A Review of 1228 In-Office Hand Surgery Procedures With Wide Awake Local Anesthesia No Tourniquet (WALANT) at a Single Private Practice.

BACKGROUND: This study examined the complication rate of Wide Awake Local Anesthesia No Tourniquet (WALANT) technique in the clinic setting with field sterility at a single private practice. We hypothesized that WALANT is safe and effective with a low complication rate. METHODS: This retrospective chart review included 1228 patients who underwent in-office WALANT hand procedures at a single private practice between 2015 and 2022. Patients were divided into groups based on type of procedure: carpal tunnel release, A1 pulley release, first dorsal compartment release, extensor tendon repair, mass excision, foreign body removal, and needle aponeurotomy. Patient demographics and complications were recorded; statistical comparisons of cohort demographics and risk factors for complications were completed, and P < .05 was considered significant for all statistical comparisons. RESULTS: The overall complication rate for all procedures was 2.77% for 1228 patients including A1 pulley release (n = 962, 2.7%), mass excision (n = 137, 3.7%), extensor tendon repair (n = 23, 4.3%), and first dorsal compartment release (n = 22, 8.3%). Carpal tunnel release, foreign body removal, and needle aponeurotomy groups experienced no complications. No adverse events (e.g. vasovagal reactions, digital ischemia, local anesthetic toxicity, inadequate vasoconstriction) were observed in any group. Patients with known autoimmune disorders and those who were currently smoking had a statistically significant higher complication rate. CONCLUSIONS: Office-based WALANT procedures with field sterility are safe and effective for treating common hand maladies and have a similar complication profile when compared to historical controls from the standard operating room in an ambulatory center or hospital.

Self-reported non-adherence to immune-suppressant therapy in liver transplant recipients: demographic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal factors.

Adherence to immune suppressants and follow-up care regimen is important in achieving optimal long-term outcomes after organ transplantation. To identify patients most at risk for non-adherence, this cross-sectional, descriptive study explores the prevalence and correlates of non-adherence to immune-suppressant therapy among liver recipients. Anonymous questionnaires mailed consisted of the domains: (i) adherence barriers to immune suppressants, (ii) immune suppressants knowledge, (iii) demographics, (iv) social support, (v) medical co-morbidities, and (vi) healthcare locus of control and other beliefs. Overall response was 49% (281/572). Data analyzed for those transplanted within 10 yr of study reveal 50% (119/237) recipients or 9.2/100 person years reporting non-adherence. Non-adherence was reported highest in the 2-5 yr post-transplant phase (69/123, 56%). The highest immune-suppressant non-adherence rates were in recipients who are: divorced (26/34, 76%, p=0.0093), have a history of substance or alcohol use (42/69, 61%, p=0.0354), have mental health needs (50/84, 60%, p=0.0336), those who missed clinic appointments (25/30, 83%, p<0.0001), and did not maintain medication logs (71/122, 58%, p=0.0168). Respondents who were non-adherent with physician appointments were more than four and a half times as likely (OR 4.7, 95% CI 1.5-14.7, p=0.008) to be non-adherent with immune suppressants. In conclusion, half of our respondents report non-adherence to immune suppressants. Factors identified may assist clinicians to gauge patients' non-adherence risk and target resources.

Arthroscopic TFCC Ulnar Bone Tunnel Foveal Repair in Adult Patients.

Triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) tears may cause persistent ulnar-sided wrist pain, loss of grip strength, and associated loss of function. Although the majority of TFCC tears can be treated nonoperatively, surgical repair is considered when conservative measures fail. TFCC tears with foveal disruption and instability of the distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ) require direct repair of the TFCC to the ulnar fovea. The traditional method of foveal TFCC repair involves an open surgical approach through the floor of the 5th dorsal compartment. However, this open approach causes disruption of structures such as the dorsal ulnocarpal capsule, the extensor retinaculum, and, potentially, the distal radioulnar ligament (DRUL). This article describes, in detail, the recently developed arthroscopic assisted ulnar foveal bone tunnel repair. This method spares dorsal structures that may be disrupted during an open surgical approach and creates a robust repair of the TFCC deep fibers with restoration of DRUJ stability.

