Estimated costs before, during and after the introduction of the emergency laparotomy pathway quality improvement care (ELPQuIC) bundle.

Implementation of a quality improvement bundle for peri-operative management of emergency laparotomy (ELPQuIC) improved mortality in a previous study. We used data from one site that participated in that study to examine whether it was associated with the cost of care. We collected data from 396 patients: 144 before, 144 during and 108 after implementation of the bundle. We estimated costs incurred using previously published methodology based on the time the patient spent in hospital, in the operating theatre and in critical care. Duration of stay in hospital and critical care did not differ between time periods, p = 0.14 and p = 0.28, respectively. The costs per patient and per survivor did not differ between the time periods, p = 0.87 and p = 0.17, respectively. Costs were similar for patients aged < 80 years vs. ≥ 80 years. Implementation of a quality improvement bundle for emergency laparotomy has the capacity to save lives without increasing hospital costs.

Assault induced stab injuries: epidemiology and actual treatment strategy.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate and analyse epidemiology, demographics and patterns of presentation of assault induced stab injuries in a main Belgian trauma centre. To evaluate surgical management, complications and postoperative follow-up of the stab wound victims. METHODS: One hundred and seventy assaulted patients, hospitalised because of stab injuries from January 2000 to June 2007 are studied retrospectively. RESULTS: Ninety-five percent of the assaults occurred on men and the mean age of the patients was 31.1 +/- 9.7 years. Ethnic minorities represent 77% of the patients hospitalised for assaults and 26.5% of all patients proved to be under toxic influence, predominantly from alcohol (21.8%). A decline of admissions of patients with stab injuries during the period 2002-2004 is recorded. However, the incidence doubled in the next two-year period. A weekend peak and circadian rhythm is apparent with more than 20% of the patients admitted between 4 and 6 am. The trunk is most frequently stabbed (54.5%) resulting in a laparotomy rate of 51%. One third of the patients who underwent thoraco-abdominal surgery revealed diaphragmatic injuries. Seventy-five percent of the patients left the hospital in a good condition while 2.4% had neuromuscular lesions. Two patients had serious vascular complications during follow-up. During the study period, no mortality was recorded. CONCLUSIONS: Stab wounds were recorded mainly in young and middle-aged men from ethnic minorities, whereas almost 27% were under the influence of drugs. A conservative approach was generally used resulting in a low laparotomy and thoracotomy rate without affecting mortality. Neuromuscular lesions are important long-term complications of stab injuries.

Population-based comparison of open vs laparoscopic esophagogastric fundoplication in children: application of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality pediatric quality indicators.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Increasing national focus on patient safety has promoted development of the pediatric quality indicators (PDIs), which screen for preventable events during provision of health care for children. Our objective is to apply these safety metrics to compare 2 surgical procedures in children, specifically laparoscopic and open esophagogastric fundoplication for gastroesophageal reflux. METHODS: A retrospective analysis using 20 years of data from national representative state inpatient databases through the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project was conducted. Patients younger than 18 years with International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification, codes for open or laparoscopic esophagogastric fundoplication were included. Pediatric quality indicators were linked to each patient's profile. Demographics, comorbidities, outcomes, and 8 selected PDIs between open and laparoscopic fundoplications were compared using Pearson χ(2) tests and t tests. RESULTS: Of 33,533 patients identified, 28,141 underwent open and 5392 underwent laparoscopic fundoplication. Comorbidities occurred more frequently in open surgery. In-hospital mortality, length of stay, and hospital charges were less in laparoscopic surgery. Of the 8 PDIs evaluated, decubitus ulcer (P = .04) and postoperative sepsis (P = .003) had decreased rates with laparoscopic surgery compared with open. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic fundoplication for gastroesophageal reflux in children can be performed safely compared with the open approach with equivalent or improved rates of PDIs.

Comparison of on-demand vs planned relaparotomy strategy in patients with severe peritonitis: a randomized trial.

