National Trends in Short-term Outcomes Following Non-emergent Surgery for Diverticular Disease

Introduction

Elective surgery for diverticulitis has evolved over the last decade. We aimed to evaluate the impact of changing practice patterns on postoperative outcomes. We hypothesized that the increased use of laparoscopy, and other management changes, would correlate with a decrease in postoperative complications.

Methods

Patients undergoing non-emergent surgery for diverticulitis from 2005 to 2013 were selected from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database. We compared patient demographics, comorbidities, and operative approach by year of operation using chi-square tests and investigated temporal trends in postoperative outcomes using univariate, trend, and multivariate analyses.

Results

The analytic cohort, which included 29,893 patients, had increasing rates of obesity, advanced age, and higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class over the study period. The use of laparoscopy increased significantly from 48 % in 2005/2006 to 70 % in 2013 (p?<?0.001), while the rate of stoma creation remained unchanged (10–12 %, p?=?0.072). The absolute risk of any postoperative complication decreased by 5.8 % over the study period, driven primarily by a reduction in infectious complications. Year of operation was a significant independent predictor of fewer complications for 2011–2013.

Conclusion

Despite a trend towards increasing patient complexity, there has been a decline in postoperative morbidity following non-emergent surgery for diverticulitis. This trend coincides with the steadily increasing use of laparoscopy in this population.

     

Outcomes of Laparoscopic Versus Open Colectomy in Elective Surgery for Diverticulitis

Background  

The role of laparoscopy in the management of diverticular disease is evolving. Concerns were raised in the past because laparoscopic resection for diverticulitis is often difficult and occasionally hazardous. This study was undertaken to evaluate the difference in overall outcomes between elective open and laparoscopic surgery with or without anastomosis for diverticulitis.     

Gender Differences in Early Outcomes Following Hand-Assisted Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery

Background Male gender has been associated with a higher morbidity and mortality rate after bariatric surgery including laparoscopic and open procedures. This study focused on hand-assisted laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and morbidity and mortality among genders. Methods Hand-assisted laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass operations (N = 319) were evaluated from October 2003 to March 2006. Comparison between males (N = 54) and females (N = 265) were conducted using t test or Fishers exact test and chi-square analysis. Results Patients’ average age was 42.3 ± 10.3 and the average body mass index (BMI) was 49.2 ± 7.9. There was no significant difference between males and females in age or BMI. Males had a significantly greater average weight than females (p < 0.001) and were significantly more likely to experience sleep apnea (p = 0.006) and have heart disease (p = 0.017). For operative risk factors, males had a significantly longer anesthesia time (p = 0.003), operative time (p = 0.027), and length of roux limb (p = 0.038). At 6 and 12 months postsurgery, there was no significant difference between males and females with complications. Although BMI did not differ significantly, males continued to weigh significantly more than females and lost significantly more pounds than did females at both 6 and 12 months postoperation. Conclusion Given their larger size and tendency to accumulate fat in the abdominal compartment that increases the technical difficulty of the procedure, males are historically associated with a higher morbidity and mortality following bariatric surgery. Based on the current study, however, there is no difference in outcome among genders following hand-assisted laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.     

Racial Differences in Survival after Surgical Treatment for Melanoma

Background  

Surgical-treatment outcomes for melanoma in African Americans are poorly characterized as a result of low incidence of melanoma among African Americans. We examined differences by race in overall and melanoma-specific survival, stratified by receipt of surgical treatment and by specific types of surgical treatment.     

Racial Differences in AKI Incidence Following Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

BackgroundUndergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is a risk factor for AKI development, but few studies have quantified racial differences in AKI incidence after this procedure.MethodsWe examined the association of self-reported race (Black, White, or other) and baseline eGFR with AKI incidence among patients who underwent PCI at Duke University Medical Center between January 1, 2003, and December 31, 2013. We defined AKI as a 0.3 mg/dl absolute increase in serum creatinine within 48 hours, or ≥1.5-fold relative elevation within 7 days post-PCI from the reference value ascertained within 30 days before PCI.ResultsOf 9422 patients in the analytic cohort (median age 63 years; 33% female; 75% White, 20% Black, 5% other race), 9% developed AKI overall (14% of Black, 8% of White, 10% of others). After adjustment for demographics, socioeconomic status, comorbidities, predisposing medications, PCI indication, periprocedural AKI prophylaxis, and PCI procedural characteristics, Black race was associated with increased odds for incident AKI compared with White race (odds ratio [OR], 1.79; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.48 to 2.15). Compared with Whites, odds for incident AKI were not significantly higher in other patients (OR, 1.30; 95% CI, 0.93 to 1.83). Low baseline eGFR was associated with graded, higher odds of AKI incidence (P value for trend <0.001); however, there was no interaction between race and baseline eGFR on odds for incident AKI (P value for interaction = 0.75).ConclusionsBlack patients had greater odds of developing AKI after PCI compared with White patients. Future investigations should identify factors, including multiple domains of social determinants, that predispose Black individuals to disparate AKI risk after PCI.     

Racial Disparity in Short-Term Outcomes after Gastric Bypass Surgery

Background

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass procedure is the most frequently performed bariatric surgery for the extremely obese in USA. However, the information about the effects of racial/ethnic differences, comorbidities, and medication use on weight loss outcomes is limited. The objectives of this study were to investigate if race/ethnicity, comorbidities, and medication use affect weight loss effectiveness after the surgery.

Methods

This is a retrospective observational study conducted at one teaching hospital at Houston metropolitan area, TX, USA. Patients between 18 and 64 years, with body mass index (BMI) of ≥40 or BMI of ≥35 with comorbidities, who had completed medical evaluations/consultations and met insurance policy requirements, were included in the study.

Results

From a total of 40 patients in the study (40 % African Americans, 35 % Caucasians, 17.5 % Hispanics, 7.5 % others), the weight loss was significantly greater in Caucasian patients at 6 months after the surgery, with mean percentage excess weight loss (%EWL) of 40.6?±?17.3, as compared to all other racial groups combined at %EWL of 30.9?±?11.5 (p value 0.04). No association was found between the 6-month weight loss and other variables including age, gender, BMI prior to surgery, comorbidities, and total number of medications taken before the surgery.

Conclusions

This study found that Caucasian patients had a significantly greater %EWL at 6 months post-op as compared to their African-American and Hispanic counterparts. No other variables exhibited significant impact on the weight loss. Further studies with a larger sample size are needed to confirm the results from this study.     

Surgical Outcomes Following Mohs Micrographic Surgery for Basal Cell Carcinoma on the Distal Third of the Nose

ObjectiveThe primary aim of this study is to determine a quantifiable difference in surgical outcomes between local skin flap, full thickness skin graft (FTSG), and secondary intention (SI) following Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) for basal cell carcinoma (BCC) on the distal third of the nose.MethodsA retrospective chart review of 66 MMS defects on the distal third of the nose performed by a single surgeon between June 2019 to June 2020 was completed. Clinical images of MMS defects and postoperative scars at six months were recorded and measured by the Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS). Pearson Chi-square and Fisher’s Exact tests were utilized to determine the relationship between the main predictor variables and VSS.ResultsOf the 66 patients retained, 52 were deemed to have low VSS (77.61%), 11 had medium VSS (16.42%) and three had high VSS (4.48%). Of the 52 patients with low VSS, 40 underwent local flap (76.92%), nine underwent FTSG (17.31%), and three healed by SI (5.77%). Of the 11 patients with medium VSS, two underwent local flap (18.15%), nine underwent FTSG (81.82%), and zero healed by SI. Of the three patients with high VSS, zero underwent local flap or SI, while all three underwent FTSG (100%). Bivariate analysis demonstrated that repair type employed was associated with VSS at six months (p<0.0001) with patients treated with local skin flap having better outcomes.ConclusionOur data illustrate that local skin flaps might result in a lower VSS at six months compared to FTSG or SI, therefore offering superior surgical outcomes in the treatment of BCC on the distal third of the nose.     

