The Association of Enhanced Recovery Pathway and Acute Kidney Injury in Patients Undergoing Colorectal Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury is associated with increased postoperative length of hospital stay and increases the risk of postoperative mortality. The association between the development of postoperative acute kidney injury and the implementation of an enhanced recovery after surgery protocol remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the relationship between the implementation of an enhanced recovery pathway and the development of postoperative acute kidney injury. DESIGN: In this retrospective cohort study, a prospectively maintained database of patients who underwent elective colorectal surgery in an enhanced recovery pathway were compared to a hospital historical National Surgical Quality Improvement Program colorectal registry of patients. SETTINGS: This study was conducted at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, a tertiary referral center. PATIENTS: A total of 1052 patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery from 2012 through 2016 were included. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The development of postoperative acute kidney injury was the primary outcome measured. RESULTS: Patients undergoing an enhanced recovery pathway had significantly greater rates of postoperative acute kidney injury than patients not undergoing an enhanced recovery pathway (13.64% vs 7.08%; p < 0.01). Our adjusted model indicated that patients who underwent an enhanced recovery pathway (OR, 2.31; 95% CI, 1.48-3.59; p < 0.01) had an increased risk of acute kidney injury. Patients who developed acute kidney injury in the enhanced recovery cohort had a significantly longer median length of stay than those who did not (median 4 (interquartile range, 4-9) vs 3 (interquartile range, 2-5) days; p=0.04). LIMITATIONS: This study did not utilize urine output as a modality for detecting acute kidney injury. Data are limited to a sample of patients from a large academic medical center participating in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program. Interventions or programs in place at our institution that aimed at infection reduction or other initiatives with the goal of improving quality were not accounted for in this study. CONCLUSION: The implementation of an enhanced recovery after surgery protocol is independently associated with the development of postoperative acute kidney injury.See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/B69. LA ASOCIACIÓN DE VÍA DE RECUPERACIÓN MEJORADA Y LESIÓN RENAL AGUDA EN PACIENTES DE CIRUGÍA COLORRECTAL: La lesión renal aguda se asocia con una mayor duración en la estancia hospitalaria y aumenta el riesgo de la mortalidad postoperatoria. La asociación entre el desarrollo de la lesión renal aguda postoperatoria y la implementación de un protocolo de Recuperación Mejorada después de la cirugía, sigue sin ser clara.Examinar la relación entre la implementación de una vía de Recuperación Mejorada y el desarrollo de lesión renal aguda postoperatoria.Estudio de cohorte retrospectivo, de una base de datos mantenida prospectivamente, de pacientes que se sometieron a cirugía colorrectal electiva, en una vía de Recuperación Mejorada, se comparó con el registro histórico de los pacientes colorrectales del Programa Nacional de Mejora de la Calidad Quirúrgica.Universidad de Alabama en Birmingham, un centro de referencia terciario.Un total de 1052 pacientes sometidos a cirugía colorrectal electiva desde 2012 hasta 2016.Desarrollo de lesión renal aguda postoperatoria.Los pacientes sometidos a una vía de Recuperación Mejorada, tuvieron tasas significativamente mayores de lesiones renales agudas postoperatorias, en comparación con los pacientes de Recuperación no Mejorada (13.64% vs 7.08%; p < 0.01). Nuestro modelo ajustado indicó que los pacientes que se sometieron a una vía de Recuperación Mejorada (OR, 2.31; IC, 1.48-3.59; p < 0.01) tuvieron un mayor riesgo de lesión renal aguda. Los pacientes que desarrollaron daño renal agudo en la cohorte de Recuperación Mejorada, tuvieron una estadía mediana significativamente más larga en comparación con aquellos que no [mediana 4 (rango intercuartil (RIC) 4-9) versus 3 (RIC 2-5) días; p = 0.04].Este estudio no utilizó la producción de orina como una modalidad para detectar daño renal agudo. Los datos se limitan a una muestra de pacientes de un gran centro médico académico, que participa en el Programa Nacional de Mejora de la Calidad Quirúrgica. Las intervenciones o programas implementados en nuestra institución, destinados a la reducción de infecciones u otras iniciativas, con el objetivo de mejorar la calidad, no se tomaron en cuenta para este estudio.La implementación de una Recuperación Mejorada después del protocolo de cirugía, se asocia independientemente con el desarrollo de lesión renal aguda postoperatoria.Consulte Video Resumen en http://links.lww.com/DCR/B69. (Traducción-Dr. Fidel Ruiz-Healy).

