Synoptic operative record for point of care outcomes: a leap forward in knowledge translation.

INTRODUCTION: Modern information technology coupled with synoptic methodology allows point of care, real time outcomes generation. Our objective was to review province-wide breast cancer surgery outcomes from a prospective synoptic operative record to demonstrate its value in knowledge translation. METHODS: All synoptic reports for breast cancer procedures from 2006 until March 2010 were reviewed and descriptively analyzed. Key outcomes included frequency of breast cancer procedures captured over time, methods of breast cancer detection, clinical staging, method of axillary staging, breast conservation and reconstruction rates. Further analysis involved important decision-making for mastectomy and resource allocation for surgery. RESULTS: Four thousand nine hundred fifty-five breast cancer procedures were recorded synoptically; greater than 80% of cases provincially. Method of breast cancer detection was 49%, 45% and 4% by screening radiology, patient or family, and physician, respectively. Pathologic diagnoses were via core or mammotome biopsy in 94%; nearly half of all patients were clinical Stage I at time of operation. Overall rate of breast conservation was 48%. Of the 65% who had no contra-indication to breast conservation surgery, 76% had breast conservation and 4% had primary reconstruction. Of those having mastectomy, one third were due to patient choice. Seventy-nine percent had sentinel node staging, 18% had full axillary dissection and 3% had no axillary staging. CONCLUSION: A new paradigm of creating medical records using synoptic electronic templates allows prospective outcomes generation at point of care by the surgeon which is unparalleled in its depth of surgical detail capturing surgical decision-making.

Opening the black box of cancer surgery quality: WebSMR and the Alberta experience.

A web-based synoptic operative report, the WebSMR (Surgical Medical Record), was developed to define and improve the quality of cancer surgery. Surgeons accurately record the essential steps of an operation including important decision-making in an analyzable format. Outcomes can be reviewed with provincial aggregates for quality improvement and maintenance of certification. Future synoptic pathology and follow-up templates will open the "black box" of surgical processes to define quality indicators for the improvement of cancer outcomes.

Preoperative chemoradiation and flap reconstruction provide high local control and low wound complication rates for patients undergoing limb salvage surgery for upper extremity tumors.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Neoadjuvant protocols in the management of upper extremity sarcoma have improved local control rates but have been associated with high complication rates. We present a refinement of the Eilber protocol using judicious preoperative chemoradiation, limb salvage surgery, and flap coverage to achieve high local control rates with acceptable wound healing complications. METHODS: Patients presenting with upper extremity neoplasms from 1986 to 2002 were treated with a modified Eilber protocol, consisting of 3 days of adriamycin (30 mg/day) and sequential radiotherapy (300 cGy/day for 10 days). Limb salvage surgery with flap coverage where needed was performed 4-8 weeks later. Patients were followed prospectively for recurrence. RESULTS: Fifty-three consecutive patients with upper extremity tumors were treated and followed for a mean of 6.1 years. This cohort included 44 sarcomas and nine non-metastasizing, locally aggressive tumors. There were two local recurrences (3.8%). Limb salvage was achieved in all patients. Flaps were required in 43.4% of patients. Major complications occurred in 11%, were all flap related (partial flap loss, venous congestion), and went on to heal promptly with treatment. CONCLUSION: This modified Eilber protocol achieved 96% local control for upper extremity tumors with a wound complication rate of 11%. The liberal use of flaps of resulted in healed, stable wounds in all patients.

Autologous diaphragm reconstruction with the pedicled latissimus dorsi flap.

The latissimus dorsi (LD) muscle has been previously described to repair diaphragmatic defects, but as a "reverse" flap, relying on secondary blood supply from the perforating lumbar vessels rather than primary inflow from the dominant thoracodorsal artery. We report resection of a retroperitoneal synovial sarcoma, with reconstruction of the hemidiaphragm using the LD rotated on its primary neurovascular bundle. By using the dominant pedicle, the vascularity of the flap is improved, minimizing the chance of flap tip loss. Maintaining an intact nerve supply prevents atrophy. As the distal origin of the LD is broad and flat, it is ideally suited for diaphragm repair. A latissimus-sparing thoracotomy incision is required to enable this method of diaphragm reconstruction.

Education is the key to quality of surgery for rectal cancer.

