Elevated preoperative lower esophageal sphincter pressure predicts improved clinical outcomes after per oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM).

BACKGROUND: Although per oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) has shown to be beneficial for the treatment of achalasia, it can be difficult to predict who will have a robust and long-lasting response. Historically, it has been shown that higher lower esophageal sphincter pressures have been associated with poorer responses to alternative endoscopic therapies such as Botox therapy and pneumatic dilation. This study was designed to evaluate if modern preoperative manometric data could similarly predict response to therapy after POEM. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of 237 patients who underwent POEM at a single institution over a period of 13 years (2011-2023) and who had a high-resolution manometry performed preoperatively and an Eckardt symptom score performed both preoperative and postoperatively. The achalasia type and integrated relaxation pressures (IRP) were tested for potential correlation with the need for any further achalasia interventions postoperatively as well as the degree of Eckardt score reduction using a linear regression model. RESULTS: The Achalasia type on preoperative manometry was not predictive for further interventions or degree of Eckardt score reduction (p = 0.76 and 0.43, respectively). A higher IRP was not predictive of the need for further interventions, however, it was predictive of a greater reduction in postoperative Eckardt scores (p = 0.03) as shown by the non-zero regression slope. CONCLUSION: In this study, achalasia type was not a predictive factor in the need for further interventions or the degree of symptom relief. Although IRP was not predictive of the need for further interventions, a higher IRP did predict better symptomatic relief postoperatively. This result is opposite that of other endoscopic treatment modalities (Botox and pneumatic dilation). Therefore, patients with higher IRP on preoperative high-resolution manometry would likely benefit from POEM which provides significant symptomatic relief postoperatively.

The Role of Structured Goals of Care Discussions in Critically Ill Thoracic Surgery Patients.

Objective: The American College of Surgeons recommends structured family meetings (FM) for high-risk surgical patients. We hypothesized that goals of care discussions (GOCD) in the form of an FM, multidisciplinary family meeting (MDFM), or palliative care consult (PCC) would be underutilized in imminently dying thoracic surgery patients. Methods: A retrospective chart review at a tertiary academic medical center was performed on all inpatient mortalities and discharges to hospice after any thoracic surgery operation. The utilization of GOCDs was compared between the 2 groups. Secondary outcomes were length-of-stay, comatose status and ventilator dependence during initial GOCD, and timing of code status change. Results: In total, 56 patients met inclusion criteria: 44 of 56 (78.6%) died and 12 of 56 (21.4%) were discharged to hospice. Most patients had a FM (79.5% mortality vs 100% hospice, P = .29) and few had an MDFM (25.0% mortality vs 25.0% hospice, P = 1.00). Patients discharged to hospice were more likely to have a PCC (66.7% vs 31.2%, P = .03) and less likely to be comatose (16.7% vs 59.1%, P = .009) or ventilator dependent during initial GOCD (16.7% vs 70.5%, P = .001). Among patients who died and were DNR-CC (do not resuscitate-comfort care; 37 of 44), 75.7% died the same day of code status change and 67.6% died within 48 h of initial GOCD. Discussion: Although FMs were common, MDFMs were infrequent. Patients discharged to hospice were more likely to have a PCC. Most deaths occurred shortly after initial GOCD and most code status changes occurred on day-of-death. This data suggest an opportunity to improve GOCDs in critically ill thoracic surgery patients.

Does practice make perfect? Studying the relationship between surgeon experience and patient outcomes for paraesophageal hernia repairs.

BACKGROUND: It has been reported that higher surgeon experience leads to better patient outcomes. In this study, we look at surgeon experience and its association with postoperative outcomes and variation among the practice of surgeons performing paraesophageal hernia repairs (PEH). METHOD: This was a retrospective study of 1155 patients who underwent PEH repair at a single institution (2010-2023). Surgeon experience was defined as the number of surgeries performed per surgeon and was split using the median surgeries (n = 100), with surgeons performing at or above the median categorized as high-experience and below the median as low-experience surgeons. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to test correlation between surgeon experience and variables, including demographics and intra- and post-operative outcomes. RESULTS: High-experience surgeons performed more elective cases (93.4% vs 85.5%), but low-experience surgeons operated more on emergent (2.7% vs 0.9%), semi-elective (2.3% vs 1.4%), and urgent cases (9.5% vs 4.3%). Low-experience surgeons operated more on patients who were older (67.5 vs 63.2 years, p < 0.001) and had an increased risk of CVD (72.9% vs 61.5%, p < 0.001). Intraoperative OR time was considerably less for high-experience surgeons (115.8 vs 172.9 min, p < 0.001). Low-experience surgeons had increased risk of intra-operative complications (4.5% vs 1.8%, p = 0.021) and post-op pneumonia within 30 days (1.8% vs 0.3%). However, long-term outcomes such as hernia recurrence (OR: 1.10, CI: 0.78-1.54) and redo-operations for hiatal hernia (OR: 1.10, CI: 0.65-1.75) were similar for both groups. CONCLUSION: High-experience surgeons perform more complex revisional surgeries in less time with fewer complications. Low-experience surgeons operated more on patients with higher comorbidities but had significantly higher OR times. Long-term results of recurrence and redo-operations were comparable. These variations suggest that high-experience surgeons are more efficient while operating on more complex cases. These findings have pivotal implications to facilitate mentorship and education among less-experienced surgeons.

