Manubrium Reconstruction.

To date, there is no standard approach for manubrial reconstruction. We had previously utilized mesh; however, this resulted in breakage, infection, and poor cosmesis. In this case series, we describe our transition to iliac wing autograft reconstruction. We examined 7 patients who underwent manubrial resection and reconstruction: 2 with mesh and methyl methacrylate and 5 with an iliac wing autograft. The outcomes of the autograft patients were overall favorable with no short-term complications or instances of breakage. We conclude that an iliac wing autograft for manubrial reconstruction is feasible and effective alternative to methyl methacrylate mesh.

Early diagnosis is associated with improved clinical outcomes in benign esophageal perforation: an individual patient data meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Time of diagnosis (TOD) of benign esophageal perforation is regarded as an important risk factor for clinical outcome, although convincing evidence is lacking. The aim of this study is to assess whether time between onset of perforation and diagnosis is associated with clinical outcome in patients with iatrogenic esophageal perforation (IEP) and Boerhaave's syndrome (BS). METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane library through June 2018 to identify studies. Authors were invited to share individual patient data and a meta-analysis was performed (PROSPERO: CRD42018093473). Patients were subdivided in early (≤ 24 h) and late (> 24 h) TOD and compared with mixed effects multivariable analysis while adjusting age, gender, location of perforation, initial treatment and center. Primary outcome was overall mortality. Secondary outcomes were length of hospital stay, re-interventions and ICU admission. RESULTS: Our meta-analysis included IPD of 25 studies including 576 patients with IEP and 384 with BS. In IEP, early TOD was not associated with overall mortality (8% vs. 13%, OR 2.1, 95% CI 0.8-5.1), but was associated with a 23% decrease in ICU admissions (46% vs. 69%, OR 3.0, 95% CI 1.2-7.2), a 22% decrease in re-interventions (23% vs. 45%, OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.2-6.7) and a 36% decrease in length of hospital stay (14 vs. 22 days, p < 0.001), compared with late TOD. In BS, no associations between TOD and outcomes were found. When combining IEP and BS, early TOD was associated with a 6% decrease in overall mortality (10% vs. 16%, OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.1-3.9), a 19% decrease in re-interventions (26% vs. 45%, OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.1-3.2) and a 35% decrease in mean length of hospital stay (16 vs. 22 days, p = 0.001), compared with late TOD. CONCLUSIONS: This individual patient data meta-analysis confirms the general opinion that an early (≤ 24 h) compared to a late diagnosis (> 24 h) in benign esophageal perforations, particularly in IEP, is associated with improved clinical outcome.

Impact of Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation on Adverse Events After Bronchial Sleeve Resection.

BACKGROUND: We analyzed the association between neoadjuvant chemoradiation in patients undergoing bronchial sleeve resection with the incidence of postoperative pulmonary and airway complications. METHODS: After instructional review board approval we performed a retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database of 136 patients who underwent sleeve resection in our institution between January 1998 and December 2016. Administration of neoadjuvant chemoradiation treatment was the studied exposure. Outcomes of interest were rates of postoperative pulmonary and airway complications. Nonparametric testing of demographic, surgical, and pathologic characteristics and morbidity was performed. Logistic regression models evaluated postoperative pulmonary complications and airway complications. Analysis was performed using Stata/IC 15. RESULTS: We analyzed 136 patients (18 underwent neoadjuvant chemoradiation), 77 (57%) of whom had non-small cell lung cancer. Postoperative pulmonary complications were observed in 44 of 136 patients (32%). Incidences of pulmonary complications were higher in the neoadjuvant chemoradiation group compared with the non-neoadjuvant radiation group (15/18 patients [83%] vs 29/118 patients [25%], respectively; P < .001). Likewise, rates of pneumonia, atelectasis, respiratory insufficiency, bronchial stenosis, prolonged air leak, bronchopleural fistula, and completion pneumonectomy (2/18 [11%]) were higher in the neoadjuvant chemoradiation group, reaching statistical significance in all cases except bronchial stenosis and prolonged air leak. Only neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy remained significant for postoperative pulmonary and airway complications on logistic regression (both P < .05) CONCLUSIONS: Patients who undergo neoadjuvant chemoradiation before sleeve resection are at an increased risk of pulmonary and airway complications.

