Prepectoral Conversion of Subpectoral Implants for Animation Deformity after Breast Reconstruction: Technique and Experience.

Implant-based breast reconstruction in postmastectomy patients is commonly performed in a submuscular plane. Following reconstruction, animation deformity can be a displeasing aesthetic result for patients. In addition, patients may experience more postoperative pain with a submuscular reconstruction. Prepectoral conversion of submuscular implant position is an option for addressing these concerns. We describe a detailed technique and review our results. METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted of all prepectoral conversions performed by the senior author (DSW) from 2017 to 2019 after IRB approval. All patients presented with animation deformity and another symptom such as asymmetry, pain, and/or capsular contracture. Patients underwent prepectoral conversion with smooth silicone gel implants. Demographic data, outcomes, and patient satisfaction were reviewed. RESULTS: Prepectoral conversion was performed in 33 consecutive patients (57 breasts) with animation deformity. Twelve patients had capsular contracture, seven complained of pain, and five had ruptured implants. Postoperative complications included three infections requiring implant removal in two breasts, one implant exposure and one hematoma requiring implant replacement, five seromas requiring aspiration, and one capsular contracture. Seven patients had contour abnormalities addressed with secondary autologous fat grafting. Ultimately, all patients had elimination of animation deformity and were satisfied with the results of the conversion. CONCLUSIONS: Unsatisfactory results of subpectoral implant reconstruction such as animation deformity and chronic pain have led the reconstructive surgeon to consider various techniques to address these issues. The conversion to a prepectoral plane will effectively eliminate animation deformity, resolve pain, and yield satisfactory results in these patients.

Capsulectomy, Implant Exchange, and Placement of Acellular Dermal Matrix Is Effective in Treating Capsular Contracture in Breast Augmentation Patients.

BACKGROUND: Capsular contracture is a common complication of breast augmentation surgery and many techniques to prevent and treat it have been suggested with inconsistent or variably effective results. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this paper was to describe a protocol for treating established capsular contracture after breast augmentation with a low recurrence rate. METHODS: From January 2009 to December 2012, 79 previous bilateral breast augmentation patients presented for treatment of established capsular contracture. There were 135 breasts with capsular contracture: 56 were bilateral and 23 were unilateral. Ten patients opted for no treatment; 2 patients opted for implant removal. Twenty-four were treated with the ICES (implant exchange, capsulectomy, and possible exchange of site) protocol and 43 were treated with the SPICES (Strattice placement in the reconstructive position, implant exchange, capsulectomy, and possible exchange of site) protocol. RESULTS: The 24 patients treated with the ICES protocol had a recurrent capsular contracture rate of 15%. The 43 patients treated with the SPICES protocol had a 2.7% recurrent capsular contracture incidence and an 2.7% complication rate. CONCLUSIONS: Capsular contracture after breast augmentation, whether primary or recurrent, can be successfully treated with the SPICES protocol.

Prepectoral Versus Subpectoral Direct to Implant Immediate Breast Reconstruction.

BACKGROUND: Implant-based reconstruction is currently the most common postmastectomy breast reconstruction modality with over 86,000 procedures performed in 2017. Although various methods for reconstruction techniques have been described, partial subpectoral implant placement with or without acellular dermal matrix coverage remains the most popular approach. Recently, prepectoral implant placement has gained increased recognition as a method that avoids some of the potential morbidities of submuscular implant placement. Currently, few studies have examined the outcomes of performing this approach. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the outcomes of prepectoral and subpectoral direct to implant (DTI) immediate breast reconstruction. METHODS: Data from a prospective cohort of consecutive patients undergoing prepectoral DTI immediate breast reconstructions at our institution from February 2016 to November 2017 were collected. The incidence of complications such as mastectomy skin flap necrosis, seroma, hematoma, infection, implant loss, and unexpected reoperation were recorded and compared with a cohort of consecutive patients who underwent subpectoral DTI immediate breast reconstruction from May 2014 to July 2015. RESULTS: One hundred twelve prepectoral DTI immediate breast reconstructions were performed on 62 patients. Four breasts (4.4%) were diagnosed with infection. There were 8 breasts (7.1%) that suffered from mastectomy skin flap necrosis (5 partial thickness necrosis, 3 full thickness necrosis). There was 1 implant loss related to full thickness necrosis that required salvage with autologous tissue reconstruction. Prepectoral breast reconstruction had less esthetic revisions and comparable complications when compared with the historical subpectoral cohort. CONCLUSIONS: When compared with the subpectoral DTI approach, prepectoral DTI breast reconstruction grants favorable complication rates and improved esthetic outcomes. Prepectoral DTI breast reconstruction is a safe modality that should be considered in any patient who is a candidate for immediate breast reconstruction.

