When Is Intensive Care Unit Admission Needed After an Esophagectomy?

INTRODUCTION: Due to the high morbidity associated with esophagectomies, patients are often directly admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) for postoperative monitoring. However, critical complications can arise after this initial ICU stay. We hypothesized that the timing of ICU stay was not optimal for the care of patients after esophagectomy and aimed to determine when patients are at risk for developing critical complications. METHODS: We searched the National Safety and Quality Improvement Program for patients who underwent an esophagectomy between 2016 and 2021. The outcome of interest was the interval between surgery and first critical complication. A critical complication was defined as one likely to require intensive care, including respiratory failure, septic shock, etc. Multivariate regression was performed to identify the risks of complications. RESULTS: This study included 6813 patients from more than 70 institutions. Within the first 30 d postesophagectomy, 21.59% of patients experienced at least one critical complication. Half of first critical complications occurred after postoperative day 5, and 85.05% of them occurred after postoperative day 2. Risk factors for critical complications included age greater than 60 y, preoperative comorbidities, and open surgical approach. Malignancies were associated with a significantly lower incidence of critical complications. CONCLUSIONS: Critical complications occurred beyond the immediate postesophagectomy period. Therefore, low-risk patients undergoing minimally invasive esophagectomies can be safely monitored outside the ICU, allowing for better patient care and resource utilization.

The Effect of an Enhanced Recovery Program on Elective Right Hemicolectomies for Crohn's Disease vs. Colon Cancer: A Retrospective Cohort Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols are widely employed in colorectal surgery, successful in reducing postoperative morbidities and hospital length of stay (LOS). However, ERAS effects on the inflammatory bowel disease population remain unclear. This study examines the postoperative course of both Crohn's disease (CD) and colon cancer (CC) patients after elective right hemicolectomies and compares the effectiveness of ERAS protocol. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on patients with CD and CC undergoing elective right hemicolectomies and ileocecectomies from January 2014 through June 2016 (pre-ERAS) and January 2017 through April 2019 (post-ERAS) from a single tertiary care center. Patient demographics and perioperative variables were examined, including prolonged postoperative ileus (PPOI), hospital LOS, and 30-day readmission. RESULTS: 98 CC patients and 91 CD patients met the inclusion criteria. The pre-ERAS CC and post-ERAS CC cohorts were significantly different: post-ERAS had fewer patients with congestive heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and had higher albumin levels. The pre-ERAS CC cohort had significantly longer operative durations and higher rates of concomitant procedures than the post-ERAS CC cohort. Both patients with CC and CD had a reduction in LOS with implementation of ERAS, decreasing by 2.24 days (P = .002) and 1.21 days (P = .038), respectively. There was a reduction in rates of organ space infections with CD (pre .132, post .00, P = .007). There was a trend towards an increased rate of PPOI with CD (Pre .079, Post .226, P = .062). DISCUSSION: The ERAS protocol significantly reduced LOS for both groups, without increasing 30-day readmission rates or other morbidities.

Minimally invasive management of traumatic biliary fistula in the setting of gastric bypass.

The current management of persistent biliary fistula includes biliary stenting and peritoneal drainage. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is preferred over percutaneous techniques and surgery. However, in patients with modified gastric anatomy, ERCP may not be feasible without added morbidity. We describe a 37-year-old woman with traumatic biliary fistula, large volume choleperitonitis and abdominal compartment syndrome following a motor vehicle collision who was treated with laparoscopic drainage, lavage and biliary drain placement via percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography.