Design  Matched-pair study in patients with a body mass index (BMI) less than 50.

Setting  University hospital and regional community hospital with a common bariatric surgeon.

Patients  Four hundred forty-two patients were matched according to sex, age, and BMI.

Interventions  Laparoscopic GB or RYGBP.

Main Outcome Measures  Operative morbidity, weight loss, residual BMI, quality of life, food tolerance, lipid profile, and long-term morbidity.

Results  Follow-up was 92.3% at the end of the study period (6 years postoperatively). Early morbidity was higher after RYGBP than after GB (17.2% vs 5.4%; P < .001), but major morbidity was similar. Weight loss was quicker, maximal weight loss was greater, and weight loss remained significantly better after RYGBP until the sixth postoperative year. At 6 years, there were more failures (BMI > 35 or reversal of the procedure/conversion) after GB (48.3% vs 12.3%; P < .001). There were more long-term complications (41.6% vs 19%; P < .001) and more reoperations (26.7% vs 12.7%; P < .001) after GB. Comorbidities improved more after RYGBP.

Conclusions  Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is associated with better weight loss, resulting in a better correction of some comorbidities than GB, at the price of a higher early complication rate. This difference, however, is largely compensated by the much higher long-term complication and reoperation rates seen after GB.

Design  The Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database from 1998 to 2008.

Participants  Emergent hospitalizations (843 179) with AC as a primary diagnosis.

Interventions  Insurance type was analyzed against cholecystectomy in propensity score–matched cohorts.

Main Outcome Measures  Surgical intervention and surgical outcomes.

Results  Approximately 200 000 patients were in each matched cohort. The median age of the matched patients was 43.9 years, 76% were women, and the mean Charlson Comorbidity Index was 0.5. While 89% of the private insurance cohort underwent cholecystectomy during their hospitalization, only 83% of the Medicaid population received equivalent care (P < .001). The Medicaid cohort also had reduced rates of laparoscopic surgery (78% vs 69%; P < .001) and an increased conversion rate from laparoscopic to open surgery (3.9% vs 3.0%; P < .001). While disparities in the rates of laparoscopic surgery between the 2 groups sequentially narrowed during the 10-year period, overall disparities in surgical treatment remained constant over time.

Conclusions  Medicaid payer status confers inferior access to surgical treatment for AC. While this finding may be due in part to patients' health beliefs and physician preferences, the magnitude of difference suggests that health systems factors may provide a significant contribution toward clinical decision making in this entity.

Objective  To determine the effect of β-blocker continuation on outcomes in patients undergoing elective noncardiac surgery.

Design, Setting, and Patients  The Surgical Care and Outcomes Assessment Program is a Washington quality improvement benchmarking initiative based on clinical data from more than 55 hospitals. Linking Surgical Care and Outcomes Assessment Program data to Washington's hospital admission and vital status registries, we studied patients undergoing elective colorectal and bariatric surgical procedures at 38 hospitals between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2009.

Main Outcome Measures  Mortality, cardiac events, and the combined adverse event of cardiac events and/or mortality.

Results  Of 8431 patients, 23.5% were taking β-blockers prior to surgery (mean [SD] age, 61.9 [13.7] years; 63.0% were women). Treatment with β-blockers was continued on the day of surgery and during the postoperative period in 66.0% of patients. Continuation of β-blockers both on the day of surgery and postoperatively improved from 57.2% in the first quarter of 2008 to 71.3% in the fourth quarter of 2009 (P value <.001). After adjusting for risk characteristics, failure to continue β-blocker treatment was associated with a nearly 2-fold risk of 90-day combined adverse event (odds ratio, 1.97; 95% CI, 1.19-3.26). The odds were even greater among patients with higher cardiac risk (odds ratio, 5.91; 95% CI, 1.40-25.00). The odds of combined adverse events continued to be elevated 1 year postoperatively (odds ratio, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.08-2.55).

Conclusions  β-Blocker continuation on the day of and after surgery was associated with fewer cardiac events and lower 90-day mortality. A focus on β-blocker continuation is a worthwhile quality improvement target and should improve patient outcomes.

Design  Review of records of patients who participated in the Analysis of Predictive Parameters for Evident Anastomotic Leakage study.

Setting  Eight health centers.

Patients  Two hundred fifty-nine patients who underwent left-sided colorectal anastomoses.

Intervention  Corticosteroids taken as long-term medication for underlying disease or perioperatively for the prevention of postoperative pulmonary complications.

Main Outcome Measures  Prospective evaluations for risk factors for symptomatic AL.

Results  In 23% of patients, a defunctioning stoma was constructed. The incidence of AL was 7.3%. The clinical course of patients with AL showed that in 21% of leaks, the drain indicated leakage; in the remaining patients, computed tomography or laparotomy resulted equally often in the detection of AL. In 50% of patients with AL, a Hartmann operation was needed. The incidence of AL was significantly higher in patients with pulmonary comorbidity (22.6% leakage), patients taking corticosteroids as long-term medication (50% leakage), and patients taking corticosteroids perioperatively (19% leakage). Perioperative corticosteroids were prescribed in 8% of patients for the prevention of postoperative pulmonary complications.

Conclusions  We found a significantly increased incidence of AL in patients treated with long-term corticosteroids and perioperative corticosteroids for pulmonary comorbidity. Therefore, we recommend that in this patient category, anastomoses should be protected by a diverting stoma or a Hartmann procedure should be considered to avoid AL.

Trial Registration  trialregister.nl Identifier: NTR1258

Design  Retrospective study.

Setting  Tertiary care hospital.

Patients  Using a prospective database, all HALS colorectal resections from 2003 to 2009 by 2 surgeons (A and B) were reviewed. Over 6 years, surgeons A and B performed 397 and 322 cases.

Interventions  Change-Point Analysis (CUSUM) was used to define the number of cases required to effect improvement in operative time. Cases before and after the change point were considered as being in the "learning period" and "skilled period."

Main Outcome Measures  Operative time; short-term outcomes.

Results  The change point occurred after 108 and 105 cases for surgeons A and B, respectively. The learning period and skilled period were similar with respect to age, sex, body mass index, prior abdominal surgery, medical comorbidities, and American Society of Anesthesiologists class. Mean overall operative time decreased from 263 to 185 minutes (P < .001). The decrease in mean operative duration for specific resections were as follows: right colectomy, 35 minutes (P = .003); left colectomy, 63 minutes (P = .006); sigmoid colectomy, 63 minutes (P < .001); anterior resection, 70 minutes (P < .001); coloanal anastomosis, 52 minutes (P = .003); subtotal colectomy, 75 minutes (P < .001); and total proctocolectomy with ileal reservoir, 80 minutes (P < .001). Intraoperative complications and conversion rate were similar, but overall morbidity, infectious complications, readmissions, and length of stay were all significantly (P < .05) lower during the skilled period.

Conclusions  For HALS colorectal resection, technical proficiency occurred after approximately 105 cases, and increased surgeon experience resulted in improved short-term outcomes. These data suggest that the learning curve for HALS colorectal resection will extend beyond fellowship training for many colorectal surgeons.

Design  Retrospective review of consecutive patients undergoing thyroidectomy. Patients were divided into 2 groups. Group 1 (the "high-risk/calcium-yes" group) included patients who were found to have (1) postoperative symptoms of hypocalcemia (ie, tingling and numbness), (2) any postoperative serum calcium level of less than 7 mg/dL, or (3) a parathyroid hormone level of less than 3 pg/mL on postoperative day 1. Group 2 (the "low-risk/calcium-no" group) included all other patients. Demographic, operative, biochemical, and pathologic data, as well as postoperative calcium supplementation data, were recorded. Trends in serum calcium level and parathyroid hormone level were analyzed during the immediate postoperative period to identify specific factors unique to group 1.

Patients  A total of 156 patients who underwent a thyroidectomy.

Setting  Tertiary care center.

Results  Of the 156 patients reviewed, 78% were female, 70% had a malignant disease, and the median age at operation was 50 years. Thirty-four patients (22%) were in group 1, and 122 patients (78%) were in group 2. Twenty-nine (19%) patients had a parathyroid hormone level of less than 3 pg/mL within 24 hours after a thyroidectomy. Patients who underwent a central neck dissection (P = .001), had malignant disease (P = .01), or had a documented removal of the parathyroid gland (with or without autotransplantation) at operation (P = .013) were most likely to be classified into group 1. Forty-two percent of patients in group 2 had either a parathyroid hormone level of less than 6 pg/mL or a serum calcium level of less than 8 mg/dL on postoperative day 1, but all patients in group 1 who were symptomatic met these parameters.

Conclusion  Limiting supplementation to patients with a parathyroid hormone level of less than 6 pg/mL or a serum calcium level of less than 8 mg/dL on postoperative day 1 may eliminate unnecessary calcium/vitamin D intake, phlebotomy, and follow-up assessments in up to 58% of patients undergoing thyroidectomy. Validation is required in a prospective setting.

Design, Setting, and Patients  We queried the Veterans Affairs Surgical Quality Improvement Program database for liver resections (2005-2008) and grouped the patients into 5 BMI categories: normal weight (BMI 18.5-24.9), overweight (BMI 25.0-29.9), obese class 1 (BMI 30.0-34.9), obese class 2 (BMI 35.0-39.9), and obese class 3 (BMI ≥40.0). Differences in risk factors and perioperative complications across groups were analyzed in univariate and multivariate analyses.

Results  Of 403 patients who underwent hepatectomy, 106 (26%) were normal weight, 161 (40%) were overweight, 94 (23%) were obese class 1, 31 (8%) were obese class 2, and 11 (3%) were obese class 3. Among these groups, higher BMI was associated with increased rates of hypertension (52%, 61%, 77%, 77%, and 73%, respectively; P = .002) and diabetes (18%, 27%, 36%, 39%, and 45%, respectively; P = .04) and lower incidence of smokers (53%, 35%, 30%, 16%, and 9%, respectively; P < .001). The BMI groups were similar in demographic characteristics and metrics correlating with preexisting liver disease. There were no differences across BMI groups in overall and specific morbidity or in length of stay. Compared with the other groups, obese class 3 patients received more blood transfusions (mean [SD], 4.3 [2.7] in obese class 3 patients vs 1.1 [0.2] in normal-weight patients; P = .02) and had a higher 30-day mortality (27% in obese class 3 patients vs 6% in normal-weight patients; P = .05). Multivariate analyses confirmed obese class 3 as an independent predictor of postoperative mortality.

Conclusions  Obesity did not increase postoperative complications after liver resection in veterans. After adjusting for other clinical factors, extreme obesity (BMI ≥40.0) was an independent risk factor for increased mortality.

Design  Cross-sectional study.

Setting  Data from the Pennsylvania Trauma Outcome Study.

Patients  We studied data from 210 942 patients admitted to 35 trauma centers in Pennsylvania between 2000 and 2009.

Main Outcome Measures  Regression analyses were performed to examine the association between ACSCOT quality indicators and in-hospital mortality and death or major complications.

Results  Seven of the ACSCOT quality indicators were associated with either increased (1) in-hospital mortality or (2) death or major complications. No head computed tomography scan in patients with a Glasgow Coma Scale score less than 13 was associated with a 4-fold increase in mortality (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 4.39; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.18-6.07) and a nearly 3-fold increased risk of death or major complications (AOR, 2.76; 95% CI 2.05-3.72). Gunshot wounds to the abdomen managed nonoperatively were associated with a nearly 5-fold increase in mortality (AOR, 4.80; 95% CI, 2.95-7.81). Femoral fractures treated with nonfixation were also strongly associated with mortality (AOR, 4.08; 95% CI, 2.50-6.66) and death or major complications (AOR, 2.54; 95% CI, 1.96-3.31).

Conclusion  Several current ACSCOT quality indicators have a strong association with clinical outcomes. These findings should be interpreted with caution because some measures may lack face validity for identifying poor-quality care in complex patients with multiple injuries.

