Parental wellbeing after diagnosing a child with biliary atresia: A prospective cohort study

PurposeTo determine anxiety, stress, and quality of life (QoL) in parents of children who are diagnosed with biliary atresia (BA).MethodsParents of BA patients (0–3 years) completed validated questionnaires at three time points: at first hospitalization (T0); 1–2 months post diagnosis (T1); and 2–3 years post diagnosis (T2). Results are presented in medians (min-max).ResultsWe included 52 parents (age 31 [24–51 y], 31 females) of 30 BA patients. In fathers, neither anxiety nor stress levels significantly differed from reference values. Mothers reported significantly higher anxiety levels compared to reference values (T0: 48 vs 35, p = 0.001; T1: 43 vs 35, p = 0.03; T2: 37 vs 35, p = 0.04), which significantly decreased over time (-23% between T0 and T2: p = 0.04). Stress in mothers was significantly higher at T1 than at T2 (+35%, p = 0.02), but was not significantly different from reference values at each time point (T0: 17 vs 14, p = 0.07; T1: 18 vs 14, p = 0.09; T2: 13 vs 14, p = 0.52).The overall QoL in mothers and fathers was rather unaffected.ConclusionsParticularly mothers of infants diagnosed with BA report high anxiety levels up to three years after diagnosis. The overall QoL of parents is rather unaffected after diagnosing BA in their child.Level of EvidenceLevel 2.     

Building a collaboration to improve surgical research through EORTC/ESSO 1409-CLIMB study: A prospective liver metastasis database with an integrated quality assurance program

The challenges of conducting surgical oncology trials have resulted to low quantity and poor quality research [1,2]. Considering the definitive role of surgery to offer cure, immediate response to improve surgical research is needed [3]. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) and the European Society of Surgical Oncology (ESSO) share the vision to achieve excellent surgical research and care for cancer patients. Building on their complimentary expertise, they embarked on a pilot project to map out challenges and initiate a sustainable collaboration to advance cancer surgery research in Europe. This pilot project is EORTC-ESSO 1409 GITCG/ ESSO-01: A Prospective Colorectal Liver Metastasis Database with an Integrated Quality Assurance Program (CLIMB). This article will describe the challenges, milestones and vision of both organizations in setting up this collaboration.     

Trends in revisional bariatric surgery using the MBSAQIP database 2015-2017

BackgroundThe third most common bariatric surgery is revisional bariatric surgery. The American College of Surgeons tracks outcomes using the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation Quality Initiative Program database. We used this database to examine trends in revisional bariatric surgery.ObjectiveTo evaluate how trends in bariatric revisional surgery have changed in recent years.SettingUniversity Hospital, United States.MethodsThe Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation Quality Initiative Program database for 2015 to 2017 was examined for revisions of bariatric surgery. Patients who underwent revisional bariatric surgery were identified by the primary Current Procedural Terminology code, the REVCONV and PREVIOUS_SURGERY field as well as secondary Current Procedural Terminology codes. There is no exact code for sleeve gastrectomy (SG) to laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB), so we used 43644 (GB)+REVCONV+PREVIOUS_SURGERY for this.ResultsFor the years 2015 to 2017 there were 57,683 revisions/conversions of 528,081 patients. The number of revisions increased over the study period by 5213 cases. The most common revision was laparoscopic adjustable gastric band (LAGB) to SG with 15,433 cases and the second was LAGB to LRYGB with 10,485 cases. There were 14,715 LAGB removals. It is more difficult to track SG to LRYGB but there were 8491 unlisted cases, which may have been sleeve to bypass.ConclusionLAGBs are being taken out or converted, and this group makes up the largest portion of revisions and conversions. It is difficult to track SG to LRYGB, but the number of unlisted cases continues to climb. This will likely surpass LAGB conversions with time. The Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation Quality Initiative Program should be modified to capture revisions/conversions of SG.     

