Venous thromboembolism after radical prostatectomy: the effect of surgical caseload

Study Type – Therapy (case series) Level of Evidence 4 What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? Several risk factors increase VTE after RP: advanced age, comorbidities such as cardiopulmonary disease, rheumatologic diseases, prior history of VTE, more advanced prostate cancer, and simultaneous pelvic lymph node dissection. To date, the effect of annual surgical caseload (ASC), an established determinant of various RP outcomes, has not been tested. A previous study showed in adjusted analyses that patients operated for colorectal cancer by very high ASC surgeons were 60% less likely to suffer a VTE than those operated by low ASC surgeons. Moreover, some authors hypothesized that laparoscopy may contribute to a higher risk of VTE, due to peritoneal insufflation, reverse Trendelenburg position and prolonged operative time. The VTE rates reported in the current population‐based study closely reflect those reported in institutional series. Moreover, we validated the practice‐makes‐perfect concept, since ASC was linked to VTE. We could not detect statistically significantly differences between minimally invasive radical prostatectomy (MIRP) patients and others. Our results indicate that lower rates of VTE should be expected in patients treated by high ASC surgeons. Our findings suggest that VTE‐specific processes of care need to be improved, with the intent of reaching the level recorded in patients treated by high ASC surgeons. Finally, MIRP seems to be no risk factor for VTE.

OBJECTIVE

• ? To examine the effect of annual surgical caseload (ASC) on the likelihood of venous thromboembolism (VTE) after radical prostatectomy (RP).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

• ? Between 1999 and 2008, 36 699 RPs were performed in the state of Florida. Logistic regression models predicting the likelihood of VTE were fitted.
• ? Covariates included year of surgery, age, race, baseline Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), lymph node dissection, ASC and surgical approach.

RESULTS

• ? The overall VTE rate was 0.3%. It was higher in patients operated within the low (0.4%) and intermediate (0.3%) ASC tertile than in those operated within the high‐ASC tertile (0.1%, P < 0.001).
• ? Mortality rate was 6.0% in patients with VTE vs 0.1% in others (P < 0.001). Median length of stay and median total hospital charges were 9 vs 3 days (P < 0.001) and $51 571 vs $24 943 (P < 0.001) in patients with VTE vs others, respectively.
• ? In multivariable analyses predicting VTE, patients operated on by low‐ASC surgeons were at higher risk of VTE than those operated on by high‐ASC surgeons (odds ratio [OR]= 3.78, P < 0.001). Additionally, black patients were more likely to experience a VTE (OR = 1.80, P= 0.023). Patients with CCI ≥ 1 were also more likely to experience a VTE than others (OR = 1.65, P= 0.016). Conversely, patients who had undergone minimally invasive radical prostatectomy were not more likely to experience a VTE than those who had undergone open RP (OR = 1.97, P= 0.086).

CONCLUSIONS

• ? RP by high‐ASC surgeons exerts a protective effect on the likelihood of VTE.
• ? Additionally, VTE is associated with higher mortality, prolonged length of stay and increased hospital charges.

     

Role of Breast Surgery in BRCA Mutation Carriers

BRCA mutation carriers have a life-long breast cancer risk between 55 and 85% and a high risk of developing breast cancer at a very young age, depending on the type of mutation. The risk of developing contralateral breast cancer after a first breast cancer is elevated up to 65%, especially in case of BRCA1 mutation and young age at the first breast cancer. Since bilateral prophylactic mastectomy is associated with a risk reduction of 90–95% of developing primary or contralateral breast cancer, this option is a key point within the counseling process for patient information and shared decision-making of mutation carriers. Although the local control after breast-conserving therapy in mutation carriers seems to be comparable to that of sporadic breast cancer patients, individual patient information and counseling should include all alternative procedures of oncologically adequate mastectomy techniques and immediate reconstruction. Excellent cosmetic results, high levels of life quality, and good patient acceptance can be achieved with the recent developments in reconstructive surgery of the breast.     