CONTEXT: In patients with severe secondary peritonitis, there are 2 surgical treatment strategies following an initial emergency laparotomy: planned relaparotomy and relaparotomy only when the patient's condition demands it ("on-demand"). The on-demand strategy may reduce mortality, morbidity, health care utilization, and costs. However, randomized trials have not been performed. OBJECTIVE: To compare patient outcome, health care utilization, and costs of on-demand and planned relaparotomy. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS: Randomized, nonblinded clinical trial at 2 academic and 5 regional teaching hospitals in the Netherlands from November 2001 through February 2005. Patients had severe secondary peritonitis and an Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE-II) score of 11 or greater. INTERVENTION: Random allocation to on-demand or planned relaparotomy strategy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary end point was death and/or peritonitis-related morbidity within a 12-month follow-up period. Secondary end points included health care utilization and costs. RESULTS: A total of 232 patients (116 on-demand and 116 planned) were randomized. One patient in the on-demand group was excluded due to an operative diagnosis of pancreatitis and 3 in each group withdrew or were lost to follow-up. There was no significant difference in primary end point (57% on-demand [n = 64] vs 65% planned [n = 73]; P = .25) or in mortality alone (29% on-demand [n = 32] vs 36% planned [n = 41]; P = .22) or morbidity alone (40% on-demand [n = 32] vs 44% planned [n = 32]; P = .58). A total of 42% of the on-demand patients had a relaparotomy vs 94% of the planned relaparotomy group. A total of 31% of first relaparotomies were negative in the on-demand group vs 66% in the planned group (P <.001). Patients in the on-demand group had shorter median intensive care unit stays (7 vs 11 days; P = .001) and shorter median hospital stays (27 vs 35 days; P = .008). Direct medical costs per patient were reduced by 23% using the on-demand strategy. CONCLUSION: Patients in the on-demand relaparotomy group did not have a significantly lower rate of death or major peritonitis-related morbidity compared with the planned relaparotomy group but did have a substantial reduction in relaparotomies, health care utilization, and medical costs. TRIAL REGISTRATION: http://isrctn.org Identifier: ISRCTN51729393.

[Evaluation of the advantages of laparoscopic procedures for hysterectomy]. / Ocena korzysci wynikajacych z wprowadzenia technik laparoskopowych do operacji calkowitego usuniecia macicy.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this publication was the analysis of 102 laparoscopic hysterectomy. The results were discussed in comparison with traditional laparotomy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: There was the analysis of 102 hysterectomy by the means of laparoscopy done in 2000-2002. Following parameters were evaluated: duration of the operation, blood loss, complication, the day of introducing enteral nutrition and duration of hospitalization. RESULTS: It was observed, that laparoscopic operation took more time than laparotomy (average time: 96.4 min vs 62.37 min). Blood loss was similar in both procedures. Comparing the changes of hemoglobin concentration in serum before and after the procedures it was observed average change 1.75 g% for laparoscopy and 1.71 g% for laparotomy. Time introducing enteral nutrition and duration of hospitalization was shorter for laparoscopic procedures. 87.25% of patients was able to eat in next day after laparoscopic operation. Average amount of days of hospitalization after laparoscopic procedures was 3.75 days, after laparotomy 6.44 days. The infections were the most common postoperative complications. The infections were more common in laparotomy group. CONCLUSIONS: The new method causes: shortened time of hospitalization, quicker introducing of general diet, avoiding the large wound of abdominal segments, small amount of complications.

Can minilaparotomy abdominal aortic aneurysm repair be performed safely and effectively without special skills?

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to determine whether a surgeon without special skills can perform minimal incision abdominal aortic aneurysm repair as safely and effectively as traditional retroperitoneal aneurysmectomy. METHODS: After informed consent, eligible patients were randomized into minilaparotomy and retroperitoneal groups. The minilaparotomy repair consisted of a short transabdominal midline incision, intraabdominal retraction of the bowel, control of back bleeding with balloon catheters, and hand-sewn anastomoses. The retroperitoneal approach was performed through a left vertical-lateral abdominal incision. RESULTS: Twenty-six patients were randomly treated by minilaparotomy approach (n = 14) or retroperitoneal approach (n = 12) from December, 1999, to May 2001. Parameters for speed of recovery were indistinguishable and of no clinical significance. In the long-term follow-up (mean period, 27 months), no patients in the minilaparatomy group complained of discomfort from the incision, whereas 4 patients in the retroperitoneal group complained of discomfort (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Minilaparotomy approach can be performed safely and effectively without specialized skill. With regard to wound discomfort, the minilaparotomy technique is excellent. The minilaparotomy approach is therefore a useful alternative to traditional repair.