Is Minimally Invasive Resection of Large Thymoma Appropriate?

BACKGROUND: Current practice patterns suggest open rather than minimally invasive (MIS) approaches for thymomas >4 cm. We hypothesized there would be similar perioperative outcomes and overall survival between open and MIS approaches for large (>4 cm) thymoma resection. METHODS: The National Cancer Database was queried for patients who underwent thymectomy from 2010 to 2020. Surgical approach was characterized as either open or MIS. The primary outcome was overall survival and secondary outcomes were margin status, and length of stay (LOS). Differences between approach cohorts were compared after a 1:1 propensity match. RESULTS: Among 4121 thymectomies, 2474 (60%) were open and 1647 (40%) were MIS. Patients undergoing MIS were older, had fewer comorbidities, and had smaller tumors (median; 4.6 vs 6 cm, P < .001). In the unmatched cohort, MIS and open had similar 90-day mortality (1.1% vs 1.8%, P = .158) and rate of positive margin (25.1% vs 27.9%, P = .109). MIS thymectomy was associated with shorter LOS (2 (1-4) vs 4 (3-6) days, P < .001). Propensity matching reduced the bias between the groups. In this cohort, overall survival was similar between the groups by log-rank test (P = .462) and multivariate cox hazard analysis (HR .882, P = .472). Multivariable regression showed shorter LOS with MIS approach (Coef -1.139, P < .001), and similar odds of positive margin (OR 1.130, P = .150). DISCUSSION: MIS has equivalent oncologic benefit to open resection for large thymomas, but is associated with shorter LOS. When clinically appropriate, MIS thymectomy may be considered a safe alternative to open resection for large thymomas.

Eliminating Hands-Off Handoffs: Improvement in Perioperative Handoff Communication With a Multidisciplinary Tool Initiative.

INTRODUCTION: Handoffs between the operating room (OR) and post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) require a high volume and quality of information to be transferred. This study aimed to improve perioperative communication with a handoff tool. METHODS: Perioperative staff at a quaternary care center was surveyed regarding perception of handoff quality, and OR to PACU handoffs were observed for structured criteria. A 25-item tool was implemented, and handoffs were similarly observed. Staff was then again surveyed. A multidisciplinary team led this initiative as a collaboration. RESULTS: After implementation, nursing reported improved perception of time spent (2.63-3.68, p = .02) and amount of information discussed (2.85-3.73, p = .05). Anesthesia also reported improved personal communication (3.69-4.43, p = .004), effectiveness of handoffs (3.43-3.82, p = .02), and amount of information discussed (4.26-4.76, p = .05). After implementation, observed patient information discussed during handoffs increased for both surgical and anesthesia team members. The frequency of complete and near-complete handoffs increased (40%-74%, p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: A structured handoff tool increased the amount of essential information reported during handoffs between the OR and PACU and increased team members' perception of handoffs.

Dissuasion in women surgical trainees pursuing cardiothoracic surgery.

BACKGROUND: The reasons for persistent gender disparity in cardiothoracic surgery (CTS) are multifaceted. The objective of this paper is to understand if and why women surgical trainees are dissuaded from pursuing CTS. METHODS: A survey was sent to self-identified women participating in Women in Thoracic Surgery speed mentoring. Statistical analysis was performed to determine dissuasion rates. Open-ended responses describing examples of dissuasion were characterized and categorized. RESULTS: Of all participants, 76 â€‹% (163/215) reported dissuasion from a CTS career. Third- and fourth-year medical students experienced the highest rate by training (81 â€‹%, 48/59) and those interested in Congenital CTS experienced the highest rate based on subspecialty interest (94 â€‹%, 17/18). The most cited dissuasion examples included work/life balance, lifestyle with children, and gender. CONCLUSIONS: Most women surveyed had been dissuaded from pursuing a career in CTS. Examples of dissuasion provided are heavily associated with traditional gender roles, supporting the presence of continued gender bias in CTS.

