An Immersive Virtual Reality Intervention for Preoperative Anxiety and Distress Among Adults Undergoing Oncological Surgery: Protocol for a 3-Phase Development and Feasibility Trial.

BACKGROUND: Preoperative state anxiety (PSA) is distress and anxiety directly associated with perioperative events. PSA is associated with negative postoperative outcomes such as longer hospital length of stay, increased pain and opioid use, and higher rates of rehospitalization. Psychological prehabilitation, such as education, exposure to hospital environments, and relaxation strategies, has been shown to mitigate PSA; however, there are limited skilled personnel to deliver such interventions in clinical practice. Immersive virtual reality (VR) has the potential for greater accessibility and enhanced integration into an immersive and interactive experience. VR is rarely used in the preoperative setting, but similar forms of stress inoculation training involving exposure to stressful events have improved psychological preparation in contexts such as military deployment. OBJECTIVE: This study seeks to develop and investigate a targeted PSA intervention in patients undergoing oncological surgery using a single preoperative VR exposure. The primary objectives are to (1) develop a novel VR program for patients undergoing oncological surgery with general anesthesia; (2) assess the feasibility, including acceptability, of a single exposure to this intervention; (3) assess the feasibility, including acceptability, of outcome measures of PSA; and (4) use these results to refine the VR content and outcome measures for a larger trial. A secondary objective is to preliminarily assess the clinical utility of the intervention for PSA. METHODS: This study comprises 3 phases. Phase 1 (completed) involved the development of a VR prototype targeting PSA, using multidisciplinary iterative input. Phase 2 (data collection completed) involves examining the feasibility aspects of the VR intervention. This randomized feasibility trial involves assessing the novel VR preoperative intervention compared to a VR control (ie, nature trek) condition and a treatment-as-usual group among patients undergoing breast cancer surgery. Phase 3 will involve refining the prototype based on feasibility findings and input from people with lived experience for a future clinical trial, using focus groups with participants from phase 2. RESULTS: This study was funded in March 2019. Phase 1 was completed in April 2020. Phase 2 data collection was completed in January 2024 and data analysis is ongoing. Focus groups were completed in February 2024. Both the feasibility study and focus groups will contribute to further refinement of the initial VR prototype (phase 3), with the final simulation to be completed by mid-2024. CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this work will contribute to the limited body of research examining feasible and broadly accessible interventions for PSA. Knowledge gained from this research will contribute to the final development of a novel VR intervention to be tested in a large population of patients with cancer before surgery in a randomized clinical trial. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04544618; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04544618. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/55692.

Clinical benefits of symptom resolution after palliative surgery in advanced cancer: A single-center experience.

BACKGROUND: Palliative surgery (PS) is defined as any surgical procedure aimed at improving quality of life or relieving symptoms caused by an advanced or metastatic cancer. The involvement of patients, caregivers, and other professional figures is crucial for obtaining optimal symptom relief and avoiding complications. This study aims to evaluate the short-term outcome and related factors in patients undergoing PS. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed in consecutive patients who underwent palliative gastrointestinal surgery at our surgical unit during the period June 2018 to May 2023. Demographic, clinical, pathological and follow-up data were collected from a prospectively maintained department database. The main outcomes were complications, symptoms palliation, symptoms recurrence and return to systemic chemotherapy. Standard statistical analysis was performed. RESULTS: During the study period, 127 patients underwent palliative surgery. The Clavien-Dindo 3-5 complication rate and mortality rate were 19.7 % and 6 %, respectively. The resolution of symptoms was achieved in 109 patients (89 %). Successful symptom palliation was significantly related to the possibility of returning to systemic chemotherapy (SC) (OR 9.30 95 % CI 0.1.83-47.18, p 0.007). The only factor related to survival in multivariate analysis was the return to systemic chemotherapy (HR 0.25 95 % CI 0.15-0.42 0.001). CONCLUSION: PS in selected patients is effective for symptom resolution and improving overall survival, if the result is making anticancer therapy possible. Prospective data collection is in any case warranted in every institution performing PS for the purpose of monitoring appropriateness and quality of surgical care.

