Robotic-assisted Laparoscopic Repair of a Penetrating Extraperitoneal Bladder Injury.

BACKGROUND: Traumatic intraperitoneal or complicated extraperitoneal bladder injuries are conventionally managed with open exploration and repair. There are rare reports in the literature of laparoscopic repair of intraperitoneal bladder injury secondary to blunt abdominal trauma, as well as two reports of laparoscopic repair of extraperitoneal bladder injuries from blunt abdominal trauma. There are no reported cases of a minimally invasive surgical repair of a penetrating bladder injury. There are also no reported cases of a robotic-assisted laparoscopic repair of a traumatic bladder injury, regardless of the injury mechanism. OBJECTIVE: In this video, we demonstrate a surgical technique for a robotic-assisted laparoscopic repair of a penetrating traumatic bladder injury. METHODS: We present a case of a 43-year-old male with a penetrating extraperitoneal bladder injury secondary to a gunshot wound. Our patient underwent emergent primary vascular repair of an associated vascular injury. Hemodynamic instability delayed immediate exploration and bladder repair. Cross-sectional imaging and flexible sigmoidoscopy ruled out further visceral injury. Unfortunately, difficulty maintaining catheter patency prompted further surgical intervention. An attempt to evacuate all clots by rigid cystoscopy was unsuccessful, and the decision was made to proceed with a robotic-assisted laparoscopic cystorrhaphy. RESULTS: The retropubic space was developed and the extraperitoneal bladder injury was identified. All clot was evacuated and no active bleeding was noted. The bladder mucosa was inspected confirming no additional injury. The cystotomy was closed in two running layers using absorbable sutures. Two leak tests were performed confirming a water-tight repair. The bladder was reapproximated to the anterior abdominal wall to reestablish the retropubic space. A cystogram 1week postoperatively confirmed a successful bladder repair. CONCLUSION: Robotic-assisted laparoscopic cystorrhaphy may be a feasible approach for a penetrating extraperitoneal bladder injury in highly select, hemodynamically stable patients.

Time to pay attention: an underrecognized casualty of the opioid epidemic.

Maternal mortality and overdose deaths have both been on the rise in the USA, but the relationship between the two is unclear. Recent reports have pointed toward accidental overdoses and suicides as leading causes of maternal mortality. This short communication collected data on psychiatric-related deaths, suicide and drug overdose, from each state's Maternal Mortality Review Committee to better conceptualize the rate at which these deaths are occurring. Data was collected from each state's most recent online MMRC legislative report and met inclusion criteria if the reports included the number of deaths due to suicide and accidental overdoses during each review period, as well if the report encompassed data from 2017. Fourteen reports met inclusion criteria, cumulatively reviewing 1929 maternal deaths. Of these deaths, 603 (31.3%) were due to accidental overdose, while 111 (5.7%) were due to suicide. These findings highlight the need for increased psychiatric care in the pregnant and postpartum period, specifically for substance use disorders. Increasing screening for depression and substance use, decriminalizing substance use during pregnancy, and extending Medicaid coverage to 12 months postpartum on a national level are all interventions that could significantly reduce maternal deaths.

On-Clamp vs. Off-Clamp Robot-Assisted Partial Nephrectomy for cT2 Renal Tumors: Retrospective Propensity-Score-Matched Multicenter Outcome Analysis.

We compared perioperative outcomes after on-clamp versus off-clamp robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) for >7 cm renal masses. A multicenter dataset was queried for patients who had undergone RAPN for a cT2cN0cM0 kidney tumor from July 2007 to February 2022. The Trifecta achievement (negative surgical margins, no severe complications, and ≤ 30% postoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) reduction) was considered a surrogate of surgical quality. Overall, 316 cases were included in the analysis, and 58% achieved the Trifecta. A propensity-score-matched analysis generated two cohorts of 89 patients homogeneous for age, ASA score, preoperative eGFR, and RENAL score (all p > 0.21). Compared to the on-clamp approach, OT was significantly shorter in the off-clamp group (80 vs. 190 min; p < 0.001), the incidence of sRFD was lower (22% vs. 40%; p = 0.01), and the Trifecta rate higher (66% vs. 46%; p = 0.01). In a crude analysis, >20 min of hilar clamping was associated with a significantly higher risk of sRFD (OR: 2.30; 95%CI: 1.13−4.64; p = 0.02) and with reduced probabilities of achieving the Trifecta (OR: 0.46; 95%CI: 0.27−0.79; p = 0.004). Purely off-clamp RAPN seems to be a safe and viable option to treat cT2 renal masses and may outperform the on-clamp approach regarding perioperative surgical outcomes.

