Risk Of Severe Postoperative Complications Research Articles

A commentary on "circulating metabolic markers after surgery identify patients at risk for severe postoperative complications: a prospective cohort study in colorectal cancers".

A commentary on "circulating metabolic markers after surgery identify patients at risk for severe postoperative complications: a prospective cohort study in colorectal cancers".

Sarcopenia predicts postoperative complications in head and neck cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

We performed this systematic review and meta-analysis to explore the impact of preoperative sarcopenia on postoperative complication risks after head and neck cancer (HNC) surgery. We identified eligible studies by searching Ovid-MEDLINE, Ovid-Embase, EBM Reviews-Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science Core Collection, and Scopus. This systematic review was performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidance. Twenty-one studies with a total of 3480 patients met our inclusion criteria. The presence of sarcopenia significantly increased the incidence of overall postoperative complications (OR = 1.72, 95% CI 1.23, 2.41; P = 0.002; I2 = 59%). Subgroup analyses showed a higher risk of postoperative complications in the populations in which sarcopenia was diagnosed with low L3-skeletal muscle index (L3-SMI) or low cross-sectional area of the rectus femoris, but not in the group that sarcopenia was diagnosed with low C3-SMI. Preoperative sarcopenia also substantially increased the risk of severe postoperative complications (OR = 2.26), pharyngocutaneous fistulas (OR = 2.15), free flap-related complications (OR = 1.63), and surgical site infections (OR = 1.84). We also found a tendency toward a higher incidence of wound complications and 30-day mortality in patients with sarcopenia. Preoperative sarcopenia is a negative prognostic indicator for postoperative complications in patients with HNC after surgery. To reduce the incidence of postoperative complications and improve poor prognosis, further attention needs to be paid to the evaluation and management of preoperative sarcopenia.

Circulating metabolic markers after surgery identify patients at risk for severe postoperative complications: a prospective cohort study in colorectal cancer.

Early detection of postoperative complications after colorectal cancer (CRC) surgery is associated with improved outcomes. The aim was to investigate early metabolomics signatures capable to detect patients at risk for severe postoperative complications after CRC surgery. Prospective cohort study of patients undergoing CRC surgery from 2015 to 2018. Plasma samples were collected before and after surgery, and analyzed by mass spectrometry obtaining 188 metabolites and 21 ratios. Postoperative complications were registered with Clavien-Dindo Classification and Comprehensive Complication Index. One hundred forty-six patients were included. Surgery substantially modified metabolome and metabolic changes after surgery were quantitatively associated with the severity of postoperative complications. The strongest positive relationship with both Clavien-Dindo and Comprehensive Complication Index (β=4.09 and 63.05, P <0.001) corresponded to kynurenine/tryptophan, against an inverse relationship with lysophosphatidylcholines (LPCs) and phosphatidylcholines (PCs). Patients with LPC18:2/PCa36:2 below the cut-off 0.084µM/µM resulted in a sevenfold higher risk of major complications (OR=7.38, 95% CI: 2.82-21.25, P <0.001), while kynurenine/tryptophan above 0.067µM/µM a ninefold (OR=9.35, 95% CI: 3.03-32.66, P <0.001). Hexadecanoylcarnitine below 0.093µM displayed a 12-fold higher risk of anastomotic leakage-related complications (OR=11.99, 95% CI: 2.62-80.79, P =0.004). Surgery-induced phospholipids and amino acid dysregulation is associated with the severity of postoperative complications after CRC surgery, including anastomotic leakage-related outcomes. The authors provide quantitative insight on metabolic markers, measuring vulnerability to postoperative morbidity that might help guide early decision-making and improve surgical outcomes.

Presurgical mild anemia is a risk factor for severe postoperative complications of rectal cancer surgery: A Japanese nationwide retrospective cohort study.

