Measured versus Estimated Blood Loss: Interim Analysis of a Prospective Quality Improvement Study.

Estimated blood loss (EBL) is an increasingly important factor used to predict outcomes, such as morbidity and mortality, length of stay, and readmissions, after major abdominal operations. However, blood loss is difficult to estimate, with frequent under- and overestimations, consequences of which can be potentially dangerous for individual patients and confounding for scoring systems relying on EBL. We hypothesized that EBL is often inaccurate and have prospectively enrolled consecutive patients undergoing major elective intra-abdominal operations. Actual hemoglobin levels were measured and used to calculate the measured blood loss (MBL), which was compared with the EBL, as estimated both by surgeons (sEBL) and anesthesiologists (aEBL). Of 23 eligible cases at interim analysis, pancreaticoduodenectomy (n = 8) was the most common, followed by colectomy (n = 3), hepatectomy (n = 3) and gastrectomy (n = 2), biliary excision and reconstruction (n = 2), combined gastrectomy + colectomy (n = 1), radical nephrectomy (n = 1), open cholecystectomy (n = 1), pancreatic debridement (n = 1), and exploratory laparotomy (n = 1). aEBL overestimated MBL by 192 mL (143%) on average. The aEBL was significantly greater than the MBL (P = 0.004), whereas the sEBL was significantly less than the MBL (P = 0.009). In conclusion, surgeons significantly underestimate and anesthesiologists significantly overestimate EBL. This finding impacts not only immediate patient care but also the interpretation of scoring systems relying on EBL.

Colonial Wig Pancreaticojejunostomy.

Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) is one of the most problematic complications after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). We describe a series of 48 pancreatic-head resections from our institution, in which we compare a new technique to create the pancreaticojejunostomy (PJ) reconstruction with standard techniques. The goal is to achieve a lower rate of POPF. This new PJ is termed the "Colonial Wig" (CW) PJ due to the novel appearance of the jejunum wrapping around the pancreas, resembling a Colonial wig wrapping around the head of a Colonial Whig (e.g., George Washington). In our consecutive series, 22 cases were performed using the new CW technique to perform the PJ and were compared to 26 traditional PDs with traditional reconstruction. There was an incidence of clinically relevant POPF of 0% in the CW group, compared to 15% in 26 conventional PJs. Our proposed CW PJ reconstruction is associated with a lower the incidence of POPF following PD, and hence may be a way to improve outcomes after PD.

The "Colonial Wig" pancreaticojejunostomy: zero leaks with a novel technique for reconstruction after pancreaticoduodenectomy.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) remains common and morbid after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). A major advance in the study of POPF is the fistula risk score (FRS). METHODS: We analyzed 48 consecutive patients undergoing PD. The "Colonial Wig" pancreaticojejunostomy (CWPJ) technique was used in the last 22 PDs, we compared 22 CWPJ to 26 conventional PDs. RESULTS: Postoperative morbidity was 49% (27% Clavien grade >2). The median length of hospital stay was 11 days. In the first 26 PDs, the PJ was performed according to standard techniques and the clinically relevant POPF (CR-POPF) rate was 15%, similar to the FRS-predicted rate (14%). In the next 22 PJs, the CWPJ was employed. Although the FRS-predicted rates were similar in these two groups (14% vs 13%), the CR-POPF rate in the CWPJ group was 0 (P=0.052). CONCLUSION: Early experience with the CWPJ is encouraging, and this anastomosis may be a safe and effective way to lower POPF rates.

Implications of gallbladder cholesterolosis and cholesterol polyps?

BACKGROUND: The clinical significance of cholesterolosis has not been well established but there are some provocative, if not robust, studies of the role it may play in the pathophysiology of pancreatitis and biliary dyskinesia, as well as hypercholesterolemia. Our aim was to take advantage of a very large cholecystectomy (CCY) database to support or refute these potentially important reported associations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of 6868 patients who underwent CCY from 2001-2013 was performed. Comparisons were made using the student t-test for continuous and chi-square analysis for categorical, variables. RESULTS: Among patients for whom the CCY was the primary operation, 1053 (18%) had cholesterolosis and 4596 did not. Compared to those without cholesterolosis, those with cholesterolosis were no more likely to have elevated cholesterol levels (P = 0.64) nor low gallbladder ejection fraction (P = 0.2). To evaluate cholesterolosis as a cause of pancreatitis, all patients with gallstones were eliminated, leaving 639 patients. Among these, not only was cholesterolosis not associated with more pancreatitis, but rather there was not a single patient with or without cholesterolosis who had pancreatitis. CONCLUSIONS: Despite prior reports of associations between cholesterolosis and elevated serum cholesterol, depressed ejection fraction, and increased risk of pancreatitis, careful analysis of this current, larger data set does not support these associations. Any patient with stones or sludge, or with biliary dyskinesia, and appropriate symptoms, should be considered for CCY, with or without suspected cholesterolosis.