Lung Cancer in Young Patients is Associated With More Advanced Disease but Better Overall Survival.

INTRODUCTION: It is unclear whether nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is associated with more aggressive disease and worse overall survival (OS) among younger patients. The aim of this study is to evaluate outcomes in young patients. We hypothesize that young age is associated with more advanced disease upon presentation, but better OS. METHODS: We identified patients with NSCLC from 2004 to 2018 in the National Cancer Database. Patients were categorized in 3 groups: age≤50, 51-84, and ≥85 y. The outcomes were OS, stage IV NSCLC and clinical nodal metastasis. OS was analyzed using multivariate cox and Kaplan-Meier analysis accounting for stage, comorbidities, and other factors. The association of age, presentation with stage IV NSCLC and node positivity was analyzed using multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: In total 1,651,744 patients were identified: 92,506 (5.57%) age ≤50, 1,477,723 (88.90%) age 51-84, and 91,964 (5.53%) age ≥85. Multivariate model showed stage IV NSCLC was associated with age ≤50 (OR 1.17 (1.15-1.20) P < 0.001) and ≥85 (odds ratio (OR) 1.03 (1.02-1.04) P < 0.001). Clinical lymph node positivity was associated with age ≤50 (OR 1.27 (1.23-1.30) P < 0.001). Relative to patients 51-84, the ≤50 group was associated with better survival in Stage I (hazard ratio (HR) 0.61 versus 1.00), stage II (HR 1.12 versus 1.50), stage III (HR 2.12 versus 2.53), and stage IV (HR 6.65 versus 7.53). CONCLUSIONS: Patients ≤50-y-old present with more advanced NSCLC, but better OS compared to patients 51-84. These findings suggest the need for increased awareness regarding NSCLC among age groups seen as low risk.

Evaluating the Optimal Time Between Diagnosis and Surgical Intervention for Early-Stage Lung Cancer.

INTRODUCTION: There is no consensus on the optimal timing for lung cancer surgery. We aim to evaluate the impact of timing of surgical intervention. We hypothesize delay in intervention is associated with worse overall survival and higher pathologic upstaging in early-stage lung cancer. METHODS: We identified patients with cT1/2N0M0 nonsmall cell lung cancer in the National Cancer Database from 2004 to 2018. Patients were categorized by time to surgery groups: early (<26 d), average (26-60 d), and delayed (61-365 d). Primary outcome was overall survival and secondary outcome was pathologic upstaging. Multivariate models and survival analyses were used to determine factors associated with time from diagnosis to surgery, pathologic upstaging, and overall survival. RESULTS: In multivariate model, advanced age, non-Hispanic Black patients, nonprivate insurance, low median income and education, and treatment at low-volume facilities were less likely to undergo early intervention and compared to the average group were more likely to receive delayed intervention. Pathologic upstaging was more likely in the delayed group (odds ratio 1.11, 1.07-1.14) compared to early group (odds ratio 0.96, 0.93-0.99). Early intervention was associated with improved overall survival (hazard ratio 0.93, 0.91-0.95), while delayed intervention was associated with inferior survival (hazard ratio 1.11, 1.09-1.14). CONCLUSIONS: Expeditious surgical intervention is associated with lower rates of pathologic upstaging and improved overall survival in early-stage lung cancer. Delays in surgery are associated with social and economic factors, suggesting disparities in access to surgery. Lung cancer surgery should be performed as quickly as possible to maximize oncologic outcomes.

Disparities and access to thoracic surgeons among esophagectomy patients in the United States.

