The Association Between Hospital Finances and Complications After Complex Abdominal Surgery: Deficiencies in the Current Health Care Reimbursement System and Implications for the Future.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between complications after 3 common general surgery procedures and per-episode hospital finances. BACKGROUND: With impending changes in health care reimbursement, maximizing the value of care delivered is paramount. Data on the relative clinical and financial impact of postoperative complications are necessary for directing surgical quality improvement efforts. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of patients enrolled in the American College of Surgeons' National Surgical Quality Improvement Program who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy, hepatectomy, and colectomy at a single academic institution between September 2009 and August 2012. Clinical outcomes data were subsequently linked with hospital billing data to determine hospital finances associated with each episode. We describe the association between postoperative complications, hospital length of stay, and different financial metrics. Multivariable linear regression modeling tested linear association between postoperative outcomes and cost data. RESULTS: There was a positive association between the number of surgical complications, payments, length of stay, total charges, total costs, and contribution margin for the three procedures. Multivariable models indicated that complications were independently associated with total cost among the selected procedures. Payments increased with complications, offsetting increased costs. CONCLUSIONS: In the current fee-for-service environment, the financial incentives are misaligned with quality improvement efforts. As we move to a value-driven method of reimbursement, administrators and health care providers alike will need to focus on improving the quality of patient care while remaining conscious of the cost of care delivered. Reducing complications effectively improves value.

Can we become better robot surgeons through simulator practice?

INTRODUCTION: There is significant growth in the use of the robotic surgery platform in the general surgery community. Current pre-requisites for robot surgery training include performing basic tasks on a simulator and achieving a minimum overall score for each task. However, there is limited information about these tasks related to performance and time required to become proficient. We focused on critical tasks that have the highest potential for preventing inadvertent injuries, and constructed models to predict how many attempts would be needed to master the tasks depending on the user's initial attempt. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: This study was conducted using de-identified data collected over 12 months from the dV-Trainers® simulator at our institution. We analyzed tasks used in institutional surgical robot credentialing that focused on camera manipulation and energy use. Data were extracted from the Camera Targeting, Energy Dissection, and Energy Switching exercises focusing on individual metrics such as Time to Complete Exercise, Economy of Motion, Misapplied Energy Time, and Blood Volume Loss. Mixed linear models looking at sequential attempts and specific performance metrics were constructed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 20. RESULTS: Over 26,000 overall minutes of recorded use was logged in our simulator by more than 30 unique users across all exercises. An average of 15 users performed each of the analyzed exercises, with an average of eight attempts per exercise. Based on our models, on average most users would need four to five attempts to achieve 80 % proficiency for any given metric. CONCLUSION: Virtual reality robotic simulators such as the dv-Trainer® can be used by general surgeons to become better robotic surgeons. Our data suggests that it can be used by a surgeon to predict how much time and effort one would need to spend on the simulator in order to become proficient with the robot, especially in critical metrics such as camera manipulation and energy application. Surgeons who require more attempts to successfully complete tasks may want to consider additional training methods, such as proctoring or hands-on laboratories, to improve robot surgery proficiency.

Costs Associated With Lobectomy for Lung Cancer: An Analysis Merging STS and Medicare Data.

BACKGROUND: Costs related to care of patients who undergo lobectomy for lung cancer may vary depending on patient, disease, and treating facility characteristics. We aimed to identify underlying case mix factors that contribute to variability of 90-day costs of lobectomy for early-stage lung cancer. METHODS: The Society of Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic Surgery Database was queried for lobectomy for clinical stage I lung cancer (2008-2013). Demographics, clinical outcomes, and 90-day episode-of-care costs across all care settings were analyzed for patients successfully linked to Medicare data. Hospital costs were estimated from charges using cost-to-charge ratios. Comprehensive regression models were created to identify impact of preoperative patient factors and hospital characteristics on costs, and to delineate additive costs due to perioperative outcomes and complications. RESULTS: The mean 90-day cost for lobectomy was $45,080 ± $38,239. Variables associated with significant additive costs were age greater than or equal to 75 years, American Society of Anesthesiologists classification III or IV, forced expiratory volume in 1 second less than 80% predicted, body mass index less than 18.5 or greater than 35, current or past smoker, cerebrovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, impaired functional status, open thoracotomy, prolonged operative time, government hospitals, metropolitan setting, and geographic location. Patients with 1 or more postoperative complication resulted in an overall mean added cost of $27,259. Added costs increased with the number of complications; isolated recurrent laryngeal nerve paresis ($3,911) and respiratory failure ($35,011) were associated with the least and most additive cost, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Lobectomy is associated with substantial variability of episode-of-care costs. Variability is driven by patient demographic and clinical factors, hospital characteristics, and the occurrence and severity of complications.