Design  Retrospective database analysis.

Setting  The National Inpatient Sample database.

Patients  Patients who underwent a colorectal resection during the period from 2006 to 2008 in the United States.

Main Outcome Measures  Patient characteristics, patient comorbidities, type of pathology, type of resection, surgical technique used, type of admission, and teaching hospital status were evaluated for splenic injury during colorectal surgery.

Results  A total of 975 825 patients underwent colorectal resection during this period. Overall, the rate of splenic injury was 0.96%, of which 84.75% were treated with complete splenectomy (splenorrhaphy, 13.55%; partial splenectomy, 1.70%). The most common procedure associated with splenic injury was transverse colectomy (3.40%). Using multivariate regression analysis, we found that transverse colectomy (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 5.30), left colectomy (AOR, 5.08), total colectomy (AOR, 2.85), open operation (AOR, 2.68), malignant tumor (AOR, 2.11), diverticulitis (AOR, 1.93), teaching hospital (AOR, 1.73), male sex (AOR 1.20), peripheral vascular disease (AOR, 1.14), and emergent admission (AOR, 1.06) were associated with a higher risk of splenic injury. There was no association between age, race, hypertension, diabetes, chronic lung disease, congestive heart failure, renal failure, liver disease, obesity, sigmoidectomy, proctectomy, ulcerative colitis, or Crohn disease and splenic injury.

Conclusions  Type of resection (transverse, total, or left colectomy), type of pathology (malignancy or diverticulitis), open operation, and teaching hospital are potent independent predictors of splenic injury. Male sex, peripheral vascular disease, and emergent admission are less effective predictors. Surgeons should be aware of these risk factors and inform patients accordingly. In higher-risk circumstances, it may be appropriate to consider prophylactic vaccination.

Design, Setting, and Participants  A 56-item survey was administered to a convenience sample (n = 108) of resident and attending physicians at surgery, emergency medicine, and anesthesiology departmental conferences at a large tertiary care academic hospital.

Main Outcome Measures  Likelihood of seeking support, perceived barriers, awareness of available services, sources of support, and experience with stress.

Results  Among the resident and attending physicians, 79% experienced either a serious adverse patient event and/or a traumatic personal event within the preceding year. Willingness to seek support was reported for legal situations (72%), involvement in medical errors (67%), adverse patient events (63%), substance abuse (67%), physical illness (62%), mental illness (50%), and interpersonal conflict at work (50%). Barriers included lack of time (89%), uncertainty or difficulty with access (69%), concerns about lack of confidentiality (68%), negative impact on career (68%), and stigma (62%). Physician colleagues were the most popular potential sources of support (88%), outnumbering traditional mechanisms such as the employee assistance program (29%) and mental health professionals (48%). Based on these results, a one-on-one peer physician support program was incorporated into support services at our hospital.

Conclusions  Despite the prevalence of stressful experiences and the desire for support among physicians, established services are underused. As colleagues are the most acceptable sources of support, we advocate peer support as the most effective way to address this sensitive but important issue.

Design  Retrospective analysis of Hospital Episode Statistics, which is a prospectively maintained national database.

Setting  All patients undergoing colorectal resection in National Health Service trusts in England.

Patients  Adult patients undergoing elective or planned surgery between April 2001 and March 2008.

Intervention  Colorectal resection for benign and malignant diagnoses.

Main Outcome Measures  Mortality and morbidity at 30 days and 1 year following elective colorectal resection.

Results  One hundred thirty-eight thousand seven hundred thirty-five elective colorectal resections were identified between the study dates. Thirty-day in-hospital mortality was 3.4% and 1.7% following conventional and laparoscopic surgery, respectively (P < .001). Overall, the 30-day postoperative medical morbidity rate was 14.6%. Use of the minimal access approach demonstrated a significant reduction in total morbidity risk at 30 days (odds ratio, 0.79; P < .001) and 365 days (odds ratio, 0.81; P < .001) following case-mix adjustment. Multiple regression analyses demonstrated that cardiorespiratory complications and venous thromboembolism occurred less frequently during the index admission and up to 1 year following minimal access surgery when compared with the conventional approach (P < .049).

Conclusions  In this population-based study, patients selected for laparoscopic colorectal resection were associated with lower risk of mortality as well as reduced cardiorespiratory and venous thromboembolic risk than those undergoing open surgery.

Design  Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to assess the statistical significance of the relationship between BMI and mortality, with adjustments for patient-level differences in overall mortality risk and principal operating procedures. Odds ratios with 95% CIs were calculated to measure the relative difference in mortality by BMI quintile, with reference to the middle quintile of the BMI. The overall significance of the BMI and of the other covariates was measured using the Wald ² test statistic. A separate multivariable logistic regression model was developed to assess the significance of the interaction between BMI and primary procedure.

Setting  A total of 183 sites.

Patients  Patients with major surgical procedures reported in the participant use data file database of the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program.

Results  The data included 189 533 cases of general and vascular surgical procedures reported in 2005 and 2006 for patients with known overall probabilities of death. Among these, 3245 patients died within 30 days of their surgery (1.7%). Patients with a BMI of less than 23.1 demonstrated a significant increased risk of death, with 40% higher odds compared with patients in the middle range for BMI (26.3 to <29.7). Important differences in the association between BMI and mortality risk occur by type of primary procedure.

Conclusions  Body mass index is a significant predictor of mortality within 30 days of surgery, even after adjusting for the contribution to mortality risk made by type of surgery and for a specific patient's overall expected risk of death.

Design  Randomized controlled trial.

Setting  Academic tertiary referral center.

Patients  Morbidly obese patients scheduled to undergo laparoscopic bariatric procedures.

Interventions  Patients were randomly assigned to receive intraoperatively high (10 mL/kg/h, n = 55) or low (4 mL/kg/h, n = 52) amounts of Ringer lactate solution.

Main Outcome Measures  The primary end point was urine output. Secondary end points were postoperative creatinine serum concentration and complication rate.

Results  Significantly more fluids were administered intraoperatively to patients in the high-volume group compared with the low-volume group (P < .001). Regardless of the amount of fluids administered intraoperatively, low urine outputs (median [range], 100 [15-1050] mL in the high-volume group vs 107 [25-500] mL in the low-volume group; P = .34) were documented and were not significantly different. The mean creatinine serum concentration was within normal range at all times and was not significantly different between the groups (P = .68). The number of patients with complications was nonsignificantly lower in the low-volume group compared with the high-volume group (7 vs 10 patients, respectively; P = .60).

Conclusions  In patients undergoing laparoscopic bariatric surgery, intraoperative urine output is low regardless of the use of relatively high-volume fluid therapy. The results suggest that we should reconsider the common practice to administer intraoperative fluids in response to low urine output. Further studies are required to evaluate these data in other surgical patient populations.

Trial Registration  clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00753402

Design  Retrospective cohort study.

Setting  Two hundred eleven hospitals participating in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program.

Patients  All 271 368 patients from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program 2008 Participant Use Data File were examined, and 2249 patients with IBD were compared with 269 119 patients without IBD.

Main Outcome Measures  Occurrence of DVT, PE, myocardial infarction, or stroke within 30 days of surgery.

Results  Of 268 703 National Surgical Quality Improvement Program patients, 2249 (0.8%) had IBD. There were 2665 cases of DVT or PE (1.0%). Occurrence of DVT or PE was more common in patients with IBD (2.5%) overall (P < .001). Nonintestinal surgical cases had a higher rate of DVT or PE (5.0%; P = .002). Regression analysis, controlling for confounders, confirmed that IBD was associated with increased risk for DVT or PE (odds ratio = 2.03; 95% CI, 1.52-2.70). For nonintestinal surgery, risk of DVT or PE for patients with IBD was increased (odds ratio = 4.45; 95% CI, 1.72-11.49). Inflammatory bowel disease had no effect on risk of postoperative myocardial infarction or stroke.

Conclusions  Patients with IBD are at increased risk for developing postoperative DVT or PE. This risk persists when potential confounding variables are controlled for. Risk of DVT or PE appears to be even higher for patients with IBD who are having nonintestinal surgery. Cardiac and stroke risks do not appear to be increased by IBD. Perhaps standards for DVT and PE prophylaxis in these cases should be reconsidered.

Design  Cross-sectional nationwide sample.

Setting  Nationwide Inpatient Sample from 2002 to 2007.

Patients  Adult patients (≥18 years) hospitalized with a primary or secondary procedure of gastric, hepatic, or pancreatic resection between 2002 and 2007.

Main Outcome Measures  Predicting in-hospital mortality using the 4 comorbidity algorithms. Logistic regression analyses were used and C statistics were calculated to assess the performance of the indexes. Risk adjustment methods were then compared.

Results  In our study, we identified 46 395 gastric resections, 18 234 hepatic resections, and 15 443 pancreatic resections. Predicted in-hospital mortality rates according to the adjustment methods agreed for 43.8% to 74.6% of patients. In all types of resections, the APR-DRGs and Disease Staging algorithms predicted in-hospital mortality better than the Charlson/Deyo and Elixhauser indexes (P < .001). Compared with the Charlson/Deyo algorithm, the Elixhauser index was of higher accuracy in gastric resections (0.847 vs 0.792), hepatic resections (0.810 vs 0.757), and pancreatic resections (0.811 vs 0.741) (P < .001 for all comparisons). Higher accuracy of the Elixhauser algorithm compared with the Charlson/Deyo algorithm was not affected by diagnosis rank, multiple surgeries, or exclusion of transplant patients.

Conclusions  Different comorbidity algorithms were validated in the surgical setting. The Disease Staging and APR-DRGs algorithms were highly accurate. For commonly used algorithms such as Charlson/Deyo and Elixhauser, the latter showed higher accuracy.

Design  Retrospective review.

Setting  A tertiary medical center.

Patients  We enrolled 1074 consecutive patients with HCC who were undergoing a partial hepatectomy. Patients who were 55 years of age or younger were defined as the younger group (n = 374), and patients who were older than 55 years of age were defined as the older group (n = 700).

Main Outcome Measures  The postoperative prognoses of the younger and older groups using multivariate analysis and propensity score matching analysis.

Results  The younger patients had better liver functional reserve but more aggressive tumor factors than did the older patients. After a median follow-up of 41.0 months, 543 patients died. The cumulative 10-year survival rates were 41.3% in younger patients and 28.8% in the older patients (P = .02). However, using both multivariate analysis and propensity score matching analysis, we failed to demonstrate that age was an independent risk factor associated with overall survival. Besides, there were 643 patients with tumor recurrence after surgery. Using both multivariate analysis and propensity score matching analysis, we found that the incidence of tumor recurrence in younger patients was comparable to that in the older patients.

Conclusions  Age is not a risk factor to determine the prognosis of patients with HCC who underwent resection. Older patients with HCC who have good liver functional reserve are encouraged to receive resection surgery.

Design  Retrospective observational study comparing TXA administration with no TXA in patients receiving at least 1 unit of packed red blood cells. A subgroup of patients receiving massive transfusion (≥10 units of packed red blood cells) was also examined. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were used to identify parameters associated with survival. Kaplan-Meier life tables were used to report survival.

Setting  A Role 3 Echelon surgical hospital in southern Afghanistan.

Patients  A total of 896 consecutive admissions with combat injury, of which 293 received TXA, were identified from prospectively collected UK and US trauma registries.

Main Outcome Measures  Mortality at 24 hours, 48 hours, and 30 days as well as the influence of TXA administration on postoperative coagulopathy and the rate of thromboembolic complications.

Results  The TXA group had lower unadjusted mortality than the no-TXA group (17.4% vs 23.9%, respectively; P = .03) despite being more severely injured (mean [SD] Injury Severity Score, 25.2 [16.6] vs 22.5 [18.5], respectively; P < .001). This benefit was greatest in the group of patients who received massive transfusion (14.4% vs 28.1%, respectively; P = .004), where TXA was also independently associated with survival (odds ratio = 7.228; 95% CI, 3.016-17.322) and less coagulopathy (P = .003).

