Surgery and Anesthesia in Patients with Pulmonary Hypertension.

Pulmonary hypertension is characterized by right ventricular impairment and a reduced ability to compensate for hemodynamic insults. Consequently, surgery can be challenging but is increasingly considered in view of available specific therapies and improved longer term survival. Optimal management requires a multidisciplinary patient-centered approach involving surgeons, anesthetists, pulmonary hypertension clinicians, and intensivists. The optimal pathway involves risk:benefit assessment for the proposed operation, optimization of pulmonary hypertension and any comorbidities, the appropriate anesthetic approach for the specific procedure and patient, and careful monitoring and management in the postoperative period. Where patients are carefully selected and meticulously managed, good outcomes can be achieved.

Financial analysis of revision hip surgery at a tertiary referral centre as classified using the British Hip Society Revision Hip Complexity Classification.

Aims: The burden of revision total hip arthroplasty (rTHA) continues to grow. The surgery is complex and associated with significant costs. Regional rTHA networks have been proposed to improve outcomes and to reduce re-revisions, and therefore costs. The aim of this study was to accurately quantify the cost and reimbursement for a rTHA service, and to assess the financial impact of case complexity at a tertiary referral centre within the NHS. Methods: A retrospective analysis of all revision hip procedures was performed at this centre over two consecutive financial years (2018 to 2020). Cases were classified according to the Revision Hip Complexity Classification (RHCC) and whether they were infected or non-infected. Patients with an American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade ≥ III or BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2 are considered "high risk" by the RHCC. Costs were calculated using the Patient Level Information and Costing System (PLICS), and remuneration based on Healthcare Resource Groups (HRG) data. The primary outcome was the financial difference between tariff and cost per patient episode. Results: In all, 199 revision episodes were identified in 168 patients: 25 (13%) least complex revisions (H1); 110 (55%) complex revisions (H2); and 64 (32%) most complex revisions (H3). Of the 199, 76 cases (38%) were due to infection, and 78 patients (39%) were "high risk". Median length of stay increased significantly with case complexity from four days to six to eight days (p = 0.006) and for revisions performed for infection (9 days vs 5 days; p < 0.001). Cost per episode increased significantly between complexity groups (p < 0.001) and for infected revisions (p < 0.001). All groups demonstrated a mean deficit but this significantly increased with revision complexity (£97, £1,050, and £2,887 per case; p = 0.006) and for infected failure (£2,629 vs £635; p = 0.032). The total deficit to the NHS Trust over two years was £512,202. Conclusion: Current NHS reimbursement for rTHA is inadequate and should be more closely aligned to complexity. An increase in the most complex rTHAs at major revision centres will likely place a greater financial burden on these units.

Elective lower limb orthopedic arthroplasty surgery in patients with pulmonary hypertension.

Patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (PH) are at increased risk when undergoing anesthesia and major surgery. Data on outcomes for elective orthopedic surgery in patients with PH are limited. A patient pathway was established to provide access to elective lower limb arthroplasty. This included assessment of orthopedic needs, fitness for anesthesia, preoperative optimization, and intra- and postoperative management. Patient data were retrospectively retrieved using patient's hospital records. Between 2012 and 2020, 29 operations (21 total hip replacements [THRs], 7 total knee replacements [TKRs], 1 total hip revision) were performed in 25 patients (mean age: 67 years). Perioperatively, 72% were treated with low-dose intravenous prostanoid. All had arterial lines, and central access and perioperative lithium dilution cardiac output monitoring was used in 86% of cases. Four patients underwent GA, 21 spinal anesthesia, and 4 CSE anesthesia. Supplemental nerve blocks were performed in all patients undergoing general, and 12 of 21 undergoing spinal anesthesia. All were managed in high dependency postoperatively. Hospital length of stay and complication rates were higher than reported in non-PH patients. Perioperative complications included hypotension requiring vasopressors (n = 10), blood transfusion (n = 7), nonorthopedic infection (n = 4), and decompensated right heart failure (n = 1). There was no associated mortality. All implants were functioning well at 6 weeks and subsequent follow-up. EmPHasis-10 quality of score decreased by 5.5 (±2.1) (p = 0.04). A dedicated multiprofessional pathway can be used to safely select and manage patients with PH through elective lower limb arthroplasty.