ERAS and patient reported outcomes in thoracic surgery: a review of current data.

Quality-focused, cost-effective, patient-centered care is at the forefront of current healthcare reform. Recent data show that enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) results in improved surgical outcomes and decreased hospital costs. As a result, ERAS has been widely accepted among multiple surgical subspecialties as a modality for increasing the value of healthcare delivered to our patients. While this objective data is convincing for practitioners and administrators alike, how ERAS directly impacts the patient experience is unclear. Patient reported outcomes (PRO) are starting to drive patterns of healthcare delivery and influence surgical decision-making. In order to improve surgical outcomes and deliver patient-centered care, it is imperative that clinicians start reviewing objective metrics contained within morbidity and mortality data alongside subjective data regarding patients' experience. This article reviews the current data surrounding both ERAS and PROs within thoracic surgery and investigates how the two concepts are ultimately related.

Patient-Reported Outcomes: Time to Integrate Into Outcomes Reporting?

Historically, surgical outcomes research has focused on objective endpoints that are straightforward to measure and interpret using patient medical records, institutional databases, and national registries. In recent years, such data have been used to drive quality improvement, influence healthcare reform, and impact reimbursement of healthcare spending. In order to continue improving outcomes and deliver high-quality patient-centered care, it is imperative that clinicians review not only objective morbidity and mortality data, but also subjective data regarding patients' experience. Patient-reported outcomes (PRO) are starting to drive patterns of healthcare delivery and influence surgical decision-making. The current article reviews the historical background of PRO, tools for integrating it into surgical outcomes research, current data reported within the literature, and future implications within thoracic surgery.

VATS Resection of Large Ectopic Posterior Mediastinal Cystic Parathyroid Adenoma.

Ectopic parathyroids can often present a diagnostic and therapeutic conundrum for clinicians. Mediastinal parathyroid adenomas are usually small and located anteriorly within thymic tissue. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of a large cystic parathyroid adenoma presenting as a 6-cm posterior mediastinal mass. After a successful thoracoscopic resection, parathyroid hormone levels normalized and the patient was discharged home on postoperative day 2.

Does Perceived Resident Operative Autonomy Impact Patient Outcomes?

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the association of perceived trainee autonomy with patient clinical outcomes following colorectal surgery. DESIGN: This was a prospective multi-institutional study that consisted of surgery trainees completing a survey tool immediately after participating in colorectal resections to rate their self-perceived autonomy and case characteristics. Self-perception of autonomy was classified as observer, assistant, surgeon, or teacher. The completed trainee surveys were linked with patient information available through each hospital's internal NSQIP directory. The primary outcome was death and serious morbidity (DSM) and secondary outcome was 30-day readmissions. Separate mixed effects regression models were used to examine the association between perceived trainee autonomy and DSM or 30-day readmissions. Fixed effects were used to control for the effects of the training environment. The models were constructed to adjust for patient and trainee characteristics associated with each outcome independently. SETTING: This study was conducted at 7 general surgery training programs (5 academic medical centers and 2 independent training programs) with general surgery or colorectal surgery services. PARTICIPANTS: This study included a total of 63 residents and fellows rotating on surgery services that performed colorectal resections at the included 7 general surgery training programs from January until March 2016. RESULTS: The 63 trainees that participated in this study completed 417 surveys with over a 95% response rate. National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) patient records were available for 67% (n = 273) of completed surveys. The clinical year of the trainees were 6.1% PGY 1/2, 36% Post graduate year (PGY) 3, 40.9% PGY 4/5, and 17% fellows. Residents perceived their participation in the case to be that of an observer in 9.2% of surveys, an assistant in 51.6% of surveys, and the surgeon/teacher in 39.3% of surveys. About 50% of patients were male, 80% were White, the majority had an American Society of Anesthesiologists classification of 3, almost half had prior abdominal surgery, and over 80% of surgeries were elective. The primary operation types performed were laparoscopic (40.3%) and open (35.9%) partial colectomies. The rate of DSM in patients was approximately 24% when trainees perceived their role as observers, 23% when trainees perceived their role as assistants, and 18% when trainees perceived their role as surgeons/teachers. After adjustment for patient, trainee, and training environment, we found that the perceived level of trainee autonomy of a surgeon/teacher was associated with a 4-fold lower rate of DSM (odds ratio: 0.23, confidence of interval: 0.05-0.97, p = 0.045) compared to observers. The rate of readmissions was approximately 20% when trainees perceived their role as observers, 14% when trainees perceived their role as assistants and 9% when trainees perceived their role as surgeons/teachers. After adjustment for patient, trainee, and training environment, we found that the perceived level of trainee autonomy of a surgeon/teacher was significantly associated with a 10-fold lower rate of 30-day readmissions (odds ratio: 0.09, confidence of interval: 0.01-0.70, p = 0.022) compared to observers. CONCLUSIONS: There was an association between increased perceived trainee autonomy and improved patient outcomes, suggesting that when trainees identify with an increased role in the operation, patients may have improved care. Further research is needed to understand this association further.