The experience of surgical cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic at a large cancer centre in London.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has had an enormous impact on the experiences of patients across all health disciplines, especially those of cancer patients. The study aimed to understand the experiences of cancer patients who underwent surgery during the first two waves of the pandemic at Guy's Cancer Centre, which is a large tertiary cancer centre in London. METHODS: A mixed-methods approach was adopted for this study. Firstly, a survey was co-designed by the research team and a patient study group. Patients who underwent surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic were invited to take part in this survey. Results were analysed descriptively. Three discussion groups were then conducted to focus on the main themes from the survey findings: communication, COVID-19 risk management and overall experience. These discussion groups were transcribed verbatim and underwent a thematic analysis using the NVivo software package. RESULTS: Out of 1657 patients invited, a total of 250 (15%) participants took part in the survey with a mean age of 66 (SD 12.8) and 52% females. The sample was representative of a wide range of tumour sites and was reflective of those invited to take part. Overall, the experience of the cancer patients was positive. They felt that the safety protocols implemented at the hospital were effective. Communication was considered key, and patients were receptive to a change in the mode of communication from in-person to virtual. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the immense challenges faced by our Cancer Centre, patients undergoing surgery during the first two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic had a generally positive experience with minimal disruptions to their planned surgery and ongoing care. Together with the COVID-19 safety precautions, effective communication between the clinical teams and the patients helped the overall patient experience during their surgical treatment.

Intranodal Lymphangiography and Embolization for Management of Iatrogenic Chylous Ascites after Oncological Surgery.

PURPOSE: To investigate the safety and effectiveness of intranodal lymphangiography (INL) and lymphatic embolization (LE) in management of chylous ascites after oncologic surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective review of records of patients who underwent INL with or without LE from January 2017 to June 2022 was performed. Adult patients with chylous ascites after oncologic surgery referred to interventional radiology after failure of conservative treatment were included. Thirty-nine patients who underwent 55 procedures were included (34 males and 5 females). Data on patient demographics, procedural technique, outcomes, and follow-up were collected. Descriptive statistics were used to illustrate technical success, clinical success, and adverse events. Univariate logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate factors predicting clinical success. RESULTS: INL was technically successful in 54 of 55 procedures (98%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 90%-100%). A lymphatic leak was identified in 40 procedures, and LE was attempted in 36. LE was technically successful in 33 of the 36 procedures (92%; 95% CI, 78%-98%). Clinical success, defined as resolution of ascites with no need for peritoneovenous shunt placement or additional surgery, was achieved in 22 of 39 patients (56%; 95% CI, 40%-72%). Clinical success was achieved in 18 patients after 1 procedure, and patients who required repeat procedures were less likely to achieve clinical success (odds ratio, 0.16; 95% CI, 0.04-0.66; P = .012). Four grade 1 procedural adverse events were recorded. CONCLUSIONS: INL with or without LE is a safe minimally invasive tool that can help patients with chylous ascites after oncologic surgery who failed conservative treatment avoid more invasive interventions.

Patients' and carers' views on research priorities in prehabilitation for cancer surgery.

