Perioperative Protocol Research Articles

Evolution of the candidacy requirements and patient perioperative assessment protocols for cochlear implantation

Cochlear implantation as an approved clinical therapy ushered in an exciting era of innovation for the treatment of hearing loss. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the use of cochlear implants as a treatment option for adults with profound sensorineural hearing loss in 1985. The landscape for treating adults and children with significant hearing loss has changed dramatically over the last three decades. The purpose of this paper is to examine the evolving regulatory process and changes to clinical care. A significant emerging trend in cochlear implantation is the consideration of steroids to preserve hearing during and following surgery. This parallels the quest for hearing preservation in noise-induced hearing disorders, especially considering the current interest in biological drug therapies in this population. The future will likely usher in an era of combination therapeutics utilizing drugs and cochlear implantation. For over 30+ years and following regulatory compliance, the Rocky Mountain Ear Center has developed an extensive candidacy and outcome assessment protocol. This systematic approach evaluates both unaided and aided auditory performance during candidacy stages and post-implantation. Adjunctive measures of cognition and quality-of-life augment the auditory assessment in specific populations. Practical insights into lessons learned have directed further clinical research and have resulted in beneficial changes to clinical care.

CARDIAC SURGERY IN JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES: 337 CONSECUTIVE CASES

<h3>Objective</h3> Cardiac surgery is associated with high rates of allogenic blood transfusion, due to the invasiveness of the procedures, perioperative blood loss and use of extracorporeal circulation. For their refusal of transfusion of any blood component, cardiac surgery in Jehovah's Witnesses can be a challenge. Over the last few decades, our hospital has developed as the national expertise centre for cardiac surgery in adult Jehovah's Witnesses. The aim of this study was to describe the outcome of the Jehovah's Witnesses undergoing cardiac surgery in our centre. <h3>Design and Method</h3> In this retrospective review, data of all Jehovah's Witnesses undergoing cardiac surgery in our hospital were collected from the 1st of January 2001 to the 31st of January 2022. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze obtained data. The institutional protocol describing all perioperative care in this special group has been applied for 21 years. Preoperative treatment consisted of pre-operative discontinuation of anticoagulant and antiplatelet therapy, erythropoietin, folic acid, vitamin B12 and iron therapy in case of anemia. Transfusion of blood components or medication of human origin were avoided and intra-operative blood collection via cell-saver and transfusion of autologous blood was used. <h3>Results</h3> The study cohort consisted of 337 Jehovah's Witnesses undergoing cardiac surgery. 69% were men and the mean age was 68 years. Twenty-three patients (6.8%) were treated for anaemia. The mean Euroscore was 5.1 (range 0-18). Surgery was elective in 72.9% and emergent in 2.7% of patients. Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (54.1%) was performed most, followed by aortic valve replacements (18.6%). The mean operation time was 226 ± 134 minutes, with a mean extracorporeal circulation time of 88 ±51 minutes. Mean preoperative hemoglobin levels were 9 mmol/L (range 6.1-11.5 mmol/L), dropping to 7.2 mmol/L (range 4.1-9.9 mmol/L) at hospital discharge. Mean blood loss was 439 ± 349 mL in the first 12-hours post-surgery. Maximum mean postoperative troponin levels were 428 ± 422 ng/L. Rethoracotomy and myocardial infarction occurred in 3.6% and 4.2% of patients, respectively. In 4.2% cases, post-operative myocardial infarction was diagnosed. On average, patients had an intensive care unit stay of 1.4 ± 1.8 days and hospital stay of 6.8 ± 4.2 days. Hospital mortality was 0.6%. <h3>Conclusions</h3> This study demonstrates that cardiac surgery in Jehovah's Witnesses is safe when adhering to a strict perioperative patient blood management protocol, with a mortality of only 0.6%. Further research needs to be conducted to compare these outcomes to our general population and discover whether our strategy used in Jehovah's Witnesses could safely be extended to a wider population.