Anemia has negative effects on long-term outcomes of rectal cancer patients; however, its status as a risk factor for severe complications is disputed. Perioperative risks may differ based on the severity of pre-surgical anemia; nonetheless, no previous study has investigated these differences. This study identified risks of severe postoperative complications in rectal cancer patients based on severity of their pre-surgical anemia. This study enrolled patients who underwent low anterior resection for rectal cancer and were registered in the Japanese National Clinical Database (NCD) between 2017 and 2019. Anemia severity was categorized into three levels: mild, moderate, and severe. A logistic regression model was applied to calculate the risk-adjusted odds ratio (OR) of severe complications after surgery. This study analyzed a cohort of 51 765 rectal cancer patients who underwent low anterior resection. Results showed that severe complications occurred in 10.9% of patients and were significantly more frequent in patients with anemia (13.6%) than those with normal hemoglobin levels (9.2%). Risk-adjusted ORs of severe complications in the severe, moderate, and mild anemia groups versus the normal group for males were 1.19 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.89-1.58), 1.47 (1.34-1.62), and 1.21 (1.12-1.31), respectively. Those for females were 1.39 (0.90-2.15), 1.64 (1.37-1.97), and 1.36 (1.16-1.58), respectively. According to this large cohort study, pre-surgical anemia significantly increases the risk of severe postoperative complications in rectal cancer patients. Even mild anemia presents a significant risk.

Intra-abdominal pressure increases peri-operatively in patients undergoing deep inferior epigastric perforator flap reconstruction: A prospective study linking high intra-abdominal pressure to non-fatal lung embolism within one patient

The deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap is the gold standard for autologous breast reconstruction. The procedure and peri-operative period are associated with the risk of severe post-operative complications, like venous thromboembolic events (VTE) and lung embolism. Whether the intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) increases after the closure of the abdominal defect, thereby potentially affecting the venous backflow and the risk of VTE, is currently not known. The primary aim is to test if the closure of the abdominal donor site increases the IAP in women undergoing secondary DIEP flap breast reconstruction. By using a Unometer, we measured the intravesical pressure as a surrogate marker for the IAP, at baseline, immediately after, and 24h after abdominal skin closure, for 13 patients. The mean IAP increased from 6.1mmHg (95% CI 4.6-7.7) at baseline to 9.0mmHg (95% CI 8.0-10.0) immediately after skin closure [mean diff. 2.9 (95% CI 1.0-4.8) (p=0.007)] and further up to 11.7mmHg (95% CI 9.0-14.5) 24h after closure [mean diff. 5.3 (95% CI 1.4-9.1) (p=0.012)]. We found that IAP varies among the patients, regardless of the tightness of abdominal closure or rectus plication (n=3). Immediately after closure, none of the isolated patients showed abnormal levels of IAP (>12mmHg), while eight out of 12 isolated patients (67%) showed IAP levels above the normal range after 24h. One patient developed a non-fatal lung embolism. The mean IAP increases significantly over the post-operative period after DIEP flap reconstruction, although abnormal IAP values are only seen 24h after the closure of the skin.

The future of postoperative vital sign monitoring in general wards: improving patient safety through continuous artificial intelligence-enabled alert formation and reduction.

Monitoring of vital signs at the general ward with continuous assessments aided by artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being explored in the clinical setting. This review aims to describe current evidence for continuous vital sign monitoring (CVSM) with AI-based alerts - from sensor technology, through alert reduction, impact on complications, and to user-experience during implementation. CVSM identifies significantly more vital sign deviations than manual intermittent monitoring. This results in high alert generation without AI-evaluation, both in patients with and without complications. Current AI is at the rule-based level, and this potentially reduces irrelevant alerts and identifies patients at need. AI-aided CVSM identifies complications earlier with reduced staff workload and a potential reduction of severe complications. The current evidence for AI-aided CSVM suggest a significant role for the technology in reducing the constant 10-30% in-hospital risk of severe postoperative complications. However, large, randomized trials documenting the benefit for patient improvements are still sparse. And the clinical uptake of explainable AI to improve implementation needs investigation.

The psoas muscle density as a predictor of postoperative complications in elderly patients undergoing rectal cancer resection.

