Effect of perioperative management on short-term outcomes after sleeve gastrectomy: a 600-patient single-center cohort study

BackgroundReports on the postoperative outcomes of sleeve gastrectomy (SG) have only been from small, single-center series and meta-analyses of studies with variable SG management. The objective of this study was to evaluate post-SG outcomes in a specialized bariatric surgery center with a routinely performed standardized procedure.MethodsThe postoperative complication rate, operating times, and postoperative data were evaluated from all patients undergoing a primary SG between November 2004 and February 2012. Results were analyzed for 3 separate surgical periods, which differed with perioperative management.ResultsOf 600 patients (mean age: 41.8±11.3; mean body mass index [BMI]: 47.2±16 kg/m²; 80% were women who underwent primary SG), 26.8% had a BMI≥50 kg/m². The mean operating time was 84 minutes. The rate of conversion was 1%. There were no postoperative deaths. The overall complication rate was 8.5%; the major complication rate was 5.6%; the revisional surgery rate was 4.6% and the gastric leak rate was 2.5%. Over the course of the 3 study periods, the operating time fell from 91±32 to 79±22 minutes (P≤.001); the length of hospital stay decreased from 4.5±4.9 to 3.4±4.3 days (P = .02); the major complication rate fell from 6.4% to 5.5% (P = NS); and the gastric fistula rate decreased from 4.6% to 1.9% (P = NS).ConclusionIn a specialist bariatric surgery center, SG had an acceptable complication rate. Modifications in the perioperative management of SG were associated with a shorter mean operating time and hospital stay and did not increase the major complication or gastric fistula rates.     

Preoperative sport improves the outcome of lumbar disc surgery: a prospective monocentric cohort study

A lumbar disc herniation resulting in surgery may be an incisive event in a patient’s everyday life. The patient’s recovery after sequestrectomy may be influenced by several factors. There is evidence that regular physical activity can lower pain perception and improve the outcome after surgery. For this purpose, we hypothesized that patients performing regular sports prior to lumbar disc surgery might have less pain perception and disability thereafter. Fifty-two participants with a single lumbar disc herniation confirmed on MRI treated by a lumbar sequestrectomy were included in the trial. They were categorized into two groups based on their self-reported level of physical activity prior to surgery: group NS, no regular physical activity and group S, with regular physical activity. Further evaluation included a detailed medical history, a physical examination, and various questionnaires: Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Beck-Depression-Inventory (BDI), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Core Outcome Measure Index (COMI), and the EuroQoL-5Dimension (EQ- 5D). Surgery had an excellent overall improvement of pain and disability (p < 0.005). The ODI, COMI, and EQ-5D differed 6 months after intervention (p < 0.05) favoring the sports group. Leg and back pain on VAS was also significantly less in group B than in group A, 12 months after surgery (p < 0.05). Preoperative regular physical activity is an important influencing factor for the overall satisfaction and disability after lumbar disc surgery. The importance of sports may have been underestimated for surgical outcomes.     

Epidural anesthesia and analgesia: effects on recovery from cardiac surgery

OBJECTIVE: To measure predefined clinical effects resulting from the use of epidural anesthesia and analgesia during and after cardiac surgery. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, nonblinded clinical trial. SETTING: Single academic medical center. PARTICIPANTS: Sixty patients scheduled for elective cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. INTERVENTIONS: Sixty participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 study groups: (1) A control group received general anesthesia during surgery and intravenous opiate analgesia after surgery. (2) A treatment group received thoracic epidural anesthesia combined with general anesthesia during surgery and epidural analgesia for the first 24 postoperative hours. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Primary study measurements were planned to evaluate recovery from surgery and included time to tracheal extubation, duration of postoperative intensive care unit stay, duration of postoperative hospitalization, pain control, urinary free cortisol, cardiopulmonary complication rate, and total hospital charges. No statistically significant differences between the 2 study groups were found in these main measurements. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical course of elective cardiac surgical patients who receive epidural anesthesia during surgery and epidural analgesia after surgery is comparable to that of patients managed with general anesthesia alone during surgery followed by parenteral opiate analgesia after surgery.     

Long-term survival and resource use in critically ill cardiac surgery patients: a population-based study

Purpose

Most cardiac surgery patients recover well; a substantial minority become critically ill after surgery. The epidemiology of critical illness after cardiac surgery is poorly described. We measured the association of prolonged critical illness with long-term survival and resource use after cardiac surgery.

Methods

This was a historical population-based cohort study in Ontario, Canada (2002-2013), of adult cardiac surgery patients. Validated methods were used to measure postoperative intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (LOS). We categorized patients into short (0-2 day), moderate (3-9 day), and long (10+ day) ICU LOS groups. The adjusted associations of ICU LOS with one-year survival (primary outcome) and costs, hospital readmissions, and institutional discharge were measured using multilevel, multivariable regression. Pre-specified sensitivity analyses were performed.