Interventional treatment of haemorrhoids in anticoagulated patients

Anticoagulants are currently widely used for cardiological reasons, stroke prevention and in other vascular diseases. Colorectal surgeons face patients suffering from haemorrhoids who are put on anticoagulant therapy in their everyday practice. Anticoagulation strategy for patients undergoing interventional treatment of haemorrhoids has not been discussed in detail in the literature so far. Standard management of grade 1-3 haemorrhoids includes rubber band ligation (RBL), sclerotherapy (SCL) and infrared coagulation (IRC) after unsuccessful conservative treatment. The rates of postprocedural bleeding range from 0.9-2.8% after rubber band ligation, 0-2.7% after sclerotherapy and 5% after infrared coagulation. Surgical procedures including dearterialization, haemorrhoidectomy and stapled haemorrhoidopexy are indicated in more advanced degrees as the third line of treatment and are complicated by postoperative bleeding in 1.4-5.9% and 2-7.9% patients, respectively. Haemorrhoidectomy is the best option in grade 4 haemorrhoids and is associated with 6.2-8.4% risk of bleeding. However, closed haemorrhoidectomy, Ligasure technique and/or anal tamponade can reduce this risk. Surgical guidelines recommend continuing acetylsalicylic acid in low bleeding risk procedures, including haemorrhoidal surgery. However, postoperative bleeding after rubber band ligation was more common in the aspirin group. On the other hand, haemorrhage incidence after sclerotherapy did not differ significantly between the group on anticoagulation compared with the group without anticoagulation. Haemorrhoidectomy should be postponed for 6 months in patients receiving dual antiplatelet therapy. According to the guidelines, vitamin K antagonists should be discontinued 5 days before haemorrhoidal surgery. Minimal bleeding risk procedures do not require discontinuation of anticoagulation,but this option seems to be hazardous for patients undertaking rubber band ligation. Sclerotherapy, on the other hand, could not require warfarin discontinuation if the international normalized ratio (INR) is within therapeutic range. Novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) should be discontinued 1 day before low bleeding risk operations, including haemorrhoidectomy and resumed 1 day after the procedure. In conclusion, all anticoagulants should be ceased prior to operation except for aspirin. There are not clear recommendations on the perioperative protocols for continuation or discontinuation of blood thinners in patients undergoing minimally invasive procedures.

Alignment accuracy and functional outcomes between hand-held navigation and conventional instruments in TKA: a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundThis study assessed surgical accuracy and functional outcomes using hand-held accelerometer-based navigation following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Question: (1) Does hand-held navigation (the iAssist system) improve surgical accuracy (assessed with five parameters commonly used to evaluate surgical alignment: the hip-knee-ankle angle (HKA), femoral coronal angle (FCA), tibial coronal angle (TCA), femoral sagittal angle (FSA), and tibial slope angle (TSA)) compared to conventional instruments in TKA? (2) Which surgical alignment parameters among HKA, FCA, TCA, FSA, and TSA can obtain the most advantage from the iAssist system? (3) Does the iAssist system lead to better functional outcomes at two years of follow-up after TKA?MethodsThis parallel-group double-blinded randomized controlled trial recruited 60 patients (30 patients each in the iAssist and conventional group) with osteoarthritis who underwent primary TKA by a single surgeon at Siriraj Hospital. There was no loss to follow-up in the study. All procedures in both groups were performed using similar surgical exposure, prosthesis implant, perioperative and postoperative protocols. Participants in the iAssist group received the iAssist system as an assistive technique, while those in the conventional group only had conventional instruments. Surgical alignments (HKA, FCA, TCA, FSA, and TSA) were recorded using CT scan at six weeks post-operation. Functional outcomes were assessed with knee ROM, KSS, and EQ-5D at 6 months, 1 year and 2 years post-operation. Baseline characteristics including age, sex, the affected knee side, and body mass index were comparable between the two groups, similar to preoperative ROM, KSS, and EQ-5D.ResultsThe mean operative time was relatively longer in the iAssist than the conventional group, although not statistically significant (88.1 ± 13.7 versus 83.4 ± 21.3; p = 0.314). Among the surgical alignment parameters evaluated, FCA was the only radiographic parameter with a statistically significant difference between the two groups and was closer to 90º in the iAssist group (89.4 ± 2.2 in the iAssist versus 87.2 ± 2.1 in the conventional group; p = 0.003). Also, there was a higher proportion of outliers in the conventional than the iAssist group (23.3% versus 10%; p = 0.086). Nonetheless, HKA and TCA did not differ between the two groups (p = 0.25 and 0.096, respectively), although the percentages of outliers were higher in the conventional than the iAssist group (HKA: 26.7% vs. 13.3%; p = 0.101 and TCA: 6.7% versus 0%; p = 0.078). Likewise, we observed other radiographic parameters had no significant group differences, including FSA and TSA. Furthermore, at two years post-operation, we found no differences between the iAssist and the conventional group in knee ROM (106.7 ± 14.6 versus 108.2 ± 12.7; p = 0.324), KSS (82.5 ± 6.4 versus 83.8 ± 3.4; p = 0.324), and EQ-5D (0.9 ± 0.2 versus 1.0 ± 0.1; p = 0.217). All functional outcomes were also comparable at 6 months and 12 months of follow-up postoperatively.ConclusionThe iAssist technology increase surgical precision by allowing for a more precise FCA with fewer outliers than conventional equipment. iAssist had longer operative time. Functional outcomes and quality of life were not different.Level of evidence:I