Muscle depletion that impairs normal physiological function in elderly patients leads to poor prognosis. This study aimed to evaluate the association between total abdominal muscle area (TAMA), total psoas area (TPA), psoas muscle density (PMD), and short-term postoperative complications in elderly patients with rectal cancer. All elderly patients underwent rectal cancer resection with perioperative abdominal computed tomography (CT). Complications were assessed according to the Clavien-Dindo classification. Severe complications were defined as grade III-V following the Clavien-Dindo classification. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate risk factors of short-term severe postoperative complications. The cohort consisted of 191 patients with a mean age of 73.60 ± 8.81 years. Among them, 138 (72.25%) patients had Clavien-Dindo 0- II, 53 (27.75%) patients had severe postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo III-V), and 1(0.52%) patient died within 30 days of surgery. PMD was significantly higher in the Clavien-Dindo 0-II cohort compared to the Clavien-Dindo III-V cohort (p=0.004). Nevertheless, TAMA and TPA failed to exhibit significant differences. Moreover, the multivariate regression analysis implied that advanced age [OR 1.07 95%CI (1.02-1.13) p=0.013], male [OR 5.03 95%CI (1.76-14.41) p=0.003], high charlson comorbidity index (CCI) score [OR 3.60 95%CI (1.44-9.00) p=0.006], and low PMD [OR 0.94 95%CI (0.88-0.99) p=0.04] were independent risk factors of Clavien-Dindo III-V. Preoperative assessment of the PMD on CT can be a simple and practical method for identifying elderly patients with rectal cancer at risk for severe postoperative complications.

The PD-ROBOSCORE: A difficulty score for robotic pancreatoduodenectomy

BackgroundDifficulty scoring systems are important for the safe, stepwise implementation of new procedures. We designed a retrospective observational study for building a difficulty score for robotic pancreatoduodenectomy. MethodsThe difficulty score (PD-ROBOSCORE) aims at predicting severe postoperative complications after robotic pancreatoduodenectomy. The PD-ROBOSCORE was developed in a training cohort of 198 robotic pancreatoduodenectomies and was validated in an international multicenter cohort of 686 robotic pancreatoduodenectomies. Finally, all centers tested the model during the early learning curve (n = 300). Growing difficulty levels (low, intermediate, high) were defined using cut-off values set at the 33rd and 66th percentile (NCT04662346). ResultsFactors included in the final multivariate model were a body mass index of ≥25 kg/m2 for males and ≥30 kg/m2 for females (odds ratio:2.39; P < .0001), borderline resectable tumor (odd ratio:1.98; P < .0001), uncinate process tumor (odds ratio:1.69; P < .0001), pancreatic duct size <4 mm (odds ratio:1.59; P < .0001), American Society of Anesthesiologists class ≥3 (odds ratio:1.59; P < .0001), and hepatic artery originating from the superior mesenteric artery (odds ratio:1.43; P < .0001). In the training cohort, the absolute score value (odds ratio = 1.13; P = .0089) and difficulty groups (odds ratio = 2.35; P = .041) predicted severe postoperative complications. In the multicenter validation cohort, the absolute score value predicted severe postoperative complications (odds ratio = 1.16, P < .001), whereas the difficulty groups did not (odds ratio = 1.94, P = .082). In the learning curve cohort, both absolute score value (odds ratio:1.078, P = .04) and difficulty groups (odds ratio: 2.25, P = .017) predicted severe postoperative complications. Across all cohorts, a PD-ROBOSCORE of ≥12.51 doubled the risk of severe postoperative complications. The PD-ROBOSCORE score also predicted operative time, estimated blood loss, and vein resection. The PD-ROBOSCORE predicted postoperative pancreatic fistula, delayed gastric emptying, postpancreatectomy hemorrhage, and postoperative mortality in the learning curve cohort. ConclusionThe PD-ROBOSCORE predicts severe postoperative complications after robotic pancreatoduodenectomy. The score is readily available via www.pancreascalculator.com

P216 Oral Budesonide and low serum albumin levels at surgery are associated with a higher risk of postoperative intra-abdominal septic complications after primary ileocecal resection for Crohn’s disease: a retrospective analysis of 853 consecutive patients treated in a tertiary centre.

