Postsurgical Visits Research Articles

Comparative assessment of the corneal endothelium following phacoemulsification surgery in patients with type II diabetes and nondiabetes

Abstract: PURPOSE: The purpose is to assess the corneal endothelial changes after phacoemulsification surgery in diabetic patients and compare with those of nondiabetic subjects. METHODS: The study compared the corneal endothelial changes in diabetics and nondiabetics after phacoemulsification surgery. The study population included 40 patients with diabetes mellitus with good glycemic control and 40 nondiabetic patients who underwent uneventful phacoemulsification surgery. Central corneal endothelial cell density (ECD), central corneal thickness (CCT), and percentage of hexagonality percentage coefficient of variation (%CV) were measured preoperatively and postoperatively (at 4 and 12 weeks) using a specular microscope. RESULTS: Mean ECD loss (%) was measured as 9.85% and 8.41% at 4 weeks and 12 weeks postoperatively in the diabetic group while ECD loss percentage was 7.09% and 5.74% in the control group at the same time intervals, respectively. Furthermore, a significant difference was noted on comparing mean ECD measurements between the two groups at the postsurgical visits (4 weeks and 12 weeks). While the CCT was found to be similar in both diabetic and nondiabetic patients, increase was observed in the values of (%CV in both the groups at postoperative 4 weeks’ and 12 weeks’ follow-up. The values of both %CV and percentage hexagonality showed statistically significant differences between the diabetic and nondiabetic group before surgery and at 4 weeks’ and 12 weeks’ postoperative examinations. CONCLUSION: The patients with diabetes suffered greater endothelial damage despite good glycemic control as compared to nondiabetic patients which indicates the necessity of far more care to protect cornea endothelium in patients with diabetes.

Formation and stability of mucogingival junction on teeth without clinically detectable mucogingival junction secondary to vestibular extension procedure done for multiple adjacent teeth: A clinical study.

There are very limited data on the postsurgical formation of a mucogingival junction (MGJ) on teeth without its clinical detectability. The purpose of this study was to assess the formation and stability of MGJ on teeth without clinically detectable MGJ secondary to vestibular extension procedures for multiple adjacent teeth evaluated 6 months postoperatively. This prospective interventional single-arm clinical study was conducted in the department of Periodontology, which was approved by the institutional ethical committee, MUHS, Nashik, and registered with the Clinical Trial Registry of India. This trial included 22 participants aged between 18 and 50 years of either gender, including teeth without clinically detectable MGJ along with adjacent teeth having detectable MGJs. The following clinical parameters were taken at baseline, presurgical, immediate postsurgical, 1-month and 6-month follow-ups: plaque index, gingival index, and position of MGJ. gingival margin level, probing depth, width of keratinized gingiva, width of attached gingiva, clinical attachment level, and vestibular depth. Descriptive statistics included mean, median, mode, etc., and the inferential statistics done were analysis of variance along with post hoc Tukey and independent sample tests. Apical shift of MGJ was observed from baseline to 6 months secondary to split-full-split repositioning MGJ with vestibular extension procedure, which was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The formation of MGJ was delineated by clinical and biochemical methods at sites with nondetectable MGJ. The coronal migration of MGJ at 6 months as compared to 1 month was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The MGJ remained stable at 6 months postoperatively at detectable and nondetectable sites. Within the limitations of this study, we can conclude that there is a definite formation of MGJ in participants without clinically detectable MGJ treated with "split-full-split MGJ-repositioning vestibular extension procedure." The MGJ, which formed apically at a 1-month postsurgical visit compared to the presurgical position, remained stable for 6 months to 1-year follow-up period at both detectable and nondetectable sites.

Predictive Validity and Patterns of Change Over Time of the Sensitivity to Pain Traumatization Scale: A Trajectory Analysis of Patients Seen by the Transitional Pain Service Up to Two Years After Surgery.