INTRODUCTION: The views of patients and carers are important for the development of research priorities. This study aimed to determine and compare the top research priorities of cancer patients and carers with those of multidisciplinary clinicians with expertise in prehabilitation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study surveyed patients recovering from cancer surgery at a major tertiary hospital in Sydney, Australia, and/or their carers between March and July 2023. Consenting patients and carers were provided a list of research priorities according to clinicians with expertise in prehabilitation, as determined in a recent International Delphi study. Participants were asked to rate the importance of each research priority using a 5-item Likert scale (ranging from 1 = very high research priority to 5 = very low research priority). RESULTS: A total of 101 patients and 50 carers participated in this study. Four areas were identified as research priorities, achieving consensus of highest importance (> 70% rated as "high" or "very high" priority) by patients, carers, and clinical experts. These were "optimal composition of prehabilitation programs" (77% vs. 82% vs. 88%), "effect of prehabilitation on surgical outcomes" (85% vs. 90% vs. 95%), "effect of prehabilitation on functional outcomes" (83% vs. 86% vs. 79%), and "effect of prehabilitation on patient reported outcomes" (78% vs. 84% vs. 79%). Priorities that did not reach consensus of high importance by patients despite reaching consensus of highest importance by experts included "identifying populations most likely to benefit from prehabilitation" (70% vs. 76% vs. 90%) and "defining prehabilitation core outcome measures" (66% vs. 74% vs. 87%). "Prehabilitation during neoadjuvant therapies" reached consensus of high importance by patients but not by experts or carers (81% vs. 68% vs. 69%). CONCLUSION: This study delineated the primary prehabilitation research priorities as determined by patients and carers, against those previously identified by clinicians with expertise in prehabilitation. It is recommended that subsequent high-quality research and resource allocation be directed towards these highlighted areas of importance.

A systematic review and meta-analysis on mortality rate following total pelvic exenteration in cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Total pelvic exenteration (TPE), an en bloc resection is an ultraradical operation for malignancies, and refers to the removal of organs inside the pelvis, including female reproductive organs, lower urological organs and involved parts of the digestive system. The aim of this meta-analysis is to estimate the intra-operative mortality, in-hospital mortality, 30- and 90-day mortality rate and overall mortality rate (MR) following TPE in colorectal, gynecological, urological, and miscellaneous cancers. METHODS: This is a systematic review and meta-analysis in which three international databases including Medline through PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science on November 2023 were searched. To screen and select relevant studies, retrieved articles were entered into Endnote software. The required information was extracted from the full text of the retrieved articles by the authors. Effect measures in this study was the intra-operative, in-hospital, and 90-day and overall MR following TPE. All analyzes are performed using Stata software version 16 (Stata Corp, College Station, TX). RESULTS: In this systematic review, 1751 primary studies retrieved, of which 98 articles (5343 cases) entered into this systematic review. The overall mortality rate was 30.57% in colorectal cancers, 25.5% in gynecological cancers and 12.42% in Miscellaneous. The highest rate of mortality is related to the overall mortality rate of colorectal cancers. The MR in open surgeries was higher than in minimally invasive surgeries, and also in primary advanced cancers, it was higher than in recurrent cancers. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, it can be said that performing TPE in a specialized surgical center with careful patient eligibility evaluation is a viable option for advanced malignancies of the pelvic organs.

Application of Machine Learning in Predicting Perioperative Outcomes in Patients with Cancer: A Narrative Review for Clinicians.

This narrative review explores the utilization of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) models to enhance perioperative cancer care. ML and AI models offer significant potential to improve perioperative cancer care by predicting outcomes and supporting clinical decision-making. Tailored for perioperative professionals including anesthesiologists, surgeons, critical care physicians, nurse anesthetists, and perioperative nurses, this review provides a comprehensive framework for the integration of ML and AI models to enhance patient care delivery throughout the perioperative continuum.

Major surgical conditions of childhood and their lifelong implications: comprehensive review.

BACKGROUND: In recent decades, the survival of children with congenital anomalies and paediatric cancer has improved dramatically such that there has been a steady shift towards understanding their lifelong health outcomes. Paediatric surgeons will actively manage such conditions in childhood and adolescence, however, adult surgeons must later care for these 'grown-ups' in adulthood. This article aims to highlight some of those rare disorders encountered by paediatric surgeons requiring long-term follow-up, their management in childhood and their survivorship impact, in order that the adult specialist may be better equipped with skills and knowledge to manage these patients into adulthood. METHODS: A comprehensive literature review was performed to identify relevant publications. Research studies, review articles and guidelines were sought, focusing on the paediatric management and long-term outcomes of surgical conditions of childhood. The article has been written for adult surgeon readership. RESULTS: This article describes the aforementioned conditions, their management in childhood and their lifelong implications, including: oesophageal atresia, tracheo-oesophageal fistula, malrotation, short bowel syndrome, duodenal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, choledochal malformations, biliary atresia, Hirschsprung disease, anorectal malformations, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, congenital lung lesions and paediatric cancer. CONCLUSION: The increasing survivorship of children affected by surgical conditions will translate into a growing population of adults with lifelong conditions and specialist healthcare needs. The importance of transition from childhood to adulthood is becoming realized. It is hoped that this timely review will enthuse the readership to offer care for such vulnerable patients, and to collaborate with paediatric surgeons in providing successful and seamless transitional care.

