Surgical Outcome and Microbial Colonization of Standardized Smear Locations after Pancreatic Head Resection (Pylorus-Preserving Pancreatoduodenectomy, PPPD) for Chronic Pancreatitis and Pancreatic Head Carcinoma.

Introduction: Patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP) as well as with pancreatic head carcinoma (CA) undergo the surgical intervention named "pylorus-preserving pancreatoduodenectomy according to Traverso-Longmire (PPPD)", which allowed a comparative analysis of the postoperative courses. The hypothesis was that patients with CA would have worse general as well as immune status than patients with CP due to the severity of the tumor disease and that this would be reflected in the more disadvantageous early postoperative outcome after PPPD. Methods: With the aim of eliciting the influence of the different diagnoses, the surgical outcome of all consecutive patients who underwent surgery at the Dept. of General, Abdominal, Vascular and Transplant Surgery at the University Hospital at Magdeburg between 2002 and 2015 (inclusion criterion) was recorded and comparatively evaluated. Early postoperative outcome was characterized by general and specific complication rate indicating morbidity, mortality, and microbial colonization rate, in particular surgical site infection (SSI, according to CDC criteria). In addition, microbiological findings of swabs and cultures from all compartments as well as preoperative and perioperative parameters from patient records were retrospectively documented and used for statistical comparison in this systematic retrospective unicenter observational study (design). Results: In total, 192 cases with CA (68.1%) and 90 cases with CP (31.9%) met the inclusion criteria of this study. Surprisingly, there were similar specific complication rates of 45.3% (CA) vs. 45.6% (CP; p = 0.97) and in-hospital mortality, which differed only slightly at 3.65% (CA) vs. 3.3% (CP; p = 0.591); the overall complication rate tended to be higher for CA at 23.4% vs. 14.4% (CP; p = 0.082). Overall, potentially pathogenic germs were detected in 28.9% of all patients in CP compared to 32.8% in CA (p = 0.509), and the rate of SSI was 29.7% (CA) and 24.4% (CP; p = 0.361). In multivariate analysis, CA was found to be a significant risk factor for the development of SSI (OR: 2.025; p = 0.048); the underlying disease had otherwise no significant effect on early postoperative outcome. Significant risk factors in the multivariate analysis were also male sex for SSI and microbial colonization, and intraoperatively transfused red cell packs for mortality, general and specific complications, and surgical revisions. Conclusions: Based on these results, a partly significant, partly trending negative influence of the underlying disease CA, compared to CP, on the early postoperative outcome was found, especially with regard to SSI after PPPD. This influence is corroborated by the international literature.

[Efficacy of prevention of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury in thyroid surgery]. / Effektivnost' profilaktiki povrezhdenii vozvratnogo gortannogo nerva pri operatsiyakh na shchitovidnoi zheleze.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of prevention of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury depending on thyroid gland lesion and extent of surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: There were 2412 thyroid surgeries between 2000 and 2020. Patients were divided into the main group (1689 patients) and the control group (729 patients). Patients with nodular thyroid gland lesions prevailed in both groups (987 (58.4%) and 415 (56.9%), respectively). All ones underwent atraumatic extrafascial desection and thyroid resection (ultrasonic scalpel). RESULTS. T: He upper laryngeal nerve injury occurred in 35 cases (1.4%). The number of surgeries with thyroid remnant preservation was significantly lower in the main group. The number of procedures with subtotal thyroid resection and thyroidectomy increased by 2.4 times (from 414 to 1010 operations, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Improvement of surgical treatment of thyroid gland lesions consisting in new operative technique of recurrent laryngeal nerve isolation using ultrasonic scalpel reduces the incidence of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury from 2.3% to 1%. At the same time, the number of extended procedures in the main group significantly exceeded that in the control group (by 2.5 times).

The impact of obesity on postoperative outcomes following surgery for colorectal cancer: analysis of the National Inpatient Sample 2015-2019.

