Larger Estimated Blood Loss Research Articles

Impact of placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) pathology on neonatal respiratory outcomes in cesarean hysterectomies

Objective Placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) is a continuum of disorders characterized by the pathologically adherent placenta to the uterine myometrium. Delivery by cesarean hysterectomy at 34–36 weeks is recommended to mitigate the risks of maternal morbidity. Iatrogenic preterm delivery, has potential neonatal implications; late preterm infants are at risk for significant respiratory morbidity. Neonatal outcomes in PAS neonates are not well described in the literature, we aimed to investigate these outcomes. Methods A case-control study was performed with 107 cases of pathology-confirmed PAS patients with singleton, non-anomalous, viable pregnancies, compared to 76 cases of placenta previa with prior cesarean section who underwent repeat cesarean section. All patients were delivered through our institution’s Placenta Accreta Program from 2005 to 2020. Rates of neonatal respiratory morbidity and related outcomes were analyzed. Results Maternal characteristics and antenatal complications were similar between groups, as were gestational age, steroid exposure, and emergent delivery. PAS was associated with increased use of general anesthesia (20 vs. 54%, p = .001), larger estimated blood loss (1875 vs. 6077 ml, p = .008), and longer post-operative stays (4.8 vs. 7.3 days, p = .01). PAS was also associated with neonatal increased rates of high flow nasal cannula (HFNC) (41 vs. 58%, p = .02), intubation (17 vs. 37%, p = .008), and duration of respiratory support (0 vs. 2 days, p = .03). There were no differences in rates of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)/positive pressure ventilation (PPV) (21 vs. 22%, p = .85), anemia, hyperbilirubinemia, or NICU length of stay. Multivariate analysis adjusting for general anesthesia demonstrated this variable confounded the impact of PAS pathology in respiratory outcomes the risk of the respiratory composite (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.57, 95% CI [0.11, 2.82]), use of HFNC (aOR 0.33, 95% CI [0.08–1.48]), and intubation (aOR 1.29, 95% CI [0.25–6.75]), were no longer significant. Conclusions Based on these results, we conclude that PAS neonates have higher rates of respiratory morbidity and that general anesthesia is a significant contributor to these respiratory outcomes. This is important for the antenatal counseling of cases of PAS, especially if general anesthesia is anticipated or requested. Furthermore, it supports efforts to limit general anesthesia exposure of neonates when necessary.

External validation of different difficulty scoring systems of laparoscopic liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Several difficulty scoring systems (DSSs) have been proposed for evaluating difficulty of laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) and no study has validated their performance in a hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)-only cohort at the same time. All cases with HCC that underwent LLR from January 2015 to December 2020 in our center were retrospectively collected. Performance of the IWATE-DSS, Halls-DSS, Hasegawa-DSS, and Kawaguchi-DSS in predicting perioperative outcomes was evaluated. Subgroup analyses were conducted to compare perioperative outcomes between surgeons on the learning curve and surgeons that have gone through the learning curve. For all four DSSs, there were significant distributions of applying bleeding control, surgical time, estimated blood loss, postoperative major complications, and postoperative hospital stay among different groups of each DSS (P all < 0.05). Conversion to laparotomy or not was significantly distributed in different groups of the IWATE-DSS (P = 0.006) and Halls-DSS (P = 0.022), while it was not in the Hasegawa-DSS (P = 0.056) and Kawaguchi-DSS (P = 0.183). Trend tests showed that the conversion rates increased with higher DSS points in the IWATE-DSS (P < 0.001) and the Kawaguchi-DSS (P = 0.021), while not in the Halls-DSS (P = 0.064) and the Hasegawa-DSS (P = 0.068). In the medium and advanced/expert difficulty-level subgroupsdefined by theIWATE-DSS, there were larger estimated blood loss (P in medium-difficulty group = 0.009; P in the advanced/expert difficulty group = 0.004) and longer postoperative hospital stay (P in the medium-difficulty group = 0.012; P in the advanced/expert group = 0.035) in the learner-performed cases. All DSSs performed well in predicting applying bleeding control, surgical time, estimated blood loss, postoperative major complications, and postoperative hospital stay, while only the IWATE-DSS was able to predict whether conversion to laparotomy or not for HCC patients underwent LLR. The IWATE-DSS was also able to help surgeons on the LLR learning curve choose cases and guide clinical practices.

