Predicting operative outcomes of total shoulder arthroplasty using the model for end-stage liver disease score.

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score in predicting postoperative complications following total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA). Methods: The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement database was queried for all patients who underwent TSA between 2015 and 2019. The study population was subsequently classified into two categories: those with a MELD score ≥ 10 and those with a MELD score < 10. A total of 5265 patients undergoing TSA between 2015 and 2019 were included in this study. Among these, 4690 (89.1%) patients had a MELD score ≥ 10, while 575 (10.9%) patients had a MELD score < 10. Postoperative complications within 30 days of the TSA were collected. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to explore the correlation between a MELD score ≥ 10 and postoperative complications. The anchor based optimal cutoff was calculated by receiver operating characteristic analysis to determine the MELD score cutoff that most accurately predicts a specific complication. Youden's index (J) determined the optimal cutoff point calculation for the maximum sensitivity and specificity; these were deemed to be "acceptable" if the area under curve (AUC) was greater than 0.7 and "excellent" if greater than 0.8. Results: Multivariate regression analysis found a MELD score ≥ 10 to be independently associated with higher rates of reoperation (OR, 2.08; P = .013), cardiac complications (OR, 3.37; P = .030), renal complications (OR, 7.72; P = .020), bleeding transfusions (OR, 3.23; P < .001), and nonhome discharge (OR, 1.75; P < .001). The receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that AUC for a MELD score cutoff of 7.61 as a predictor of renal complications was 0.87 (excellent) with sensitivity of 100.0% and specificity of 70.0%. AUC for a MELD score cutoff of 7.76 as a predictor of mortality was 0.76 (acceptable) with sensitivity of 81.8% and specificity of 71.0%. Conclusion: A MELD score ≥ 10 was correlated with high rates of reoperation, cardiac complications, renal complications, bleeding transfusions, and nonhome discharge following TSA. MELD score cutoffs of 7.61 and 7.76 were effective in predicting renal complications and mortality, respectively.

Cumulative effect of chronic dehydration and age on postoperative complications after total shoulder arthroplasty.

Background: Dehydration is a modifiable risk factor that should be optimized prior to all surgical procedures. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of dehydration on postoperative complications following total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA). Methods: The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement database was queried for all patients who underwent TSA between 2015 and 2019 and a total of 16,993 patients were included in this study. The study population was subsequently classified into 3 categories: 8498 (50.0%) nondehydrated patients with blood urea nitrogen/creatinine (BUN/Cr) < 20, 4908 (28.9%) moderately dehydrated patients with 20 ≤ BUN/Cr ≤ 25, and 3587 (21.1%) severely dehydrated patients with 25 < BUN/Cr. A subgroup analysis involving only elderly patients aged > 65 years and normalized gender-adjusted Cr values was also performed. Postoperative complications within 30 days of the TSA were collected. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to explore the correlation between dehydration and postoperative complications. Results: Adjusted multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the severely dehydrated cohort had a greater risk of postoperative transfusion, mortality, nonhome discharge, and increased length of stay (all P < .05). The moderately dehydrated cohort had a greater risk of wound dehiscence (P = .044). Among the elderly, severely dehydrated patients had a greater risk of cardiac complications, postoperative transfusion, mortality, nonhome discharge, and increased length of stay (all P < .05). Finally, the elderly moderately dehydrated cohort had a greater risk of postoperative transfusion and nonhome discharge (all P < .05). Conclusion: BUN/Cr ratio is an important preoperative diagnostic tool to identify at-risk dehydrated patients. Providers should optimize dehydration to prevent complications, decrease costs, and improve discharge planning.

Racial Diversity of Patient Population Represented on United States Plastic Surgeons' Webpages.

