complications, failure to rescue, and mortality in patients with diverticulitis. Patients receiving colorectal resection independent from the diagnosis from 2012 to 2017 were selected from a German nationwide administrative dataset. The hospitals were grouped into five equal caseload quintiles (Q1-Q5 in ascending caseload order). The outcome analysis was focused on patients receiving surgery for sigmoid diverticulitis. In total, 662,706 left-sided colon resections were recorded between 2012 and 2017. Of these, 156,462 resections were performed due to sigmoid diverticulitis and were included in the analysis. The overall in-house mortality rate was 3.5%, ranging from 3.8% in Q1 (mean of 9.5 procedures per year) to 3.1% in Q5 (mean 62.8 procedures per year; p < 0.001). Q5 hospitals revealed a risk-adjusted odds ratio of 0.85 (95% CI 0.78-0.94; p < 0.001) for in-hospital mortality compared to Q1 during multivariable logistic regression analysis. High-volume centers showed overall lower complication rates, whereas the failure-to-rescue did not differ significantly. Surgical treatment of sigmoid diverticulitis in high-volume colorectal centers shows lower postoperative mortality rates and fewer postoperative complications.

Volume distribution of primary shoulder arthroplasty among low- and high-volume surgeons

BackgroundCare from high-volume surgeons has been shown to improve patient outcomes and reduce revision rates, complications, and hospital stays. According to prior research, most shoulder arthroplasties are performed by lower volume surgeons. However, this research is limited as it does not account for the recent increase in case numbers and projected growth of shoulder arthroplasty, and was focused only to states with urban populations. The purpose of this study is to identify and compare contemporary shoulder arthroplasty practice patterns and volume distributions in the state of Iowa. MethodsThe Iowa Hospital Association Databank was queried using International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 procedure codes for primary total shoulder arthroplasty. Surgeon and hospital volume were stratified according to procedures performed yearly as: low-volume <15 arthroplasties yearly, medium-volume 15-49, and high-volume ≥50 arthroplasties yearly. The proportion of surgeon and hospital volume, and number of procedures performed by each group were assessed. Distance traveled by patients to visit high-volume vs. low-volume surgeons and hospitals was compared. ResultsIn 2019, 1847 primary shoulder arthroplasties were performed in the state of Iowa by 144 surgeons at 49 institutions. Seventy four percent (106/144) of these surgeons were considered low-volume, 20% (29/144) medium-volume, and only 6% (9/144) were high-volume. However, 43% (793/1847) of shoulder arthroplasties were performed by high-volume surgeons, and 18% (333/1847) by low-volume surgeons. Eighteen percent (9/49) of hospitals where shoulder arthroplasties were performed qualified as high-volume institutions, whereas 45% (22/49) were low-volume. Compared to previous results, 65% (1194/1847) of procedures were performed at high-volume institutions and 6% (118/1847) at low-volume institutions. There was a significant difference in median distance traveled for patients to access high vs. low-volume surgeons (34 vs. 14 miles, P < .0001), and high-volume vs. low-volume hospitals (30 vs. 14.5, P < .0001). DiscussionIn the state of Iowa, while only a small portion of surgeons are considered “high-volume”, almost half of primary shoulder arthroplasties are performed by high-volume surgeons. These findings differ from the previous literature regarding volume distribution in shoulder arthroplasty. Furthermore, the results from this study demonstrate a shift from former documented trends which in the past had indicated that most shoulder arthroplasties were performed by low-volume surgeons. Data from this current study provides a glimpse into the evolution in practice patterns for shoulder arthroplasty. As practice patterns continue to evolve, further investigation may demonstrate improved patient outcomes in patients undergoing shoulder arthroplasty at higher volume hospitals with high-volume surgeons.

The volume–outcome relationship in free-flap reconstruction: A nationwide study based on the Clinical Database

The association between successful reconstructive surgery with a free flap and hospital volume has not been well established. This study was designed to retrospectively analyze the outcome of free-flap surgery registered in a nationwide surgical registration system in Japan to clarify the relationship between free-flap survival and facilities' average annual number of free-flap surgeries. We analyzed data from 19,482 free flaps performed during 2017-2020 at 407 facilities throughout Japan. After adjusting for sex, age, and disease classification that differ between the groups, we examined the differences in the flap survival rates among the different facilities in terms of the average number of free-flap surgeries performed annually. The total overall necrosis rate was 2.8%. Of all procedures, 14.9%, 12.9%, 33.4%, and 38.8% were performed at facilities with an average number of free-flap procedures <10, 10-19, 20-49, and ≥50 per year, respectively, and the respective rates of total necrosis were 6.0%, 3.8%, 2.1%, and 1.7%, respectively. The odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals of flap necrosis for facilities with ≥50 cases per year relative to those <10 were 2.70 (1.98-3.68) for nonbreast reconstruction cases and 5.72 (2.77-11.8) for breast reconstruction cases. This analysis of a nationwide plastic surgery database showed that free-flap surgeries in institutions with a low average annual number of free-flap surgeries had a higher risk of total necrosis. Measures should be taken to either aggregate cases into high-volume centers or improve management at low-volume centers.