Intraoperative Neurological Monitoring in Lower Limb Surgery for Patients With Mucopolysaccharidoses

Background: There are reports of spinal cord injury (SCI) occurring after lower extremity (LE) surgery in children with mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS). Intraoperative neurological monitoring (IONM) has been adopted in some centers to assess real-time spinal cord function during these procedures. The aim of this investigation was to review 3 specialty centers’ experiences with MPS patients undergoing LE surgery. We report how IONM affected care and the details of spinal cord injuries in these patients. Methods: All pediatric MPS patients who underwent LE surgery between 2001 and 2018 were reviewed at 3 children’s orthopaedic specialty centers. Demographic and surgical details were reviewed. Estimated blood loss (EBL), surgical time, positioning, use of IONM, and changes in management as a result of IONM were recorded. Details of any spinal cord injuries were examined in detail. Results: During the study period, 92 patients with MPS underwent 252 LE surgeries. IONM was used in 83 of 252 (32.9%) surgeries, and intraoperative care was altered in 17 of 83 (20.5%) cases, including serial repositioning (n=7), aggressive blood pressure management (n=6), and abortion of procedures (n=8). IONM was utilized in cases with larger EBL (279 vs. 130 mL) and longer operative time (274 vs. 175 min) compared with procedures without IONM. Three patients without IONM sustained complete thoracic SCI postoperatively, all from cord infarction in the upper thoracic region. These 3 cases were characterized by long surgical time (328±41 min) and substantial EBL (533±416 mL or 30.5% of total blood volume; range, 11% to 50%). No LE surgeries accompanied by IONM experienced SCI. Conclusions: Patients with MPS undergoing LE orthopaedic surgery may be at risk for SCI, particularly if the procedures are long or are expected to have large EBL. One hypothesis for the etiology of SCI in this setting is hypoperfusion of the upper thoracic spinal cord due to prolonged intraoperative or postoperative hypotension. IONM during these procedures may mitigate the risk of SCI by identifying real-time changes in spinal cord function during surgery, inciting a change in the surgical plan. Level of Evidence: Level III—retrospective comparative series.

Predicting Estimated Blood Loss and Transfusions in Gynecologic Surgery Using Artificial Neural Networks

This chapter explores valuating the efficacy of using artificial neural networks (ANNs) for predicting the estimated blood loss (EBL) and also transfusion requirements of myomectomy patients. All 146 myomectomy surgeries performed over a 6-year period from a single site are captured. Records were removed for various reasons, leaving 96 cases. Backpropagation and radial basis function ANN models were developed to predict EBL and perioperative transfusion needs along with a regression model. The single hidden layer backpropagation ANN models performed the best for both prediction problems. EBL was predicted on average within 127.33 ml of measured blood loss, and transfusions were predicted with 71.4% sensitivity and 85.4% specificity. A combined ANN ensemble model using the output of the EBL ANN as an input variable to the transfusion prediction ANN was developed and resulted in 100% sensitivity and 62.9% specificity. The preoperative identification of large EBL or transfusion need can assist caregivers in better planning for possible post-operative morbidity and mortality.

Impact of the Endoscopic Surgical Skill Qualification System on the safety of laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

We hypothesized that the Endoscopic Surgical Skill Qualification System (ESSQS) can shorten operative time, resulting in a decrease in postoperative morbidity. Here, we aimed to clarify whether ESSQS-qualified surgeons could decrease the incidence of complications. Between January 2009 and June 2019, 1042 patients diagnosed with both clinical and pathological Stage ≤ III gastric cancer and undergoing LG were enrolled. In all LG procedures involving ESSQS-qualified surgeons, these served as the operator or the instructive assistant. The short-term outcomes were retrospectively compared between the ESSQS-qualified and the non-ESSQS-qualified surgeons using a propensity-score matched analysis. After propensity-score matching, 321 patients were included in each group. No significant differences were observed in morbidity rate, and length of hospitalization following surgery, although the non-ESSQS-qualified surgeon group had a significantly longer total operative time (Non-ESSQS-qualified group, 368 [170-779] min vs. ESSQS-qualified group, 316 [147-772] min; p < 0.001), and larger estimated blood loss (Non-ESSQS-qualified group, 28 [0-702] mL vs. ESSQS-qualified group 25, [0-1069] mL; p = 0.042). Multivariate analysis revealed that operative time ≥ 360min (OR 1.818 [1.069-3.094], p = 0.027) was identified as the only significant independent risk factor determining morbidity. The incidence of postoperative morbidity did not differ between patients operated by the qualified and nonqualified surgeons, as long as ESSQS-qualified surgeons provide intraoperative instructions.

Predictive Factors Associated with Complications after Laparoscopic Distal Pancreatectomy.

