Frailty In Patients Undergoing Vascular Surgery: A Narrative Review Of Current Evidence.

Frailty is presumably associated with an elevated risk of postoperative mortality and adverse outcome in vascular surgery patients. The aim of our review was to identify possible methods for risk assessment and prehabilitation in order to improve recovery and postoperative outcome. The literature search was performed via PubMed, Embase, OvidSP, and the Cochrane Library. We collected papers published in peer-reviewed journals between 2001 and 2018. The selection criterion was the relationship between vascular surgery, frailty and postoperative outcome or mortality. A total number of 52 publications were included. Frailty increases the risk of non-home discharge independently of presence or absence of postoperative complications and it is related to a higher 30-day mortality and major morbidity. The modified Frailty Index showed significant association with elevated risk for post-interventional stroke, myocardial infarction, prolonged in-hospital stays and higher readmission rates. When adjusted for comorbidity and surgery type, frailty seems to impact medium-term survival (within 2 years). Preoperative physical exercising, avoidance of hypalbuminemia, psychological and cognitive training, maintenance of muscle strength, adequate perioperative nutrition, and management of smoking behaviours are leading to a reduced length of stay and a decreased incidence of readmission rate, thus improving the effectiveness of early rehabilitation. Pre-frailty is a dynamically changing state of the patient, capable of deteriorating or improving over time. With goal-directed preoperative interventions, the decline can be prevented.

The Impact of l-Thyroxine Treatment of Donors and Recipients on Postoperative Outcomes After Heart Transplantation.

OBJECTIVE: The effect of thyroid dysfunction on adverse outcomes has been studied in many different patient populations. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of thyroid hormone supplementation of donors and recipients on postoperative outcomes after orthotopic heart transplantation. DESIGN: Retrospective. SETTING: Single center, university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Two-hundred and sixty-six consecutive patients undergoing heart transplantation. INTERVENTIONS: No interventions. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Demographic, hemodynamic, and clinical characteristics; donor and recipient United Network for Organ Sharing scores; and information on thyroid hormone support of donors and recipients were recorded. During the median follow-up of 4.59 years (interquartile range 4.26-4.92 y), 70 patients (26.3%) died. After adjustments were made for the United Network for Organ Sharing score, recipients who were treated preoperatively with l-thyroxine had a lower risk for all-cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0.24, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.06-0.98; p = 0.047) compared with recipients who were not treated with l-thyroxine. In addition, l-thyroxine treatment of donors was associated with a better recipient survival (HR 0.31, 95% CI 0.11-0.87; p = 0.025). CONCLUSIONS: Pretransplantation thyroid hormone supplementation of donors and recipients was associated with improved long-term survival after heart transplantation.

Higher Transaminase Levels in the Postoperative Period After Orthotopic Heart Transplantation Are Associated With Worse Survival.

OBJECTIVE: Preoperative liver function in heart failure patients is associated with extensive functional, structural, and hemodynamic abnormalities. The authors hypothesized that perioperative liver dysfunction is associated with worse 2-year survival after orthotopic heart transplantation. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: Single-center, university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: The study comprised 209 consecutive patients undergoing heart transplantation. INTERVENTIONS: No interventions. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Hepatobiliary markers, hemodynamic parameters, echocardiographic parameters, the need for mechanical cardiac support, demographic parameters, and United Network for Organ Sharing and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores were investigated. Fifty-five patients (26.3%) died, and the mean survival time was 3.61 years after transplantation. In multivariate Cox regression analysis, in addition to the preoperative modified MELD score, the 4th quartiles of the maximum aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase levels on the 4th through 7th postoperative days were independently associated with mortality (odds ratio [OR] 2.46, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.09-5.55; p = 0.031 and OR 2.41, 95% CI 1.13-5.18; p = 0.024, respectively). By expressing the transaminase values as the multiplier of the sex-specific top normal value, the maximum AST and alanine transaminase levels (OR 1.02, 95% CI 1.01-1.02; p < 0.001 and OR 1.02, 95% CI 1.01-1.03; p = 0.001, respectively) were linked to worse survival. Among the postdischarge parameters, the modified MELD score (OR 1.17, 95% CI 1.09-1.27; p < 0.001) and the AST level were associated with postdischarge mortality (OR 1.002, 95% CI 1.001-1.003; p < 0.001 as a continuous variable; OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.05-1.10; p < 0.001, expressed as the multiplier of the sex-specific normal value, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The severity of postoperative liver dysfunction negatively influences survival after heart transplantation, and liver function should be closely assessed in these patients.