Early Discharge From Intensive Care After Cardiac Surgery is Feasible With an Adequate Fast Track, Stepdown Unit: Waikato Experience.

BACKGROUND: Enhanced recovery programs within cardiothoracic surgery are a well described benefit to patient postoperative outcomes. We describe our Australasian unit's experience of a day zero discharge enhanced recovery unit from the intensive care department. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on a prospectively maintained database at Waikato Cardiothoracic Unit from September 2014 till October 2017 with 1,739 patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Twenty-two (22) patients were excluded as deaths either intraoperative or in the intensive care unit (ICU) and therefore never discharged. Total population of the study was 1,717 patients. The primary endpoint of this study was to determine if there is no survival disadvantage for the day zero discharge unit compared to standard treatment in ICU at follow-up. The secondary endpoint of the study was to highlight the association between pre and postoperative variables and the impact on discharge from the ICU. RESULTS: One hundred sixty-eight (168) patients were discharged to the enhanced recovery unit (ERU) day zero. Mean number of hours spent in ICU for the day zero cohort was 7.18 (±1.59. Mean Age 62.5 (±11.22), M:F 4.25:1. Patients were more likely to be discharged day zero if they had a lower EuroSCORE II 1.57 (±1.67) and lower preoperative creatinine 89.4 (±27.5). Those admitted to the ERU on day zero postoperatively were more likely to be discharged with a lower creatinine level, a higher haemoglobin level and have less readmissions per 30days (p<0.05). Survival analysis demonstrated that the patients who were discharged early from ICU had significantly better follow-up survival compared to those who were discharged after 24hours (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: A fast track unit increases the efficiency of an ICU and cardiac surgical department. With the advancements of cardiac surgery a higher number of patients will be suitable for a fast track method. Our unit has demonstrated that a day zero fast track unit in New Zealand can perform with adequate patient safety with no increased risk of mortality and with low rates of failure of the day zero discharge fast track therapy.

Distal pancreatectomy, splenectomy, and celiac axis resection (DPS-CAR): common hepatic arterial stump pressure should determine the need for arterial reconstruction.

BACKGROUND: Tumors arising in the neck and body of the pancreas often invade the common hepatic artery and celiac axis (CA), necessitating distal pancreatectomy, splenectomy, and celiac axis resection (DPS-CAR). In these patients, the need for revascularization of the common hepatic artery (CHA) can be avoided on the basis of the pressure change in the CHA after clamping of the CA. METHODS: All patients presenting to North Shore Hospital Campus of University of Sydney with advanced pancreatic malignancy of the neck and body between 2007 and 2014 were included in the study. The pressure in the CHA was measured pre- and postclamping of the CA; a decrease of more than 25% in the mean arterial pressure necessitated vascular reconstruction of the CHA. RESULTS: Seven patients underwent a DPS-CAR between 2007 and 2014. Arterial reconstruction was required in 2 patients based on a decrease of >25% mean arterial pressure in the CHA after clamping the CA. There was no in hospital or 90-day mortality, and no patients developed ischemic hepatitis. CONCLUSION: A single-stage DPS-CAR with selective arterial reconstruction based on the CHA pressure change after clamping the CA is a safe approach.