An Implementation Assessment of the Virtual Acute Care for Elders Program From the Perspective of Key Stakeholders.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to obtain feedback from key stakeholders and end users to identify program strengths and weaknesses to plan for wider dissemination and implementation of the Virtual Acute Care for Elders (Virtual ACE) program, a novel intervention that improves outcomes for older surgical patients. BACKGROUND: Virtual ACE was developed to deliver evidence-based geriatric care without requiring daily presence of a geriatrician. Previous work demonstrated that Virtual ACE increased mobility and decreased delirium rates for surgical patients. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 30 key stakeholders (physicians, nurses, hospital leadership, nurse managers, information technology staff, and physical/occupational therapists) involved in the implementation and use of the program. RESULTS: Our stakeholders indicated that Virtual ACE was extremely empowering for bedside nurses. The program helped nurses identify older patients who were at risk for a difficult postoperative recovery. Virtual ACE also gave them skills to manage complex older patients and more effectively communicate their needs to surgeons and other providers. Nurse managers felt that Virtual ACE helped them allocate limited resources and plan their unit staffing assignments to better manage the needs of older patients. The main criticism was that the Virtual ACE Tracker that displayed patient status was difficult to interpret and could be improved by a better design interface. Stakeholders also felt that program training needed to be improved to accommodate staff turnover. CONCLUSIONS: Although respondents identified areas for improvement, our stakeholders felt that Virtual ACE empowered them and provided effective tools to improve outcomes for older surgical patients.

Race and Gender Disparities in Access to Parathyroidectomy: A Need to Change Processes for Diagnosis and Referral to Surgeons.

BACKGROUND: Hyperparathyroidism substantially impairs quality of life, and effective treatment depends on timely referral to surgeons. We hypothesized that there would be race and gender disparities in the time from initial diagnosis of hyperparathyroidism to treatment with parathyroidectomy. METHODS: We reviewed administrative data on 2289 patients with hypercalcemia (calcium > 10.5 mg/dL) and abnormal parathyroid hormone levels who were seen at a tertiary referral center from 2011 to 2016. We used two-phase parametric hazard modeling to identify predictors of time from index abnormal calcium until parathyroidectomy. RESULTS: The median age of our cohort was 63 years, and 1685 (74%) were women. Of the total patients, 1301 (57%) were Caucasian, and 946 (41%) were African-American. Only 490 (21%) patients underwent parathyroidectomy. Among patients undergoing surgery, time from index high calcium to surgical treatment was longest for African-American men, who waited a median of 13.6 months (interquartile range IQR 2-28), compared with 2.9 months (IQR 1-8) for Caucasian males (p < 0.05). African-American women waited a median of 6.7 months (IQR 2-16) versus 3.5 months (IQR 2-14) for Caucasian women (p < 0.05). At 1 year after the index abnormal calcium, only 6% of black men underwent surgery compared with 20% of white males (p < 0.05). Similarly, 13% of black women underwent surgery versus 20% of white women (p < 0.05). These differences remained significant after adjusting for age, calcium levels, insurance, and comorbidities. CONCLUSIONS: African-Americans face substantial delays in access to parathyroidectomy after diagnosis with hyperparathyroidism that could impair quality of life and increase health care costs. We must improve systems of diagnosis and referral to ensure timely treatment of hyperparathyroidism.

Wide Provider Variation in Cost for Thyroidectomy: Potential Benefits of Standardizing Practice?

OBJECTIVE(S): Identifying provider variation in surgical costs could control rising healthcare expenditure and deliver cost-effective care. While these efforts have mostly focused on complex and expensive operations, provider-level variation in costs of thyroidectomy has not been well examined. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 921 consecutive total thyroidectomies performed by 14 surgeons at our institution between September 2011 and July 2016. Data were extracted from the Change Healthcare Performance Analytics Program. RESULTS: Mean patient age was 47.4 ± 0.5 y, 81% were females, 64.7% were Caucasians, and 18.8% were outpatients. The number of thyroidectomies performed by the 14 surgeons ranged from 4 to 597 (mean = 66). The mean costs per provider varied widely from $4,293 to $15,529 (P < 0.001). The mean length of stay was 1d ± .03 with wide variation among providers (0-6 d). Providers whose hospital cost exceeded the institutional mean demonstrated significantly higher anesthesia fees and lab costs (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We found substantial variation in hospital cost among providers for thyroidectomy despite practicing in the same academic institution, with some surgeons spending 3x more for the same operation. Implementing institutional standards of practice could reduce variation and the costs of surgical care.