Esophagectomy is a complex operation with significant morbidity and mortality. Previous studies have shown that sub-specialization is associated with improved esophagectomy outcomes. We hypothesized that disparities would exist among esophagectomy patients regarding access to thoracic surgeons based on demographic, geographic, and hospital factors. The Premier Healthcare Database was used to identify adult inpatients receiving esophagectomy for esophageal and gastric cardia cancer, Barrett's esophagus, and achalasia from 2015 to 2019 using ICD-10 codes. Patients were categorized as receiving their esophagectomy from a thoracic versus non-thoracic provider. Survey methodology was used to correct for sampling error. Backwards selection from bivariable analysis was used in a survey-weighted multivariable logistic regression to determine predictors of esophagectomy provider specialization. During the study period, 960 patients met inclusion criteria representing an estimated population size of 3894 patients. Among them, 1696 (43.5%) were performed by a thoracic surgeon and 2199 (56.5%) were performed by non-thoracic providers. On multivariable analysis, factors associated with decreased likelihood of receiving care from a thoracic provider included Black (OR 0.41, p < 0.001), Other (OR 0.21, p < 0.001), and Unknown race (OR 0.22, p = 0.04), and uninsured patients (OR 0.53, p = 0.03). Urban hospital setting was associated with an increased likelihood of care by a thoracic provider (OR 4.43, p = 0.001). In this nationally representative study, Nonwhite race, rural hospital setting, and lower socioeconomic status were factors associated with decreased likelihood of esophagectomy patients receiving care from a thoracic surgeon. Efforts to address these disparities and provide appropriate access to thoracic surgeons is warranted.

Risk factors for adverse outcomes following paraesophageal hernia repair among obese patients.

BACKGROUND: Although obesity is an established risk factor for adverse outcomes after paraesophageal hernia repair (PEHR), many obese patients nonetheless receive PEHR. The purpose of this study was to explore risk factors for adverse outcomes of PEHR among this high-risk cohort. We hypothesized that obese patients may have other risk factors for adverse outcomes following PEHR. METHODS: A retrospective study of adult obese patients who underwent minimally invasive PEHR from 2017 to 2019 was performed. Patients were excluded for BMI < 30 or if they had concomitant bariatric surgery at time of PEHR. The primary outcome of interest was a composite adverse outcome (CAO) defined as having any of the four following outcomes after PEHR: persistent GERD > 30 d, persistent dysphagia > 30 d, recurrence, or reoperation. Chi-square and t-test analysis was used to compare demographic and clinical characteristics. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate independent predictors of CAO. RESULTS: In total, 139 patients met inclusion criteria with a median follow-up of 19.7 months (IQR 8.8-81). Among them, 51/139 (36.7%) patients had a CAO: 31/139 (22.4%) had persistent GERD, 20/139 (14.4%) had persistent dysphagia, 24/139 (17.3%) had recurrence, and 6/139 (4.3%) required reoperation. On unadjusted analysis, patients with a CAO were more likely to have a history of prior abdominal surgery (86.3% vs 70.5%, p = 0.04) and were less likely to have undergone a preoperative CT scan (27.5% vs 45.5%, p = 0.04). On multivariable analysis, previous abdominal surgery was independently associated with an increased likelihood of CAO whereas age and preoperative CT scan had a decreased likelihood of CAO. CONCLUSIONS: Although there were adverse outcomes among obese patients, minimally invasive PEHR may be feasible in a subset of patients at specialized centers. These findings may help guide the appropriate selection of obese patients for PEHR.

Contemporary outcomes of surgical resection for chest wall chondrosarcoma.

Objective: Chondrosarcoma is the most common primary malignant chest wall tumor and is historically associated with poor prognosis. Recommendations regarding surgical excision are on the basis of small, single-institution studies. We used a large national database to assess outcomes of surgery for chest wall chondrosarcoma (CWC) hypothesizing that surgical excision remains standard of care. Methods: The National Cancer Databases for bone and soft tissue were merged to identify patients with chondrosarcoma from 2004 to 2018. Clinical and demographic characteristics of CWC were compared with chondrosarcoma from other sites. The primary outcome was overall survival described using Kaplan-Meier estimate. Univariable and multivariable Cox analysis was used to determine risk factors for poor survival among CWC patients who underwent surgery. Multivariable analysis of predictors of margin status was performed because of worse prognosis associated with positive margins. Results: Among 11,925 patients with chondrosarcoma, 1934 (16.2%) had a CWC. Relative to other sites, CWC was associated with older age, male sex, White race, surgical resection, and care at a nonacademic institution. CWC was associated with 1-, 3-, 5-, and 10-year survival of 91.5%, 82.0%, 75.5%, and 62.7%, respectively. In univariable analysis, survival was associated with surgery (hazard ratio, 0.02; P < .001) and adversely affected by positive margins (hazard ratio, 2.66; P < .001). Multivariable analysis showed larger tumor size was independently associated with increased risk for positive margins (odds ratio, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.011-1.075). Conclusions: CWC represents a different cohort of patients relative to chondrosarcoma from other sites. Surgical excision remains the optimal treatment, and positive margins are associated with poor prognosis.

