Incidence Of Postoperative Wound Complications Research Articles

Neoadjuvant Bevacizumab, Oxaliplatin, 5-Fluorouracil, and Radiation for Rectal Cancer

To evaluate the feasibility and pathologic complete response rate of induction bevacizumab + modified infusional fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX) 6 regimen followed by concurrent bevacizumab, oxaliplatin, continuous infusion 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), and radiation for patients with rectal cancer. Eligible patients received 1 month of induction bevacizumab and mFOLFOX6. Patients then received 50.4 Gy of radiation and concurrent bevacizumab (5 mg/kg on Days 1, 15, and 29), oxaliplatin (50 mg/m(2)/week for 6 weeks), and continuous infusion 5-FU (200 mg/m(2)/day). Because of gastrointestinal toxicity, the oxaliplatin dose was reduced to 40 mg/m(2)/week. Resection was performed 4-8 weeks after the completion of chemoradiation. The trial was terminated early because of toxicity after 26 eligible patients were treated. Only 1 patient had significant toxicity (arrhythmia) during induction treatment and was removed from the study. During chemoradiation, Grade 3/4 toxicity was experienced by 19 of 25 patients (76%). The most common Grade 3/4 toxicities were diarrhea, neutropenia, and pain. Five of 25 patients (20%) had a complete pathologic response. Nine of 25 patients (36%) developed postoperative complications including infection (n = 4), delayed healing (n = 3), leak/abscess (n = 2), sterile fluid collection (n = 2), ischemic colonic reservoir (n = 1), and fistula (n = 1). Concurrent oxaliplatin, bevacizumab, continuous infusion 5-FU, and radiation causes significant gastrointestinal toxicity. The pathologic complete response rate of this regimen was similar to other fluorouracil chemoradiation regimens. The high incidence of postoperative wound complications is concerning and consistent with other reports utilizing bevacizumab with chemoradiation before major surgical resections.

Technik und Morbidität der radikalen inguinal / iliakalen Lymphknoten­dissektion – eine prospektive Untersuchung an 67 Patienten mit lymphogen metastasiertem malignen Melanom

The surgical radical inguinal / iliacal lymph node dissection (RLND) is the procedure of choice in patients presenting with lymphatic metastasis of melanoma of the lower extremity or the lower part of the trunk. The perioperative morbidity of patients includes not only local wound complications, seroma formation or lymphatic fistula but also leg oedema, deep venous thrombosis and neuralgic disorders postoperatively. The aim of this prospective study was the evaluation of postoperative morbidity in patients undergoing radical inguinal/iliacal RLND in a standardised surgical fashion. 67 patients suffering from malignant melanoma of the lower extremity or the lower trunk with metastatic lymph nodes in the groin or the iliacal region underwent a combined RLND of the inguinal / iliacal region or the groin alone between 2003 and 2006. All operations were performed in a standardised technique. The main criterion of the study was the incidence of postoperative wound complications. Minor endpoints included the incidence of lymphatic fistula, the length of hospital stay, and the development of temporary or permanent leg oedema. 64 patients underwent inguinal / iliacal and 3 patients only inguinal LND (lymph node dissection). All patients tolerated the procedure well. The overall wound complication rate was 34 %. One patient died on the 21st postoperative day due to a pulmonary embolism and a simultaneous cerebral apoplexy. Lymphatic fistula occurred in 22 (33 %) patients whereas seroma resulted in 23 (34 %) patients. The length of hospital stay was 15 (3-41) days. A relevant leg oedema was observed in 9 (13 %) patients. Even with a proper perioperative management and a precise wound care management, one-third of the patients undergoing radical inguinal / iliacal lymphadenectomy suffer from a complication requiring medical or interventional treatment. Our data demonstrate that most of these complications can be treated sufficiently by conservative treatment. A fitted surgical support hose could prevent long-term complications.

Neoadjuvant bevacizumab, oxaliplatin, 5-fluorouracil, and radiation in clinical stage II-III rectal cancer