Using Local Anesthesia for Inguinal Hernia Repair Reduces Complications in Older Patients.

BACKGROUND: Inguinal hernia repair is the most common general surgery operation in the United States. Nearly 80% of inguinal hernia operations are performed under general anesthesia versus 15%-20% using local anesthesia, despite the absence of evidence for the superiority of the former. Although patients aged 65 y and older are expected to benefit from avoiding general anesthesia, this presumed benefit has not been adequately studied. We hypothesized that the benefits of local over general anesthesia for inguinal hernia repair would increase with age. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed 87,794 patients in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Project who had elective inguinal hernia repair under local or general anesthesia from 2014 to 2018, and we used propensity scores to adjust for known confounding. We compared postoperative complications, 30-day readmissions, and operative time for patients aged <55 y, 55-64 y, 65-74 y, and ≥75 y. RESULTS: Using local rather than general anesthesia was associated with a 0.6% reduction in postoperative complications in patients aged 75+ y (95% CI -0.11 to -1.13) but not in younger patients. Local anesthesia was associated with faster operative time (2.5 min - 4.7 min) in patients <75 y but not in patients aged 75+ y. Readmissions did not differ by anesthesia modality in any age group. Projected national cost savings for greater use of local anesthesia ranged from $9 million to $45 million annually. CONCLUSIONS: Surgeons should strongly consider using local anesthesia for inguinal hernia repair in older patients and in younger patients because it is associated with significantly reduced complications and substantial cost savings.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Access to Local Anesthesia for Inguinal Hernia Repair.

BACKGROUND: Many studies have identified racial disparities in healthcare, but few have described disparities in the use of anesthesia modalities. We examined racial disparities in the use of local versus general anesthesia for inguinal hernia repair. We hypothesized that African American and Hispanic patients would be less likely than Caucasians to receive local anesthesia for inguinal hernia repair. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We included 78,766 patients aged ≥ 18 years in the Veterans Affairs Surgical Quality Improvement Program database who underwent elective, unilateral, open inguinal hernia repair under general or local anesthesia from 1998-2018. We used multiple logistic regression to compare use of local versus general anesthesia and 30-day postoperative complications by race/ethnicity. RESULTS: In total, 17,892 (23%) patients received local anesthesia. Caucasian patients more frequently received local anesthesia (15,009; 24%), compared to African Americans (2353; 17%) and Hispanics (530; 19%), P < 0.05. After adjusting for covariates, we found that African Americans (OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.77-0.86) and Hispanics (OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.69-0.87) were significantly less likely to have hernia surgery under local anesthesia compared to Caucasians. Additionally, local anesthesia was associated with fewer postoperative complications for African American patients (OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.27-0.77). CONCLUSIONS: Although local anesthesia was associated with enhanced recovery for African American patients, they were less likely to have inguinal hernias repaired under local than Caucasians. Addressing this disparity requires a better understanding of how surgeons, anesthesiologists, and patient-related factors may affect the choice of anesthesia modality for hernia repair.

Local Anesthesia is Associated with Fewer Complications in Umbilical Hernia Repair in Frail Veterans.

