Transition from open to robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy is associated with a reduction of positive surgical margins amongst private-practice-based urologists

Several recent studies have suggested that thought leaders in radical prostatectomy have decreased their own positive margin rates by switching from open to robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. Theoretically, this improvement is largely attributed to enhanced visualization of the deep pelvis and precision of dissection afforded by the instrumentation. To date, it has not been determined if this phenomenon exists amongst non-fellowship-trained urologists in private practice. Herein, we describe the positive margin rates of two non-fellowship-trained private-practice urologists who converted from open radical retropubic prostatectomy to robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. The margin positivity data from two non-fellowship-trained private-practice urologists (surgeon 1 and surgeon 2) were reviewed retrospectively. The last 50 cases of open radical retropubic prostatectomy from each surgeon were compared with the first 50 robotic prostatectomy cases of surgeons 1 and 2, respectively. A positive surgical margin was defined as tumor present at the inked margin of the prostate. There was a significant decrease in the overall and pT2 positive margin rates for both surgeons. The overall positive margin rate and pT2 positive margin rate for surgeon 1 dropped from 44 to 20% and from 37 to 5.7%, respectively, after changing from open to robotic prostatectomy. For surgeon 2, the overall positive margin rate changed from 26 to 18% and the pT2 positive margin rate changed from 27.5 to 7% after converting. Changing from open to robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy may improve the ability of urologists to obtain negative surgical margins. With proper training this phenomenon does seem to apply to non-fellowship-trained urologists in private practice and can be realized within the first 50 cases performed.     

Suicide risk and symptom reduction in patients assigned to placebo in duloxetine and escitalopram clinical trials: analysis of the FDA summary basis of approval reports.

BACKGROUND: We assessed suicide and suicide attempt risk as well as symptom reduction among 3,282 depressed patients participating in duloxetine and escitalopram clinical trials assigned to either an antidepressant or placebo. METHODS: We reviewed the FDA Summary Basis of Approval reports for data regarding safety and efficacy for duloxetine and escitalopram. Furthermore, we compared suicide risk among antidepressant clinical trials in this study with our two previous analyses on seven antidepressant clinical trials. RESULTS: Suicide and suicide attempt risk varied considerably among the three analyses, showing up to ten fold differences. Interestingly, the variability exists across the three reports, rather than between treatments (antidepressants versus placebo). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest caution in generalizing suicide risk even from a relatively large number of participants and thus, firm conclusions can only be drawn if the number of participants is overwhelmingly large (approximately two million patients). We also noted similar magnitude of response to placebo and antidepressants among the three studies.     

Transplantation for myocarditis: a controversy revisited.

Myocarditis is a major cause of end-stage heart failure and is responsible for up to 10% of cases of idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC). Worldwide, approximately 45% of all heart transplants are performed for IDC and up to 8% for myocarditis. Early reports suggested that survival after transplantation for myocarditis was poor and patients had an increased risk of rejection. More recently, larger case series suggest that overall survival after transplantation for myocarditis is similar to survival after transplantation for other causes. However, certain disorders, including cardiac sarcoidosis and giant cell myocarditis (GCM), require heightened surveillance for post-transplantation disease recurrence. We present the case of a 42-year-old man with recurrence of GCM 8 years after transplantation and review the literature on the role of cardiac transplantation for patients with myocarditis.     

Transdermal selegiline for the treatment of major depressive disorder

Non-selective inhibition of monoamine oxidase (MAO) enzymes (ie, isoforms A and B) in the brain are associated with clinically significant antidepressant effects. In the US, the selegiline transdermal system (STS; EMSAM) is the first antidepressant transdermal delivery system to receive Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved labeling for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). Currently, the use of orally administered MAO inhibitor antidepressants (eg, phenelzine, tranylcypromine) is limited by the risk of tyramine-provoked events (eg, acute hypertension and headache, also known as the “cheese reaction”) when combined with dietary tyramine. The selegiline transdermal system is the only MAOI available in the US for the treatment of MDD that does not require dietary restriction at the clinically effective dose of 6 mg/24 hours. Delivery of selegiline transdermally (EMSAM^®) bypasses hepatic first pass metabolism, thereby avoiding significant inhibition of gastrointestinal and hepatic MAO-A activity (ie, reduced risk of tyramine-provoked events) while still providing sufficient levels of selegiline in the brain to produce an antidepressant effect. At dosages of 6–12 mg/24 hours, EMSAM has been shown to improve symptoms of depression, have good tolerability, and have high rates of medication adherence. However, at higher doses of EMSAM (ie, 9 mg/24 hours or more), dietary restriction of tyramine intake is recommended. The introduction of EMSAM overcomes many of the safety concerns affiliated with the conventional oral MAO inhibitors and EMSAM may be considered another strategy for the treatment of MDD, especially in patients who cannot tolerate oral antidepressants, are poorly adherent, who present with atypical depressive symptoms, or have failed other antidepressants.     