PurposeThe Sensitivity to Pain Traumatization Scale (SPTS-12) was developed to assess the propensity to develop a traumatic stress response to pain. The SPTS-12 is a reliable and valid scale with a one-factor structure. The aim of the present study is to further examine the psychometric properties of the SPTS-12 by evaluating its criterion validity and how scores change over time in a sample of postsurgical patients at the Toronto General Hospital Transitional Pain Service.Participants and Methods361 adults (55% male; Mage = 50.6 years, SDage = 14.3) completed questionnaires assessing symptoms of pain, anxiety, depression, and trauma at multiple visits to the Transitional Pain Service after surgery. Latent-class growth mixture modeling defined prototypical longitudinal patterns (latent trajectories) of SPTS-12 scores up to two years after surgery. One-way ANOVAs examined how trajectory classes differed over time on measures of daily opioid use (mg morphine equivalents (MME)), average pain intensity, pain interference, and depressive symptoms.ResultsThe final model consisted of five SPTS-12 trajectory groups; two characterized by a flat and unchanging pattern and three showing a small but statistically significant decrease over time. Analysis of pain-related outcomes predicted by SPTS-12 trajectories provided evidence of criterion validity of the SPTS-12. SPTS-12 trajectories did not significantly differ on daily MME at any time. Average pain, pain interference, and depression scores significantly differed across SPTS-12 trajectory groups at two or more postsurgical visits (all p < 0.05).ConclusionThe SPTS-12 shows fairly stable patterns and predicts important pain-related and psychosocial outcomes over time. Two SPTS-12 trajectories (#2 and #5) with high scores, comprising ~28% of the total sample, are associated with problematic outcomes on several pain and psychosocial measures. Targeting patients with high SPTS-12 scores for presurgical psychological treatment may prove beneficial in reducing the impact of CPSP.

Patient Preferences Regarding Virtual Visits in Cutaneous Surgery in the Era of COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an increasing shift toward the utilization of telehealth services. There are limited data on patient preferences for these services in dermatologic surgery. To evaluate patient preferences regarding telehealth in dermatologic surgery for pre- and postsurgical care. A survey was administered to patients in an academic dermatology practice. Two hundred twenty-four patients participated. An in-person presurgical consultation was preferred by 62.1%, and a postsurgical in-person visit was preferred by 67.7%. The most commonly cited reason was desire for physical interaction with their surgeon. For each 10-year increase in age, there was a 1.26-fold and 1.12-fold increase in preference for in-person consultation and follow-up, respectively. Eighty-seven percent felt safe during office visit, and 41% reported no anxiety regarding fear of contracting COVID-19. The proportion of patients preferring in-person pre- or postsurgical visits was similar regardless of sex, presence of an immunocompromising condition, prior dermatologic surgery, anxiety level for contracting COVID-19, and perceived level of office safety. A majority of patients prefer in-person visits for pre- and postsurgical care. Older patients have a greater preference for in-person care. Anxiety level regarding COVID-19 and perceived level of office safety were not related to preference for in-person visits.

Preoperative weight loss in women with obesity in gynaecologic oncology: A retrospective study.

To retrospectively review the efficacy of short term supervised medical weight loss for women with obesity, body mass index (BMI ≥40 kg/m2 ) in gynaecologic oncology, and the associated perioperative and pathologic outcomes. A retrospective study of a dedicated preoperative weight loss clinic for gynaecologic oncology patients from March to December 2019. Statistical analysis was performed with McNemar's test for correlated proportions, Pearson's correlation tests for continuous variables, and paired t-tests to compare means. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used to determine the factors associated with weight loss over time. A P-value of <.05 was used for statistical significance. Review of cases up-graded after surgery was performed by a gynaecologic pathologist. There were a total of 49 women included in the study. The most common referral reason was endometrioid carcinoma or hyperplasia of the endometrium (77.6%). Mean initial weight was 130.2 kg, and corresponding mean BMI 48.1 kg/m2 . Patients attended on average nine preoperative weight loss visits. A significant difference between initial weight and weight at surgery was demonstrated, from 129.6 to 118.0 kg (8.4% weight loss) (P < .0001). This difference persisted to their post-surgical visit, with an additional mean loss of 1.89 kg (9.4% weight loss) (P = .044). The majority (92.1%) of patients with endometrial pathology had surgical management, and of these 85.7% were minimally invasive. Preoperative weight loss is a feasible option in gynaecologic oncology patients. Greater understanding of clinical significance, follow-up, and ideal target population for this intervention is needed.

Plasma Proteomic Profiling in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Patients before and after Surgical Myectomy Reveals Post-Procedural Reduction in Systemic Inflammation.