BACKGROUND: The global burden of obesity has reached epidemic proportions, placing great strain on the North American healthcare system. We designed a retrospective cohort database study comparing postoperative morbidity and healthcare resource utilization between patients living with and without obesity undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer. METHODS: Adult patients undergoing resection for colorectal cancer were identified from the 2015 to 2019 National Inpatient Sample database. Patients were stratified according to obesity status (i.e., body mass index of 30 kg/m2). Propensity score matching (PSM) with 1:1 nearest-neighbour matching was performed according to demographic, operative, and hospital characteristics. The primary outcome was postoperative morbidity. Secondary outcomes included system-specific postoperative complications, postoperative mortality, length of stay, total admission healthcare cost, and post-discharge disposition. McNemar's and Wilcoxon matched pairs signed rank tests were performed. RESULTS: After PSM, 7565 non-obese and 7565 obese patients were included. Patients with obesity had a 10% increase in relative risk of overall in-hospital postoperative morbidity (23.1% versus 25.6%, P = 0.0015) and a $4564 increase in hospitalization cost ($70 248 USD versus $74 812 USD, P = 0.0004). Patients with obesity were more likely to require post-operative ICU admission (5.0% versus 8.0%, P < 0.0001) and less likely to be discharged home after their index operation (68.3% versus 64.2%, P = 0.0022). CONCLUSION: Patients with obesity undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer may be at an increased risk of in-hospital postoperative morbidity. They may also be more likely to have increased hospitalization costs, post-operative ICU admissions, and to not be discharged directly home. Preoperative optimization via weight loss strategies should be further explored.

Sarcopenic obesity predicts short- and long-term outcomes after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgery for gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Sarcopenic obesity (SO) affects outcomes in various malignancies. However, its clinical significance in patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) for locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC) remains unclear. This study investigated the impact of pre- and post-NAC SO on postoperative morbidity and survival. METHODS: Data from 207 patients with LAGC, who underwent NAC followed by radical gastrectomy between January 2010 and October 2019, were reviewed. Skeletal muscle mass and visceral fat area were measured pre- and post-NAC using computed tomography to define sarcopenia and obesity, the coexistence of which was defined as SO. RESULTS: Among the patients, 52 (25.1%) and 38 (18.4%) developed SO before and after NAC, respectively. Both pre- (34.6%) and post- (47.4%) NAC SO were associated with the highest postoperative morbidity rates; however, only post-NAC SO was an independent risk factor for postoperative morbidity [hazard ratio (HR) = 9.550, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.818-32.369; P < .001]. Pre-NAC SO was independently associated with poorer 3-year overall [46.2% vs. 61.3%; HR = 1.258 (95% CI = 1.023-1.547); P = .049] and recurrence-free [39.3% vs. 55.4%; HR 1.285 (95% CI 1.045-1.579); P = .017] survival. CONCLUSIONS: Pre-NAC SO was an independent prognostic factor in patients with LAGC undergoing NAC; post-NAC SO independently predicted postoperative morbidity.

Evaluating frailty using the modified frailty index for colonic diverticular disease surgery: analysis of the national inpatient sample 2015-2019.

BACKGROUND: Frailty has been associated with increased postoperative mortality and morbidity; however, the use of the modified frailty index (mFI-11) to assess patients undergoing surgery for diverticular disease has not been widely assessed. This paper aims to examine frailty, evaluated by mFI-11, to assess postoperative morbidity and mortality among patients undergoing operative intervention for colonic diverticular disease. METHODS: We used data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project National Inpatient Sample (October 1, 2015-December 31, 2019). ICD-10-CM codes were utilized to identify a cohort of adult patients with a primary admission diagnosis of diverticulitis. mFI-11 items were adapted to correspond with ICD-10-CM codes. Patients were stratified into robust (mFI < 0.27) and frail (mFI ≥ 0.27) groups. Primary outcomes were in-hospital postoperative morbidity and mortality. Secondary outcomes included system-specific postoperative complications, length of stay (LOS), total admission cost, and discharge disposition. Multivariable regression models were fit. RESULTS: Of the 26,826 patients, there were 24,194 patients with mFI-11 < 0.27 (i.e., robust) and 2,632 patients with mFI-11 ≥ 0.27 (i.e., frail). Adjusted analysis showed significant increases in postoperative mortality (aOR 2.16, 95% CI 1.38-3.38, p = 0.001) and overall postoperative morbidity (aOR 1.84, 95% CI 1.65-2.06, p < 0.001). LOS was higher in the frail group (MD 1.78 days, 95% CI 1.46-2.11, p < 0.001) as well as total cost (MD $25,495.19, 95% CI $19,851.63-$31,138.75, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: In the elective setting, a high mFI-11 (i.e., presence of the variables comprising the index) could alert clinicians to the possibility of implementing preoperative optimization strategies. In the emergent setting, a high mFI-11 may help guide prognostication for these vulnerable patients.