Opportunities for quality improvement in the morbidity pattern of older adults undergoing pulmonary lobectomy for cancer.

BACKGROUND: There is limited information on the frequency of complications among older adults after oncological thoracic surgery in the modern era. We hypothesized that morbidity and mortality in older adults with lung cancer undergoing lobectomy is low and different than that of younger patients undergoing thoracic surgery. METHODS: All patients undergoing lobectomy at a large volume academic center between May 2016 and May 2019 were included. Patients were prospectively monitored to grade postoperative morbidity by organ system, based on the Clavien-Dindo classification. Patients were divided into two groups: Group 1 included patients 65-91 years of age, and Group 2 included those <65 years. RESULTS: Of 680 lobectomies in 673 patients, 414(61%) were older than 65 years of age (group 1). Median age at surgery was 68 years (20-91). Median hospital stay was 4 days (1-38) and longer in older adults. Older adults experienced higher rates of grade II and IV complications, mostly driven by an increased incidence of delirium, atrial fibrillation, prolonged air leak, respiratory failure and urinary retention. In this modern cohort, there was only 1 stroke (0.1%), and delirium was reduced to 7%. Patients undergoing minimally invasive (MI) surgery had a lower rate of Grade IV life-threatening complications. Older adults were more likely to be discharged to a rehabilitation facility, however this difference also disappeared with MI surgical procedures. CONCLUSIONS: Current morbidity of older adults undergoing lobectomy for cancer is low and is different than that of younger patients. Thoracotomy may be associated with postoperative complications in these patients. Our findings suggest the need to consider MI approaches and broad-based, geriatric-focused perioperative management of older adults undergoing lobectomy.

Risk of Urinary Recatheterization for Thoracic Surgical Patients with Epidural Anesthesia.

BACKGROUND: Current quality guidelines recommend the removal of urinary catheters on or before postoperative day two, to prevent catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI). The goal of this study was to evaluate the impact urinary catheter removal on the need for urinary recatheterization (UR) of patients with epidural anesthesia undergoing thoracic surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All patients undergoing thoracic surgery between November 4th, 2017 and January 9th, 2018 who had a urinary catheter placed at the time of intervention were prospectively evaluated. Patient characteristics including: history of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), catheter related variables and rates of UR were collected through chart review and daily visits to the wards. BPH was defined as history of transurethral resection of the prostate or treatment with selective α1-adrenergic receptor antagonists. RESULTS: Over a two-month period 267 patients were included, 124 (46%) were male. Epidural catheters were placed in 88 (33%) patients. Median duration of urinary catheters for the cohort was 1 day (0 days - 18 days), and it was significantly higher in patients with epidural anesthesia (Table 1). Overall 20 (7%) patients required UR. On initial analysis, there was no statistical difference in the rate of UR among patients with and without epidural catheters [9/88 (10%) vs 11/179 (6%), p=0.23). The rate of UR was higher in males than in females (14/124 (11%) vs 6/143 (4%), p=0.03). Fifteen (12%) patients had a diagnosis of BPH. The rate of UR was three-times higher in this group than in those without BPH [4/15 (27%) vs 10/109 (9%) p=0.05]. Four (1%) patients developed a CAUTI during follow-up, and the rate of CAUTI was not different between those with and without epidural catheters. CONCLUSION: Urinary catheters in patients with thoracic epidural anesthesia can be safely removed, as evidenced by low reinsertion and infection rates. Removal of urinary catheters in patients with a history of BPH should be carefully evaluated, as over 1/4 will require urinary recatheterization in this subgroup. Further study of this group is needed to avoid unnecessary patient discomfort associated with recatheterization.