4105^ Background: This study evaluates induction bevacizumab and FOLFOX followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) with bevacizumab, weekly oxaliplatin, and continuous infusion 5-FU prior to surgical resection of newly-diagnosed Stage II or III rectal cancer. Methods: Eligible patients received one month of induction, biweekly bevacizumab (5mg/kg) and modified FOLFOX6. Patients then received 50.4Gy of radiation and concurrent bevacizumab (5 mg/kg on days 1, 15, and 29), oxaliplatin (50 mg/m2/week for 6 weeks), and 5-FU (200mg/m2/day) as a continuous IV infusion throughout radiation. Due to gastrointestinal toxicity, the oxaliplatin dose was reduced to 40 mg/m2/week. Resection was performed 4 to 8 weeks after the completion of CRT. Adjuvant chemotherapy was started after 4 but less than 12 weeks following surgical resection and consisted of 6 biweekly treatments of modified FOLFOX6 and bevacizumab. Results: Twenty-six eligible patients were treated. The median age was 50. One patient developed a grade 4 arrhythmia during induction chemotherapy and was removed from the study. Of the remaining 25 patients, there were no other grade 3 or 4 toxicities during induction FOLFOX/bevacizumab. Toxicity was more significant during chemoradiation. Any grade 3 toxicity was experienced by 19 of 25 (76%) patients. Grade 3 toxicities included diarrhea (40%), neutropenia (16%), pain (16%), fatigue (8%), nausea (8%), and radiation dermatitis (8%) and bleeding with menstruation (4%). Grade 4 toxicities included neutropenia (4%), sepsis (4%) and nausea/diarrhea (4%). Six of 25 resected patients (24%) had a complete pathologic response. Eight of 25 patients (32%) developed post-operative wound complications including infection/abscess (n=4), fistula (n=2), ischemic colonic reservoir (n=1) and sterile fluid collection (n=1). Nine of 25 (36%) patients developed postoperative wound complications including infection (n=4), delayed healing (n=3), leak/abscess (n=2), sterile fluid collection (n=2), ischemic colonic reservoir (n=1), and fistula (n=1). Conclusions: Concurrent oxaliplatin, bevacizumab, continuous infusion 5-FU and radiation causes significant gastrointestinal toxicity. The pathologic complete response rate of this regimen to similar to other fluorouracil based chemoradiaton regimens. The high incidence of post-operative wound complications is concerning and consistent with other reports utilizing bevacizumab prior to major surgical resections. [Table: see text] ASCO Conflict of Interest Policy and Exceptions In compliance with the guidelines established by the ASCO Conflict of Interest Policy (J Clin Oncol. 2006 Jan 20;24[3]:519–521) and the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), ASCO strives to promote balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor through disclosure of financial and other interests, and identification and management of potential conflicts. According to the ASCO Conflict of Interest Policy, the following financial and other relationships must be disclosed: employment or leadership position, consultant or advisory role, stock ownership, honoraria, research funding, expert testimony, and other remuneration (J Clin Oncol. 2006 Jan 20;24[3]:520). The ASCO Conflict of Interest Policy disclosure requirements apply to all authors who submit abstracts to the Annual Meeting. For clinical trials that began accrual on or after April 29, 2004, ASCO's Policy places some restrictions on the financial relationships of principal investigators (J Clin Oncol. 2006 Jan 20;24[3]:521). If a principal investigator holds any restricted relationships, his or her abstract will be ineligible for placement in the 2009 Annual Meeting unless the ASCO Ethics Committee grants an exception. Among the circumstances that might justify an exception are that the principal investigator (1) is a widely acknowledged expert in a particular therapeutic area; (2) is the inventor of a unique technology or treatment being evaluated in the clinical trial; or (3) is involved in international clinical oncology research and has acted consistently with recognized international standards of ethics in the conduct of clinical research. NIH-sponsored trials are exempt from the Policy restrictions. Abstracts for which authors requested and have been granted an exception in accordance with ASCO's Policy are designated with a caret symbol (^) in the Annual Meeting Proceedings. For more information about the ASCO Conflict of Interest Policy and the exceptions process, please visit www.asco.org/conflictofinterest .

Wound complications at the groin after peripheral arterial surgery sparing the lymphatic tissue: a double-blind randomized clinical trial

Background The groin incision after arterial reconstructive surgery is most likely at risk for infectious or lymphatic wound complications. Theoretically; sparing lymphatic tissue by a lateral approach to the femoral artery should minimize these. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of wound complications after the lateral versus the direct approach of the common femoral artery. Methods The study population included all patients who underwent an exploration of the common femoral artery between May 2002 and December 2005. Restults After 6 weeks, no statistical differences in the occurrence of wound complications could be shown. A wound infection was present after 6 weeks in 6.1% in the direct group versus 6.0% in the lateral group. Lymphorrhea was persistent in 3.1% in the direct group versus 5.0% in the lateral group. Conclusions Using a lateral vertical incision for the approach of the common femoral artery did not decrease the incidence of postoperative wound complications.