Quantification of Resident Work in Colorectal Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To examine resident intraoperative participation, perceived autonomy, and communication patterns between residents and attending surgeons using a novel survey tool. DESIGN: This was a prospective multi-institutional study. Operative residents completed the survey tool immediately after each colorectal resection performed during the study period. Resident intraoperative participation was quantified including degree of involvement in the technical aspects of the case, self-perception of autonomy, and communication strategies between the resident and attending. SETTING: This study was conducted at 7 general surgery residency programs: 5 academic medical centers, and 2 independent training programs. PARTICIPANTS: Residents and fellows rotating on a colorectal surgery service or general surgery service. RESULTS: Sixty-three residents participated in this study with 417 surveys completed (range 19-79 per institution) representing a 95.4% response rate across all sites. Respondents ranged from clinical year 1 (CY1) to fellows. CY3s (35.7%) and CY5s (34.7%) were most heavily represented. Residents completed ≥50% of the skin closure in 88.7% of cases, ≥50% of the fascial closure in 87.1%, and t ≥ 50% of the anastomosis in 78.4% of the cases. Increasing resident participation was associated with advancing resident CY across all technical aspects of the case. This trend remained significant when controlling for site (p < 0.001). Resident self-perception of autonomy revealed learners of all stages: Observer (11.5%, n = 48), Assistant (53.7%, n = 224), Surgeon (33.8%, n = 141), and Teacher (0.96%, n = 4). Level of perceived autonomy increased with resident CY when controlling for site (p < 0.001). Residents who discussed the case before the day of surgery were twice as likely to rate themselves as Surgeon or Teacher (OR = 2.01) when controlling for CY (p = 0.011). CONCLUSIONS: Brief surveys can easily capture resident work in the operating room. Resident intraoperative involvement and perceived autonomy are associated with CY. Early communication with the attending is significantly associated with increased perception of autonomy regardless of CY.

Quality and Cost in Thoracic Surgery.

The value of health care is defined as health outcomes (quality) achieved per dollars spent (cost). The current national health care landscape is focused on minimizing spending while optimizing patient outcomes. With the introduction of minimally invasive thoracic surgery, there has been concern about added cost relative to improved outcomes. Moreover, differences in postoperative hospital care further drive patient outcomes and health care costs. This article presents a comprehensive literature review on quality and cost in thoracic surgery and aims to investigate current challenges with regard to achieving the greatest value for our patients.