BACKGROUND: The optimal anesthesia modality for umbilical hernia repair is unclear. We hypothesized that using local rather than general anesthesia would be associated with improved outcomes, especially for frail patients. METHODS: We utilized the 1998-2018 Veterans Affairs Surgical Quality Improvement Program to identify patients who underwent elective, open umbilical hernia repair under general or local anesthesia. We used the Risk Analysis Index to measure frailty. Outcomes included complications and operative time. RESULTS: There were 4958 Veterans (13%) whose hernias were repaired under local anesthesia. Compared to general anesthesia, local was associated with a 12%-24% faster operative time for all patients, and an 86% lower (OR 0.14, 95%CI 0.03-0.72) complication rate for frail patients. CONCLUSIONS: Local anesthesia may reduce the operative time for all patients and complications for frail patients having umbilical hernia repair.

Failure to Diagnose and Treat Hyperparathyroidism Among Patients with Hypercalcemia: Opportunities for Intervention at the Patient and Physician Level to Increase Surgical Referral.

BACKGROUND: Hyperparathyroidism is both underdiagnosed and undertreated, but the reasons for these deficiencies have not been described. The purpose of this study was to identify reasons for underdiagnosis and undertreatment of hyperparathyroidism that could be addressed by targeted interventions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We identified 3,200 patients with hypercalcemia (serum calcium >10.5 mg/dL) who had parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels evaluated at our institution from 2011 to 2016. We randomly sampled 60 patients and divided them into three groups based on their PTH levels. Two independent reviewers examined clinical notes and diagnostic data to identify reasons for delayed diagnosis or referral for treatment. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 61 ± 16.5 years, 68% were women, and 55% were white. Fifty percent of patients had ≥1 elevated calcium that was missed by their primary care provider. Hypercalcemia was frequently attributed to causes other than hyperparathyroidism, including diuretics (12%), calcium supplements (12%), dehydration (5%), and renal dysfunction (3%). Even when calcium and PTH were both elevated, the diagnosis was missed or delayed in 40% of patients. For 7% of patients, a nonsurgeon stated that surgery offered no benefit; 22% of patients were offered medical treatment or observation, and 8% opted not to see a surgeon. Only 20% of patients were referred for surgical evaluation, and they waited a median of 16 months before seeing a surgeon. CONCLUSION: To address common causes for delayed diagnosis and treatment of hyperparathyroidism, we must improve systems for recognizing hypercalcemia and better educate patients and providers about the consequences of untreated disease. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: This study identified reasons why patients experience delays in workup, diagnosis, and treatment of primary hyperparathyroidism. These data provide valuable information for developing interventions that increase rates of diagnosis and referral.

The Effect of Financial Conflict of Interest, Disclosure Status, and Relevance on Medical Research from the United States.

BACKGROUND: Financial interactions between industry and healthcare providers are reportable. Substantial discrepancies have been detected between industry and self-report of these conflicts of interest (COIs). OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to determine if authors who fail to disclose reportable COI are more likely to publish findings that are favorable to industry than authors with no COI. DESIGN: In this blinded, observational study of medical and surgical primary research articles in PubMed, 590 articles were reviewed. MAIN MEASURES: Reportable financial relationships between authors and industry were evaluated. COIs were considered to have relevance if they were associated with the product(s) mentioned by an article. Primary outcome was favorability, defined as an impression favorable to the product(s) discussed by an article and determined by 3 independent, blinded clinicians for each article. Primary analysis compared Incomplete Self-Disclosure to No COI. Two-level multivariable mixed-effects ordered logistic regression was used to assess factors associated with favorability. KEY RESULTS: A 69% discordance rate existed between industry and self-report in COI disclosure. When authors failed to disclose COI, their conclusions were more likely to favor industry partners than authors without COI (favorable ratings 73% versus 62%, RR 1.18, p = < 0.001). On univariate (any COI 74% versus no COI 62%, RR 1.11, p = < 0.001) and multivariable analyses, any COI was associated with favorability. CONCLUSIONS: All financial COIs (disclosed or undisclosed, relevant or not relevant, research or non-research) influence whether studies report findings favorable to industry sponsors.

