A modified Delphi process to establish research priorities in hernia surgery.

BACKGROUND: Abdominal wall hernia repair is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures worldwide, yet despite this, there remains a lack of high-quality evidence to support best management. The aim of the study was to use a modified Delphi process to determine future research priorities in this field. METHODS: Stakeholders were invited by email, using British Hernia Society membership details or Twitter, to submit individual research questions via an online survey. In addition, questions obtained from a patient focus group (PFG) were collated to form Phase I. Two rounds of prioritization by stakeholders (phases II and III) were then completed to determine a final list of research questions. All questions were analyzed on an anonymized basis. RESULTS: A total of 266 questions, 19 from the PFG, were submitted by 113 stakeholders in Phase I. Of these, 64 questions were taken forward for prioritization in Phase II, which was completed by 107 stakeholders. Following Phase II analysis, 97 stakeholders prioritized 36 questions in Phase III. This resulted in a final list of 14 research questions, 3 of which were from the PFG. Stakeholders included patients and healthcare professionals (consultant surgeons, trainee surgeons and other multidisciplinary members) from over 27 countries during the 3 phases. CONCLUSION: The study has identified 14 key research priorities pertaining to abdominal wall hernia surgery. Uniquely, these priorities have been determined from participation by both healthcare professionals and patients. These priorities should now be addressed by well-designed, high-quality international collaborative research.

Closure of the appendiceal stump in laparoscopic appendectomy: A systematic review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Closure of the appendiceal stump is a key step performed during laparoscopic appendicectomy. Inadequate management of the appendiceal stump has the potential to cause significant morbidity. Several methods of stump closure have been described, however high-level evidence is limited. We performed a systematic review evaluating clinical outcomes and quality of the evidence for the methods of appendiceal stump closure. METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed using Medline, Embase, Cochrane Database and Google Scholar to identify studies comparing appendiceal stump closure methods in laparoscopic appendectomy for acute appendicitis from inception to October 2019. Data regarding operative duration, peri-operative complications, length of stay and costs were collated from all included studies. RESULTS: From 160 identified studies, 19 met the inclusion criteria. Endoloops and endoclips provide equivalent clinical outcomes at lower cost, while operative duration was shortest with endoclip closure. Endostapler devices have the lowest rate of peri-operative complications (3.56%), however their cost limits their regular use in many healthcare environments. Post-operative complication rate and length of stay were similar for all stump closure methods. Conclusion: Although there are no significant differences in method of stump closure in laparoscopic appendectomy, closure with endoclips provides the shortest operative duration. There is a need for robust and standardized reporting of cost data when comparing stump closure methods, together with higher level evidence in the form of multi-centre randomized controlled trials before firm conclusions can be drawn regarding the optimal method of stump closure.

What is the Operative Cost of Managing Acute Appendicitis in the NHS: The Impact of Stump Technique and Perioperative Imaging.

BACKGROUND: Acute appendicitis is a common surgical emergency that is typically managed with laparoscopic appendicectomy in UK centres. A number of variables influence the cost of managing this condition. Our aim was to identify the major influencing factors in our centre by performing a cumulative cost analysis. METHODS: We retrospectively analysed the costs associated with 99 cases of acute appendicitis managed with laparoscopic appendicectomy at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, from January 2014 to February 2016. Costs were categorised according to blood tests, imaging, medications, operative costs and length of stay. RESULTS: Our cohort included 66 males, 33 females and 28 paediatric cases. The total cost was £220030.52 with a mean of £2222.53 per patient. The factor with the greatest influence on overall cost was operative time (53.2%) followed by length of stay (39.2%). There was no cost difference between adults and children (p = 0.24) or males and females (p = 0.38). Mean cost in adults ≥50 years was greater than those <50 years (£2899.32 vs £2152.97, p = 0.008) and greater in those who underwent imaging as opposed to no imaging (£2789.53 vs £2010.65, p = 0.0001). For appendiceal stump technique, polymer clips were cheaper (£1844.70) than ligatures (£2380.11, p = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Operative time (53.2%) and length of stay (39.2%) had the greatest impact on the cost in our cohort. Older patients have a greater overall cost, and this is associated with increased utilisation of imaging. Further studies assessing the safety and feasibility of methods to reduce operative time and to investigate the safety of reducing length of stay are required.

Documentation of Pregnancy Status, Gynaecological History, Date of Last Menstrual Period and Contraception Use in Emergency Surgical Admissions: Time for a Change in Practice?

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether pregnancy status, gynaecological history, date of last menstrual period and contraceptive use are documented in emergency female admissions of reproductive age admitted to general surgery. DESIGN: This is a retrospective study. SETTING: This study was conducted in the United Kingdom. POPULATION: Females of reproductive age (12-50 years) admitted as an emergency to general surgery with abdominal pain were considered in this study. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of medical notes of emergency female admissions with abdominal pain between January and September 2012. We recorded whether a pregnancy test result was documented (cycle 1). Results were analysed and a prompt added to the medical clerk-in document. We re-audited (cycle 2) between January and June 2013 looking for improvement. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Documented pregnancy status within 24 h of admission and prior to any surgical intervention. RESULTS: 100 case notes were reviewed in stage 1. 30 patients (30 %) had a documented pregnancy status. 32 (32 %), 25 (25 %) and 29 (29 %) had a documented gynaecology history, contraceptive use and date of last menstrual period (LMP), respectively. 24 patients underwent emergency surgery, 6 (25 %) had a documented pregnancy status prior to surgery. Of 50 patients reviewed in stage 2, 37 (75.0 %) had a documented pregnancy status (p < 0.001), with 41 (82 %) having both gynaecological history (p < 0.0001) and contraceptive use (p < 0.0001) documented. 40 patients (80 % had a documented LMP (p < 0.0001). 7 patients required surgery, of whom 6 (85.7 %) had a documented pregnancy test prior to surgery (p = 0.001). All pregnancy tests were negative. CONCLUSIONS: A simple prompt in the surgical admission document has significantly improved the documentation of pregnancy status and gynaecological history in our female patients, particularly in those who require surgical intervention. A number of patient safety concerns were addressed locally, but require a coordinated, interdisciplinary discussion and a national guideline. A minimum standard of care, in females of reproductive age, should include mandatory objective documentation of pregnancy status, whether or not they require surgical intervention.

30-Day and 1-year mortality in emergency general surgery laparotomies: an area of concern and need for improvement?

AIMS: Emergency surgery is associated with poorer outcomes and higher mortality with recent studies suggesting the 30-day mortality to be 14-15%. The aim of this study was to analyse the 30-day mortality, age-related 30-day mortality and 1-year mortality following emergency laparotomy. We hope this will encourage prospective data collection, improvement of care and initiate strategies to establish best practice in this area. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of patients who underwent emergency laparotomy from June 2010 to May 2012. The primary end point of the study was 30-day mortality, age-related 30-day mortality and 1-year all-cause mortality. RESULTS: 477 laparotomies were performed in 446 patients. 57% were aged <70 and 43% aged >70 years. 30-day mortality was 12, 4% in those aged <70 years and 22% in those >70 years (p < 0.001). 1-year mortality was 25, 15% in those aged under 70 years and 38% in those aged >70 years (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Emergency laparotomy carries a high rate of mortality, especially in those over the age of 70 years, and more needs to be done to improve outcomes, particularly in this group. This could involve increasing acute surgical care manpower, early recognition of patients requiring emergency surgery, development of clear management protocols for such patients or perhaps even considering centralisation of emergency surgical services to specialist centres with multidisciplinary teams involving emergency surgeons and care of the elderly physicians in hospital and related community outreach services for post-discharge care.