Standardized phase angle: relationship with functionality, muscle mass and postoperative outcomes in surgical cancer patients.

To evaluate the association of standardized phase angle (SPA) with nutritional status, functional parameters, and postoperative outcomes in surgical cancer patients. This prospective study includes 59 cancer patients from Pelotas (Brazil) admitted for elective cancer surgery. We obtained the phase angle through Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) and standardized it according to the population's reference values. We estimated the muscle mass using BIA for later calculation of the Skeletal Muscle Index (SMI) and performed handgrip strength (HGS) and gait speed (GS) tests. We used the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) to assess the nutritional status. Postoperative complications and duration of hospital stay were evaluated as the outcomes. The prevalence of malnutrition in the sample was 28.8%, according to ASG-PPP. SPA was statistically lower in patients with malnutrition, with lower HGS and reduced GS. For postoperative outcomes, patients with severe complications and those with prolonged hospitalization also had lower SPA values. The greater the number of functional alterations in patients, the lower the SPA value, mainly when associated with reduced muscle mass assessed by BIA, suggesting that muscle mass reduction plays an important role in the association between functional alterations and phase angle in patients with cancer. According to the parameters used in this study, low SPA value was associated with impaired nutritional and functional status and negative outcomes in the analyzed sample.

Prehabilitation in Adults Undergoing Cancer Surgery: A Comprehensive Review on Rationale, Methodology, and Measures of Effectiveness.

Cancer surgery places a significant burden on a patients' functional status and quality of life. In addition, cancer surgery is fraught with postoperative complications, themselves influenced by a patient's functional status. Prehabilitation is a unimodal or multimodal strategy that aims to increase a patient's functional capacity to reduce postoperative complications and improve postoperative recovery and quality of life. In most cases, it involves exercise, nutrition, and anxiety-reducing interventions. The impact of prehabilitation has been explored in several types of cancer surgery, most commonly colorectal and thoracic. Overall, the existing evidence suggests prehabilitation improves physiological outcomes (e.g., lean body mass, maximal oxygen consumption) as well as clinical outcomes (e.g., postoperative complications, quality of life). Notably, the benefit of prehabilitation is additional to that of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programs. While safe, prehabilitation programs require multidisciplinary coordination preoperatively. Despite the existence of numerous systematic reviews and meta-analyses, the certainty of evidence demonstrating the efficacy and safety of prehabilitation is low to moderate, principally due to significant methodological heterogeneity and small sample sizes. There is a need for more large-scale multicenter randomized controlled trials to draw strong clinical recommendations.

Quality of life after robotic versus conventional minimally invasive cancer surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Optimizing postoperative quality of life (QoL) is an essential aspect of surgical oncology. Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) decreases surgical morbidity and improves QoL outcomes. This meta-analysis aimed to compare post-operative QoL after oncologic resections using different MIS modalities. The PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and CENTRAL databases were searched for articles that compared post-operative QoL in patients undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) or laparoscopic surgery (LS) versus robotic surgery (RS) for malignancy. Quality assessment was performed using the ROBINS-I and Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 (RoB-2) tools. Meta-analysis was performed using an inverse-variance random effects model. 27 studies met the inclusion criteria, including 5 randomized controlled trials (RCTs). 15 studies had a low risk of bias, while 11 had a moderate risk of bias and 1 had serious risk of bias. 8330 patients (RS: 5090, LS/VATS: 3240) from across 25 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Global QoL was significantly better after robotic surgery in the pooled analysis overall (SMD: - 0.28 [95% CI: - 0.49, - 0.08]), as well as in the prostatectomy and gastrectomy subgroups. GRADE certainty of evidence was low. Analysis of EPIC-26 subdomains also suggested greater sexual function after robotic versus laparoscopic prostatectomy. Robotic and conventional MIS approaches produce similar postoperative QoL after oncologic surgery for various tumor types, although advantages may emerge in some patient populations. Our results may assist surgeons in counseling patients who are undergoing oncologic surgery.