Review of total hip arthroplasty in patients younger than 30 years: mid- to long-term results.

BACKGROUND: Data on the outcome of THA in patients under the age of 30 years is sparse. There is a perceived reluctance to offer surgery to young patients on the basis of potential early failure of the implant. The aim of this study was to review clinical and radiological outcomes of THA in patients under the age of 30 years in a high-volume specialist arthroplasty unit. METHODS: A retrospective review of patients between 1989 and 2009 was undertaken. 95 patients (118 THAs) were identified but 17 patients were excluded for lack of clinical records or for follow-up under 5 years. Clinical records were reviewed for demographics, underlying pathology, details of operation and failures. Radiographs were reviewed for evidence of loosening and wear of the components. Functional assessment was carried out using the modified Hip disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score, Oxford Hip Score and EQ-5D-5L. RESULTS: Mean age was 25 (16-30) years and 65% patients were females. The most common underlying pathologies were development dysplasia of the hip (29%) and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (25%). Mean follow-up was 12.6 (5-24) years, during which 19 patients (25%) were revised. The majority of the revisions were for aseptic loosening of the acetabular component. CONCLUSIONS: Surgeons are cautious when considering THA in very young patients despite the significant documented improvement in function and quality of life after THA. This study reports on the mid- to long-term results of THA which will be valuable when advising young patients on the prospects of revision surgery at the time of primary THA.

Effect of denosumab on osteolytic lesion activity after total hip arthroplasty: a single-centre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, proof of concept trial.

BACKGROUND: Osteolysis causes recurrent pain and disability after total hip arthroplasty. We investigated the effect of the human monoclonal antibody denosumab on osteolytic lesion activity in patients undergoing revision total hip arthroplasty surgery to show the biological proof of concept for a non-surgical treatment for the disease. METHODS: We did a phase 2, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, proof of concept superiority trial at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, Sheffield, UK. Eligible patients aged 30 years or older and scheduled for revision surgery for symptomatic, radiographically confirmed osteolysis were randomly allocated (1:1) to subcutaneous denosumab (60 mg single-dose) or placebo by an independent pharmacist using a random number table. The primary outcome was the between-group difference in osteoclast number per mm of bone surface of biopsies taken from the osteolytic membrane-bone interface at surgery 8 weeks later, measured by quantitative histomorphometry in all patients who underwent revision surgery. Adverse events were analysed in all randomly assigned participants. This trial is registered with the EU Clinical Trials Register (EudraCT 2011-000541-20). FINDINGS: Between Dec 12, 2012, and June 24, 2018, 51 patients were assessed for eligibility, of whom 24 were randomly assigned to study treatment. Two patients had their revision surgery cancelled for unrelated reasons, leaving 22 patients (ten in the denosumab group) for analysis of the primary outcome. There were 83% fewer osteoclasts at the osteolysis membrane-bone interface in the denosumab versus the placebo group (median 0·05 per mm [IQR 0·11] vs 0·30 mm [0·40], p=0·011). No deaths or treatment-related serious adverse events occurred. Seven adverse events, including one severe adverse event, occurred in four (36%) of 11 patients in the denosumab group. In the placebo group ten adverse events, including three severe adverse events, occurred in five (38%) of 13 patients. INTERPRETATION: To our knowledge, this is the first clinical trial of an investigational drug for osteolysis that shows tissue-specific biological efficacy. These results justify the need for future trials that target earlier-stage disease to test for clinical efficacy in reducing the need for revision surgery. FUNDING: Amgen.

Stay Short or Go Long? Can a Standard Cemented Femoral Prosthesis Be Used at Second-Stage Total Hip Arthroplasty Revision for Infection Following an Extended Trochanteric Osteotomy?