Surgical quality assurance is a central issue in the treatment of rectal cancer and has led to substantial improvements in sphincter preservation, local control, and overall survival. Education or training as well as volume of practice are often cited as the major predictors of quality outcomes. While volume is a simple measure to analyze, it is likely a superficial or surrogate measure of quality surgery. It has been conclusively demonstrated that education, from total mesorectum excision workshops to nation-wide educational initiatives are effective methods of improving quality of care for the rectal cancer patient. New methods of quality assurance and improvement are being developed including prospective quality registers, the synoptic operative report, and pathology audits. It is imperative that improved measures of quality, other than volume, be implemented to audit our own practices, hospitals and regions with the goal of identifying issues that will improve outcomes for rectal cancer patients.

Long-term results of a prospective surgical trial comparing 2 cm vs. 4 cm excision margins for 740 patients with 1-4 mm melanomas.

BACKGROUND: The Intergroup Melanoma Surgical Trial began in 1983 to examine the optimal surgical margins of excision for primary melanomas of intermediate thickness (i.e., 1-4 mm). There is now a median 10-year follow-up. METHODS: There were two cohorts entered into a prospective multi-institutional trial: (1) 468 patients with melanomas on the trunk or proximal extremity who randomly received a 2 cm or 4 cm radial excision margin and (2) 272 patients with melanomas on the head, neck, or distal extremities who received a 2 cm radial excision margin. RESULTS: A local recurrence (LR) was associated with a high mortality rate, with a 5-year survival rate of only 9% (as a first relapse) or 11% (anytime) compared with an 86% survival for those patients who did not have a LR (P < .0001). The 10-year survival for all patients with a LR was 5%. The 10-year survival rates were not significantly different when comparing 2 cm vs. 4 cm margins of excision (70% vs. 77%) or comparing the management of the regional lymph nodes (observation vs. elective node dissection). The incidences of LR were the same for patients having a 2 cm vs. 4 cm excision margin regardless of whether the comparisons were made as first relapse (0.4% vs. 0.9%) or at anytime (2.1% vs. 2.6%). When analyzed by anatomic site, the LR rates were 1.1% for melanomas arising on the proximal extremity, 3.1% for the trunk, 5.3% for the distal extremities, and 9.4% for the head and neck. The most profound influence on LR rates was the presence or absence of ulceration; it was 6.6% vs. 1.1% in the randomized group involving the trunk and proximal extremity and was 16.2% vs. 2.1% in the non-randomized group involving the distal extremity and head and neck (P < .001). A multivariate (Cox) regression analysis showed that ulceration was an adverse and independent factor (P = .0001) as was head and neck melanoma site (P = .01), while the remaining factors were not significant (all with P > .12). CONCLUSION: For this group of melanoma patients, a local recurrence is associated with a high mortality rate, a 2-cm margin of excision is safe and ulceration of the primary melanoma is the most significant prognostic factor heralding an increased risk for a local recurrence.

Long-term results of a multi-institutional randomized trial comparing prognostic factors and surgical results for intermediate thickness melanomas (1.0 to 4.0 mm). Intergroup Melanoma Surgical Trial.

BACKGROUND: Ten- to 15-year survival results were analyzed from a prospective multi-institutional randomized surgical trial that involved 740 stages I and II melanoma patients with intermediate thickness melanomas (1.0 to 4.0 mm) and compared elective (immediate) lymph node dissection (ELND) with clinical observation of the lymph nodes as well as prognostic factors that independently predict outcomes. METHODS: Eligible patients were stratified according to tumor thickness, anatomical site, and ulceration, and then prerandomized to either ELND or nodal observation. By using Cox stepwise multivariate regression analysis, the independent predictors of outcome were tumor thickness (P < .001), the presence of tumor ulceration (P < .001), trunk site (P = .003), and patient age more than 60 years (P = .01). RESULTS: Overall 10-year survival was not significantly different for patients who received ELND or nodal observation (77% vs. 73%; P = .12). Among the prospectively stratified subgroups of patients, 10-year survival rates favored those patients with ELND, with a 30% reduction in mortality rate for the 543 patients with nonulcerated melanomas (84% vs. 77%; P = .03), a 30% reduction in mortality rate for the 446 patients with tumor thickness of 1.0 to 2.0 mm (86% vs. 80%; P = .03), and a 27% reduction in mortality rate for 385 patients with limb melanomas (84% vs. 78%; P = .05). Of these subgroups, the presence or absence of ulceration should be the key factor for making treatment recommendations with regard to ELND for patients with intermediate thickness melanomas. CONCLUSIONS: These long-term survival rates from patients treated at 77 institutions demonstrate that ulceration and tumor thickness are dominant predictive factors that should be used in the staging of stages I and II melanomas, and confer a survival advantage for these subgroups of prospectively defined melanoma patients.