Abstract Background Patients undergoing ileocecal resection for Crohn’s disease (CD) are at high risk of postoperative intra-abdominal septic complications (IASC). The associated risk factors are still debated. The aim of the study was to identify the variables associated with IASC in patients treated for primary CD of the terminal ileum. Methods Retrospective single-centre study including consecutive patients undergoing ileocecal resection for CD between 2004-2021 and managed before surgery in a multidisciplinary IBD unit. Outcomes to identify the variables associated with IASC (primary aim) and severe complications, classified as Clavien-Dindo grade 3 and higher (secondary aim). The potential independent predictors of each outcome were evaluated using logistic regression. To reduce overfitting, all models were built including only the variables that were significant at univariate analyses, except for age, gender and history of cardiovascular diseases, that were included a priori. Standard diagnostic procedures were adopted to check all models validity: influential observation analysis (Dbeta, change in Pearson chi-square), Hosmer-Lemeshow test for the goodness of fit and C statistic (area under the Receiving Operator Curve). Results A total of 853 patients were included. Overall sample characteristics are shown in Table 1. Table 2 and Table 3 reported the comparison according to the primary (IASC) and secondary (severe complications) outcomes, respectively. Table 4 showed the multivariate analyses of the potential predictors of IASC and severe complications. The onset of IASC was associated with lower serum albumin level (OR 1.81, 95% CI 1.15-2.94, p=0.011) and the use of oral budesonide at time of surgery (OR 2.07, 95% CI 1.12-3.83, p= 0.021). The risk of severe complications was associated with a history of cardiovascular disease (OR 2.91, 95% CI 1.08-7.84, p=0.03) and lower serum albumin level (OR 1.58, 95% CI 1.02-2.50, p=0.04). Conclusion The present study analysed a large population of patients affected by CD of the terminal ileum who were treated homogeneously before surgery in a multidisciplinary setting and confirmed the significant impact of preoperative nutritional status on the risk of severe postoperative complications and IASC. The latter, however, was also associated with the use of oral budesonide at the time of surgery. This finding has not been previously reported in the literature. Based on the present evidence, oral budesonide should be discontinued or tapered to the lowest dose before surgery.

Risk factors for acute kidney injury after pancreatoduodenectomy, and association with postoperative complications and death

BackgroundAcute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality after general surgery, although little is known among patients undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy. The objective was to investigate the association between AKI and postoperative complications and death after pancreatoduodenectomy. MethodsAll patients ≥18 years who underwent a pancreatoduodenectomy 2008–2019 at the Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden, were included. Standardized criteria for AKI, including estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and urine volume measurements, were used to grade postoperative AKI. ResultsIn total, 970 patients were included with a median age of 68 years (IQR 61–74) of whom 517 (53.3%) were men. There were 137 (14.1%) patients who developed postoperative AKI. Risk factors for AKI included lower preoperative eGFR, cardiovascular disease and treatment with renin-angiotensin system inhibitors or diuretics. Those who developed AKI had a higher risk of severe postoperative complications, including Clavien-Dindo score ≥ IIIa (adjusted OR 3.35, 95% CI 2.24–5.01) and ICU admission (adjusted OR 7.83, 95% CI 4.39–13.99). In time-to-event analysis, AKI was associated with an increased risk for both 30-day mortality (adjusted HR 4.51, 95% CI 1.54–13.27) and 90-day mortality (adjusted HR 4.93, 95% CI 2.37–10.26). Patients with benign histology and AKI also had an increased 1-year mortality (HR 4.89, 95% CI 1.88–12.71). ConclusionsPostoperative AKI was associated with major postoperative complications and an increased risk of postoperative mortality. Monitoring changes in serum creatinine levels and urine volume output could be important in the immediate perioperative period to improve outcomes after pancreatoduodenectomy.

State-of-the-Art and Future Directions in Organ Regeneration with Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Derived Products during Dynamic Liver Preservation.

