Impact of High Neighborhood Socioeconomic Deprivation on Access to Accredited Breast Imaging Screening and Diagnostic Facilities.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence or absence of accredited breast imaging facilities in ZIP codes with high or low neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation. METHODS: A retrospective ecological study design was used. Neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage rankings at the ZIP code level were defined by the University of Wisconsin Neighborhood Atlas Area Deprivation Index. Outcomes included the presence or absence of FDA- or ACR-accredited mammographic facilities, accredited stereotactic biopsy or breast ultrasound facilities, and ACR Breast Imaging Centers of Excellence. US Department of Agriculture rural-urban commuting area codes were used to define urban and rural status. Access to breast imaging facilities in high-disadvantage (≥97th percentile) and low-disadvantage (≤3rd percentile) ZIP codes was compared using χ2 tests, stratified by urban or rural status. RESULTS: Among 41,683 ZIP codes, 2,796 were classified as high disadvantage (1,160 rural, 1,636 urban) and 1,028 as low disadvantage (39 rural, 989 urban). High-disadvantage ZIP codes were more likely rural (P < .001) and less likely to have FDA-certified mammographic facilities (28% versus 35%, P < .001), ACR-accredited stereotactic biopsy (7% versus 15%, P < .001), breast ultrasound (9% versus 23%, P < .001), or Breast Imaging Centers of Excellence (7% versus 16%, P < .001). Among urban areas, high-disadvantage ZIP codes were less likely to have FDA-certified mammographic facilities (30% versus 36%, P = .002), ACR-accredited stereotactic biopsy (10% versus 16%, P < .001), breast ultrasound (13% versus 23%, P < .001), and Breast Imaging Centers of Excellence (10% versus 16%, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: People living in ZIP codes with high socioeconomic disadvantage are less likely to have accredited breast imaging facilities within their ZIP codes, which may contribute to disparities in access to breast cancer care experienced by underserved groups living in these areas.

Differentiation of benign from malignant solid renal lesions with MRI-based radiomics and machine learning.

BACKGROUND: Solid renal masses are often indeterminate for benignity versus malignancy on magnetic resonance imaging. Such masses are typically evaluated with either percutaneous biopsy or surgical resection. Percutaneous biopsy can be non-diagnostic and some surgically resected lesions are inadvertently benign. PURPOSE: To assess the performance of ten machine learning (ML) algorithms trained with MRI-based radiomics features in distinguishing benign from malignant solid renal masses. METHODS: Patients with solid renal masses identified on pre-intervention MRI were curated from our institutional database. Masses with a definitive diagnosis via imaging (for angiomyolipomas) or via biopsy or surgical resection (for oncocytomas or renal cell carcinomas) were selected. Each mass was segmented for both T2- and post-contrast T1-weighted images. Radiomics features were derived from the segmented masses for each imaging sequence. Ten ML algorithms were trained with the radiomics features gleaned from each MR sequence, as well as the combination of MR sequences. RESULTS: In total, 182 renal masses in 160 patients were included in the study. The support vector machine algorithm trained on radiomics features from T2-weighted images performed superiorly, with an accuracy of 0.80 and an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.79. Linear discriminant analysis (accuracy = 0.84 and AUC = 0.77) and logistic regression (accuracy = 0.78 and AUC = 0.78) algorithms trained on T2-based radiomics features performed similarly. ML algorithms trained on radiomics features from post-contrast T1-weighted images or the combination of radiomics features from T2- and post-contrast T1-weighted images yielded lower performance. CONCLUSION: Machine learning models trained with radiomics features derived from T2-weighted images can provide high accuracy for distinguishing benign from malignant solid renal masses. CLINICAL IMPACT: Machine learning models derived from MRI-based radiomics features may improve the clinical management of solid renal masses and have the potential to reduce the frequency with which benign solid renal masses are biopsied or surgically resected.

TrustEd: A Tool for Developing Intraoperative Entrustment Skills.

