Late Surgery Group Research Articles

Effects of enriched environment on neural and ethological prognosis and contents of myelin basic protein of neonatal rats with hypoxic-ischemic brain damage

Objective To explore the impacts of enriched environment(EE), which has different initiation time points and intensity, on the neural and ethological prognosis and contents of myelin basic protein(MBP) of neonatal rats with hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD). Methods HIBD rat models were established. Rats were divided into the early, the intermediate and the late intervention groups, which experienced EE from 7, 14 and 21 days after HIBD for 14 days. The early and intermediate intervention groups were then divided into 6-h and 24-h groups, which experienced EE intervention for 6 hours or 24 hours respectively each day. Trapeze tests and water maze tests were carried out to detect the neural and ethological prognosis. Immunohistochemical method was used to detect MBP of the brain white matter, and the percentages of positive cells with MBP were detected by an image analyzer. The contents of MBP were measured. Results The trapeze test scores of the early and intermediate sham operation group, HI group, early 6-h and 24-h EE groups and the intermediate 6-h and 24-h EE groups, the late sham operation group, the late HI and late EE intervention group were (4.05±0.88) scores, (2.35±1.02) scores, (3.67±1.12) scores, (3.50±1.41) scores, (3.50±0.93) scores, (3.56±1.13) scores, (4.00±0.89) scores, (2.17±1.17) scores, (3.50±0.92) scores, respectively. The trapeze test scores of early, intermediate and late EE groups were higher than those of the HI groups in the same period. There was no significant difference between the early, the intermediate 6-h EE groups and 24-h EE groups. Scores of water maze of each corresponding group were (40.68±23.77) seconds, (56.66±10.96) seconds, (46.49±19.27) seconds, (51.72±20.46) seconds, (38.20±18.36) seconds, (47.96±20.65) seconds, (38.63±20.44) seconds, (59.66±13.81) seconds and (45.93±22.45) seconds, respectively. The water maze scores of the early, the intermediate 6-h EE group and the late 24-h EE groups were higher than those of the HI groups in the same period. There was no significant difference between the early, the intermediate 6- h EE groups and the 24-h EE groups. The relative abundance of MBP of the early and intermediate and the late HI groups were 6.32±1.63 and 6.74±2.19, and significantly less than that of the sham groups in the same periods, which were 9.09±1.69 and 9.37±2.46. The relative abundance of MBP of early 6-h and 24-h groups, the intermediate 6-h and 24-h groups and the late EE group was 7.84±2.51, 8.05±1.86, 8.89±2.29, 8.48±2.67 and 7.98±2.09, respectively, which was significantly higher than that of the HI groups in the same periods. It showed that the neural and ethological prognosis of neonatal rats with HIBD could be improved, no matter the intervention began in the early, the intermediate or the late periods, or the intervention time was 6 hours or 24 hours each day. And relative abundance of MBP in the white matter increased with EE. Conclusions EE intervention has a long window stage for young rats. EE intervention could improve the neural and ethological prognosis of rats with HIBD. EE intervention could elevate the contents of MBP in the white matter, which could be one of the mechanisms for EE to improve the neural and ethological prognosis of rats with HIBD. Key words: Cerebral hypoxia; Cerebral ischemia; Enriched environment; Myelin basic protein; Infant, newborn

Cervical Fracture Stabilization within 72 Hours of Injury is Associated with Decreased Hospitalization Costs with Comparable Perioperative Outcomes in a Propensity Score-Matched Cohort.