Routine Laser-assisted Indocyanine Green Angiography in Immediate Breast Reconstruction: Is It Worth the Cost?

BACKGROUND: Laser-assisted indocyanine green angiography (LAIGA) has been proven to accurately detect mastectomy skin flap necrosis (MSFN) intraoperatively and prevent postoperative complications in breast reconstruction. The purpose of this study was to examine the cost-effectiveness of the routine use of LAIGA in immediate breast reconstruction and to perform a break-even point analysis. METHODS: This is a retrospective review of prospectively gathered data from all patients who underwent immediate breast reconstruction from January 2014 to January 2015. LAIGA was routinely used in all cases. Patients were followed for at least 90 days to capture postoperative complications. Costs were calculated by reviewing itemized bills and Medicare Reimbursement Current Procedural Terminology codes to assess surgeon fees. Outcomes and costs were compared with a historical cohort of patients who underwent breast reconstruction before the implementation of LAIGA. RESULTS: Two-hundred-and-six immediate breast reconstructions (126 patients) were performed using LAIGA for a total cost of $210,700. The average cost of MSFN in our LAIGA cohort was $30,496. The routine use of LAIGA decreased the MSFN rate from 12.4% to 6.3% and prevented MSFN on 13 breasts resulting in a gross cost savings of $396,453, and net savings of $185,753. Break-even point analysis demonstrated that number of cases needed to break even decreases as the average MSFN cost and MSFN reduction rate increase. CONCLUSION: The routine use of LAIGA in immediate breast reconstruction is cost-effective in reducing the incidence of MSFN, implant loss, and overall unexpected reoperation rate.

Development of an activation tagging system for maize.

Activation Tagging, distributing transcriptional enhancers throughout the genome to induce transcription of nearby genes, is a powerful tool for discovering the function of genes in plants. We have developed a transposable element system to distribute a novel activation tagging element throughout the genome of maize. The transposon system is built from the Enhancer/Suppressor (En/Spm) transposon system and uses an engineered seed color marker to show when the transposon excises. Both somatic and germinal excision events can be detected by the seed color. The activation tagging element is in a Spm-derived non-autonomous transposon and contains four copies of the Sugarcane Bacilliform Virus-enhancer (SCBV-enhancer) and the AAD1 selectable marker. We have demonstrated that the transposon can give rise to germinal excision events that can re-integrate into non-linked genomic locations. The transposon has remained active for three generations and events displaying high rates of germinal excision in the T2 generation have been identified. This system can generate large numbers of activation tagged maize lines that can be screened for agriculturally relevant phenotypes.

Implant-based Breast Reconstruction Outcomes Comparing Freeze-dried Aseptic Alloderm and Sterile Ready-to-use Alloderm.

The use of acellular dermal matrix has revolutionized implant-based breast reconstruction in the 21st century. There have been a number of different dermal matrices introduced to clinical use and their equivalence has been debated. The purpose of this study is to examine a sequential series of acellular dermal matrix assisted implant-based breast reconstructions by a single surgeon and to compare the outcomes between a freeze-dried (FD) Alloderm cohort and a sterile ready to use Alloderm cohort. METHODS: After institutional review board approval, all consecutive implant-based breast reconstructions of a single surgeon (D.S.W.) from January 2009 to June 2016 were examined. Two hundred thirty-six patients received either FD Alloderm in the first 151 breasts reconstructed or sterile ready-to-use Alloderm in the last 227 breasts. RESULTS: The FD Alloderm patients had more tissue expander reconstructions performed and were all subpectoral placement. The ready-to-use Alloderm patients had more direct-to-implant procedures and some prepectoral placements. The complication rates were similar for seroma, hematoma, skin necrosis, and dehiscence. There were more infections, implant losses, and unexpected reoperations in the FD Alloderm group. CONCLUSION: The rate of infection, explantation, and unexpected reoperation was lower in the sterile ready-to-use Alloderm group versus the FD Alloderm group.