Outcomes After Surgery in High-Risk Patients With Early Stage Lung Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Patients with early stage lung cancer considered high risk for surgery are increasingly being treated with nonsurgical therapies. However, consensus on the classification of high risk does not exist. We compared clinical outcomes of patients considered to be high risk with those of standard-risk patients, after lung cancer surgery. METHODS: A total of 490 patients from our institutional Society of Thoracic Surgeons data from 2009 to 2013 underwent resection for clinical stage I lung cancer. High-risk patients were identified by ACOSOG z4032/z4099 criteria: major: forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) 50% or less or diffusing capacity of lung for carbon monoxide (Dlco) 50% or less; and minor: (two of the following), age 75 years or more, FEV1 51% to 60%, or Dlco 51% to 60%. Demographics, perioperative outcomes, and survival between high-risk and standard-risk patients undergoing lobectomy and sublobar resection were compared. Univariate analysis was performed using the χ(2) test/Fisher's exact test and the t test/Mann-Whitney U test. Survival was studied using a Cox regression model to calculate hazard ratios, and Kaplan-Meier survival curves were drawn. RESULTS: In all, 180 patients (37%) were classified as high risk. These patients were older than standard-risk patients (70 years versus 65 years, respectively; p < 0.0001) and had worse FEV1 (57% versus 85%, p < 0.0001), and Dlco (47% versus 77%, p < 0.0001). High-risk patients also had more smoking pack-years than standard-risk patients (46 versus 30, p < 0.0001) and a greater incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (72% versus 32%, p < 0.0001), and were more likely to undergo sublobar resection (32% versus 20%, p = 0.001). Length of stay was longer in the high-risk group (5 versus 4 days, p < 0.0001), but there was no difference in postoperative mortality (2% versus 1%, p = 0.53). Nodal upstaging occurred in 20% of high-risk patients and 21% of standard-risk patients (p = 0.79). Three-year survival was 59% for high-risk patients and 76% for standard-risk patients (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Good clinical outcomes after surgery for early stage lung cancer can be achieved in patients classified as high risk. In our study, surgery led to upstaging in 20% of patients and acceptable 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival as compared with historical rates for nonsurgical therapies. This study suggests that empiric selection criteria may deny patients optimal oncologic therapy.

Nodal Upstaging Is More Common with Thoracotomy than with VATS During Lobectomy for Early-Stage Lung Cancer: An Analysis from the National Cancer Data Base.

INTRODUCTION: Questions remain regarding differences in nodal evaluation and upstaging between thoracotomy (open) and video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) approaches to lobectomy for early-stage lung cancer. Potential differences in nodal staging based on operative approach remain the final significant barrier to widespread adoption of VATS lobectomy. The current study examines differences in nodal staging between open and VATS lobectomy. METHODS: The National Cancer Data Base was queried for patients with clinical stage T2N0M0 or lower lung cancer who underwent lobectomy in 2010-2011. Propensity score matching was performed to compare the rate of nodal upstaging in VATS with that in open approaches. Additional subgroup analysis was performed to assess whether rates of upstaging differed by specific clinical setting. RESULTS: A total of 16,983 lobectomies were analyzed; 4935 (29.1%) were performed using VATS. Nodal upstaging was more frequent in the open group (12.8% versus 10.3%; p < 0.001). In 4437 matched pairs, nodal upstaging remained more common for open approaches. For a subgroup of patients who had seven lymph or more nodes examined, propensity matching revealed that nodal upstaging remained more common after an open approach than after VATS (14.0% versus 12.1%; p = 0.03). For patients who were treated in an academic/research facility, however, the difference in nodal upstaging between an open and VATS approach was no longer significant (12.2% versus 10.5%, p = 0.08). CONCLUSIONS: For early-stage lung cancer, nodal upstaging was observed more frequently with thoracotomy than with VATS. However, nodal upstaging appears to be affected by facility type, which may be a surrogate for expertise in minimally invasive surgical procedures.