Wound Complications From Idiopathic Clubfoot Surgery

Treatment protocols using the Turco and the Cincinnati incisions are widely used for the surgical correction of clubfoot deformity. However, it is unclear which surgical approach leads to fewer wound problems. We therefore sought to determine which treatment method led to a lower incidence of wound complications. A retrospective chart review of 217 consecutive patients (308 feet) who underwent a primary posteromedial release for the treatment of idiopathic clubfoot under the age of 24 months via either the modified Turco or Cincinnati treatment methods was used to document the incidence of postoperative wound complications. The modified Turco protocol involved immediate postoperative casting in neutral, whereas the Cincinnati method involved staged casting with the foot initially in equinus, then to neutral with a cast change 7 days later. A significantly lower incidence of wound complications was seen in the Cincinnati treatment group when compared with the modified Turco treatment method (6.9% vs 19.6%, respectively, P < 0.003). When patients were stratified based on immediate versus staged postoperative casting methods, there was a significantly lower incidence of wound complications (P < 0.05) in feet in the Cincinnati treatment group versus the modified Turco treatment method; however, the statistical populations were markedly unequal. Among all feet treated with the Cincinnati method, patients who underwent a staged cast change had significantly fewer wound problems when compared with those who underwent immediate casting with the foot in neutral (5.1% vs 16.7%, respectively, P < 0.04). In the surgical correction of idiopathic clubfoot, the incidence of wound complications is significantly decreased with the use of the Cincinnati treatment method rather than the modified Turco treatment protocol. Whether this effect is a result of the incision or the postoperative casting protocol is unclear.

Factors influencing the short‐term outcome following thoracic surgery in 98 dogs

To evaluate the factors influencing the short-term (<14 days) outcome of thoracic surgery in dogs. A retrospective review of 98 dogs undergoing thoracotomy over a five-year period was undertaken. A pre-operative diagnosis was achieved in 69 per cent of cases. Intrathoraic neoplasia had the lowest pre-operative diagnosis rate (5.5 per cent). Mortality rates of 21 per cent were recorded and were significantly higher for intrathoracic neoplasia (50 per cent) and significantly lower for persistent ductus arteriosus (7.4 per cent) and vascular ring anomaly (0 per cent). Median sternotomy was the preferred approach for pyothorax (85 per cent) and penetrating thoracic injuries (66 per cent). Intercostal thoracotomy was the preferred approach for all other diseases. Postoperative complications occurred in 39 per cent of cases. Wound complications were more common for pyothorax (45 per cent) and following median sternotomy (71 per cent). Thoracic drains were placed in 77 per cent of cases and complications were recorded in 23 per cent. Pyothorax and chylothorax had thoracic drains maintained for significantly longer periods of time. Longer thoracic drain duration was correlated significantly with increased complication rates. The short-term outcome following thoracic surgery is influenced by diagnosis. The thoracic approach is determined by intrathoracic disease, but may influence outcome by affecting the incidence of postoperative wound complications. The risk of thoracic drain complications increases with drain duration, which is influenced by the underlying disease. Drains should be maintained for the minimal amount of time possible.

Surgical wound healing in advanced head and neck cancer patients undergoing neck dissection following high dose radiation ± cetuximab

Purpose/Objective: In recent years, several thousand patients worldwide have received epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors in the context of investigational clinical trials designed to examine the anti-cancer potential for this promising class of agents. Some concern exists regarding the potential adverse impact of EGFR signaling inhibition on surgical wound healing since EGF plays a key role in wound repair and EGFR is richly expressed in normal epithelial tissues such as skin. Materials/Methods: A phase III trial comparing high dose radiation versus radiation plus cetuximab (ErbituxTM, IMC-C225) in the treatment of advanced head and neck cancer patients has recently completed patient accrual. A cohort of 115 patients enrolled from the three leading U.S. accrual centers that participated in this international trial underwent detailed evaluation of their post-radiotherapy neck dissection. From this group, 39 formal neck dissections were performed, 20 following radiation-alone and 19 following radiation plus cetuximab. Data regarding the length of hospital stay, time until removal of drainage tubes following surgery and incidence of post-operative wound complications were recorded. Results: The average length of hospital stay following neck dissection was 2.1 days in the radiation alone group versus 2.8 days in the cetuximab group. The average time until neck drain removal was 3.3 days in the radiation alone group versus 3.1 days in the cetuximab group. These results parallel findings from non-protocol head and neck cancer patients undergoing post-radiotherapy neck dissection. There were no major postoperative treatment complications identified in either group. There was one post-operative cellulitis followed by a chyle leak noted 2 months following neck dissection in a single patient from the cetuximab group. Conclusions: Approximately one-third of the head and neck cancer patients evaluated to date from this phase III trial underwent post-radiotherapy neck dissection as part of their cancer therapy. This preliminary data set suggests that the treatment of advanced head and neck cancer patients with radiation plus cetuximab does not impair surgical wound healing following formal neck dissection as compared with patients receiving radiation alone. However, it is important to recognize that patients undergoing neck dissection in this study generally completed radiation and cetuximab treatment 6–8 weeks prior to surgery. Further data derived from patients who undergo major surgery while actively receiving EGFR inhibitor therapies will be important to further investigate potential adverse effects on wound healing.