[Pre-rehabilitation of oncological patients before extensive abdominal and thoracic surgery: a literature review]. / Prereabilitatsiya onkologicheskikh patsientov pered obshirnym khirurgicheskim vmeshatel'stvom v bryushnoi i grudnoi polostyakh: obzor literatury.

Surgery is one of the leading treatment methods of patients with primary or recurrent malignant neoplasms in the thoracic or abdominal cavity. Extensive abdominal interventions are accompanied by such adverse outcomes as blood loss, hypoxia, inflammation, blood clotting abnormality, emotional and cognitive disorders, that increases the incidence of serious complications and worsens the treatment outcome and life quality in weakened oncological patients. Multimodal pre-rehabilitation before surgery can significantly decrease the incidence and severity of postoperative complications. The rehabilitation complex includes exercise therapy, nutritional and psychological support, smoking cessation and pharmacotherapy. Currently, there are a number of questions facing rehabilitation specialists and oncologists, that are related to the determination of pre-rehabilitation optimal timing and process duration, the choice of specific physical exercises, determining the load intensity. This review presents a current view on understanding of surgical stress in extensive abdominal interventions, its effect on the oncological process course, summarizes the experience of last years in choosing pre-rehabilitation program taking into account pathogenetic mechanisms of surgical stress and individual patient's characteristics. Special attention is paid to the comparison of physical exercises' various types, their action mechanisms at different stages of pathological process, the issues of load dosing during pre-rehabilitation activities.

Advancements in fertility preservation strategies for pediatric male cancer patients: a review of cryopreservation and transplantation of immature testicular tissue.

Recently, there has been increasing emphasis on the gonadotoxic effects of cancer therapy in prepubertal boys. As advances in oncology treatments continue to enhance survival rates for prepubertal boys, the need for preserving their functional testicular tissue for future reproduction becomes increasingly vital. Therefore, we explore cutting-edge strategies in fertility preservation, focusing on the cryopreservation and transplantation of immature testicular tissue as a promising avenue. The evolution of cryopreservation techniques, from controlled slow freezing to more recent advancements in vitrification, with an assessment of their strengths and limitations was exhibited. Detailed analysis of cryoprotectants, exposure times, and protocols underscores their impact on immature testicular tissue viability. In transplantation strategy, studies have revealed that the scrotal site may be the preferred location for immature testicular tissue grafting in both autotransplantation and xenotransplantation scenarios. Moreover, the use of biomaterial scaffolds during graft transplantation has shown promise in enhancing graft survival and stimulating spermatogenesis in immature testicular tissue over time. This comprehensive review provides a holistic approach to optimize the preservation strategy of human immature testicular tissue in the future.

Tumor Segmentation in Intraoperative Fluorescence Images Based on Transfer Learning and Convolutional Neural Networks.

OBJECTIVE: To propose a transfer learning based method of tumor segmentation in intraoperative fluorescence images, which will assist surgeons to efficiently and accurately identify the boundary of tumors of interest. METHODS: We employed transfer learning and deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs) for tumor segmentation. Specifically, we first pre-trained four networks on the ImageNet dataset to extract low-level features. Subsequently, we fine-tuned these networks on two fluorescence image datasets (ABFM and DTHP) separately to enhance the segmentation performance of fluorescence images. Finally, we tested the trained models on the DTHL dataset. The performance of this approach was compared and evaluated against DCNNs trained end-to-end and the traditional level-set method. RESULTS: The transfer learning-based UNet++ model achieved high segmentation accuracies of 82.17% on the ABFM dataset, 95.61% on the DTHP dataset, and 85.49% on the DTHL test set. For the DTHP dataset, the pre-trained Deeplab v3 + network performed exceptionally well, with a segmentation accuracy of 96.48%. Furthermore, all models achieved segmentation accuracies of over 90% when dealing with the DTHP dataset. CONCLUSION: To the best of our knowledge, this study explores tumor segmentation on intraoperative fluorescent images for the first time. The results show that compared to traditional methods, deep learning has significant advantages in improving segmentation performance. Transfer learning enables deep learning models to perform better on small-sample fluorescence image data compared to end-to-end training. This discovery provides strong support for surgeons to obtain more reliable and accurate image segmentation results during surgery.