Protocols for perioperative management of direct oral anticoagulants in hospitals: opportunities for improvement

Objectives To investigate and describe the protocolized perioperative management in patient using Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in Dutch hospitals. Methods Between August and December 2020, a nationwide survey in 70 hospitals in the Netherlands was conducted. We asked hospital pharmacists to submit their protocols for perioperative management of DOAC (apixaban, dabigatran, edoxaban and rivaroxaban) users. The protocols were assessed for a number of parameters divided into categories: interruption and restart timetables DOACs for elective procedures, criteria for the start of an urgent procedure without antidotes, criteria for the use of antidotes and advised antidotes for urgent procedures. Results A total of 49 hospitals (70%) sent a protocol for perioperative management of DOACs. Two pairs of protocols were identical because hospitals cooperated closely, leaving 47 individual protocols for analysis. Thirty-five of these protocols contained a policy for both elective and urgent procedure; five protocols contained only a policy for elective and seven only for urgent procedures. In protocols for elective procedure, we found great variation in interruption and restart timetables intended for patients with renal impairment (Estimated Glomerular Filtration Ratio < 80 ml/min). In case of urgent procedures, there is variation in choice of antidote, criteria for administration of an antidote and antidote dosing. Conclusion This study provides an overview of the current state of the perioperative protocols in the Netherlands in patients treated with direct oral anticoagulants. Protocols are often not complete and show important and unwanted variation. We have found that national guidelines do not provide unambiguous advice on all points (urgent procedures) and are therefore often elaborated at a local level. The results of this research can help in improving and harmonizing the perioperative protocols on a national level.

Perioperative Nursing Care Standards in a SARS CoV-2 Infected Patient for Mandatory Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory corona virus-2 (SARS CoV-2) that started in late December 2019, lead to millions of infections and mortalities and disruption in routine clinical services, including surgical procedures. Such delay in routine; surgical procedures leads to a backlog of patients, including cardiac, planned for surgical interventions. The pandemic has presented healthcare workers with the unprecedented challenge of maintaining patient and personal safety dealing with patients, including surgical ones. The healthcare personnel in general and nurses caring confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infected patients in specific have a high risk of patients and self-safety concerns, especially under peri-operative care where aerosol-producing procedures are key components of care. Herein, we present the peri-operative nursing approach to a SARS CoV-2 infected patient, confirmed with reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (rt-PCR), and remained positive as repeated four times in nearly four weeks, who underwent an essential coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), with specific focus to standard recommendations and protocols. Adherence by nursing staff to these recommended peri-operative protocols will mandate; both patient and nursing safety.

Ambulatory Lumbar Fusion: A Systematic Review of Perioperative Protocols, Patient Selection Criteria, and Outcomes.

