Analysis of intra-operative variables as predictors of 30-day readmission in patients undergoing glioma surgery at a single center.

PURPOSE: Reducing the time from surgery to adjuvant chemoradiation, by decreasing unnecessary readmissions, is paramount for patients undergoing glioma surgery. The effects of intraoperative risk factors on 30-day readmission rates for such patients is currently unclear. We utilized a predictive model-driven approach to assess the impact of intraoperative factors on 30-day readmission rates for the cranial glioma patient. METHODS: Retrospectively, the intraoperative records of 290 patients who underwent glioma surgery at a single institution by a single surgeon were assessed. Data on operative variables including anesthesia specific factors were analyzed via univariate and stepwise regression analysis for impact on 30-day readmission rates. A predictive model was built to assess the capability of these results to predict readmission and validated using leave-one-out cross-validation. RESULTS: In multivariate analysis, end case hypothermia (OR 0.28, 95% CI [0.09, 0.84]), hypertensive time > 15 min (OR 2.85, 95% CI [1.21, 6.75]), and pre-operative Karnofsky performance status (KPS) (OR 0.63, 95% CI [0.41, 0.98] were identified as being significantly associated with 30-day readmission rates (chi-squared statistic vs. constant model 25.2, p < 0.001). Cross validation of the model resulted in an overall accuracy of 89.7%, a specificity of 99.6%, and area under the receiver operator curve (AUC) of 0.763. CONCLUSION: Intraoperative risk factors may help risk-stratify patients with a high degree of accuracy and improve postoperative patient follow-up. Attention should be paid to duration of hypertension and end-case final temperature as these represent potentially modifiable factors that appear to be highly associated with 30-day readmission rates. Prospective validation of our model is needed to assess its potential for implementation as a screening tool to identify patients undergoing glioma surgery who are at a higher risk of post-operative readmission within 30 days.

Leptin Is Produced by Parathyroid Glands and Stimulates Parathyroid Hormone Secretion.

OBJECTIVE: We asked if leptin and its cognate receptor were present in normal and diseased parathyroid glands, and if so, whether they had any functional effects on parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion in parathyroid neoplasms. BACKGROUND: The parathyroid glands acting through PTH play a critical role in the regulation of serum calcium. Based on leptin's recently discovered role in bone metabolism, we hypothesized these glands were the sites of a functional interaction between these 2 hormones. METHODS: From July 2010 to July 2011, 96 patients were enrolled in a prospective study of leptin and hyperparathyroidism, all of whom were enrolled based on their diagnosis of hyperparathyroidism, and their candidacy for surgical intervention provided informed consent. Immediately after parathyroidectomy, 100 to 300 mg of adenomatous or hyperplastic diseased parathyroid tissue was prepared and processed according to requirements of the following: in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence by conventional and spinning disc confocal microscopy, electron microscopy, parathyroid culture, whole organ explant, and animal model assays. RESULTS: Leptin, leptin receptor (long isoform), and PTH mRNA transcripts and protein were detected in an overlapping fashion in parathyroid chief cells in adenoma and hyperplastic glands, and also in normal parathyroid by in situ hybridization, qRT-PCR, and immunohistochemistry. Confocal microscopy confirmed active exogenous leptin uptake in cultured parathyroid cells. PTH secretion in explants increased in response to leptin and decreased with leptin receptor signaling inhibition by AG490, a JAK2/STAT3 inhibitor. Ob/ob mice injected with mouse leptin exhibited increased PTH levels from baseline. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, these data suggest that leptin is a functionally active product of the parathyroid glands and stimulates PTH release.

Deepithelialized flap closure: an adjunct to complex ventral hernia repairs.

Ventral hernias are a major surgical challenge with complications such as wound separations, infections, and recurrences contributing to patient morbidity. We describe a new adjunctive technique that may be helpful in repairing difficult ventral hernias: it involves using an appropriately chosen, redundant abdominal skin edge that is deepithelialized and used to reinforce the hernia repair. A series of 7 patients aged 23 to 84 years in whom the technique was used is presented. All patients had complete repair of their incisional ventral hernia defects without complications of infection, wound dehiscence, seroma formation, reoperation, or hernia recurrence. Furthermore, patients reported a subjective improvement in performing daily activities. Mean follow-up in this series was 19.2 months, with a range from 15.0 to 26.8 months. Advantages include the redistribution of mechanical tension, reinforcement of the midline site of greatest pressure, elimination of dead space, and staggering of suture lines to prevent direct external contamination of prosthetic material should wound dehiscence occur.

