The latest medical research on General Surgery
The research magnet gathers the latest research from around the web, based on your specialty area. Below you will find a sample of some of the most recent articles from reputable medical journals about general surgery gathered by our medical AI research bot.
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Request AccessReducing Chronic Opioid Use: Long-term Impacts of Enhanced Recovery after Mastectomy Protocols.
Annals of SurgeryThis study investigates Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS®) protocols' impact on long-term opioid and sedative use following mastectomy with or without implant-based breast reconstruction (IBBR).
ERAS® protocols for patients undergoing mastectomy with or without IBBR are associated with decreased length of stay, increased rate of same-day discharge, decreased postoperative pain, and decreased postoperative opioid requirements. However, less is known about their effect on opioid and sedative use beyond 90 days after surgery.
A retrospective review of all patients undergoing mastectomy with or without IBBR at a single institution between January 2013 and December 2019. Mastectomy ERAS® protocols were implemented in February 2017, creating two groups: pre-ERAS® and ERAS®. Baseline characteristics and prevalence of chronic opioid and sedative use were compared. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression predicted factors associated with increased odds of chronic opioid and sedative use.
756 patients were evaluated: 405 pre-ERAS® and 351 ERAS®. Post-ERAS®, chronic opioid use decreased in opioid-naïve (40% vs. 30%, P=0.024) and opioid-tolerant patients (58% vs. 37%, P=0.002), with no increase in chronic sedative use. There were decreased odds of chronic opioid use for all ERAS® patients (OR=0.57, 95% CI: 0.42-0.76)), and of IBBR patients, those receiving subcutaneous implants (OR=0.31, 95% CI: 0.20-0.48). There was increased chronic opioid-use odds if undergoing bilateral surgery (OR=1.54, 95% CI: 1.14-2.08), two-stage reconstruction (OR=9.78, 95% CI: 5.94-16.09), and for patients with higher PACU pain scores (OR=1.09, 95% CI: 1.03-1.14) or >150 discharge OMEs (OR=2.63, 95% CI: 1.48-4.68).
ERAS® protocols for mastectomy patients with or without IBR are associated with decreases in chronic opioid use, without concomitant increases in chronic sedative use.
Early Experience with EndoRobotic Submucosal Dissection (ERSD): Pathologic and Short-term Outcomes in the First 28 Patients.
Annals of SurgeryTo evaluate the safety and feasibility of single-port endorobotic submucosal dissection (ERSD) using the Da Vinci SP platform for the management of rectal neoplasms.
Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) offers a potential organ-sparing treatment for advanced colorectal neoplasms but demands high technical skill and a steep learning curve. Advances in semiflexible robotic platforms, such as the Da Vinci SP, promise to simplify this procedure, potentially offering improved outcomes for patients with benign rectal neoplasms.
A retrospective analysis of 28 patients who underwent ERSD using the Da Vinci SP platform between 2020 and 2023 was performed. Patient demographics, lesion characteristics, procedure details, outcomes, and complications were reviewed. The primary endpoint was successful en-bloc resection.
The cohort had a median age of 60.5 years and a median BMI of 28.2 kg/m², predominantly male(67.8%) with ASA categories 2 or 3(82%). Lesions had a median size of 38 mm and were located a median of 9 cm from the anal verge. The median procedure time was 87.5 minutes. En-bloc resection was achieved in all cases(100%), with no intraoperative complications or mortality. One patient experienced urinary retention, and one had late bleeding requiring blood transfusion. Pathology outcomes included 46.4% tubulovillous adenomas, 21.4% adenocarcinomas, and high-grade dysplasia in 53.6% of patients.
Single-port ERSD using the Da Vinci SP platform is safe and feasible for the management of colorectal neoplasia, ensuring a high rate of en-bloc resection. It potentially offers advantages over conventional ESD, including shorter dissection times, although further studies are necessary for a definitive comparison.
Association of Collagen Changes in Distal Anastomotic Margin and Anastomotic Stenosis after Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy for Rectal Cancer.