Global gene expression profiles of ischemic preconditioning in deceased donor liver transplantation.

The benefits of ischemic preconditioning (IPC) in reducing ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) remain indistinct in human liver transplantation (LT). To further understand mechanistic aspects of IPC, we performed microarray analyses as a nested substudy in a randomized trial of 10-minute IPC in 101 deceased donor LTs. Liver biopsies were performed after cold storage and at 90 minutes postreperfusion in 40 of 101 subjects. Global gene expression profiles in 6 biopsy pairs in IPC and work standard organ recovery groups at both time points were compared using the Affymetrix GeneChip Human Gene 1.0 ST array. Transcripts with >1.5-fold change and P < 0.05 were considered significant. IPC altered expression of 82 transcripts in antioxidant, immunological, lipid biosynthesis, cell development and growth, and other groups. Real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunoblotting validated our microarray data. IPC-induced overexpression of glutathione S-transferase mu transcripts (GSTM1, GSTM3, GSTM4, and GSTM5) was accompanied by increased protein expression and may contribute to a decrease in oxidative stress. However, the increased expression of fatty acid synthase may increase oxidative stress, and tumor necrosis factor ligand superfamily member 10 may promote apoptosis. These changes, in combination with decreased expression of heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1, both of which inhibit apoptosis, may increase IRI. In our study of deceased donor LT, IPC induces changes in gene expression, some of which are potentially beneficial but some which are potentially injurious. Thus, our findings of changes in gene expression mirror the outcomes in our clinical trial.

Ischemic preconditioning of the liver: a few perspectives from the bench to bedside translation.

Utilization of ischemic preconditioning to ameliorate ischemia/reperfusion injury has been extensively studied in various organs and species for the past two decades. While hepatic ischemic preconditioning in animals has been largely beneficial, translational efforts in the two clinical contexts--liver resection and decreased donor liver transplantation--have yielded mixed results. This review is intended to critically examine the translational data and identify some potential reasons for the disparate clinical results, and highlight some issues for further studies.

Does liver ischemic preconditioning in brain death donors induce kidney preconditioning? A retrospective analysis.

BACKGROUND: It is unclear whether ischemic preconditioning (IPC) of solid organs induces remote IPC (RIPC) in donors after brain death (DBD). METHODS: Outcomes in kidney recipients from 163 DBD in two randomized trials of liver IPC (5 min=62 and 10 min=101) were obtained retrospectively from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients. Controls were kidney recipients from donors without IPC. Mean cold ischemia times were less than 20 hr. Primary outcomes were delayed graft function, defined as dialysis during the first posttransplantation week, and death-censored graft survival. Secondary outcomes were duration of initial hospital stay, patient survival, and estimated glomerular filtration rate 6, 12, 36, and 60 months after transplantation. RESULTS: After exclusions (40 kidneys not recovered, 21 not transplanted, 8 en bloc, 23 with extrarenal organs, and 6 with missing records), 228 recipients were included. Delayed graft function occurred in 23% of No RIPC and 28% of RIPC kidneys (P=0.54). One- and 3-year graft survival rates were 92% and 90%, respectively, in the No RIPC and 90% and 81%, respectively, in the RIPC group (P=0.12), and mean hospital stay was 9.3±13.9 and 9.7±8.2 days, respectively (P=0.15). There were no significant between group differences in patient survival and estimated glomerular filtration rate at any time point. CONCLUSIONS: Despite design and power limitations, our results suggest that liver IPC in DBD is of no clinical benefit to kidney recipients. Inconsistent efficacy and impracticality severely limit the usefulness of IPC in DBD. Other modalities of preconditioning should be tested.

Negative pressure wound therapy: an algorithm.

Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) has overwhelmed the wound-healing world. A systematic review puts it into perspective. The authors have developed an algorithm after careful evaluation and analysis of the scientific literature supporting the use of these devices. This article describes mechanisms of action, technical considerations, wound preparation, and clinical evidence, reviews the literature, and discusses NPWT use in specific wounds, such as diabetic foot ulcers, open abdomen, pressure ulcers, open fractures, sterna wounds, grafts, and flaps. Contraindications for and complications of NPWT are outlined, and specific recommendations given for the situations in which the authors use NPWT.