Improving culture of care through maximising learning from observations and events: Addressing what is at fault.

The term 'culture of care' in the context of using animals for scientific purpose describes the culture in organisations that provides support to staff to strive for continuous improvement in:• animal care and welfare;• support and recognition of staff involved in the animal care and use programme;• scientific quality;• openness and transparency.We developed a systematic process for reporting observations and events that have the potential to help with continuous learning, improving animal welfare and supporting staff. The process took learning from the safety, health and environment arena on accident prevention. The two key aspects were (a) the systematic logging of observations and events; and (b) the learning approach to following up on observations. Underpinning our systematic process is the 'Learning from Observations and Events Log'. Reported observations and events can relate to positive practices, general observations as well as near misses.We created an environment to promote continuous improvement for both animals and staff by recognising, rewarding and sharing good practice, as well as where near misses are openly reported and learnt from. Supporting animal welfare, staff welfare, improving scientific quality and transparency are the four key pillars of a positive culture of care.We recognised early on that using a system and learning approach to follow up on observations and events rather than a people and blame approach was key to developing open reporting and a positive culture. In the systems approach, errors are consequences rather than causes, having their origins in systemic factors.

Robotic partial nephrectomy vs minimally invasive radical nephrectomy for clinical T2a renal mass: a propensity score-matched comparison from the ROSULA (Robotic Surgery for Large Renal Mass) Collaborative Group.

OBJECTIVE: To compare outcomes of minimally invasive radical nephrectomy (MIS-RN) and robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) in clinical T2a renal mass (cT2aRM). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective, multicentre, propensity score-matched (PSM) comparison of RAPN and MIS-RN for cT2aRM (T2aN0M0). Cohorts were PSM for age, sex, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class, clinical tumour size, and R.E.N.A.L. score using a 2:1 ratio for RN:PN. The primary outcome was disease-free survival (DFS). Secondary outcomes included overall survival (OS), complication rates, and de novo estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <45 mL/min/1.73 m2 . Multivariable (MVA) and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses (KMSA) were conducted. RESULTS: In all, 648 patients (216 RAPN/432 MIS-RN) were matched. There were no significant differences in intraoperative complications (P = 0.478), Clavien-Dindo Grade ≥III complications (P = 0.063), and re-admissions (P = 0.238). The MVA revealed high ASA class (hazard ratio [HR] 2.7, P = 0.044) and sarcomatoid (HR 5.3, P = 0.001), but not surgery type (P = 0.601) to be associated with all-cause mortality. Increasing R.E.N.A.L. score (HR 1.31, P = 0.037), high tumour grade (HR 2.5, P = 0.043), and sarcomatoid (HR 2.8, P = 0.02) were associated with recurrence, but not surgery (P = 0.555). Increasing age (HR 1.1, P < 0.001) and RN (HR 3.9, P < 0.001) were predictors of de novo eGFR of <45 mL/min/1.73 m2 . Comparing RAPN and MIS-RN, KMSA revealed no significant differences for 5-year OS (76.3% vs 88.0%, P = 0.221) and 5-year DFS (78.6% vs 85.3%, P = 0.630) for pT2 RCC, and no differences for 3-year OS (P = 0.351) and 3-year DFS (P = 0.117) for pT3a upstaged RCC. The 5-year freedom from de novo eGFR of <45 mL/min/1.73 m2 was 91.6% for RAPN vs 68.9% for MIS-RN (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: RAPN had similar oncological outcomes and morbidity profile as MIS-RN, while conferring functional benefit. RAPN may be considered as a first-line option for cT2aRM.

