Immediate Lymphatic Reconstruction in 77 Consecutive Breast Cancer Patients: 2-year Follow-up.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) is a cyclical, progressive disease that begins at the time of axillary dissection and worsens in the setting of adjuvant oncologic therapies. The paradigm of lymphedema management in these patients is shifting from therapeutic surgeries and decongestive therapy to preventative surgery with immediate lymphatic reconstruction (ILR). METHODS: After institutional review board approval, a prospective database was maintained of all patients undergoing ILR. Patients were excluded if they had preoperative lymphedema or expired during the study period. All ILR were performed by the senior author. A control group was established with standardized physician delivered phone surveys of patients who had axillary dissection for breast cancer (same oncologic surgeon cohort) prior to the implementation of ILR at the same institution. The study and control groups were matched based on history of adjuvant radiation and body mass index. RESULTS: A cohort of patients between 2016 and 2019 with 2 years of follow-up after undergoing ILR (77 patients) were matched with those who did not undergo lymphatic reconstruction (94 patients). The incidence of lymphedema in the study group undergoing ILR was 10% (N = 8). In comparison, the incidence in the cohort who did not undergo lymphatic reconstruction was 38% (N = 36; p < 0.01). Patients with ILR had 92% lower odds of developing lymphedema (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: ILR can significantly reduce the risk of developing BRCL in high-risk patients at 2 years of follow-up. Patients receiving adjuvant radiation therapy are more likely to develop BCRL after ILR compared with those who do not. Ongoing studies include investigation aimed at identifying patients most at risk for the development of BRCL to help target intervention as well as elucidate factors that contribute to the success of ILR.

The prevalence and risk factors of PTSD symptoms among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic-A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Since the first reported outbreak in China, the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has raised serious concerns globally. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a severe psychological impact on healthcare workers (HCWs), and especially nurses, who are the most numerous and exposed frontline group. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to summarise extant literature on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the psychological health of nurses, particularly concerning the prevalence and risk factors for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A systematic search was conducted on PubMed, Embase and PsycInfo from March 2020 to July 2023. Articles were included/excluded on predetermined eligibility criteria. A random-effect meta-analysis was performed using proportions to determine the pooled prevalence for PTSD among nurses. Subgroup analyses were also performed, and heterogeneity across studies was analysed using meta-regression. Relatively high prevalence rates of PTSD were reported among nurse populations during the COVID-19 pandemic in twenty-six different countries, globally. Risk factors associated with PTSD include having prior mental health co-morbidities, being a female, having high exposure/contact with COVID-19 patients, having insufficient protective conditions and having intensive workloads. The overall pooled prevalence was 29.1% (95% C.I. = 23.5%, 35.5%) using a random-effects model in 55 studies. The regression test of funnel plot asymmetry indicated a significant level of publication bias among studies. The COVID-19 pandemic is associated with significant levels of PTSD among frontline nurses globally. A high level of heterogeneity was observed across studies. Psychological, social and administrative interventions should be implemented to mitigate heavy psychological distress in nurses.

Reliable Location of Upper Extremity Lymphatic Channels for Use in Immediate Lymphatic Reconstruction.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) is a limiting sequelae of breast cancer treatment that may negatively impact 30% to 50% of high-risk breast cancer survivors. Risk factors for development of BCRL include axillary lymph node dissection (ALND), and recently, axillary reverse lymphatic mapping and immediate lymphovenous reconstruction (ILR) at time of ALND have been implemented to prevent BCRL. Reliable anatomy of neighboring venules has been commented on in the literature; however, little information exists about anatomical location of local lymphatic channels amenable for bypass. METHODS: After institutional review board approval, patients who underwent ALND with axillary reverse lymphatic mapping and ILR at a tertiary cancer center from November 2021 to August 2022 were applicable for this study. The location and number of lymphatic channels used for ILR were identified and measured intraoperatively with the arm abducted to 90 degrees and soft tissue under no tension. Four measurements were taken to localize each lymphatic and were based on relationship with reliable anatomic landmarks including 4th rib, anterior axillary line, and lower border of the pectoralis major muscle. Demographics, oncologic treatments, intraoperative factors, and outcomes were prospectively maintained. RESULTS: Twenty-seven patients met inclusion for this study by August 2022 with a total of 86 lymphatic channels identified. Patients were on average 50 ± 12 years old with a body mass index of 30 ± 6 and had an average of 1 vein and 3 identifiable lymphatic channels amenable to bypass. Seventy percent of lymphatic channels were found in a cluster of 2 or more channels. The average horizontal location was 4.5 ± 1.4 cm lateral to the 4th rib. The average vertical location was 1.3 ± 0.9 cm from the superior border of the 4th rib. CONCLUSIONS: These data comment upon intraoperatively identified and consistent location of upper extremity lymphatic channels used for ILR. These lymphatic channels are often found in clusters with 2 or more lymphatic channels at the same location. Such insight may aid in easier intraoperative identification of amenable vessels for the unexperienced surgeon, decrease in intraoperative time, and higher success of ILR.