Hyperthyroidism is Underdiagnosed and Undertreated in 3336 Patients: An Opportunity for Improvement and Intervention.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of undiagnosed and untreated hyperthyroidism among patients with suppressed thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). BACKGROUND: Hyperthyroidism can significantly diminish patient quality of life and increase the financial burden on patients and health systems. We hypothesized that many patients with hyperthyroidism remain undiagnosed because physicians fail to recognize and evaluate suppressed TSH as the first indication of disease. METHODS: We reviewed administrative data on 174011 patients with TSH measured at a tertiary referral center between 2011 and 2017 to identify individuals with hyperthyroidism (TSH <0.05 mU/L) and their subsequent outcomes: evaluation (measurement of T4, T3, radioactive iodine (RAI) uptake scan, thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulin, thyroid peroxidase antibodies) diagnosis, referral and treatment. We used Kaplan-Meier methods and multivariable time-related parametric hazard modeling to measure our outcomes. RESULTS: We found 3336 patients with hyperthyroidism. The mean age of our cohort was 52 ±â€Š17 years, with 79% females and 59% whites. Only 1088 patients (33%) received any appropriate evaluation and hyperthyroidism remained undiagnosed in 37% of patients who had the appropriate workup. Among those diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, only 21% were referred for surgery and 34% received RAI. Predictors for hyperthyroidism diagnosis include lower TSH (0.01u/L), younger age, African-American race, private commercial insurance, being seen in an outpatient setting, absence of medical comorbidities, presentation with ophthalmopathy, or weight loss. CONCLUSIONS: Hyperthyroidism is frequently unrecognized and untreated, which can lead to adverse outcomes and increased costs. Improved systems for detection and treatment of hyperthyroidism are needed to address this gap in care.

Growing Human Parathyroids in a Microphysiological System: A Novel Approach to Understanding and Developing New Treatments for Hyperparathyroidism.

We developed a novel model for studying hyperparathyroidism by growing ex vivo 3-dimensional human parathyroids as part of a microphysiological system (MPS) that mimics human physiology. The purpose of this study was to validate the parathyroid portion of the MPS. We prospectively collected parathyroid tissue from 46 patients with hyperparathyroidism for growth into pseudoglands. We evaluated pseudogland architecture and calcium responsiveness. Following 2 weeks in culture, dispersed cells successfully coalesced into pseudoglands ∼500-700 µm in diameter that mimicked the appearance of normal parathyroid glands. Functionally, they also appeared similar to intact parathyroids in terms of organization and calcium-sensing receptor expression. Immunohistochemical staining for calcium-sensing receptor revealed 240-450/cell units of mean fluorescence intensity within the pseudoglands. Finally, the pseudoglands showed varying levels of calcium responsiveness, indicated by changes in parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels. In summary, we successfully piloted the development of a novel MPS for studying the effects of hyperparathyroidism on human organ systems. We are currently evaluating the effect of PTH on adverse remodeling of tissue engineered cardiac, skeletal, and bone tissue within the MPS.

Can imaging studies be omitted in patients with sporadic primary hyperparathyroidism?

BACKGROUND: The cost-effectiveness of routine preoperative imaging for patients undergoing parathyroidectomy is controversial. The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether omission of routine preoperative imaging would affect efficiency or safety of parathyroidectomy. METHODS: We implemented a no-imaging protocol for patients with primary hyperparathyroidism and no prior neck surgery. If the patient did not have preoperative parathyroid imaging before evaluation by a surgeon, no radiologic studies were ordered, and the patient was scheduled for parathyroidectomy. We used propensity matching to address differences between the imaging and no-imaging groups. RESULTS: From 2000 to 2015, 83 patients underwent parathyroidectomy without imaging compared to 1245 patients with preoperative imaging. We successfully matched 64 patients with no preoperative imaging to equivalent patients who had imaging prior to surgery. Median age was 60 y, and 84% were women. There was no significant difference in operative time between patients with and without preoperative imaging (84 min for both groups, P < 0.32). Intraoperative parathyroid hormone levels dropped by at least 50% in all patients without preoperative imaging and in 98% of patients with imaging (P < 0.24). Neither group had recurrences 6 mo after surgery. Overall complication rates in the no-imaging (5%) and the imaging group (11%) were also similar (P < 0.18). CONCLUSIONS: Parathyroid surgery without preoperative imaging is safe, effective, and offers equivalent outcomes compared to an approach based on routine preoperative imaging. Experienced surgeons can consider omitting preoperative imaging in patients without a history of neck surgery as this may reduce overall treatment costs.

