Patient Safety and Suitability for Primary Cleft Lip Repair as Day Case Surgery - A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine if day case cleft lip surgery has an impact on complications and 30-day readmission rate. DESIGN: A systematic review was conducted using PRISMA guidelines. Databases included; PubMed, Science Direct, Ovid and Cochrane. Search terms; "Day Case", "Day Care", "outpatient", "Ambulatory" AND "Cleft", "Cleft Lip". Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5. SETTING: Eligible study types included; randomised controlled trials, observational studies (prospective and retrospective) and case series. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: Paediatric patients undergoing primary cleft lip repair. INTERVENTIONS: Day case surgery versus inpatient admission post-operative. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Primary outcome measure: Primary cleft lip repair performed as a day case in paediatric patients. Secondary outcome measures: 1. Complication rates and 30-day re-admission to hospital rate. 2. Patient suitability for day case surgery. RESULTS: Ten papers with 13 804 patients undergoing primary cleft lip repair were included, 28% were discharged on the day of surgery (Range 17%-81%). There was no significant difference in complication rate between the inpatient and day case cohorts. There was a significant reduction in 30-day readmission rates in the day case cohort. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis indicates there is no difference in complication rates for patients discharged on the day of surgery compared to those admitted overnight. Complications encountered were infrequent, non-life threatening and often occurred more than 24 h following discharge. There was an observed reduction in 30-day readmission rates for day-case patients. This is likely to represent a variation in baseline characteristics which deemed them suitable for day case surgery pre-operatively.

The emerging role of robotics in plastic and reconstructive surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The role of robotics has grown exponentially. There is an active interest amongst practitioners in the transferability of the potential benefits into plastic and reconstructive surgery; however, many plastic surgeons report lack of widespread implementation, training, or clinical exposure. We report the current evidence base, and surgical opportunities, alongside key barriers, and limitations to overcome, to develop the use of robotics within the field. This systematic review of PubMed, Medline, and Embase has been conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PROSPERO (ID: CRD42024524237). Preclinical, educational, and clinical articles were included, within the scope of plastic and reconstructive surgery. 2, 181, articles were screened; 176 articles met the inclusion criteria across lymph node dissection, flap and microsurgery, vaginoplasty, craniofacial reconstruction, abdominal wall reconstruction and transoral robotic surgery (TOR). A number of benefits have been reported including technical advantages such as better visualisation, improved precision and accuracy, and tremor reduction. Patient benefits include lower rate of complications and quicker recovery; however, there is a longer operative duration in some categories. Cost presents a significant barrier to implementation. Robotic surgery presents an exciting opportunity to improve patient outcomes and surgical ease of use, with feasibility for many subspecialities demonstrated in this review. However, further higher quality comparative research with careful case selection, which is adequately powered, as well as the inclusion of cost-analysis, is necessary to fully understand the true benefit for patient care, and justification for resource utilisation.

Testicular torsion in an undescended testicle: chasing a diagnosis.

Undescended testicles (UTs) and torsion of the testicle are a rare clinical combination. Symptoms may be misleading and interpreted as signs of other common conditions. Moreover, late identification of an UT may significantly delay the diagnosis and lead to adverse outcomes. Here, we present a case of a 17-year-old boy with cerebral palsy and learning disabilities who presented with painful right-sided inguinal mass. Intraoperatively, he was confirmed to have torsion of an UT and orchidectomy was performed. This article also emphasizes the importance of early diagnosis of testicular ectopia.