Routine surveillance for diagnosis of venous thromboembolism after pleurectomy for malignant pleural mesothelioma.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of venous thromboembolism and utility of a routine surveillance program in patients undergoing surgery for mesothelioma. METHODS: Patients undergoing pleurectomy from May 2016 to August 2018 were included. A standardized surveillance program to look for venous thromboembolism in this group included noninvasive studies every 7 days postoperatively or earlier if symptomatic. All patients received external pneumatic compression sleeves in addition to prophylactic heparin. If deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolus was discovered, heparin drip was initiated until conversion to therapeutic anticoagulation. RESULTS: A total of 100 patients underwent pleurectomy for mesothelioma. Seven patients were found to have preoperative deep vein thrombosis, and as such only 93 patients were included for analysis. The median age of patients at surgery was 71 years (30-85 years). During the study, 30 patients (32%) developed evidence of thrombosis; 20 patients (22%) developed only deep vein thrombosis without embolism, 3 patients (3%) developed only pulmonary embolism, and 7 patients (7%) developed both deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolus. Of the 27 patients who developed deep vein thrombosis, 9 (33%) were asymptomatic at the time of diagnosis, and none of these developed a pulmonary embolus or other bleeding complications. There were 2 (2%) events of major postoperative bleeding related to therapeutic anticoagulation. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of venous thromboembolism is high (32%) among patients undergoing surveillance after pleurectomy for mesothelioma. Up to 33% of patients with deep vein thrombosis are asymptomatic at the time of diagnosis, and the incidence of complications related to anticoagulation is low. Routine surveillance may be useful to diagnose and treat deep vein thrombosis before it progresses to symptomatic or fatal pulmonary embolus.

Risk factors for delirium after esophagectomy.

INTRODUCTION: Postoperative delirium is a common complication after major surgical procedures and affects outcomes and long-term survival. We identified factors associated with postoperative delirium in patients undergoing esophagectomy. METHODS: Retrospective cohort analysis of 378 patients undergoing esophagectomy. We examined the association between postoperative delirium (DSM-V) criteria with respect to baseline variables and postoperative complications. RESULTS: Postoperative delirium was diagnosed in 64 (16.93%) patients and associated with increasing age (P < .05), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (P = .07), pneumonia (P = .01), transfusion intraoperatively or within 72 hours of surgery (P < .001), and sepsis (P = .001). Unplanned intubation and increased length of stay (median, 14 days) were significant in patients with delirium (P = .001 and P < .001, respectively). In a secondary analysis, surgical technique and operative approach were associated with delirium. Modified McKeown (three-hole) esophagectomy was twice more likely to develop delirium compared with Ivor Lewis (odds ratio [OR], 2.09; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-4.23). The strongest association was found between delirium and open techniques (thoracotomy and laparotomy) as compared with minimally invasive techniques (thoracoscopy and laparoscopy) (OR, 2.66; 95% CI, 1.22-5.76). Survival was similar between both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative delirium is common and associated with complications following esophagectomy. Identification of predisposing factors such as age and pre-existing pulmonary diseases and proper selection of surgical treatment may reduce delirium and improve surgical outcomes.

Cumulative nonsmoking risk factors increase the probability of developing lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: It is estimated that 20% of lung cancer cases in the United States are among never smokers, yet current screening recommendations only include a small subset of high-risk patients. In this study, 2 models were used to predict the risk of developing lung cancer in subgroups of never smoking patients with additional risk variables. METHODS: The Liverpool Lung Project (LLP) and the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial (PLCO) were 2 models used to calculate risk of developing lung cancer. Risk was calculated as a function of age for developing lung cancer within the next 5 to 10 years. RESULTS: PLCO estimated a peak risk of 16.20% at age 75 for 30-pack-year smokers with a first-degree relative with lung cancer. LLP estimated a peak risk of 7.3% over the next 5 years at age 79 for men with 30-pack-year and a first-degree relative with early-onset lung cancer (<60 years). Female never smokers with cumulative variables other than smoking had a peak risk of 3.40% for age 74 to 75 years. In contrast, women with only 30-pack-year smoking history and no other variable had a peak risk of 2.20% at age 74 to 75 years. CONCLUSIONS: Models such as LLP and PLCO might be used to identify risk for patients who would otherwise not receive lung cancer screening. These individual risk assessments can be used by patients and providers to assess if one is at substantial risk for developing lung cancer.