Food Insecurity in the Elective Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Colorectal Surgical Population: Prevalence and Implications for Surgical Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Food insecurity is defined as having limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate food. Approximately 10.5% of U.S. households are food-insecure. Our study aimed to determine the prevalence and postoperative implications of food insecurity in a diverse group of colorectal surgery patients admitted to a hospital in an area with a higher-than-average median income. METHODS: The 6-question Household Food Security Survey was added to the colorectal surgery ERAS program preoperative paperwork. Patient demographics, comorbidities, operative parameters, length of stay, and postoperative outcomes were collected by review of electronic medical records. RESULTS: A total of 294 ERAS patients (88.8%) completed the survey over an 11-month period. Thirty-three patients (11.2%) were identified as food-insecure. Food-insecure patients were more likely to be non-white (P = .003), younger (P = .009), smokers (P = .004), chronic narcotic users (P < .001), unmarried (P = .007), and have more comorbidities (P = .004). The food-insecure population had more frequent postoperative ileus (P = .044). Hospital length of stay was significantly longer in food-insecure patients (8.6 days vs 5.4 days, P < .001). Food-insecure patients also had higher rates of >30-day mortality (P = .049). DISCUSSION: Food insecurity was found to occur in patients that lived in communities deemed both affluent and distressed. These patients had longer hospital stays and higher mortality. A food insecurity questionnaire can easily identify patients at risk. Further investigations to mitigate these complications are warranted.

Thoracoabdominal approach for traumatic diaphragmatic hernia in a hemodynamically unstable patient.

Background: Diaphragmatic hernias with strangulated contents are a surgical challenge. Thoracoabdominal incisions are commonly used for a variety of thoracic and vascular cases, although rarely used for diaphragmatic hernias, which are typically repaired with laparotomy, thoracotomy, or minimally invasive approaches. Case report: We present the unique case of a 60-year-old, critically ill unstable patient with severe heart failure with a reduced ejection fraction (15-25%) and severe valve disease presenting with a left-sided diaphragmatic hernia containing strangulated small intestine and requiring urgent surgical exploration. This was safely and efficiently repaired via a thoracoabdominal approach at the index surgery, with intestines left in discontinuity and placement of temporary chest and abdominal closure. At the second planned operation, good continuity was successfully restored. Results: The patient had early extubation, gradual diet advancement with full recovery, and discharge home on postoperative day 17. Conclusion: A thoracoabdominal incision can safely be used in large strangulated diaphragmatic hernias, including in critically unstable patients. This approach provides rapid access to both the chest and abdomen with excellent, speedy, and safe exposure, which can save a life in extreme conditions.

Long term assessment of antibiotic prophylaxis and biliary microbiome in pancreaticoduodenectomy.

INTRODUCTION: Surgical site infections (SSI) can represent a major complication of pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). We summarize the outcomes of process improvement efforts to reduce the SSI rates in PD that includes replacing Cefazolin with Ceftriaxone-Metronidazole as antibiotic prophylaxis. Additional efforts included current assessment of biliary microbiome and potential prophylactic failures based on bile cultures and suspected antibiotic allergies. METHOD: A single-center review of PD patients from January-2012 to March-2021. Study groups were divided into Pre and Post May-2015 (Group 1 and 2, respectively) when Ceftriaxone-Metronidazole prophylaxis and routine intraoperative cultures were standardized. Univariate and multivariable analyses were conducted to assess groups' differences and association with SSI. RESULTS: Six hundred ninety patients identified [267(38.7%) and 423(61.3%) in Group 1 and Group2, respectively]. After antibiotic change, SSI rates decreased from 28.1% to 16.5% (incisional: 17.6%-7.5%, organ-space or abscess: 17.2%-13.0%), Group 1 and Group 2, respectively, P<0.001. Ceftriaxone-Metronidazole was used in 75.9% of patients Group 2. When adjusting for other covariates, an SSI-decrease was associated only with Ceftriaxone-Metronidazole (OR 0.34, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Ongoing process improvement has resulted in decreased SSIs with Ceftriaxone-Metronidazole prophylaxis. The benefit of Ceftriaxone-Metronidazole is independent of the biliary microbiome. Improving prophylaxis for those with suspected penicillin allergy is warranted.

Evaluating outcomes for robotic-assisted inguinal hernia repair in males with prior urologic surgery: a propensity-matched analysis from a national database.

