Modern-Day Practice of DCD Liver Transplantation: Controversies, Innovations, and Future Directions.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Over the past decade, donation after circulatory death (DCD) liver transplantation has expanded in the United States due to improved surgical experience and perioperative management. Despite these advances, there remains a reluctance towards broader utilization of DCD liver allografts due to lack of standardized donation process, concern for inferior graft survival, and risk of ischemic cholangiopathy associated with temporary lack of oxygenated perfusion during withdrawal of life-supporting treatment during procurement. RECENT FINDINGS: New perfusion technologies offer potential therapeutic options to mitigate biliary complications and expand utilization of marginal DCD grafts. As these modalities enter routine clinical practice, DCD utilization will continue to increase, and liver allocation policies in turn will evolve to reflect this growing practice. This review describes recent progress in DCD LT, current challenges with utilization of DCD liver allografts, and how novel technologies and policies could impact the future of the field.

Heterogeneity in transplant center responses to the minimum acceptance criteria across UNOS regions.

Transplantation of organs from increased risk donors for infection transmission (IRDs) is increasing. These organs confer survival benefit to recipients. This study examined transplant center acceptance policies for IRD kidneys across United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) regions, based on transplant centers' annual responses to the Minimum Acceptance Criteria (MAC) for acceptance of IRD kidneys, and the association with national and regional IRD kidney utilization. De-identified MAC responses from all transplant centers in the United States from 2007 to 2019 were obtained. Implementation of MAC responses into practice was evaluated based on annual rates of recovery and transplantation of IRD kidneys, by MAC and UNOS region. Nationally, the number of transplant centers willing to accept IRD kidneys across all criteria increased from 22% in 2007 to 64% in 2019. Acceptance rates increased markedly from donors with intravenous drug use and other potential HIV exposures. However, significant heterogeneity exists in transplant center willingness to accept IRD kidneys, both regionally and between criteria. Trends towards increasing acceptance are strongly associated with higher rates of recovery and transplantation of IRD kidneys. Further research on provider- and center-based refusal to consider IRD kidneys for waitlisted patients is needed to improve utilization of this organ pool.

Long-Term Outcomes of Early Experience in Donation After Circulatory Death Liver Transplantation: Outcomes at 10 Years.

BACKGROUND Donation after circulatory death (DCD) livers remain an underutilized pool of transplantable organs due to concerns of inferior long-term patient survival (PS) and graft survival (GS), which factors greatly into clinician decision-making and patient expectations. MATERIAL AND METHODS This retrospective study used SRTR data to assess 33 429 deceased-donor liver transplants (LT) and compared outcomes between DCD and donation after brain death (DBD) LT recipients in the United States. Data were collected from 2002 to 2008 to obtain 10 years of follow-up (2012-2018) in the era of MELD implementation. Propensity scores for donor type (DCD vs DBD) were estimated using logistic regression, and the association of donor type with 10-year outcomes was evaluated after adjustment using stabilized inverse probability of treatment weights. RESULTS After adjusting for confounders, patient survival for DBD recipients at 10 years was 60.7% versus 57.5% for DCD recipients (P=0.24). Incorporating retransplants, 10-year adjusted patient survival was 60.2% for DBD recipients versus 55.5% for DCD recipients (P=0.07). Adjusted 10-year graft survival for DBD recipients was 56.4% versus 45.4% for DCD recipients (P<0.001). Surprisingly, however, 1 year after LT, DBD and DCD graft failure rates converged to 7.5% over the remaining 9 years. CONCLUSIONS These data reveal inferior 10-year DCD graft survival, but only in the first year after LT, and similar 10-year patient survival in DCD LT recipients compared to DBD recipients. Our results show the stability and longevity of DCD grafts, which should encourage the increased utilization of these livers for transplantation.

The Changing Impact of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease in Clinical Practice.

OBJECTIVES: The National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) database was utilized to understand evolving national trends in diagnosis and management of reflux. METHODS: The NAMCS database was queried for visits related to gastroesophageal reflux diagnosis and management. Analysis performed for time periods 1998-2001, 2002-2005, and 2006-2009 was weighted to provide national estimates of care. Results were compared to previously reported time periods from 1990 to 2001 to evaluate patterns in overall visits, age and ethnicity of patients, provider type, and prescriptions provided. RESULTS: The number of ambulatory visits for reflux increased from 8 684 000 in 1998-2001 to 15 750 000 in 2006-2009. Visits increased across each time period for internal medicine, family, and gastroenterology physicians. Among otolaryngologists, absolute visits increased from 1998-2001 to 2002-2005 but decreased in 2006-2009; difference between these time periods did not reach statistical significance. From 1998-2001 to 2006-2009, reflux medication use increased 233%, with continuing trends toward increased proton pump inhibitor use. CONCLUSIONS: Reflux visits have increased across all demographic subgroups studied. Knowledge of these trends may inform further paradigm shifts in diagnosis and management of reflux.