Journal of theNeoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy(nCRT) for rectal cancer can lead to structural changes in collagen in the tumor microenvironment and increase the risk of postoperative anastomotic stenosis (AS). However, the quantitative relationship between AS and collagen has not been defined. This study is to quantitatively analyze the collagen features in rectal cancer and explore the relationship between the changes of collagen and postoperative anastomotic stenosis after nCRT.
This study is a retrospective study. A total of 371 patients with rectal cancer were included. Collagen features in the resection margin of rectal cancer anastomosis was extracted by multi-photon imaging. LASSO-logistic regression was performed to select features related to AS and the collagen score (CS) was constructed. Area under the receiver operating curve (AUROC) and decision curve analysis was performed to evaluate the discrimination and clinical benefit of the nomogram.
The probability of AS was 23% in the training cohort and 15.9% in the validation cohort. In the training cohort, the distance between tumor and resection margin, anastomotic leakage and CS were independent risk factors for postoperative AS in univariate and multivariate analyses. A nomogram was constructed based on the above results. The prediction nomogram showed good discrimination (AUROC, 0.864;95% CI, 0.776 to 0.952) and was validated in the validation cohort (AUROC, 0.918;95% CI, 0.851 to 0.985).
CS is an independent risk factor for AS in rectal cancer after nCRT. The predictive model based on CS can predict the occurrence of postoperative AS.
Lack of Concordance Between Abbreviated Injury Scale and American Association for the Surgery of Trauma Organ Injury Scale in Patients with High-Grade Solid Organ Injury.
Journal of theThe Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) is widely utilized for body region-specific injury severity. The AAST-Organ Injury Scale (AAST-OIS) provides organ-specific injury severity but is not included in trauma databases. Previous researchers have used AIS as a surrogate for OIS. This study aims to assess AIS-abdomen concordance with AAST-OIS grade for liver and spleen injuries, hypothesizing concordance in terms of severity (grade of OIS and AIS) and patient outcomes.
This retrospective study (7/2020-6/2022) was performed at three trauma centers. Adult trauma patients with AAST-OIS grade III-V liver and/or spleen injury were included. AAST-OIS grade for each organ was compared to AIS-abdomen by evaluating the percentage of AAST-OIS grade correlating with each AIS score as well as rates of operative intervention for these injuries. Analysis was performed with Chi-square tests and univariate analysis.
Of 472 patients, 274 had liver injuries and 205 had spleen injuries grades III-V. AAST-OIS grade III-V liver injuries had concordances rates of 85.5%, 71% and 90.9% with corresponding AIS 3-5 scores. AAST-OIS grade III-V spleen injuries had concordances rates of 89.7%, 87.8% and 87.3%. There was a statistical lack of concordance for both liver and spleen injuries (both p<0.001). Additionally, there were higher rates of operative intervention for AAST-OIS grade IV and V liver injuries and grade III and V spleen injuries versus corresponding AIS scores (p<0.05).
AIS should not be used interchangeably with OIS due to lack of concordance. AAST-OIS should be included in trauma databases to facilitate improved organ injury research and quality improvement projects.
Association between anaesthesia-surgery team sex diversity and major morbidity.
Br J SurgTeam diversity is recognized not only as an equity issue but also a catalyst for improved performance through diversity in knowledge and practices. However, team diversity data in healthcare are limited and it is not known whether it may affect outcomes in surgery. This study examined the association between anaesthesia-surgery team sex diversity and postoperative outcomes.
This was a population-based retrospective cohort study of adults undergoing major inpatient procedures between 2009 and 2019. The exposure was the hospital percentage of female anaesthetists and surgeons in the year of surgery. The outcome was 90-day major morbidity. Restricted cubic splines were used to identify a clinically meaningful dichotomization of team sex diversity, with over 35% female anaesthetists and surgeons representing higher diversity. The association with outcomes was examined using multivariable logistic regression.