ABSTRACT: Current literature demonstrates a lack of racial diversity in plastic surgery media. However, to our knowledge, no study has yet examined the racial diversity of Webpage content as if from a patient-search perspective. The objective of this study is to determine if there is a racial discrepancy between the US Census, American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) statistics, and the media featuring implied patients on US plastic surgeons' Webpages from a patient-focused approach. A Google search was completed using the term "(state) plastic surgeon." The first 10 relevant Web sites were collected for each state, and homepages were analyzed. In line with previous studies, the implied patients in media were classified into 1 of 6 skin tone categories: I, ivory; II, beige; III, light brown; IV, olive; V, brown; and VI, dark brown. These correlate to Fitzpatrick phototypes; however, the Fitzpatrick scale measures skin's response to UV exposure. Skin tone was used as a guide to measure racial representation in the media, with the caveat that skin tone does not absolutely correlate to racial identity. Categories I-III were further classified as "white" and IV-VI as "nonwhite." These data were compared with the 2020 ASPS demographics report and US Census. Four thousand eighty individuals were analyzed from 504 Webpages, the majority of which were those of private practice physicians. A total of 91.62% of individuals were classified as "white" and 8.38% "nonwhite." The distribution by category was as follows: I = 265, II = 847, III = 2626, IV = 266, V = 71, and VI = 5. Using χ2 analyses, a statistically significant difference was found between the racial representation within this sample and that of the 2020 US Census nationally (P < 0.001), regionally (P < 0.001), and subregionally (P < 0.001); the 2020 ASPS Cosmetic Summary Data (P < 0.001); and the 2020 ASPS Reconstructive Summary Data (P < 0.001). This study highlights the significant difference between racial representation on plastic surgeons' Webpages and the demographics of patients they serve. Further analyses should identify the impact of these representational disparities on patient care and clinical outcomes, as well as examine how best to measure racial diversity and disparities in patient-oriented media.

Chronic Steroid Use, Complications, and Readmission Following Open Reduction Internal Fixation of Distal Radius Fracture.

Purpose: The increasing incidence of both distal radius fractures (DRFs) and chronic conditions that necessitate long-term steroid use has resulted in a growing intersection between the patient populations of the two. Chronic steroid use is known to increase bone frailty and the likelihood of fractures but may also contribute to poorer outcomes following the repair of DRF. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between preoperative chronic steroid use, postoperative complications, and readmission after open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) of DRF. Methods: The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement database was queried for all patients who underwent DRF ORIF between 2015 and 2021. However, 30-day postoperative complications after DRF ORIF were collected. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to investigate the relationship among preoperative chronic steroid use, postoperative complications, and patient factors associated with readmission. Results: The postoperative complications associated with the steroid cohort were categorized as major, minor, and overall complications. Additionally, pneumonia, stroke, myocardial infarction, bleeding transfusions, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, readmission, non-home discharge, and mortality were recorded. Chronic steroid use was found to be independently associated with major , minor, and overall complications, deep vein thrombosis, and readmission. Further investigation of readmission showed that male sex and comorbid chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were the only two patient factors independently associated with a greater likelihood of readmission after DRF ORIF. Conclusions: Preoperative chronic steroid use was associated with an increasing rate of postoperative complications after DRF ORIF. Male sex and comorbid chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were characteristics of chronic steroid-use patients independently associated with increased risk of readmission after DRF ORIF. A better understanding of preoperative chronic steroid use as a risk factor for postoperative complications may allow surgeons to improve preoperative risk stratification and patient counseling in the management of DRF. Type of study/level of evidence: Prognostic III.

Body Mass Index as a Predictor for Postoperative Complications Following Carpometacarpal Arthroplasty.

Purpose: Carpometacarpal (CMC) arthroplasty is an effective surgical treatment to relieve pain and improve function for osteoarthritis of the CMC joint. The association between body mass index (BMI) and postoperative complications has been studied for other orthopedic procedures, including total knee arthroplasty, total hip arthroplasty, and total shoulder arthroplasty. However, BMI has not been studied as a risk factor for postoperative complications following CMC arthroplasty. The purpose of this study was to determine the postoperative complications associated with different categories of BMI following CMC arthroplasty. We hypothesized that increasing BMI is associated with more severe complications. Methods: The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was queried for all patients who underwent CMC arthroplasty between 2015 and 2020. Patient demographics, comorbidities, surgical characteristics, and 30-day postoperative complication data were collected. Patients were stratified into cohorts based on BMI as follows: underweight (BMI < 18.5 kg/m2), normal/reference (18.5 kg/m2 ≤ BMI < 30.0 kg/m2), obese (30.0 kg/m2 ≤ BMI < 35.0 kg/m2), severely obese (35.0 kg/m2 ≤ BMI < 40.0 kg/m2), and morbidly obese (BMI ≥ 40.0 kg/m2). Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify postoperative complications associated with each cohort. Results: In total, 6,432 patients were included in this study: 3,622 (56.3%) patients were included in the normal/reference cohort, 77 (1.2%) patients were included in the underweight cohort, 1,479 (23.0%) patients were included in the obese cohort, 718 (11.2%) patients were included in the severely obese cohort, and 536 (8.3%) patients were included in the morbidly obese cohort. The obese cohort was independently associated with a higher rate of superficial incisional surgical-site infection (odds ratio [OR], 2.11; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00-4.44; P = .050). The morbidly obese cohort was independently associated with readmission (OR, 3.35; 95% CI, 1.15-9.74; P = .026) and reoperation (OR, 3.40; 95% CI, 1.04-1.11; P = .043). Conclusions: Morbid obesity is a clinically significant predictor for readmission and reoperation within 30 days following CMC arthroplasty. Obesity is a clinically significant predictor for superficial incisional surgical-site infection within 30 days following CMC arthroplasty. Clinical relevance: A better understanding of BMI as a risk factor for postoperative complications may allow surgeons to improve preoperative risk stratification and patient counseling. Type of study/level of evidence: Prognostic III.