Introduction: Prior studies have indicated that early decompression of traumatic cervical fractures can be performed safely and is associated with improved outcomes, though the economic impact of the timing of surgery in the American population has not been studied. After adjusting for patient, hospital, and injury confounders, we performed propensity score modeling (PSM) on a large clinical administrative database to determine associated costs depending upon timing of surgery for acute cervical fracture.Methods: A total of 3,348 patients with surgically treated, traumatic, cervical fractures were identified. Patients were sorted into early (within 72 hours of admission) and late (beyond 72 hours) surgery groups. PSM was able to match 2,132 early and late surgery patients on age, comorbidity, expected payer, trauma severity, hospital type, urgent admission, and surgical approach. Perioperative complications, mortality, and resource utilization were assessed.Results: Late surgery was more frequently associated with increased age, more comorbidities, higher ICISS score, and non-private insurance. Following PSM matching, there were no significant, preoperative differences between early and late surgery groups. Surgery performed after 72 hours was associated with an increase in in-hospital complications (OR=1.3). The early surgery group was associated with decreased length of stay (11 days vs. 16 days, p <0.0001) and hospital charges ($237,786 v. $282,727, p <0.0001).Conclusions: After controlling for potential confounding differences through PSM matching and multivariate analyses, we found late surgery independently associated with increased in-hospital complications, length of stay, and hospital resource utilization. These data suggest surgery within 72 hours may decrease resource utilization without a corresponding increase in postoperative morbidity.

Delayed surgical intervention in central cord syndrome with cervical stenosis.

Study Design Review of the literature. Objective It is generally accepted that surgical treatment is necessary for central cord syndrome (CCS) with an underlying cervical stenosis. However, the surgical timing for decompression is controversial in spondylotic cervical CCS. The purpose of this study is to review the results of early and delayed surgery in patients with spondylotic cervical CCS. Methods MEDLINE was searched for English-language articles on CCS. There were 1,653 articles from 1940 to 2012 regarding CCS, 5 of which dealt with the timing of surgery for spondylotic cervical CCS. Results All five reports regarding the surgical timing of spondylotic cervical CCS were retrospective. Motor improvement, functional independence measures, and walking ability showed similar improvement in early and late surgery groups in the studies with follow-up longer than 1 year. However, greater improvement was seen in the early surgery group in the studies with follow-up shorter than 1 year. The complication rates did not show a difference between the early and late surgery groups. However, there are controversies regarding the length of intensive care unit stay or hospital stay for the two groups. Conclusions There was no difference in motor improvement, functional independence, walking ability, and complication rates between early and late surgery for spondylotic cervical CCS.

Double-door laminoplasty for treatment of cervical whiplash injury

Objective To analyze efficacy of double door laminoplasty for treatment of whiplash injury of the cervical spine.Methods Forty-one cases of cervical whiplash injury treated surgically from January 2001 to October 2011 and available to follow up were analyzed retrospectively.There were 32 males and 9 females with mean age of (51.0 ± 12.0) years (range,28 to 74 years).Causes of injury included traffic accidents in 30 cases,fall on the ground in 8,and high fall in 3.All cases were combined with developmental cervical stenosis and six with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament.Posterior double-door laminoplasty was operated in 36 cases and one-stage surgery via anterior-posterior approach in 5 cases.Cases were grouped according to their ages,preoperative cervical Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score,and operation time.Results were compared among groups.Results Operation lasted for 70-180 minutes (mean,121.9 minutes) and showed blood loss of 30-500 ml (mean,177.8 ml).All cases were followed up for 12 to 110 months (mean,59.4 months).Overall JOA score averaging 14.7 points improved significantly after operation with mean improvement rate of 77.8％ (P ＜0.01).Whereas between non-elderly and elderly groups,postoperative JOA improvement rate [(79.6 ± 18.8)％ vs (73.5 ±22.8)％] and excellent rate (90％ vs 83％) were similar.For cases grouped according to their preoperative JOA score,the results were satisfactory for all groups,but the differences were insignificant.Besides,JOA score at the last follow-up differed significantly among groups (P ＜ 0.0l).Improvement rate of JOA score was better in early surgery group than in late surgery group [(84.6±13.3)％ vs (75.4±24.0)％,P＜0.05].Conclusions Double door laminoplasty is reliable in treatment of cervical whiplash injury on condition that surgical indications are grasped strictly.Elderly or gravely injured patients can also have considerable recovery of neurological function,but patients with severe injury or late surgery are associated with poor prognosis. Key words: Spinal cord injuries; Cervical vertebrae; Whiplash injury

Delay between Symptoms and Surgery for Carotid Artery Stenosis: Modification of Our Practice