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to review the results of the use of a cemented, standard length, taper-slip femoral component at second stage following an extended trochanteric osteotomy (ETO). METHODS: We reviewed prospectively collected data from the hospital arthroplasty database, identifying and reviewing all patients who had undergone an ETO at first-stage revision for infection, who had subsequently undergone second-stage reimplantation. RESULTS: Over 17 years, 99 patients underwent 102 2-stage procedures with ETO at first stage, with a mean follow-up of 5.5 years; 70 of 102 patients received a standard prosthesis following ETO union and 32 of 102 patients received a long-stem prosthesis at second stage because of deficiencies in proximal femoral bone stock. There was a significant difference in the Paprosky classification between the 2 groups (P < .0001); 77% of the standard group and 52% of the long-stem group had no complications. A significant complication (infection, fracture, or dislocation) was observed in 12% patients in the standard group and 16% patients in the long-stem group. A number of radiographs were independently reviewed to assess for ETO union and complications and an intraclass correlation of 0.84 (P < .0001) was observed. CONCLUSION: A standard femoral prosthesis can be implanted at second stage following ETO union for Paprosky type I and some type II femora. There is no greater risk of complications, and distal bone stock is preserved for potential revision surgery in the future.

Effect of sliding-taper compared with composite-beam cemented femoral prosthesis loading regime on proximal femoral bone remodeling: a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: This two-year randomized clinical trial was performed to examine whether the geometry of the cemented femoral prosthesis affects the pattern of strain-adaptive bone remodeling in the proximal aspect of the femur after primary total hip arthroplasty. METHODS: One hundred and twenty patients were randomized to receive a Charnley (composite-beam), Exeter (double-tapered), or C-Stem (triple-tapered) prosthesis. The change in proximal femoral bone mineral density over two years was measured by dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Bone turnover markers were measured in urine and serum samples collected at the preoperative baseline and during the first postoperative year. N-telopeptide of type-I collagen was measured in urine as a marker of osteoclast activity, and osteocalcin was measured in serum as a marker of osteoblast activity. Clinical outcome was measured with use of the Harris and Oxford hip scores and prosthesis migration was measured with use of digitized radiographs during the first two postoperative years. RESULTS: The baseline characteristics of the subjects in each group were similar (p > 0.05). Decreases in femoral bone mineral density were observed over the first year for all prosthesis designs, with no further loss during the second year. The decreases were similar in regional distribution and magnitude between the composite-beam and sliding-taper designs (p > 0.05). Bone loss was greatest (14%) in the proximal medial aspect of the femur (Gruen zone 7). Transient increases in both N-telopeptide of type-I collagen and osteocalcin activity also occurred over the first year, and these increases were similar in pattern among the three prosthesis groups (p > 0.05). All prostheses showed migration patterns that were consistent with their design type, and similar improvements in clinical hip scores were observed over the two-year course of the study. CONCLUSIONS: Differences in the mechanism of load transfer between the prosthesis and host bone in composite-beam or sliding-taper cemented femoral prosthesis designs were not a major determinant of proximal femoral bone loss after total hip arthroplasty, and the design that included a third taper exhibited a remodeling profile that was similar to those of the double-tapered design.

Segmental stem fracture of a cemented femoral prosthesis.

We report an unusual case of segmental stem fracture in 4 places of a cemented femoral prosthesis in a 43-year-old man 4 years after total hip arthroplasty. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of segmental stem fracture. Detailed analysis of the prosthesis was performed at an independent testing laboratory. Initiation of all the cracks occurred on the medial aspect on the stem where the manufacturer's identification lettering was present, and the fractures occurred sequentially along the stem from distal to proximal. Laser etching is likely to have caused the microstructural alterations found on the surface of the stem, which, in turn, predisposed to fatigue cracking. Proximal debonding of the cement-bone interface observed in prefracture radiographs suggests that cantilever-bending stresses represented the initial mode of failure.

Accuracy of joint aspiration for the preoperative diagnosis of infection in total hip arthroplasty.

The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of radiology department-based hip aspiration for the diagnosis of infection after total hip arthroplasty. Patient selection criteria were devised so that only patients with moderate to high risk of infection were selected for hip aspiration. Seventy-three patients are included in this study, all of whom underwent revision hip surgery after aspiration. Culture results of hip aspirates were compared with the intraoperative tissue cultures at the time of revision surgery, which was used as the gold standard for diagnosing infection. Seventeen patients (23%) had infected hip joints at operative culture. The sensitivity and specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and accuracy of the hip aspiration were 0.82 and 0.91, 0.74 and 0.94, and 0.89, respectively. We conclude that hip aspiration carried out in the radiology department is reliable, but appropriate patient selection is important to obtain accurate results.