Left Ventricular Outflow Tract (LVOT) obstruction occurs in approximately 70% of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients and currently requires imaging or invasive testing for diagnosis, sometimes in conjunction with provocative physiological or pharmaceutical stimuli. To identify potential biomarkers of LVOT obstruction, we performed proteomics profiling of 1305 plasma proteins in 12 HCM patients with documented LVOT obstruction, referred for surgical myectomy. Plasma was collected at the surgical preoperative visit, approximately one month prior to surgery and then at the post-surgical visit, approximately 3 months later. Proteomic profiles were generated using the aptamer-based SOMAscan assay. Principal Component Analysis using the highest statistically significant proteins separated all preoperative samples from all postoperative samples. Further analysis revealed a set of 25 proteins that distinguished the preoperative and postoperative states with a paired t-test p-value of <0.01. Ingenuity Pathway analysis facilitated the generation of protein interaction networks and the elucidation of key upstream regulators of differentially expressed proteins, such as interferon-γ, TGF-β1, and TNF. Biological pathways affected by surgery included organ inflammation, migration, and motility of leukocytes, fibrosis, vasculogenesis, angiogenesis, acute coronary events, endothelial proliferation, eicosanoid metabolism, calcium flux, apoptosis, and morphology of the cardiovascular system. Our results indicate that surgical relief of dynamic outflow tract obstruction in HCM patients is associated with unique alterations in plasma proteomic profiles that likely reflect improvement in organ inflammation and physiological function.

Variation in Risk-standardized Rates and Causes of Unplanned Hospital Visits Within 7 Days of Hospital Outpatient Surgery.

The objectives of this study were to compare risk-standardized hospital visit ratios of the predicted to expected number of unplanned hospital visits within 7 days of same-day surgeries performed at US hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) and to describe the causes of hospital visits. More than half of procedures in the US are performed in outpatient settings, yet little is known about facility-level variation in short-term safety outcomes. The study cohort included 1,135,441 outpatient surgeries performed at 4058 hospitals between October 1, 2015 and September 30, 2016 among Medicare Fee-for-Service beneficiaries aged ≥65 years. Hospital-level, risk-standardized measure scores of unplanned hospital visits (emergency department visits, observation stays, and unplanned inpatient admissions) within 7 days of hospital outpatient surgery were calculated using hierarchical logistic regression modeling that adjusted for age, clinical comorbidities, and surgical procedural complexity. Overall, 7.8% of hospital outpatient surgeries were followed by an unplanned hospital visit within 7 days. Many of the leading reasons for unplanned visits were for potentially preventable conditions, such as urinary retention, infection, and pain. We found considerable variation in the risk-standardized ratio score across hospitals. The 203 best-performing HOPDs, at or below the 5th percentile, had at least 22% fewer unplanned hospital visits than expected, whereas the 202 worst-performing HOPDs, at or above the 95th percentile, had at least 29% more post-surgical visits than expected, given their case and surgical procedure mix. Many patients experience an unplanned hospital visit within 7 days of hospital outpatient surgery, often for potentially preventable reasons. The observed variation in performance across hospitals suggests opportunities for quality improvement.

Financial incentives versus standard of care to improve patient compliance with live kidney donor follow-up: protocol for a multi-center, parallel-group randomized controlled trial

BackgroundLive kidney donors (LKDs) account for nearly a third of kidney transplants in the United States. While donor nephrectomy poses minimal post-surgical risk, LKDs face an elevated adjusted risk of developing chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and end-stage renal disease. Routine screening presents an opportunity for the early detection and management of chronic conditions. Transplant hospital reporting requirements mandate the submission of laboratory and clinical data at 6-months, 1-year, and 2-years after kidney donation, but less than 50% of hospitals are able to comply. Strategies to increase patient engagement in follow-up efforts while minimizing administrative burden are needed. We seek to evaluate the effectiveness of using small financial incentives to promote patient compliance with LKD follow-up.Methods/designWe are conducting a two-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) of patients who undergo live donor nephrectomy at The Johns Hopkins Hospital Comprehensive Transplant Center (MDJH) and the University of Maryland Medical Center Transplant Center (MDUM). Eligible donors will be recruited in-person at their first post-surgical clinic visit or over the phone. We will use block randomization to assign LKDs to the intervention ($25 gift card at each follow-up visit) or control arm (current standard of care). Follow-up compliance will be tracked over time. The primary outcome will be complete (all components addressed) and timely (60 days before or after expected visit date), submission of LKD follow-up data at required 6-month, 1-year, and 2-year time points. The secondary outcome will be transplant hospital-level compliance with federal reporting requirements at each visit. Rates will be compared between the two arms following the intention-to-treat principle.DiscussionSmall financial incentivization might increase patient compliance in the context of LKD follow-up, without placing undue administrative burden on transplant providers. The findings of this RCT will inform potential center- and national-level initiatives to provide all LKDs with small financial incentives to promote engagement with post-donation monitoring efforts.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT03090646Date of registration: March 2, 2017Sponsors: Johns Hopkins University, University of Maryland Medical CenterFunding: The Living Legacy Foundation of Maryland