Of 709 899 index operations performed at 88 hospitals, 90-day major morbidity occurred in 14.4%. The median proportion of female anaesthetists and surgeons was 28 (interquartile range 25-31)% per hospital per year. Care in hospitals with higher sex diversity (over 35% female) was associated with reduced odds of 90-day major morbidity (OR 0.97, 95% c.i. 0.95 to 0.99; P = 0.02) after adjustment. The magnitude of this association was greater for patients treated by female anaesthetists (OR 0.92, 0.88 to 0.97; P = 0.002) and female surgeons (OR 0.83, 0.76 to 0.90; P < 0.001).
Care in hospitals with greater anaesthesia-surgery team sex diversity was associated with better postoperative outcomes. Care in a hospital reaching a critical mass with over 35% female anaesthetists and surgeons, representing higher team sex-diversity, was associated with a 3% lower odds of 90-day major morbidity.
Accuracy of the Wound Healing Questionnaire in the diagnosis of surgical-site infection after abdominal surgery in low- and middle-income countries.
Br J SurgTelemedicine is being adopted for postoperative surveillance but requires evaluation for efficacy. This study tested a telephone Wound Healing Questionnaire (WHQ) to diagnose surgical site infection (SSI) after abdominal surgery in low- and middle-income countries.
A multi-centre, international, prospective study was embedded in the FALCON trial; a factorial RCT testing measures to reduce SSI in seven low- and middle-income countries (NCT03700749). It was conducted according to a pre-registered protocol (SWAT126) and reported according to STARD guidelines. The reference test was in-person review by a trained clinician at 30 postoperative days according to US Centres for Disease Control criteria. The index test was telephone administration of an adapted WHQ at 27 to 30 postoperative days by a researcher blinded to the outcome of in-person review. The sum of item response scores generated an overall score between 0 and 29. The primary outcome was the diagnostic accuracy of the WHQ, defined as the proportion of SSI correctly identified by the telephone WHQ, and summarized using the area under the receiving operator characteristic curve (AUROC) and diagnostic test accuracy statistics.
Patients were included from three upper-middle income (396 patients, 13 hospitals), three lower-middle income (746 patients, 19 hospitals), and one low-income country (54 patients, 4 hospitals). 90.3% (1088 of 1196) patients were successfully contacted. Those with non-midline incisions (adjusted odds ratio: 0.36, 95% c.i. 0.17 to 0.73, P=0.005) or a confirmed diagnosis of SSI on in-person assessment (odds ratio: 0.42, 95% c.i. 0.20 to 0.92, P=0.006) were harder to reach. The questionnaire correctly discriminated between most patients with and without SSI (AUROC 0.869, 95% c.i. 0.824 to 0.914), which was consistent across subgroups. A representative cut-off score of ≥4 displayed a sensitivity of 0.701 (0.610-0.792), specificity of 0.911 (0.878-0.943), positive predictive value of 0.723 (0.633-0.814) and negative predictive value of 0.901 (0.867-0.935).
SSI can be diagnosed using a telephone questionnaire (obviating in-person assessment) in low resource settings.
The modified Hardinge approach is not inferior to trochanteric flip osteotomy for Pipkin type IV femoral head fractures: a comparative study in 40 patients.
Eur J Trauma Emerg SurgTo compare the modified Hardinge approach and trochanteric flip osteotomy for the treatment of Pipkin type IV femoral head fractures.
This retrospective study included 40 patients who underwent surgical treatment for Pipkin type IV femoral head fractures between 2011 and 2020 and completed at least 1 year of follow-up. The clinical outcome of the Merle d'Aubigné-Postel score and radiological outcomes, including the quality of the fracture reduction, osteonecrosis of the femoral head, posttraumatic osteoarthritis, and heterotopic ossification, were compared between the two groups. Conversion to total hip replacement was recorded as the main outcome measure, analyzed by Kaplan-Meier curve and log-rank test.