Laparoscopic tubal ligation in a minimally invasive surgical unit under local anesthesia compared to a conventional operating room approach under general anesthesia.

OBJECTIVE: This study was done to compare costs, operating and recovery times, safety, and patient acceptance between (a) minimally invasive laparoscopic tubal ligation under sedation and local anesthesia and (b) conventional laparoscopic operating-room-based tubal ligations under general anesthesia. METHODS: Fourteen women desiring sterilization were randomized between tubal ligation under sedation/local analgesia versus general anesthesia. Procedures were performed by supervised residents previously unfamiliar with the minimally invasive technique. Hospital charges were used as a surrogate for cost. Operating or procedure room times, surgical complications, and recovery times were recorded. Patient acceptance was assessed using satisfaction surveys administered in the recovery room and again 1 week postoperatively. RESULTS: The cost of minimally invasive tubal ligation was significantly lower than for the conventional technique ($1,615+/-$134 vs $2,820+/-$110, p < 0.001). Surgical times were not different between the two procedures: 40.4+/-15 min for the conventional technique versus 32.9+/-10 min for minimally invasive surgery. However, the total in-room time required in the operating room significantly exceeded that for the procedure room technique (84+/-10 min vs 60+/-2 min, p < 0.05). Likewise, recovery time for the general anesthesia technique was longer (48+/-6 min vs 14+/-7 min, p < 0.03). No complications were encountered with either surgical method. Patient satisfaction for pain, fatigue, and days of missed work was similar between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The use of minimally invasive surgery to perform tubal ligation is advantageous over conventional laparoscopic tubal ligation under general anesthesia with regard to cost and time utilization. The minimally invasive technique appears to be easy to learn, safe, and well tolerated.

Laparoscopic versus open Nissen fundoplication: outcome of surgery in monozygotic twins.

Differences in outcome and cost of laparoscopic and open surgery are continuously being evaluated. Two-year-old monozygotic twin boys with a previous history of prematurity, severe gastroesophageal reflux disease, and intractable reactive airway disease were each scheduled to undergo a laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication (LNF) on the same day. Current medications for both patients included albuterol, cromolyn sodium, dexamethasone, ranitidine, and metoclopramide. In the first case, the laparoscopic procedure was converted to an open Nissen fundoplication (ONF) to gain expeditious control of bleeding from a short gastric vessel close to the spleen. The second patient underwent LNF without complication. Operative time for each patient was 3.5 h. The postoperative length of stay for each patient was 6 days (ONF) and 4 days (LNF). The total hospital charges were $21,931 (ONF) and $19,108 (LNF). The first patient (ONF) was readmitted later on the day of discharge (postoperative day 6) for vomiting and was discharged after 24 h with no further treatment. The subsequent course of each patient was similar. At a 6-week follow-up visit, both patients were tolerating a regular diet with weight gain and dramatic improvement in pulmonary symptoms.

Laparoscopy vs. laparotomy for gynecologic procedures. Impact on resident training.

OBJECTIVE: To compare laparoscopic approaches to traditional ones for operative procedures. STUDY DESIGN: Operating residents collected data on all abdominal, vaginal and laparoscopic vaginal hysterectomies, myomectomies, cystectomies/oophorectomies and ectopics between December 1, 1992, and July 31, 1993. Statistical analysis included Student's t test for interval data and chi (2)/Fisher's exact test for categorical data. RESULTS: Leiomyomas were the major indications for all three types of hysterectomy. Patients selected for vaginal hysterectomy had significantly higher parity and older age than those scheduled for abdominal hysterectomy or laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy (LAVH). Abdominal hysterectomy uteri were larger than those using vaginal or LAVH procedures. LAVH procedures were significantly longer when failed laparoscopic procedures were excluded. Abdominal hysterectomy patients used twice as much morphine as vaginal and LAVH patients, and the length of stay was longer. LAVH was significantly more expensive than vaginal hysterectomy. There was no difference in operating time for nonhysterectomy cases, but the cost and length of stay were less for laparoscopy. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopy can be advantageous for certain procedures but has little advantage for hysterectomy and may make fewer vaginal hysterectomies available for resident education since the patients selected for LAVH and total vaginal hysterectomy are more similar to each other than to patients selected for total abdominal hysterectomy.