Transplantation is currently the treatment of choice for end-stage liver diseases but is burdened by the shortage of donor organs. Livers from so-called extended-criteria donors represent a valid option to overcome organ shortage, but they are at risk for severe post-operative complications, especially when preserved with conventional static cold storage. Machine perfusion technology reduces ischemia-reperfusion injury and allows viability assessment of these organs, limiting their discard rate and improving short- and long-term outcomes after transplantation. Moreover, by keeping the graft metabolically active, the normothermic preservation technique guarantees a unique platform to administer regenerative therapies ex vivo. With their anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties, mesenchymal stem cells are among the most promising sources of therapies for acute and chronic liver failure, but their routine clinical application is limited by several biosafety concerns. It is emerging that dynamic preservation and stem cell therapy may supplement each other if combined, as machine perfusion can be used to deliver stem cells to highly injured grafts, avoiding potential systemic side effects. The aim of this narrative review is to provide a comprehensive overview on liver preservation techniques and mesenchymal stem cell-based therapies, focusing on their application in liver graft reconditioning.

Long-term outcomes of patients with acute severe ulcerative colitis treated with cyclosporine rescue therapy

Background and aims The early outcomes of ulcerative colitis (UC) after rescue therapy with cyclosporine A (CyA) are well known. Published data on the safety of this treatment in perioperative use and data on the long-term prognosis are scarce and are investigated here. Methods All UC patients treated with CyA in Tampere University Hospital between 2009 and 2018 were reviewed from patient records. Results A total of 182 patients were included with the median follow-up of 3.8 (range 0-13) years. Of all patients, 139 (76%) responded to CyA. A quarter of the responders achieved long-term remission and used thiopurines as maintenance therapy at the end of follow-up. Altogether 83 (46%) needed further enhancement of treatment with corticosteroids (Cs) and 57 (31%) with biologicals or small molecules. Of the nonresponders 27 (55%) were treated surgically within admission to index flare. Infliximab was used as a third-line rescue therapy for 16 patients of whom four benefitted. The overall colectomy rate in this series was 45%. When compared to Cs alone CyA did not increase the risk for severe postoperative complications in patients treated for severe treatment-refractory UC. Conclusion In conclusion, despite the good initial response to CyA, a large proportion of patients relapsed during long-term follow-up and the colectomy rates remain high. Other therapy attempts after failure of CyA merely postpone surgery in many. We therefore recommend informing patients about the possibility of surgery prior to the initiation of rescue therapy.

Optimal Perioperative Fluid Therapy Associates with Fewer Complications After Pancreaticoduodenectomy

BackgroundOptimal fluid management in pancreaticoduodenectomy patients remains contested. We aimed to examine the association between perioperative fluid administration and postoperative complications. MethodsWe studied 168 pancreaticoduodenectomy patients operated in 2015 (n = 93) or 2017 (n = 75) at Helsinki University Hospital. In 2015, patients received intraoperative fluids following a goal-directed approach and, in 2017, according to anesthesiologist’s clinical practice (conventional fluid management). We analyzed the differences in perioperative fluid administration between the groups, specifically examining the occurrence of severe complications (Clavien–Dindo ≥ III), pancreatic fistulas, cardiovascular complications, and the length of hospital stay. ResultsThe goal-directed group received more intraoperative fluids than the conventional fluid management group (12.0 ml/kg/h vs. 8.3 ml/kg/h, p < 0.001). Urine output (770 ml vs. 575 ml, p = 0.004) and intraoperative fluid balance (9.4 ml/kg/h vs. 6.3 ml/kg/h, p < 0.001) were higher in the goal-directed group than in the conventional fluid management group. Severe surgical complications (19.4% vs. 38.7%, p = 0.009) as well as clinically relevant pancreatic fistulas (1.1% vs. 10.7%, p = 0.011) occurred more frequently in patients receiving conventional fluid management. Moreover, the conventional fluid management group experienced longer hospital stays (9.0 vs. 11.5 days, p = 0.02). Lower intraoperative fluid volume accompanying conventional fluid management was associated with a higher risk of severe postoperative complications compared with higher volume in the goal-directed group (odds ratio 2.58 (95% confidence interval 1.04–6.42), p = 0.041). ConclusionsThe goal-directed group experienced severe complications less frequently. Our findings indicate that optimizing the intraoperative fluid administration benefits patients, while adopting a too-restrictive approach represents an inferior choice.