The Obese Colorectal Surgery Patient: Surgical Site Infection and Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Obese patients undergoing colorectal surgery are at increased risk for adverse outcomes. It remains unclear whether these risks can be further defined with more discriminatory stratifications of obesity. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to understand the association between BMI and 30-day postoperative outcomes, including surgical site infection, among patients undergoing colorectal surgery. DESIGN: This was a retrospective cohort study. SETTINGS: The 2011-2013 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was used. PATIENTS: Patients included those undergoing elective colorectal surgery in 2011-2013 who were assessed by the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: BMI was categorized into World Health Organization categories. Primary outcome was 30-day postoperative surgical site infection. Secondary outcomes included all American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program-assessed 30-day postoperative complications. RESULTS: Our cohort included 74,891 patients with 4.4% underweight (BMI <18.5), 29.0% normal weight (BMI 18.5-24.9), 33.0% overweight (BMI 25.0-29.9), 19.8% obesity class I (BMI 30.0-34.9), 8.4% obesity class II (BMI 35.0-39.9), and 5.5% obesity class III (BMI ≥40.0). Compared with normal-weight patients, obese patients experienced incremental odds of surgical site infection from class I to class III (I: OR = 1.5 (95% CI, 1.4-1.6); II: OR = 1.9 (95% CI, 1.7-2.0); III: OR = 2.1 (95% CI, 1.9-2.3)). Obesity class III patients were most likely to experience wound disruption, sepsis, respiratory or renal complication, and urinary tract infection. Mortality was highest among underweight patients (OR = 1.3 (95% CI, 1.0-1.8)) and lowest among overweight (OR = 0.8 (95% CI, 0.6-0.9)) and obesity class I patients (OR = 0.8 (95% CI, 0.6-1.0)). LIMITATIONS: Retrospective analysis of American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program hospitals may not represent patients outside of the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program and cannot assign causation or account for interventions to improve surgical outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with increasing BMI showed an incremental and independent risk for adverse 30-day postoperative outcomes, especially surgical site infections. Strategies to address obesity preoperatively should be considered to improve surgical outcomes among this population. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/A607.

Insurance-mandated preoperative diet and outcomes after bariatric surgery.

BACKGROUND: Despite a lack of demonstrated patient benefit, many insurance providers mandate a physician-supervised diet before financial coverage for bariatric surgery. OBJECTIVES: To compare weight loss between patients with versus without insurance mandating a preoperative diet. SETTING: University hospital, United States. METHODS: Retrospective study of all patients who underwent laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy over a 5-year period, stratified based on whether an insurance-mandated physician-supervised diet was required. Weight loss outcomes at 6, 12, and 24 months postoperation were compared. Linear mixed-models and backward-stepwise selection were used. P<0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Of 284 patients, 225 (79%) were required and 59 (21%) were not required to complete a preoperative diet by their insurance provider. Patients without the requirement had a shorter time to operation from initial consultation (P = .04), were older (P<.01), and were more likely to have government-sponsored insurance (P<.01). There was no difference in preoperative weight or body mass index or co-morbidities. In unadjusted models, percent excess weight loss was superior in the group without an insurance-mandated diet at 12 (P = .050) and 24 (P = .045) months. In adjusted analyses, this group also had greater percent excess weight loss at 6 (P<.001), 12 (P<.001), and 24 (P<.001) months; percent total weight loss at 24 months (P = .004); and change in body mass index at 6 (P = .032) and 24 (P = .007) months. There was no difference in length of stay or complication rates. CONCLUSIONS: Insurance-mandated preoperative diets delay treatment and may lead to inferior weight loss.

