Assessing textbook outcomes following major liver surgery in association with obesity at a referral academic center.

INTRODUCTION: Outcomes of major surgeries in tertiary educational hospitals have been complicated by the referral of high-risk patients and the participation of trainees in surgical procedures. We analyzed outcomes of major hepatectomies in a tertiary academic setting emphasizing the role of training and obesity on textbook outcomes (TO). MATERIALS AND METHODS: 971 adult patients who underwent open major hepatectomy (Mesohepatectomy [n = 111], hemihepatectomy [n = 610], and extended hepatectomy [n = 250]) were evaluated. A TO was defined as: a negative resection margin, no grade B/C bile leak, no major complications, no in-hospital mortality, and no 30-day readmission. TOs were compared following operations performed by senior surgeons and those performed by junior surgeons under the supervision of senior surgeons and between patients with and without obesity. RESULTS: TO was achieved in 70.1% of patients overall (78.4% in mesohepatectomy, 73.1% in hemihepatectomy, and 59.2% in extended hepatectomy). The rate of TO was similar following operations performed by and supervised by a senior surgeon (69.3% vs 71.0%, p = 0.570). The rate of TO was significantly lower in patients with obesity (41.5% vs 74.6%, p < 0.001). Factors including increased age (odds ratio [OR] for 10-year increase = 0.83, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.73-0.96, p = 0.009), obesity (OR = 0.25, 95%CI: 0.16-0.37, p < 0.001), biliodigestive anastomosis (OR = 0.27, 95%CI: 0.19-0.40, p < 0.001), and portal vein resection (OR = 0.49, 95%CI: 0.28-0.87, p = 0.014) lower the rate of TO. CONCLUSION: Promising outcomes are possible after major hepatectomy in an academic setting. Obese patients and those undergoing more complex surgeries had a higher risk of poor postoperative outcomes.

Surgical management of primary liver cancers during the COVID-19 pandemic: overcoming the dilemma with standardization.

BACKGROUND: The present study evaluates the impact of the pandemic on outcomes after surgical treatment for primary liver cancer in a high-volume hepatopancreatobiliary surgery center. METHODS: Patients, who underwent liver resection for primary liver resection between January 2019 and February 2020, comprised pre-pandemic control group. The pandemic period was divided into two timeframes: early pandemic (March 2020-January 2021) and late pandemic (February 2021-December 2021). Liver resections during 2022 were considered as the post-pandemic period. Peri-, and postoperative patient data were gathered from a prospectively maintained database. RESULTS: Two-hundred-eighty-one patients underwent liver resection for primary liver cancer. The number of procedures decreased by 37.1% during early phase of pandemic, but then increased by 66.7% during late phase, which was comparable to post-pandemic phase. Postoperative outcomes were similar between four phases. The duration of hospital stay was longer during the late phase, but not significantly different compared to other groups. CONCLUSION: Despite an initial reduction in number of surgeries, COVID-19 pandemic had no negative effect on outcomes of surgical treatment for primary liver cancer. The structured standard operating protocol in a high-volume and highly specialized surgical center can withstand negative effects, a pandemic may have on treatment of patients.

Repeat liver resection for recurrent intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is a relatively rare malignancy. The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate outcomes of repeat liver resection and non-surgical approaches for treatment of recurrent ICC. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases were searched from their inception until March 2021 for studies of patients with recurrent ICC. Studies not published in English were excluded. Two meta-analyses were performed: a single-arm meta-analysis of studies reporting pooled short- and long-term outcomes after repeat liver resection for recurrent ICC (meta-analysis A), and a meta-analysis of studies comparing 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates after repeat liver resection and non-surgical approaches for recurrent ICC (meta-analysis B). RESULTS: Of 543 articles retrieved in the search, 28 were eligible for inclusion. Twenty-four studies (390 patients) were included in meta-analysis A and nine studies (591 patients) in meta-analysis B. After repeat liver resection, 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates were 87 (95 per cent c.i. 81 to 91), 58 (48 to 68), and 39 (29 to 50) per cent respectively. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates were higher after repeat liver resection than without surgery: odds ratio 2.70 (95 per cent c.i. 1.28 to 5.68), 2.89 (1.15 to 7.27), and 5.91 (1.59, 21.90) respectively. CONCLUSION: Repeat liver resection is a suitable strategy for recurrent ICC in selected patients. It improves short- and long-term outcomes compared with non-surgical treatments.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of endoscopic ultrasound drainage for the management of fluid collections after pancreas surgery.