Racial And Socioeconomic Differences Affect Outcomes in Elderly Burn Patients

BackgroundRace and socioeconomic status influence outcomes for adult and pediatric burn patients, yet the impact of these factors on elderly patients (Medicare eligible, 65 years of age) remains unknown.MethodsData pooled from three verified burn centers from 2004 to 2014 were reviewed retrospectively. Age, race, gender, percent total body surface area (%TBSA) burn, mortality, length of stay (LOS), LOS per %TBSA burn, and zip code which provided Census data on race, poverty, and education levels within a community were collected. Data were analyzed using logistic and generalized linear models in SAS version 9.4 (SAS Institute, Cary, NC, USA).ResultsOur population was mainly Caucasian (63%), African American (18%), Hispanic (7.6%), and Asian (3.5%). Mean age was 76.3 ± 8.3 years, 52.5% were male. Mean %TBSA was 9 ± 13.8%; 15% of the patients sustained an inhalation injury. The mortality rate was 14.4%. Inhalation injury was significantly associated with mortality and discharge to a skilled nursing facility (SNF) (p < 0.05). Race was significantly associated with socioeconomic disparities and affected LOS/TBSA, but not discharge to SNF or mortality on univariate analysis. Poverty level, education level, and insurance status (others vs. public) independently predicted SNF discharge, while median income and insurance type independently predicted LOS/TBSA.ConclusionIn this elderly cohort, race did not predict standard markers of burn outcome (mortality and discharge to SNF). Socioeconomic status independently predicted LOS and discharge to SNF, suggesting a relationship between socioeconomic status and recovery from a burn injury. Better understanding of racial and socioeconomic disparities is necessary to provide equitable treatment of all patients.     

Minimally Invasive Surgery for Complicated Diverticulitis

Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery -     

Racial Differences in Manipulation Under Anesthesia Rates Following Total Knee Arthroplasty

BackgroundDespite the extensive literature on racial disparities in care and outcomes after total knee arthroplasty (TKA), data on manipulation under anesthesia (MUA) is lacking. We aimed to determine (1) the relationship between race and rate of (and time to) MUA after TKA, and (2) annual trends in racial differences in MUA from 2013 to 2018.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study (using 2013-2018 Medicare Limited Data Set claims data) included 836,054 primary TKA patients. The primary outcome was MUA <1 year after TKA; time from TKA to MUA in days was also recorded. A mixed-effects multivariable model measured the association between race (White, Black, Other) and odds of MUA. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were reported. A Cochran Armitage Trend test was conducted to assess MUA trends over time, stratified by race.ResultsMUA after TKA occurred in 1.7%, 3.2% and 2.1% of White, Black, and Other race categories, respectively (SMD = 0.07). After adjustment for covariates, (Black vs White) patients had increased odds of requiring an MUA after TKA: odds ratio (OR) 1.97, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.86-2.10, P < .0001. Moreover, White (compared to Black) patients had significantly shorter time to MUA after TKA: 60 days (interquartile range [IQR] 46-88) versus 64 days (interquartile range [IQR] 47-96); P < .0001. These disparities persisted from 2013 through 2018.ConclusionContinued racial differences exist for rates and timing of MUA following TKA signifying the continued need for efforts aimed toward understanding and eliminating inequalities that exist in total joint arthroplasty (TJA) care.     

Surgical Outcomes and Prognostic Factors for T2 Gallbladder Cancer Following Surgical Resection

Background

Depth of tumor invasion is an important prognostic factor for gallbladder cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinicopathological prognostic factors of T2 gallbladder cancer.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed the clinicopathological data and survival for 83 patients with T2 gallbladder cancers who underwent surgical resection between January 1995 and December 2007.

Results

The overall survival rates were 48.9% at 3 years and 29.3% at 5 years. Univariate analysis revealed that R0 resection (P?<?0.001), extended surgery (P?=?0.028), lymph node dissection (P?=?0.024), non-infiltrative tumors (P?=?0.001), well differentiation (P?=?0.001), absence of lymphatic (P?=?0.025), perineural (P?=?0.001), and vascular (P?=?0.025) invasion, absence of lymph node metastasis (P?=?0.001), negative resection margin (P?=?0.016), and stage (P?=?0.002) were significantly better predictors for survival. A significant difference in survival between Rx and R1 was not found. R0 resection, lymph node dissection, well differentiation, and absence of perineural and vascular invasion were significantly independent prognostic factors for overall survival. Recurrence occurred in 48 patients (57.8%). Age older than 65 years, R0 resection, non-infiltrative tumors, and good differentiation were significant independent predictors of disease-free survival by multivariate analysis.