Resiliency outcomes after participation in an asynchronous web-based platform for adults with neurofibromatosis: The NF-Web study.

The purpose of this study was to analyze secondary resiliency and user experience outcomes from a novel, 8-week website-based mind-body intervention (NF-Web) for adults (18+) with neurofibromatosis (NF1, NF2, and schwannomatosis), a genetic, neurocutaneous disorder characterized by nerve sheath tumors of the central and peripheral nervous system. The study design was a secondary data analysis of a single-arm, early feasibility pilot study (September 2020-May 2021) for adults with NF (N = 28). Across participants, the mean age was 46 (SD = 13.67) and included 22 females and 6 males. Participants completed baseline and posttest assessments (t-tests), as well as exit interviews (exploratory rapid data analysis). Results demonstrated that participation was associated with pre-to-post improvements in gratitude, coping, and mindfulness (p < .05). Exit interviews indicated participant enjoyment and that many would recommend NF-Web to a friend. Participants found the website easy to navigate and enjoyed NF-Web's video format. Many found transcripts useful if they had hearing differences or if English was their second language. NF-Web demonstrated initial signals of improvement in resiliency outcomes and positive user experience. Future pilot RCTs will explore these changes by NF type.

Obesity as a Risk Factor in Cosmetic Abdominal Body Contouring: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of obesity is on the rise around the globe. Outside of the massive weight loss (MWL) patient population, knowledge of risk factors associated with abdominal body contouring (BC) is limited. This systematic review and meta-analysis assesses the impact of obesity has on cosmetic abdominal BC outcomes. METHODS: A systematic review conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020 was done. PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and COCHRANE databases were reviewed under search syntax "obesity," "abdominoplasty," "panniculectomy," and "body contouring" for articles. Cosmetic was defined as abdominoplasty or panniculectomy outside the context of MWL. Obesity was defined as BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2. Studies reporting postoperative outcomes with less than 50% of their population involving MWL patients were included. Postoperative outcomes were assessed by pooled analysis and meta-analysis. RESULTS: Of 3088 initial studies, 16 met inclusion criteria, and nine were used for pooled and meta-analysis. Meta-analysis demonstrated that obesity was associated with more seromas (OR 1.45, 1.06-1.98, p = 0.02), hematomas (OR 2.21, 1.07-4.57, p = 0.03), and total surgical site occurrences (OR 1.99, 1.30-3.04, p = 0.0016). There was no significant difference in odds of any other complications. Analysis by obesity class showed no significant increase in odds in seromas or wound dehiscence. CONCLUSIONS: This review demonstrates obesity increased odds of postoperative complications following cosmetic abdominal BC. However, risk of complications does not continue to increase with higher obesity class. A BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 should not be a strict contraindication to cosmetic abdominal BC. Instead, plastic surgeons should evaluate patients on a case-by-case basis. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE III: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Protocol Allows Safe Same-Day Discharge in Expander Based and Oncoplastic Breast Reconstruction.