The N-LVA Study: effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of lymphaticovenous anastomosis (LVA) for patients with cancer who suffer from chronic peripheral lymphoedema - study protocol of a multicentre, randomised sham-controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Cancer-related lymphoedema is one of the most debilitating side-effects of cancer treatment with an overall incidence of 15.5%. Patients may suffer from a variety of symptoms, possibly resulting in a diminished health-related quality of life (HRQoL). A microsurgical technique known as lymphaticovenous anastomosis (LVA) might be a promising treatment option. The objective of this study is to evaluate whether LVA is effective and cost-effective compared with sham surgery in improving the HRQoL. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A multicentre, double-blind, randomised sham-controlled trial conducted in three university hospitals in the Netherlands. The study population comprises 110 patients over the age of 18 years with unilateral, peripheral cancer-related lymphoedema, including 70 patients with upper limb lymphoedema and 40 patients with lower limb lymphoedema. A total of 55 patients will undergo the LVA operation, while the remaining 55 will undergo sham surgery. The follow-up will be at least 24 months. Patients are encouraged to complete the follow-up by explaining the importance of the study. Furthermore, patients may benefit from regular monitoring moments for their lymphoedema. The primary outcome is the HRQoL. The secondary outcomes are the limb circumference, excess limb volume, changes in conservative therapy, postoperative complications, patency of the LVA and incremental cost-effectiveness. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study was approved by the Medical Ethical Committee of Maastricht University Medical Center on 20 September 2023 (NL84169.068.23). The results will be presented at scientific conferences and published in peer-reviewed medical journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT06082349.

Blood Interleukin-18 (IL-18) and IL-18 Binding Protein (IL-18BP) Levels Following Midline Laparotomy: A Prospective Randomized Study of Patients With Benign Disease and Patients With Cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The acute phase immune response (APR) in midline laparotomy (MLa) patients following surgery has been rarely studied, with no studies assessing the association of blood IL-18 (interleukin-18) and IL-18BP (IL-18 binding protein) values with the numeric rating scale (NRS) pain score following MLa. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Blood levels of seven cytokines (CYT) (IL-18, IL-18BP, IL-1ra, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-1ß) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were measured at three time points; before operation (PRE), immediately after operation (POP1), and 24 h after operation (POP2) in 56 patients with MLa. The satisfaction of the patients at 24 h following MLa (SFS24; 0=fully unsatisfied; 10=fully satisfied) was recorded on a 11-point numeric rating scale. RESULTS: In all patients, the IL-18 and IL-18BP blood levels decreased at POP1 and the drop between the preoperative and POP1 levels in the IL-18 and IL-18BP was highly significant (p<0.001). However, the median IL-18 and IL-18BP blood levels increased significantly at POP2 (p<0.001) with the linear mixed-effect model (LME) showing a statistically significant time effect (p<0.001). The hs-CRP blood levels increased significantly at POP2 with the LME model showing a statistically significant time effect. The preoperative and POP2 IL-18 values were clearly higher in patients with cancer versus benign disease (177/182 vs. 135/126, p=0.039/p=0.013, respectively). Interestingly, in all patients of the study, the median IL-18 versus IL-18BP blood levels correlated at POP1 (r=0.315, p=0.036). CONCLUSION: A noteworthy discovery of this study is the correlation of IL-18BP with SFS24 (r=0.361, p=0.05), proposing that APR and quality of life are associated in MLa patients.