Endoscopic versus open subfascial division of incompetent perforating veins in the treatment of venous leg ulceration: A randomized trial

Purpose: Subfascial division of incompetent perforating veins plays an important role in the surgical treatment of patients with venous ulceration of the lower leg. To minimize the high incidence of postoperative wound complications after open exploration, endoscopic approaches have recently been developed. We carried out a prospective, randomized comparison of open and endoscopic treatment of these patients that was aimed at ulcer healing and postoperative wound complications. Methods: Patients with current venous ulceration on the medial side of the lower leg were randomly allocated to open exploration by the modified Linton approach or endoscopic exploration by use of a mediastinoscope. Results: Thirty-nine patients were randomized, 19 to open exploration and 20 to endoscopic exploration. The incidence of wound infections after open exploration was 53%, compared with 0% in the endoscopic group ( p < 0.001). Patients in the open group needed longer hospital stays (mean, 7 days; range, 3 to 39 days) than patients in the endoscopic group (mean, 4 days; range, 2 to 6 days; p = 0.001). Four months after operation, the ulcers of 17 patients (90%) in the open group and 17 patients (85%) in the endoscopic group had healed. During a mean follow-up of 21 months (range, 16 to 29 months), no recurrences were noticed in either group. Conclusions: Endoscopic division of incompetent perforating veins is equally as effective as open surgical exploration for the treatment of venous ulceration of the lower leg but leads to significantly fewer wound healing complications. Endoscopic division is therefore the preferred method. (J Vasc Surg 1997;26:1049-54.)

Cutaneous Closure After Cardiac Operations

To determine the difference in wound complication and infection rates between suture and staple closure techniques applied to clean incisions in coronary bypass patients. The true incidence of postoperative wound complications, and their correlation with closure techniques, has been obscured by study designs incorporating small numbers, retrospective short follow-up, uncontrolled host factors, and narrowly defined complications. Sternal and leg wounds were studied prospectively, each patient serving as his or her own control. Two hundred forty-two patients with sternal and saphenous vein harvest wounds had half of each wound closed with staples and the other half with intradermal sutures (484 sternal and 516 leg segments). Wound complications were defined as drainage, erythema, separation, necrosis, seroma, or infection. Infections were identified in the subset having purulent drainage, antibiotic therapy, or debridement. Wounds were examined at discharge, at 1 week after discharge, and at 3 to 4 weeks after operation. Patient preferences for closure type were assessed 3 to 4 weeks after operation. Neither leg nor sternal wounds had a statistically significant difference in infection rate according to closure method (leg sutured = 9.3% vs. leg stapled = 8.9%; p = 0.99, and sternal sutured = 0.4% vs. sternal stapled = 2.5%; p = 0.128). There was, however, a greater complication rate in stapled segments (leg stapled = 46.9% vs. leg sutured = 32.6%; p = 0.001, and sternal stapled = 14.9% vs. sternal sutured = 3.7%; p = 0.00005). Sutures were favored over staples among patients who expressed a preference (sternal = 75.6%, leg = 74.6%). With the host factors controlled by pairing staples and sutures in each patient, we demonstrated a similar incidence of infection but a significantly lower incidence of total wound complications with intradermal suture closure than with staple closure.