Post-Rhinoplasty Acne, Frequency and Role Players.

IntroductionAcne is a common complain among post rhinoplasty patients. While rhinoplasty is done for aesthetic reasons and acne expressively affects the individual’s appearance, we aimed to study its incidence and role players. Materials and Methods:A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed on 152 (143 females and 9 males) patients admitted for rhinoplasty during January 2016 to March 2017. Patients were examined by a dermatologist prior to surgery and 7, 30 and 90 days after rhinoplasty using the Global Acne Grading System and responded to a list of questions on the probable risk factors of acne. Psychological status was examined by the perceived stress scale-14 and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Results:The patients' mean age was 28.9±3.82 yrs. Mild and moderate acne were observed in 21.7% (n=33) of the cases in the preoperative visit. The incidence of mild and moderate acne was 36.1%, 42.8% and 23% after 7, 30 and 90 days of surgery, respectively. One week after rhinoplasty, acne manifested in 14.9% of cases with no history of acne. Mean age significantly differed between those with and without post-surgical acne at all post-surgical visits (P> 0.001 and P=0.001 and P=0.015, respectively). Hospital anxiety and depression and perceived stress levels were significantly higher in patients who presented with acne on the first post-surgical visit compared to those with no acne presentations (P=0.04 and P=0.02, respectively). Conclusion:External psychological stress may be the main role player in post-rhinoplasty acne. Consultation or referral of patients to an experienced psychologist is highly recommended for a better outcome and fewer complications.

Abstract MP32: Variation in NT-proBNP Levels After Bariatric Surgery and Its Association With Body Fat Percentage

Introduction: Natriuretic peptides are regulators of the cardiovascular system that are also related to adiposity and insulin resistance. NT-proBNP levels are inversely associated with adiposity and increase with weight loss, which may have hemodynamic implications in obesity. However, it is unclear if the changes in NT-proBNP with weight loss are independent of changes in insulin resistance and related metabolic risk factors. Hypothesis: NT-proBNP increases with surgical weight loss are partially independent of changes in other metabolic risk factors. Methods: We investigated 71 patients from the BARI-Heart Study, a prospective cohort with anthropometrics, metabolic risk factors and biomarkers before and after bariatric surgery. We compared data between pre- and post-surgical visits (1-2 weeks and 6 months, respectively) using t-tests, and performed regression analysis examining the association of changes adiposity measures with NT-proBNP before and after adjusting for metabolic risk factors. Results: After bariatric surgery, major reductions in weight, body-mass index (BMI) and body fat percentage (BFP) (mean change) were observed (Table 1), whereas NT-proBNP levels increased (mean change +61 pg/mL, SD 104). There were significant reductions post-surgery in HOMA-IR (from 9.9 to 2.6; p &lt;0.0001), as well as in triglycerides, total cholesterol, glucose, and blood pressure (all p&lt;0.05). A negative correlation between changes in ln-NT-proBNP and BFP was found ( r -0.27; p=0.03). In regression analysis, the inverse association remained statistically significant after adjustment for changes in the other metabolic risk factors (Table 2). Conclusions: Reductions in adiposity are linked to increases in NT-proBNP independent of changes in metabolic risk factors. The mechanisms and cardiovascular implications of this direct link between weight loss and NT-proBNP deserve further investigation.

Telemedicine Post-Surgical Visits for Patients in Post-Acute Settings

Telemedicine Post-Surgical Visits for Patients in Post-Acute Settings

Early vs Delayed Weightbearing After Microfracture of Osteochondral Lesions of the Talus: A Prospective Randomized Trial.