Locally recurrent rectal cancer: role of composite resection of extensive pelvic tumors with strategies for minimizing risk of recurrence.

Locally recurrent cancer of the rectum has been under-recognized as a complication, although it affects up to 40% of patients treated with surgery alone. Even in the best centers, rates average 25%. While radiotherapy may reduce recurrence, it is now apparent that total mesorectal excision is the most effective modality, with rates as low as 5%. The dramatic decrease in local recurrence can also be linked to increased survival in prospective studies, an effect more significant than any adjuvant therapy. The options, however, for patients with locally recurrent cancer are limited. Fifteen percent of patients with this complication die without systemic spread. Salvage by surgery offers potential cure. Other than anastomotic recurrences that can be locally resected, the best approach for long-term survival is an extensive surgical procedure requiring en bloc removal of adjacent organs and pelvic structures-so-called composite resection. With careful selection, 30% 5-year survival can be achieved and palliation is considerable, with 50% long-term local control. Intraoperative radiotherapy and brachytherapy, and/or preoperative chemoradiation may provide better results in future. Newer techniques of coloanal anastomosis, improved urinary diversion, and myocutaneous flaps for perineal reconstruction radically reduce the morbidity of these procedures. The approach to recurrent rectal cancer requires a sophisticated multidisciplinary team to obtain optimum results.

Quality of cancer surgery: challenges and controversies.

It is generally accepted that the quality of cancer surgery delivered to a patient impacts the patient's overall prognosis significantly. Often, the fact that all surgery and surgeons are not equal is not considered. Furthermore, it should not be assumed that surgeons who perform a particular operation frequently perform it better. Using breast cancer, melanoma, and colorectal cancer as examples, this article illustrates that proper surgical education and training are paramount in assuring that both the selection and delivery of a particular procedure is appropriate in the management of cancer.

The surgeon as a prognostic factor in the management of pancreatic cancer.

Improved results for pancreatic resection have been attributed to the concentration of pancreatic surgery in high-volume centers. The evidence supporting a relationship between hospital case volume and operative mortality for pancreatectomy is reviewed. The surgeon's case volume does not appear to influence mortality independently, but other surgeon-related characteristics, like specialized training, have not been examined. More research is needed to elucidate the factors that have contributed to reduced mortality for this complex surgery.

Pelvic exenteration for advanced pelvic malignancy.

Pelvic exenteration is a demanding, yet potentially curative operation, for patients with advanced pelvic cancer. The majority will present with recurrence after prior surgery and radiotherapy. After exenteration, 5-year survival is 40% to 60% in patients with gynecologic cancer as compared to 25% to 40% for patients with colorectal cancer. Physiologic age and absence of co-morbidities appear to be more important when selecting patients for exenteration than chronological age. Careful pre-operative staging, including either computed tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), usually will identify patients with distant metastases, extrapelvic nodal disease, or disease involving the pelvic sidewall (which generally precludes surgery). The recent application of intra-operative radiotherapy or postoperative high-dose brachytherapy for patients with more advanced pelvic disease, which may include sidewall involvement, may expand the standard indications for exenteration. However, the intent of this procedure, with or without radiotherapy, should be resection of all tumor with the aim of cure since the place of palliative exenteration is controversial at best. The operative details of exenteration are presented, as are two surgical approaches to composite resection of pelvic structures in continuity with sacrectomy. Filling the pelvis with large tissue flaps, usually a rectus abdominus flap, has decreased morbidity rates, particularly with small bowel complications. Peri-operative mortality is usually 5% to 10%, and significant morbidity occurs in over 50% of patients. Restorative techniques for both urinary and gastrointestinal tracts can diminish the need for stomas and, along with vaginal reconstruction, can significantly improve quality of life for many patients after exenteration. These advances in surgery and radiotherapy help make the procedure a viable option for patients with otherwise incurable pelvic malignancy.

Prospective cohort study of neoadjuvant treatment in conservative surgery of soft tissue sarcomas.