Racial disparities in the cost of surgical care for parathyroidectomy.

BACKGROUND: Parathyroidectomy is the only curative therapy for hyperparathyroidism, but its cost and variation in use among different racial and ethnic groups are largely unexamined. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between race and ethnicity and the total hospital cost of parathyroidectomy. METHODS: This retrospective study included 899 consecutive complete parathyroidectomies in our institution between September 2011 and July 2016. Total length of stay and cost were primary outcomes. Nonparametric and chi-square tests were used for analysis. RESULTS: The study population was 66.4% Caucasian, 31.4% African American, 0.7% Hispanic, and 0.3% Asian. Total hospital costs were greater for African-American patients ($6154.87 ± 389.18) compared to Caucasian patients ($5253.28 ± $91.74). Mean length of stay was 0.99 ± 0.18 for African-American patients and 0.44 ± 0.05 for Caucasian patients. African-American patients were more likely than Caucasian patients to be readmitted (4.6% versus 1.2%). Among African Americans, males had a more expensive hospital cost, higher incidence of cases that cost greater than $10,000, and longer length of stay compared to females. CONCLUSIONS: African-American race was associated with higher hospital costs for parathyroidectomy compared to Caucasian patients, especially male patients. The increased cost could be explained in part by longer length of stay. More detailed efforts are needed to reduce racial disparity in the management of parathyroidectomy patients.

Reducing cost and improving operating room efficiency: examination of surgical instrument processing.

BACKGROUND: Operating room efficiency can be compromised because of surgical instrument processing delays. We observed that many instruments in a standardized tray were not routinely used during thyroid and parathyroid surgery at our institution. Our objective was to create a streamlined instrument tray to optimize operative efficiency and cost. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Head and neck surgical instrument trays were evaluated by operating room team leaders. Instruments were identified as either necessary or unnecessary based on use during thyroidectomies and parathyroidectomies. The operating room preparation time, tray weights, number of trays, and number of instruments were recorded for the original and new surgical trays. Cost savings were calculated using estimated reprocessing cost of $0.51 per instrument. RESULTS: Three of 13 head and neck trays were converted to thyroidectomy and parathyroidectomy trays. The starting head and neck surgical set was reduced from two trays with 98 total instruments to one tray with 36 instruments. Tray weight decreased from 27 pounds to 10 pounds. Tray preparation time decreased from 8 min to 3 min. The new tray saved $31.62 ($49.98 to $18.36) per operation in reprocessing costs. Projected annual savings with hospitalwide implementation is over $28,000.00 for instrument processing alone. Unmeasured hospital savings include decreased instrument wear and replacement frequency, quicker operating room setup, and decreased decontamination costs. CONCLUSIONS: Optimizing surgical trays can reduce cost, physical strain, preparation time, decontamination time, and processing times, and streamlining trays is an effective strategy for hospitals to reduce costs and increase operating room efficiency.

Variation in postacute care utilization after complex surgery.

