Timing of Readmissions After Elective Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty: Does a 30-Day All-Cause Rate Capture Surgically Relevant Readmissions?

BackgroundThe 30-day all-cause readmission rate is a widely used metric of hospital performance. However, there is lack of clarity as to whether 30 days is an appropriate time frame following surgical procedures. Our aim is to determine whether a 90-day time window is superior to a 30-day time window in capturing surgically relevant readmissions after total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA).MethodsWe analyzed readmissions following all primary THAs and TKAs recorded in the English National Health Service Hospital Episode Statistics database from 2008 to 2018. We compared temporal patterns of 30- and 90-day readmission rates for the following types of readmission: all-cause, surgical, return to theater, and those related to specific surgical complications.ResultsA total of 1.47 million procedures were recorded. After THA and TKA, over three-quarters of 90-day surgical readmissions took place within the first 30 days (78.5% and 75.7%, respectively). All-cause and surgical readmissions both peaked at day 4 and followed a similar temporal course thereafter. The ratio of surgical to medical readmissions was greater for THA than for TKA, with THA dislocation both being one of the most common surgical complications and clustering early after discharge, with 73.5% of 90-day dislocations occurring within the first 30 days.ConclusionThe 30-day all-cause readmission rate is a good reflection of surgically relevant readmissions that take place in the first 90 days after THA and TKA.     

Local anesthesia in reduction mastoplasty for out-patient surgery

To perform a breast reduction under local anesthesia we need a large amount of anesthetic with lasting effects. For this I use a solution of 25 cc of lidocaine, 25 cc of bupivacaine, and 1 cc of epinephrine in 350 cc of saline solution. The bupivacaine allows a 4–6-hour operation. Once the breast is infiltrated, a great amount of anesthetic is lost in the incision, in the dissection, and in the resected tissue. Thus, a low dose remains subcutaneously to be metabolized by the liver. The serum lidocaine levels are low during these operations, as demonstrated by fluorescence polarization immunoassay. Under analgesic sedation the submammary sulcus and the retroglandular space are infiltrated, blocking the perforants of the intercostal nerves, under the areola, beneath the skin where the incision is made and where the aerola is placed. This procedure has been applied to many techniques of breast reduction by modifying the infiltration under the incision lines. For hypertrophy up to 1000 g, 200–300 cc of anesthetic solution is used for both breasts at one stage, while for gigantomastia, about 400 cc of anesthetic is used, infiltrating and reducing one after the other. As the blood loss is minimal and the recovery very fast, with an appropriate adhesive bandage and a soutien, the patient could be discharged in the afternoon. Our experience includes 94 reduction mastoplasties with local anesthesia, and also 74 other mastoplasties with equally good results. There were no patient complaints and, in general, they felt very comfortable, awakening without pain or side effects.     

A New Personal Surgical Procedure for Breast Reduction and Lifting

A series of 40 patients operated from 1995 through 1997 is reviewed. The women ranged in age from 18 to 40 and were seen in either a university- or a private-hospital setting. Thirty-eight of the patients underwent reduction mammaplasty, which was performed using an inferior pedicle technique with a straight-line incision; two patients underwent mastopexy only. The reduction procedure depends on the formation of a cap from medial, lateral, and superior flaps. Following resection of breast tissue the cap is joined to a cone—the nipple–areola complex carried on a subcutaneous inferior pedicle. The cone is fixed to the chest wall with simple vertical stitches, minimizing the recurrence of ptosis. This technique is safe and versatile, avoids a submammary scar, and offers an aesthetic and long-lasting result.     

Human resources and access to maternal health care.

The lack of human resources is one of the main bottlenecks to achieving the Millennium Development Goals on maternal and child health. A coherent national policy, recognized across government, needs to be in place to overcome this especially in countries severely affected by HIV/AIDS. Such a policy should cover selection of pre-service students, the qualifications of trainers and training sites, supportive supervision, career path development, a package of carefully thought-out incentives for the retention of staff, strategies for interaction with communities, and an agreed-upon health staff HIV/AIDS policy. Without such coherent human resource planning, a large number of countries will fail to reduce maternal and newborn mortality.     

Bioactive fatty acids and compounds from Spirulina (Arthrospira) platensis: Potential as biostimulants for plant growth

This study investigated the application of biologically active compounds from algae obtained by supercritical carbon dioxide extraction (SC–CO₂) as plant growth biostimulants. This study investigated, extracts from the Spirulina (Arthrospira) platensis. Plant tests confirmed the beneficial effect of the formulation containing SC-CO₂ extract of S. platensis and micronutrients on the initial phase of wheat growth (germination tests) and wheat and rapeseed yield (field tests). No phytotoxicity was observed with the treatments. The highest number of siliques was obtained for the formulation containing SC-CO₂ extract of S. platensis and amino acids. Mycological studies demonstrated the efficacy of the SC-CO₂ extract of S. platensis against six of the nine fungal pathogen strains tested. It was confirmed that the formulation containing SC-CO₂ extract of S. platensis effectively reduced the development of the pathogen and had beneficial effects on the initial growth phase of wheat (germination tests) and the yield of wheat and rapeseed (field tests). Using of algae and fatty acids from their extraction as biostimulants offers the possibility of reducing fertilizer doses – it is a promising tool to enhance plant production in the global climate crisis.     