Effect of Obesity and Overweight Status on Complications and Survival After Minimally Invasive Kidney Surgery in Patients with Clinical T2-4 Renal Masses.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of obesity and overweight on surgical, functional, and survival outcomes in patients with large kidney masses after minimally invasive surgery. Materials and Methods: Within a multicenter multinational dataset, patients found to have ≥cT2 renal mass and treated with minimally invasive (laparoscopic or robotic) kidney surgery (radical or partial nephrectomy) during the period 2003 to 2017 were abstracted. They were stratified according to the body mass index classes as normal weight (18.5-24.9 kg/m2), overweight (25.0-29.9 kg/m2), and obese (≥30.0 kg/m2). Mixed models and Cox proportional hazard regression tested differences in complication rates, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) change over time, overall mortality (OM), and disease recurrence (DR) rates. Results: Of 812 patients, 30.6% were normal weight, 42.7% were overweight, and 26.7% obese. Overweight (odds ratio 0.82, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.51-1.31, p = 0.406) and obese patients (OR: 0.81, 95% CI: 0.44-1.47, p = 0.490) experienced similar complication rates than normal weight. Moreover, no statistically significant differences in eGFR were found for overweight (p = 0.129) or obese (p = 0.166) patients compared to normal weight. However, higher OM rates were recorded in overweight (hazard ratio [HR] 3.59, 95% CI: 1.03-12.51, p = 0.044), as well as in obese, patients (HR 7.83, 95% CI: 2.20-27.83, p = 0.002). Similarly, higher DR rates were recorded in obese (HR 2.76, 95% CI: 1.40-5.44, p = 0.003) patients. Conclusions: Obese and overweight patients do not experience higher complication rates or worse eGFR after minimally invasive kidney surgery, which therefore can be deemed feasible and safe also in this subset of patients. Nevertheless, obese and overweight patients seem to carry a higher risk of OM, and therefore, they should undergo a strict follow-up after surgery.

Implementation of a health-literate patient decision aid for chest pain in the emergency department.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the implementation of a new health-literacy-tested patient decision aid for chest pain in Emergency Department (ED) patients. Outcomes included disposition, knowledge, decisional conflict and satisfaction prior to discharge. Patient health literacy was explored as a factor that may explain disparities in sub-group analysis of all outcomes. METHODS: A health-literacy adapted tool was deployed using a pre/post intervention design. Patients enrolled during the intervention period were given the adapted chest pain decision aid that was used in conversation with their emergency medicine physician to decide on their course of action prior to being discharged. RESULTS: A total of 169 participants were surveyed and used in the final analysis. Patients in the usual care group were 2.6 times more likely to be admitted for chest pain than patients in the intervention group. Knowledge scores were higher in the intervention group, while no significant differences were observed in decisional conflict and patient satisfaction, or by patient health literacy level. CONCLUSION AND PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Using the adapted chest pain decision tool in emergency medicine may improve knowledge and reduce admissions, while addressing known barriers to understanding related to patient health literacy.

Detection of carcinogen-induced bladder cancer by fluorocoxib A.

BACKGROUND: Conventional cystoscopy can detect advanced stages of bladder cancer; however, it has limitations to detect bladder cancer at the early stages. Fluorocoxib A, a rhodamine-conjugated analog of indomethacin, is a novel fluorescent imaging agent that selectively targets cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)-expressing cancers. METHODS: In this study, we have used a carcinogen N-butyl-N-4-hydroxybutyl nitrosamine (BBN)-induced bladder cancer immunocompetent mouse B6D2F1 model that resembles human high-grade invasive urothelial carcinoma. We evaluated the ability of fluorocoxib A to detect the progression of carcinogen-induced bladder cancer in mice. Fluorocoxib A uptake by bladder tumors was detected ex vivo using IVIS optical imaging system and Cox-2 expression was confirmed by immunohistochemistry and western blotting analysis. After ex vivo imaging, the progression of bladder carcinogenesis from normal urothelium to hyperplasia, carcinoma-in-situ and carcinoma with increased Ki67 and decreased uroplakin-1A expression was confirmed by histology and immunohistochemistry analysis. RESULTS: The specific uptake of fluorocoxib A correlated with increased Cox-2 expression in progressing bladder cancer. In conclusion, fluorocoxib A detected the progression of bladder carcinogenesis in a mouse model with selective uptake in Cox-2-expressing bladder hyperplasia, CIS and carcinoma by 4- and 8-fold, respectively, as compared to normal bladder urothelium, where no fluorocoxib A was detected. CONCLUSIONS: Fluorocoxib A is a targeted optical imaging agent that could be applied for the detection of Cox-2 expressing human bladder cancer.