Preoperative aerobic fitness and perioperative outcomes in patients undergoing cystectomy before and after implementation of a national lockdown.

Background: Lower fitness is a predictor of adverse outcomes after radical cystectomy. Lockdown measures during the COVID-19 pandemic affected daily physical activity. We hypothesised that lockdown during the pandemic was associated with a reduction in preoperative aerobic fitness and an increase in postoperative complications in patients undergoing radical cystectomy. Methods: We reviewed routine preoperative cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) data collected prior to the pandemic (September 2018 to March 2020) and after lockdown (March 2020 to July 2021) in patients undergoing radical cystectomy. Differences in CPET variables, Postoperative Morbidity Survey (POMS) data, and length of hospital stay were compared. Results: We identified 267 patients (85 pre-lockdown and 83 during lockdown) who underwent CPET and radical cystectomy. Patients undergoing radical cystectomy throughout lockdown had lower ventilatory anaerobic threshold (9.0 [7.9-10.9] vs 10.3 [9.1-12.3] ml kg-1 min-1; P=0.0002), peak oxygen uptake (15.5 [12.9-19.1] vs 17.5 [14.4-21.0] ml kg-1 min-1; P=0.015), and higher ventilatory equivalents for carbon dioxide (34.7 [31.4-38.5] vs 33.4 [30.5-36.5]; P=0.030) compared with pre-lockdown. Changes were more pronounced in males and those aged >65 yr. Patients undergoing radical cystectomy throughout lockdown had a higher proportion of day 5 POMS-defined morbidity (89% vs 75%, odds ratio [OR] 2.698, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.143-6.653; P=0.019), specifically related to pulmonary complications (30% vs 13%, OR 2.900, 95% CI 1.368-6.194; P=0.007) and pain (27% vs 9%, OR 3.471, 95% CI 1.427-7.960; P=0.004), compared with pre-lockdown on univariate analysis. Conclusions: Lockdown measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic were associated with a reduction in fitness and an increase in postoperative morbidity among patients undergoing radical cystectomy.

Surgical outcomes of locally advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors after multivisceral resection: A retrospective study of 64 patients at a single institution.

To analyze the outcome in patients who have undergone multivisceral resection (MVR) for locally advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), and identify the risk factors for tumor recurrence and postoperative morbidity. Sixty-four patients who operated for locally advanced GISTs with MVR in PPeking University Cancer Hospital Sarcoma Center (PUCHSC) between 2013 and 2021 were identified. Clinicopathologic characteristics, surgical outcomes, recurrence, and 5-year recurrence-free and overall survival were evaluated. The mean age of the patients was 60 years. Mean tumor size was 11.1 cm. Complete resection was achieved in all patients. The estimated 5-year recurrence-free and overall survival were 86.6% and 90.0%, respectively. Independent factor of recurrence following surgery was mitotic count on multivariate analysis. Overall postoperative morbidity was 53.1% (n = 34). Severe morbidity was 21.9% (n = 14). The most common severe complication was clinically relevant pancreatic fistula (n = 12, 18.8%), followed by anastomotic leakage (n = 4, 6.3%) and Intraabdominal abscess (n = 4, 6.3%). Multivariate analysis showed that preoperative imatinib therapy could reduce overall morbidity. Long operation time, combined colectomy and pancreatectomy were independent risk factors for postoperative severe morbidity. Compared to partial pancreatectomy, pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) was significantly increased the incidence of severe morbidity. In conclusion, compared to systemic therapy alone, the outcome of locally advanced GISTs after MVR was more favorable. Despite the high overall morbidity, the postoperative severe morbidity and mortality of MVR were acceptable. Preoperative imatinib therapy should be recommended whenever possible. Combined pancreatectomy and colectomy are associated with significant postoperative severe morbidities. PD should be thoroughly discussed and be subject to MDT approach before surgery.