Conclusions  The use of TXA with blood component–based resuscitation following combat injury results in improved measures of coagulopathy and survival, a benefit that is most prominent in patients requiring massive transfusion. Treatment with TXA should be implemented into clinical practice as part of a resuscitation strategy following severe wartime injury and hemorrhage.

Design  Observational analysis of hospital discharge information.

Setting  The Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project database.

Participants  Appendicitis perforation rates determined from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project database of hospital discharges from 2001 to 2008.

Main Outcome Measures  The proportion of the gap between perforation rates explained by various patient- and hospital-level variables.

Results  There were no disparities observed in adult appendicitis perforation rates. The perforation rate for white children was 26.7%; black children, 35.5%; and Latino children, 36.5%. Gap analysis showed that only 12.0% of the difference in perforation rates between black and white children was explained by insurance status and only 12.7% of the difference between Latino and white children was explained. Income level only accounted for 7.2% of the gap for black children and 6.1% for Latino children. Age explained one-third of the gap for Latino children and one-third was not accounted for by measurable variables. Two-thirds of the difference between appendicitis perforation rates between black and white children was not explained by measurable factors.

Conclusions  A very small amount of the gap between minority and white children's appendicitis rates is explained by the proxy factors for health insurance and poverty status that might relate to health care access. Appendicitis perforation rates are not an appropriate indicator of health care access.

Design  Pilot study.

Setting  University hospital.

Patients  Thirty-six consecutive patients with CRC.

CD133 and CD44 expression (alone or combined) was determined in nontumor cells and in tumor cells by flow cytometry, which identified viable cells only.

Main Outcome Measures  Correlation of CD133 and CD44 expression with each other, with other prognostic indicators, and with disease-free survival.

Results  CD133 and CD44 expression was significantly higher in tumor cells than in nontumor cells, and expression of one did not necessarily correlate with expression of the other. CD133 or CD44 expression alone was variable, while combined CD133/CD44 expression identified a small subset of cells positive for CRC. CD133 or CD44 overexpression was not associated with CRC recurrence; only high frequencies of CD133⁺/CD44⁺ cells were a strong indicator of worse disease-free survival and an independent risk factor for CRC recurrence.

Conclusion  Evaluation of combined CD133/CD44 expression could be useful to identify putative colorectal CSCs and tumors with a poor prognosis.

Design  Retrospective multicenter study including 17 Italian hepatobiliary surgery units.

Patients  A total of 440 patients who underwent resection for hilar cholangiocarcinoma from January 1, 1992, through December 31, 2007.

Main Outcome Measures  Postoperative mortality, morbidity, overall survival, and disease-free survival.

Results  Postoperative mortality and morbidity after liver resection were 10.1% and 47.6%, respectively. At multivariate logistic regression, extent of resection (right or right extended hepatectomy) and intraoperative blood transfusion were independent predictors of postoperative mortality (P = .03 and P = .006, respectively); in patients with jaundice, mortality was also higher without preoperative biliary drainage than with biliary drainage (14.3% vs 10.7%). During the study period, there was an increasingly aggressive approach, with more frequent caudate lobectomies, vascular resections, and resections for advanced tumors (T stage of 3 or greater and tumors with poor differentiation). Despite the aggressive approach, the blood transfusion rate decreased from 81.0% to 53.2%, and mortality slightly decreased from 13.6% to 10.8%. Median overall survival significantly increased from 16 to 30 months (P = .05). At multivariate analysis, R1 resection, lymph node metastases, and T stage of 3 or greater independently predicted overall and disease-free survival.

Conclusions  Surgery for hilar cholangiocarcinoma has improved with decreased operative risk despite a more aggressive surgical policy. Long-term survival after liver resection has also increased, despite the inclusion of cases with more advanced hilar cholangiocarcinoma. Preoperative biliary drainage was a safe strategy before right or right extended hepatectomy in patients with jaundice. Pathologic factors independently predicted overall and disease-free survival at multivariate analysis.

Design  Retrospective study.

Setting  Mayo Clinic.

Patients  Between January 1, 1999, and September 30, 2010, 553 patients underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy by a single surgeon.

Main Outcome Measures  Rates of POPF, morbidity, and mortality between stent and no-stent groups.

Results  The clinically relevant POPF (International Study Group on Pancreatic Fistula definition grade B or C) rates in the stent and no-stent groups were similar (9.6% [43 of 449 patients] and 12.5% [13 of 104 patients], respectively; P = .38). Postoperative outcomes and morbidity were also similar between the 2 groups. Mortality was 0.7% (3 of 449 patients) for the stent group and 1.0% (1 of 104 patients) for the no-stent group. Four patients (0.9%) required endoscopic retrieval of the anastomotic stent. In subset analysis, the clinically relevant POPF rates in patients with a small pancreatic duct (≤3 mm; n = 167) were similar in the stent and no-stent groups (17.7% [23 of 130 patients] and 24.3% [9 of 37 patients], respectively; P = .38). In patients with a soft pancreatic gland (n = 64), rates of clinically relevant pancreatic fistulae were also similar in the stent and no-stent groups (31.7% [13 of 41 patients] and 17.4% [4 of 23 patients], respectively; P = .20).

Conclusions  Internal transanastomotic pancreatic duct stenting does not decrease the frequency or severity of POPF. The effect of stenting on long-term anastomotic patency warrants further investigation.

Design  Retrospective single-center study.

Setting  Tertiary university hospital.

Patients  One hundred twenty-eight patients undergoing 133 laparoscopic liver resections for malignant diseases.

Main Outcome Measures  Perioperative results and midterm overall and disease-free survival.

Results  Surgical indications were colorectal carcinoma liver metastasis (n = 83), hepatocellular carcinoma (n = 18), neuroendocrine tumor metastasis (n = 17), non–colorectal carcinoma liver metastasis (n = 11), lymphoma (n = 2), and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (n = 2). Two patients had 2-stage laparoscopic resections for bilobar colorectal carcinoma liver metastasis. Three patients had repeated liver resection for recurrent colorectal carcinoma liver metastasis. Forty-two major hepatectomies (32%) were performed. The median operative time was 210 minutes (range, 30-480 minutes). The median postoperative length of stay was 4 days (range, 1-15 days). Seven patients required conversion to formal open surgery and 4 patients required conversion to a laparoscopic-assisted procedure. Sixteen patients (13%) developed significant postoperative complications. One patient (0.8%) died in the hospital. In the 17 patients with neuroendocrine tumor metastasis, 6 (35%) had microscopic positive resection margins. Most of these patients underwent debulking and cytoreductive surgery. A microscopic negative resection margin was obtained in the remaining 112 of 116 resections (97%). We recorded 2-year overall survivals of 80%, 77%, and 91% in the groups with colorectal carcinoma liver metastasis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and neuroendocrine tumor metastasis, respectively.

Conclusions  Our data support the safety and oncological efficiency of laparoscopic resection for liver malignant neoplasms. Adequate patient selection and extensive experience in hepatic and laparoscopic surgery are essential prerequisites to optimize outcomes.

Design  Longitudinal, uncontrolled observational study evaluating results of intraoperative transfusion in patients entered into the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. We made propensity-matched comparisons between patients who received and did not receive intraoperative transfusion to minimize confounding when estimating the effect of intraoperative transfusion on postoperative outcomes.

Setting  We queried the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database for patients undergoing operations between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2009.

Patients  A large sample of surgical patients from 173 hospitals throughout the United States.

Main Outcome Measures  Operative mortality and serious perioperative morbidity (≥1 of 20 complications).

Results  After exclusions, 941 496 operations were analyzed in patients from 173 hospitals. Most patients (893 205 patients [94.9%]) did not receive intraoperative transfusions. Patients who received intraoperative infusion of 1 unit of packed red blood cells (15 186 patients [1.6%]) had higher unadjusted rates of mortality and more serious morbidity. These rates further increased with intraoperative transfusion of more than 1 unit of packed red blood cells in a dose-dependent manner. After propensity matching to adjust for multiple preoperative risks, transfusion of a single unit of packed red blood cells increased the multivariate risk of mortality, wound problems, pulmonary complications, postoperative renal dysfunction, systemic sepsis, composite morbidity, and postoperative length of stay compared with propensity-matched patients who did not receive intraoperative transfusion.

Conclusions  There is a dose-dependent adverse effect of intraoperative blood transfusion. It is likely that a small, possibly discretionary amount of intraoperative transfusion leads to increased mortality, morbidity, and resource use, suggesting that caution should be used with intraoperative transfusions for mildly hypovolemic or anemic patients.

Design  Anonymous questionnaire designed to capture demographics, overall opinions of teaching programs, and willingness to consent to various scenarios of trainee participation. Descriptive and univariate analyses were performed.

Setting  Tertiary-level referral center.

Patients  Three hundred sixteen individuals scheduled for elective surgery.

Main Outcome Measures  Consent rates for various scenarios.

Results  Of the 316 patients who completed the questionnaire, most expressed overall support of resident training: 91.2% opined that their care would be equivalent to or better than that of a private hospital, 68.3% believed they derived benefit from participation, and most consented to having an intern (85.0%) or a resident (94.0%) participate in their surgical procedure. However, when given specific, realistic scenarios involving trainee participation, major variations in the consent rate were observed. Affirmative consent rates decreased from 94.0% to 18.2% as the level of resident participation increased. Patients also were more willing to consent to the participation of a senior resident (83.1%) vs a junior resident (57.6%) or an intern (54.5%). Patients overwhelmingly opined that they should be informed of the level of resident participation and that this information could change their decision of whether to consent.

Conclusions  Most patients expressed approval of teaching facilities and resident education. However, consent rates were significantly altered when more detailed information was provided and they declined with increasing levels of resident participation. Providing detailed informed consent is preferred by patients but it could adversely affect resident participation and training.

Design  Hospitals were categorized on the basis of the percentage of minority patients admitted with trauma. The adjusted odds of in-hospital mortality were compared between hospitals with less than 25% of patients who were minorities (the reference group) and hospitals with 25% to 50% of patients who were minorities and hospitals with more than 50% of patients who were minorities. Multivariate logistic regression (with generalized linear modeling and a cluster-correlated robust estimate of variance) was used to control for multiple patient and injury severity characteristics.

Setting  A total of 434 hospitals in the National Trauma Data Bank.

Participants  Patients aged 18 to 64 years whose medical records were included in the National Trauma Data Bank for the years 2007 and 2008 with an Injury Severity Score of 9 or greater and who were white, black, or Hispanic.

Main Outcome Measures  Crude mortality and adjusted odds of in-hospital mortality.

Results  A total of 311 568 patients were examined. Hospitals in which the percentage of minority patients was more than 50% also had younger patients, fewer female patients, more patients with penetrating trauma, and the highest crude mortality. After adjustment for potential confounders, patients treated at hospitals in which the percentage of minority patients was 25% to 50% and at hospitals in which the percentage of minority patients was more than 50% demonstrated increased odds of death (adjusted odds ratio, 1.16 [95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.34] and adjusted odds ratio, 1.37 [95% confidence interval, 1.16-1.61], respectively), compared with the reference group. This disparity increased further on subset analysis of patients with a blunt injury. Uninsured patients had significantly increased odds of mortality within all 3 hospital groups.

Conclusions  Patients treated at hospitals with higher proportions of minority trauma patients have increased odds of dying, even after adjusting for potential confounders. Differences in outcomes between trauma hospitals may partly explain racial disparities.

Design  A prospective study over a 10-month period.

Setting  A 636-bed community teaching hospital.

Patients  A total of 57 consecutive patients and 60 operative procedures for breast cancer.

