Predictors of Early Complications of Total Shoulder Arthroplasty

The authors hypothesized that age, body mass index (BMI), and medical comorbidities (graded with the Charleson Comorbidiy index [CCI]) could be used to predict early complications after TSA. The authors performed a retrospective review of primary TSAs with a minimum of 90-day follow-up. One hundred twenty-seven patients met the inclusion criteria. Complications occurred in 12 (9.4%) of patients. Major complications occurred in 1 patient (0.8%), medical in 8 (6.3%), and surgical in 4 (3.1%). CCI significantly correlated with complication rates and multivariate regression analysis demonstrated CCI to be the only significant determinant of overall complication rates (P = 0.005) and medical complication rates (P = 0.015). While BMI subgroup did not affect complication rates, transfusion rates, intra-operative blood loss, or operative time, our study may have been underpowered for this variable.     

A randomized feasibility trial of clonidine to reduce perioperative cardiac risk in patients on chronic beta-blockade: the EPIC study

Purpose

Clonidine may help prevent cardiac complications in patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery and receiving chronic beta-blocker therapy. We conducted a multicentre pilot randomized trial to estimate recruitment rates for a full-scale trial and to assess the safety and tolerability of combining clonidine with chronic beta-blockade.

Methods

Patients who were at elevated perioperative cardiac risk, receiving chronic beta-blockade, and scheduled for major non-cardiac surgery were recruited in a blinded (participants, clinicians, outcome assessors) placebo-controlled randomized trial at three Canadian hospitals. Participants were randomized to clonidine (0.2 mg oral tablet one hour before surgery, plus 0.2 mg·day^?1 transdermal patch placed one hour before surgery and removed four days after surgery or hospital discharge, whichever came first) or matching placebo. Feasibility was evaluated based on recruitment rates, with each centre being required to recruit 50 participants within 12-18 months. Additionally, we reviewed study drug withdrawals and safety outcomes, including clinically significant hypotension or bradycardia.

Results

Eighty-two of the 168 participants were randomized to receive clonidine and 86 to receive placebo. The average time to recruit 50 participants at each centre was 14.3 months. Six patients (7%) withdrew from clonidine, while four (5%) withdrew from placebo. Based on qualitative review, there were no major safety concerns related to clonidine. There was a moderate overall rate of cardiac morbidity, with 18 participants (11%) suffering postoperative myocardial infarction.

Conclusion

This pilot randomized trial confirmed the feasibility, safety, and tolerability of a full-scale trial of oral and transdermal clonidine for reducing the risk of cardiac complications during non-cardiac surgery. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov: NCT00335582.     

The Impact of Body Mass Index on Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) and Complications Following Primary Hip Arthroplasty

Influence of BMI upon patient outcomes and complications following THA was examined across a national cohort of patients. Outcomes were compared by BMI groups (19.0–29.9 kg/m² [reference], 30.0–34.9 kg/m² [obese class I], 35.0 kg/m²+ [obese class II/III]), adjusted for case-mix differences. Obese class I patients had a significantly smaller improvement in OHS (18.9 versus 20.5, P < 0.001) and a greater risk of wound complications (odds ratio [OR] = 1.57, P = 0.006). For obese class II/III patients, there were significantly smaller improvements in OHS and EQ-5D index (P < 0.001), and greater risk of wound complications (P = 0.006), readmission (P = 0.001) and reoperation (P = 0.003). Large improvements in patient outcomes were seen irrespective of BMI, although improvements were marginally smaller and complication rates higher in obese patients.     

Abdominal muscle function and incisional hernia: a systematic review

Purpose

Although ventral incisional hernia (VIH) repair in patients is often evaluated in terms of hernia recurrence rate and health-related quality of life, there is no clear consensus regarding optimal operative treatment based on these parameters. It was proposed that health-related quality of life depends largely on abdominal muscle function (AMF), and the present review thus evaluates to what extent AMF is influenced by VIH and surgical repair.

Methods

The PubMed and EMBASE databases were searched for articles following a systematic strategy for inclusion.

Results

A total of seven studies described AMF in relation to VIH. Five studies examined AMF using objective isokinetic dynamometers to determine muscle strength, and two studies examined AMF by clinical examination-based muscle tests.

Conclusion

Both equipment-related and functional muscle tests exist for use in patients with VIH, but very few studies have evaluated AMF in VIH. There are no randomized controlled studies to describe the impact of VIH repair on AMF, and no optimal surgical treatment in relation to AMF after VIH repair can be advocated for at this time.     

Congenital massive hiatus hernia type IV; initial experience with laparoscopic repair in young infant

Congenital massive hiatus hernia (CMHH) is an uncommon disorder during childhood. It can be associated with grave complications especially if presented in the highest grade; type IV, when the hernia contains other intra-peritoneal organ beside the stomach through a large hiatus defect. The insidious form of clinical presentation can be deceptive in diagnosis and may mimic congenital diaphragmatic hernia or other chest pathologies. The basic principle of surgical repair is to reduce the herniated organs, excise the hernia sac, and repair the crural defect and to add anti-reflux procedure with or without gastropexy. Traditionally, this has been done by open approach. Nowadays, the minimally invasive approach is the preferred method of treatment. A sixteen-month-old boy with history of recurrent respiratory symptoms was diagnosed with CMHH type IV for which laparoscopic repair was performed. Few reports in using minimally invasive technique in the management of CMHH in the pediatric age group are present in the literature, to the best of our knowledge type IV had never been described in young infants. We present a new case repaired by laparoscope in a young infant with CMHH type IV from the Middle East.     

Comparison of various surgical approaches for extensive bilateral colorectal liver metastases

Purpose

Tailored operative strategies have been proposed for patients with bilobar colorectal liver metastases (CLM). The aim of the study was to evaluate the long-term outcome, safety and efficacy, including cancer-specific survival, morbidity, and mortality, of three different surgical strategies for extensive bilateral CLM.

Methods

This is a retrospective study of a prospective database of 356 consecutive patients, who underwent hepatic resection due to CLM between January 2003 and January 2009. Fifty-nine patients underwent three different therapeutic approaches: 22 patients with portal vein embolization (PVE) + staged resections, 11 patients with staged resections solely, and 26 patients with an extensive liver resection and simultaneous or subsequent radiofrequency ablation (RFA).

Results

The three groups were comparable regarding their general patient characteristics. The overall morbidity and mortality rates were 27.1 and 1.7 %, respectively. There were no significant differences in morbidity, mortality, or survival between the three groups. The median survival of all patients was 48 months, with a recurrence-free survival of 30 months.

Conclusions

The clearance of bilobar CLM can be achieved by various strategies, all of them providing an acceptable mortality rate and survival for the patients. Therefore, patients with bilobar liver metastases should receive a procedure tailored for their individual extent of disease.