The impact of a medically directed student registered nurse anesthesia staffing model on Postprocedural patient outcomes.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: In 2018, the American Society of Anesthesiologists stated that student registered nurse anesthetists (SRNAs) "are not yet fully qualified anesthesia personnel." It remains unclear, however, whether postprocedural outcomes are affected by SRNAs providing anesthesia care under the medical direction of anesthesiologists, as compared with medically directed anesthesiology fellows or residents, or certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs). We therefore aimed to examine whether medically directed SRNAs serving as in-room anesthesia providers impact surgical outcomes. DESIGN: Retrospective, matched-cohort analysis. SETTING: Adult patients (≥18 years old) undergoing inpatient surgery between 2000 and 2017 at a tertiary academic medical center. PATIENTS: 15,365 patients exclusively cared for by medically directed SRNAs were matched to 15,365 cared for by medically directed CRNAs, anesthesiology residents, and/or fellows. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS: The primary composite outcome was postoperative occurrence of in-hospital mortality and six categories of major morbidities (infectious, bleeding, serious cardiac, gastrointestinal, respiratory, and urinary complications). In-hospital mortality was analyzed as the secondary outcome. MAIN RESULTS: In all, 30,730 cases were matched using propensity score matching to control for potential confounding. The primary outcome was identified in 2295 (7.5%) cases (7.5% with exclusive medically directed SRNAs vs 7.4% with medically directed CRNAs, residents and/or fellows; relative risk, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.94-1.11). Thus, our effort to determine noninferiority (10% difference in relative risk) with other providers was inconclusive (P = .07). However, the medically directed SRNA group (0.8% [118]) was found to be noninferior (P < .001) to the matched group (1.0% [156]) on in-hospital mortality (relative risk, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.59-0.96). CONCLUSIONS: Among 30,730 patients undergoing inpatient surgery at a single hospital, findings were inconclusive regarding whether exclusive medically directed SRNAs as in-room providers were noninferior to other providers. The use of medically directed SRNAs under this staffing model should be subject to further review. Clinical Trial and Registry URL: Not applicable.

Amiodarone-induced thyrotoxicosis: Should surgery be considered?

Amiodarone is the most widely prescribed antiarrhythmic drug worldwide, but induces thyrotoxicosis or hypothyroidism in 15 to 20% of patients. Hyperthyroidism is less frequent than hypothyroidism, and two types of thyrotoxicosis are distinguished according to presence of underlying thyroid disease. Diagnosis is made in case of low TSH and high levels of T3 and T4. Initial treatment is based on anti-thyroid drugs and/or glucocorticoids. Some patients do not respond to medication, which increases the time spent with hyperthyroidism. A long interval between diagnosis and euthyroidism and low left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) are predictive of major adverse cardiovascular events. Here, after describing the current state of knowledge of amiodarone-induced thyrotoxicosis, we analyze the literature on the impact of surgery. We suggest that early surgery should be the first option in case of ineffective medical treatment or LVEF<40%. In expert centers, surgical morbidity is no longer different than in other indications for thyroidectomy.

Long-term complications after tonsil surgery: an analysis of 54,462 patients from the Swedish Quality Register for Tonsil Surgery.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate long-term complications after tonsil surgery using an exploratory retrospective cohort study design based on data from the Swedish Quality Register for Tonsil Surgery (SQTS). Methods: All patients registered in the SQTS between 1 January 2009 and 31 May 2021 were eligible for the study. In this study, a long-term complication is defined as any complication persisting for a minimum of 6 months after surgery. The definition of a complication was based on individual patient reports, provided in a free text format, of any remaining issues 6 months after tonsil surgery. Complications were categorized as follows: disturbed taste or sense of smell, dysphagia, miscellaneous and general symptoms and signs, miscellaneous throat problems, pain or discomfort in the mouth or throat, problems with jaws or teeth, problems with the ears or hearing, problems with the nose or sinuses, problems with throat secretions or throat clearing, problems with voice or speech, and sensory symptoms. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors of long-term complications. Results: In total, 54,462 patients were included in the study. A total of 3,780 patients (6.9%) reported one or more long-term complications. The most frequent long-term complications, with a plausible connection to the surgery, were found in the following categories: pain or discomfort in the mouth or throat (1.9%), problems with throat secretions or throat clearing (0.8%), dysphagia (0.6%), and problems with voice or speech (0.6%). Tonsillotomy was associated with a lower risk of long-term complications than tonsillectomy. Conclusion: This study suggests that subjective long-term complications after tonsil surgery, in general, are relatively common (6.9%). However, complications with a plausible connection to the surgery were less common (4.0%), and specific complications seemed to be relatively rare, with no single specific problem reaching a prevalence of ≥0.6%.