Main Outcome Measures  A total of 60 consecutive breast cancer narrative operative reports, dictated by the attending surgeon, were compared with synoptic computerized operative reports filled by an operating resident. It included a total of 36 items containing data on demographics, preoperative history, diagnostic evaluation, and precise intraoperative findings. The 2 types of reports were compared for overall completeness and for the completeness of individual items.

Results  Comparison of the narrative and synoptic reports showed that there was significant improvement in data completeness with the use of the synoptic report. The overall analysis showed that the synoptic operating report contained 94.7% of the preoperative and operative data, whereas the dictated operative report was able to capture only 66% of the data (P < .001). Eleven of 15 items in the general and preoperative sections of the dictated report and 6 of 21 items in the intraoperative section of the dictated report were underreported compared with those same items in the synoptic report (P = .004-.001).

Conclusion  The computerized synoptic operative report is superior to the dictated report in the documentation of important preoperative and intraoperative data. Although checklists and templates are not new in medicine, the use of a synoptic operative report as a surgical educational tool is a novel concept. Each resident who participated in our study had to develop a better understanding of the operative procedure in order to complete a more accurate synoptic report.

Design  Retrospective analysis of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database over 10 years.

Patients  Patients admitted for trauma (primary International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision [ICD-9 ] diagnosis codes 800-959) who had a vagotomy (ICD-9 procedure codes 44.00, 44.01, and 44.03) were included. A second cohort of injured patients without vagotomy was extracted and matched 3 to 1 on the following criteria: age, race, sex, concurrent splenectomy, survival risk ratio, payer status, comorbidities, and calendar year.

Main Outcome Measures  The primary outcome measured was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes included septicemia, systemic inflammatory response syndrome, acute respiratory distress syndrome, ulcer disease, length of stay, and total charges.

Results  A total of 56 and 115 patients were included in the vagotomy and control groups, respectively, and were similar in demographic characteristics, comorbidities, and injury severity. We found that the vagotomy group had elevated mortality (27.27% vs 9.57% for controls; P = .003). Patients who received vagotomy also had more septicemia (26.79% vs 3.48%; P < .001) and ulcer disease (71.43% vs 2.61%; P < .001) but not systemic inflammatory response syndrome or acute respiratory distress syndrome. Patients who received vagotomy also had an increased length of hospital stay (36.4 vs 9.6 mean days; P < .001) and total cost ($211 899.90 vs $59 321.64; P < .001).

Conclusions  Vagotomy after traumatic injury is associated with an increase in ulcer disease, septicemia, and mortality. This may reflect a loss of control over the systemic response to injury and warrants further study.

Data Sources  We searched PubMed for relevant studies published from January 1, 1989, through August 1, 2011. In addition, we identified and reviewed 4 cases at our institution.

Study Selection  Search phrases were perforated duodenal diverticulum and duodenal diverticulitis.

Data Extraction  Patient demographics, clinical characteristics, radiologic findings, treatment, and outcomes were obtained.

Results  We reviewed 39 studies producing 57 cases, which were combined with the 4 at our institution for a total of 61 patients. The addition of 2 previous series revealed a total of 162 patients in the world literature. Perforations were most commonly located in the second or third portion of the duodenum (60 of 61 cases [98%]), and the most frequent cause was diverticulitis (42 of 61 [69%]). There has been a dramatic improvement in the preoperative diagnosis of perforated diverticula. Only 13 of 101 reported cases (13%) were correctly diagnosed before 1989, and 29 of 61 (48%) in the present series were identified with radiologic examinations. Most patients in the current series (47 of 61) underwent operative treatment for their perforation, although 14 underwent successful nonoperative management. Complications were reported in 17 of 47 patients in the surgical group (36%), whereas only 1 complication was seen in patients undergoing nonoperative management. Mortality in the surgical group was 6% (3 of 47), and no deaths were reported in the nonoperative group.

Conclusions  Perforation of a duodenal diverticulum is rare, with only 162 cases reported in the world literature. Nonoperative management has emerged as a safe, practical alternative to surgery in selected patents.

Design  Analysis of battle injury data collected during combat deployments.

Setting  Afghanistan and Iraq from October 1, 2001, through March 31, 2010.

Patients  Casualties from the 75th Ranger Regiment, US Army Special Operations Command.

Main Outcome Measures  Casualties were scrutinized for preventable adverse outcomes and opportunities to improve care. Comparisons were made with Department of Defense casualty data for the military as a whole.

Results  A total of 419 battle injury casualties were incurred during 7 years of continuous combat in Iraq and 8.5 years in Afghanistan. Despite higher casualty severity indicated by return-to-duty rates, the regiment's rates of 10.7% killed in action and 1.7% who died of wounds were lower than the Department of Defense rates of 16.4% and 5.8%, respectively, for the larger US military population (P = .04 and P = .02, respectively). Of 32 fatalities incurred by the regiment, none died of wounds from infection, none were potentially survivable through additional prehospital medical intervention, and 1 was potentially survivable in the hospital setting. Substantial prehospital care was provided by nonmedical personnel.

Conclusions  A command-directed casualty response system that trains all personnel in Tactical Combat Casualty Care and receives continuous feedback from prehospital trauma registry data facilitated Tactical Combat Casualty Care performance improvements centered on clinical outcomes that resulted in unprecedented reduction of killed-in-action deaths, casualties who died of wounds, and preventable combat death. This data-driven approach is the model for improving prehospital trauma care and casualty outcomes on the battlefield and has considerable implications for civilian trauma systems.

Design, Setting, and Patients  A prospective, randomized, controlled trial was conducted at Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, from August 1, 2009, through June 30, 2010. One hundred fifty-eight women undergoing laparoscopic surgery for benign gynecologic lesions were randomly assigned to 3 groups: the PRM group (n = 53), the INSI group (n = 54), and the control group (n = 51).

Interventions  Postoperative maneuvers included PRM and INSI.

Main Outcome Measures  Evaluation of pain, including abdominal pain and shoulder pain, was performed at 12, 24, and 48 hours postoperatively.

Results  The frequency of postoperative shoulder pain at 24 and 48 hours was significantly decreased in the INSI group compared with that of either the PRM or control group (40.7% and 24.1% in the INSI group vs 66.0% and 50.9% in the PRM group [P = .009 and .004, respectively] or vs 72.5% and 54.9% in the control group [both P < .001]). Both methods significantly reduced the frequency of upper abdominal pain compared with the control condition (73.6% in the PRM group at 24 hours [P = .03] or 72.2% at 24 hours [P .02] and 44.4% at 48 hours [P = .01] in the INSI group vs 90.2% at 24 hours and 68.6% at 48 hours in the control group).

Conclusions  Both PRM and INSI could effectively reduce pain after laparoscopic surgery, but INSI might be better for both upper abdominal and shoulder pain.

Trial Registration  clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01135836

Design, Setting, and Participants  A retrospective health services study was conducted with a contemporaneous control group. Outcome data were obtained from the Veterans Health Administration Surgical Quality Improvement Program. The analysis included aggregated measures representing 119 383 sampled procedures from 74 Veterans Health Administration facilities that provide care to veterans.

Main Outcome Measures  The primary outcome measure was the rate of change in annual surgical morbidity rate 1 year after facilities enrolled in the MTT program as compared with 1 year before and compared with the non-MTT program sites.

Results  Facilities in the MTT program (n = 42) had a significant decrease of 17% in observed annual surgical morbidity rate (rate ratio, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.79-0.88; P = .01). Facilities not trained (n = 32) had an insignificant decrease of 6% in observed morbidity (rate ratio, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.86-1.05; P = .11). After adjusting for surgical risk, we found a decrease of 15% in morbidity rate for facilities in the MTT program and a decrease of 10% for those not yet in the program. The risk-adjusted annual surgical morbidity rate declined in both groups, and the decline was 20% steeper in the MTT program group (P = .001) after propensity-score matching. The steeper decline in annual surgical morbidity rates was also observed in specific morbidity outcomes, such as surgical infection.

Conclusion  The Veterans Health Administration MTT program is associated with decreased surgical morbidity.

Design  Comparative retrospective study.

Setting  Department of Digestive Surgery and Transplantation, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.

Patients  From January 1, 2002, to February 28, 2010, 39 patients underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy with resection of the SV–mesenteric vein confluence for pancreatic adenocarcinoma. All patients had a terminoterminal portal vein–superior mesenteric vein anastomosis. The SV blood flow into the portal vein was preserved in 11 patients by reimplantation of the SV into the portal vein. Sixteen patients underwent surgical reconstruction of the SV-IMV confluence by anastomosis (group 1), and in 12 patients the natural SV-IMV confluence was preserved (group 2).

Main Outcome Measures  Preoperative and postoperative spleen volume and platelet count.

Results  Demographic characteristics, preoperative tumor staging, pathological outcome, and postoperative complications were comparable in both groups. There was no difference in platelet count between groups 1 and 2 preoperatively (mean [SD], 293.13 [125.37] vs 241.09 [49.12] x 10³/μL [to convert to x10⁹/L, multiply by 1.0], respectively; P = .21) or postoperatively (mean [SD], 231.75 [156.39] vs 164.31 [76.46] x 10³/μL, respectively; P = .32). Likewise, no difference was found in the spleen volume preoperatively (mean [SD], 258.96 [179.23] vs 237.31 [122.46] mL, respectively; P = .76) and on postoperative day 15 (mean [SD], 279.08 [158.10] vs 299.12 [153.11] mL, respectively; P = .78).

Conclusion  Early assessment shows that SV-IMV anastomosis is as feasible and as safe as the preservation of a natural SV-IMV confluence in patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy with vascular resection for pancreatic head adenocarcinoma.

Design  A retrospective database review.

Setting  The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions.

Patients  Patients 18 years or younger who had undergone FRRS.

Interventions  All patients underwent FRRS. Patients with venous TOS underwent venography 2 weeks postoperatively.

Main Outcomes Measures  For patients with venous TOS, good outcomes included patent subclavian veins. For patients with neurogenic and arterial TOS, good outcomes included relief of pain and discomfort.

Results  Thirty-five adolescents, including 14 male and 21 female patients, presented with TOS. Of these, 18 had venous symptoms, 9 had neurogenic symptoms, and 8 had arterial symptoms. Seventeen of the 18 patients with venous TOS had thrombosis. At postoperative venography, 13 patients required dilation of a stenotic vein, 2 had patent veins, and 2 had chronically occluded veins. All 18 patients had patent veins, but 1 had persistent ipsilateral neurogenic symptoms. Physical therapy before FRRS had failed in all 9 patients with neurogenic TOS. Five of the 8 patients with arterial TOS presented with abnormal ribs. Two had episodes of embolization, and 1 had an occluded radial artery. None had an axillosubclavian aneurysm. All 8 patients underwent FRRS; 3 also required removal of the fused cervical rib. All 35 patients had a favorable follow-up period.

Conclusions  Adolescents present more frequently with venous and arterial TOS than do adults. However, in nearly all adolescent patients, treatment with FRRS leads to a rapid return to full activity.

Design  Cross-sectional, multi-institutional national study conducted through an online survey.

Setting  General surgical residency programs in the United States.

Participants  General surgical residents and PDs.

Main Outcome Measures  Resident and PD perspectives on the circumstances, conditions, and context in which activities are perceived as service vs education.

Results  Respondents scored 24 resident activities on 5-point Likert scales and commented on conditions that influenced these scores. From 17 residency programs, 105 of 218 PDs (48.4%) responded, and 407 of 645 residents (63.1%) responded. Compared with residents, PDs rated 21 of 24 activities (87.5%) as more educational than service (P ≤ .05). In more than half these activities, notable minorities (≥25%) of residents stated that these activities were service and educational, depending on factors that included the particular attending physician, case complexity, and experience with the activity. Postgraduate year seniority correlated with service and educational perceptions in 12 activities (P < .05). Attending physician teaching and learning environment correlated positively (P < .05) with perception as educational in 8 and 5 activities, respectively.