Recent data from the literature concerning symptomatic carotid stenosis show that the long-term benefits of surgery are greater when the surgery is performed soon after the neurologic event, ideally within 2 weeks. Since 2009, following recommendations, we decided to perform surgery as quick as possible. The aim of the study was to determine whether this approach increased postoperative morbimortality and the way it could change our practice. Using a prospective database containing a consecutive and continuous series of 1,500 carotid endarterectomies performed between 2003 and 2012, we extracted the records concerning the 417 symptomatic carotid stenoses (27.8%). We compared the 30-day and long-term outcome in 3 groups of patients: those operated within 2 weeks of the neurologic event (early surgery group [ESG], n = 158, 37.9%), those operated between 16 days and 6 weeks after the event (deferred surgery group [DSG], n = 79, 18.9%), and those operated more than 6 weeks after the event (late surgery group [LSG], n = 180, 43.2%). In the second part, to assess the new management beginning 2009, patients were divided in 2 periods 2003-2008 (period A) and 2009-2012 (period B) and we compared the 2 period's descriptive data and outcome. The primary outcome was the 30-day combined stroke and death rate. Secondary end points were follow-up freedoms from mortality and stroke. The mean time between symptom onset and surgery was 7.7 ± 3.8 days for the ESG, 28.3 ± 8.6 days for the DSG, and 89.4 ± 36.7 days for the LSG. In the 3 groups, the types of symptoms leading to the indication for carotid surgery were comparable, with a stroke in 221 cases (53.0%), a transient ischemic attack in 146 cases (35.40%), and amaurosis fugax in 50 cases (12.0%). The groups were comparable in terms of comorbidities. The overall 30-day stroke rate was 1.4% (6 cases), the 30-day death rate was 1.7% (7 cases), and the combined stroke and death rate was 3.4% (3.2% in the ESG, 5.1% in the DSG, and 2.8% in the LSG [P = 0.808]). Survival rates at 24, 48, and 60 months were, respectively, 95%, 78%, and 78% in ESG, 86%, 81%, and 81% in DSG, and 91%, 83%, and 74% in LSG (P = 0.78). Freedom from stroke at 60 months showed to be, respectively, 97% in ESG, 96% in DSG, and 91% in LSG (P = 0.32). During the period A (2003-2008), we had taken care of 217 symptomatic carotid artery stenosis patients (22.3% of stenosis) and during the period B (2009-2012), 200 symptomatic stenosis (37.9% of stenosis). During the period A, an early surgery (<15 days) had place in 31 cases (14.3%), and during the period B, in 127 cases (63.5%). The 30-day stroke and death rate was of 3.7% during the period A and of 3.0% during the period B (P = 0.455). The 24-month survival and stroke-free survival rates were comparable between the 2 periods. In our experience, surgery for symptomatic carotid stenosis can be performed early without increasing the rate of postoperative and long-term outcome. We have modified our practice, performing more and more early surgery for symptomatic stenosis without any impact on the outcome.

The clinical outcomes of early internal fixation for undisplaced femoral neck fractures and early full weight-bearing in elderly patients.

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of early internal fixation for undisplaced femoral neck fractures and early full weight-bearing in patients aged 65 years and older. The records of consecutive patients who underwent surgery for undisplaced femoral neck fractures between 1999 and 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. The patients underwent the surgery as early as possible, and allowed early full weight-bearing. The interval between initial injury and surgery, time to admission and operation, operation time, decrease in hemoglobin, the postoperative day starting to walk, postoperative walking status, and the incidence of any secondary procedures were evaluated. The average patient age was 77.5 years and the average duration of postoperative follow-up was 46.8 months. The patients were divided to two groups to determine the effect of early operation: the early operation group within 24 h on admission, and the late operation group done 24 h after admission. Eighty-six percent of surgeries were performed within 48 h of admission. The average operation time was 46 min (range 20-95 min). Transfusions were performed in 6.9 % (4/58) of patients. The mortality rate was 6.9 %, and the rate of complications was 9.3 % (5/54): four cases of avascular necrosis (AVN) and one case of fixation failure. The rate of secondary procedures was 7.4 % (4/54). Seventy-two percent (39/54) of patients recovered their postoperative walking ability to pre-injury levels. This study demonstrated that early internal fixation of undisplaced femoral neck fractures in elderly patients produced satisfactory clinical outcomes.