Refinements of the in situ vein bypass: Towards a more “closed” technique

Autologous greater saphenous vein is considered to be the best bypass material for below knee femoropopliteal and femorocrural arterial reconstructions. Although the patency rates of in situ bypasses are no better than reversed bypasses, 1 the in situ technique is the preferred technique in many clinics. Two mandatory procedures during the in situ bypass operation are the closure of side branches and the cutting of the valves. These procedures are often performed under direct vision, necessitating a complete exposure of the greater saphenous vein. A disadvantage of this technique is the high incidence of postoperative wound complications. In two retrospective studies dealing with postoperative wound complications after in situ bypasses the incidences were 33% and 44%. 2'3 A logical step to reduce wound complications was the development of operating techniques with a reduced skin incision length. To allow selective ligation of side branches, via separate small incisions, the valvulotomy procedure must first be performed either blindly or under endoscopic control. The endoscopically controlled valvulotomy offers the advantage of direct visualisation of the effectiveness of the valvulotomy procedure. However Clair et al. showed in a randomised trial, 4 that endoscopically assisted in situ bypass grafting did not result in a better bypass performance. Angiograph~ a Doppler device or a Duplex scanner can be used peroperatively to identify and selectively ligate the side branches. 5° Another option is to locate the side branches endoscopically. With this semi-

Advantages of using the midline incision right retroperitoneal approach for abdominal aortic aneurysm repair

This study was conducted to compare the midline incision right retroperitoneal approach for repairing abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) with the transperitoneal approach. The intra- and postoperative course of 15 patients who underwent AAA repair using the transperitoneal approach between 1987 and 1991 and another 15 patients who underwent AAA repair using the retroperitoneal approach between 1991 and 1994 were evaluated. The incidence of postoperative wound complications was also assessed. There was no operative or hospital death in either group. Although a significantly longer interval was required from the incision to the aortic clamp using the extraperitoneal method, there were no statistical differences in the aortic clamping time, total operation time, or blood loss between the two groups. On the other hand, there was a statistically significant improvement in bowel function and a significant reduction in the length of postoperative hospitalization following the extraperitoneal procedure. Furthermore, no wound complications such as those associated with the left flank incision developed after the extraperitoneal procedure. Thus, we recommend the midline incision right retroperitoneal approach for AAA as it does not involve muscle division and is associated with fewer complications.

Comparison of postoperative wound complications and early cancer recurrence between patients undergoing mastectomy with or without immediate breast reconstruction

The incidence of postoperative wound complications and early cancer recurrence was studied in 289 patients who had mastectomy alone and in 113 patients who underwent immediate reconstruction following mastectomy. Patients undergoing immediate reconstruction were younger and had less advanced disease than patients who had mastectomy alone. The postoperative hospital stay was 3.8 days and 4.4 days (p < 0.05) in patients with and without reconstruction, respectively. The overall incidence of postoperative complications was similar in the two groups of patients: 31% and 28% in patients with and without reconstruction, respectively. The incidence of postoperative seroma was higher among patients with mastectomy alone (19% versus 3%, p < 0.05), whereas the incidence of other wound complications was similar in the two groups of patients. Prosthesis-specific complications occurred in 17%. Eight prostheses were removed because of complications. During the relatively short follow-up period (approximately 20 months), local recurrence was noted in 16 patients (6%) who had mastectomy alone and in 1 patient (1%) who had immediate reconstruction after mastectomy (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of distant metastases between the two groups of patients. The results suggest that immediate breast reconstruction can be performed following mastectomy for cancer without increased risk for overall postoperative complications, prolonged hospital stay, or local recurrence. However, patients who choose to have immediate reconstruction need to be informed about risks for specific complications associated with the procedure, especially if an implant is used.

A Comparison of Wound Complications after Inguinal Hernia Repair under Local and General Anaesthesia

Ninety-one male patients with unilateral reducible inguinal hernia were randomly allocated to receive either general or local anaesthesia in order to compare the incidence of postoperative wound complications following both methods of anaesthesia. Forty-seven patients received local anaesthesia while 44 received general anaesthesia. Two patients (4.3%) who received local anaesthesia and three patients (6.8%) who received general anaesthesia developed various types of postoperative wound complications. Chi-squared test however showed no significant difference in the incidence of wound complications between the two groups of patients.

Wound complications following modified radical mastectomy: an analysis of perioperative factors.

To assess the effect of perioperative factors on the incidence of postoperative wound complications, the authors retrospectively analyzed 101 patients who had undergone modified radical mastectomy. These factors included age, body weight, operative techniques, estimated blood loss, wound-catheter drainage, extent of axillary dissection, nodal involvement, and length of hospital stay. Complications included seroma (10.9%), wound infection (8.9%), wound necrosis (5%), hematoma (3%), lymphedema (2%), and pneumothorax (1%). The logistic regression method was used to analyze the data. When electrocautery was used to create the skin flaps, the probability of a wound complication was .462, a 44% increase over that calculated for the cold-knife technique (P = .05). A prolonged hospitalization accompanied the occurrence of a wound complication. No other factors reached statistical significance.