A Prospective Study of Immediate Breast Reconstruction with Laser-Assisted Indocyanine Green Angiography.

BACKGROUND: Complication rates following immediate breast reconstruction range from 4% to 60%. Mastectomy skin flap necrosis (MSFN) is often the sentinel event leading to secondary complications. METHODS: All patients undergoing immediate reconstruction were enrolled. Upon mastectomy completion, the surgeon visually interpreted the skin flaps, performed laser-assisted indocyanine green angiography (LAIGA), and intervened if needed. Patients were followed for 90 days, documenting skin necrosis, infection, seroma, hematoma, implant loss, and reoperation. RESULTS: There were 126 patients who had 206 immediate breast reconstructions. The complication rate was 22.3%. The incidence of MSFN was 14.1%. The reoperation rate was 8.7%. There was 1 necrosis-related implant loss. Postoperative surveys were completed on 193 breasts: 137 had visual and LAIGA interpretation of well or adequately perfused, resulting in 5.8% rate of necrosis, 2 reoperations, and no implant losses. Twenty breasts had visual and LAIGA interpretation of marginal or poor perfusion. Sixteen of these underwent intervention. The necrosis rate in this group was 35% with no implant losses. A third group with 26 breasts had adequate visual interpretation with marginal or poor perfusion on LAIGA. Ten breasts had no intervention, and 16 received intervention. The overall necrosis rate in this group was 42.3%, with 4 reoperations for necrosis and 1 implant loss. CONCLUSIONS: LAIGA can more accurately predict complications from MSFN than surgeon assessment alone. When surgeon decision making is supplemented with LAIGA, it reduces the incidence of MSFN, infection, implant loss, and overall unexpected reoperation rate. LAIGA is a valuable adjunct for intraoperative decision making.

Defining Infection in Breast Reconstruction: A Literature Review.

PURPOSE: Postoperative infection is the most common complications after implant-based immediate breast reconstruction (IBR), with reported rates ranging from less than 1% to 43%. This heterogeneity among the literature may be explained by a lack of consensus on the definition of postoperative infection. The purpose of this study was to review the prevalence of infection and how it is defined in studies involving prosthetic-based IBR. It is necessary to establish a clear definition of infection to standardize the reporting of complications. METHODS: A comprehensive literature review was performed to identify infection rates among implant/tissue expander-based IBR performed between 1996 and 2017. A PubMed search using the keywords "immediate breast reconstruction" matched with "infection" and "tissue expanders" or "implant" was performed. Reconstructive modality, infection rates, and definitions were recorded and reviewed. RESULTS: An initial search provided 196 articles; 138 articles met inclusion criteria and were reviewed. Eighty-five (61%) articles failed to define infection and reported an infection rate ranging from 0% to 22%. The studies that characterized infection had highly variable definitions. Whereas some authors chose to define infection based on Centers for Disease Control guidelines, others used more subjective findings such as clinical signs of infection. CONCLUSIONS: Currently, there is no consensus on the definition of infection after implant-based IBR. We propose that the definition should include the administration of antibiotics beyond the surgeon's standard perioperative period with or without the presence of localized clinical signs of infection (erythema, pain, increased temperature, etc). A universal definition of postoperative infection after implant-based IBR that accurately captures the incidence of infection will allow better comparisons between future studies.