Surgical complications requiring late surgical revisions after pancreatoduodenectomy increase postoperative morbidity and mortality.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatoduodenectomies are complex surgical procedures with considerable postoperative morbidity and mortality. Here, we describe complications and outcomes in patients requiring surgical revisions following pancreatoduodenectomy. METHODS: A total of 1048 patients undergoing a pancreatoduodenectomy at our institution between 2002 and 2019 were analyzed retrospectively. All patients with surgical revisions were included. Revisions were divided into early and late using a cut-off of 5 days after the first surgery. Statistical significance was examined by using chi-square tests and Fisher's exact tests. Survival analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank tests. RESULTS: A total of 150 patients with at least 1 surgical revision after pancreatoduodenectomy were included. Notably, 64 patients had a revision during the first 5 days and were classified as early revision. Compared with the 86 patients with late revisions, we found no differences concerning wound infections, delayed gastric emptying, or acute kidney failure. After late revisions, we found significantly more cases of sepsis (31.4% late versus 15.6% early, p = 0.020) and reintubation due to respiratory failure (33.7% versus 18.8%, p = 0.031). Postoperative mortality was significantly higher within the late revision group (23.2% versus 9.4%, p = 0.030). CONCLUSION: Arising complications after pancreatoduodenectomy should be addressed as early as possible as patients requiring late surgical revisions frequently developed septic complications and multiorgan failure.

Patient-reported outcome measures after periodontal surgery.

OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to explore the impact of different periodontal surgical treatments on the quality of life and postoperative morbidity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study is a single-center, prospective, observational cohort trial. One hundred fifty-five patients, referred to the Periodontal Department of Bologna University who needed periodontal surgical treatment, were recruited. The self-reported perception of the postoperative course was assessed using the following anonymous questionnaires: Italian oral health impact profile (I-OHIP-14), visual analog scale (VAS) to evaluate the intensity of the pain, and 5-point Likert scale. RESULTS: Patients reported a mean OHIP-14 total score of 9.87±8.5 (range 0-42), significantly influenced by the female sex, flap extension, and periodontal dressing. A mean VAS score of 2.96±2.39 (range 0-9) was calculated, and was found to be influenced by the presence of vertical releasing incisions and palatal flap extension. Of the 155 subjects, 40 (25.8%) patients reported bleeding as a post-surgical complication, 96 (61.9%) swelling, 105 (67.7%) eating discomfort, and 44 (28.4%) reported speech discomfort. CONCLUSIONS: Within the limitations of the nature of the present study, periodontal surgical procedures have a low impact on patients' quality of life evaluated through the OHIP-14 and VAS pain questionnaires. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Periodontal surgical procedures are safe procedures, with a limited duration of postoperative discomfort as well as the incidence of complications.

Impact of postoperative morbidity on outcomes in patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer undergoing intestinal surgery at the time of primary or interval cytoreductive surgery: A Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Team Ovary study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of short-term postoperative complications on oncologic outcomes for patients with epithelial ovarian cancer undergoing primary cytoreductive surgery (PCS) or interval cytoreductive surgery (ICS) with intestinal resection. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed for patients with ovarian cancer who underwent PCS or ICS with at least one intestinal resection at our institution from 1/1/2015 to 12/31/2020. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed for the PCS and ICS cohorts separately. Short-term complications within 30 days of surgery (surgical secondary events [SSEs]) were graded by a validated institutional SSE system. RESULTS: Among 437 patients who underwent intestinal resections during PCS (n = 289) or ICS (n = 148), 183 (42%) had one, 180 (41%) had two, and 74 (17%) had three intestinal resections. Six (1.4%) of 437 patients experienced an anastomotic leak postoperatively. There were no perioperative deaths. There was no difference in PFS and OS for patients who underwent PCS with any SSE vs. no SSE within 30 days of surgery (HR, 1.05; 95% CI: 0.76-1.47; p = 0.75 and HR, 0.79; 95% CI: 0.49-1.26; p = 0.32, respectively). There was no difference in PFS and OS for patients who underwent ICS with any SSE vs. no SSE within 30 days of surgery (HR, 1.43; 95% CI: 0.99-2.07; p = 0.055 and HR. 1.18; 95% CI: 0.72-1.93; p = 0.52, respectively. CONCLUSION: Short-term postoperative morbidity for patients who underwent intestinal surgery during primary surgical management for advanced ovarian cancer did not impact oncologic outcomes.