BACKGROUND: The outcomes of endoscopic ultrasonography-guided drainage (EUSD) in treatment of pancreas fluid collection (PFC) after pancreas surgeries have not been evaluated systematically. The current systematic review and meta-analysis aim to evaluate the outcomes of EUSD in patients with PFC after pancreas surgery and compare it with percutaneous drainage (PCD). METHODS: PubMed and Web of Science databases were searched for studies reporting outcomes EUSD in treatment of PFC after pancreas surgeries, from their inception until January 2022. Two meta-analyses were performed: (A) a systematic review and single-arm meta-analysis of EUSD (meta-analysis A) and (B) two-arm meta-analysis comparing the outcomes of EUSD and PCD (meta-analysis B). Pooled proportion of the outcomes in meta-analysis A as well as odds ratio (OR) and mean difference (MD) in meta-analysis B was calculated to determine the technical and clinical success rates, complications rate, hospital stay, and recurrence rate. ROBINS-I tool was used to assess the risk of bias. RESULTS: The literature search retrieved 610 articles, 25 of which were eligible for inclusion. Included clinical studies comprised reports on 695 patients. Twenty-five studies (477 patients) were included in meta-analysis A and eight studies (356 patients) were included in meta-analysis B. In meta-analysis A, the technical and clinical success rates of EUSD were 94% and 87%, respectively, with post-procedural complications of 14% and recurrence rates of 9%. Meta-analysis B showed comparable technical and clinical success rates as well as complications rates between EUSD and PCD. EUSD showed significantly shorter duration of hospital stay compared to that of patients treated with PCD. CONCLUSION: EUSD seems to be associated with high technical and clinical success rates, with low rates of procedure-related complications. Although EUSD leads to shorter hospital stay compared to PCD, the certainty of evidence was low in this regard.

Comparison of Continuous Epidural Infusion of Bupivacaine and Fentanyl Versus Patient Controlled Analgesia Techniques for Labor Analgesia: A Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT).

BACKGROUND: To diminish labor pain, several techniques have been used in developed countries. In the current randomized controlled trial, the use of epidural analgesia via PCEA pump with and without background infusion of analgesic was studied. METHODS: In this double-blinded controlled trial, 60 women were enrolled and randomly assigned to study groups for receiving epidural analgesia during labor. All patients received initial bullous dose including 125 mg bupivacaine and 3 mg/ml fentanyl, and the first group patient (CI) received background infusion of 8 ml/hr and the second group (PCEA) received 10 ml bullous dose of 125 mg bupivacaine combined with 100 mcg fentanyl (2 ml) via epidural catheter. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) of 0-10 was measured 20 min after drug injection. The chi-square and student T-test were used for comparing variables between groups, and 0.05 was considered as the level of significance. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in terms of demographic variables. Mean duration of the second stage of labor was significantly lower in patients received continuous infusion (CI) (p<0.0001). However, the total administered fentanyl dose was significantly higher in patients who underwent PCEA (p<0.0001). Besides, the CI group had a significantly lower rate of patient-controlled injection compared to PCEA patients (p<0.0001). However, there was no significant difference between patients' satisfaction and VAS in study groups. CONCLUSION: Epidural analgesia using PCEA combined with continuous infusion did not provide higher analgesia or patients' satisfaction compared to PCEA alone; however, it led to a decreased rate of drug injection and total administered dosage.

Factors related to the non-adherence of medication and nonpharmacological recommendations in high blood pressure patients.

Introduction: Many studies have been conducted on non-adherence with the antihypertensive treatment regime in various countries, considering the burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) on the public health system, it is essential to carry out studies in this regard. Methods: Patients with hypertension evaluated at the family medicine clinic of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences were enrolled using simple sampling. Data gathering tool was a questionnaire consisting of three sections including the Hill-Bone compliance questionnaire, the disease characteristics, and patients' socioeconomic. Results: Of 254 patients with hypertension, gender, income satisfaction, the occupation and the level of education did not correlate with the acceptance of the treatment. However, the number of antihypertensive medications had a significant effect on adherence with dietary orders and appointment keeping (P<0.01 and P=0.01, respectively). The number of antihypertensive drugs could statistically significantly predict overall score obtained from the questionnaire, F (1, 251) = 22.29, P<0.018. Conclusion: Factors related to the history of the disease and socioeconomic status had no effect patients adherence with treatment; however, the number of the prescribed antihypertensive drugs is in association with higher overall scores obtained through the Hill-Bone questionnaire.