Surgeon-Controlled Comparison of Direct-to-Implant and 2-Stage Tissue Expander-Implant Immediate Breast Reconstruction Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Current literature comparing outcomes of immediate breast reconstruction using direct-to-implant (DTI) single-stage and 2-stage tissue expanders (TEs) is conflicting. This study compared overall outcomes and determined predictive patient factors associated with higher complication rates. METHODS: After institutional review board approval, a retrospective cohort study of consecutive patients who underwent immediate breast reconstruction from 2010 to 2014 at a single hospital was performed. Demographic data and complications were recorded and compared using univariate analysis. Infection was defined as any patient receiving antibiotics beyond the expected postoperative course or restarting antibiotics for a suspected infection. RESULTS: Seventy-nine breasts (50 patients) underwent immediate breast reconstruction using tissue expansion, and 117 breasts (69 patients) underwent immediate breast reconstruction using the DTI technique. Overall complications, infection rate, and rate of aesthetic revisions were higher in the TE group compared with the DTI group. There was no difference in rates of seroma, hematoma, and mastectomy skin flap necrosis between the 2 groups. Infectious complications were significantly higher in patients with body mass index of greater than 30 who underwent TE-based reconstruction than those who underwent DTI-based reconstruction. CONCLUSIONS: Single-stage DTI immediate breast reconstruction has less overall complications than 2-stage TE-based immediate reconstruction. Direct-to-implant immediate breast reconstruction may provide favorable outcomes in patients with body mass index of greater than 30.

Method of Breast Reconstruction Determines Venous Thromboembolism Risk Better Than Current Prediction Models.

BACKGROUND: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk models including the Davison risk score and the 2005 Caprini risk assessment model have been validated in plastic surgery patients. However, their utility and predictive value in breast reconstruction has not been well described. We sought to determine the utility of current VTE risk models in this population and the VTE rate observed in various methods of breast reconstruction. METHODS: A retrospective review of breast reconstructions by a single surgeon was performed. One hundred consecutive transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) patients, 100 consecutive implant patients, and 100 consecutive latissimus dorsi patients were identified over a 10-year period. Patient demographics and presence of symptomatic VTE were collected. 2005 Caprini risk scores and Davison risk scores were calculated for each patient. RESULTS: The TRAM reconstruction group was found to have a higher VTE rate (6%) than the implant (0%) and latissimus (0%) reconstruction groups (P < 0.01). Mean Davison risk scores and 2005 Caprini scores were similar across all reconstruction groups (P > 0.1). The vast majority of patients were stratified as high risk (87.3%) by the VTE risk models. However, only TRAM reconstruction patients demonstrated significant VTE risk. CONCLUSIONS: TRAM reconstruction appears to have a significantly higher risk of VTE than both implant and latissimus reconstruction. Current risk models do not effectively stratify breast reconstruction patients at risk for VTE. The method of breast reconstruction appears to have a significant role in patients' VTE risk.

Identification and use of the sugarcane bacilliform virus enhancer in transgenic maize.

BACKGROUND: Transcriptional enhancers are able to increase transcription from heterologous promoters when placed upstream, downstream and in either orientation, relative to the promoter. Transcriptional enhancers have been used to enhance expression of specific promoters in transgenic plants and in activation tagging studies to help elucidate gene function. RESULTS: A transcriptional enhancer from the Sugarcane Bacilliform Virus - Ireng Maleng isolate (SCBV-IM) that can cause increased transcription when integrated into the the genome near maize genes has been identified. In transgenic maize, the SCBV-IM promoter was shown to be comparable in strength to the maize ubiquitin 1 promoter in young leaf and root tissues. The promoter was dissected to identify sequences that confer high activity in transient assays. Enhancer sequences were identified and shown to increase the activity of a heterologous truncated promoter. These enhancer sequences were shown to be more active when arrayed in 4 copy arrays than in 1 or 2 copy arrays. When the enhancer array was transformed into maize plants it caused an increase in accumulation of transcripts of genes near the site of integration in the genome. CONCLUSIONS: The SCBV-IM enhancer can activate transcription upstream or downstream of genes and in either orientation. It may be a useful tool to activate enhance from specific promoters or in activation tagging.