Efficacy of Immediate Lymphatic Reconstruction in Prevention of Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema.

INTRODUCTION: Breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) is a chronic condition that can negatively affect the quality of life of breast cancer survivors. Immediate lymphatic reconstruction (ILR) at the time of axillary lymph node dissection is emerging as a technique for the prevention of BCRL. This study compared the incidence of BRCL in patients who received ILR and those who were not amenable to ILR. METHODS: Patients were identified through a prospectively maintained database between 2016 and 2021. Some patients were deemed nonamenable to ILR due to a lack of visualized lymphatics or anatomic variability (eg, spatial relationships or size discrepancies). Descriptive statistics, independent t test, and Pearson χ 2 test were used. Multivariable logistic regression models were created to assess the association between lymphedema and ILR. A loose age-matched subsample was created for subanalysis. RESULTS: Two hundred eighty-one patients were included in this study (252 patients who underwent ILR and 29 patients who did not). The patients had a mean age of 53 ± 12 years and body mass index of 28.6 ± 6.8 kg/m 2 . The incidence of developing lymphedema in patients with ILR was 4.8% compared with 24.1% in patients who underwent attempted ILR without lymphatic reconstruction ( P = 0.001). Patients who did not undergo ILR had significantly higher odds of developing lymphedema compared with those who had ILR (odds ratio, 10.7 [3.2-36.3], P < 0.001; matched OR, 14.2 [2.6-77.9], P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that ILR was associated with lower rates of BCRL. Further studies are needed to determine which factors place patients at highest risk of developing BCRL.

Trends in industry-sponsored research in plastic surgery since implementation of the Sunshine Act.

Financial contributions from industry for physician-led research have been historically challenging to study in plastic surgery. However, as mandated by the Physician Payments Sunshine Act of 2013, the Open Payments Database (OPD) has increased transparency in payments from industry to physicians. This study aimed to analyze trends in industry-sponsored research funding for plastic surgeons. Using the OPD, research payments from industry made to plastic surgeons from 2014 to 2018 were examined. Total payments and number of payments were recorded by recipient's census region (e.g., Northeast, Midwest, South, West) and therapeutic area (e.g., breast prosthetics/reconstruction, wound healing/tissue engineering, software/instrumentation, biologics, cosmetics/injectables). Payments totaled across 5 years in each therapeutic area for each region were also analyzed. Location of company U.S. headquarters and therapeutic area were recorded. Statistical analyses were performed using SAS 9.4. Brown-Mood test, t test, Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney, and linear regression tests were used. Aggregated over 5 years, the greatest payment value was allocated to wound healing/tissue engineering, whereas the number of payments was highest in breast prosthetics/reconstruction. Private plastic surgeons receive significantly higher payments compared to academic plastic surgeons. With such findings, greater transparency and additional years of OPD data may provide further insight into industry influence on physician-led research in plastic surgery.

Effect of altitude on COVID-19 mortality in Ecuador: an ecological study.

BACKGROUND: The SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 pandemic has claimed nearly 900,000 lives worldwide and infected more than 27 million people. Researchers worldwide are studying ways to decrease SARS-CoV-2 transmission and COVID-19 related deaths. Several studies found altitude having a negative association with both COVID-19 incidence and deaths. Ecuadorian data was used to explore the relationship between altitude and COVID-19. METHODS: This is an ecological study examining province-level data. To explore a relationship between altitude and COVID-19, this study utilized publicly available COVID-19 data and population statistics. ANOVA, correlation statistics, and a multivariate linear model explored the relationship between different Ecuadorian altitudes against incidence, mortality, and case-fatality rates. Population statistics attributed to COVID-19 were included in the linear model to control for confounding factors. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were observed in the regions of Amazónica, Sierra, Costa of Ecuador for incidence, mortality, and case fatality rates, suggesting an association between altitude and SARS-CoV-2 transmission and COVID-19 disease severity (p-value ≤0.05). In univariate analysis, altitude had a negative association to mortality rate with a 1-unit change in altitude resulting in the decrease of 0.006 units in mortality rate (p-value = 0.03). The multiple linear models adjusted for population statistics showed a statistically significant negative association of altitude with mortality rate (p-value = 0.01) with a 1-unit change in altitude resulting in the decrease in mortality rate by 0.015 units. Overall, the model helped in explaining 50% (R2 = 0.4962) of the variance in mortality rate. CONCLUSION: Altitude may have an effect on COVID-19 mortality rates. However, based on our model and R2 value, the relationship between our variables of interest and COVID-19 mortality may be nonlinear. More research is needed to understand why altitude may have a protective effect against COVID-19 mortality and how this may be applicable in a clinical setting.