A comparative study between staple line reinforcement during laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy and no reinforcement: an Egyptian experience.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) has become an increasingly popular bariatric procedure. LSG still conveys some risks, including early staple line complications such as bleeding and leaks. It has been proposed that staple line complications can be reduced by staple line reinforcement (SLR). This study aimed to compare the short-term efficacy and safety of the SLR during LSG by oversewing versus no SLR in an Egyptian cohort over a period of 11 years. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective study that analyzed data from patients undergoing LSG by the same surgeon over a period of 11 years. The patients' early postoperative complications were compared according to performing SLR. RESULTS: The SLR group showed significantly longer surgery time (p = 0.021) and a lower rate of postoperative bleeding (p = 0.027). All leakage cases occurred in the non-SLR group (0.7% vs. 0.0%) without statistical significance (p = 0.212). The two mortality cases occurred in the non-SLR group. The LOS was comparable in the two groups (p = 0.289). CONCLUSION: This study confirms the short-term benefits of SLR by oversewing during LSG in terms of a lower incidence of 30-day morbidity, particularly bleeding, and lower rates of reoperation, with a clinically questionable longer operation time.

Complications in Post-Liver Transplant Patients.

Liver transplantation (LT) is the treatment of choice for liver failure and selected cases of malignancies. Transplantation activity has increased over the years, and indications for LT have been widened, leading to organ shortage. To face this condition, a high selection of recipients with prioritizing systems and an enlargement of the donor pool were necessary. Several authors published their case series reporting the results obtained with the use of marginal donors, which seem to have progressively improved over the years. The introduction of in situ and ex situ machine perfusion, although still strongly debated, and better knowledge and treatment of the complications may have a role in achieving better results. With longer survival rates, a significant number of patients will suffer from long-term complications. An extensive review of the literature concerning short- and long-term outcomes is reported trying to highlight the most recent findings. The heterogeneity of the behaviors within the different centers is evident, leading to a difficult comparison of the results and making explicit the need to obtain more consent from experts.

Preoperative Frailty Scores Predict the Early Postoperative Complications of Holmium Laser Enucleation of Prostate.

Background: Frailty is a recent multidimensional concept of a contemporary growing interest for understanding the complex health status of elderly population. We aimed to assess the impact of frailty scores on the outcome and complication rate of holmium laser enucleation of prostate (HoLEP). Methods: A 7-year data of HoLEP patients in a single tertiary referral center were reviewed. The preoperative, operative, early, and late postoperative outcome data were collected and compared according to the preoperative frailty scores. Frailty was assessed preoperatively using the Modified Hopkins frailty score. Results: The study included 837 patients categorized into two groups: group I included 533 nonfrail patients (frailty score = 0), whereas group II included 304 frail patients (frailty score ≥1). The median (interquartile range) age was 70 (11) and 75 (11) years for groups I and II, respectively (<0.001). The 30-day perioperative complication rate (p = 0.005), blood transfusion (p = 0.013), failed voiding trial (p = 0.0015), and 30-day postoperative readmission (p = 0.0363) rates were significantly higher in frail patients of group II. The two groups were statistically comparable regarding postoperative international prostate symptom score (p = 0.6886, 0.6308, 0.9781), incontinence rate (p = 0.475, 0.592, 0.1546), postvoid residual (p = 0.5801, 0.1819, 0.593) at 6 weeks and 3 months, and 1-year follow-up intervals, respectively. Conclusion: In elderly patients undergoing HoLEP, the preoperative frailty scores strongly correlate with the risk of perioperative complications. Frail patients should be counseled regarding their relative higher risk of early perioperative complications although they gain the same functional profit of HoLEP as nonfrail patients.

Impact of heart failure on reoperation in adult congenital heart disease: An innovative machine learning model.