Effect of 3-Dimensional Virtual Reality Models for Surgical Planning of Robotic-Assisted Partial Nephrectomy on Surgical Outcomes: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Planning complex operations such as robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy requires surgeons to review 2-dimensional computed tomography or magnetic resonance images to understand 3-dimensional (3-D), patient-specific anatomy. Objective: To determine surgical outcomes for robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy when surgeons reviewed 3-D virtual reality (VR) models during operative planning. Design, Setting, and Participants: A single-blind randomized clinical trial was performed. Ninety-two patients undergoing robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy performed by 1 of 11 surgeons at 6 large teaching hospitals were prospectively enrolled and randomized. Enrollment and data collection occurred from October 2017 through December 2018, and data analysis was performed from December 2018 through March 2019. Interventions: Patients were assigned to either a control group undergoing usual preoperative planning with computed tomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging only or an intervention group where imaging was supplemented with a 3-D VR model. This model was viewed on the surgeon's smartphone in regular 3-D format and in VR using a VR headset. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome measure was operative time. It was hypothesized that the operations performed using the 3-D VR models would have shorter operative time than those performed without the models. Secondary outcomes included clamp time, estimated blood loss, and length of hospital stay. Results: Ninety-two patients (58 men [63%]) with a mean (SD) age of 60.9 (11.6) years were analyzed. The analysis included 48 patients randomized to the control group and 44 randomized to the intervention group. When controlling for case complexity and other covariates, patients whose surgical planning involved 3-D VR models showed differences in operative time (odds ratio [OR], 1.00; 95% CI, 0.37-2.70; estimated OR, 2.47), estimated blood loss (OR, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.04-3.78; estimated OR, 4.56), clamp time (OR, 1.60; 95% CI, 0.79-3.23; estimated OR, 11.22), and length of hospital stay (OR, 2.86; 95% CI, 1.59-5.14; estimated OR, 5.43). Estimated ORs were calculated using the parameter estimates from the generalized estimating equation model. Referent group values for each covariate and the corresponding nephrometry score were summed across the covariates and nephrometry score, and the sum was exponentiated to obtain the OR. A mean of the estimated OR weighted by sample size for each nephrometry score strata was then calculated. Conclusions and Relevance: This large, randomized clinical trial demonstrated that patients whose surgical planning involved 3-D VR models had reduced operative time, estimated blood loss, clamp time, and length of hospital stay. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifiers (1 registration per site): NCT03334344, NCT03421418, NCT03534206, NCT03542565, NCT03556943, and NCT03666104.

Robotic versus laparoscopic radical nephrectomy: a large multi-institutional analysis (ROSULA Collaborative Group).

OBJECTIVE: To compare the outcomes of robotic radical nephrectomy (RRN) to those of laparoscopic radical nephrectomy (LRN) for large renal masses. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of RRN and LRN cases performed for large (≥ cT2) renal masses from 2004 to 2017 and collected in the multi-institutional international database (ROSULA: RObotic SUrgery for LArge renal masses). Peri-operative, functional, and oncologic outcomes were compared between each approach. Descriptive analyses were performed and presented as medians with interquartile ranges. Inverse probability of treatment weighting-adjusted multivariable analyses were used to identify predictors of peri-operative complications. Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression models were used to assess survival outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 941 patients (RRN = 404, LRN = 537) were identified. There was no difference in terms of gender, age, and clinical tumor size. Over the study period, RRN had an annual increase of 11.75% (95% CI [7.34, 17.01] p < 0.001) and LRN had an annual decline of 5.39% (95% CI [-6.94, -3.86] p < 0.001). Patients undergoing RRN had higher BMI (27.6 [IQR 24.8-31.1] vs. 26.5 [24.1-30.0] kg/m2, p < 0.01). Operative duration was longer for RRN (185.0 [150.0-237.2] vs. 126 [90.8-180.0] min, p < 0.001). Length of stay was shorter for RRN (3.0 [2.0-4.0] vs. 5.0 [4.0-7.0] days, p < 0.001). RRN cases presented more advanced disease (higher pathologic staging [pT3-4 52.5 vs. 24.2%, p < 0.001], histologic grade [high grade 49.3 vs. 30.4%, p < 0.001], and rate of nodal disease [pN1 5.4 vs. 1.9%, p < 0.01]). Surgical approach did not represent an independent risk factor for peri-operative complications (OR 1.81 95% CI [0.97-3.39], adjusted p = 0.2). The main study limitation is the retrospective design. CONCLUSIONS: This study represents the largest known multi-center comparison between RRN and LRN. The two procedures seem to offer similar peri-operative outcomes. Notably, RRN has been increasingly utilized, especially in the setting of more advanced and surgically challenging disease without increasing the risk of peri-operative complications.