Conclusions  This study demonstrated significant differences in service and education definitions for PDs and residents. The implication that these activities are mutually exclusive may devalue residents' perceptions of the importance of patient care as an essential component of surgical competency. In an era of diminished work hours and continuity of care, educators must teach residents to appreciate the educational value in providing care for all patients and develop a sense of patient ownership in both faculty and residents.

Objective  To evaluate how LSs and CS direct operative strategy in patients being considered for reexploration.

Design  Retrospective review of a prospective database.

Setting  Tertiary referral center.

Patients  Two hundred three patients with hyperparathyroidism who underwent previous neck surgery. The CS stratified patients as candidates for single- or multiple-site exploration (or unknown).

Main Outcome Measure  Ability of CS and LSs to direct successful reexploration.

Results  Of 203 patients, 27 were not explored owing to nonlocalizing studies. Of the remaining 176 patients, LSs accurately guided reexploration in 85%. However, when including the 27 nonexplored patients, the success of LSs decreased to 73%. The cure rate in reoperated patients was 96% but was reduced to 83% when including nonexplored patients. Of the reoperated patients, 83% had single-site disease and 17% had multiple-site disease. The positive predictive value of LSs in predicting single- or multiple-site disease was 92% and 73%, respectively. However, when stratified by CS, the positive predictive value increased to 95% for single-site disease and to 100% for multiple-site disease.

Conclusions  Failure to cure patients was 4 times more likely to be due to nonlocalizing studies than to a failed reexploration. Stratification by CS was useful in the interpretation of LSs and in determining the most accurate reoperative approach.

Objective  To compare the effectiveness of cefazolin administered before skin incision vs cefazolin administered after umbilical cord clamping vs placebo in a 3-arm randomized trial. The primary objective of the study was to compare postoperative infectious morbidity, defined as wound infection, endometritis, or urinary tract infection (primary end point), in women with cefazolin vs placebo. The comparison between the 2 arms administering cefazolin before skin incision vs after umbilical cord clamping was a secondary end point.

Design  Double-blind, prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

Setting  The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.

Patients  We recruited 1112 women undergoing elective cesarean delivery at term from March 1, 2004, through January 31, 2010.

Interventions  In group 1, cefazolin (2 g) was administered 20 to 30 minutes before skin incision. In group 2, cefazolin (2 g) was administered immediately after clamping of the cord. In group 3, placebo was administered before skin incision.

Results  The primary outcome was observed in 18 of 370 women in group 1 (4.9%) and in 14 of 371 women in group 2 (3.8%), whereas it was noted in 45 of 371 women in group 3 (12.1%) (P < .001 for group 1 plus group 2 vs group 3). The number needed to treat to avoid 1 primary outcome was 13 (95% CI, 9 to 24). Between groups 1 and 2, there was no statistically significant difference regarding postoperative infectious morbidity (P = .60).

Conclusion  We were able to demonstrate the usefulness in elective cesarean delivery of prophylactic cefazolin vs placebo in reducing postoperative maternal infectious morbidity.

Trial Registration  clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01248078

Design  Retrospective series.

Setting  Urban academic medical center.

Participants  Licensed surgeons.

Interventions  Structured assessment and remedial clinical education based on resident-education models.

Main Outcome Measures  Assessment and clinical education results.

Results  Forty-seven general, general/vascular, and colorectal surgeons were assessed by the University of California, San Diego, Physician Assessment and Clinical Education program in 2000 to 2010. Forty-six (98%) were male (mean [SD] age, 54 [11] years; range, 34-80 years). Thirty-three (70%) came from state medical board actions: 25 from California's disciplinary division, 2 from California's licensing division, 3 from other state boards, and 3 self-referred during other state board actions. Fourteen (30%) came from health care organizations: 8 from California hospitals, 3 from hospitals in other states, 2 self-referred during hospital proceedings, and 1 self-referred during a medical group investigation. Twenty-three (49%) underwent a 2-day assessment only, including a 1-hour mock oral board examination: 8 "passed" with no recommendations; 6, with minor recommendations; 6 had major recommendations; and 3 "failed." Twenty-four surgeons (51%) also completed 26 five-day clinical education programs, with 20 "passes," 1 minor recommendation, 3 major recommendations, and 2 "fails."

Conclusion  A program of assessment and remedial clinical education of surgeons designed to meet the needs of one medical board is being used by nongovernmental organizations as well, and it seems to meet the needs of some individual surgeons. This type of program may play a role in the profession's self-regulation.

Design  A multistate Markov decision analytic model was constructed. Second-order Monte Carlo analysis was used to simulate a randomized controlled trial. Sensitivity analyses were performed to determine the projected outcomes necessary for RFA to achieve equivalence with resection.

Setting  Tertiary care teaching hospital.

Patients  A systematic review of published literature was performed, identifying studies involving patients with colorectal liver metastases treated with RFA or resection. Data were also included from a prospective database of patients undergoing laparoscopic RFA at our institution.

Interventions  Percutaneous or laparoscopic RFA and hepatic resection.

Main Outcome Measures  Quality-adjusted life expectancy and quality of life–adjusted survival.

Results  The base-case analysis (60-year-old man) demonstrated a mean ± SD quality-adjusted life expectancy of 5.67 ± 0.71 years and a 5-year survival of 38.2% following resection. Based on current literature, the mean ± SD quality-adjusted life expectancy for RFA was 3.61 ± 0.49 years, with a 5-year survival of 27.2%. Sensitivity analyses demonstrated that RFA becomes the preferred strategy if the median disease-free survival reaches 1.42 years. When limited to patients from our institution with resectable lesions, the quality-adjusted life expectancy for RFA improved to a mean ± SD of 5.72 ± 0.50 years.

Conclusions  Classical Markov analysis demonstrates that based on current literature, resection is superior to RFA in the treatment of colorectal liver metastases. When input is limited to laparoscopic RFA in patients with resectable lesions, projected 5-year survival is superior to that of hepatic resection.

Design  Retrospective data review.

Setting  University hospital.

Patients  Of 2189 patients who underwent general surgical operation, 35 (1.6%) developed DVT afterward.

Main Outcome Measures  Main outcome measures included patient characteristics, location of DVT (lower vs upper), time of DVT diagnosis from the index operation (days), time of diagnosis according to discharge (inpatient vs outpatient), any associated pulmonary embolism, and mortality.

Results  There were 22 men and 13 women with a mean age of 58 years. The index general surgical operations included pancreatic surgery (n = 10), esophagogastric surgery (n = 8), intestinal/colorectal surgery (n = 13), and other (n = 5). Diagnosis of DVT was based on symptoms in 94.3% of cases and based on routine duplex screening in 5.7% of cases. Upper extremity DVTs occurred in 40%; lower extremity DVTs occurred in 45.7%; and combined upper and lower extremity DVTs occurred in 14.3% of patients. The mean time between diagnosis of DVT and the index operation was 8.6 days with 29 of 35 patients (83%) with DVT diagnosed as an inpatient and 17% diagnosed in the outpatient setting. Catheter-associated DVT occurred in 21 of 35 patients (60%); 19 patients had an upper extremity catheter and 2 patients had a femoral catheter. Twenty-two of 35 patients (62.9%) with postoperative DVT had other concomitant complications such as ventilator dependency, sepsis, renal failure, surgical site infection, and pneumonia. Deep venous thrombosis with concomitant pulmonary embolism occurred in 4 of 35 patients (11.4%), with 1 of these 4 patients having only upper extremity DVT. The 30-day mortality in this study cohort was 14.2%.

Conclusions  In the presence of prophylaxis, the incidence of DVT after general surgical operation is low, with more than 80% of cases diagnosed in the inpatient setting. Since more than half of the DVTs are catheter induced, efforts for DVT prevention should include more attention to the need for a central catheter, limiting the amount of time of a central catheter, and possibly the use of anticoagulation in the presence of a central catheter.

Design  Single-institution retrospective review.

Setting  Tertiary care teaching hospital in Los Angeles, California.

Patients  A total of 951 patients who underwent 1007 CO₂-DSA procedures during a 21-year period.

Main Outcome Measures  Preprocedure and postprocedure creatinine values and periprocedural morbidity and mortality.

Results  A total of 632 arterial CO₂-DSA were performed; 527 were aortograms with or without extremity runoff; 100, extremity alone; and 5, pulmonary. Venous CO₂-DSA included 187 inferior vena cavagrams, 182 hepatic or visceral, 5 extremity venograms, and 1 superior vena cavagram. Associated endovascular procedures were performed in 499 cases; 162 were arterial interventions including 62 endovascular aneurysm repairs, 53 visceral or renal percutaneous angioplasty with/without stent, 41 extremity percutaneous angioplasty with or without a stent, and 4 cases of thrombolysis or embolization; 176 caval filters, 98 transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts, 54 transjugular liver biopsies, and 9 other venous interventions. The mean preprocedure creatinine level was 2.1 mg/dL; postprocedure, 2.1 mg/dL (P = .56). There were a total of 61 (6.1%) procedural complications including 4 (0.4%) mortalities. Two were procedure-related complications: 1, suppurative pancreatitis following aortogram; and 2, hepatic bleed following failed transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts. Two were attributable to patient disease; 1, metastatic adenocarcinoma; and 2, refractory, end-stage cardiomyopathy.

Conclusion  Carbon dioxide digital subtraction angiography is a versatile technique that can be safely used for diagnostic and therapeutic endovascular procedures. Morbidity and mortality are acceptable with preservation of renal function. Thus, CO₂-DSA is a safe alternative to iodinated contrast.

Data Sources  MEDLINE literature search performed in February 2010 and May 2011.

Study Selection  Studies were included if they addressed the appropriateness of a surgical procedure using the RAND-UCLA Appropriateness Method. Non-US studies were excluded.

Data Extraction  Information was abstracted on study design, surgical procedure, and reported rates of appropriate use, overuse, and underuse. Identified AC were cross-referenced with lists of common procedures from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample and the State Ambulatory Surgery databases.

Data Synthesis  A total of 1601 titles were identified; 39 met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 17 developed AC and 27 applied AC to US populations. Appropriateness criteria have been developed for 16 surgical procedures. Underuse has only been studied for coronary artery bypass graft surgery, and rates range from 24% to 57%. Overuse has been more broadly studied, with rates ranging from 9% to 53% for carotid endarterectomy, 0% to 14% for coronary artery bypass graft, 11% to 24% for upper gastrointestinal tract endoscopy, and 16% to 70% for hysterectomy. Appropriateness criteria exist for 10 of the 25 most common inpatient procedures and 6 of the 15 top ambulatory procedures in the United States. Most studies are more than 5 years old.

Conclusions  Most existing AC are outdated, and AC have never been developed for most common surgical procedures. A broad and coordinated effort to develop and maintain AC would be required to implement this tool to address variation in the use of surgical procedures.

Design  Retrospective database review.

Setting  Veterans Health Administration medical centers.

Interventions  The Veterans Health Administration implemented Medical Team Training and continues to support their directive for ensuring correct surgery to improve surgical patient safety.

Main Outcome Measures  The categories were incorrect procedure types (wrong patient, side, site, procedure, or implant), major or minor surgery, in or out of the operating room (OR), adverse event or close call, specialty, and harm.

Results  Our review produced 237 reports (101 adverse events, 136 close calls) and found decreased harm compared with the previous report. The rate of reported adverse events decreased from 3.21 to 2.4 per month (P = .02). Reported close calls increased from 1.97 to 3.24 per month (P ≤ .001). Adverse events were evenly split between OR (50) and non-OR (51). When in-OR events were examined as a rate, Neurosurgery had 1.56 and Ophthalmology had 1.06 reported adverse events per 10 000 cases. The most common root cause for adverse events was a lack of standardization of clinical processes (18%).

Conclusions  The rate of reported adverse events and harm decreased, while reported close calls increased. Despite improvements, we aim to achieve further gains. Current plans and actions include sharing lessons learned from root cause analyses, policy changes based on root cause analysis review, and additional focused Medical Team Training as needed.