BACKGROUND: Controversy exists regarding the safety and effectiveness of minimally invasive inguinal hernia repairs in patients with a history of prior urologic pelvic operations (PUPO), such as a prostatectomy, which causes scarring and disruption of the retropubic tissue planes. Our study sought to examine whether a history of PUPO impacts surgical outcomes in males undergoing robotic-assisted inguinal hernia repair. METHODS: The Americas Hernia Society Quality Collaborative (AHSQC) database was queried to identify male patients who underwent a robotic inguinal hernia repair with 30-day follow-up. A sub-query was performed to identify subjects within the cohort with a documented history of PUPO. Propensity score matching was subsequently utilized to evaluate for differences in intra-operative complications and short-term post-operative outcomes. RESULTS: In total, 1664 male patients underwent robotic-assisted inguinal hernia repair, of whom 65 (3.9%) had a PUPO. After a 3:1 propensity score matching with hernia repair patients who did not have prior procedures, 195 (11.7%) males were included in the comparison cohort. There were no documented vascular, bladder, or spermatic cord injuries in either group. There was no difference in 30-day readmission rate (5% vs. 3%, respectively, p = 0.41). No hernia recurrences were recorded within the 30-day follow-up period in either group. There was no statistical difference in post-operative complications (including seroma formation, hematoma, and surgical site occurrences) between the two groups (14% vs. 8%, p = 0.18). CONCLUSIONS: In an experienced surgeon's hands, robotic-assisted minimally invasive inguinal hernia repair may be an alternative to open repair in patients with PUPO who were previously thought to be poor minimally invasive surgical candidates.

Cost-Effective Approach to the Laparoscopic Appendectomy : Balancing Disposable Instrument Cost With Operative Time.

BACKGROUND: Surgeons can help reduce health care spending by selecting affordable and efficient instruments. The laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) is commonly performed and can serve as a model for improving health care cost. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed all adult patients who underwent LA for non-perforated appendicitis from March 2015 to November 2017. Our objective was to determine which combination of disposable instruments afforded the lowest total operative cost without compromising postoperative outcomes. RESULTS: In total, 1857 consecutive patients were reviewed from 2 hospitals. After determining the 8 most commonly utilized combinations of disposable instruments, 846 patients were ultimately analyzed. The combination of a LigaSure, Endoloop, and an EndoBag (LEB) had the shortest median operative time (25 minutes, P < .001) and lowest median total operative cost ($1893, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The LEB instrument combination rendered the shortest operative time, lowest total operative cost, and can be used to maximize surgical value during LA.

Implementation of a pediatric trauma cervical spine clearance pathway.

PURPOSE: Pediatric cervical spine injuries are rare events. Missed injuries must be weighed against radiation exposure and excess resource utilization in a young population. A universal pediatric cervical spine clearance algorithm does not exist. The study objective is to determine if care improved after the implementation of a standardized cervical spine clearance pathway by evaluating imaging rates, length of stay, speciality consultation, and injury detection. METHODS: A multidisciplinary group reviewed relevant literature to develop an algorithm for cervical spine clearance in pediatric trauma patients. We reviewed patient charts 15 months before and after implementation. Categorical comparisons were tested with Chi-square. A p value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The pre- and post-implementation groups were homogenous when comparing demographics, mechanism and severity of injury. Using the cervical spine clearance pathway, patients received fewer plain cervical spine radiographs (34% vs 16%), fewer spine speciality consults (28% vs 13%), and more patients were cleared clinically (44% vs 62%) (p < 0.05). There were 2 (1.7%) documented injuries in the pre-implementation group and 3 (3%) documented injuries in the post-implementation group. There were no missed injuries. CONCLUSIONS: Use of a standardized pathway allows more patients' cervical spines to be cleared clinically and better utilizes resources without compromising patient care. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III. TYPE OF STUDY: Care Management Study.

Robotic and hybrid robotic transversus abdominis release may be performed with low length of stay and wound morbidity.

The objective of our study was to compare length of stay and wound complications after hybrid robotic transversus abdominis release (hrTAR) vs. robotic transversus abdominis release (rTAR) Two cohorts of patients undergoing robotic (rTAR) and hybrid robotic (hrTAR) performed by two surgeons at a single institution were analyzed. Mean length of stay (LOS) and incidence of surgical site occurrences (SSO) were compared. 57 patients undergoing rTAR and 25 patients undergoing hrTAR were analyzed. The hrTAR group had larger mean hernia dimensions and a larger proportion of men but otherwise the patient cohorts were similar. LOS was not statistically different between rTAR and hrTAR (2.8 vs 3.7 days p = 0.06). We found no difference in incidence of surgical site occurrences between the two groups (7.0% vs 4.0% p = 0.52). Hybrid robotic assisted TAR allows for repair of complex ventral hernias with similar lengths of stay and wound morbidity to pure robotic repairs.