Surgical subspecialization is associated with higher rate of rib fracture stabilization: a retrospective database analysis.

Background: Surgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRF) is performed on only a small subset of patients who meet guideline-recommended indications for surgery. Although previous studies show that provider specialization was associated with SSRF procedural competency, little is known about the impact of provider specialization on SSRF performance frequency. We hypothesize that provider specialization would impact performance of SSRF. Methods: The Premier Hospital Database was used to identify adult patients with rib fractures from 2015 and 2019. The outcome of interest was performance of SSRF, defined using International Classification of Diseases-10th Revision Procedure Coding System coding. Patients were categorized as receiving their procedures from a thoracic, general surgeon, or orthopedic surgeon. Patients with missing or other provider types were excluded. Multivariate modeling was performed to evaluate the effect of surgical specialization on outcomes of SSRF. Given a priori assumptions that trauma centers may have different practice patterns, a subgroup analysis was performed excluding patients with 'trauma center' admissions. Results: Among 39 733 patients admitted with rib fractures, 2865 (7.2%) received SSRF. Trauma center admission represented a minority (1034, 36%) of SSRF procedures relative to other admission types (1831, 64%, p=0.15). In a multivariable analysis, thoracic (OR 6.94, 95% CI 5.94-8.11) and orthopedic provider (OR 2.60, 95% CI 2.16-3.14) types were significantly more likely to perform SSRF. In further analyses of trauma center admissions versus non-trauma center admissions, this pattern of SSRF performance was found at non-trauma centers. Conclusion: The majority of SSRF procedures in the USA are being performed by general surgeons and at non-trauma centers. 'Subspecialty' providers in orthopedics and thoracic surgery are performing fewer total SSRF interventions, but are more likely to perform SSRF, especially at non-trauma centers. Provider specialization as a barrier to SSRF may be related to competence in the SSRF procedures and requires further study. Type: Therapeutic/care management. Level of evidence: IV.

Disparities in Access to Thoracic Surgeons among Patients Receiving Lung Lobectomy in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: Lung lobectomy is the standard of care for early-stage lung cancer. Studies have suggested improved outcomes associated with lobectomy performed by specialized thoracic surgery providers. We hypothesized that disparities would exist regarding access to thoracic surgeons among patients receiving lung lobectomy for cancer. METHODS: The Premier Hospital Database was used to identify adult inpatients receiving lung lobectomy from 2009 to 2019. Patients were categorized as receiving their lobectomy from a thoracic surgeon, cardiovascular surgeon, or general surgeon. Sample-weighted multivariable analysis was performed to identify factors associated with provider type. RESULTS: When adjusted for sampling, 121,711 patients were analyzed, including 71,709 (58.9%) who received lobectomy by a thoracic surgeon, 36,630 (30.1%) by a cardiovascular surgeon, and 13,373 (11.0%) by a general surgeon. Multivariable analysis showed that thoracic surgeon provider type was less likely with Black patients, Medicaid insurance, smaller hospital size, in the western region, and in rural areas. In addition, non-thoracic surgery specialty was less likely to perform minimally-invasive (MIS) lobectomy (cardiovascular OR 0.80, p < 0.001, general surgery OR 0.85, p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: In this nationally representative analysis, smaller, rural, non-teaching hospitals, and certain regions of the United States are less likely to receive lobectomy from a thoracic surgeon. Thoracic surgeon specialization is also independently associated with utilization of minimally invasive lobectomy. Combined, there are significant disparities in access to guideline-directed surgical care of patients receiving lung lobectomy.

Contemporary outcomes of esophageal and gastroesophageal junction neuroendocrine tumors.

Adenocarcinoma and squamous cell esophageal cancers have been extensively studied in the literature. Esophageal neuroendocrine (NET)/carcinoid tumors are less commonly studied and have only been described in small series. The purpose of this study was to describe the demographics and natural history of esophageal NETs, as well as optimal treatments. We hypothesized that surgical resection would be the best treatment of esophageal NETs. The National Cancer Database was used to identify adult patients with esophageal or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancer from 2004 to 2018. Patients were characterized as carcinoid/NET, adenocarcinoma, or squamous cell cancer. Clinical and demographic characteristics were compared between the histology groups. The primary outcome was overall survival, which was assessed by multivariable Cox analysis. Multivariable Cox analysis was also used to analyze factors associated with survival among NET patients who underwent surgery. Among 206,321 patients with esophageal cancer, 1,563 were NETs (<0.01%). Relative to the other two histologies, NETs were associated with younger age, female sex, and advanced clinical stage at diagnosis. Multivariate analysis suggested that NETs were less likely to be treated with surgical resection (OR 0.51, P < 0.001). Nonetheless, surgical resection was associated with improved survival (HR 0.64, P = 0.003). Among patients with NETs who received surgery, neoadjuvant therapy was associated with improved overall survival (HR 0.38, P = 0.013). NET of the esophagus presents with more advanced disease than other common histologies. Among patients with nonmetastatic cancer, surgical resection appears to be the best treatment. Neoadjuvant systemic therapy may offer survival benefit, but future studies are necessary.