Metabolic Characterization of Nondiabetic Severely Obese Patients Undergoing Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass: Preoperative Classification Predicts the Effects of Gastric Bypass on Insulin–Glucose Homeostasis

Introduction Obese individuals may have normal insulin–glucose homeostasis, insulin resistance, or diabetes mellitus. Whereas gastric bypass cures insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus, its effects on normal physiology have not been described. We studied insulin resistance and β-cell function for patients undergoing gastric bypass. Methods One hundred thirty-eight patients undergoing gastric bypass had fasting insulin and glucose levels drawn on days 0, 12, 40, 180, and 365. Thirty-one (22%) patients with diabetes mellitus were excluded from this analysis. Homeostatic model of assessment was used to estimate insulin resistance, insulin sensitivity, and β-cell function. Based on this model, patients were categorized as high insulin resistance if their insulin resistance was >2.3. Results Body mass index did not correlate with insulin resistance. Forty-seven (34%) patients were categorized as high insulin resistance. Correction of insulin resistance for this group occurred by 12 days postoperatively. Sixty (43%) patients were categorized as low insulin resistance. They demonstrated an increase of β-cell function by 12 days postoperatively, which returned to baseline by 6 months. At 1 year postoperatively, the low insulin resistance group had significantly higher β-cell function per degree of insulin sensitivity. Conclusions Adipose mass alone cannot explain insulin resistance. Severely obese individuals can be categorized by degree of insulin resistance, and the effect of gastric bypass depends upon this preoperative physiology.     

Regional Variation and Use of Exception Letters for Cadaveric Liver Allocation in Children with Chronic Liver Disease

The Pediatric End-Stage Liver Disease (PELD) score was designed to reduce subjectivity in liver allocation and to advantage patients with a higher probability of waiting list mortality. The aims of this study were to determine the impact of PELD implementation for children with chronic liver disease and to assess whether PELD met its goal of standardization of liver allocation for children. This study used data reported to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) registry for children with chronic liver disease receiving primary cadaveric liver transplant between January 2000 and December 2001 (pre-PELD) and March 2002 and July 2003 (PELD). PELD reduced the percentage of children transplanted while in an intensive care unit and as status 1. A calculated PELD score was used for allocation in only 52% of recipients. Thirty percent were status 1 at transplant and PELD scores granted by exception were used for allocation in 18% of patients. There was regional variation in PELD score at allocation and use of exception scores with a significant relationship between PELD score and percentage of exception cases. Regional variation suggests that PELD has not resulted in standardization of listing practices in pediatric liver transplantation.     

National survey of ethical issues presented to drug information centers

Whether and how drug information centers respond to calls from the public that involve ethical issues was studied. A survey describing six ethical dilemmas typical of those presented by calls from the public was mailed to pharmacists in 154 drug information centers to see how the questions would be handled. Centers that had written policies governing responses to questions with ethical implications were asked to submit those policies. One hundred twenty-six centers (82%) responded to the survey; of these, 81 (64.3%) answered questions from the public. There were no significant differences in characteristics between centers that did and did not respond to public calls. The case analyses, completed only by pharmacists in centers that responded to public calls, covered such issues as invasion of privacy, social responsibility, personal liability, and interference with the patient-physician relationship. Respondents exercised a wide degree of discretion in determining if they would answer a question; for example, while only 4% would not answer a question concerning the efficacy of a weight-loss diet patch, 77% reported they would not respond to a caller asking for information on drugs that could interfere with the results of a polygraph test. Although respondents often cited institutional policy as the reason for failing to respond to a question, none submitted a copy of such a policy. The pharmacists' responses indicated a high degree of moral and social sensitivity; nonetheless, written policies should be developed to assist drug information center staff members in handling questions that have ethical implications.     

Transduodenal Sphincteroplasty and Transampullary Septectomy for Papillary Stenosis

Twenty patients received transduodenal sphincteroplasty and transampullary septectomy between 1987 and 1993. Seven patients had post-cholecystectomy pain which was much improved or abolished in 5 of 7 patients at a mean follow-up of 4 years and 5 months. Four of five patients with chronic pancreatitis were improved at 3 years and 2 months. Three of five patients with recurrent acute pancreatitis were improved at 4 years and 5 months. One of three patients with chronic abdominal pain of hepatobiliary origin was improved at 3 years. Transduodenal sphincteroplasty and transampullary septectomy can relieve pain in patients with post-cholecystectomy pain, recurrent acute pancreatitis, chronic pancreatitis, and chronic abdominal pain of hepatobiliary origin, presumably by improving drainage of the obstructed ducts.