Risk factors affecting morbidity and mortality following emergency laparotomy for small bowel obstruction: A retrospective cohort study.

INTRODUCTIONS: To identify risk factors for increased 30-day morbidity and mortality, using standardized measuring tools for the characterization of complications after emergency surgery for small bowel obstruction. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study including patients treated with emergency laparotomy for small bowel obstruction at a Copenhagen University Hospital (2009-2013). Complications were evaluated according to the Clavien-Dindo classification. RESULTS: A total of 323 patients were included. The overall 30-day morbidity and mortality rates were 28% and 13%, respectively. Six covariates were identified as independent risk factors associated with morbidity by multiple logistic regression analysis. The highest odds for morbidity were seen in patients with chronic nephropathy (Odds Ratio [OR] = 3.9; 95% CI 1.3-15.1), and in patients with a daily use of steroids (OR = 3.5; 95% CI 1.2-10.4). Five independent risk factors were associated with increased odds for mortality. Patients with low physical performance (OR = 3.4; 95% CI 1.3-8.2) or metabolic disorders (OR = 3.2; 95% CI 1.2-8.5) had the highest risk of mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Morbidity and mortality rates were high in this study compared with other studies. Several comorbid conditions were associated with morbidity and mortality. These results may aid the acute care surgeon in identifying patients with a high-risk for postoperative complications and fatal outcomes.

Implementation of a multidisciplinary robotic centre in a high-volume university hospital.

INTRODUCTION: We describe the initiation of a multidisciplinary centre for robotic surgery including the implementation of robotic-assisted procedures as standard procedure for the majority of cancer operations in urology, gynaecology and gastrointestinal surgery. METHODS: All robotic procedures performed from 2008 to 2013 were included. The information gathered included body mass index, the American Society of Anesthesiologists' physical status classification value (ASA), age, sex, time and type of surgery, duration of procedure, conversion to open surgery, length and type of anaesthesia, re-operations, length of hospital stay and 30-day mortality. RESULTS: The implementation strategy was to start with one specialty at a time, passing on experience from one specialty to the next. The surgical strategy was to begin with standard procedures for which international experience was available and subsequently perform more complex procedures, ending up with robotic-assisted procedures as the standard for most cancer surgery procedures. A total of 2,473 procedures were performed. The operative time was reduced over the period for the main procedures of all three specialties. For prostatectomies, hysterectomies and colectomies, conversion to open surgery occurred in 1.2, 3.8 and 7.7%; the risk of re-operation was 0.2, 2.3 and 7.3%; and, finally, the 30-day mortality was 0.1, 0 and 1%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The implementation was possible as a stepwise introduction across three specialties with low conversion and re-operation rates and a low mortality. A high-volume centre for robotic surgery was developed and patients with malignant diagnoses were offered robotic-assisted surgery within the framework of multidisciplinary cooperation. FUNDING: not relevant. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was approved by the Danish Data Protection Agency R. No.: 2007-58-0015.