The Effect of Diabetes on Pathologic Complete Response Among Patients With Esophageal Cancer.

Diabetes is a common comorbidity in the U.S. and is associated with adverse outcomes in a variety of disease processes. Other cancer specialties have shown an association of diabetes with poor oncologic outcomes. We hypothesized that pathologic complete response (pCR) would be less likely among diabetic patients with esophageal cancer who underwent neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy followed by esophagectomy resulting in worse overall survival (OS). We performed a retrospective chart review at 2 high-volume academic hospitals of all patients with esophageal cancer who received neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy followed by esophagectomy from 2010-2019. Patients were excluded if they had histology other than squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma, did not receive multi-agent chemotherapy or received a radiation dose <39.6 Gy. The primary outcome of interest was pCR and secondary outcome was OS. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the likelihood of pCR and Cox hazard analysis was used to assess OS. In total, 244 patients met inclusion criteria: 190 (77.9%) were non-diabetic and 54 (22.1%) were diabetic. Diabetic and non-diabetic patients were similar in age, sex, institution where they received treatment, ASA class, comorbidities, histologic sub-type, clinical T and N stage, chemotherapy regimen and radiation dose. Diabetic patients were more likely to have a higher body mass index (29.1 vs 25.9, p < 0.001) and hypertension (87.0% vs 47.9%, p < 0.001). On univariable analysis, diabetes was the only factor associated with decreased likelihood of pCR (p = 0.04). Multivariable analysis showed diabetes was again the only factor associated with a decreased likelihood of pCR (OR 0.32, p = 0.03). Cox survival analysis showed that older age (HR 1.03, p = 0.02) and overall posttreatment pathologic stage 2 (HR 2.16, p = 0.03), stage 3 (HR 3.25, p < 0.001), and stage 4 (HR 5.75, p < 0.001) compared to pCR were associated with worse OS, however diabetes alone had no effect (HR 1.01, p = 0.98). This multi-institutional study shows that diabetes adversely affects pCR in patients receiving neoadjuvant treatment for esophageal cancer. Almost a quarter of patients with esophageal cancer have diabetes suggesting implications for management of these patients. Future studies are warranted to determine the optimal neoadjuvant treatment strategy for esophageal cancer patients with diabetes.

Morbidity After Esophagectomy Is Higher for Benign Than Malignant Disease.

BACKGROUND: Esophagectomy carries a high risk of morbidity and mortality. The most common indication for esophagectomy is esophageal cancer, with fewer than 5% of esophagectomies performed for benign disease. We hypothesized that esophagectomy for benign disease is associated with a higher risk of operative and postoperative complications. METHODS: A retrospective study of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons database was performed to identify all patients who had an esophagectomy from 2010 to 2018. Patients who had an emergent or palliative esophagectomy were excluded. Patients were compared based on the indication for operation, malignant vs benign disease. A 1:1 propensity score matching of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons risk factors was performed and outcomes compared between the matched cohorts. RESULTS: Of 16,392 patients, 14,871 (91%) had malignant disease and 1521 (9%) had benign disease that met inclusion criteria. Patients with malignant disease were older (P < .001), more likely to be male (83% vs 56%, P < .001), and had more comorbidities (P < .001). There were 1362 propensity-matched pairs. Malignant esophagectomies were more likely to be performed with a minimally invasive vs an open approach (P < .001). Benign operations had more intraoperative blood transfusions (P < .001). Patients undergoing esophagectomy for benign disease had more prolonged intubations (P = .02) and postoperative blood transfusions (P = .001). Benign disease had more major morbidities (P = .001) but similar postoperative mortality (P = .62). CONCLUSIONS: Esophagectomy for benign disease is associated with worse perioperative morbidity compared with esophagectomy for malignant disease. Given these findings patients should be counseled on expected outcomes, and this variable should be considered for inclusion in the composite score for risk assessment.