Impact of Anesthesiologist Experience on Early Outcomes in Adult Orthotopic Liver Transplantation

BackgroundLiver transplantation is a complex surgical procedure. The experience of the anesthesiologist, and its potential relationship to patient morbidity and mortality, is yet to be determined. We sought to explore this possible association using our institutional training patterns as the subject of study.MethodsThis is a single center retrospective analysis investigating the association of an anesthesiologist's experience with liver transplantation and its potential effect on early patient outcomes in adult liver transplant recipients from January 2010 to September 2016. Training of team members consisted of a 6-month period of clinical shadowing with a senior anesthesiologist and co-staffing 8 liver transplant procedures before solo staffing a liver transplant. Specifically, patient outcomes for the first 5 transplants after this training were investigated.ResultsThe only independent risk factor for early death or early graft loss was the amount of packed red blood cells administered during transplantation. With respect to secondary outcomes, the amount of packed red blood cells and hospitalization at the time of transplant were associated with the number of days on a ventilator, length of intensive care unit stay, and overall hospital length of stay.ConclusionsThe results of this study conclude that the training model currently in place for our new team members has no negative impact on patient outcomes after liver transplantation.     

Short-term multiorgan metabolic benefits of rapid weight loss after sleeve gastrectomy in severely obese patients

BackgroundSleeve gastrectomy (SG) has become the most prevalent bariatric-metabolic surgical approach in the United States. Its popularity among surgeons and patients is mainly due to a better safety profile and less overall morbidity, with broad benefits from a systemic and metabolic perspective.ObjectiveComprehensively describe the short-term multiorgan metabolic effects of rapid weight loss after SG.SettingAcademic hospital, United States.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed the charts of patients that underwent SG at our institution between 2012 and 2016. We analyzed the required variables to calculate multiple risk scores, such as cardiovascular, hypertension, and diabetes risk scores. Furthermore, the renal and hepatic functions and the metabolic and hematologic profiles were assessed at 12 months of follow-up.ResultsA total of 1002 patients were included in the analysis. The percentage of excess body mass index loss was, on average, 65% at 12 months of follow-up. We observed a positive cardio-renal-hepatic improvement, demonstrated by a substantial reduction of the 10-year cardiovascular risk. We noticed an improvement of renal function, which was more significant in chronic kidney disease (stage ≥2), and a significant improvement on liver function tests (measured by decreased aspartate aminotransferase and alanine transaminase) at 12 months of follow-up. Our data also show a positive impact on decreasing the risk of developing hypertension and type 2 diabetes. There was a positive impact on the lipid profile, with the exception of low-density lipoprotein.ConclusionThere are significant short-term benefits on multiorgan metabolic parameters after rapid weight loss in severely obese patients undergoing sleeve gastrectomy.     

Predictors of clinical outcomes after non-operative management of symptomatic full-thickness rotator cuff tears

BACKGROUNDPrevious studies have shown that non-surgical management can be an effective treatment strategy for many patients with rotator cuff tears. Despite the prevalence of rotator cuff disease, few studies have examined the patient and tear related factors that predict outcomes of nonsurgical management in this cohort of patients.AIMTo identify factors that are associated with changes in patient reported outcomes over time in individuals with full-thickness rotator cuff tears treated without surgery. METHODSA cohort of 59 patients who underwent non-surgical management of full thickness rotator cuff tears with a minimum of 1-year follow-up were identified from our institutional registry. Patient demographics, comorbidities and tear characteristics were collected at initial presentation. Outcome measures were collected at baseline and at each clinical follow-up, which included Western Ontario Rotator Cuff (WORC) index, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score, Visual Analog Scale for pain and Single Assessment Numerical Evaluation. Multi- and univariate regression analyses were used to determine the impact of each patient and tear related variable on final WORC scores and change in WORC scores throughout the study. RESULTSIn this non-surgical cohort, all patient-reported outcome measures significantly improved compared to baseline at 1 and 2-year follow-up. There was no significant difference in outcomes between 1 and 2 years. The average improvement surpassed the published minimal clinically important differences values for WORC, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons, Visual Analog Scale pain and Single Assessment Numerical Evaluation scores. Regression analysis identified female gender (β = - 19.88, P = 0.003), smoking (β = -29.98, P = 0.014) and significant subscapularis fatty infiltration (β = -15.35, P = 0.024) as predictors of less favorable WORC scores at 1 year, and female gender (β = -19.09, P = 0.015) alone as a predictor of lower WORC scores at 2 years. Patients with symptom duration greater than 1 year at presentation reported less improvement in WORC scores at 1-year follow-up (β = -14.63, P = 0.052) and patients with traumatic tears reported greater improvements in WORC scores at 2-year follow-up (β = 17.37, P = 0.031). CONCLUSIONPatients with full thickness rotator cuff tears can achieve and maintain clinically meaningful benefit from non-surgical management through 2-year follow-up. Female patients, smokers, and those with significant subscapularis fatty infiltration tend to have lower overall WORC scores at 1-year follow-up, and females also have lower WORC scores at 2-year follow-up. Patients presenting with symptoms greater than 1 year had less clinical improvement at 1-year follow-up, and those with traumatic tears had greater clinical improvement at 2-year follow-up.     

Specific cerebellar reductions in children with chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome

Children with chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome commonly are found to have morphological brain changes, cognitive impairments, and elevated rates of psychopathology. One of the most commonly and consistently reported brain changes is reduced cerebellar volume. Here, we demonstrate that, in addition to the global cerebellum reductions previously reported, volumetric reductions of the anterior lobule and the vermal region of the neo-cerebellum in the mid-sagittal plane best differentiate children with the deletion from typically developing children. These results suggest that the morphological changes of specific portions of the cerebellum may be an important underlying substrate of cognitive impairments and increased incidence of psychopathology in this group.     

Analysis of odontoblast gene expression using a novel approach,laser capture microdissection

Studying the mechanisms of molecular interactions in developing tissues demands sensitive molecular biological in vivo and in vitro techniques. Laser capture microdissection (LCM) allows for the isolation of mRNA in histological sections even from single cells, thus enabling the identification of in vivo gene expression products in closely circumscribed tissue areas. The aims of this study were to assess the optimal fixation, processing, and staining conditions to retrieve RNA from microdissected odontoblasts. Fluorometric assays and RT-PCR analysis of alpha 1(I) collagen, dentin sialophosphoprotein (Dspp), and osteocalcin (OC) confirmed that the total RNA isolated from day 0 and day 3 captured odontoblasts was sufficient in quantity and quality. Our results indicate that individual odontoblasts obtained by LCM are morphologically intact and chemically unaltered, allowing accurate molecular and biochemical analyses.     

Alpha1-adrenoceptor-mediated inhibition of cellular cAMP accumulation in neonatal rat ventricular myocytes

Summary We studied adrenergic regulation of cellular cAMP in neonatal rat ventricular myocytes. Since CAMP content depends on synthesis, breakdown and egress, the contribution of each of these mechanisms was assessed. In the presence of the phosphodiesterase inhibitor 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine, cAMP accumulation stimulated by the -adrenoceptor agonist (–)-isoprenaline was diminished when the mixed + adrenoceptor agonist (–)-noradrenaline was coincubated with (–)-isoprenaline. Moreover, adenylyl cyclase activation stimulated by (–)-isoprenaline was decreased by (–)-noradrenaline and by the selective a₁-adrenoceptor agonists (–)-phenylephrine and methoxamine, suggesting that -adrenoceptor agonism regulates CAMP metabolism through its effect on the synthetic pathway. Evidence for ₁-adrenoceptor mediation of this response was enhancement of (–)-noradrenaline-induced cAMP generation by the selective ₁-adrenoceptor antagonist terazosin (10 nmol/l). The selective ₂-adrenoceptor antagonist yohimbine (10 nmol/l) had no effect. The ₁-adrenoceptor mediated depression of (–)-isoprenaline-stimulated CAMP generation and adenylyl cyclase activation was prevented by terazosin and in separate experiments markedly enhanced by pertussis toxin pretreatment, suggesting involvement of a guanine-nucleotide regulatory protein in this process.Occupation of the ₁-adrenoceptor by (–)-noradrenaline did not accelerate the rate of CAMP breakdown in the absence of phosphodiesterase inhibition. Furthermore, there was no enhancement of total phosphodiesterase activity by (–)-noradrenaline in the presence of (–)-propranolol. By contrast, pertussis toxin pretreatment augmented phosphodiesterase activity. Neither pertussis toxin nor (–)-noradrenaline increased CAMP egress.We conclude that in rat neonatal cardiac myocytes agonist occupation of the ₁-adrenoceptor inhibits -adrenoceptor stimulated CAMP accumulation most likely by coupling to a guanine nucleotide inhibitory protein.Supported by a grant from the Department of the Veterans Affairs Research Service and Program Project Grant HL 25847 from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute