Case Bias Case Basis: Expanding Morbidity and Mortality Conference to Examine the Impact of Disparities in Surgical Care.

INTRODUCTION: Originally designed as a forum to discuss adverse patient events, Surgery Morbidity & Mortality Conference (M&M) has evolved into an integral tool within surgical education where trainees at all levels are taught to critically examine decision-making. Others have expanded the scope of subsets of M&M conferences to include additional factors that influence patient outcomes, such as social determinants of health, implicit bias and structural policies that contribute to health disparities. In this study, we implemented a disparities-based discussion into our surgical department's weekly M&M conference and examined the effect(s) on participants' understanding and perceptions of key disparities in access to surgical care. METHODS: An anonymous electronic survey was sent to attendees of the Department of Surgery's M&M conference including faculty, residents and medical students prior to implementation of the intervention. The survey queried perceptions of the presence and impact of disparities in access to surgical care and how these are addressed at the study institution. The standard presenter slide template was updated to include a "Disparities Factors" section within the "Reasons for Complication" slide. After over 1 year, a postintervention survey was sent to conference attendees that included the same questions as the initial survey, as well as new questions related to the intervention. Descriptive statistics were performed on survey results, and comparisons were made for paired pre-post items. RESULTS: Eighty conference attendees completed the pre-intervention survey, and 70 completed the postintervention survey (22 [27.5%]; 22 [31.4%] attendings, 24 [30.0%]; 21 [30.0%] residents, 34 [42.5%]; 27 [38.6%] medical students respectively). Socioeconomics and language were most commonly identified both pre- and postintervention as the most important factors contributing to disparities in care experienced by patients at the study institution. Respondents agreed disparities in access significantly impact surgical care, and there was an increase in the number of respondents who reported feeling that disparities are being addressed postintervention. A total of 69% (n = 48) of respondents thought that integrating discussion of disparities in access to surgical care into M&M improved their understanding of the role these disparities play, 66% (n = 46) felt that their own thinking or practice changed regarding patient disparities, 84% (n = 59) reported integrating these discussions of disparities into M&M has been helpful overall. CONCLUSION: The inclusion of a disparities discussion in weekly M&M conference has led to positive change at the study institution, fostering a more comprehensive and socially conscious dialogue within the Department of Surgery. Survey respondents agreed that disparities exist in access to surgical care, and that the intervention improved their perceptions of how the study institution addresses disparities. Respondents felt that the integration of a disparities discussion was overall helpful, improved their knowledge of disparities in access to surgical care, and impacted their plans to address disparities in their own practices.

A Novel System to Improve Case Capture for Surgery Morbidity and Mortality Conference.

INTRODUCTION: Complications are often under-reported at surgical morbidity and mortality (M&M) conferences due to the sole reliance on voluntary case submission. While most institutions have databases used for targeted initiatives in quality improvement, these are not routinely used for M&M. We aimed to increase case capture for M&M conferences by developing a novel system that augments the existing case submission system with cases representing complications from quality improvement databases and the electronic health record (EHR). METHODS: We developed and implemented a novel system for increasing the capture rate of complications for M&M conferences by developing custom software that combines data from the following sources: an existing voluntary case submission system for M&M, local quality databases-National Surgical Quality Improvement Program and Vizient, and an EHR-based case capture tool. We evaluated this system on a retrospective cohort of all postoperative complications at a single center in a 32-mo period and in a prospective cohort over a 4-mo period after system implementation. RESULTS: In the retrospective cohort, we identified 433 complications among all data sources. Inclusion of the new system introduced 280 new potential cases for M&M review over the 32-mo period. After implementation, the system provided 31% of cases presented at M&M conference that would have otherwise been omitted. CONCLUSIONS: A novel system that includes complications identified in the EHR and quality improvement databases increased the case capture volume for surgical M&M conference, which provides an objective case referral system that can identify complementary quality improvement opportunities.

Rapid intraoperative perfusion assessment of parathyroid adenomas with ICG using a wide-field portable hand-held fluorescence imaging system.

BACKGROUND: Fluorescence angiography (FA) using indocyanine green dye (ICG) has recently been introduced for real-time identification of parathyroid adenomas. However, time to peak fluorescence has not yet been critically evaluated. METHODS: This was a retrospective review of parathyroidectomies with ICG FA over a one-year period. RESULTS: There were 66 patients with average age of 64 years. The average time to initial fluorescence was 26.7 s and to peak fluorescence was 38.0 s. The time to saline flush administration significantly correlated with times to initial and peak fluorescence (p < .0001). The rate of in-situ fluorescence was 97%. The rates of suspected adenoma detection were 69% for sestamibi scan, 71% for ultrasound, and 96% for CT scan. Imaging was discordant in 13 cases (20%), with the adenoma located on the opposite side of the neck in 4 cases. CONCLUSIONS: ICG FA is a rapid and effective adjunct for the intraoperative identification of parathyroid adenomas.

The Role of Biomarkers in Surgery for Ulcerative Colitis: A Review.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory condition that generally affects the rectum and extends proximally into the colon in a continuous, distal-to-proximal pattern. Surgical resection (total proctocolectomy) is the only cure for UC and is often necessary in managing complicated or refractory disease. However, recent advances in biologically targeted therapies have resulted in improved disease control, and surgery is required in only a fraction of cases. This ever-increasing array of options for medical management has added complexity to surgical decision-making. In some circumstances, the added time required to ensure failure of medical therapy can delay colectomy in patients who will ultimately need it. Indeed, many patients with severe disease undergo trials of multiple medical therapies prior to considering surgery. In severe cases of UC, continued medical management has been associated with a delay to surgical intervention and higher rates of morbidity and mortality. Biomarkers represent a burgeoning field of research, particularly in inflammatory bowel disease and cancer. This review seeks to highlight the different possible settings for surgery in UC and the role various biomarkers might play in each.