Design, Setting, and Patients  Prospective cohort study of 2393 patients who underwent colon surgery performed by 31 surgeons in 9 secondary and tertiary care public Swiss hospitals, recruited from a surveillance program for SSI between March 1, 1998, and December 31, 2008, and followed up for 1 month after their operation.

Main Outcome Measures  Risk factors for SSI were identified in univariate and multivariate analyses that included the patients' and procedures' characteristics, the hospitals, and the surgeons as candidate covariates. Correlations were sought between surgeons' individual adjusted risks, their self-reported adherence to guidelines, and the delay since their board certification.

Results  A total of 428 SSIs (17.9%) were identified, with hospital rates varying from 4.0% to 25.2% and individual surgeon rates varying from 3.7% to 36.1%. Features of the patients and procedures associated with SSI in univariate analyses were male sex, age, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, contamination class, operation duration, and emergency procedure. Correctly timed antibiotic prophylaxis and laparoscopic approach were protective. Multivariate analyses adjusting for these features and for the hospitals found 4 surgeons with higher risk of SSI (odds ratio [OR] = 2.37, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.51-3.70; OR = 2.19, 95% CI, 1.41-3.39; OR = 2.15, 95% CI, 1.02-4.53; and OR = 1.97, 95% CI, 1.18-3.30) and 2 surgeons with lower risk of SSI (OR = 0.43, 95% CI, 0.19-0.94; and OR = 0.19, 95% CI, 0.04-0.81). No correlation was found between surgeons' individual adjusted risks and their adherence to guidelines or their experience.

Conclusion  For reasons beyond adherence to guidelines or experience, the surgeon may constitute an independent risk factor for SSI after colon surgery.

Design, Setting, and Patients  The study was based on a prospective database of all liver resections performed at the Geneva University Hospitals between January 1, 1991, and October 30, 2009 (a total of 726 elective liver resections in 689 patients). Perioperative complications and their severity were graded according to the original classification by Clavien et al. Variables independently associated with the occurrence of complications were identified using a linear regression analysis model. A score was computed with all independent variables in an assessment population including two-thirds of the liver resections and was further validated in a population including one-third of the liver resections.

Results  Overall mortality was 0.7% (5 of 726 liver resections). We recorded 375 different complications in 259 hepatic resections (36% of resections had ≥1 complication). In the assessment group, resection of 3 or more segments, an American Society of Anesthesiologists score of 3 or higher, and resection for a malignant neoplasm independently predicted the risk of complications. A score integrating these 3 factors significantly predicted the risk of postoperative complications. The score also correlated with the occurrence of major complications.

Conclusion  The score allows for identification of patients most susceptible to complications, in whom efforts against specific postoperative morbidities can be concentrated.

Design  From January 2007 to February 2009, we retrospectively examined data on patients after cardiac operations from 2 consecutive periods during which full-time management of intensive care was changed from noncardiothoracic intensivists (period 1, 168 patients) to cardiothoracic surgeons (period 2, 272 patients).

Main Outcome Measures  Variables measured included Society of Thoracic Surgeons observed and expected mortality, central venous line infections, ventilator-acquired pneumonia, red blood cell exposure, adherence to blood glucose level target at 6 am on the first and second postoperative days, length of stay, and intensive care unit pharmacy costs. Results were compared using a 2-sample t test or 2-tailed Fisher exact test.

Results  In similar populations, as witnessed by equivalent Society of Thoracic Surgeons operative risk, cardiothoracic surgeons providing postoperative critical care led to a mean (SD) decrease in hospital length of stay from 13.4 (0.9) to 11.2 (0.4) days (P = .01) and decreased drug costs from $4300 (1000) to $1800  (200) (P < .001). These improvements occurred without losing benefits in other quality measures.

Conclusions  By virtue of their cardiac-specific operative and nonoperative training, cardiothoracic surgeons may be uniquely qualified to provide postoperative cardiac critical care. In a semiclosed unit where care of the patient is codirected, the improvements noted may have been facilitated by the commonalities between surgeons and intensivists associated with similar training and experiences.  

Design  Single-institution longitudinal observational study.

Setting  Tertiary care center.

Patients  Fifty patients who gave special informed consent to receive Centers for Disease Control and Prevention high-risk (CDCHR) donor kidneys were followed up by serial testing for viral transmission after transplantation. Nucleic acid testing for human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B virus, and hepatitis C virus was performed on all high-risk donors before transplantation. Outcomes of CDCHR kidney recipients were compared with outcomes of non–high-risk (non-HR) kidney recipients.

Main Outcome Measures  New viral transmission, graft function, and waiting list time.

Results  No recipient seroconversion was detected during a median follow-up period of 11.3 months. Compared with non-HR donors, CDCHR donors were younger (mean [SD] age, 35 [11] vs 43 [18] years, P = .01), fewer were expanded criteria donors (2.0% vs 24.8%, P < .001), and fewer had a terminal creatinine level exceeding 2.5 mg/dL (4.0% vs 8.8%, P = .002). The median creatinine levels at 1 year after transplantation were 1.4 (interquartile range, 1.2-1.7) mg/dL for CDCHR recipients and 1.4 (interquartile range, 1.1-1.9) mg/dL for non-HR recipients (P = .4). Willingness to accept a CDCHR kidney significantly shortened the median waiting list time (274 vs 736 days, P < .001).

Conclusions  We show safe use of CDCHR donor kidneys and good 1-year graft function. With continued use of these organs and careful follow-up care, we will be better able to gauge donor risk and match it to recipient need to expand the donor pool and optimize patient benefit.

Design  Retrospective analysis of comprehensive pathology database, medical records, and slides of samples showing pathologic features.

Setting  UMass Memorial Health Care.

Patients  All patients with breast cancer and PD with records in a prospectively maintained database between January 1, 1990, and December 31, 2008, were identified. Each participant was matched (criteria: age within 5 years, year of treatment, and stage of breast cancer) with 2 controls (1:2 ratio).

Main Outcome Measures  Overall and disease-free survival were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier statistics and Cox proportional hazards modeling, accounting for matching in the latter analyses by using robust standard error estimates.

Results  Mean (SD) follow-up was 47 (33) months. Treatment involved mastectomy in 29 (91%) PD vs 16 (25%) non-PD patients (P < .001), radiotherapy in 14 (44%) PD vs 53 (83%) non-PD patients (P < .001), and hormonal therapy in 14 (44%) PD vs 33 (52%) non-PD patients (P = .004). Biological markers were not significantly different except for ERBB2 (formerly HER2 or HER2/neu) overexpression in 14 (44%) PD vs 16 (25%) non-PD patients (P = .008). The PD group had an overall 5-year survival of 81.2% vs 93.8% of the non-PD group (Kaplan-Meier log-rank, P = .03). The unadjusted hazard ratio for the PD vs non-PD group was 5.31 (95% CI, 1.74-16.27; P = .003). The corresponding hazard ratio after adjusting for local and systemic treatment was 2.26 (95% CI, 0.46-11.06; P = .32).

Conclusions  These exploratory data show that PD may have a negative effect on breast cancer survival. This finding needs to be substantiated in larger data sets.

Objective  To examine disparities in procedure type (elective vs urgent/emergency) and mortality in patients with surgically treated diverticulitis insured by Medicare, accounting for comorbidities.

Design  Retrospective analysis of Medicare Provider Analysis and Review inpatient data.

Patients  All blacks and whites 65 years and older undergoing surgical treatment for primary diverticulitis with complete admission and outcome data were eligible.

Main Outcome Measures  In-hospital mortality was examined across procedure categories (elective vs urgent/emergency). Multivariable regression controlled for age, sex, and medical comorbidity (Charlson Comorbidity Index).

Results  A total of 49 937 whites and 2283 blacks met the study criteria. Blacks were slightly younger (74.7 vs 75.5 years, P < .001) and more likely to be female (75.2% vs 69.8%, P < .001). Blacks carried greater comorbidity than did whites (mean Charlson Comorbidity Index score: 0.98 vs 0.87, P < .001); 67.8% of blacks vs 54.7% of whites (P < .001) were urgent/emergency. After adjustment, blacks demonstrated 26% greater risk of urgent/emergency admission (relative risk, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.22-1.30). Black race was also associated with a 28% greater risk of mortality (relative risk, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.10-1.51).

Conclusions  Blacks underwent urgent/emergency surgery more often than did whites. Blacks demonstrated significantly increased mortality risk after controlling for age, sex, and comorbidities. These findings suggest that observed racial disparities encompass more than just insurance status and medical comorbidity. Mechanisms leading to worse outcomes for blacks must be elucidated.

Design  Data from a prospectively maintained institutional database were collected. In a random subset of 70% of patients (training cohort), multivariate logistic regression was used to develop a simple integer score, which was then validated in the remaining 30% of patients (validation cohort). Discrimination and calibration of the score were evaluated using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve and Hosmer-Lemeshow test, respectively.

Setting  Tertiary referral center.

Patients  The study comprised 1976 patients in a prospectively maintained institutional database who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy or total pancreatectomy between 1998 and 2009.

Main Outcome Measures  The 30- and 90-day mortality.

Results  In the training cohort, age, male sex, preoperative serum albumin level, tumor size, total pancreatectomy, and a high Charlson index predicted 90-day mortality (area under the curve, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.71-0.85), whereas all these factors except Charlson index also predicted 30-day mortality (0.79; 0.68-0.89). On validation, the predicted and observed risks were not significantly different for 30-day (1.4% vs 1.0%; P = .62) and 90-day (3.8% vs 3.4%; P = .87) mortality. Both scores maintained good discrimination (for 30-day mortality, area under the curve, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.54-0.95; and for 90-day mortality, 0.73; 0.62-0.84).

Conclusions  The risk scores accurately predicted 30- and 90-day mortality after pancreatectomy. They may help identify and counsel high-risk patients, support and calculate net benefits of therapeutic decisions, and control for selection bias in observational studies as propensity scores.

Design  Retrospective 5-year longitudinal cohort study.

Setting  A sample of 16 state physician health programs in the United States.

Participants  Nine hundred four physicians who underwent treatment for a substance use disorder and were consecutively admitted to 1 of 16 state physician health programs between September 1, 1995, and September 1, 2001. The study analyzed a subset of data comparing 144 surgeons with 636 nonsurgeons.

Main Outcome Measures  Rates of continued drug and alcohol misuse (relapse), monitoring contract completion, and return to medical practice at 5 years.

Results  Surgeons were significantly more likely than nonsurgeons to enroll in a physician health program because of alcohol-related problems (odds ratio, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.3-2.7; P = .001) and were less likely to enroll because of opioid use (odds ratio, 0.5; 95% CI, 0.3-0.8, P = .002). Surgeons were neither more nor less likely than nonsurgeons to have a positive drug test result, complete or fail to complete the monitoring contract, or extend the monitoring period beyond the original 5 years specified in their agreements. Fewer surgeons than nonsurgeons were licensed and practicing medicine at the conclusion of the monitoring period, although this difference was not statistically significant.

Conclusions  Surgeons in this study had positive outcomes similar to those of nonsurgeons. However, further research is necessary to conclude whether surgeons are less likely than their nonsurgeon peers to successfully return to medical practice following chemical dependency treatment.

Background  Fresh frozen plasma has been transfused in liver resection without adequate supporting evidence, leading to unnecessary use.

Design  Prospective study using a phase 1 dose-escalation, 3 + 3 cohort expansion design, modified for FFP transfusion. We designated a serum albumin level of 3.0 g/dL (step 1) as the starting limit for no transfusion and reduced the level in 0.2-g/dL steps. Advancement to the next step was permitted when the albumin level equaled the target value for the previous step in 3 patients. If the albumin value on postoperative day 2 fell below the target value, 100 mL of albumin, 25%, was transfused on that day and on postoperative day 3. The study continued until high-grade postoperative complications occurred without transfusion. If 1 of 3 patients developed Clavien-Dindo grade II or higher complications, 3 more patients (3 + 3 cohort) were added to the same step.