Nineteen and 21 patients were treated using the modified Hardinge approach (Group A) and trochanteric flip osteotomy (Group B), respectively. The estimated surgical blood loss was significantly higher in Group B (500.00 ± 315.44 mL vs. 246.32 ± 141.35 mL; P = 0.002). Two patients in Group B complained of discomfort caused by the trochanteric screws and requested implant removal. Radiographic outcomes did not differ significantly between the two groups. Clinical outcomes assessed using the Merle d'Aubigné-Postel score 1 year after injury were nearly identical (P = 0.836). Four (21.1%) patients in Group A and three (14.3%) patients in Group B underwent conversion to total hip replacement during the follow-up period; the log-rank test showed no significant difference (P = 0.796).
The modified Hardinge approach resulted in reduced blood loss, with clinical and radiological outcomes similar to those of trochanteric osteotomy; thus, it is an acceptable alternative to trochanteric flip osteotomy.
Evaluation of long-term outcome following therapeutic mammaplasty: the effect of wound complication on initiation of adjuvant therapy and subsequent oncological outcome.
Annals of the Rheumatic DiseasesTherapeutic mammaplasty (TM) facilitates large tumour resection while maintaining optimal aesthetic outcome. It carries higher wound complication risks, which may delay adjuvant therapy initiation. Whether this delay affects oncological outcome requires evaluation.
Data were collected for consecutive patients receiving TM at the Leeds breast unit (2009-2017). A prospectively maintained database was used to determine tumour characteristics, wound complication rates, receipt of adjuvant therapy and breast cancer recurrence or death.
In total 112 patients (median age of 54 years) underwent 114 TM procedures. The most common histological subtypes were invasive ductal carcinoma (61.4%), invasive lobular carcinoma (13.2%) and ductal carcinoma in situ (13.2%). Of the patients, 88.2% had oestrogen receptor-positive cancer and 14% had human epidermal growth factor receptor-positive cancer; 26.3% had multifocal cancer. The median tumour size was 30mm. The median Nottingham Prognostic Index was 4.2. The local recurrence rate was 3.5% (median follow-up of 8.6 years). The 5- and 10-year disease-free survival (DFS) was 88.5% and 83.5%, and the equivalent overall survival (OS) rates were 94% and 83.5%. Wound complication rate was 23.6% (n=27), the commonest being wound infection (11.4%; n=13) and T-junction wound breakdown (10.5%; n=12). The median time to adjuvant therapy was 72 days (interquartile range [IQR] 56-90) for patients with wound complications, and 51 days (IQR 42-58) for those without. However, this delay did not affect DFS or OS (log-rank test; p=0.58 and p=0.94, respectively). This was confirmed on Cox regression analysis.
Our study finding demonstrates that although wound complications after TM leads to a modest delay to adjuvant therapy, the long-term oncological outcomes were comparable with those in patients without wound complications.
Adherence to General Medical Council guidance regarding disclosure of alternative treatments during the consent process.
Annals of the Rheumatic DiseasesGeneral Medical Council (GMC) guidelines dictate that reasonable alternatives to treatment should be disclosed during the consent process. We aimed to determine whether GMC guidelines on disclosure of alternatives during consent are being followed in a real-world example which is disclosure of non-operative management as an alternative to appendicectomy in uncomplicated paediatric appendicitis.
We undertook a retrospective single-centre observational study and national consultant specialist paediatric surgeon survey. Two groups of 50 consecutively treated children (<16 years) with acute uncomplicated appendicitis were included in the observational study during two periods. UK-based consultant surgeons who treat appendicitis were included in the national survey. The main outcomes were disclosure and use of non-operative management (NOM) as an alternative to appendicectomy.
Overall, in the observational study, NOM was disclosed in 30 (30%) children and 77% (23/30) opted for this treatment method when it was disclosed. There were 83 survey respondents representing all 25 eligible specialist paediatric surgery centres. Ten (12%) consultants reported routinely offering NOM, 39 (47%) offer it in select circumstances, and 34 (41%) never offer NOM. Only 25 (30%) respondents always disclose NOM as an alternative to appendicectomy, whereas 22 (27%) never do. Consultants who never disclose NOM are more likely to prefer appendicectomy over NOM compared with those who always disclose it (p<0.001).