Background:Osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLTs) are common injuries in young, active patients. Microfracture is an effective treatment for lesions less than 150 mm2 in size. Most commonly employed postoperative protocols involve delaying weightbearing for 6 to 8 weeks (DWB), though one study suggests that early weightbearing (EWB) may not be detrimental to patient outcomes. The goal of this research is to compare outcomes following EWB and DWB protocols after microfracture for OLTs.Methods:We performed a prospective, randomized, multicenter clinical trial of subjects with unilateral, primary, unifocal OLTs treated with microfracture. Thirty-eight subjects were randomized into EWB (18 subjects) and DWB (20 subjects) at their first postsurgical visit. The EWB group began unrestricted WB at that time, whereas the DWB group were instructed to remain strictly nonweightbearing for an additional 4 weeks. Primary outcome measures were the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery (AAOS) Foot and Ankle score and numeric rating scale (NRS) pain score.Results:The EWB group demonstrated significant improvement in AAOS Foot and Ankle Questionnaire scores at the 6-week follow-up appointment as compared to the DWB group (83.1 ± 13.5 vs 68.7 ± 15.8, P = .017). Following this point, there were no significant differences in AAOS scores between groups. At no point were NRS pain scores significantly different between the groups.Conclusions:EWB after microfracture for OLTs was associated with improved AAOS scores in the short term. Thereafter and through 2 years’ follow-up, no statistically significant differences were seen between EWB and DWB groups.Level of Evidence:Level II, prospective randomized trial.

An Assurance of Insurance: Should Living Kidney Donors be Required to have Health Insurance?

Background: The aims of the study were to examine if living donors followed the recommended UNOS medical visits postsurgery examinations and to assess if medical outcomes after donating a kidney were different by insurance status. Methods: Data was collected from the medical records of 680 consecutive living kidney donors between January 2010 and June 2015. Results: Significant predictors of having health insurance included higher levels of education (p=0.007) and being married (p=0.031). Post-surgical visits were lower for those without insurance at six months (43% versus 77%; p=0.029) and one year (35% versus 77%, p<0.001) than those with insurance. A robust trend was observed whereas lack of health insurance was predictive of higher systolic blood pressure (p=0.05). Significant predictors of higher systolic blood pressure included being older (p<0.001), male (p<0.001); and non-Caucasian (p=0.012). Significant predictors of higher diastolic blood pressure were being male (p<0.001) and non- Caucasian (p=0.020); and prior drug use (p=0.003). Conclusion: Development of interventions to improve postsurgical follow up for kidney donors without insurance is warranted to potentially reduce poor health outcomes such as hypertension post kidney donation.

TRACE (Routine posTsuRgical Anesthesia visit to improve patient outComE): a prospective, multicenter, stepped-wedge, cluster-randomized interventional study

BackgroundPerioperative complications occur in 30–40% of non-cardiac surgical patients and are the leading cause of early postoperative morbidity and mortality. Regular visits by trained health professionals may decrease the incidence of complications and mortality through earlier detection and adequate treatment of complications. Until now, no studies have been performed on the impact of routine postsurgical anesthesia visits on the incidence of postoperative complications and mortality.MethodsTRACE is a prospective, multicenter, stepped-wedge cluster randomized interventional study in academic and peripheral hospitals in the Netherlands. All hospitals start simultaneously with a control phase in which standard care is provided. Sequentially, in a randomized order, hospitals cross over to the intervention phase in which patients at risk are routinely followed up by an anesthesia professional at postoperative days 1 and 3, aiming to detect and prevent or treat postoperative complications. We aim to include 5600 adult patients who are at high risk of developing complications. The primary outcome variable is 30-day postoperative mortality. Secondary outcomes include incidence of postoperative complications and postoperative quality of life up to one year following surgery.Statistical analyses will be performed to compare the control and intervention cohorts with multilevel linear and logistic regression models, adjusted for temporal trends and for clusters (hospitals). The time horizon of the economic (cost-effectiveness) evaluation will be 30 days and one year following surgery.DiscussionTRACE is the first to study the effects of a routine postoperative visit by an anesthesia healthcare professional on mortality and cost-effectiveness of surgical patients. If the intervention proves to be beneficial for the patient and cost-effective, the stepped-wedge design ensures direct implementation in the participating hospitals.Trial registrationNederlands Trial Register/Netherlands Trial Registration, NTR5506. Registered on 02 December 2015.