Although laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy (LDP) has become more popular, the postoperative complication rate remains high. We sought to identify the risk factors for post-LDP complications. We examined 1227 patients who underwent LDP between March 2005 and December 2015 at a single large-volume center. We used logistic regression for the analysis. The overall (13.2%) and major (3.3%) complication rates were determined. Postoperative pancreatic fistula was the most frequent complication, and 58 patients (4.7%) had clinically significant (grade B) pancreatic fistulas. No 90-day mortality was recorded. Long operative time (≥200 min), large estimated blood loss (≥320 mL), LDP performed by an inexperienced surgeon (<50 cases), and concomitant splenectomy were identified as risk factors for overall complications using a logistic regression model. For major complications, male sex (p = 0.020), long operative time (p = 0.005), and LDP performed by an inexperienced surgeon (p = 0.026) were significant predictive factors. Using logistic regression analysis, surgery-related factors, including long operative time and LDP performed by an inexperienced surgeon, were correlated with overall and major complications of LDP. As LDP is a technically challenging procedure, surgery-related variables emerged as the main risk factors for postoperative complications. Appropriate patient selection and sufficient surgeon experience may be essential to reduce the complications of LDP.

Risk factors associated with delayed discharge following robotic assisted surgery for gynecologic malignancy

BackgroundThe risk factors for extended length of stay (LOS) have not been examined in a cohort of patients with complex social and medical barriers who undergo robotic assisted (RA) surgery for gynecologic malignancies. We sought to identify those patients with a LOS > 24 h after robotic surgery and the risk factors associated with delayed discharge. Then we aimed to develop a predictive model for clinical care and identify modifiable pre-operative risk factors. MethodsAfter IRB approval, data was abstracted from medical records of all patients with a gynecologic malignancy who underwent a RA laparoscopic surgery from 2010 to 2015. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify independent risk factors associated with delayed discharge defined as LOS > 24 h. A multi-variable logistic regression model was performed using a stepwise backward selection for the final prediction model. All testing was two-sided and a p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. ResultsOf the 406 eligible and evaluable patients, 194 (48%) had a LOS > 24 h. Age ≥ 60 years, a higher usage of narcotic medication, a longer surgical time, and a larger estimated blood loss were all associated with LOS > 24 h (p < 0.05). Many of these women had a social work consultation and went home with home care services despite no surgical or post-operative complications. Our prediction model has the potential to correctly classified 75% of the patients discharged within 24 h. ConclusionsThe development of a pre-hospitalization risk stratification and anticipating the possible need for home care services pre-operatively shows promise as a strategy to decrease LOS in patients classified as high-risk. These findings warrant prospective validation through the use of this prediction model in our institution.

Perioperative Visual Deficit in a Patient Undergoing Dorsolumbar Spine Surgery

AbstractPerioperative visual loss (POVL) is a rare but potentially serious complication of long-duration surgeries in prone position under general anesthesia. The mechanism of visual loss after surgery, and its incidence, is difficult to determine. It is primarily associated with cardiothoracic and spine surgeries. The proposed causes include corneal injury, retinal ischemia (central retinal artery occlusion/branch retinal artery occlusion [CRAO/BRAO]), ischemic optic neuropathy (ION), and cortical blindness. A large, recent multicenter case-control study has identified risk factors associated with ION for patients undergoing spinal instrumentation surgery in prone position. These include male sex, obesity, use of Wilson's frame, long duration of anesthesia/surgery, larger estimated blood loss, and larger relative use of crystalloids for compensation of blood loss. This report describes a relatively healthy, 71-year-old female patient who developed significant visual impairment after thoracolumbar spine surgery in prone position under general anesthesia. The case raises dilemmas regarding the preoperative identification of patients who should be informed of the risk of POVL, and by whom.

Comparison of access type on perioperative outcomes after endovascular aortic aneurysm repair

ObjectiveEndovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) can be performed through percutaneous or surgical access. Our goal was to assess the difference in perioperative outcomes based on access type in a real-world setting. MethodsThe Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) database was queried for EVAR. Univariable analysis and multivariable analysis were used to determine the independent effect of access type. ResultsThere were 8340 (64%) and 4747 (36%) EVAR procedures performed through percutaneous and surgical access (3395 [72%] transverse and 1352 [28%] vertical incisions). In 347 cases (4%), percutaneous access failed. Percutaneous access was performed more in patients who were younger and male, had higher body mass index, were nonsmokers, and had commercial insurance. Multivariable analysis showed that surgical transverse compared with percutaneous access was associated with more cardiac complications (odds ratio, 1.53; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.14-2.05; P = .005), prolonged operative time (means ratio [MR], 1.25; 95% CI, 1.23-1.27; P < .001), larger estimated blood loss (EBL; MR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.45-1.57; P < .001), and length of stay (LOS; MR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.23-1.32; P < .001). Open surgical access through vertical incisions compared with percutaneous access was associated with prolonged operative time (MR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.31-1.37; P < .001), larger EBL (MR, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.58-1.77; P < .001), and LOS (MR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.42-1.57; P < .001). Open access through a vertical incision compared with a transverse incision was associated with prolonged operative time (MR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.04-1.1; P < .001), larger EBL (MR, 1.1; 95% CI, 1.04-1.18; P = .001), and LOS (MR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.1-1.23; P < .001). Failed percutaneous access was seen more with previous bypass, ruptured aneurysm repair, general anesthesia, female sex, obesity, coronary artery disease, and preoperative aspirin use. Failed percutaneous access was associated with increased cardiac complications (odds ratio, 2.48; 95% CI, 1.38-4.6; P = .003), prolonged operative time (MR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.56-1.72; P < .001), larger EBL (MR, 3.27; 95% CI, 2.95-3.62; P < .001), and longer postoperative LOS (MR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.35-1.6; P < .001). There was no independent effect of access type on respiratory and lower extremity ischemic complications or mortality. ConclusionsThe rate of percutaneous access in this contemporary series is higher than historically reported. Percutaneous access is associated with decreased operative time, EBL, and LOS and should be considered when possible. For open surgical access, transverse incisions are associated with lower operative time, EBL, and LOS. Failed percutaneous access is associated with higher cardiac complications as well as with operative time, EBL, and LOS. Extra caution should be used with patients at high risk for failed percutaneous access. Further prospective investigation is needed incorporating details about the quality of the access vessel to determine the interactions of these risk factors.

Impact of GOLD groups of chronic pulmonary obstructive disease on surgical complications.

PurposeChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with increased postoperative complications. Recently, the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) classified COPD patients into four groups based on spirometry results and the severity of symptoms. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of GOLD groups on postoperative complications.Patients and methodsWe reviewed the medical records of COPD patients who underwent preoperative spirometry between April and August 2013 at a tertiary hospital in Korea. We divided the patients into GOLD groups according to the results of spirometry and self-administered questionnaires that assessed the symptom severity and exacerbation history. GOLD groups, demographic characteristics, and operative conditions were analyzed.ResultsAmong a total of 405 COPD patients, 70 (17.3%) patients experienced various postoperative complications, including infection, wound, or pulmonary complications. Thoracic surgery, upper abdominal surgery, general anesthesia, large estimated blood loss during surgery, and longer anesthesia time were significant risk factors for postoperative complications. Patients in high-risk group (GOLD groups C or D) had an increased risk of postoperative complications compared to those in low-risk group (GOLD groups A or B).ConclusionCOPD patients in GOLD groups representing a high exacerbation risk have an increased risk of postoperative complications compared to those with low risk.

An analysis of risk factors for pancreatic fistula after robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy: outcomes from a consecutive series of standardized pancreatic reconstructions.

Proponents of the robotic platform site its potential advantages in complex reconstructions such as the pancreaticojejunal anastomosis; however, the incidence and risk factors for postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) after robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy (RPD) have not been characterized. To identify independent risk factors for POPF after RPD. A prospectively maintained database of patients that underwent RPD (2008-2013) with a standardized pancreaticojejunostomy was analyzed. Univariate and multivariate analyses (UVA/MVA) were used to identify independent predictors for POPF. The POPF prognostic scores developed by Braga and Callery for open pancreaticoduodenectomy were then applied with logistic regression analysis on this RPD cohort. One hundred and fifty consecutive RPDs were analyzed. POPF occurred in 26 (17.3%); 13 (8.6%) of which were ISGPF category B and C. On UVA, patients with POPF had larger body mass index (BMI), smaller pancreatic duct diameter, smaller tumor size, longer OR time, larger estimated blood loss (EBL) and RBC transfusion (all p < 0.05). Higher EBL, duct size <4 mm, larger BMI and small tumor size remained the best independent risk factors for POPF on MVA. Increased Callery (OR 1.46, 95% CI, p = 0.001) and Braga (OR 1.2, 95% CI, p = 0.005) scores predicted an increased risk of POPF in this RPD cohort. Larger BMI, higher EBL, smaller tumor size and smaller duct diameter are the main predictors of POPF in RPD.