Systematic review. The primary purpose was to propose patient selection criteria and perioperative best practices that can serve as a starting point for an ambulatory lumbar fusion program. The secondary purpose was to review patient-reported outcomes (PROs) after ambulatory lumbar fusion. As healthcare costs rise, there is an increasing emphasis on cost saving strategies (i.e. outpatient/ambulatory surgeries). Lumbar fusion procedures remain a largely inpatient surgery. Early studies have shown that fusion procedures can be safely preformed in an outpatient setting but no review has summarized these findings and best practices. This study was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. PubMed/MEDLINE, The Cochrane Library, and Embase were searched. The following data were collected: (1) study design; (2) number of participants; (3) patient population; (4) procedure types; (5) procedure setting; (6) inclusion criteria; (7) protocols; (8) adverse events; (9) PROs; and (10) associations between patient/surgical factors, setting, and outcomes. The search yielded 20 publications. The following selection criteria for ambulatory lumbar fusion were identified: age below 70, minimal comorbidities, low/normal body mass index, no tobacco use, and no opioid use. The perioperative protocol can include a multimodal analgesic regimen. The patient should be observed for at least three hours after surgery. The patient should not be discharged without an alertness check and a neurological examination. Patients experienced significant improvements in PROs after ambulatory lumbar fusion; similarly, when compared to an inpatient group, ambulatory lumbar fusion patients experienced a comparable or superior improvement in PROs. There are two critical issues surrounding ambulatory lumbar fusion: (1) Who is the ideal patient, and (2) What needs to be done to enable expedited discharge? We believe this review will provide a foundation to assist surgeons in making decisions regarding the performance of lumbar fusion on an ambulatory basis. Level III.

Digital transformation of perioperative nurse-coordinated protocols in renal surgery for enhanced recovery and outpatient surgery using UroConnect® application

Robot Assisted Partial Nephrectomy (RAPN) is a standard of care for localized renal tumors. It allows a good carcinological control while limiting complications. Despite numerous benefits, the economic sustainability of robotic assistance remains a challenge in the French health care system. The introduction in our institution of two perioperative nurse-coordinated protocols for patients undergoing RAPN (Enhanced Recovery After Surgery: NP-RAAC in 2015 and Outpatient: Ambu-Rein in 2016) is associated with a shortening of the average length of hospital stay, thus reducing the cost of robotic assisted procedures. With the aim of improving efficiency of nursing support within these protocols, we have introduced digitalized nursing coordination by developing a urological perioperative application: UroConnect®. This device is offered to patients by the coordinating nurses during a preoperative visit. It provides information on the pathology and its surgical management. Self-completed questionnaires sent at key moments collect data from the first month after surgery and detect patients presenting difficulties or complications, allowing the nurses to respond with appropriate care. The application allows a secure discharge, a personalised follow-up and an increase in the patient's autonomy and compliance with care.

Overcoming challenges of translating deep-learning models for glioblastoma: the ZGBM consortium.

To report imaging protocol and scheduling variance in routine care of glioblastoma patients in order to demonstrate challenges of integrating deep-learning models in glioblastoma care pathways. Additionally, to understand the most common imaging studies and image contrasts to inform the development of potentially robust deep-learning models. MR imaging data were analysed from a random sample of five patients from the prospective cohort across five participating sites of the ZGBM consortium. Reported clinical and treatment data alongside DICOM header information were analysed to understand treatment pathway imaging schedules. All sites perform all structural imaging at every stage in the pathway except for the presurgical study, where in some sites only contrast-enhanced T1-weighted imaging is performed. Diffusion MRI is the most common non-structural imaging type, performed at every site. The imaging protocol and scheduling varies across the UK, making it challenging to develop machine-learning models that could perform robustly at other centres. Structural imaging is performed most consistently across all centres. Successful translation of deep-learning models will likely be based on structural post-treatment imaging unless there is significant effort made to standardise non-structural or peri-operative imaging protocols and schedules.

Impact of Point-of-Care Assays for Hemostasis Monitoring According to Type of Donor in a Cohort of Liver Transplant Recipients

• Donation after circulatory death liver transplant offers excellent outcomes. • Perioperative hemostasis monitoring protocols with a viscoelastic point-of-care testing assay reduce blood loss and transfusion volume. • Use of machine perfusion is likely to further expand donation after circulatory death liver transplant. The aim is to compare 2 groups of liver transplant recipients, according to type of donor, within the framework of a hemostasis monitoring program using a point-of-care testing assay in terms of reduction in transfusion of blood products. This retrospective analytical observational study included 527 liver transplant recipients from 2014 to 2021. Of these, 460 were recipients of livers from donation after brain death (DBD) and 67 were orthotopic liver transplant recipients with donation after cardiac death (DCD). Statistical analysis of differences between the 2 groups included a series of intraoperative variables of blood product consumption: erythrocyte concentrate (red blood cells), fresh frozen plasma, platelets, and fibrinogen concentrates guided by algorithm with a viscoelastic technique using the ClotPro analyzer. The transfusion management was decided according to pre-established guidelines and cutoff values. The mean follow-up period was 40.3 months. Transfused red blood cells and fibrinogen units were significantly higher in the DBD group. The percentage of retransplant was significantly higher in the DCD group, and vascular complications were significantly more frequent in the DCD group ( P < .05). Cox univariate analysis showed that the DCD group had a risk ratio of death significantly higher than 1. Intraoperative monitoring of hemostasis with a point-of-care testing assay reduced blood product requirements. Type of donor had prognostic utility in our cohort. We hypothesize that other variables such as extraction technique, methods used to preserve the allograft, and later complications have a significantly greater impact than perioperative hemostasis management on retransplant rates and death.