Outcome of pedicle screw fixation and monosegmental fusion in patients with fresh thoracolumbar fractures.

Study DesignProspective clinical study.PurposeThe present prospective study aims to evaluate the clinical, radiological, and functional and quality of life outcomes in patients with fresh thoracolumbar fractures managed by posterior instrumentation of the spine, using pedicle screw fixation and monosegmental fusion.Overview of LiteratureThe goals of treatment in thoracolumbar fractures are restoring vertebral column stability and obtaining spinal canal decompression, leading to early mobilization of the patient.MethodsSixty-six patients (46 males and 20 females) of thoracolumbar fractures with neurological deficit were stabilized with pedicle screw fixation and monosegmental fusion. Clinical, radiological and functional outcomes were evaluated.ResultsThe mean preoperative values of Sagittal index, and compression percentage of the height of the fractured vertebra were 22.75° and 46.73, respectively, improved (statistically significant) to 12.39°, and 24.91, postoperatively. The loss of correction of these values at one year follow-up was not statistically significant. The mean preoperative canal compromise (%) improved from 65.22±17.61 to 10.06±5.31 at one year follow-up. There was a mean improvement in the grade of 1.03 in neurological status from the preoperative to final follow-up at one year. Average Denis work scale index was 4.1. Average Denis pain scale index was 2.5. Average WHOQOL-BREF showed reduced quality of life in these patients. Patients of early surgery group (operated within 7 days of injury) had a greater mean improvement of neurological grade, radiological and functional outcomes than those in the late surgery group, but it was not statistically significant.ConclusionsPosterior surgical instrumentation using pedicle screws with posterolateral fusion is safe, reliable and effective method in the management of fresh thoracolumbar fractures. Fusion helps to decrease the postoperative correction loss of radiological parameters. There is no correlation between radiographic corrections achieved for deformities and functional outcome and quality of life post spinal cord injury.

The impact of surgical timing on the management of aneurysms with acute hydrocephalus after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

To explore the feasibility and effectiveness of early microsurgical therapy for acute hydrocephalus resulting from a ruptured intracranial aneurysm. Forty patients with Hunt-Hess grades II-III were assigned to group A; 27 patients with grades IV-V formed group B. The patients were also divided into 2 groups based on the time interval between the hemorrhage and surgery. Subjects in the early surgery group underwent aneurysm clipping within 3 days of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), followed by intraoperative lateral ventricle puncture and third ventriculostomy. Subjects in the late surgery group underwent aneurysm clipping within 10 days of SAH, after initial treatment with lateral ventricular drainage. Three months after surgery, we used the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) to compare the differences between the early and late surgery groups. More patients benefited from early surgery than from late surgery in both groups: GOS4-5 was achieved by 75% and 73.3% of early-surgery patients compared to 37.5% and 25% of late-surgery patients from Groups A and B, respectively (both p < 0.05). Analysis of the relationship between surgical timing and outcomes with the Ridit method showed that outcomes of early surgery were better than those of late surgery (p < 0.05). Aneurysmal SAH with acute hydrocephalus requires early surgery.

Altered Right Ventricular Function in the Long-Term Follow-up Evaluation of Patients After Delayed Aortic Reimplantation of the Anomalous Left Coronary Artery From the Pulmonary Artery