Setting  Hepatobiliary pancreatic surgery center of a university hospital.

Patients  Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who had had Child-Pugh class A liver function and an intraoperative blood loss of less than 1000 mL.

Intervention  Transfusion or no transfusion of FFP.

Main Outcome Measure  Reduction of transfusion rate in liver resection.

Results  Of the 213 consecutive patients with liver cancer enrolled, 172 patients (80.8%) fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Step progression proceeded until step 5 (albumin level, 2.2 g/dL) without high-grade complications, but step 2 (albumin level, 2.8 g/dL) required 63 patients to complete because 1 patient developed grade II complications (massive ascites). Step progression was broken off at step 5 in the 172nd patient because the postoperative day 2 albumin value did not fall below the step 4 level (2.4 g/dL), defined as the goal limit. The overall operative morbidity rate was 27.9%; the mortality rate was 0%. The FFP transfusion rate was significantly reduced from 48.6% in a previous series involving 222 patients (unpublished historical data from our institution) to 0.6% (1 of 172 patients) in the present study (P < .001). The postoperative hospital stay in the present study was significantly shorter than that in our previous series (13 vs 16 days; P = .01). Total medical costs were significantly reduced from a median of $21 061 (range, 10 032-59 410) to $17 267 (11 823-35 785; P = .04).

Conclusion  In liver resection, FFP transfusion is not necessary in patients with serum albumin levels higher than 2.4 g/dL on postoperative day 2.

Design  Multicenter, randomized, single-blind study.

Setting  Five high-volume bariatric centers in Sweden, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Spain, and Belgium.

Patients  Two hundred ninety-eight morbidly obese patients undergoing laparoscopic gastric bypass from March 1, 2009, through December 5, 2010.

Intervention  Patients were randomly allocated to a 2-week preoperative VLCD regimen or no preoperative dietary restriction (control group).

Main Outcome Measures  Operating time, surgeon's perceived difficulty of the operation, liver lacerations, intraoperative bleeding and complications, 30-day weight loss, and morbidity.

Results  Mean (SD) preoperative weight change was –4.9 (3.6) kg in the VLCD group vs –0.4 (3.2) kg in the control group (P < .001). Although the surgeon's perceived difficulty of the procedure was lower in the VLCD group (median [interquartile range], 26 [15-42] vs 35 [18-50] mm on a visual analog scale; P = .04), no differences were found regarding mean (SD) operating time (81 [21] vs 80 [23] min; P = .53), estimated blood loss (P = .62), or intraoperative complications (P = .88). At the 30-day follow-up, the number of complications was greater in the control compared with the VLCD group (18 vs 8; P = .04).

Conclusions  Although weight reduction with a 14-day VLCD regimen before laparoscopic gastric bypass performed in high-volume centers seems to reduce the perceived difficulty of the procedure, only minor effects on operating time, intraoperative complications, and short-term weight loss could be expected. However, the finding of reduced postoperative complication rates suggests that such a regimen should be recommended before bariatric surgery.

Design  Cross-sectional study.

Setting  The study used data from calendar years 2004 through 2006 from 4 Florida general surgeon (GS) cohorts determined by years since board certification.

Participants  American Board of Surgery–certified GSs regardless of subspecialty (n = 1187) performing 460 881 operations on adults 18 years or older.

Main Outcome Measures  Workload composition based on the Clinical Classification System, complications identified by patient safety indicators, and in-hospital mortality. Poisson regression with robust error variance estimated adjusted rate ratios (RRs) for complications and mortality.

Results  Compared with late-career surgeons, the rate of complications from cardiovascular procedures was higher for surgeons in the early-career phase (RR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.06-1.44) and the late middle–career phase (1.18; 1.02-1.37). The mortality rate for cardiovascular procedures also was higher for early-career surgeons (RR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.04-1.46). For digestive procedures, early-career surgeons had lower complication rates than late-career surgeons (RR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.75-0.99).

Conclusion  Late-career GSs perform both better and worse compared with early-career GSs, relative to their workload composition and proportional surgical volume. Factors such as training and case complexity may contribute to these career-phase differences.

Data Sources  We systematically searched the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and MEDLINE databases through June 1, 2010, for randomized controlled trials comparing laparoscopic with open bariatric surgery.

Study Selection  We included all randomized controlled trials that reported weight loss outcomes and complications at a minimum of 12 months' follow-up and had a minimum of 50 patients. We identified 6 randomized controlled trials, which randomized 510 patients.

Data Extraction  Data were extracted by 2 reviewers on study design, baseline characteristics, and surgical procedure. The outcome data extracted included change in weight and body mass index and the incidence of reoperation, wound infection, incisional hernia, anastomotic leak, and all-cause mortality.

Data Synthesis  We used random-effects models, which accounted for within-study and between-study variability, to estimate pooled risk ratios (95% CIs). Compared with open surgery, laparoscopic surgery was associated with lower risk of wound infection (relative risk [RR], 0.21; 95% CI, 0.07-0.65) and incisional hernia (RR, 0.11; 95% CI, 0.03-0.35). The risk of reoperation (RR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.70-1.61), anastomotic leak (RR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.14-2.95), and all-cause mortality (RR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.22-3.28) may be similar for laparoscopic and open bariatric surgery.

Conclusion  Laparoscopic surgery may be a safer treatment than open surgery for patients requiring bariatric surgery.

Design  Retrospective cohort study using discharge abstract data.

Setting  Twelve regional hospitals in Southern California.

Patients  Seven thousand six hundred fifty patients underwent appendectomy for acute appendicitis (LA = 3551, OA = 4099).

Intervention  Laparoscopic appendectomy or OA.

Main Outcome Measures  Thirty-day morbidity (wound infection, abscess drainage, and readmission) and length of hospitalization.

Results  Use of laparoscopy increased from 22% in 1998 to 70% in 2007. Overall, patients undergoing LA were older (mean [SD] age, 12.8 [3.2] vs 10.4 [3.7] years; P < .001) and had a lower perforation rate (24% vs 34%; P < .001). Multivariable logistic regression demonstrated a decreased odds ratio for wound infection (odds ratio, 0.6; 95% confidence interval, 0.5-0.8) and abscess drainage (odds ratio, 0.6; 95% confidence interval, 0.4-0.7) following LA compared with OA. Multivariable linear regression also showed decreased length of hospitalization following LA compared with OA.

Conclusion  Now the preferred operation for children with appendicitis, LA was associated with a decreased risk of wound infection, abscess drainage, and length of hospitalization compared with OA.

Design  Ten patients underwent robotic single-port cholecystectomy performed with the da Vinci Si robot and novel da Vinci single-site instrumentation. Outcomes and operative times were compared with patients undergoing traditional multiport laparoscopic cholecystectomy during the same period.

Setting  Tertiary care Veterans Administration hospital.

Patients  Outpatients older than 18 years with an American Society of Anesthesiologists class of 1 to 3, no prior upper abdominal surgery, and diagnosis of noninflammatory biliary disease.

Intervention  Single-site robotic cholecystectomy.

Main Outcome Measures  Operative time, complications up to 30 days, pain scores, and overall satisfaction.

Results  Nine of 10 patients had completion of robotic single-site cholecystectomy. Average operating room time was 105.3 minutes compared with an average of 106.1 minutes in the standard laparoscopic group. There were no serious adverse events in the robotic surgery group, with an average follow-up of 3 or more months.

Conclusion  Robotic single-port cholecystectomy is feasible and comparable with standard laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the Veterans Administration medical center setting.

Design  Retrospective cohort study.

Setting  National Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry linked to Medicare claims data.

Patients  Fee-for-service Medicare patients aged 65 years or older who underwent a definitive surgical resection for breast, colon, gastric, rectal, or thyroid cancer diagnosed between January 2000 and December 2005. Claims data were available from January 1999 through December 2007.

Main Outcome Measures  Receipt of care concordant with established practice guidelines in surgical oncology in the aggregate and by hospital.

Results  Concordance with guidelines was greater than 90% for 7 of 11 measures. All guidelines regarding adjuvant therapy had concordance rates greater than 90%. Only 2 of 5 measures for nodal management had concordance rates greater than 90%. At least 50% of hospitals provided guideline-concordant care to 100% of their patients for 6 of 11 guidelines. Patients receiving appropriate care tended to be younger, healthier, white, and more affluent, to have less advanced disease, and to live in the Midwest.

Conclusions  We found a high level of concordance with guidelines in some domains of surgical oncology care but far less so in others, particularly for gastric and colon nodal management. Given the current national focus on improving the quality of health care, surgeons must focus on generating data to define appropriate care and translating those data into everyday practice.

Design  Retrospective database review.

Setting  Academic tertiary hospital.

Patients  Patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy and carotid angioplasty and stenting from 1996 to 2006.

Intervention  Carotid revascularization.

Main Outcome Measure  Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was calculated based on the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation. Groups were analyzed by stages 0 to 2 (GFR ≥60 mL/min/1.73m²) vs stage 3 (GFR <60 and ≥30 mL/min/1.73m²) vs stages 4 and 5 (GFR <30 mL/min/1.73m²).

Results  Nine hundred twenty-one carotid interventions were performed (750 carotid endarterectomy, 171 carotid angioplasty and stenting). The overall 30-day mortality and morbidity rates were 1.1% and 16.9%, respectively. Sixty-six percent of patients had normal renal function (stages 0-2). Twenty-eight percent of patients had moderate renal insufficiency (stage 3) and 6% of patients had severe renal insufficiency (stages 4-5). The 30-day stroke rates for groups were 2.98% (normal renal function), 2.67% (moderate renal insufficiency), and 5.45% (severe renal insufficiency) (P = .54). Thirty-day mortality rates between groups were 0.66% (normal renal function), 1.15% (moderate renal insufficiency), and 5.45% (severe renal insufficiency) (P = .005). For carotid endarterectomy, no difference in freedom from stroke existed based on level of renal function. For carotid angioplasty and stenting, patients with severe renal insufficiency exhibited significantly lower rates of freedom from stroke.

Conclusions  Chronic kidney disease is prevalent among patients undergoing carotid revascularization. Overall, patients with moderate renal function have similar outcomes. However, those with severe renal insufficiency have significantly higher 30-day mortality when undergoing carotid revascularization.

Design  Retrospective analysis of our institutional experience and a systematic review of the literature.

Setting  Academic teaching facility, Parkland Memorial Hospital, and the Dallas Veterans Affairs Medical Center (all in Dallas, Texas).

Patients  Medical records of 1200 cholecystectomies performed between 2008 and 2009 at Parkland Memorial Hospital, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, and the Dallas Veterans Affairs Medical Center were reviewed. Patients with radiologic or histologic evidence of PGB or GBC were included.

Main Outcome Measures  The risk of GBC in patients with a PGB was assessed by contingency table analysis.

Results  We identified 13 patients with a PGB among 1200 cholecystectomies (1.1%). Most of these patients had concomitant gallstones (n = 9). None of the patients with a PGB had evidence of carcinoma. We also reviewed the histologic analysis results of 35 cases of GBC operated on between 1997 and 2009; none of these had gallbladder wall calcifications. Most patients underwent a laparoscopic cholecystectomy without any postoperative complications. We reviewed 7 published series that included 60 665 cholecystectomies. The overall incidence of PGB was 0.2%, and GBC occurred in 15% of the PGB cases. Most cases of GBC occurring in PGB were found in the older literature; in the contemporary series, there were few reports of GBC associated with a PGB.

Conclusions  Porcelain gallbladder is only weakly associated with GBC. Prophylactic cholecystectomy is not indicated for PGB alone and should be performed only in patients with conventional indications for cholecystectomy. A laparoscopic approach is appropriate for most patients with a PGB.

Design  Retrospective analysis.