Randomized controlled trial on the comparison of chest tube drainage and needle aspiration in the treatment of primary spontaneous pneumothorax.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy of the chest tube drainage (CTD) and the needle aspiration (NA) in the treatment of primary Spontaneous pneumothorax (SP). METHODS: In a randomized controlled trial, seventy patients suffering SP were divided equally into two subgroups, as follows: (A) CTD and (B) NA. The immediate and one-week rate of the treatments was the primary endpoints. Postoperative complications, length of hospital stay and incidence of pneumothorax recurrence during one-year follow up were also recorded. RESULTS: The immediate success of treatment was 68.5% and 54.2% of patients in CTD and NA groups, respectively that showed no significant difference between study groups (P: 0.16). The complete lung expansion after one week observed in 32 (91.4%) of NA group and 33 (94.2%) patients in CTD group (P: 0.5). Pneumothorax recurrence was detected in 13 patients (4 in NA and 9 in CTD group) (P: 0.11). Mean pain intensity was significantly lower in the NA group at the first hour after the procedure, the first postoperative day and the first week after the intervention (P< 0.001). CONCLUSION: Needle aspiration (NA) can be applied as a first step treatment in patients with primary SP, considering its advantages.

Double strain probiotic effect on Helicobacter pylori infection treatment: A double-blinded randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: A decreased rate of successful helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) infection treatment has revealed serious demand for more effective regimens to eradicate infection. Therefore, probiotics have recently been considered to increase the rate of antibiotic regimens efficacy in H. pylori infections. In current randomized controlled trial, we evaluated the effect of double strain probiotic combination with standard triple therapy (STT), in the eradication rate of H. pylori infection. METHODS: In current randomized placebo-control study, all patients (176 subjects) underwent the STT for 10 days. However, the study group received triple therapy for the eradication of H. pylori with supplement of Lactobacillus probiotic for 4 weeks and placebo was administered to control group, as well. Adverse effects of the antibiotic regimen were recorded for all patients. Six weeks after the cessation of probiotic intake, all patients underwent H. Pylori with fecal antigen of test, followed by a recurrence evaluation six months later. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in demographic data and presenting symptoms between the study groups. The eradication rate of H. pylori infection was significantly higher in probiotic group (78.4%), compared to that of placebo group (64.8%) (P=0.033). In addition, adverse events were significantly less prevalent in patients that received probiotic (P=0.047). Nonetheless, there was no significant difference in terms of infection recurrence during a 6-month follow-up (P=0.07). CONCLUSION: Double strain probiotic in combination with STT increased the eradication rate of H. pylori infection, while the adverse events due to antibiotic therapy decreased.

Short-term effects of lovastatin therapy on proteinuria of type 2 diabetic nephropathy: A clinical trial study.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is characterized by albuminuria, hypertension, and a progressive decline in glomerular filtration rate. The 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A is a well-known agent that is active in lowering total plasma and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels in cases with hypercholesterolemia. Hence, in this study, proteinuria changes at the beginning and after the withdrawal of lovastatin in patients with type 2 DN (T2DN) were studied. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Lovastatin was administered for thirty male patients with T2DN and then was withdrawn. Twenty-four hours, urine creatinine and protein levels were determined. RESULTS: The mean levels of total cholesterol and LDL-C were reduced without any change in the triglyceride (TG) level while the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level was increased. There was a reverse linear correlation between the changes in the level of HDL-C and the changes in the level of 24 h urine protein after 90 days of lovastatin therapy (P = 0.007, r = -0.484). CONCLUSIONS: Short-term 3-month lovastatin therapy has no effect on proteinuria levels in patients with T2DN despite the antihyperlipidemic effects and reverse correlation of proteinuria with HDL-C.

White Blood Cell Count to Mean Platelet Volume Ratio Is a Prognostic Factor in Patients with Non-ST Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome with or without Metabolic Syndrome.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Leukocyte and platelet have been found to be associated with metabolic syndrome (MetS). We aimed to determine the usefulness of a novel marker named white blood cell count to mean platelet volume ratio (WMR) for predicting outcomes of non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) with or without MetS. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 331 NSTE-ACS individuals (60±12.5 years, 57.4% male) were enrolled and followed for a median of 24 months. MetS was identified using the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. RESULTS: Patients were divided into two groups: high WMR (WMR≥720) and low WMR (WMR<720). Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and MetS rates were significantly greater in the higher WMR group compared to those in the low WMR group (MACE: 14.3% vs. 25%, p=0.014; MetS: 50.9% vs. 75%, p<0.001). MetS was diagnosed in 62.2% of patients. MACE incidence in patients with or without MetS was comparable (p=0.737). Among MetS individuals, patients in the high WMR group had more MACE than the low WMR group (11.2% vs. 26.5%, p=0.007). However, MACE was comparable among non-MetS individuals (p=0.681). In multivariable Cox regression analysis, hazard ratios (HR) of MACE incidence for high-WMR in MetS individuals was 2.616 (95% confidence interval: 1.282-5.339, p=0.008). However, HR of MACE incidence for high WMR in non-MetS individuals was not significant. CONCLUSION: Among NSTE-ACS patients without revascularization therapy, elevated admission WMR was associated with an increased risk of developing composite MACE in MetS individuals but not in non-MetS patients.