Prolonged tracheal extubation time after glioma surgery was associated with lack of familiarity between the anesthesia provider and the operating neurosurgeon. A retrospective, observational study.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: We consider the effect of the number of previous interactions between the anesthesia provider and a single neurosurgeon during neurosurgical procedures ("familiarity") and occurrence of an interval ≥15 min from the end of surgery (i.e., dressings applied) to tracheal extubation ("prolonged extubation") during subsequent glioma procedures by that neurosurgeon. The value of 15min is a threshold at which post-case activity by non-anesthesia personnel in the operating room ends. DESIGN: Historical observational study. SETTING: Neurosurgical operating room suite in an academic teaching hospital. PATIENTS: 294 patients undergoing elective supratentorial glioma surgery between 2012 and 2017 by a single neurosurgeon. MEASUREMENTS: 1) Time from end of surgery ("dressings applied") to extubation; 2) number of previous cases where the anesthesia provider had been present at the end of a neurosurgical procedure performed by the neurosurgeon; 3) case duration. MAIN RESULTS: Anesthesia providers (nurse anesthetists or anesthesia residents) were considered "unfamiliar" with the neurosurgeon if they had been present at the time of extubation for <5 previous neurosurgical cases (including glioma and non-glioma surgery) performed by the neurosurgeon during the study interval. For approximately half the cases the anesthesia provider was unfamiliar with the neurosurgeon. There was an association between the provider's number of historical cases with the neurosurgeon and prolonged extubation (P = 0.0048); the adjusted odds ratio (by unadjusted logistic regression) for unfamiliarity was 2.10 (95% CI 1.28 to 3.44, P = 0.025). Consistent with previously shown associations between case duration and prolonged extubation, analyses were valid based on a near-linear relationship between the logit (prevalence of prolonged extubation) and the case duration quintile. CONCLUSIONS: Lack of familiarity between the anesthesia provider and neurosurgeon during previous anesthetics is associated with prolonged tracheal extubation following intracranial glioblastoma surgery.

Unconsciousness After Regional Anesthesia for Arteriovenous Fistula Revision in a Patient with End-stage Renal Disease.

Chronic kidney disease can lead to different chronic complications. We describe a case where a patient with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) became unresponsive during transportation to the recovery room, following finishing an arteriovenous fistula revision. The patient had received supraclavicular block ninety minutes prior to the incident and surgery was finished under monitored anesthesia care (MAC). After five minutes of chest compression and intubation, monitoring showed normal sinus rhythm and the return of spontaneous circulation. The patient was transferred to the intensive care unit and extubated two days later while she was alert, oriented and hemodynamically stable. CT pulmonary angiogram showed no evidence of pulmonary emboli and echocardiogram did not show any further cardiac event comparing to preoperative status. Ruling out other differential diagnoses for patient's unconsciousness, we have discussed the possibility of neuraxial anesthesia after upper extremity block in this patient.

Leptin signaling and hyperparathyroidism: clinical and genetic associations.

BACKGROUND: The role of leptin in mediating calcium-related metabolic processes is not well understood. STUDY DESIGN: We enrolled patients with hyperparathyroidism undergoing parathyroidectomy in a prospective study to assess postoperative changes to serum leptin and parathyroid hormone levels and to determine the presence of LEPR (leptin receptor) polymorphisms. Patients undergoing hemithyroidectomy under identical surgical conditions were enrolled as controls. Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to analyze changes in leptin. Pearson correlations and Bland-Altman methods were used to examine the between-subject and within-subject correlations in changes in leptin and parathyroid hormone levels. Five single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the LEPR gene were genotyped, and linear regression analysis was performed for each polymorphism. RESULTS: Among the 71 patients included in the clinical study, after-surgery leptin levels decreased significantly in the parathyroid adenoma (p < 0.001) and parathyroid hyperplasia subgroups (p = 0.002) and increased in the control group (p = 0.007). On multivariate analysis, parathyroid disease subtype, baseline leptin levels, age, body mass index, and calcium at diagnosis was associated with changes in leptin. Among the 132 patients included in the genotyping analysis, under a recessive model of inheritance, single-nucleotide polymorphism rs1137101 had a significant association with the largest parathyroid gland and total mass of parathyroid tissue removed (p = 0.045 and p = 0.040, respectively). When analyzing obese patients only, rs1137100 and rs1137101 were significantly associated with total parathyroid size (p = 0.0343 and p = 0.0259, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest a role for the parathyroid gland in regulating leptin production. Genetic contributions from the leptin pathway might predispose to hyperparathyroidism.