Defining Textbook Outcome in liver surgery and assessment of hospital variation: A nationwide population-based study

IntroductionTextbook outcome (TO) is a composite outcome measure covering the surgical care process in a single outcome measure. TO has an advantage over single outcome parameters with low event rates, which have less discriminating impact to detect differences between hospitals. This study aimed to assess factors associated with TO, and evaluate hospital and network variation after case-mix correction in TO rates for liver surgery.MethodsThis was a population-based retrospective study of all patients who underwent liver resection for malignancy in the Netherlands in 2019 and 2020. TO was defined as absence of severe postoperative complications, mortality, prolonged length of hospital stay, and readmission, and obtaining adequate resection margins. Multivariable logistic regression was used for case-mix adjustment.Results2376 patients were included. TO was accomplished in 1380 (80%) patients with colorectal liver metastases, in 192 (76%) patients with other liver metastases, in 183 (74%) patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and 86 (51%) patients with biliary cancers. Factors associated with lower TO rates for CRLM included ASA score ≥3 (aOR 0.70, CI 0.51–0.95 p = 0.02), extrahepatic disease (aOR 0.64, CI 0.44–0.95, p = 0.02), tumour size >55 mm on preoperative imaging (aOR 0.56, CI 0.34–0.94, p = 0.02), Charlson Comorbidity Index ≥2 (aOR 0.73, CI 0.54–0.98, p = 0.04), and major liver resection (aOR 0.50, CI 0.36–0.69, p < 0.001). After case-mix correction, no significant hospital or oncological network variation was observed.ConclusionTO differs between indications for liver resection and can be used to assess between hospital and network differences.     

前瞻性护理干预在急性心力衰竭患者中的应用

目的探讨前瞻性护理干预在急性心力衰竭患者中的应用效果。方法选取2018年4月—2020年5月河南省某医院收治的122例急性心力衰竭患者为研究对象,采用随机数字表法分为观察组与对照组,每组61例。对照组患者采用常规护理,观察组患者采用前瞻性护理,比较2组患者的干预效果、并发症发生情况,干预前后焦虑自评量表(SAS)、抑郁自评量表(SDS)评分及护理满意度。结果观察组患者干预总有效率为95.08%,高于对照组的75.41%,差异有统计学意义(χ²=9.385,P=0.002)。观察组患者并发症发生率为3.28%,低于对照组的18.03%,差异有统计学意义(χ²=6.974,P=0.008)。2组患者干预后SAS及SDS评分均低于干预前,且观察组低于对照组,差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05)。观察组患者护理满意度为98.36%,高于对照组的86.89%,差异有统计学意义(χ²=4.319,P=0.038)。结论前瞻性护理干预用于急性心力衰竭患者,有助于改善患者负性情绪及减少并发症的发生。     

MCI的情志病机及疏肝法干预的可行性探讨＊

轻度认知障碍（Mild cognition impairment， MCI）是尚未达到阿尔兹海默病（Alzheimer’s disease， AD）的诊断标准且可逆转为正常脑老化状态的最佳窗口期。情志异常、肝失疏泄（肝失疏泄日久致肝郁）已被证实为MCI的重要情志病机，且“长期负性情绪积累肝失疏泄致衰加速脑老化”的科学假说已在本课题组前期研究中得到初步证实，疏肝法干预肝郁型MCI患者疗效显著，但以上作用机制尚未得到完全阐述。因此本研究系统总结了中医学对MCI的认识，长期情绪不调肝失疏泄对MCI的影响及可能机制，疏肝解郁方药及其成分改善肝郁型MCI的可行性，并提出使用无束缚性设计的眼动技术以探索疏肝法改善肝郁型MCI的可行性，为MCI的中医药干预及其神经机制探讨提供新思路，为中医情志衰老学说增添新内涵。     

The impact of additional margin coagulation with radiofrequency in liver resections with subcentimetric margin: can we improve the oncological results? A propensity score matching study

BackgroundWhereas the usefulness of radiofrequency (RF) energy as haemostatic method in liver surgery has become well established in the last decades, its intentional application on resection margins with the aim of reducing local recurrence is still debatable. Our goal was to compare the impact of an additional application of RF energy on the top of the resection surface, namely additional margin coagulation (AMC), on local recurrence (LR) when subjected to a subcentimeter margin.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed 185 patients out of a whole cohort of 283 patients who underwent radical hepatic resection with subcentimetric margin. After propensity score adjustment, patients were classified into two balanced groups according to whether RF was applied or not.ResultsNo significant differences were observed within groups in baseline characteristics after PSM adjustment. The LR rate was significantly higher in the Control than AMC Group: 12 patients (14.5%) vs. 4 patients (4.8%) (p = 0.039). The estimated 1, 3, and 5-year LR-free survival rates of patients in the Control and AMC Group were: 93.5%, 86.0%, 81.0% and 98.8%, 97.2%, 91.9%, respectively (p = 0.049). Univariate Cox analyses indicated that the use of the RF applicator was significantly associated with lower LR (HR = 0.29, 95% confidence interval 0.093–0.906, p = 0.033). The Control Group showed smaller coagulation widths than the AMC group (p < 0.001).ConclusionsAn additional application of RF on the top of the resection surface is associated with less local hepatic recurrence than the use of conventional techniques.     

Role of surgical treatments in high-grade or advanced gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms

Over the last 40 years, the incidence and prevalence of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (GEP-NENs) have continued to increase. Compared to other epithelial neoplasms in the same organ, GEP-NENs exhibit indolent biological behavior, resulting in more chances to undergo surgery. However, the role of surgery in high-grade or advanced GEP-NENs is still controversial. Surgery is associated with survival improvement of well-differentiated high-grade GEP-NENs, whereas poorly differentiated GEP-NENs that may benefit from resection require careful selection based on Ki67 and other tissue biomarkers. Additionally, surgery also plays an important role in locally advanced and metastatic disease. For locally advanced GEP-NENs, isolated major vascular involvement is no longer an absolute contraindication. In the setting of metastatic GEP-NENs, radical intended surgery is recommended for patients with low-grade and resectable metastases. For unresectable metastatic disease, a variety of surgical approaches, including cytoreduction of liver metastasis, liver transplantation, and surgery after neoadjuvant treatment, show survival benefits. Primary tumor resection in GEP-NENs with unresectable metastatic disease is associated with symptom control, prolonged survival, and improved sensitivity toward systemic therapies. Although there is no established neoadjuvant or adjuvant strategy, increasing attention has been given to this emerging research area. Some studies have reported that neoadjuvant therapy effectively reduces tumor burden, improves the effectiveness of subsequent surgery, and decreases surgical complications.