Impact of Intraoperative Hemodynamic Fluctuation on Postoperative Complications in Patients With Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma Surgery

Abstract Background To identify the effect of hemodynamic fluctuations on severe postoperative complications in patients undergoing surgery for pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (PPGL). Methods Patients with PPGL confirmed by postoperative pathologic examination in Fujian Provincial Hospital from January 2015 to January 2021 were enrolled. Demographic characteristics, comorbidities, preoperative examinations, preoperative preparation, intraoperative data, and postoperative complications were collected. Receiver operating characteristic curve was used to calculate the cutoff point of intraoperative standard deviation of systolic blood pressure for prediction of severe postoperative complication. According to the cutoff point, patients were divided into fluctuation and nonsevere fluctuation groups. Incidence of postoperative complication, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, length of stay after the operation, and length of ICU stay between the 2 groups was compared. The cumulative incidence and hazard ratio of postoperative complications were evaluated by Kaplan�Meier method and Cox regression analysis. Results A total of 126 patients were included in the study with 41 and 85 cases in the severe fluctuation and nonsevere fluctuation groups, respectively. Compared with the nonsevere fluctuation group, the incidence of postoperative complications (58.5% vs. 16.5%, P &amp;lt; 0.001), ICU admission rate (26.8% vs. 10.6%, P = 0.019), postoperative hospital stay, and ICU stay (P &amp;lt; 0.05) were higher in the severe fluctuation group. The Kaplan–Meier curve showed a higher incidence of postoperative complications in patients with severe blood pressure fluctuations (P &amp;lt; 0.05). The Cox regression analysis also showed that patients in the severe fluctuation group were more susceptible to postoperative complications (hazard ratio = 3.010, 95% confidence interval 1.334–6.806). Conclusions For patients with PPGL, the intraoperative hemodynamic fluctuations are associated with an increased risk of severe postoperative complications.

Frailty Assessment for Outcome Prediction of Patients With Prostate Cancer Receiving Radical Prostatectomy: A Meta-Analysis of Cohort Studies.

A meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the association between frailty and postoperative complications in patients with prostate cancer following radical prostatectomy. A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science was conducted for relevant cohort studies. A random-effect model was chosen to combine the results. Five cohort studies including 171,929 patients were included. Results showed that patients with frailty had higher risk of severe postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo IV complications, risk ratio [RR]: 1.87, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.67 to 2.10, p < .001; I2 = 18%) and all-cause mortality (RR: 2.89, 95% CI: 1.86 to 4.50, p < 0.001; I2 = 18%). Subgroup analyses showed consistent results in patients receiving open and robot-assisted radical prostatectomy, and also in studies with univariate and multivariate analyses. In conclusion, preoperative frailty may be a predictor of severe postoperative complications and all-cause mortality of patients with prostate cancer following radical prostatectomy.

Difference between "Lung Age" and Real Age as a Novel Predictor of Postoperative Complications, Long-Term Survival for Patients with Esophageal Cancer after Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy.