Burnout is Associated With Emotional Intelligence but not Traditional Job Performance Measurements in Surgical Residents.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether burnout was associated with emotional intelligence and job performance in surgical residents. DESIGN: General surgery residents at a single institution were surveyed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and trait EI questionnaire (TEIQ-SF). Burnout was defined as scoring in 2 of the 3 following domains; Emotional Exhaustion (high), Depersonalization (high), and Personal Accomplishment (low). Job performance was evaluated using faculty evaluations of clinical competency-based surgical milestones and standardized test scores including the American Board of Surgery In-Training Exam (ABSITE) and the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 3. USMLE Step 1 and USMLE Step 2, which were taken prior to residency training, were included to examine possible associations of burnout with USMLE examinations. Statistical comparison was made using Pearson correlation and simple linear regression adjusting for PGY level. SETTING: This study was conducted at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) general surgery residency program. PARTICIPANTS: All current and incoming general surgery residents at UAB were invited to participate in this study. RESULTS: Forty residents participated in the survey (response rate 77%). Ten residents, evenly distributed from incoming residents to PGY-4, had burnout (25%). Mean global EI was lower in residents with burnout versus those without burnout (3.71 vs 3.9, p = 0.02). Of the 4 facets of EI, mean self-control values were lower in residents with burnout versus those without burnout (3.3 vs 4.06, p < 0.01). Each component of burnout was associated with global EI, with the strongest correlation being with personal accomplishment (r = 0.64; p < 0.01). Residents with burnout did not have significantly different mean scores for USMLE Step 1 (229 vs 237, p = 0.12), Step 2 (248 vs 251, p = 0.56), Step 3 (223 vs 222, p = 0.97), or ABSITE percentile (44.6 vs 58, p = 0.33) compared to residents without burnout. Personal accomplishment was associated with ABSITE percentile scores (r = 0.35; p = 0.049). None of the 16 surgical milestone scores were significantly associated with burnout. CONCLUSIONS: Burnout is present in surgery residents and associated with emotional intelligence. There was no association of burnout with USMLE scores, ABSITE percentile, or surgical milestones. Traditional methods of assessing resident performance may not be capturing burnout and strategies to reduce burnout should consider targeting emotional intelligence.

Racial Disparities After Stoma Construction Exist in Time to Closure After 1 Year but Not in Overall Stoma Reversal Rates.

INTRODUCTION: Conflicting data exist on racial disparities in stoma reversal (SR) rates. Our aim was to investigate the role of race in SR rates, and time to closure, in a longitudinal, racially diverse database. METHODS: All adult patients (>18 years) who received an ileostomy or colostomy from 1999 to 2016 at a single institution were identified. Primary outcomes were SR rates and time to closure. Failure to reverse and time to closure was modeled using Cox regression. Kaplan-Meier survival curves, stratified by race, were generated for time to closure and hazard ratios (HRs) calculated. RESULTS: Of 770 patients with stomas, 65.6% of patients underwent SR; 76.6% were white and 23.4% were black. On adjusted analysis, race did not predict overall SR rates or time to closure if performed less than 1 year. Instead, significant predictors for failure in SR included age, insurance status, end colostomy/ileostomy, and loop colostomy (p < 0.05). Predictors of delay in time to closure included insurance, end colostomy/ileostomy, and loop colostomy (p < 0.05). In patients who underwent reversal after 1 year, black race was an independent predictor of time to closure (HR 0.21, 95% CI 0.07-0.63, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: SR rates were equal between black and white patients. Disparities in time to closure existed only for black patients if reversed more than 1 year after index stoma construction. While equitable outcomes were achieved for most patients, further investigation is necessary to understand stoma disparities after 1 year.

Bariatric surgery is associated with renal function improvement.

INTRODUCTION: Weight loss after bariatric surgery improves both blood pressure and glycemic control following surgery. The effect of bariatric surgery on renal function is not well characterized. In this study, we sought to quantify the change in renal function over time following surgery. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed all patients who underwent laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) or laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) between 2012 and 2014 at our institution. The glomerular filtration rate (GFR, mL/min) was calculated using the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equation. Body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) and percent weight loss (%WL) were calculated following the surgery. RESULTS: A total of 149 patients who underwent bariatric surgery were included in this study: LRYGB (n = 86 and LSG (n = 63). In LRYGB group, baseline BMI (kg/m2, ±SD) and GFR (mL/min, ±SD) were 48.5 ± 6.8 and 94.7 ± 23.8, respectively. In comparison, BMI and GFR were 49.1 ± 11.9 kg/m2 and 93.1 ± 28.0 mL/min in the LSG group, respectively. Over the follow-up period (19.89 ± 10.93 months), the patients who underwent LRGYB lost a larger percentage of weight as compared to those in the LSG group (29.9 ± 11.7% vs 22.3 ± 10.7%; p = <0.0001). Overall, GFR improved in both LRYGB (101.0 ± 25.8 mL/min) and LSG groups (97.9 ± 25.8 mL/min) and was not significantly different between the two groups. Of patients with a GFR < 90 mL/min prior to weight loss surgery (n = 62), 42% had improvement of their GFR to > 90 mL/min postoperatively (p < 0.001). There was no relationship between weight loss percentage and GFR improvement (p = 0.8703). CONCLUSIONS: Bariatric surgery was associated with improvement in postoperative renal function at almost two years following surgery but was not different for LRYGB versus LSG. The gain in GFR was independent of percentage of weight lost suggesting an alternate mechanism in the improvement of renal function other than weight loss alone.