BACKGROUND: Variation in use of postacute care (PAC), including skilled nursing facilities and inpatient rehabilitation, accounts for 73% of regional variation in Medicare spending. Studies of hospital variation in PAC use have typically focused on nonsurgical patients or have been limited to Medicare data. Consequently, there is no nationally representative data on how rates of postoperative discharge to PAC differ between hospitals. The purpose of this study was to explore hospital-level variation in PAC utilization after cardiovascular and abdominal surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated 3,487,365 patients from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample and 60,666 from the Veterans Affairs health system, who had colorectal surgery, hepatectomy, pancreatectomy, coronary bypass, aortic aneurysm repair, and peripheral vascular bypass from 2008 to 2011. For each hospital, we calculated unadjusted and risk-adjusted observed-to-expected ratios for discharge to PAC facilities (skilled nursing or inpatient rehabilitation). RESULTS: A total of 631,199 (18%) non-veterans and 4744 (8%) veterans were discharged to PAC facilities. For veterans, 32% were ≥70 y old, and 98% were men. For non-veterans, 39% were ≥70, and 60% were men. Hospital rates of discharge to PAC facilities varied from 1% to 36% for veterans hospitals and from 1% to 59% for non-veteran hospitals. Risk-adjusted observed-to-expected ratios ranged from 0.10 to 4.15 for veterans and from 0.11 to 4.3 for non-veteran hospitals. CONCLUSIONS: There is substantial variation in PAC utilization and rates of home discharge after abdominal and cardiovascular surgery. To reduce variation, further research is needed to understand health systems factors that influence PAC utilization.

Failure to Diagnose Hyperparathyroidism in 10,432 Patients With Hypercalcemia: Opportunities for System-level Intervention to Increase Surgical Referrals and Cure.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a significant number of patients with hyperparathyroidism remain undiagnosed and untreated. BACKGROUND: Failure to diagnose primary hyperparathyroidism and refer patients to surgeons leads to impaired quality of life and increased costs. We hypothesized that many patients with hyperparathyroidism would be untreated due to not considering the diagnosis, inadequate evaluation of hypercalcemia, and under-referral to surgeons. METHODS: We reviewed administrative data on 682,704 patients from a tertiary referral center between 2011 and 2015, and identified hypercalcemia (>10.5 mg/dL) in 10,432 patients. We evaluated whether hypercalcemic patients underwent measurement of parathyroid hormone (PTH), had documentation of hypercalcemia/hyperparathyroidism, or were referred to surgeons. RESULTS: The mean age of our cohort was 54 years, with 61% females, and 56% whites. Only 3200 (31%) hypercalcemic patients had PTH levels measured, 2914 (28%) had a documented diagnosis of hypercalcemia, and 880 (8%) had a diagnosis of hyperparathyroidism in the medical record. Only 592 (22%) out of 2666 patients with classic hyperparathyroidism (abnormal calcium and PTH) were referred to surgeons. CONCLUSIONS: A significant proportion of patients with hyperparathyroidism do not undergo appropriate evaluation and surgical referral. System-level interventions which prompt further evaluation of hypercalcemia and raise physician awareness about hyperparathyroidism could improve outcomes and produce long-term cost savings.

Postacute Care and Recovery After Cancer Surgery: Still a Long Way to Go.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether postacute care (PAC) facilities can compensate for increased mortality stemming from a complicated postoperative recovery (complications or deconditioning). BACKGROUND: An increasing number of patients having cancer surgery rely on PAC facilities including skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers to help them recover from postoperative complications and the physical demands of surgery. It is currently unclear whether PAC can successfully compensate for the adverse consequences of a complicated postoperative recovery. METHODS: We combined data from the Veterans Affairs Cancer Registry with the Surgical Quality Improvement Program to identify veterans having surgery for stage I-III colorectal cancer from 1999 to 2010. We used propensity matching to control for comorbidity, functional status, postoperative complications, and stage. RESULTS: We evaluated 10,583 veterans having colorectal cancer surgery, and 765 veterans (7%) were discharged to PAC facilities whereas 9818 veterans (93%) were discharged home. Five-year overall survival after discharge to PAC facilities was 36% compared with 51% after discharge home. Stage I patients discharged to PAC facilities had similar survival (45%) as stage III patients who were discharged home (44%). Patients discharged to PAC facilities had worse survival in the first year after surgery (hazard ratio 2.0, 95% confidence interval 1.7-2.4) and after the first year (hazard ratio 1.4, 95% confidence interval 1.2-1.5). CONCLUSIONS: Discharge to PAC facilities after cancer surgery is not sufficient to overcome the adverse survival effects of a complicated postoperative recovery. Improvement of perioperative care outside the acute hospital setting and development of better postoperative recovery programs for cancer patients are needed to enhance survival after surgery.