Conclusions

For T2 tumors, radical surgery including lymph node dissection should be performed to achieve R0 resection. Tumors with infiltrative types and suspicious lymph node metastasis in the intraoperative findings were candidates for aggressive surgical management to improve patient survival.     

Long-Term Survival and Recurrence Outcomes Following Surgery for Distal Rectal Cancer

Background

Treatment of distal rectal cancer remains clinically challenging and includes proctectomy and coloanal anastomosis (CAA) or abdominoperineal resection (APR). The purpose of this study is to evaluate operative and pathologic factors associated with long-term survival and local recurrence outcomes in patients treated for distal rectal cancer.

Methods

A retrospective consecutive cohort study of 304 patients treated for distal rectal cancer with radical resection from 1993 to 2003 was performed. Patients were grouped by procedure (CAA or APR). Demographic, pathologic, recurrence, and survival data were analyzed utilizing chi-square analysis for comparison of proportions. Survival analysis was performed using Kaplan–Meier method and log-rank test for univariate and Cox regression for multivariate comparison.

Results

The median tumor distance from the anal verge was 2 cm [interquartile range (IQR) 0.5–4 cm]. Margins were negative in all but four patients (one distal, 0.3%; three radial, 1%). The 5-year overall survival rate was 82% (88.6% stage pI, 80.5% stage pII, 67.9% stage pIII). Older age, advanced pathologic stage, presence of lymphovascular or perineural invasion, earlier treatment period, and APR surgery type were associated with worse survival on multivariate analysis. The 5-year local recurrence rate was 5.3% after CAA and 7.9% after APR (p = 0.33).

Conclusions

Low rates of local recurrence and good overall survival can be achieved after treatment of distal rectal cancer with stage-appropriate chemoradiation and proctectomy with CAA or APR. Sphincter preservation can be achieved even with distal margins less than 2 cm.     

Diverticulitis: The Indications for Elective Surgery

The incidence of diverticular disease of the colon is discussed, and the indications for surgical interference, over and above those which are absolute, are considered. In the author's experience, a second attack of diverticulitis implies a greater likelihood of subsequent attacks, and a greater likelihood also of more serious complications. In an endeavour to prevent these, the routine daily administration of 250 mg of tetracycline is suggested. “Painful diverticulitis attacks” may in fact have no inflammatory background, but can be due to spastic colon syndrome and can be relieved by sigmoid resection.     

Quality of Communication in Robotic Surgery and Surgical Outcomes

Methods:After each gynecologic robotic surgery, the team members involved in the surgery completed a survey regarding the quality of communication. A composite quality-of-communication score was developed using principal component analysis. A higher composite quality-of-communication score signified poor communication.Objective parameters, such as operative time and estimated blood loss (EBL), were gathered from the patient''s medical record and correlated with the composite quality-of-communication scores.Results:Forty robotic cases from March through May 2013 were included. Thirty-two participants including surgeons, circulating nurses, and surgical technicians participated in the study. A higher composite quality-of-communication score was associated with greater EBL (P = .010) and longer operative time (P = .045), after adjustment for body mass index, prior major abdominal surgery, and uterine weight. Specifically, for every 1-SD increase in the perceived lack of communication, there was an additional 51 mL EBL and a 31-min increase in operative time. The most common reasons reported for poor communication in the operating room were noise level (28/36, 78%) and console-to-bedside communication problems (23/36, 64%).Conclusion:Our study demonstrates a significant association between poor intraoperative team communication and worse surgical outcomes in robotic gynecologic surgery. Employing strategies to decrease extraneous room noise, improve console-to-bedside communication and team training may have a positive impact on communication and related surgical outcomes.