Setting  Twenty-eight centers of the French Federation for Surgical Research.

Patients  In total, 1721 patients (1230 with colon cancer [CC] and 491 with diverticular disease [DD]) from a databank of 7 prospective, multisite, randomized trials on colorectal resection.

Intervention  Elective left colectomy via laparotomy.

Main Outcome Measures  Preoperative and intraoperative risk factors for postoperative morbidity.

Results  Overall postoperative morbidity was higher in CC than in DD (32.4% vs 30.3%) but the difference was not statistically significant (P = .40). Two independent risk factors for morbidity in CC were antecedent heart failure (odds ratio [OR], 3.00; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.42-6.32) (P = .003) and bothersome intraluminal fecal matter (2.08; 1.42-3.06) (P = .001). Three independent risk factors for morbidity in DD were at least 10% weight loss (OR, 2.06; 95% CI, 1.25-3.40) (P = .004), body mass index (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) exceeding 30 (2.05; 1.15-3.66) (P = .02), and left hemicolectomy (vs left segmental colectomy) (2.01; 1.19-3.40) (P = .009).

Conclusions  Patients undergoing elective left colectomy for CC or for DD constitute 2 distinct populations with completely different risk factors for morbidity, which should be addressed differently. Improving colonic cleanliness (by antiseptic enema) may reduce morbidity in CC. In DD, morbidity may be reduced by appropriate preoperative nutritive support (by immunonutrition), even in patients with obesity, and by preference of left segmental colectomy over left hemicolectomy. By decreasing morbidity, mortality should be lowered as well, especially when reoperation becomes necessary.

Design  Retrospective analysis of SEMS placement for incurable colorectal obstruction in a 3-year period.

Setting  Five tertiary care endoscopic centers.

Patients and Intervention  Consecutive patients (N = 201) undergoing stenting for incurable malignant obstruction.

Main Outcome Measurements  Clinical and technical success of stenting, complications rate, and factors affecting outcomes.

Results  Technical success was achieved in 184 of 201 patients (91.5%) and clinical success occurred in 165 of 184 patients (89.7%; 82.1% of 201 patients). Technical and clinical failures were more frequent in extrinsic and long colorectal stenoses. Overall, 165 patients had normal bowel movements during follow-up (mean [SD], 115.5 [100.3] days; range, 1-500 days), 15 developed complications, 127 had a functioning SEMS at the time of death, and 23 were alive at completion of the study. Twenty-four (11.9%) major complications occurred: 11 migrations, 12 perforations, and 1 reobstruction. Migration of SEMSs was associated with stent diameter less than 25 mm. Bevacizumab therapy increased the risk of perforation by 19.6-fold. Karnofsky performance status of 50 or less was associated with shorter survival and a 3.7-fold higher risk of death within 6 months after the stent was placed.

Conclusions  The use of SEMSs is safe and effective for palliation of incurable malignant colonic obstruction; approximately 75% of patients with SEMSs are able to avoid colostomy.

Objective  To evaluate reflux and esophageal symptoms in males and females in a community sample and in patients undergoing antireflux surgery.

Design  Face-to-face interview.

Setting  A South Australian community.

Participants  Random sample of 2973 individuals from the community and 2153 patients presenting for antireflux surgery.

Main Outcome Measures  In a random sample of 2973 individuals from the community, the prevalence of reflux and other esophageal symptoms was determined and compared with symptoms in 2153 patients presenting for antireflux surgery. Identical questions were used to assess frequency and severity of heartburn and dysphagia and medication use. Analog scales assessed heartburn and dysphagia (0 indicating no symptoms and 10, severe symptoms). Outcomes for males vs females were compared across both groups.

Results  In the community, females were more likely to report heartburn, and when reported, symptom severity was higher. The prevalence of dysphagia was similar for males and females, although females reported higher dysphagia scores for solid foods. A similar proportion of males and females took antireflux medications. Females presenting for antireflux surgery were, on average, 7 years older than males, had a higher body mass index, and had higher heartburn and dysphagia symptom scores. At endoscopy, men were more likely to have ulcerative esophagitis and Barrett esophagus, and at surgery they were less likely to have a hiatal hernia.

Conclusions  Significant differences were noted between males and females in the frequency and severity of gastroesophageal reflux–associated symptoms in the community and in patients presenting for surgery. These might reflect differences in symptom perception, which explain previously reported better outcomes in men undergoing antireflux surgery.

Design  Retrospective cohort study using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample.

Setting  Level I and level II trauma centers.

Patients  Trauma patients.

Main Outcome Measures  Multivariate logistic regression models were estimated to examine the association between clinical outcomes (in-hospital mortality and hospital-associated infections) and the National Quality Forum patient safety practices. We controlled for patient demographic characteristics, injury severity, mechanism of injury, comorbidities, and hospital characteristics.

Results  The total score on the Leapfrog Safe Practices Survey was not associated with either mortality (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.92; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.79-1.06) or hospital-associated infections (1.03; 0.82-1.29). Full implementation of computerized physician order entry was not associated with reduced mortality (aOR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.75-1.42) or with a lower risk of hospital-associated infections (0.94; 0.57-1.56). Full implementation of intensive care unit physician staffing was also not predictive of mortality (aOR, 1.13; 95% CI, 0.90-1.28) or of hospital-associated infections (1.04; 0.76-1.42).

Conclusion  In this nationally representative sample of level I and level II trauma centers, we were unable to detect evidence that hospitals reporting better compliance with the National Quality Forum patient safety practices had lower mortality or a lower incidence of hospital-associated infections.

Design  Retrospective nationwide multicenter study.

Setting  Fifteen university hospitals (tertiary care referral centers) located in all 7 Korean provinces.

Patients  A total of 808 patients aged 18 years or older who underwent surgery for choledochal cyst from January 1, 1990, through December 31, 2007.

Main Outcome Measures  Demographic information, surgical data, associated biliary malignant tumors, and factors predicting malignant tumors.

Results  Type I was most common (499 [68.2%]) followed by type IVa (208 [28.4%]). Of 654 patients, anomalous pancreaticobiliary ductal union was identified in 467 patients (71.4%), 291 with the choledochal type (62.3%), 96 with the pancreatic type (20.6%), and 80 with the complex type (17.1%). Biliary tract malignant tumor was associated in 80 patients (9.9%); 40 had bile duct cancer (50.0%), 35 had gallbladder cancer (43.8%), 3 had periampullary cancer, and 2 had synchronous gallbladder and bile duct cancer. Twenty-two patients (26.3%) had a recurrence, with a median follow-up duration of 51.8 months. Factors predicting malignant tumor by univariate analysis were age more than 40 years, the absence of a gallstone, elevated carcinoembryonic antigen or cancer antigen 19-9 serum level, and the presence of anomalous pancreaticobiliary ductal union, and by multivariate analysis, an elevated cancer antigen 19-9 level.

Conclusions  Associated biliary malignant tumor should always be considered in patients with choledochal cyst, especially in aged patients or patients with anomalous pancreaticobiliary ductal union or an elevated tumor marker level. Lifelong follow-up is needed even after complete cyst excision because of the risk of the development of a metachronous biliary malignant tumor.

Objective  To determine changes in weight and healthy behavior in patients who underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery and their family members.

Design  Prospective, longitudinal, and multidimensional health assessment before and 1 year after index Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery.

Setting  An academic bariatric center of excellence, from January 1, 2007, through December 31, 2009.

Participants  Eighty-five participants (35 patients, 35 adult family members, and 15 children <18 years old).

Intervention  Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery and associated dietary and lifestyle counseling.

Main Outcome Measures  Weight and expected body mass index (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared). Secondary outcomes were waist circumference, quality of life (36-Item Short Form or Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory), healthy behaviors, eating behaviors, and activity levels.

Results  Participants were grouped by relationship to patient for analysis with paired 2-sample t tests. Before the operation, 60% of adult family members and 73% of children of patients undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery were obese. At 12 months after the operation, significant weight loss was observed in obese adult family members (from 234 to 226 lb; P = .01). There was a trend for obese children to have a lower body mass index than expected for their growth curve (31.2 expected vs 29.6 observed; P = .07). Family members increased their daily activity levels (adults, from 8 to 17 metabolic equivalent task–hours, P = .005; and children, from 13 to 22, P = .04). Adult family members also had improved eating habits with less uncontrollable eating (from 35 to 28; P = .01), emotional eating (from 36 to 28; P = .04), and alcohol consumption (from 11 drinks per month to 1 drink per month; P = .009).

Conclusion  Gastric bypass surgery may render an additional benefit of weight loss and improved healthy behavior for bariatric patients' family members.

Objective  To report the rate of complications after ileostomy reversal using standardized definitions to aid physicians who are deciding whether to divert anastomoses.

Methods  Patients who underwent diverting loop ileostomy closure from January 1, 2005, through February 28, 2010, were identified using a prospective database. Perioperative variables and 30-day outcomes were reviewed. Complications were graded according to the Clavien-Dindo Classification, in which grade III, IV, or V represents major complications. Univariate analysis assessed the relationship between operative variables and surgical outcomes.

Results  A total of 944 patients underwent reversal: 43.1% were women, the mean age was 47.2 years, the mean body mass index (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) was 25.7, and 18.5% were American Society of Anesthesiologists class III or IV. Indications for the initial operation were ulcerative colitis (49.5%), rectal cancer (27.5%), diverticular disease (6.8%), and other (16.1%). Anastomotic technique for reversal was sutured fold-over in 466 patients (49.4%), stapled in 315 (33.4%), and handsewn end to end in 163 (17.3%). After reversal, the mean time to first bowel movement, tolerance of soft diet, and discharge from hospital was 2.6, 3.7, and 5.2 days, respectively. Handsewn cases had longer operative times and longer times to bowel movement, soft diet, and discharge. Overall, complications occurred in 203 patients (21.5%), including 45 patients (4.8%) who experienced a major complication; there were no deaths within 30 days.

Conclusion  Ileostomy closure is associated with a low rate of major grade III and IV complications and should be reserved for patients who have a predicted postoperative major complication rate of 5% or more without diversion.

Design  Observational population-based register study.

Setting  Data from the nationwide Swedish Hernia Register, which prospectively collects data from almost all groin hernia repairs performed in Sweden.

Patients  There were 123 917 primary groin hernia repairs recorded in the Swedish Hernia Register from January 1, 1998, through December 31, 2007.

Main Outcome Measures  Relative risk of reoperation for recurrence and odds ratios for postoperative complications in 4 operating time groups.

Results  The relative risk of reoperation for recurrence of all patients operated on in less than 36 minutes was 26% higher than that of all patients with an operating time of more than 66 minutes (1.26; 95% CI, 1.11-1.43). Because the Lichtenstein procedure is the standard procedure in Sweden today, its results were also analyzed separately. In this homogeneous group, the difference was even more striking with an increased relative risk of 45% (1.45; 95% CI, 1.21-1.75). The odds ratio for infection and other postoperative complications increased with increasing operating time.

Conclusion  A significant decrease in reoperation for recurrence with increasing operating time exhorts the hernia surgeon to avoid speed and to maintain thoroughness throughout the procedure.

Data Sources  Current English-language literature review using MEDLINE.

Study Selection  Prospective and retrospective trials, series, reviews, databases, and editorials regarding the clinical and basic science aspects of LTx in patients with IPF.

Data Extraction  We analyzed results from trials and series.

Data Synthesis  Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is an incurable disease with a dismal prognosis. The only treatment of proven benefit is LTx. Since the introduction of the Lung Allocation Score, IPF has become the most common indication for LTx in the United States. These patients have a limited life expectancy and benefit from early referral for transplant. Although controversial, the most recent data suggest that bilateral LTx is superior to single LTx in the population of patients with IPF. For this population, LTx increases the length and quality of their lives.

Conclusion  Although patients with IPF have a dismal prognosis, LTx is a safe and effective treatment to improve their survival and functional status.