BackgroundThis study aimed to investigate whether the difference between “lung age” and real age (L–R) could be useful for the prediction of postoperative complications and long-term survival in patients with esophageal cancer followed by minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE).MethodsThis retrospective cohort study included 625 consecutive patients who had undergone MIE. “Lung age” was determined by the calculation method proposed by the Japanese Respiratory Society. According to L–R, patients were classified into three groups: group A: L–R ≦ 0 (n = 104), group B: 15 > L–R > 0 (n = 199), group C: L–R ≥ 15 (n = 322). Clinicopathological factors, postoperative complications evaluated by comprehensive complications index (CCI), and overall survival were compared between the groups. A CCI value >30 indicated a severe postoperative complication.ResultsMale, smoking status, smoking index, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, American Society of Anesthesiologists status, lung age, and forced expiratory volume in 1 s were associated with group classification. CCI values, postoperative hospital stays, and hospital costs were significantly different among groups. Multivariate analysis indicated that L–R, coronary heart disease, and 3-field lymphadenectomy were significant factors for predicting CCI value >30. Regarding the prediction of CCI value >30, area under the curve value was 0.61(95%: 0.56–0.67), 0.46 (95% CI, 0.40–0.54), and 0.46 (95% CI, 0.40–0.54) for L–R, Fev1, and Fev1%, respectively. Regarding overall survival, there was a significant difference between group A and group B + C (log-rank test: p = 0.03).ConclusionsEsophageal cancer patients with impaired pulmonary function had a higher risk of severe postoperative complications and poorer prognosis than those with normal pulmonary function. The difference between “lung age” and “real age” seems to be a novel and potential predictor of severe postoperative complications and long-term survival.

Is laparoscopic bariatric surgery as safe and effective before and after age 60? Results from a propensity-score analysis.

Patients over 60 years old undergoing bariatric surgery is still increasing. First, to assess the impact of age (>60 years) on the 90-day morbidity and mortality of both laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) and sleeve gastrectomy (LSG), and second, to determine the effectiveness of surgical weight loss and resolution of obesity-related comorbidities for patients 60 years of age and older over a 2-year period. Bicentric study from University Hospital of Caen and Memorial Hospital of Saint Lô, France. This is a retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database of patients with morbid obesity undergoing laparoscopic bariatric surgery from October 2005 to April 2019. Patients 60 years of age and older were defined as cases (elderly group [EG], n = 137), and patients younger than 60 years of age were defined as controls (young group [YG], n = 1544). The primary endpoint of the study was the prevalence of severe postoperative complications within 90 days of surgery determined by a propensity-score-matching (PSM) analysis. The PSM population included 133 patients in the EG who were matched 1:2 with 266 patients in the YG. There was no mortality in either group. Although not significant (with an absolute difference of 4.5% between the EG and the YG), the odds of severe postoperative complications were 2.5 times higher in the EG than in the YG (7.5% versus 3.0%, P = .053). At 90 days postoperatively, the prevalences of overall morbidity (31.6% versus 22.9%, P = .044), leakage (5.3% versus 1.1%, P = .026), and reoperation (5.3% versus 1.1%, P = .026) were significantly higher in the EG than in the YG. This propensity-matched study suggests that laparoscopic bariatric surgery is probably an effective treatment in obese elderly patients (EPs) in terms of weight loss and resolution of comorbidities. However, the EP should be warned of the increased risk of severe postoperative complications within 90days, including leakage and reoperation rates, especially after RYGB.

Distal gastric tube resection with preservation of the right gastroepiploic artery for gastric tube cancer: a case report

BackgroundThe incidence of gastric tube cancer is increasing because of improved survival rates in patients with esophageal cancer treated by esophagectomy. Total resection of the gastric tube is expected to be highly curative, but it is associated with a higher risk of severe postoperative complications. Herein we report a case of early gastric tube cancer that was successfully treated by distal gastric tube resection with preservation of the right gastroepiploic artery (RGEA).Case presentationAn 82-year-old man was diagnosed as having gastric tube cancer, B-12-O, Type 0-IIc, T1b, N0, M0, cStage IA (Japanese Classification of Gastric Carcinoma). Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy showed a Type 0-IIc lesion measuring 30 mm in length in the lower part of the gastric tube, and histopathological examination of biopsy specimens revealed the features of poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. The primary lesion could not be identified by computed tomography, and there was no obvious lymph node metastasis or distant metastasis. Considering that total resection of the gastric tube would have been highly invasive and that the gastric tube cancer was at a relatively early stage, we performed distal gastric tube resection with preservation of the RGEA. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient was discharged on postoperative day 12. There has been no recurrence during the 17 months of follow-up.ConclusionWe successfully treated a patient with gastric tube cancer by distal gastric tube resection with preservation of the RGEA. This treatment strategy may be acceptable for patients with early gastric tube cancer without lymph node metastasis, considering the balance between the surgical invasiveness and curability of the tumor.