Socioeconomic Factors Are Associated With Readmission After Lobectomy for Early Stage Lung Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Data regarding risk factors for readmissions after surgical resection for lung cancer are limited and largely focus on postoperative outcomes, including complications and hospital length of stay. The current study aims to identify preoperative risk factors for postoperative readmission in early stage lung cancer patients. METHODS: The National Cancer Data Base was queried for all early stage lung cancer patients with clinical stage T2N0M0 or less who underwent lobectomy in 2010 and 2011. Patients with unplanned readmission within 30 days of hospital discharge were identified. Univariate analysis was utilized to identify preoperative differences between readmitted and not readmitted cohorts; multivariable logistic regression was used to identify risk factors resulting in readmission. RESULTS: In all, 840 of 19,711 patients (4.3%) were readmitted postoperatively. Male patients were more likely to be readmitted than female patients (4.9% versus 3.8%, p < 0.001), as were patients who received surgery at a nonacademic rather than an academic facility (4.6% versus 3.6%; p = 0.001) and had underlying medical comorbidities (Charlson/Deyo score 1+ versus 0; 4.8% versus 3.7%; p < 0.001). Readmitted patients had a longer median hospital length of stay (6 days versus 5; p < 0.001) and were more likely to have undergone a minimally invasive approach (5.1% video-assisted thoracic surgery versus 3.9% open; p < 0.001). In addition to those variables, multivariable logistic regression analysis identified that median household income level, insurance status (government versus private), and geographic residence (metropolitan versus urban versus rural) had significant influence on readmission. CONCLUSIONS: The socioeconomic factors identified significantly influence hospital readmission and should be considered during preoperative and postoperative discharge planning for patients with early stage lung cancer.

The Educational Toolbox: Kick Start Your Educational Program in Quality Improvement.

OBJECTIVE: To disseminate materials and learning from the proceedings of the Association of Program Directors 2014 Annual Meeting workshop on the integration of quality improvement (QI) education into the existing educational infrastructure. BACKGROUND: Modern surgical practice demands an understanding of QI methodology. Yet, today׳s surgeons are not formally educated in QI methodology. Therefore, it is hard to follow the historical mantra of "see one, do one, teach one" in the quality realm. METHODS: Participants were given a brief introduction to QI approaches. A number of concrete examples of how to incorporate QI education into training programs were presented, followed by a small group session focused on the identification of barriers to incorporation. Participants were provided with a worksheet to help navigate the initial incorporation of QI education in 3 steps. RESULTS: Participants were representative of all types of training programs, with differing levels of existing QI integration. Barriers to QI education included lack of resident interest/buy-in, concerns over the availability of educational resources (i.e., limited time to devote to QI), and a limited QI knowledge among surgical educators. The 3 steps to kick starting the educational process included (1) choosing a specific method of QI education, (2) incorporation via barrier, infrastructure, and stakeholder identification, and (3) implementation and ongoing assessment. CONCLUSIONS: Recent changes in the delivery of surgical care along with the new accreditation system have necessitated the development of QI education programs for use in surgical education. To continue to make surgery safer and ensure optimal patient outcomes, surgical educators must teach each resident to adopt quality science methodology in a meaningful way.

Outcomes registries: an untapped resource for use in surgical education.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) for use in profiling the aggregated resident operative experience by postgraduate training year and to demonstrate the extent to which a surgical registry could be used to examine resident exposure to adverse events. BACKGROUND: Independent data regarding the operative experience and clinical effectiveness across residency programs remain elusive. In the absence of reliable data, the ability to standardize surgical education and reduce variation in practice remains an unachievable goal. METHODS: We identified general surgery cases using the ACS NSQIP Participant Use File 2011. Resident participation was defined according to postgraduate year (PGY). Descriptive statistical analyses were performed regarding procedure type and clinical outcomes. RESULTS: Of the total general surgery cases, a PGY 1 to 5 resident participated in 87% (45,423), and 28% (n = 14,559) were performed with PGY 5 residents. Interns were involved with 10% (n = 5448) of the cases. The type of procedures performed varied by PGY, but cholecystectomy was the most common. Overall, 11% (4773) of cases were associated with an adverse event or mortality or both, with a mortality rate of 0.8% (374). The most common adverse event was bleeding (5%). CONCLUSIONS: The ACS NSQIP captures the breadth of the resident experience in operative case mix and exposure to adverse events. Although the program was originally designed to uncover areas for quality improvement, the findings of our study demonstrate the utility of an outcomes registry as a guide for the development of future educational content in the resident curriculum.