Selective Versus Non-selective α-Blockade Prior to Laparoscopic Adrenalectomy for Pheochromocytoma.

BACKGROUND: The optimal preoperative α-blockade strategy is debated for patients undergoing laparoscopic adrenalectomy for pheochromocytomas. We evaluated the impact of selective versus non-selective α-blockade on intraoperative hemodynamics and postoperative outcomes. METHODS: We identified patients having laparoscopic adrenalectomy for pheochromocytomas from 2001 to 2015. As a marker of overall intraoperative hemodynamics, we combined systolic blood pressure (SBP) > 200, SBP < 80, SBP < 80 and >200, pulse > 120, vasopressor infusion, and vasodilator infusion into a single variable. Similarly, the combination of vasopressor infusion in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) and the need for intensive care unit (ICU) admission provided an overview of postoperative support. RESULTS: We identified 52 patients undergoing unilateral laparoscopic adrenalectomy for pheochromocytoma. Selective α-blockade (i.e. doxazosin) was performed in 35 % (n = 18) of patients, and non-selective blockade with phenoxybenzamine was performed in 65 % (n = 34) of patients. Demographics and tumor characteristics were similar between groups. Patients blocked selectively were more likely to have an SBP < 80 (67 %) than those blocked with phenoxybenzamine (35 %) (p = 0.03), but we found no significant difference in overall intraoperative hemodynamics between patients blocked selectively and non-selectively (p = 0.09). However, postoperatively, patients blocked selectively were more likely to require additional support with vasopressor infusions in the PACU or ICU admission (p = 0.02). Hospital stay and complication rates were similar. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic adrenalectomy for pheochromocytoma is safe regardless of the preoperative α-blockade strategy employed, but patients blocked selectively may have a higher incidence of transient hypotension during surgery and a greater need for postoperative support. These differences did not result in longer hospital stay or increased complications.

GAUGING THE EXTENT OF THYROIDECTOMY FOR INDETERMINATE THYROID NODULES: AN ONCOLOGIC PERSPECTIVE.

OBJECTIVE: Increasing emphasis is being placed on appropriateness of care and avoidance of over- and under-treatment. Indeterminate thyroid nodules (ITNs) present a particular risk for this problem because cancer found via diagnostic lobectomy (DL) often requires a completion thyroidectomy (CT). However, initial total thyroidectomy (TT) for benign ITN results in lifelong thyroid hormone replacement. We sought to measure the accuracy and factors associated with the extent of initial thyroidectomy for ITN. METHODS: We queried a single institution thyroid surgery database for all adult patients undergoing an initial operation for ITN. Multivariate logistic regression identified factors associated with either oncologic under- or overtreatment at initial operation. RESULTS: There were 639 patients with ITN. The median age was 52 (range, 18 to 93) years, 78.4% were female, and final pathology revealed a cancer >1 cm in 24.7%. The most common cytology was follicular neoplasm (45.1%) followed by Hürthle cell neoplasm (20.2%). CT or initial oncologic undertreatment was required in 58 patients (9.3%). Excluding those with goiters, 19.0% were treated with TT for benign final pathology. Multivariate analysis failed to identify any factor that independently predicted the need for CT. Female gender was associated with TT in benign disease (odds ratio [OR], 2.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.0 to 4.5; P = .05). Age >45 years predicted correct initial use of DL (OR, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.2 to 5.7; P = .02). Suspicious for papillary thyroid carcinoma (OR, 5.7; 95% CI, 2.1 to 15.3; P<.01) and frozen section (OR, 9.7; 95% CI, 2.5 to 38.6; P<.01) were associated with oncologically appropriate initial TT. The highest frequency of CT occurred in patients with follicular lesion of undetermined significance (11.6%). TT for benign final pathology occurred most frequently in patients with a Hürthle cell neoplasm (24.8%). CONCLUSION: In patients with ITN, nearly 30% received an inappropriate extent of initial thyroidectomy from an oncologic standpoint. Tools to pre-operatively identify both benign and malignant disease can assist in the complex decision making to gauge the proper extent of initial surgery for ITN. ABBREVIATIONS: ATA = American Thyroid Association AUS = atypia of undetermined significance CI = confidence interval CT = completion thyroidectomy FLUS = follicular lesion of undetermined significance ITN = indeterminate thyroid nodule OR = odds ratio PTC = papillary thyroid carcinoma TT = total thyroidectomy.