Clinical Staging to Estimate the Probability of Severe Postoperative Complications in Patients With Vestibular Schwannoma

Vestibular schwannomas have long been treated as a homogeneous entity. Clinical symptoms at presentation may help elucidate the underlaying pathophysiologic characteristics of tumor subtypes. Describing the heterogeneity of these benign tumors may assist in predicting clinical outcomes associated with their treatment. To create a tumor staging system that incorporates symptoms at presentation and tumor size to predict severe surgical complications. A retrospective cohort of patients at a single-center tertiary referral center from January 1, 1998, to October 13, 2020, was studied. Patients diagnosed with sporadic vestibular schwannoma surgically treated at Washington University in St Louis, Missouri, were included. Severe surgical complications within 30 days of surgery as determined by the Clavien-Dindo classification system. Patients experiencing a complication of grade 3 or above were determined to have a severe complication. Of 185 patients evaluated, 40 (22%) had severe postoperative complications. Twenty of the 40 patients (50%) were women; mean (SD) age was 46 (13) years. Patients with severe complications were more likely to have large tumors (>2.5 cm in largest diameter), vestibular symptoms, and recent hearing loss at presentation. Using conjunctive consolidation, a 4-stage clinical severity staging system that incorporates clinical symptoms and tumor size at presentation was created to predict severe complications. The clinical severity staging system demonstrated an improvement in the ability to discriminate severe complications (C index, 0.754; 95% CI, 0.67-0.84) from a model of tumor size alone (C index, 0.706; 95% CI 0.62-0.79). This cohort study found that, among patients with vestibular schwannoma, symptoms present at initial evaluation, in addition to tumor size, served as predictors of severe postoperative complications. A new clinical severity staging system incorporating symptoms at presentation can be helpful for clinicians to identify patients at high risk for severe postoperative complications.

Outcomes of splenectomy during primary cytoreductive surgery in ovarian cancer

Objectives: Most splenectomies performed in ovarian cancer (OC) debulking are for disease resection; the impact of splenectomy on 30-day complication and oncologic outcomes is unclear. We aimed to determine the association of splenectomy with postoperative complications, overall survival (OS), and progression-free survival (PFS) in the setting of primary debulking surgery (PDS) for OC. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated women who underwent PDS or surgical staging for OC from 1/2003-07/2016. Perioperative variables and 30-day complications defined by ACS-NSQIP were abstracted. Among those with advanced stage (IIIC/IV) disease, complications were graded using the modified Accordion grading scale; severe was defined as grade 3 or 4. A propensity score (PS) matched cohort was evaluated to limit the effect of bias due to confounding variables between patients who did and did not have a splenectomy. The severe complication rate was compared between matched pairs using McNemar's test and time-to-event outcomes were compared using stratified Cox proportional hazards models. Results: Among 1311 patients in the cohort, 153 (11.7%) underwent splenectomy. Patients with splenectomy were more likely to have advanced stage disease (96.1 vs 60.6%), serous histology (89.5 vs 68.8%), ascites (83.0 vs 45.3%), higher median preoperative CA-125 (737 vs 388 U/mL), and residual disease (52.9 vs 31.3%), compared to patients without splenectomy (all p Download : Download high-res image (74KB) Download : Download full-size image Conclusions: We observed that splenectomy during PDS was associated with increased risk of progression and death compared to those not undergoing splenectomy but this risk was no longer observed with a PS-matched cohort. Splenectomy appears to be a marker for disease extent but does not increase the risk of progression or decreased survival in and of itself. Splenectomy was associated with a higher risk of severe postoperative complications including a 9% risk of pancreatic leak. These findings underscore the importance of preoperative surgical risk/benefit assessment and expertise in management of complications.