Change in diffusion-weighted imaging infarct volume predicts neurologic outcome at 90 days: results of the Acute Stroke Accurate Prediction (ASAP) trial serial imaging substudy.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Predictive models of outcome after ischemic stroke have incorporated acute diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI) information with mixed results. We hypothesized that serial measurements of DWI infarct volume would be predictive of functional outcome after ischemic stroke. METHODS: The prospective Acute Stroke Accurate Prediction (ASAP) Study included a prespecified serial imaging subgroup who underwent DWI studies at baseline (<24 hours after symptom onset) and Day 5 (+/-2 days). DWI infarct volumes were calculated using the Analyze software (Rochester, Minn). Clinical outcomes were assessed at 3 months. Univariate and multivariable regression analysis was performed to assess the relationship between change in DWI lesion volume and excellent neurological outcome (modified Rankin Scale 0, 1, and Barthel Index >or=95). RESULTS: In total, 169 cases from the ASAP study had serial DWI scans with a measurable lesion at baseline, follow-up, or both. The median baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score was 6 (interquartile range, 3 to 13). For each 10 cm(3) of growth in DWI infarct volume, the OR for achieving an excellent outcome by modified Rankin Scale was 0.52 (95% CI, 0.38 to 0.71) and for the Barthel Index was 0.64 (95% CI, 0.51 to 0.79). Adjusting for clinically important covariates, the OR for an excellent modified Rankin Scale outcome was 0.57 (95% CI, 0.37 to 0.88) and excellent Barthel Index outcome was 0.75 (95% CI, 0.56 to 1.01). CONCLUSIONS: Based on these data, the likelihood of achieving an excellent neurological outcome diminishes substantially with growth in DWI infarct volume in the first 5 days after ischemic stroke of mild to moderate severity.

Impact of lifestyle intervention on lost productivity and disability: improving control with activity and nutrition.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of a lifestyle intervention (LI) in reducing work loss and disability days. METHODS: One year randomized controlled trial of health plan members (n = 147) with type 2 diabetes and obesity. Members were randomized to modest-cost LI or usual care (UC). Outcomes were group differences in cumulative days either missed at work or with disability using Mann-Whitney U-tests and Poisson regression models. RESULTS: LI reduced the risk of workdays lost by 64.3% (P

Clinical and imaging data at 5 days as a surrogate for 90-day outcome in ischemic stroke.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: A simple, easily measured surrogate outcome measure for use in early treatment trials for acute ischemic stroke therapies would be highly valued. We hypothesized that day-5 NIH stroke scale score (NIHSS) and day-5 diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) volume would predict clinical outcome better than either alone and could be considered as a possible surrogate outcome in early phase acute stroke trials. METHODS: The prospective Acute Stroke Accurate Prediction (ASAP) trial included a prespecified subgroup evaluated for early outcome. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the prediction of modified Rankin (mRankin) of 0 or 1. RESULTS: A total of 204 subjects completed the substudy, and 116 (57%) had excellent outcome at 3 months. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for day-5 NIHSS predicting 3-month excellent outcome was 0.84; for DWI volume predicting outcome was 0.76, and for the multivariable model combining both was 0.84. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the early outcome substudy of the ASAP trial suggest that early stroke severity and infarct volume measures are predictive of 3-month excellent outcome. In our data set the DWI volume does not add clinically relevant information in predicting 3-month outcome. Validation of these results is required.

Veterans Affairs intensive care unit risk adjustment model: validation, updating, recalibration.

BACKGROUND: A valid metric is critical to measure and report intensive care unit (ICU) outcomes and drive innovation in a national system. OBJECTIVES: To update and validate the Veterans Affairs (VA) ICU severity measure (VA ICU). RESEARCH DESIGN: A validated logistic regression model was applied to two VA hospital data sets: 36,240 consecutive ICU admissions to a stratified random sample of moderate and large hospitals in 1999-2000 (cohort 1) and 81,964 cases from 42 VA Medical Centers in fiscal years 2002-2004 (cohort 2). The model was updated by adding diagnostic groups and expanding the source of admission variables. MEASURES: C statistic, Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit statistic, and Brier's score measured predictive validity. Coefficients from the 1997 model were applied to predictors (fixed) in a logistic regression model. A 10 x 10 table compared cases with both VA ICU and National Surgical Quality Improvement Performance metrics. The standardized mortality ratios divided observed deaths by the sum of predicted mortality. RESULTS: The fixed model in both cohorts had predictive validity (cohort 1: C statistic = 0.874, Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit C statistic chi-square = 72.5; cohort 2: 0.876, 307), as did the updated model (cohort 2: C statistic = 0.887, Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit C statistic chi-square = 39). In 7,411 cases with predictions in both systems, the standardized mortality ratio was similar (1.04 for VA ICU, 1.15 for National Surgical Quality Improvement Performance), and 92% of cases matched (+/-1 decile) when ordered by deciles of mortality. The VA ICU standardized mortality ratio correlates with the National Surgical Quality Improvement Performance standardized mortality ratio (r2 = .74). Variation in discharge and laboratory practices may affect performance measurement. CONCLUSION: The VA ICU severity model has face, construct, and predictive validity.