Differences in activities of daily living after hip arthroplasty among hip resurfacing, anterolateral THA, and posterolateral THA: a propensity score matched analysis.

The aim was to elucidate the differences in activities of daily living (ADL) after hip arthroplasty among hip resurfacing (HRA), anterolateral total hip arthroplasty (AL-THA), and posterolateral THA (PL-THA) patients after age, sex, body mass index, bilateral/unilateral hip arthroplasty, and postoperative duration were matched using propensity scores. A total of 673 hips from 540 consecutive patients who underwent hip arthroplasty were included. A self-completed questionnaire on preoperative and postoperative ADLs was administered during postsurgical visits at least ≥ 4years postoperatively. Between HRA and PL-THA patients, the numbers of patients who performed heels-down squatting was significantly more in HRA than in PL-THA. Between AL-THA and PL-THA patients, there were significant differences in postoperative ADLs including bathing in a bathtub, riding on a train/bus, cutting toenails, bowing while straight sitting, heels-up/down squatting, riding on a bicycle, driving a car, and domestic travel. There were no significant differences in postoperative ADLs between ≥ 36mm head and ≤ 32mm head PL-THA patients, and between AL-THA and HRA patients. This propensity score matched study indicated that AL-THA and HRA patients were more active postoperatively than PL-THA patients.

Genipin-Crosslinked Donor Sclera for Posterior Scleral Contraction/Reinforcement to Fight Progressive Myopia.

Myopia has become a global public health problem, particularly in East Asia where myopic retinopathy has become one of the leading causes of blindness and visual impairment in the elderly population. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of posterior scleral contraction/reinforcement (PSCR) surgery on controlling the progressive elongation of axial length of highly myopic eyes in young patients. This is a prospective self-controlled interventional case series. Forty young patients (<18-years old) with progressive high myopia received PSCR with a genipin-crosslinked donor scleral strip for one eye and the fellow eye served as concurrent control without surgery. The main outcome measurement was the change of axial length over 2 to 3 years of follow-up. Immediately after the surgery, axial length was shortened and subsequently increased by 0.32 mm over the follow-up period. In contrast, axial length of the fellow eyes increased by 0.82 mm over the same period (P < 0.001, paired t-test). PSCR delayed axial elongation in eyes with or without staphyloma. No significant change of visual acuity, cornea refractive power, or retina thickness was noted between the surgery and fellow eyes. None of the patients lost visual acuity compared with the baseline. The procedure was well tolerated with only temporary corneal refractive axis shifts that recovered by the 6-month postsurgical visit. PSCR with genipin-crosslinked sclera is safe and effective to restrain eye globe elongation in young patients within a 2- to 3-year follow-up period.

Rates and causes of 30-day readmission and emergency room utilization following head and neck surgery

BackgroundUnplanned returns to hospital are common, costly, and potentially avoidable. We aimed to investigate and characterize reasons for all-cause readmissions to hospital as in-patients (IPs) and visits to the Emergency Department (ED) within 30-days following patient discharge post head and neck surgery (HNS).MethodsRetrospective case series with chart review. All patients within the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery who underwent HNS for benign and malignant disease from January 1, 2010 to May 31, 2015 were identified. The electronic medical records of readmitted patients were reviewed for reasons of readmission, demographic data, and comorbidities.ResultsFollowing 1281 surgical cases, there were 41 (3.20%) IP readmissions and 109 (8.43%) ED visits within 30-days after discharge for HNS. For IP readmissions, most common causes included infection (26.8%), respiratory symptoms (17.1%), and pain (17.1%). Most common reasons for ED visits were for pain (31.5%), bleeding (17.6%), and infection (14.8%). Readmitted IPs had significantly higher health burden at pre-operative baseline as compared to patients who visited the ED when assessed with the American Society of Anesthesiology scores (p = 0.002) and the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale (p = 0.004).ConclusionRate of 30-day IP readmission and ED utilization was 3.20 and 8.43%, respectively. Pain and infection were common causes for returns to hospital. Discharge planning may be improved to target common causes for post-surgical hospital visits in order to decrease readmission rates.