Should vitamin D deficiency be corrected before parathyroidectomy?

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D deficiency is common in patients with hyperparathyroidism, but the importance of replacement before surgery is controversial. We aimed to evaluate the impact of vitamin D deficiency on the extent of resection and risk of postoperative hypocalcemia for patients undergoing parathyroidectomy for primary hyperparathyroidism. METHODS: We identified patients with primary hyperparathyroidism undergoing parathyroid surgery between 2000 and 2015 using a prospectively maintained database. Patients with normal (≥30 ng/mL) vitamin D were compared to those with levels less than 30 ng/mL. RESULTS: There were 1015 (54%) patients with normal vitamin D and 872 (46%) patients with vitamin D deficiency undergoing parathyroidectomy for primary hyperparathyroidism. Vitamin D deficiency was associated with higher preoperative parathyroid hormone (median 90 versus 77 pg/mL, P < 0.001) and calcium (median 10.5 versus 10.4 mg/dL, P < 0.001) compared with normal vitamin D. To achieve similar cure rates, patients with vitamin D deficiency were less likely to require removal of more than one gland (20% versus 30%, P < 0.001) than patients with normal vitamin D. Patients with vitamin D deficiency had similar rates of persistent (1.5% versus 2.0%, P = 0.43) and recurrent (1.7% versus 2.6%, P = 0.21) hyperparathyroidism. Postoperatively, both groups had equivalent rates of transient (2.3% versus 2.3%, P = 0.97) and permanent (0.2% versus 0.4%, P = 0.52) hypocalcemia. CONCLUSIONS: Restoring vitamin D in deficient patients should not delay the appropriate surgical treatment of primary hyperparathyroidism. Deficient patients are more likely to be cured with the excision of a single adenoma and no more likely to suffer persistence, recurrence, or hypocalcemia than patients with normal vitamin D.

Ninety-day readmission after colorectal cancer surgery in a Veterans Affairs cohort.

BACKGROUND: Readmissions following colorectal surgery are common. However, there are limited data examining unplanned readmissions (URs) after colorectal cancer (CRC) surgery. The goal of this study was to identify reasons and predictors of UR, and to examine their clinical impact on CRC patients. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study using a prospective CRC surgery database of patients treated at a VA tertiary referral center was performed (2005-2011). Ninety-day URs were recorded and classified based on reason for readmission. Clinical impact of UR was measured using a validated classification for postoperative complications. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of UR. RESULTS: 487 patients were included; 104 (21%) required UR. Although the majority of UR were due to surgical reasons (n = 72, 69%), medical complications contributed to 25% of all readmission events. Nearly half of UR (n = 44, 40%) had significant clinical implications requiring invasive interventions, intensive care unit stays, or led to death. After multivariate logistic regression, the following independent predictors of UR were identified: African-American race (odds ratio [OR] 0.47 [0.27-0.88]), ostomy creation (OR 2.50 [1.33-4.70]), and any postoperative complication (OR 4.36 [2.48-7.68]). CONCLUSIONS: Ninety-day URs following colorectal cancer surgery are common, and represent serious events associated with worse outcomes. In addition to postoperative complications, surgical details that can be anticipated (i.e., ileostomy creation) and medical events unrelated to surgery, both contribute as important and potentially preventable reasons for UR. Future studies should focus on developing and examining interventions focused at improving the process of perioperative care for this high-risk population.