Which hospitals have significantly better or worse than expected mortality rates for acute myocardial infarction patients? Improved risk adjustment with present-at-admission diagnoses.

BACKGROUND: Public reports that compare hospital mortality rates for patients with acute myocardial infarction are commonly used strategies for improving the quality of care delivered to these patients. Fair comparisons of hospital mortality rates require thorough adjustments for differences among patients in baseline mortality risk. This study examines the effect on hospital mortality rate comparisons of improved risk adjustment methods using diagnoses reported as present-at-admission. METHODS AND RESULTS: Logistic regression models and related methods originally used by California to compare hospital mortality rates for patients with acute myocardial infarction are replicated. These results are contrasted with results obtained for the same hospitals by patient-level mortality risk adjustment models using present-at-admission diagnoses, using 3 statistical methods of identifying hospitals with higher or lower than expected mortality: indirect standardization, adjusted odds ratios, and hierarchical models. Models using present-at-admission diagnoses identified substantially fewer hospitals as outliers than did California model A for each of the 3 statistical methods considered. CONCLUSIONS: Large improvements in statistical performance can be achieved with the use of present-at-admission diagnoses to characterize baseline mortality risk. These improvements are important because models with better statistical performance identify different hospitals as having better or worse than expected mortality.

Validation of an acute ischemic stroke model: does diffusion-weighted imaging lesion volume offer a clinically significant improvement in prediction of outcome?

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Prediction models for ischemic stroke outcome have the potential to contribute prognostic information in the clinical and/or research setting. The importance of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) in the prediction of clinical outcome, however, is unclear. The purpose of this study was to combine acute clinical data and DWI lesion volume for ischemic stroke patients to determine whether DWI improves the prediction of clinical outcome. METHODS: Patients (N=382) with baseline DWI data from the Glycine Antagonist In Neuroprotection and citicoline (010 and 018) trials were used to develop the prediction models by multivariable logistic regression. Data from prospectively collected patients (N=266) from the Acute Stroke Accurate Prediction Study were used to externally validate the model equations. The models predicted either full recovery or nursing home-level disability/death, as defined by the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, Barthel Index, or modified Rankin Scale. RESULTS: The full-recovery models with DWI lesion volume had areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) of 0.799 to 0.821, and those without DWI lesion volume had AUCs of 0.758 to 0.798. The nursing home-level disability/death models with DWI had AUCs of 0.832 to 0.882, and those without DWI had AUCs of 0.827 to 0.867. All models had mean absolute errors < or =0.4 for calibration. CONCLUSIONS: All 12 models had excellent discrimination and calibration, with 8 of 12 meeting prespecified performance criteria (AUC > or =0.8, mean absolute error < or =0.4). Although DWI lesion volume significantly increased model explanatory power, the magnitude of increase was not large enough to be clinically important.

Present-at-admission diagnoses improved mortality risk adjustment among acute myocardial infarction patients.

OBJECTIVE: Hospital mortality outcomes for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients are a focus of quality improvement programs conducted by government agencies. AMI mortality risk-adjustment models using administrative data typically adjust for baseline differences in mortality risk with a limited set of common and definite comorbidities. In this study, we present an AMI mortality risk-adjustment model that adjusts for comorbid disease and for AMI severity using information from secondary diagnoses reported as present at admission for California hospital patients. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: AMI patients were selected from California hospital administrative data for 1996 through 1999 according to criteria used by the California Hospital Outcomes Project Report on Heart Attack Outcomes, a state-mandated public report that compares hospital mortality outcomes. We compared results for the new model to two mortality risk-adjustment models used to assess hospital AMI mortality outcomes by the state of California, and to two other models used in prior research. RESULTS: The model using present-at-admission diagnoses obtained substantially better discrimination between predicted survival and inpatient death than the other models we considered. CONCLUSION: AMI mortality risk-adjustment methods can be meaningfully improved using present-at-admission diagnoses to identify comorbid disease and conditions related closely to AMI.