This study aimed to evaluate regional and global ventricular functions in the long term after aortic reimplantation of the anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA) and to assess whether the time of surgical repair influences ventricular performance.The study examined 20 patients with a median age of 15 years (range 3-37 years) who had a corrected ALCAPA and 20 age-matched control subjects using echocardiography and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI). The median follow-up period after corrective surgery was 6 years (range 2.6-15 years). Seven patients underwent surgery before the age of 3 years (early-surgery group), whereas 13 patients had surgery after that age (late-surgery group). The TDI-derived myocardial strain of the interventricular septum (IVS), lateral wall of the left ventricle (LV), and lateral wall of the right ventricle (RV) in the basal and mid regions were examined, and a mean was calculated. The pulsed Doppler-derived Tei index was used to assess global left ventricular function. No significant differences were found between the early-surgery group and the control group regarding the regional myocardial strain or the Tei index. Compared with the early-surgery group, the late-surgery group had a significantly higher Tei index (mean 0.37; range 0.31-0.42 vs. mean 0.52; range 0.39-0.69; p < 0.005), a lower strain percentage of the lateral wall of the LV (mean 29; range 17-30 vs. mean 9; range 7-23), IVS (mean 23; range 21-31 vs. mean 19; range 13-25), and lateral wall of the RV (mean 23; range 21-31 vs. mean 19; range 13-25). The age at operation correlated significantly with the Tei index (r = 0.84, p < 0.001) and inversely with the mean strain of the lateral wall of the LV (r = -0.53, p = 0.028), IVS (r = -0.68, p = 0.003), and lateral wall of the RV (r = -0.68, p = 0.003). At the midterm follow-up evaluation after corrective surgery of ALCAPA, not only the left but also the right ventricular function seemed to be affected in patients with delayed diagnosis and late surgical repair but preserved among the younger patients with early diagnosis and corrective surgery.

Timing of operation for poor-grade aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundSubarachnoid hemorrhage is a common and dangerous disease with an unfavorable prognosis. Patients with poor-grade subarachnoid hemorrhage (Hunt & Hess Grades 4–5) are unconscious on admission. Because of the high mortality and disability rate associated with poor-grade subarachnoid hemorrhage, it is often treated conservatively. Timing of surgery for poor-grade aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage is still controversial, therefore this study aims to identify the optimal time to operate on patients admitted in poor clinical condition.Methods/designNinety-nine patients meeting the inclusion criteria were randomly assigned into three treatment groups. The early surgery group received operation within 3 days after onset of subarachnoid hemorrhage (day of SAH = day 1); the intermediate surgery group received operation from days 4 to 7, and surgery was performed on the late surgery group after day 7. Follow-up was performed 1, 3, and 6 months after aneurysm clipping. Primary indicators of outcome included the Extended Glasgow Outcome Scale and the Modified Rankin Scale, while secondary indicators of outcome were assessed using the Barthel Index and mortality.DiscussionThis is the first prospective, single-center, observer-blinded, randomized controlled trial to elucidate optimal timing for surgery in poor-grade subarachnoid hemorrhage patients. The results of this study will be used to direct decisions of surgical intervention in poor-grade subarachnoid hemorrhage, thus improving clinical outcomes for patients.Trial registrationChinese Clinical Trial Registry: ChiCTR-TRC-12002917

Influence of the Timing of Cardiac Surgery on the Outcome of Patients With Infective Endocarditis and Stroke

The timing of cardiac surgery after stroke in infective endocarditis (IE) remains controversial. We examined the relationship between the timing of surgery after stroke and the incidence of in-hospital and 1-year mortalities. Data were obtained from the International Collaboration on Endocarditis-Prospective Cohort Study of 4794 patients with definite IE who were admitted to 64 centers from June 2000 through December 2006. Multivariate logistic regression and Cox regression analyses were performed to estimate the impact of early surgery on hospital and 1-year mortality after adjustments for other significant covariates. Of the 857 patients with IE complicated by ischemic stroke syndromes, 198 who underwent valve replacement surgery poststroke were available for analysis. Overall, 58 (29.3%) patients underwent early surgical treatment vs 140 (70.7%) patients who underwent late surgical treatment. After adjustment for other risk factors, early surgery was not significantly associated with increased in-hospital mortality rates (odds ratio, 2.308; 95% confidence interval [CI], .942-5.652). Overall, probability of death after 1-year follow-up did not differ between 2 treatment groups (27.1% in early surgery and 19.2% in late surgery group, P = .328; adjusted hazard ratio, 1.138; 95% CI, .802-1.650). There is no apparent survival benefit in delaying surgery when indicated in IE patients after ischemic stroke. Further observational analyses that include detailed pre- and postoperative clinical neurologic findings and advanced imaging data (eg, ischemic stroke size), may allow for more refined recommendations on the optimal timing of valvular surgery in patients with IE and recent stroke syndromes.