Determining a multidisciplinary intraoperative strategy in emergency surgery for bowel obstruction and its impact on outcomes.

PURPOSE: Bowel obstruction accounts for around 50% of all emergency laparotomies. A multidisciplinary (MDT) standardized intraoperative model was applied (definitive, palliative, or damage control surgery) to identify patients suitable for a one-step, definitive surgical procedure favoring anastomosis over stoma, when undergoing surgery for bowel obstruction. The objective was to present mortality according to the strategy applied and to compare the rate of laparoscopic interventions and stoma creations to a historic cohort in surgery for bowel obstruction. METHODS: In a retrospective cohort study, we included patients undergoing emergency surgery for bowel obstruction during a 1-year period at two Copenhagen University Hospitals (2019 and 2021). The MDT model consisted of a 30- and 60-min time-out with variables such as functional and hemodynamic status, presence of malignancy, and surgical capabilities (lap/open). Pre-, intra-, and postoperative data were collected to investigate associations to postoperative complications and mortality. Stoma creation rates and laparoscopies were compared to a historic cohort (2009-2013). RESULTS: Three hundred sixty-nine patients underwent surgery for bowel obstruction. Intraoperative surgical strategy was definitive in 77.0%, palliative in 22.5%, and damage control surgery in 0.5%. Thirty-day mortality was significantly lower in the definitive patient population (4.6%) compared to the palliative population (21.7%) (p < 0.000). Compared to the historic cohort, laparoscopic surgery for bowel obstruction increased from 5.0 to 26.4% during the 10-year time span, the rate of stoma placements was reduced from 12.0 to 6.1%, p 0.014, and the 30-day mortality decreased from 12.9 to 4.6%, p < 0.000. CONCLUSION: An intraoperative improvement strategy can address the specific surgical interventions in patients undergoing surgery for bowel obstruction, favoring anastomosis over stoma whenever resection was needed, and help adjust specific postoperative interventions and care pathways in cases of palliative need.

Immunostimulatory effects of thermal ablation: Challenges and future prospects.

ABSTRACT: This literature explores the immunostimulatory effects of thermal ablation in the tumor microenvironment, elucidating the mechanisms such as immunogenic cell death, tumor-specific antigens, and damage-associated molecular patterns. Furthermore, it outlines critical issues associated with thermal ablation-induced immunostimulatory challenges and offers insights into future research avenues and potential therapeutic strategies.

Explainable Machine Learning Model to Preoperatively Predict Postoperative Complications in Inpatients With Cancer Undergoing Major Operations.

PURPOSE: Preoperative prediction of postoperative complications (PCs) in inpatients with cancer is challenging. We developed an explainable machine learning (ML) model to predict PCs in a heterogenous population of inpatients with cancer undergoing same-hospitalization major operations. METHODS: Consecutive inpatients who underwent same-hospitalization operations from December 2017 to June 2021 at a single institution were retrospectively reviewed. The ML model was developed and tested using electronic health record (EHR) data to predict 30-day PCs for patients with Clavien-Dindo grade 3 or higher (CD 3+) per the CD classification system. Model performance was assessed using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), area under the precision recall curve (AUPRC), and calibration plots. Model explanation was performed using the Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) method at cohort and individual operation levels. RESULTS: A total of 988 operations in 827 inpatients were included. The ML model was trained using 788 operations and tested using a holdout set of 200 operations. The CD 3+ complication rates were 28.6% and 27.5% in the training and holdout test sets, respectively. Training and holdout test sets' model performance in predicting CD 3+ complications yielded an AUROC of 0.77 and 0.73 and an AUPRC of 0.56 and 0.52, respectively. Calibration plots demonstrated good reliability. The SHAP method identified features and the contributions of the features to the risk of PCs. CONCLUSION: We trained and tested an explainable ML model to predict the risk of developing PCs in patients with cancer. Using patient-specific EHR data, the ML model accurately discriminated the risk of developing CD 3+ complications and displayed top features at the individual operation and cohort level.