OBJECTIVE: Toolkits to assess progressive resident autonomy are integral to the movement toward competency-based surgical education. OpTrust is one such tool validated for intraoperative assessment of both faculty and resident entrustment behaviors. We developed a supplementary tool to OpTrust that would aid faculty and residents in making meaningful improvements in entrustment behavior by providing talking points and reflection items tailored to different motivational styles as defined by Regulatory Focus Theory (RFT). DESIGN: Existing literature about surgical entrustment was used to build a list of sample dialogue and self-reflection items to use in the operating room. This list was distributed as a survey to individuals familiar with OpTrust and RFT, asking them to categorize each item as Promotion-oriented, Prevention-oriented, or Either. The respondents then met to discuss survey items that did not reach a consensus until the group agreed on their categorization. SETTING: University of Wisconsin, School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan PARTICIPANTS: Clinician and education researchers familiar with intraoperative entrustment and RFT RESULTS: Eight respondents completed the survey categorizing the talking points and reflection items by RFT (100% response rate). Six of these respondents attended the additional meeting to discuss discordant items. The input from this panel was used to develop "TrustEd," the supplementary tool that faculty and residents can quickly reference before beginning a case. CONCLUSION: Although tools such as OpTrust allow intraoperative entrustment behaviors to be quantified, TrustEd offers concrete strategies for faculty and residents who are interested in improving those behaviors over time. Further study is needed to assess whether the use of TrustEd does in fact lead to durable behavior change and improvement in OpTrust scores.

Left ventricular assist device implantation by bi-thoracotomy technique: A single-center perspective.

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) are standardly implanted via full sternotomy. Nonsternotomy approaches are gaining popularity, but potential benefits of this approach have not been well-studied. We hypothesized that LVAD implantation by bi-thoracotomy (BT) would demonstrate smaller and more consistent inflow cannula angles leading to improved postoperative outcomes compared to sternotomy. METHODS: Charts of patients who underwent LVAD implantation between June 2018 and June 2020 at a single academic institution were retrospectively reviewed. Patient demographics, surgical approach (sternotomy vs. BT), laboratory values, and postoperative course were compared. The inflow cannula angle was measured on the first chest radiograph available postoperatively. RESULTS: Of 40 patients studied, BT approach was used in 17 (42.5%). Mean inflow cannula angles were smaller in BT patients (23.0 vs. 37.1 degrees, p = .018) and had a smaller standard deviation (13.8 vs. 20.3). Excluding patients who went on to receive a heart transplant or died in the same hospitalization, there was no difference in median length of hospital stay after surgery (16.0 vs. 17.5 days, p = .768). However, BT patients required fewer days of postoperative inotrope support (4.0 vs. 7.0 days, p = .012). CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest inflow cannula angles are smaller and more consistent with the BT approach, which leads to a shorter duration of postoperative inotropic support. This finding may suggest improved right heart function following LVAD implant via BT approach. Further study is warranted to determine additional benefits of the BT approach.

Outcomes after completion thyroidectomy versus total thyroidectomy for differentiated thyroid cancer: A single-center experience.

BACKGROUND: Thyroid cancer diagnoses are often discovered after diagnostic thyroid lobectomy. Completion thyroidectomy (CT) may be indicated for intermediate or high-risk tumors to facilitate surveillance and/or adjuvant treatment. The completeness of thyroid resection and the safety of CT compared to total thyroidectomy (TT) is unclear. We assessed outcomes after TT or CT to determine completeness of resection and risk of complications. METHODS: Patients undergoing TT or CT between 2000 and 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Pathology, unstimulated thyroglobulin (uTg), parathyroid hormone (PTH), rates of hematoma, and recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury were compared. RESULTS: Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) was identified in 954 patients undergoing TT and 142 patients undergoing CT. Postoperative uTg at 6 months was not different between TT and CT, 0.2 vs 0.2 ng/mL, P = .37. Transient hypoparathyroidism with immediate postoperative PTH less than 10 was more common after TT, 14.3 vs 6.0% (P = .009). No differences were noted regarding postoperative hematoma, transient RLN injury, permanent hypoparathyroidism, and permanent RLN injury. CONCLUSIONS: If CT is required for DTC, a complete resection, as assessed by postoperative uTg, can be achieved. Furthermore, CT is significantly less likely to result in transient hypoparathyroidism and poses no additional risk of RLN injury, hematoma, or permanent hypoparathyroidism.