The role of laparoscopy in abdominal trauma.

Thirty-nine hemodynamically stable trauma patients were evaluated prospectively by laparoscopy before planned celiotomy. Laparoscopy was performed using a forward-viewing laparoscope connected to two high-resolution video monitors. The mechanism of injury was blunt trauma in eight, stab wounds (SWs) in 16, and gunshot wounds (GSWs) in 15. Laparoscopy correctly identified the presence of an intraperitoneal injury in 26 patients. Six other patients had retroperitoneal injuries, five of which were seen on laparoscopy. The remaining seven patients had no demonstrable intraperitoneal or retroperitoneal injuries, did not undergo celiotomy, and were observed without morbidity. In comparison with findings at surgery, laparoscopy identified injuries to the liver in eight of ten, to the diaphragm in three of three, to the colon in two of three, to the stomach in three of three, to the kidney in one of one, to the spleen in none of three, and to the small bowel in none of four patients. Visualization of the spleen was achieved in only one patient. The extent of the hemoperitoneum was underestimated from the laparoscopic examination in all nine patients with greater than 750 mL of peritoneal blood, four of whom had undetected active bleeding. Laparoscopy was performed easily in all patients and there were no complications associated with its use. In conclusion, the absence of an intra-abdominal injury was correctly identified with laparoscopy in 11 patients and laparoscopy may decrease the need for celiotomy in selected patients. However, the inability to "run the small bowel," visualize the spleen, and evaluate hemorrhage limits the utility of laparoscopy in determining which patients with laparoscopically visualized injuries will require celiotomy.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy. A clinical and financial analysis of 280 operations.

Two hundred eighty patients underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) and were compared with 304 patients who underwent traditional "open" cholecystectomy (OC). Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed electively in 72.5% of cases and urgently in 27.5% of cases. Conversion from LC to OC was required in 14 patients (5%), six of whom required common bile duct exploration. Common bile duct stones were managed with video-laparoscopic techniques in 11 patients, with percutaneous transhepatic laser lithotripsy in three patients, and with laparotomy in six patients. Hospital stay was significantly shorter and complications were significantly fewer for LC compared with OC. Hospital expenses for LC were significantly higher than for OC because of longer duration of operation and higher operating room expenses. Patients who underwent elective LC returned to work an average of 31 days earlier than patients who underwent OC (10 days vs 41 days). These data indicate that LC can be performed safely although at a higher cost than OC, and that patients as well as employers benefit from a short length of hospital stay.

Early recourse to laparoscopy in the management of suspected ectopic pregnancy. Accuracy and morbidity.

Ninety-nine patients with suspected ectopic pregnancy (EP) who were subjected to laparoscopy/laparotomy over an 18-month period at Greenwich District Hospital, London, were audited. A third (32/99) of the cases had an EP, and 67 potentially avoidable laparoscopies were performed. A potentially avoidable laparoscopy was followed by a laparotomy in 27% of cases (18/67), and at least 13 of those laparotomies were unnecessary. In addition, two false-positive diagnoses of EP were made at laparoscopy, resulting in the avoidable loss of part or all of a single remaining fallopian tube. With the use of sensitive pregnancy testing at least 62 laparoscopies, 13 laparotomies and 1 case of pulmonary embolus might have been avoided in these patients and up to 195 days' hospitalization saved.

Limitations of nonscience in surgical epistemology. The second-look laparotomy.

Decision-making in medicine is a very complex process that demands input both from the doctor and from the client. From the doctor's point of view, the most important component for this decision concerns the quality of evidence available that the recommended intervention is the best available in terms of both cost and benefit. Good quality evidence demands good quality science. The randomized controlled trial is the expression of this scientific process at work within medical practice. This article reviews both the rationale and the ethics of randomized controlled trials in the epistemology of surgery. The ethical dilemma is accentuated because surgery by its very nature is invasive and often irreversible. As an illustration of the scientific and ethical dilemmas arising out of randomized controlled trials in surgery, a description of the CEA directed second-look laparotomy trial in the United Kingdom is provided. This trial may be judged essential because of the clash of attitudes between surgeons in the United States and the United Kingdom. It is unlikely that the truth lies entirely with one or other national groupings of surgeons, and this randomized trial will eventually resolve a conflict of ideas to the ultimate benefit of all patients with operable colorectal cancer.