Adrenal Epithelioid Angiosarcoma Metastatic to the Epicardium: Diagnosis by 18F-FDG PET/CT

ABSTRACT: We report a rare case of adrenal epithelioid angiosarcoma metasta-tic to the epicardium diagnosed by F-FDG PET/CT. A 61-year-old man presented with fatigue, unintentional weight loss, night sweats, and elevated inflammatory markers. FDG PET/CT demonstrated intense uptake in a space-occupying lesion in the right adrenal gland and increased uptake in a lesion adjacent to the heart. Histopathologic evaluation revealed an epithelioid angiosarcoma of the right adrenal gland metastatic to the epicardium. FDG PET/CT is a valuable tool for characterization and making the therapeutic decision concerning indeterminate or suspicious adrenal tumors.     

Prevalence and determinants of chronic kidney disease in community-dwelling elderly by various estimating equations

ABSTRACT: Background Chronic kidney disease (CKD) represents a global public health problem. Few data exist in the elderly. The objective of the current study is to estimate the prevalence of CKD by means of various established and new equations and to identify the main determinants of CKD in elderly. Methods The ActiFE Ulm (Activity and Function in the Elderly in Ulm) study is a population-based cohort study in people of 65 years and older. Kidney function was assessed by means of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) based on two Creatinin- (Cr-; MDRD, CKD-EPI) and one Cystatin C - (CysC-) based method. The relationship between various potential risk factors and CKD was quantified using unconditional logistic regression. Results A total of 1471 subjects were in the final analysis (mean age 75.6 years, SD 6.56). Overall, prevalence of CKD (eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73m2) was 34.3% by MDRD, 33.0% by CKD-EPI, and 14.6% by the CysC-based eGFR. All eGFRs showed statistically significant correlations with C-reactive protein, uric acid, as well as with lipid values. In multivariable analysis age was clearly related to prevalence of CKD and the risks were highest with the CysC-based equation. Females had a higher risk for CKD stages 3-5 with MDRD (OR 1.63; 95% CI: 1.23-2.16) whereas the OR was 1.23 (95% CI 0.92-1.65) with the CKD-Epi and OR= 0.89 (95% CI 0.58-1.34) with the CysC-based equation after multivariable adjustment. Although the cystatin C based definition of CKD resulted in a lower prevalence compared to the creatinine based ones, other measures of renal damage such as albuminuria were more prevalent in those defined by CysC-eGFR. Conclusions Prevalence of CKD is very variable based on the used estimating equation. More work is needed to evaluate the various estimating equations especially in elderly before we are able to assess the practical consequences of the observed differences.     

The Association between Parental Perception of Neighborhood Safety and Asthma Diagnosis in Ethnic Minority Urban Children

Low-income populations, minorities, and children living in inner cities have high rates of asthma. Recent studies have emphasized the role of psychosocial stress in development of asthma. Residence in unsafe neighborhoods is one potential source of increased stress. The study objective was to examine the association between parental perception of neighborhood safety and asthma diagnosis among inner city, minority children. Cross-sectional data from a community-based study of 6–8-year-old New York City children were used. Asthma was defined as parental report of physician-diagnosed asthma and at least one asthma-related symptom. Parental perceptions of neighborhood safety were assessed with a questionnaire. Associations between perceived neighborhood safety and asthma were examined using chi-squared tests. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were then performed. Five hundred four children were included with 79% female, 26.5% non-Hispanic Black, and 73.5% Hispanic. Asthma was present in 23.8% of children. There was an inverse association between feeling safe walking in the neighborhood and asthma with 45.7% of parents of asthmatic children reporting they felt safe compared to 60.9% of parents of non-asthmatic children (p = 0.006). Fewer parents of asthmatic children than of non-asthmatic children reported that their neighborhood was safe from crime (21.7% versus 33.9%, p = 0.018). In multivariate analyses adjusting for race/ethnicity, age, gender, socioeconomic status, number of smokers in the home and breastfeeding history, parents reporting feeling unsafe walking in the neighborhood were more likely to have a child diagnosed with asthma (OR = 1.89, 95%CI 1.13–3.14). Psychosocial stressors such as living in unsafe neighborhoods may be associated with asthma diagnosis in urban ethnic minority children. Addressing the increased asthma burden in certain communities may require interventions to decrease urban stressors.