Splenectomy as Part of Primary Cytoreductive Surgery for Advanced Ovarian Cancer: A Retrospective Cohort Study

The aim of surgical approach in advanced ovarian cancer should be the complete removal of all visible disease. Our purpose was to compare perioperative features and postoperative complications, and secondarily oncological outcomes, between patients who underwent splenectomy and those who did not at the time of surgery. Thirty-three subjects underwent splenectomy, and we selected 99 controls with similar surgical characteristics but who did not undergo splenectomy. Data collected included perioperative details and follow-up data. Longer operating time (33 minutes longer; P = 0.02), larger estimated blood loss (812 mL more; P = 0.03), higher rate of intraoperative blood transfusions (78.8% vs 42.4%; P < 0.01), and intensive care unit stay (1.4 vs 0.5 days; P < 0.01) as well as higher pneumonia rate (2% vs 0%; P = 0.01) were observed in the splenectomy group. Disease-free and overall survival rates were 30.3% and 66.6%, respectively, in the splenectomy group, and 33.3% and 59.6%, respectively, in the control group. Splenectomy at the time of primary cytoreductive surgery for advanced ovarian cancer may contribute to achieve complete cytoreduction with low perioperative complication rate. This procedure seems to be an acceptable and rational intervention to increase the survival rates of those patients.

Say What You Mean to Say

Say What You Mean to Say

Perioperative clinical thromboembolic events after radical or partial nephrectomy

Objectives To evaluate the incidence of, and identify the risk factors for, clinical thromboembolic events after radical/partial nephrectomy. Cancer is an established risk factor for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE); however, their incidence after nephrectomy for renal tumors has been poorly studied. Methods We reviewed our prospective institutional renal database and identified 2208 patients who underwent renal tumor surgery from January 1989 to July 2005. The clinical parameters evaluated were age, sex, race, body mass index, smoking history, medical comorbidities, American Society of Anesthesia grade, procedure type, estimated blood loss, and length of hospitalization. Hospital records, discharge “International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision” codes, and 30-day postoperative morbidity and mortality data were reviewed to identify patients diagnosed with perioperative DVT or PE. Results A total of 34 (1.5%, 95% confidence interval 1.1% to 2.1%) thromboembolic events (20 PEs and 14 DVTs) were identified in 33 patients. Patients with a preoperative history of arrhythmia ( P = 0.02) or prior DVT ( P = 0.053) were more likely to experience PE. The estimated blood loss was directly associated with an increased risk of PE ( P = 0.001). Patients with coronary artery disease ( P = 0.050) or of advanced age ( P = 0.02) were more likely to experience DVT ( P = 0.02). Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first study on the incidence of thromboembolic events after nephrectomy. Thromboembolic events are rare but are more likely to occur in patients with coronary artery disease, cardiac arrhythmia, prior DVT, Stage 3 or 4 tumors, or a large estimated blood loss.

Use of preoperative autologous blood donation in patients undergoing radical retropubic prostatectomy

Objectives. To evaluate the appropriateness of autologous blood (AB) transfusion during radical retropubic prostatectomy in relation to the cardiopulmonary risk of the patient. Methods. We reviewed the medical records of 100 patients with American Society of Anesthesiologists status I, II, or III who underwent radical retropubic prostatectomy under general or combined general and epidural anesthesia. All patients had donated 2 units (U) of autologous blood, received 0, 1, or 2 U of autologous blood perioperatively, and received no allogeneic blood. Patients were placed in three cardiopulmonary risk groups on the basis of risk factors or documented cardiopulmonary disease. The low-risk group was assigned a target discharge hematocrit of 24% or less; moderate-risk, 25% to 28%; and high-risk, 29% or greater. The appropriateness of transfusion was determined by whether patients’ hematocrit was in their group’s preassigned range at discharge. Results. On the basis of discharge hematocrit, significantly more low-risk patients underwent inappropriate transfusion than moderate-risk (64% versus 26%, P = 0.006) or high-risk (64% versus 13%, P = 0.001) patients. Seventy-five AB units were discarded and at least 53 U were inappropriately transfused. We found an increase in the number of units of autologous blood transfused when a larger estimated blood loss was reported ( P < 0.001). The estimated charge for the units discarded and inappropriately transfused exceeded $12,000. Conclusions. Sixty-four percent of autologous blood units were discarded or inappropriately transfused during radical retropubic prostatectomy. Transfusion of autologous blood was not governed by cardiopulmonary risk stratification. If the decision to transfuse had been based on cardiopulmonary risk factors instead of estimated blood loss, fewer patients would have received autologous blood.