Timing of surgery for prenatally diagnosed asymptomatic choledochal cysts: a prospective randomized study

Background/PurposeCholedochal cysts (CDCs) are increasingly being diagnosed antenatally. The timing of surgery in this group of patients is unclear. We undertook a prospective randomized trial to establish the optimal timing of surgery for prenatally diagnosed asymptomatic CDCs. MethodsBetween 2003 and 2011, 68 fetuses with ultrasound-detected subhepatic cysts (ie, potential CDC) were randomized into 2 groups: (1) early (≤1 month) operation group (n = 34) and (2) late (>1 month) operation group (LO; n = 34). Operative time, postoperative hospital stay, drainage duration, postoperative complications, and perioperative ultrasonographic and laboratory results were analyzed. ResultsDuring the first month of life, 32 infants became symptomatic (eg, became jaundiced) and were excluded from the trial. This left 36 neonates who were asymptomatic (early operation, n = 16; LO, n = 20) and constituted the study group. It is noteworthy that a further 9 infants in the LO group then became symptomatic after 1 month of age. Grades III and IV hepatic fibroses were significantly more common in the LO group and in patients who were diagnosed during early pregnancy. Interestingly, liver functions in patients diagnosed at early fetal stage were only moderately deranged. Median follow-up period was 36 months. Neither mortality nor complications of bile leak or anastomotic stricture were encountered. However, complete liver function normalization was significantly delayed in the LO group and in patients with high-grade hepatic fibrosis. ConclusionPrenatally diagnosed CDC is a distinct group with a tendency of developing liver fibrosis immediately after birth. Early surgical intervention is warranted in the neonatal period.

Timing of surgical closure of patent ductus arteriosus in preterm neonates?

A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 115 preterm neonates who underwent patent ductus arteriosus ligation after failure of medical treatment, at Chiang Mai University Hospital between January 2003 and December 2010. Two groups were defined: an early surgery group (39.1%) treated with surgical closure within 21 days, and a late surgery group (60.9%) operated on >21 days after birth. There were significant differences between the 2 groups in terms of weight at surgery, birth weight, duration of intubation, ductal size, and preoperative indomethacin usage. The early surgery group had a longer intensive care unit stay, but differences in postoperative chronic lung disease, ductal size, and surfactant use were not significant. Babies with a low birth weight (<1,500 g) and those with a higher ductal gradient were more susceptible to chronic lung disease, but multivariate analysis showed no difference between early and late surgery patients in either early extubation or chronic lung disease. It was concluded that early patent ductus arteriosus ligation did not show more benefits than late surgery.

Early Versus Late Surgery in Patients With Intestinal Behçet Disease

To date, no studies have been conducted to evaluate the potential benefits of early surgery in patients with intestinal Behçet disease. We investigated the long-term clinical outcomes in patients with intestinal Behçet disease first diagnosed at surgery ("early surgery") compared with those requiring surgical resection during the course of the disease ("late surgery"). This is a retrospective cohort study. This study was conducted at a single tertiary academic medical center. We reviewed the medical records of 272 consecutive patients with intestinal Behçet disease between March 1986 and August 2010. The cumulative probabilities of clinical recurrence and reoperation after operation were the main outcomes measures. Forty of 272 patients were first diagnosed with intestinal Behçet disease at surgery (early surgery); the remaining 232 were diagnosed clinically, with 62 undergoing surgery during their follow-up after clinical diagnosis (late surgery). The cumulative probabilities of postoperative clinical recurrence and reoperation were significantly lower in the early-surgery group than in the late-surgery group (p = 0.045 and p = 0.003). In multivariate analysis, early surgery was the only independent factor significantly associated with a reduced probability of reoperation (HR 0.26; 95% CI 0.10-0.71; p = 0.008). However, when we analyzed only the patients who underwent surgery because of chronic symptoms, early surgery was not associated with lower cumulative clinical recurrence and reoperation rates (p = 0.896 and p = 0.492). We analyzed the clinical characteristics retrospectively, and the number of patients was insufficient to reach a decisive conclusion. : According to the current study, the patients with intestinal Behçet disease undergoing early surgery showed better prognoses in comparison with those undergoing late surgery. Early surgery may represent a valid approach in the initial management of the patients with intestinal Behçet disease, at least in the subset of the patients with acute symptoms.