The Potential Role of Objective Activity Monitoring in Off-Site Follow-Ups Post-Bariatric Surgery

Title: The Potential Role of Objective Activity Monitoring in Off-Site Follow-Ups Post-Bariatric Surgery. Background: Weight gain and attendance at follow-up visits after bariatric surgery are of great concern for the multidisciplinary care team. Geography and schedules make attending follow-up visits increasingly difficult as time after surgery goes on. Recently, inexpensive commercially available activity monitors have become more common place, making information concerning physical activity and sedentary behaviours deliverable online, allowing for important patient lifestyle information to be transmitted to the multidisciplinary care team. The purpose of this study was to determine if off-site objectively monitored physical activity and sedentary time can describe health measures such as total body fat, abdominal adipose tissue (AAT), and weight maintenance long-term post-bariatric surgery. Methods and findings: 59 individuals who had undergone bariatric surgery wore an ActivPAL for seven consecutive days, monitoring physical activity and sedentary time and underwent one DXA scan to determine body composition. Linear regression shows that (moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) explained 18.8% of variance in body fat (p=0.019) and 11.3% of the variance in AAT (p=0.033). Conclusions: Objective monitoring could offer beneficial information concerning patients’ health at post-surgical follow-up visits.

Sustained effects of a psychoeducational group intervention following bariatric surgery: follow-up of the randomized controlled BaSE study

BackgroundEvidence regarding the efficacy of psychosocial interventions after bariatric surgery is rare and shows conflicting results. ObjectivesThe Bariatric Surgery and Education (BaSE) study aimed to assess the efficacy of a psychoeducational group intervention in patients after bariatric surgery. SettingThe BaSE study was a randomized, controlled, multicenter clinical trial involving 117 patients who underwent bariatric surgery. Patients received either conventional postsurgical visits or, in addition, a 1-year psychoeducational group program. The present study evaluated the sustained effects of the intervention program. Mean follow-up duration was 37.9 months (standard deviation [SD] 8.2 months) after surgery. MethodsOutcome measures were as follows: body mass index (BMI), weight loss, self-efficacy, depression severity, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Groups were compared using an intention-to-treat approach with a mixed model for repeated measurements. ResultsA total of 74 patients (63.2%) completed the follow-up (T5) assessment. Mean weight loss for all patients was 43 kg (SD 15.5 kg) at T5 (mean BMI 35.1 kg/m2). Mean excess weight loss was 60.4%. The effects of the surgery during the first postsurgical year were reflected, on average, by both decreasing weight and psychosocial burden. At the T5 time point, patients had slowly started to regain weight and to deteriorate regarding psychosocial aspects. However, at T5, patients who had participated in the intervention program (n = 39) showed significantly lower depression severity scores (p = .03) and significantly higher self-efficacy (p = .03) compared to the control group (n = 35). The 2 groups did not differ regarding weight loss and quality of life. ConclusionPsychoeducational intervention shows sustained effects on both depression severity scores and self-efficacy.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to manage pain and opioid use after major surgery: Preliminary outcomes from the Toronto General Hospital Transitional Pain Service

ABSTRACTBackground: Chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) and associated long-term opioid use are major public health concerns.Aims: The Toronto General Hospital Transitional Pain Service (TPS) is a multidisciplinary, hospital-integrated program developed to prevent and manage CPSP and support opioid tapering. This clinical practice–based study reports on preliminary outcomes of the TPS psychology program, which provides acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) to patients at risk for CPSP and persistent opioid use.Methods: Ninety-one patients received ACT, whereas 252 patients did not (no ACT group). Patient outcomes were compared for the two groups at first and last TPS visits. Pain, pain interference, sensitivity to pain traumatization, pain catastrophizing, anxiety, depression, and opioid use were analyzed using two-way (Group [ACT, no ACT] × Time [first, last visit]) analyses of variance (ANOVAs).Results: Patients referred to ACT were more likely to report a mental health condition preoperatively (P < 0.001), had higher opioid use (P < 0.001) at the first postsurgical visit, and reported higher sensitivity to pain traumatization (P < 0.05) and anxiety (P < 0.05) than the no ACT group at both time points. Both groups showed reductions in pain, pain interference, pain catastrophizing, anxiety, and opioid use by the last TPS visit (P < 0.05). The ACT group demonstrated greater reductions in opioid use and pain interference and showed reductions in depressed mood (P = 0.001) by the end of treatment compared to the no ACT group.Conclusion: Preliminary outcomes suggest that ACT was effective in reducing opioid use while pain interference and mood improved.