In this illustrative clinical scenario, observed and reported practice regarding disclosure of alternative treatments during the consent process do not meet GMC guidance. This risks depriving children and caregivers of a choice that they are entitled to.
The role of social inequalities in the epidemiology of urological cancers: can this inform cancer screening?
Annals of the Rheumatic DiseasesHealth inequalities are systematic and potentially remediable differences in health across populations. Understanding the origins of these discrepa...
Defining Benchmarks for Pelvic Exenteration Surgery: A Multicentre Analysis of Patients with Locally Advanced and Recurrent Rectal Cancer.
Annals of SurgeryTo establish globally applicable benchmark outcomes for pelvic exenteration (PE) in patients with locally advanced primary (LARC) and recurrent rectal cancer (LRRC), using outcomes achieved at highly specialised centres.
PE is established as the standard of care for selected patients with LARC and LRRC. There are currently no available benchmarks against which surgical performance in PE can be compared for audit and quality improvement.
This international multicentre retrospective cohort study included patients undergoing PE for LARC or LRRC at 16 highly experienced centres between 2018 and 2023. Ten outcome benchmarks were established in a lower-risk subgroup. Benchmarks were defined by the 75th percentile of the results achieved at the individual centres.
763 patients underwent PE, of which 464 patients (61%) had LARC and 299 (39%) had LRRC. 544 patients (71%) who met predefined lower risk criteria formed the benchmark cohort. For LARC patients, the calculated benchmark threshold for major complication rate was ≤44%; comprehensive complication index (CCI): ≤30.2; 30-day mortality rate: 0%; 90-day mortality rate: ≤4.3%; R0 resection rate: ≥79%. For LRRC patients, the calculated benchmark threshold for major complication rate was ≤53%; CCI: ≤34.1; 30-day mortality rate: 0%; 90-day mortality rate: ≤6%; R0 resection rate: ≥77%.
The reported benchmarks for PE in patients with LARC and LRRC represent the best available care for this patient group globally and can be used for rigorous assessment of surgical quality and to facilitate quality improvement initiatives at international exenteration centres.
Pancreatic surgery outcomes: multicentre prospective snapshot study in 67 countries.
Br J SurgPancreatic surgery remains associated with high morbidity rates. Although postoperative mortality appears to have improved with specialization, the outcomes reported in the literature reflect the activity of highly specialized centres. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes following pancreatic surgery worldwide.
This was an international, prospective, multicentre, cross-sectional snapshot study of consecutive patients undergoing pancreatic operations worldwide in a 3-month interval in 2021. The primary outcome was postoperative mortality within 90 days of surgery. Multivariable logistic regression was used to explore relationships with Human Development Index (HDI) and other parameters.
A total of 4223 patients from 67 countries were analysed. A complication of any severity was detected in 68.7 per cent of patients (2901 of 4223). Major complication rates (Clavien-Dindo grade at least IIIa) were 24, 18, and 27 per cent, and mortality rates were 10, 5, and 5 per cent in low-to-middle-, high-, and very high-HDI countries respectively. The 90-day postoperative mortality rate was 5.4 per cent (229 of 4223) overall, but was significantly higher in the low-to-middle-HDI group (adjusted OR 2.88, 95 per cent c.i. 1.80 to 4.48). The overall failure-to-rescue rate was 21 per cent; however, it was 41 per cent in low-to-middle- compared with 19 per cent in very high-HDI countries.
Excess mortality in low-to-middle-HDI countries could be attributable to failure to rescue of patients from severe complications. The authors call for a collaborative response from international and regional associations of pancreatic surgeons to address management related to death from postoperative complications to tackle the global disparities in the outcomes of pancreatic surgery (NCT04652271; ISRCTN95140761).