Outcomes and Cost Analysis of a Surgical Care Unit for Outpatient Total Joint Arthroplasties Performed at a Tertiary Academic Center.

BackgroundTotal joint arthroplasty (TJA) has shifted toward being an outpatient surgery with advances in perioperative protocols and patient selection. Most literature on outpatient arthroplasty focuses on the surgery performed in ambulatory centers. This study sought to compare (1) short-term outcomes and (2) the total procedural cost in patients who underwent TJAs at a tertiary academic center and were discharged from the accelerated surgical care unit (SCU) vs the inpatient floor unit.MethodsThis is a retrospective review of 1231 procedures (637 total knee arthroplasties and 594 total hip arthroplasties) performed between January 2020 and May 2021 at 1 tertiary academic center. The minimum required follow-up duration was 90 days. Patients were divided into 2 cohorts based on discharge location (SCU vs inpatient). Patient demographics, medical comorbidities, 90-day hospital returns, and revisions were evaluated with univariate and multivariate analyses. Of the 1231 patients, 1092 had available cost data that were analyzed by a univariate analysis.ResultsPatients discharged from the SCU were younger (P < .01), with lower American Society of Anesthesiologists scores (P = .04). SCU patients trended toward fewer 90-day hospital returns and revisions; however, these results were not significant. The overall encounter cost for TJA was significantly lower in patients discharged from the SCU (P < .01). Cost remained significantly less at 30 and 90 days postoperatively (P < .01).ConclusionsThe present study represents the current activity at many large tertiary American academic medical centers. Results demonstrate that a unit for accelerated discharge after TJAs in a tertiary academic center is safe and cost-effective. With proper implementation, its development will enhance arthroplasty programs at a large tertiary academic center.

Transcarotid artery revascularization can safely be performed with regional anesthesia and no intensive care unit stay

ObjectiveHospital resource use is under constant review, and the extent and intensity of postoperative care requirements for vascular surgical procedures is particularly relevant in the setting of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and its impact on staffed intensive care unit (ICU) beds. We sought to evaluate the feasibility of regional anesthesia (RA) and low-intensity postoperative care for patients undergoing transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) at our institution. MethodsAll patients undergoing TCAR at a single institution from 2018 to 2020 were reviewed. Perioperative management (anticoagulation and antiplatelet therapy, hemodynamic monitoring, neurovascular examination, nursing instructions) was standardized by use of an institutional protocol. Anesthetic modality was at the surgeon’s preference. Patients were transferred to a postanesthesia care unit for 2 hours followed by the step-down unit, to a postanesthesia care unit for 4 hours followed by the floor, or alternatively transferred to the ICU. Intravenous (IV) blood pressure medications could be administered at all environments except the floor. Recovery location and length of stay were recorded. ResultsA total of 83 patients underwent TCAR during the study period. The mean age 72 ± 9 years and 59% were male. Thirty-six percent were symptomatic. RA was used for 84% with none converted to general anesthesia (GA) intraoperatively. Postoperatively, 7 of the 83 patients (8%) included in this study were monitored in an ICU overnight (decided perioperatively), mostly for patients with prior neurological symptoms, but in 1 case for postoperative neurological event and in another owing to pulseless electrical activity arrest. Six patients required IV antihypertensives and eight required IV vasoactive support postoperatively. The mean length of ICU stay was 3.7 ± 5.1 days. The mean length of hospital stay for all patients was 2.4 ± 3.3 days. The length of stay for patients undergoing TCAR with GA was higher than those undergoing TCAR with RA (4.2 ± 4.9 days vs 1.4 ± 1.2 days, respectively; P = .066). The incidence of stroke, death, and myocardial infarction was 2.4%. There was one postoperative stroke considered to be a recrudescence of prior stroke, and one respiratory arrest fatality in a frail patient with neck hematoma both of whom were treated under GA. ConclusionsUsing perioperative care protocols, TCAR can safely be performed while avoiding both GA and an ICU stay in most patients.