Value of Imaging Findings in the Prediction of Microvascular Invasion in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to determine the utility of some imaging findings in predicting microvascular invasion (MVI) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence risk after liver transplantation.MethodThis retrospective study included 123 patients with histopathologically proven HCC at explant. All HCCs were classified as MVI positive (group I) or negative (group II) based on histopathological findings. In each group, multifocality, largest tumor size, bulging (tumor causing liver capsule expansion), beak sign (the acute angle between the tumor and liver parenchyma), and diffusion restriction on diffusion weighted images (DWI) were evaluated. These findings were compared between the groups by Student’s t test. The relation between the parameters and MVI was analyzed by using the Spearman’s correlation test.ResultsOf the total patients, 30.1% had MVI (group I) and 69.9% (group II) did not have MVI. Presence of beak sign (P ≤ .005), bulging sign (P = .002), and diffusion restriction (P = .045) were significantly more frequent in group I than group II. The beak sign, bulging sign, and diffusion restriction were correlated with presence of MVI. Largest tumor size and multifocality were higher in group I than group II, but the differences were not statistically significant.ConclusionRadiologists and transplant surgeons should be aware of some clue imaging findings, especially beak and bulging signs because these findings may predict the presence of MVI in HCC. These patients might benefit from histologic confirmation of the tumor characteristics through biopsy and subsequent bridging treatment options before liver transplantation to reduce the risk of recurrence.     

Appearance of new CDC-reactive antibodies in patients waiting for kidney transplantation

BackgroundPatients awaiting kidney transplantation are regularly screened for HLA-antibodies, but there is scarce data about the optimal interval.MethodsResults from Complement-dependent cytotoxicity testing (CDC) for waitlisted patients were reviewed for increases in panel reactive antibodies (PRA) by at least 10%-points. Clinical records were screened for historic immunizing events and possible trigger factors preceding the PRA-increase. Additionally, non-pretransplanted men tested negative for HLA antibodies by solid-phase assays (SPA) out of their first two samples on the waiting list (“non-immunized men”) were evaluated for detection of HLA antibodies by SPA during their further stay on the waiting list.Results15,360 samples from 1928 patients tested by CDC were analyzed for changes in PRA. PRA-increases occurred most frequently in patients waitlisted recently for retransplantation (annual incidence 6%). Removal of previous transplants, severe infections and/or reduced immunosuppression triggered 65% of PRA-increases during the first year after waitlisting. Transfusions accounted for 55% of PRA-increases in later years. Leucocyte-reduced red blood cell units not only boosted historic antibodies, but even induced primary immunization. In the second part of the study, 6780 samples tested by SPA from 703 non-immunized men were evaluated for development of HLA-antibodies. Only 9 men (1.3%) turned HLA antibody-positive (annual incidence 0.4%).ConclusionA uniform screening interval does not fit all: Frequencies should be highest in patients newly waitlisted for re-transplant and lowest in non-immunized men. Transfused patients should be monitored closely for development of HLA-antibodies even if leukoreduced products are used.     

肝移植术后糖尿病危险因素分析

目的 探讨肝移植术后糖尿病（PTDM）的发生及发展的危险因素。方法 回顾性分析98例肝移植受者的临床资料。根据其肝移植术后是否发生糖尿病，分为糖尿病组（36例）和非糖尿病组（62例）。以术前和术后可能的9个危险因素作为分析指标，进行这些指标的单因素分析和χ^2检验。结果 在对两组患者的年龄、乙型肝炎病毒（HBV）感染情况、有无肝硬化及肝硬化的程度、术前糖耐量情况、免疫抑制剂的选择及其血药浓度、激素的使用时间的比较分析中发现：术前肝硬化患者PTDM的发生率明显高于无肝硬化者；肝硬化失代偿期患者PTDM的发生率高于代偿期。术前糖耐量异常的患者PTDM的发生率明显高于糖耐量正常者。激素半年内撤离的患者PTDM的发生率明显低于半年内未撤离者。而两组患者的年龄、HBV的感染情况、免疫抑制剂的选择及其血药浓度相比较，差异均无统计学差异。结论 肝硬化、尤其是肝硬化失代偿期，糖耐量异常，长期使用激素是PTDM发生的危险因素。