Is Selectively Not Resurfacing the Patella an Acceptable Practice in Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty?

BACKGROUND: To resurface or not to resurface the patella remains a controversy in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The purpose of this study was to assess the long-term outcomes associated with selectively not resurfacing the patella. METHODS: This was a historical cohort study of 15,497 patients with 21,371 primary TKA procedures performed at a single institution between 1985 and 2010. The cohort included 402 (2%) knees with unresurfaced patellae and 20,969 knees with all-polyethylene patellae designs. Reasons for not resurfacing the patella were documented. Multivariable Cox regression analyses were used to estimate the risk of complications and revisions among procedures with unresurfaced patellae. RESULTS: According to the surgeon, reasons for not resurfacing were normal cartilage (226, 56%), young patient (30, 8%), thin patella (53, 13%), and surgeons' choice (93, 23%). In age, sex, and calendar year-adjusted analyses, the risk of complications (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.25, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.06, 1.46) and all-cause revisions (HR: 1.39, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.89) were significantly higher after TKA with unresurfaced patellae. However, after adjusting for femoral component types and operative diagnoses, these associations were no longer significant. The only group with significantly worse outcomes were those with a thin patellae with increased risk of complications (HR: 2.66, 95% CI: 1.70, 4.17) and revisions (HR: 5.94, 95% CI: 2.35, 15.02). Yet, the excess risk in the thin patellae group was mainly due to infections, and not related to unresurfaced patellae. CONCLUSION: Selectively not resurfacing the patella seemed to provide similar results compared with routine resurfacing.

Increased Risk of Postoperative Complications After Total Knee Arthroplasty in Patients With Previous Patellectomy.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have reported the results of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in patients with previous patellectomy. The purpose of this study was to assess the risk of complications and survivorship of primary TKA in patients who previously had a patellectomy in comparison to those undergoing TKA with patellar resurfacing. METHODS: This was a historical cohort study and comprised 134 knees with previous patellectomy in a cohort of 17,946 primary TKA procedures at a single institution between 1985 and 2010. Multivariable Cox regression analyses were used to estimate the risk of complications and revisions in patients with previous patellectomy. RESULTS: When compared to TKA with patellar resurfacing, the risk of complications (hazards ratio: 1.38, 95% confidence interval: 1.05, 1.81) was significantly higher in post-patellectomy knees, but there was no difference in the risk of revisions (hazards ratio: 1.32, 95% confidence interval: 0.80, 2.18). There was no significant difference between the posterior-stabilized and cruciate-retaining designs in terms of both complications and revisions (P > .05). The most common complications in post-patellectomy knees were instability, delayed healing, and infection. CONCLUSION: TKA patients with previous patellectomy have a higher risk of complications but not a higher risk of revisions.

Yield and Predictors of Epilepsy Surgery Candidacy in Children Admitted for Surgical Evaluation.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify preadmission variables that are prognostic of epilepsy surgical candidacy for children admitted into an epilepsy-monitoring unit. METHODS: This study is a retrospective review of patients 0-18 years who were admitted into the pediatric epilepsy-monitoring unit at Mayo Clinic between November 2010 and December 2013 to assess for surgery candidacy for medically intractable epilepsy. Demographic data, epilepsy details, treatments, electroencephalograph and imaging results, and the consensus notes of the epilepsy surgery conferences were collected. RESULTS: One hundred and forty eight children underwent inpatient, prolonged video-electroencephalograph monitoring for presurgical evaluation, of which 136 had their typical events recorded. Five recommended for callosotomy alone were excluded and 131 composed the study group. Of these 131, the epilepsy surgery conference consensus deemed that 69 were surgical candidates, of which 45 (65%) underwent resective surgery. Chi-square analysis found seven preadmission predictors of surgical candidacy: single semiology at seizure onset (P < 0.001), structural etiology (P < 0.001), one or more interictal foci all in the same hemisphere (P < 0.004), focal background electroencephalograph slowing (P < 0.001), focal or hemispheric abnormality on magnetic resonance imaging (P < 0.001), male sex (P = 0.02), and normal development (P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of fewer than four predictors was suggestive of low likelihood of candidacy (<31%), whereas if more than four factors were present, 91% were found to be surgical candidates. These findings facilitate clinical decision-making for providers in a cost-effective manner and provide realistic expectations for families.