Accelerated operative recovery in elderly patients with femoral fractures: Our experience of ten years with 870 patients

Background: The WHO considers elderly as an individual who is ≥ 60 y of age, and there are ≥ 37.7 million elderly people. In 2006, the ACERTO Project (Acceleration of Total Post-Operative Recovery) was introduced in Brazil in colorectal surgeries, and in elderly orthopedic femur fractures in 2010, with primary objective for the patient to early return to independent life. The objective of this descriptive study is to evaluate the clinical results 870 elderly patients undergoing surgical treatment of femoral fractures in ten years (2010-2019) after employing the perioperative acceleration protocol.&#x0D; Methodology: It was a cross-sectional, prospective study in patients ≥ 60 y, of both genders, undergoing corrective hip fracture for ten years at a hospital covered by the Brazilian Public Health System (SUS). The data regarding preoperative condition of the patients, fasting status, mode of anesthesia, drugs used, intra-operatively measured variables and immediate post-operative variables measured in the PACU, quality of lumbar plexus block analgesia, presence of delirium in the first day of postoperative was obtained from the study protocol. The deaths during the first postoperative month were noted.&#x0D; Results: A total of 829 patients underwent surgery for a fracture of the hip, under spinal anesthesia, of whom 583 were women and 246 were men. The average hospital stay was 10.2 ± 7.1 days, and it was associated with the age. The mean fasting time was 2:50 ± 0:32 h. The dose of isobaric bupivacaine was 9.62 ± 1:85 mg. The cephalad spread varied from T12 to T5. The duration of the spinal block was 2:50 ± 0:38 h, the time for the use of dextrinomaltose in PACU was 1:39 ± 0:47 h, the time in the PACU was 2:03 ± 0:46 h and the time to reintroduce normal meals was 6:18 ± 1:02 h. Arterial hypotension occurred in 36 (4.3%) patients, bradycardia in 4 (0.4%), and delirium in 16 patients. Eleven (1.3%) patients were sent to the ICU due to surgical problems. There were no deaths directly related to anesthesia or surgery.&#x0D; Conclusion: The implementation of the ACERTO Project in 829 patients with femur fracture of the Brazilian Public Health System, showed favorable results regarding length of stay, patient satisfaction, decreased use of bladder tube and drains, and referral to ICU, with early discharge to residence.&#x0D; Citation: Imbelloni LE, Teixeira DMP, Lima U, Ventura TB, Lacerda S, Brasileiro, Barbosa R, Sales MBL, Duarte M, Filho GBDM. Accelerated operative recovery in elderly patients with femoral fractures: Our experience of ten years with 870 patients. Anaesth. pain intensive care 2022;26(5):608-615; DOI: 10.35975/apic.v26i5.1992&#x0D;

Is Same-Day Discharge After Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Safe? A Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program Database Analysis.

Purpose Same-day discharge (SDD) after bariatric surgery is gaining popularity. We aimed to analyze the safety of SDD after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and compare its outcomes to inpatients discharged on postoperative days 1–2.Materials and MethodsWe performed a retrospective analysis of the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program database for the period 2015–2020. Patients who underwent primary laparoscopic RYGB and were discharged the same day of the operation (SDD-RYGB) and inpatients discharged on postoperative days 1–2 (In-RYGB) were compared. Primary outcomes of interest were overall morbidity, serious morbidity, readmission, reoperation, intervention, and mortality rates.ResultsA total of 167,188 patients were included; 2156 (1.3%) SDD-RYGB and 165,032 (98.7%) In-RYGB. Mean age (SDD-RYGB: 44.5 vs. In-RYGB: 44.6 years), proportion of females (SDD-RYGB: 81.4% vs. In-RYGB: 80.6%), and mean body mass index (SDD-RYGB: 45.8 vs. In-RYGB: 45.9 kg/m2) were similar between groups. Overall morbidity (SDD-RYGB: 11.3% vs. In-RYGB: 10.2%; OR: 1.2, p = 0.08), serious morbidity (SDD-RYGB: 3.1% vs. In-RYGB: 3%; OR: 1.03, p = 0.81), reoperation (SDD-RYGB: 1.4% vs. In-RYGB: 1.2%; OR: 1.16, p = 0.42), readmission (SDD-RYGB: 4.8% vs. In-RYGB: 4.8%; OR: 1.01, p = 0.89), and mortality (SDD-RYGB: 0.04% vs. In-RYGB: 0.09%; OR: 0.53, p = 0.53) were comparable between groups. SDD-RYGB had lower risk of 30-day interventions (SDD-RYGB: 1.1% vs. In-RYGB: 1.6%; OR: 0.64, p = 0.04) compared to In-RYGB.ConclusionSame-day discharge after RYGB seems to be safe and has comparable outcomes to admitted patients. Standardized patient selection criteria and perioperative management protocols are needed to further increase the safety of this practice.Graphical abstract