Influence of timing of initial surgery for infantile esotropia on the severity of dissociated vertical deviation

The purpose of this study was to clarify whether the timing of initial surgery for infantile esotropia contributes to better sensory outcomes and to the severity of dissociated vertical deviation (DVD). This retrospective study examined 55 children, aged 8 years and younger, who underwent esotropia surgery. Based on age at the time of the surgery, patients were divided into the very early surgery group (birth to 8 months, N = 14), early surgery group (9-24 months, N = 23) and late surgery group (25 months and older, N = 18). Sensory and motor outcomes of the three groups were statistically evaluated. No significant differences in the incidences of DVD were noted among the three groups at the final visit. However, all DVDs of the very early surgery group were latent, whereas 38.9% of the DVDs for both near and distance of the late surgery group were manifest. Significant differences were found among the three groups for the proportion of patients with manifest DVD, latent DVD and without DVD, and for the incidence of additional surgery for manifest DVD (p < 0.05, G-test). Early surgery for infantile esotropia decreases the severity of DVD and lowers the need for an additional operation for DVD.

Clopidogrel: is a surgical delay necessary in fractured neck of femur?

This paper assesses the outcomes of patients after surgery for a proximal femur fracture while on clopidogrel. It describes a single-centre retrospective observational study over a two-year period. A total of 31 surgical patients were included in this study. Of these, 28 were on clopidogrel and 3 on dipyridamole. Patients were split into subgroups based on when surgery took place and the type of hip fracture. The 'early surgery' (<48 hours from admission to theatre) group contained 16 patients (51.6%) and the 'late surgery' (>48 hours) group composed 15 patients (48.4%). Type of surgery performed and pre-and postoperative haemoglobin (Hb) levels were recorded. Furthermore, the number of units of blood transfused per patient as well as complications before and after surgery were noted. A significantly larger mean hb drop occurred in the early surgery group (3.2g/dl) compared with the late surgery group (2.3g/dl) (p=0.027). The mean length of inpatient stay was 21 days in the early and 23 days in the late group (p=0.456). A significantly larger hb mean drop occurred in patients with extracapsular hip fractures (3.4g/dl; n=16) compared with patients with intracapsular fractures (2.3g/dl; n=15) (p=0.020). The extracapsular patients had longer stays in hospital: 24.5 days versus 19.8 days in the intracapsular group (p=0.521). There was no statistical difference in the 30-day mortality between the early surgery (3/16 deaths) and late surgery (2/15 deaths) groups (p=0.481). Patients with extracapsular fractures, treated with early surgery, appear to be most at risk of complications after surgery.

Clopidogrel: is a surgical delay necessary in fractured neck of femur?

This paper assesses the outcomes of patients after surgery for a proximal femur fracture while on clopidogrel. It describes a single-centre retrospective observational study over a two-year period. A total of 31 surgical patients were included in this study. Of these, 28 were on clopidogrel and 3 on dipyridamole. Patients were split into subgroups based on when surgery took place and the type of hip fracture. The 'early surgery' (<48 hours from admission to theatre) group contained 16 patients (51.6%) and the 'late surgery' (>48 hours) group composed 15 patients (48.4%). Type of surgery performed and pre-and postoperative haemoglobin (Hb) levels were recorded. Furthermore, the number of units of blood transfused per patient as well as complications before and after surgery were noted. A significantly larger mean hb drop occurred in the early surgery group (3.2g/dl) compared with the late surgery group (2.3g/dl) (p=0.027). The mean length of inpatient stay was 21 days in the early and 23 days in the late group (p=0.456). A significantly larger hb mean drop occurred in patients with extracapsular hip fractures (3.4g/dl; n=16) compared with patients with intracapsular fractures (2.3g/dl; n=15) (p=0.020). The extracapsular patients had longer stays in hospital: 24.5 days versus 19.8 days in the intracapsular group (p=0.521). There was no statistical difference in the 30-day mortality between the early surgery (3/16 deaths) and late surgery (2/15 deaths) groups (p=0.481). Patients with extracapsular fractures, treated with early surgery, appear to be most at risk of complications after surgery.