Results

We included 111,740 patients having their first cardiac surgery during the study period who survived ≥ ten postoperative days. Most patients had a short ICU LOS (75.9%); 20.9% and 3.3% had moderate or long ICU LOS, respectively. The short-stay one-year mortality rate was 2.1%. Longer ICU LOS was independently associated with decreased one-year survival (moderate LOS: hazard ratio [HR], 1.79; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.6 to 1.94; long LOS: HR, 8.66; 95% CI, 7.93 to 9.44). Sensitivity analyses supported the findings of the primary analysis. Secondary outcomes were independently associated with longer ICU LOS. Long ICU LOS patients occupied 30% of all ICU bed days, and 55% died or were discharged to an institution.

Conclusion

Prolonged ICU LOS after cardiac surgery is associated with decreased 1-year survival and increased healthcare resource use.

     

Characterizing cardiac arrest in children undergoing cardiac surgery: A single-center study

Objectives

To characterize cardiac arrest in children undergoing cardiac surgery using single-center data from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and Pediatric Advanced Life Support Utstein-Style Guidelines.

Epidural abscess after spinal anesthesia: a favorable outcome

A case of lumbar epidural abscess after spinal anesthesia with sciatica and sphincteric disturbance is presented. The case was investigated by myelography and diagnosed after exploration, resulting in dramatic improvement.     

Safety of peritoneal dialysis catheter surgery under dexmedetomidine and local anesthesia for elderly patients in Japan: a single-center prospective cohort study

Clinical and Experimental Nephrology - The number of patients aged ≥ 75&nbsp;years and who need renal replacement therapy is steadily increasing. The study aimed to determine...     

Epidural anesthesia for surgery: a comparative double-blind study of etidocaine and bupivacaine.

The author reports the comparative effects of 2 local anesthetic agents injected into the epidural space: 1% etidocaine and 0.5% bupivacaine, both containing epinephrine (5 microgram/ml). Twenty ml of one of these solutions were administered under double-blind conditions to 40 patients undergoing orthopedic, urological, gynecological or general surgery. The onset of analgesia, as determined by the "pin-prick test" was more rapid after 1% etidocaine than after 0.5% bupivacaine. The duration of analgesia, the return of sensation and the extent and intensity of the sensory blockade were identical for both drugs. After etidocaine, motor block occurred more often, was more complete and developed more rapidly than after bupivacaine. The incidence of peroperative and postoperative complications was comparable in both groups.     

Chronic kidney disease as major determinant of the renal risk related to on-pump cardiac surgery: a single-center cohort study

Background: Cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury (CSA-AKI) is a common complication and is associated with the poorest outcomes. Therefore, early prediction of CSA-AKI remains a major issue. Severity scores such as the STS score could estimate the risk of AKI preoperatively. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the risk factors of on-pump CSA-AKI and to assess the performance of the STS score in order to predict CSA-AKI.

Patients: We identified 252 patients with on-pump cardiac surgery, and the STS score was defined retrospectively.

Results: AKI occurred in 14.6% (n?=?37/252) of patients and renal replacement therapy was required in 21.6% of AKI (n?=?8/37). CSA-AKI was associated with 35.1% in-hospital mortality (vs. 1.4%) and nearly doubled length of stay (14.5 vs. 8.0 d). The risk of CSA-AKI was mainly determined by preoperative morbidities such as chronic kidney disease, peripheral vascular disease, and severe congestive heart failure. Long cardio-pulmonary bypass time was also a determinant. CSA-AKI?+?patients exhibited higher STS renal risk (5.6% vs. 2.0%; p?2 was as good as the STS score to predict CSA-AKI (AUC 0.75; P 0.26).

Conclusions: On-pump CSA-AKI was observed in nearly 15% of cases and was associated with poorer outcomes. Interestingly, the risk of CSA-AKI could be estimated preoperatively, thanks to the basal renal function, which exhibited an equal performance to the STS score.     

Epidural sufentanil during paediatric cardiac surgery: effects on metabolic response and postoperative outcome

The metabolic and neuroendocrine effects of caudal epidural analgesia were studied during paediatric cardiac surgery. Combined epidural and general anaesthesia (EPI group; n=12) was compared with deep opioid anaesthesia (DOA group; n=12). During anaesthesia and surgery, haemodynamic stability was similar in the two groups. There was no significant difference between groups concerning the metabolic response to surgery but circulating catecholamines were significantly lower in the EPI group during and after surgery. Perioperative release of IL-6 was higher in the EPI group possibly reflecting a longer aortic clamp time. Incidence of postoperative life-threatening dysrhythmias was very low in the two groups. No significant reduction of postoperative mechanical ventilation, intensive care unit or hospital stays was reported with epidural analgesia. The incidence of postoperative infections was higher than expected in the two groups because of the poor properative clinical status of most of the children included in the study.     