PURPOSE: Data after enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) with same-day discharge in breast reconstruction is limited. This study evaluates early postoperative outcomes after same-day discharge in tissue-expander immediate breast reconstruction (TE-IBR) and oncoplastic breast reconstruction. METHODS: A single-institution retrospective review of TE-IBR patients from 2017 to 2022 and oncoplastic breast reconstruction patients from 2014 to 2022 was performed. Patients were divided by procedure and recovery pathway: group 1 (TE-IBR, overnight admission), group 2 (TE-IBR, ERAS), group 3 (oncoplastic, overnight admission), and group 4 (oncoplastic, ERAS). Groups 1 and 2 were subdivided by implant location: groups 1a (prepectoral) and 1b (subpectoral), and groups 2a (prepectoral) and 2b (subpectoral). Demographics, comorbidities, complications, and reoperations were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 160 TE-IBR patients (group 1, 91; group 2, 69) and 60 oncoplastic breast reconstruction patients (group 3, 8; group 4, 52) were included. Of the 160 TE-IBR patients, 73 underwent prepectoral reconstruction (group 1a, 25; group 2a, 48), and 87 underwent subpectoral reconstruction (group 1b, 66; group 2b, 21). There were no differences in demographics and comorbidities between groups 1 and 2. Group 3 had a higher average body mass index than group 4 (37.6 vs 32.2, P = 0.022). There was no significant difference between groups 1a and 2a or between groups 1b and 2b in rates of for rates of infection, hematoma, skin necrosis, wound dehiscence, fat necrosis, implant loss, or reoperations. Group 3 and group 4 showed no significant difference in any complications or in reoperations. Notably, no patients in same-day discharge groups required unplanned hospital admission. CONCLUSIONS: Many surgical subspecialities have successfully adopted ERAS protocols into their patient care and have shown both its safety and feasibility. Our research shows that same-day discharge in both TE-IBR and oncoplastic breast reconstruction does not increase risk for major complications or reoperations.

Occurrence and Severity of Suicidal Ideation in Adults With Neurofibromatosis Participating in a Mind-Body RCT.

BACKGROUND: Emotional distress can lead to suicidal ideation and potentially suicide completion, yet there is very little literature on suicidal ideation in individuals with a diagnosis of neurofibromatosis (NF; NF1, NF2, and schwannomatosis). OBJECTIVE: To examine the baseline occurrence, severity, and clinical correlates of suicidal ideation in adults with NF. METHOD: Individuals with NF (N = 220) completed assessments measuring depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7), perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale-10), pain (Graded Chronic Pain Scale and PROMIS Pain Interference Short Form 8a), and general quality of life (World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief version) before beginning a two-arm, single-blind randomized control trial of a live-video mind-body program for stress management and resiliency. RESULTS: Nineteen percent (n = 42) of the individuals experienced suicidal ideation (ie, >0; ideation present several days or greater). More individuals with NF2 experienced suicidal ideation compared with those with NF1 or schwannomatosis. All of the clinical variables except pain intensity were significantly correlated ( P < 0.01) with greater suicidal ideation. Suicidal ideation in individuals with NF was comparable to or higher than that in other medical populations (eg, cancer, dermatological, neurologic). Depression and poor psychological quality of life significantly increased the risk for suicidal ideation. CONCLUSION: Suicidal ideation was relatively prevalent in individuals with NF seeking participation in a mind-body randomized controlled trial. NF clinicians should be prepared to discuss these concerns and provide resources when suicidal ideation is present. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier NCT03406208).

Couples' Experiences Managing Young-Onset Dementia Early in the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic created unexpected stressors for society and could disproportionately affect more vulnerable groups. One such group is couples facing young-onset dementias (YOD), who experience pandemic-induced stressors alongside ongoing YOD-related stressors (e.g., progressive symptoms, increased caregiving needs). Using a qualitative design, our objective was to characterize the experiences of couples living with YOD early in the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact on couples' 'relationships' and well-being. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Couples (N = 23) of persons with YOD and their spousal caregivers participated in a 1 hour live video, joint interview during the early COVID-19 pandemic. We used a hybrid inductive-deductive coding approach to thematic analysis to extract findings within 2 a priori domains: (a) psychosocial stressors experienced during the early pandemic and (2) the impact of early pandemic stressors on couples' relationships and well-being. RESULTS: Thematic analyses revealed 6 main themes: (a) increased caregiving responsibilities, (b) increased uncertainty, (c) increased social isolation and disruptions in social support and medical care, (d) loss of meaningful activities and routines, (e) changes to the couple's relationship, and (f) heightened emotional distress. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated relationship strain and distress among couples managing YOD. This population may face negative outcomes due to the dual impact of YOD- and pandemic-related stressors. It is imperative to provide timely resources and psychosocial support to couples facing YOD to mitigate the negative impact of such stressors on individual health and well-being and the couples' relationship together.