Current aspects of therapeutic reduction mammaplasty for immediate early breast cancer management: An update

Breast-conservation surgery (BCS) is established as a safe surgical treatment for most patients with early breast cancer. Recently, advances in oncoplastic techniques are capable of preserving the breast form and quality of life. Although most BCS defects can be managed with primary closure, the aesthetic outcome may be unpredictable. Among technical options, therapeutic reduction mammaplasty (TRM) remains a useful procedure since the BCS defect can be repaired and the preoperative appearance can be improved, resulting in more proportional breasts. As a consequence of rich breast tissue vascularization, the greater part of reduction techniques have based their planning on preserving the pedicle of the nipple-areola complex after tumor removal. Reliable circulation and improvement of a conical shape to the breast are commonly described in TRM reconstructions. With an immediate approach, the surgical process is smooth since both procedures can be carried out in one operative setting. Additionally, it permits wider excision of the tumor, with a superior mean volume of the specimen and potentially reduces the incidence of margin involvement. Regardless of the fact that there is no consensus concerning the best TRM technique, the criteria is determined by the surgeon’s experience, the extent/location of glandular tissue resection and the size of the defect in relation to the size of the remaining breast. The main advantages of the technique utilized should include reproducibility, low interference with the oncological treatment and long-term results. The success of the procedure depends on patient selection, coordinated planning and careful intra-operative management.     

Measures of initiation and progression to increased smoking among current menthol compared to non-menthol cigarette smokers based on data from four U.S. government surveys

There are no large-scale, carefully designed cohort studies that provide evidence on whether menthol cigarette use is associated with a differential risk of initiating and/or progressing to increased smoking. However, questions of whether current menthol cigarette smokers initiated smoking at a younger age or are more likely to have transitioned from non-daily to daily cigarette use compared to non-menthol smokers can be addressed using cross-sectional data from U.S. government surveys. Analyses of nationally representative samples of adult and youth smokers indicate that current menthol cigarette use is not associated with an earlier age of having initiated smoking or greater likelihood of being a daily versus non-daily smoker. Some surveys likewise provide information on cigarette type preference (menthol versus non-menthol) among youth at different stages or trajectories of smoking, based on number of days smoked during the past month and/or cigarettes smoked per day. Prevalence of menthol cigarette use does not appear to differ among new, less experienced youth smokers compared to established youth smokers. While there are limitations with regard to inferences that can be drawn from cross-sectional analyses, these data do not suggest any adverse effects for menthol cigarettes on measures of initiation and progression to increased smoking.     

The management of incidental findings of reduction mammoplasty specimens

Reduction mammoplasty is one of the most commonly performed procedures in plastic surgery. Occasionally, there are findings reported by pathologists that are unfamiliar to the treating surgeon. The aim of the present study was to determine the types of pathologies encountered in reduction mammoplasty specimens. From this list of diagnoses, a best practice guideline for management will be organized to better assist plastic surgeons in the management of patients with incidental findings on pathology reports. A total of 441 pathology reports from patients who underwent bilateral or unilateral reduction mammoplasty in the past three years were identified. A list of 21 different pathologies was generated from the pathology reports, along with supplemental data from recent texts and articles. Occult carcinomas were encountered in two cases (0.45%) and high-risk lesions were found in three cases (0.68%) at the authors’ institution. An algorithm was then constructed to organize the pathologies according to risk of malignancy and assign them to a management guideline. There are many different lesions encountered incidentally in reduction mammoplasty specimens that may or may not confer some cancer risk. It is important for plastic surgeons to know which lesions need closer follow-up to provide the best care for their patients.     

Gravity assisted reduction of ankle (GARA) fractures: Results of a novel technique for relocating displaced ankle fractures in the emergency setting in comparison to traditional manipulation and reduction (TMR) technique

BackgroundAnkle fracture displacements cause significant discomfort to the patient and can compromise soft tissues including the neurovascular structures. Prompt reduction and plaster splint application are vital in the early management of these potentially limb-threatening conditions. The process can be distressing for the patient often requiring additional personnel or equipment. We have used a novel technique of Gravity Assisted Reduction of Ankle (GARA) fractures and compared the results with the Traditional Manipulation and Reduction (TMR) technique.Material and methodsWith adequate analgesia, the patient turns to lay either in lateral or prone position depending on fracture pattern, thus permitting gravity to gradually aid in reduction and hold the fracture in place while Plaster Of Paris (POP) is applied. We performed a retrospective comparative study of GARA vs TMR using validated radiological parameters to assess the quality of reduction with both techniques.Results21 patients had GARA technique, in comparison with 19 patients in TMR group. All measured radiological parameters showed similar improvement in both the groups, despite the fact that the pronation-external rotation injury pattern was more often seen in the GARA group. Intravenous sedation and monitoring were needed in 10 patients of TMR group, none in GARA group. On an average 4 personnel needed for TMR, but only 2 personnel needed for GARA technique.ConclusionGravity assisted ankle fracture reduction is a simple, effective and reproducible alternative technique to TMR, with no need of intravenous sedation along with fewer people needed to perform the procedure.Level of evidence3b