Impact of ERAS® protocol compliance on length of stay, bowel recovery and complications after radical cystectomy

Objectives: Despite standardized surgical technique and the development of new perioperative care protocols, radical cystectomy (RC) morbidity remains a serious challenge for urologists. Postoperative ileus (POI) is one of the most common postoperative complications, often leading to longer length of stay (LOS).

Successful Living Donor Kidney Transplantation in a Patient with MTHFR Deficiency and Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia: A Case Report

Perioperative anticoagulation in a kidney transplant recipient with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia is challenging due to paradoxical hypercoagulability. A 49-year-old man with end-stage kidney disease and a previous stroke history was referred for living donor kidney transplantation. After the fifth dialysis session, the platelet count decreased to 10,000/μL, and heparin was immediately discontinued. Five days later, pulmonary thromboembolism with deep vein thrombosis was identified. Anti-heparin PF4 antibody, elevated serum homocysteine, and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene mutations were discovered. Subsequent coronary angiography revealed three-vessel disease. Apixaban, folate, aspirin, and clopidogrel were administered and an inferior vena cava filter was implanted. Thereafter, coronary artery bypass graft surgery was performed using argatroban-bridging without complications. Kidney transplantation was performed 3 months later using the argatroban protocol. The graft kidney functioned well without any complications. In conclusion, we successfully conducted kidney transplantation in a thrombophilic patient with a methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase deficiency and heparin-induced thrombocytopenia by establishing an individualized perioperative anticoagulation protocol.

Cost-Effectiveness of Open Repair of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms with a Novel Perioperative Protocol

In 2015, a novel perioperative protocol (nPOP), comprising of 19 evidence-based interventions, was adopted as a standard practice for open repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) at the Humanitas Clinical and Research Center (Milan, Italy). Its implementation translated into lower complication rates, faster ambulation and return of bowel function, better nausea/vomiting and pain control, and, consequently, a shorter length of hospital stay. Because value of a patient's care cycle can be defined as clinical outcomes relative to costs, we aimed to analyze the cost-effectiveness of nPOP compared to the previously implemented protocols. Three groups were identified and retrospectively analyzed: (A) 66 patients (September 2007 to March 2009) treated according to the traditional protocol; (B) 225 patients (April 2009 to March 2015) treated in line with a transitional protocol, incorporating 5 perioperative interventions; and (C) 103 patients (April 2015 to February 2019) treated according to nPOP. For each group a monetary value of required clinical resources and the actual total cost per patient from admission to discharge were determined. The following were analyzed (including nurse and anesthesiologist time): diagnostic tests, medications, materials, operating time, surgical team time, blood transfusion, ward stay, and intensive care unit stay. Two indicators of effectiveness were determined based on the postoperative outcomes: complication-free incidents and relative shortening of hospitalization time. A cost (€) of an improvement in effectiveness (%) was calculated. Alongside enhancement of clinical outcomes, nPOP constituted the cheapest approach. It consumed the least human and material resources, resulting in the direct reduction in the overall clinical cost per patient. The length-of-stay variable provided the largest reduction in total costs. The actual total clinical cost per patient in Group C was 26% lower than in Group A (4,437€ vs. 6,005€) and 39% lower than in Group B (4,437€ vs. 7,305€). Every unit of enhancement of clinical outcomes was 2.43 times more expensive for the traditional protocol and 2.23 times more costly for the transitional protocol compared to nPOP, making it the most cost-effective. The nPOP for AAA open repair is not inferior to other perioperative protocols while allowing for efficient utilization of limited hospital resources, thus creating a high social value. The proposed methods for cost-effectiveness analysis are easily reproducible and therefore can be applied in future projects ranging from a micro- to a macro-economic scale.

Blueprint for safe transition from a low- to high-volume pancreatic surgery center

We describe a straightforward model to implement a high volume specialty surgery program at a community hospital. Using pancreatic surgery as an example, we employed published processes in three arenas. First, mandatory multidisciplinary tumor board presentations captured all the patients considered for surgery. Then, perioperative protocols using tools such as enhanced recovery and teamwork in the perioperative arena created a reproducible and safe environment for complex surgery. We critically reviewed all complications using the Clavien-Dindo methodology, and confirmed our favorable outcomes via the targeted NSQIP program. These standard steps can be used for implementation of a new complex surgical procedure.

Standardized perioperative care reduces colorectal surgical site infection in children: A Western Pediatric Surgery Research Consortium multicenter analysis

PurposeSurgical site infection (SSI) remains a significant source of patient morbidity and resource utilization in children undergoing colorectal surgery. We examined the utility of a protocolized perioperative care bundle in reducing SSI in pediatric patients undergoing colorectal surgery. MethodsWe conducted a prospective cohort study of patients ≤18 years of age undergoing colorectal surgery at ten United States children's hospitals. Using a perioperative care protocol comprising eight elements, or “colon bundle”, we divided patients into low (1–4 elements) or high (5–8 elements) compliance cohorts. Procedures involving colorectal repair or anastomosis with abdominal closure were included. Demographics and clinical outcomes were compared between low and high compliance cohorts. Compliance was compared with a retrospective cohort. The primary outcome was superficial SSI incidence at 30 days. ResultsThree hundred and thirty-six patients were included in our analysis: 138 from the low compliance cohort and 198 from the high compliance cohort. Age and gender were similar between groups. Preoperative diagnosis was similar except for more patients in the high compliance cohort having inflammatory bowel disease (18.2% versus 5.8%, p<0.01). The most common procedure performed was small bowel to colorectal anastomosis. Wound classification and procedure acuity were similar between groups. Superficial SSI at 30 days occurred less frequently among the high compliance compared to the low compliance cohort (4% versus 9.7%, p = 0.036). Median postoperative length of stay and 30-day rates of readmission, reoperation, intra-abdominal abscess and anastomotic leak requiring operation were not significantly different between groups. None of the individual colon bundle elements were independently protective against superficial SSI. ConclusionStandardization of perioperative care is associated with a reduction in superficial SSI in pediatric colorectal surgery. Expansion of standardized protocols for children undergoing colorectal surgery may improve outcomes and decrease perioperative morbidity. Type of StudyClinical Research Paper Level of EvidenceLevel II

Same-Day Discharge Following Aseptic Revision and Conversion Total Joint Arthroplasty: A Single-Institution Experience

BackgroundWith hospital inpatient capacity increasingly limited and primary total joint arthroplasty (TJA) rapidly transitioning to outpatient settings, the feasibility of outpatient aseptic revision and conversion TJA (rTJA) has been considered. Before the widespread adoption of outpatient rTJA, guidelines must be established to prevent patient harm. To this end, this study describes our initial experience with same-day-discharge (SDD) aseptic rTJA. MethodsAll aseptic rTJAs performed between May 8, 2015, and December 30, 2021, were retrospectively reviewed. Revision indications, patient selection criteria, and outcomes including SDD success rate, predischarge complications, all-cause emergency department visits, inpatient readmissions, and unplanned clinic encounters within 90 days of surgery were recorded. ResultsThirty-five SDD aseptic rTJAs were performed. Conversion total hip arthroplasty (55.0%) and instability (27.3%) were the most common indications for hip revision. Instability (50%) and conversion total knee arthroplasty (20.8%) were most common for knee revision. SDD was achieved in 97% (34/35) of cases. One hip patient failed SDD due to persistent hypoxia requiring an overnight hospital stay and also underwent closed reduction for dislocation in the emergency department within 90 days of discharge. Two additional patients had unplanned clinic encounters within 90 days of the index procedure. There were no hospital readmissions or reoperations within 90 days. ConclusionsOur initial experience suggests SDD aseptic rTJA can be safe and effective when modern perioperative outpatient protocols and surgical techniques are implemented. Future studies should further define patient selection criteria to optimize outcomes and minimize complications in this population.