The impact of operative timing on clinical outcomes in elderly hip fracture

Objective To study the effect of operative timing on clinical outcomes in elderly hip fracture. Methods Two hundred sixty-seven patients with hip fracture were treated from July 2006 to May 2008. The patients who had an operation within two days (the early surgery group) were compared with the outcome for those who had an operation more than two days (the later surgery group). Outcomes measured were mortality, post-operative complications, operative details, the comorbidity and the activities of daily living of patients. Results One hundred and sixteen patients were included in the study. There were 45 cases in the early surgery group, including 13 males and 32 females. The patients ranged from sixty-five to eightyeight years old, with an average age of 78.76 years. While there were 71 patients in the late surgery group,including 24 males and 47 females. The patients ranged from sixty-six to one hundred and three years old,with an average age of 80.00 years. The demographic data of patients show no significant difference in two groups. There was no difference in intraoperative conditions such as anesthesia, amount of bleeding, type of fixation between two groups. Patients in early surgery group experienced shorter length of hospital stay, and fewer pulmonary complications. The mortality of early surgery group do not show a significant increase at discharge, 6 month, 12 month postoperatively compared to that of the later surgery group. However patients in the early surgery group show a significant increase of ADL scores at discharge, 6 month postoperatively,but not at 12 month. Conclusion The timing of surgery has an impact on clinical outcome in elderly hip fracture. Early surgery was associated with improved function in the first 6 month postoperatively, but not 12months, but it was not associated with mortality. Key words: Aged; Hip fractures; Treatment outcome

Impact of early surgery on survival of patients with severe mitral regurgitation

BackgroundOptimal timing of surgery in degenerative mitral regurgitation (MR) remains a controversial topic. The impact of current ACC/AHA guideline recommendations about optimal timing of surgery on outcomes is untested and...

The Urgency of Surgical Decompression in Acute Central Cord Injuries With Spondylosis and Without Instability

Systematic review, ambispective analysis of observational data. To make recommendations as to whether or not urgent surgical decompression is ever indicated as the optimal treatment for enhancing neurologic recovery in a patient with acute central cord injury without fracture or instability. There are currently no standards regarding the role and timing of decompression in acute traumatic central cord syndrome. In the setting of TCCS without spinal column instability, much controversy exists. We have performed a thorough literature search based on the following question: "Is there a role for urgent (within 24 hours from injury to surgery) surgical decompression in acute central cord syndrome without fracture or instability specifically to enhance neurologic recovery?" Data including patient demographics, mechanism of injury, comorbidities, neurologic status, and surgical treatment was analyzed from a multicenter STSG observational database. Outcome measured included ASIA Motor Score, ASIA Grade, Functional Independence Measure (FIM) Score, SF-36, Sphincter Disturbance, and Ambulatory status. Measures were recorded on admission, discharge, 6 months and 1 year. At 12-month follow-up, early surgery resulted in a 6.31 point greater improvement in total motor score than did the late surgery group, with a P = 0.0358. At 6-month follow-up, early surgery result in higher chance of improvement in ASIA Grade than late surgery, with an odds ratio = 3.39, while at 12-month follow-up early surgery resulted in a higher chance of improvement in ASIA Grade, with an odds ratio of 2.81. Patients who were operated on within 24 hours had 7.79 U more improvement in FIM Total Score than late surgery at 6 month follow-up, with P = 0.0474. The consensus of experts following review of relevant and examination of observational dataset concluded that it is reasonable and safe to consider early surgical decompression in patients with profound neurologic deficit (ASIA = C) and persistent spinal cord compression due to developmental cervical spinal canal stenosis without fracture or instability. Those with less severe deficit (ASIA = D) can be treated with initial observation with surgery potentially at a later date depending on the extent and temporal profile of the patients neurologic recovery.