Detecting performance variance in complex surgical procedures: analysis of a step-wise technique for laparoscopic right hepatectomy.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic right hepatectomy (LRH) is a technically challenging operation. Our aim is to evaluate a standardized technique of LRH and determine variances in performance. METHODS: The procedure was deconstructed into 7 major step-wise components. All LRH followed the same surgical sequence, and used the same devices and operating room set-up. Thirty randomly selected video recordings of the procedure underwent intraoperative time analysis. The variances measured by standard deviation of each step were calculated (mean in minutes ± standard deviation). RESULTS: Mean total operative time was 114 ± 25 min. The steps with the least variance were inferior vena cava dissection (8 ± 3) and right hepatic vein ligation (9 ± 5). The longest and also the step with the greatest variance was parenchymal transection (35 ± 12). CONCLUSIONS: LRH can be performed consistently using a standardized step-wise technique. Parenchymal transection had most variation, and this could be explained by intrinsic liver factors. Surgical performance improvement should begin with deconstructing the operation into definable steps to identify areas for change.

The unmet need for a national surgical quality improvement curriculum: a systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Next Accreditation System will require general surgery training programs to demonstrate outstanding clinical outcomes and education in quality improvement (QI). The American College of Surgeons-National Surgical Quality Improvement Project Quality In-Training Initiative reports the results of a systematic review of the literature investigating the availability of a QI curriculum. METHODS: Using defined search terms, a systematic review was conducted in Embase, PubMed, and Google Scholar (January 2000-March 2013) to identify a surgical QI curriculum. Bibliographies from selected articles and other relevant materials were also hand searched. Curriculum was defined as an organized program of learning complete with content, instruction, and assessment for use in general surgical residency programs. Two independent observers graded surgical articles on quality of curriculum presented. RESULTS: Overall, 50 of 1155 references had information regarding QI in graduate medical education. Most (n = 24, 48%) described QI education efforts in nonsurgical fields. A total of 31 curricular blueprints were identified; 6 (19.4%) were specific to surgery. Targeted learners were most often post graduate year-2 residents (29.0%); only 6 curricula (19.4%) outlined a course for all residents within their respective programs. Plan, Do, Study, Act (n = 10, 32.3%), and Root Cause Analysis (n = 5, 16.1%) were the most common QI content presented, the majority of instruction was via lecture/didactics (n = 26, 83.9%), and only 7 (22.6%) curricula used validated tool kits for assessment. CONCLUSION: Elements of QI curriculum for surgical education exist; however, comprehensive content is lacking. The American College of Surgeons-National Surgical Quality Improvement Project Quality In-Training Initiative will build on the high-quality components identified in our review and develop data-centered QI content to generate a comprehensive national QI curriculum for use in graduate surgical education.

The value of continuous wound infusion systems for postoperative pain control following laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass: an analysis of outcomes and cost.

BACKGROUND: Current health-care reform is focusing on improving patient outcomes while cutting health-care costs, and as such, surgeons should consider that postoperative pain management techniques can contribute to the overall value of care delivered to patients. The current study aims to evaluate the value of continuous wound infusion systems (CWIS) in patients following laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB). METHODS: Records of all consecutive patients who underwent elective LRYGB by a single surgeon from January 2008 until June 2010 were reviewed. The presence of CWIS, patient pain scores, postanesthesia care unit (PACU) times, postoperative narcotic and antiemetic requirements, postoperative complications, and hospital length of stay (LOS) were recorded. Clinical data were subsequently linked and correlated with hospital financial data to determine overall hospital costs. RESULTS: Forty-four LRYGB patients were reviewed; 24 (54.5 %) received CWIS for postoperative pain control. There was no significant difference in PACU times, postoperative LOS, or postoperative complications. Patients with CWIS required significantly less narcotics (36.7 vs. 55.5 mg IV morphine equivalents for total LOS; p = 0.03) and antiemetics (5.0 vs. 12.4 mg ondansetron for total LOS; p = 0.02); however, patients with CWIS did not report better pain control and had slightly higher hospital costs ($13,627.00 vs. $13,395.05, p = 0.68). CONCLUSIONS: Data from the current study suggest that the value of CWIS for postoperative pain control following LRYGB is limited. As the environment for hospital reimbursement is changing to be one which is value driven, surgeons should consider analyses such as this when making decisions on which treatments to offer their patients.

Laparoscopic vs open right hepatectomy: a value-based analysis.