BACKGROUND: 1994 marked a decade since the inception of a prospective population-based study on the value of neoadjuvant approach for soft tissue sarcomas of head, neck, and limbs at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre, Calgary, Alberta. To date, 42 patients have been followed for a minimum of 5 years or until death. METHODS: Each patient received a protocol of 60 mg to 90 mg of Adriamycin infused intra-arterially or intravenously over 3 days into a vessel feeding the involved area, 30 Gy of radiotherapy given over 10 days, and complete resection of the sarcoma 4 to 6 weeks later. The lower dose was used empirically for smaller limbs (e.g., arm). RESULTS: Two of the 42 patients were immediate failures of protocol, with one requiring amputation and one requiring later reexcision. In the 38 appendicular lesions, the ultimate limb salvage rate was 97.5%. All tumors were associated with a high risk of local recurrence with 15 being previous local failures. The rest were deep and grade 2 or 3 lesions. Serious local complications were seen in one patient (2.5%) who had wound necrosis requiring reoperation. Minor wound complications were seen in five patients (12.5%) (one wound infection, one resolved edema, three long-term drainage). There was one local recurrence; thus 5-year local control was 97%. No patient had long-term morbidity related to the treatment. No effect on systemic control was suggested. CONCLUSION: Our report demonstrates that this combined modality approach provides superior local control of soft tissue sarcomas with low postoperative morbidity.

Cooperative hernia study. Pain in the postrepair patient.

BACKGROUND: The Cooperative Hernia Study assessed postoperative pain in a prospective trial as part of a larger study looking at the recurrence rate and other morbidity of the Bassini, McVay, and Shouldice repairs. METHODS: Patients were randomized to one of three surgical hernia repairs. Patients were seen in follow-up at 6, 12, and 24 months and were assessed for the presence of pain, numbness, paresthesia, and recurrence. RESULTS: Three hundred fifteen patients were seen in follow-up, with 276 seen at the 2-year mark. At 1 year, 62.9% of patients had groin or inguinal pain and 11.9% of patients had moderate to severe pain; 53.6% had pain and 10.6% of patients continued to report moderate to severe pain 2 years postoperatively. The predictors for long-term postoperative pain were as follows: absence of a visible bulge before the operation (p < 0.001); presence of numbness in the surgical area postoperatively (p < 0.05); and patient requirement of more than 4 weeks out of work postoperatively (p < 0.004). Three distinct chronic pains were identified. The most common and most severe pain was somatic, localized to the common ligamentous insertion to the public tubercle. The second was neuropathic and was referable to the ilioinguinal or genitofemoral nerve distribution. This was likely because of injury to the genitofemoral nerves, either at surgery or subsequently by encroachment of scar. The third pain was visceral, ejaculatory pain. Twenty-four percent of patients had postoperative numbness at 2 years, independent of the type of repair. Numbness was most common in the distribution of cutaneous branches of the ilioinguinal and iliohypogastric nerves. CONCLUSION: Pain or numbness are common late sequelae of traditional external surgical hernia repairs. Strategies need to be developed to reduce the risk of these complications.

Cryosurgery for malignant tumours of the liver.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of ultrasound-guided cryosurgery to treat malignant tumours of the liver. DESIGN: A prospective nonrandomized trial. The follow-up was complete and ranged from 8 to 35 months. SETTING: A university-affiliated hospital. PATIENTS: Ten patients with secondary malignant tumours of the liver; 1 with primary hepatoma. INTERVENTIONS: Computed portography for preoperative staging; laparotomy and ultrasonographic examination of the liver; cryosurgical ablation of liver tumours with or without a concomitant resection. Thirteen procedures were performed on 11 patients. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Preoperative morbidity, disease-free and overall survival. RESULTS: Of 24 lesions frozen, the procedure on 4 lesions was considered a technical failure because of persistent disease. There were no perioperative deaths. One patient had a liver abscess that resolved with percutaneous drainage. One patient had a biliary fistula that resolved spontaneously, and one had a transient rise in the serum creatinine level. Of 11 patients treated, 7 had a recurrence in the liver (persistent disease in 2 and new liver metastases in 5); 2 of these patients died. One patient died of distant disease with no local recurrence. At the time of writing, one patient was alive with extrahepatic disease and no local recurrence and two were free of disease. CONCLUSIONS: Cryosurgery of the liver is a relatively safe procedure that allows treatment of otherwise unresectable malignant disease. Proof of long-term benefit requires further experience and follow-up.