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Eliminates Racial Disparities in Postoperative Length of Stay After Colorectal Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) on racial disparities in postoperative length of stay (pLOS) after colorectal surgery. BACKGROUND: Racial disparities in surgical outcomes exist. We hypothesized that ERAS would reduce disparities in pLOS between black and white patients. METHODS: Patients undergoing ERAS in 2015 were 1:1 matched by race/ethnicity, age, sex, and procedure to a pre-ERAS group from 2010 to 2014. After stratification by race/ethnicity, expected pLOS was calculated using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Project Risk Calculator. Primary outcome was the observed pLOS and observed-to-expected difference in pLOS. Secondary outcomes were National Surgical Quality Improvement Project postoperative complications including 30-day readmissions and mortality. Adjusted sensitivity analyses on pLOS were also performed. RESULTS: Of 420 patients (210 ERAS and 210 pre-ERAS) examined, 28.3% were black. Black and white patients were similar in age, body mass index, sex, American Anesthesia Association class, and minimally invasive approaches. Within the pre-ERAS group, black patients stayed a mean of 2.7 days longer than expected compared with white patients (P < 0.05). Overall, ERAS patients had a significantly shorter pLOS (5.7 vs 8 days) and observed-to-expected difference (-0.7 vs 1.4 days) compared with pre-ERAS patients (P < 0.01). In the ERAS group, disparities in pLOS were reduced with no differences in readmissions or mortality between black and white patients. On sensitivity analyses, race/ethnicity remained a significant predictor of pLOS among pre-ERAS patients, but not for ERAS patients. CONCLUSIONS: ERAS eliminated racial differences in pLOS between black and white patients undergoing colorectal surgery. Reduced pLOS occurred without increases in mortality, readmissions, and most postoperative complications. ERAS may provide a practical approach to reducing disparities in surgical outcomes.

Reduced disparities and improved surgical outcomes for Asian Americans with colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Studies suggest Asian Americans may have improved oncologic outcomes compared with other ethnicities. We hypothesized that Asian Americans with colorectal cancer would have improved surgical outcomes in mortality, postoperative complications (POCs), length of stay (LOS), and readmissions compared with other racial/ethnic groups. METHODS: We queried the 2011-2014 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program for patients who underwent surgery for colorectal cancer and stratified patients by race. Primary outcome was 30-d mortality with secondary outcomes including POCs, LOS, and 30-d readmission. Stepwise backward logistic regression analyses and incident rate ratio calculations were performed to identify risk factors for disparate outcomes. RESULTS: Of the 28,283 patients undergoing colorectal surgery for malignancy, racial/ethnic groups were divided into Caucasian American (84%), African American (12%), or Asian American (4%). On unadjusted analyses, compared with other racial/ethnic groups, Asian Americans were more likely to have normal weight, not smoke, and had lower American Society of Anesthesiologists score of 1 or 2 (P < 0.001). Postoperatively, Asian Americans had the shortest LOS and the lowest rates of complications due to ileus, respiratory, and renal complications (P < 0.001). There were no racial differences in 30-d mortality or readmission. On adjusted analyses, Asian American race was independently associated with less postoperative ileus (odds ratio 0.8, 95% confidence interval 0.66-0.98, P < 0.001) and decreased LOS by 13% and 4% compared with African American and Caucasian American patients, respectively (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Asian Americans undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer have shorter LOS and fewer POCs when compared with other racial/ethnic groups without differences in 30-d mortality or readmissions. The mechanism(s) underlying these disparities will require further study, but may be a result of patient, provider, and healthcare system differences.