BACKGROUND: Current literature lacks sufficient data on outcomes after extensive laparoscopic liver resections. We hypothesized that laparoscopic right hepatectomy (LRH) is associated with better clinical outcomes and less overall hospital costs than open right hepatectomy (ORH), supporting the notion that major laparoscopic hepatic resections carry increased value when compared with the open approach. STUDY DESIGN: We reviewed medical records of all patients at our institution who underwent elective LRH (n = 48) or ORH (n = 57) from May 16, 2008 to March 1, 2012. Patient demographics, preoperative comorbidities, operative details, and postoperative outcomes were compared between the 2 groups. Hospital billing data were collected for each case to determine the average hospital costs per case. RESULTS: Average operative duration, estimated blood loss, intravenous fluid resuscitation requirements, high-grade postoperative complications, the need for postoperative admission to the ICU, and hospital length of stay were significantly less within the LRH cohort. Thirty-day mortality and readmission rates were equivalent between the 2 groups. Despite higher operative costs for LRH ($16,605 vs $10,411, p < 0.001), total postoperative costs were significantly less ($9,075 for LRH vs $16,341 for ORH, p < 0.001), resulting in equivalent overall costs ($25,679 for LRH vs $26,751 for ORH, p = 0.65). CONCLUSIONS: Although overall costs between LRH and ORH are equivalent, clinical outcomes after LRH are comparable to those after ORH, supporting the value of laparoscopy in extensive right hepatic resections. Efforts to reduce operative costs of LRH, while maintaining optimal patient outcomes, should be the focus of surgeons and hospitals moving forward.

Video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy cost variability: implications for a bundled payment era.

BACKGROUND: In 2013, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services began its Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Initiative. If payments are to be bundled, surgeons must be able to predict which patients are at risk for more costly care. We aim to identify factors driving variability in hospital costs after video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lobectomy for lung cancer. METHODS: Our institutional Society of Thoracic Surgeons data were queried for patients undergoing VATS lobectomy for lung cancer during fiscal years 2010 to 2011. Clinical outcomes data were linked with hospital financial data to determine operative and postoperative costs. Linear regression models were created to identify the impact of preoperative risk factors and perioperative outcomes on cost. RESULTS: One hundred forty-nine VATS lobectomies for lung cancer were reviewed. The majority of patients had clinical stage IA lung cancer (67.8%). Median length of stay was 4 days, with 30-day mortality and morbidity rates of 0.7% and 37.6%, respectively. Mean operative and postoperative costs per case were $8,492.31 (±$2,238.76) and $10,145.50 (±$7,004.71), respectively, resulting in an average overall hospital cost of $18,637.81 (±$8,244.12) per patient. Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and coronary artery disease, as well as postoperative urinary tract infections and blood transfusions, were associated with statistically significant variability in cost. CONCLUSIONS: Variability in cost associated with VATS lobectomy is driven by assorted patient and clinical variables. Awareness of such factors can help surgeons implement quality improvement initiatives and focus resource utilization. Understanding risk-adjusted clinical-financial data is critical to designing payment arrangements that include financial and performance accountability, and thus ultimately increasing the value of health care.

Quality in-training initiative--a solution to the need for education in quality improvement: results from a survey of program directors.

BACKGROUND: The Next Accreditation System and the Clinical Learning Environment Review Program will emphasize practice-based learning and improvement and systems-based practice. We present the results of a survey of general surgery program directors to characterize the current state of quality improvement in graduate surgical education and introduce the Quality In-Training Initiative (QITI). STUDY DESIGN: In 2012, a 20-item survey was distributed to 118 surgical residency program directors from ACS NSQIP-affiliated hospitals. The survey content was developed in collaboration with the QITI to identify program director opinions regarding education in practice-based learning and improvement and systems-based practice, to investigate the status of quality improvement education in their respective programs, and to quantify the extent of resident participation in quality improvement. RESULTS: There was a 57% response rate. Eighty-five percent of program directors (n = 57) reported that education in quality improvement is essential to future professional work in the field of surgery. Only 28% (n = 18) of programs reported that at least 50% of their residents track and analyze their patient outcomes, compare them with norms/benchmarks/published standards, and identify opportunities to make practice improvements. CONCLUSIONS: Program directors recognize the importance of quality improvement efforts in surgical practice. Subpar participation in basic practice-based learning and improvement activities at the resident level reflects the need for support of these educational goals. The QITI will facilitate programmatic compliance with goals for quality improvement education.