OBJECTIVES: The study objectives were to evaluate the association between preoperative heart failure and reoperative cardiac surgical outcomes in adult congenital heart disease and to develop a risk model for postoperative morbidity/mortality. METHODS: Single-institution retrospective cohort study of adult patients with congenital heart disease undergoing reoperative cardiac surgery between January 1, 2010, and March 30, 2022. Heart failure defined clinically as preoperative diuretic use and either New York Heart Association Class II to IV or systemic ventricular ejection fraction less than 40%. Composite outcome included operative mortality, mechanical circulatory support, dialysis, unplanned noncardiac reoperation, persistent neurologic deficit, and cardiac arrest. Multivariable logistic regression and machine learning analysis using gradient boosting technology were performed. Shapley statistics determined feature influence, or impact, on model output. RESULTS: Preoperative heart failure was present in 376 of 1011 patients (37%); those patients had longer postoperative length of stay (6 [5-8] vs 5 [4-7] days, P < .001), increased postoperative mechanical circulatory support (21/376 [6%] vs 16/635 [3%], P = .015), and decreased long-term survival (84% [80%-89%] vs 90% [86%-93%]) at 10 years (P = .002). A 7-feature machine learning risk model for the composite outcome achieved higher area under the curve (0.76) than logistic regression, and ejection fraction was most influential (highest mean |Shapley value|). Additional risk factors for the composite outcome included age, number of prior cardiopulmonary bypass operations, urgent/emergency procedure, and functionally univentricular physiology. CONCLUSIONS: Heart failure is common among adult patients with congenital heart disease undergoing cardiac reoperation and associated with longer length of stay, increased postoperative mechanical circulatory support, and decreased long-term survival. Machine learning yields a novel 7-feature risk model for postoperative morbidity/mortality, in which ejection fraction was the most influential.

Robotic Rectal Resection for Rectal Cancer in Elderly Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Rectal cancer is estimated to increase due to an expanding aging population, thus affecting elderly patients more frequently. The optimal surgical treatment for this type of patient remains controversial because they are often excluded from or underrepresented in trials. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the feasibility and the safety of robotic surgery in elderly patients (>70 years old) undergoing curative treatment for rectal cancer. Studies comparing elderly (E) and young (Y) patients submitted to robotic rectal resection were searched on PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. Data regarding surgical oncologic quality, post-operative, and survival outcomes were extracted. Overall, 322 patients underwent robotic resection (81 in the E group and 241 in the Y group) for rectal cancer. No differences between the two groups were found regarding distal margins and the number of nodes yielded (12.70 in the E group vs. 14.02 in the Y group, p = 0.16). No differences were found in conversion rate, postoperative morbidity, mortality, and length of stay. Survival outcomes were only reported in one study. The results of this study suggest that elderly patients can be submitted to robotic resection for rectal cancer with the same oncologic surgical quality offered to young patients, without increasing postoperative mortality and morbidity.

The Quality of Preoperative Glycemic Control Predicts Insulin Sensitivity During Major Upper Abdominal Surgery: A Case-Control Study.

Objective: To examine the association of the quality of preoperative glycemic control and insulin sensitivity during major upper abdominal surgery. Background: In cardiac surgery, glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), an indicator of glycemic control during the preceding 3 months, correlated with intraoperative insulin sensitivity. Furthermore, insulin resistance showed a significant association with adverse clinical outcomes. Methods: This study is a post hoc exploratory analysis of a randomized controlled trial in patients undergoing elective hepatectomy and receiving the hyperinsulinemic-normoglycemic clamp (HNC) as a potential intervention to reduce surgical site infections (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01528189). Immediately before skin incision, the HNC was initiated by infusing insulin at the rate of 2 mU/kg/min. Dextrose was administered at rates titrated to maintain normoglycemia (4.0-6.0 mmol/L). The average of 3 consecutive dextrose infusion rates during steady state was used as a measure of insulin sensitivity. Primary outcome was the relationship between preoperative HbA1c and insulin sensitivity during surgery. Secondary outcomes were the associations of insulin sensitivity with the patient's body mass index (BMI) and postoperative morbidity. Results: Thirty-four patients were studied. HbA1c (Y = -0.52X + 4.8, P < 0.001, R2 = 0.29), BMI (Y = -0.12X + 5.0, P < 0.001, R2 = 0.43) showed negative correlations with insulin sensitivity. The odds ratio of postoperative complications within 30 days of surgery for every increase in insulin sensitivity by 1 mg/kg/min was 0.22 (95% confidential interval, 0.06-0.59; P = 0.009). Conclusions: We demonstrate significant associations of the quality of preoperative glycemic control and body mass index with insulin sensitivity during hepatectomy. The degree of insulin resistance correlated with postoperative morbidity.