Clinical versus actual outcome in cardiac surgery: a post-mortem study

Background: Clinical attribution of the cause of death can be misleading, with the only true outcome measure being post-mortem analysis. Despite this there is very little published data on post-mortems following cardiac surgery. Methods: Prospective consecutive post-mortem data were collected on 167 patients (84.4% of all in-hospital cardiac surgical deaths) in a single institution. Clinical diagnoses were compared with post-mortem findings. Results: The mean age at death was 69.8 with 67.6% male. The proportion undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) alone was 52.1%, valve surgery 18.6%, valve+CABG 19.2% and other procedures 10.1%. The mean time to death was 7.9 days (range 0–87). The causes of death were cardiac 67.7%, gastrointestinal 9.6%, respiratory 8.4%, haemorrhage/technical failure 4.8%, stroke (cerebrovascular accident) 3.6%, multiorgan failure 3.0%, sepsis 1.8%, malignancy 0.6% and trauma 0.6%. Post-mortem revealed an unsuspected cause of death in 19 (11.4%). These were gastrointestinal (infarction nine, perforation two), cardiac three, adult respiratory distress syndrome two, technical two and pulmonary embolus one. In addition, an unsuspected lung cancer was found in 1 patient who died of cardiac causes. When cardiac deaths were compared with non-cardiac causes the Parsonnet score was higher 20.0 (±1.4) vs. 15.3 (±1.6), P=0.07; and a greater proportion tended to have poor ejection fractions (34 vs. 15%), P=0.12. There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of age, sex, operation, hypertension, diabetes, creatinine and body mass. Conclusions: Post-mortem can determine unsuspected diagnoses in a significant proportion of cases. Pre-operative risk factors do not correlate with eventual cause of death. Post-mortem still has an important role to play in cardiac surgery.     

Short- and long-term outcomes of robotic surgery for rectal cancer: a single-center retrospective cohort study

This study aimed to clarify the short- and long-term outcomes of robotic surgery with or without lateral lymph node dissection (LLND) for rectal cancer at Fujita Health University Hospital, Aichi, Japan, during a self-pay period. We retrospectively evaluated 115 consecutive patients who underwent robotic surgery for rectal cancer between September 2009 and March 2018, with a median follow-up period of 48 months. Total mesorectal excision was completed by two certified surgeons using a da Vinci S, Si, or Xi Surgical System with an entirely robotic single-docking technique. The surgical and pathological outcomes, morbidity, and oncological results were examined. Lateral lymph node dissection was performed in 26 patients (22.6%). Neither conversion to open surgery nor perioperative blood transfusion occurred. Ten patients (8.7%) experienced Clavien–Dindo grade III postoperative complications. Pathologically, both the distal and radial margins were negative in all cases. The 5-year relapse-free survival rates for stages I, II, III, and IV were 93.5%, 100%, 83.8%, and not reached, respectively. Even in the period before coverage by the health insurance system, robotic surgery for rectal cancer performed by experienced surgeons was safe and technically feasible, with favorable perioperative results and long-term oncological outcomes, including rates of the relapse-free survival.     

Dreaming during anesthesia and anesthetic depth in elective surgery patients: a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND: Dreaming reported after anesthesia remains a poorly understood phenomenon. Dreaming may be related to light anesthesia and represent near-miss awareness. However, few studies have assessed the relation between dreaming and depth of anesthesia, and their results were inconclusive. Therefore, the authors tested the hypothesis that dreaming during anesthesia is associated with light anesthesia, as evidenced by higher Bispectral Index values during maintenance of anesthesia. METHODS: With approval, 300 consenting healthy patients, aged 18-50 yr, presenting for elective surgery requiring relaxant general anesthesia with a broad range of agents were studied. Patients were interviewed on emergence and 2-4 h postoperatively. The Bispectral Index was recorded from induction until the first interview. Dream content and form were also assessed. RESULTS: Dreaming was reported by 22% of patients on emergence. There was no difference between dreamers and nondreamers in median Bispectral Index values during maintenance (37 [23-55] vs. 38 [20-59]; P=0.68) or the time at Bispectral Index values greater than 60 (0 [0-7] vs. 0 [0-31] min; P=0.38). Dreamers tended to be younger and male, to have high home dream recall, to receive propofol maintenance or regional anesthesia, and to open their eyes sooner after surgery. Most dreams were similar to dreams of sleep and were pleasant, and the content was unrelated to surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Dreaming during anesthesia is unrelated to the depth of anesthesia in almost all cases. Similarities with dreams of sleep suggest that anesthetic dreaming occurs during recovery, when patients are sedated or in a physiologic sleep state.