Moving past "think local, act global": A perspective on geographic disparity.

The transplant community has debated the necessity and merits of broader organ distribution for several years, but the debate has been fundamentally shaped by inaccurate assessments of donor supply and demand. The possible legal requirements of distribution must be balanced with (a) the moral and statutory imperatives to reduce inequities resulting from socioeconomic disparity, and (b) the shortcomings of MELD in predicting mortality risk in rural areas. In this viewpoint, we use the example of liver transplantation to discuss the drivers of geographic disparity as a direct consequence of donation rates, local organ use, wealth, and poverty. Seen in this light, strategies seeking to equalize MELD at transplant across the United States risk severely exacerbating existing inequalities in access to health care.

Risk factors for venous thromboembolism in patients with chronic liver disease.

BACKGROUND: Pharmacologic prophylaxis for venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) presents a unique challenge because of coagulopathies associated with the disease. When evaluating whether these patients require VTE prophylaxis upon hospitalization, it would be advantageous if risk factors for the development of VTE in this population were known. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate risk factors associated with the development of VTE in patients with CLD. METHODS: A retrospective case-control study was conducted. Patients admitted to the University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital from October 2006 to July 2010 with a diagnosis of CLD and VTE were matched in a 1:3 fashion with CLD patients without VTE. The primary objective was to determine whether there were significant differences in laboratory values between the 2 groups. RESULTS: During this time, 27 patients with CLD (1.0%) were diagnosed with VTE. These patients had significantly lower median aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (47 vs 70 U/L, p = 0.04), alanine transaminase (ALT) (24.5 vs 36 U/L, p = 0.02), albumin (2.1 vs 2.4 g/dL, p = 0.02) and hematocrit (Hct) (28.3% vs 32%, p = 0.03) values compared to the control patients. Patients with albumin lower than 1.9 g/dL had a 5.1 times greater risk of VTE compared to patients with albumin of 2.8 g/dL and higher (OR 5.14, 95% CI 1.05-25.2). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with CLD who developed VTE had significantly lower AST, ALT, albumin, and Hct compared to those of control patients. Studies are necessary to further examine the significance of this finding.

Predictors of surgical site infection after liver resection: a multicentre analysis using National Surgical Quality Improvement Program data.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative infections are frequent complications after liver resection and have significant impact on length of stay, morbidity and mortality. Surgical site infection (SSI) is the most common nosocomial infection in surgical patients, accounting for 38% of all such infections. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to identify predictors of SSI and organ space SSI after liver resection. METHODS: Data from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) database for patients who underwent liver resection in 2005, 2006 or 2007 in any of 173 hospitals throughout the USA were analysed. All patients who underwent a segmental resection, left hepatectomy, right hepatectomy or trisectionectomy were included. RESULTS: The ACS-NSQIP database contained 2332 patients who underwent hepatectomy during 2005-2007. Rates of SSI varied significantly across primary procedures, ranging from 9.7% in segmental resection patients to 18.3% in trisectionectomy patients. A preoperative open wound, hypernatraemia, hypoalbuminaemia, elevated serum bilirubin, dialysis and longer operative time were independent predictors for SSI and for organ space SSI. CONCLUSIONS: These findings may contribute towards the identification of patients at risk for SSI and the development of strategies to reduce the incidence of SSI and subsequent costs after liver resection.

Massive Leiomyomatous Uterine Proliferation Following Kidney Transplantation: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Uterine fibroids are the most common benign uterine tumors affecting > 50% of premenopausal women. The incidence, burden and symptoms from uterine fibroids are higher in women of African descent compared to Caucasians. Despite increasing number of African American females being evaluated for and undergoing kidney transplantation (KT), perioperative management guidelines for uterine fibroids currently do not exist. We present a case of a 40 y/o African American female with known symptomatic uterine fibroids preoperatively and medically managed, who underwent a successful KT and 4 years later progressively developed massive leiomyomatous uterine proliferation, causing a complete lateral displacement of the transplanted kidney with severe hydronephrosis, transplant ureteral obstruction and secondary urinary tract infections with bacteremia. This obstruction required a percutaneous nephrostomy tube placement followed by an interval transabdominal hysterectomy, which was complicated by transplant ureteral transection requiring ureteral reimplantation, resulting in prolonged hospitalization, follow-up and outpatient antibiotic regimen. There is a need for management guidelines for uterine fibroids incidentally encountered during the KT evaluation process to avoid similar preventable post-KT complications in patient populations most commonly affected. Literature review and perioperative management/surveillance strategies are provided.

Revisiting lithium-associated hyperparathyroidism in the era of intraoperative parathyroid hormone monitoring.

BACKGROUND: Chronic lithium therapy may cause hyperparathyroidism (HPT). The utility of intraoperative parathyroid hormone monitoring (IOPTH) in these patients is unknown. The authors' hypothesis was that multiglandular disease is more common in these patients, and the ability of IOPTH to predict cure may be limited. METHODS: Twelve patients had HPT during chronic lithium therapy and underwent parathyroidectomy with IOPTH. Criteria for curative resection were a decrease > or =50% from baseline and into the normal range. Calcium and PTH levels were measured during follow-up. RESULTS: Preoperatively, mean calcium was 11.0 +/- 0.1 mg/dL, and PTH was 116 +/- 14 pg/mL. Fifty percent of patients had multiglandular disease confirmed by IOPTH levels. Mean IOPTH decrease from baseline was 74 +/- 4%. Although 10 of 12 patients met criteria for curative resection, only 8 remain normocalcemic. The 2 patients who did not meet criteria remain normocalcemic. Mean postoperative calcium for all patients was 9.5 +/- 0.2 mg/dL. Of the 10 normocalcemic patients, 4 also have hyperparathormonemia (mean PTH, 119 +/- 19 pg/mL). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of multiglandular disease in HPT after chronic lithium exposure is higher than standard HPT. The ability of IOPTH to predict durable normocalcemia is limited. Bilateral neck exploration should be considered for these patients regardless of whether IOPTH monitoring is used.

Resection of pulmonary metastasis from parathyroid carcinoma.

The management of metastasis from parathyroid carcinoma (PC) is an unusual challenge. Systemic therapy has minimal effect on the course of the disease and its associated hypercalcemia. Resection of isolated pulmonary metastases is an attractive option in the setting of recurrent hypercalcemia. We report a case of a patient who underwent resection of multiple functional PC pulmonary metastases almost 20 years after the original neck resection. The patient originally presented in 1982 with what was thought to be hyperparathyroidism secondary to a parathyroid adenoma. Surgical exploration revealed the presence of a well differentiated PC. The patient was transiently normocalcemic, but underwent surgical exploration in 1993 and 1996 for recurrent PC in the neck. The patient again improved, but presented in 2001 with diffuse arthralgia, fatigue, malaise, weight loss, and decreased appetite. She was found to have a serum calcium of 12.7 mg/dL and an intact parathyroid hormone of 1542 pmol/L. Computed tomography identified the presence of two right-sided and two left-sided pulmonary masses. Sternotomy with bilateral pulmonary metastectomy was performed. Functional PC metastasis was confirmed on pathological examination. One year following metastectomy the patient is hypocalcemic, requiring oral calcium and vitamin D supplementation. Functional pulmonary metastasis from PC is a rare cause of hypercalcemia. Complete resection of isolated pulmonary metastases can provide effective palliation with long-term survival.

Liver transplantation for the treatment of liver metastases from neuroendocrine tumors: an analysis of the UNOS database.

OBJECTIVE: To determine outcomes in patients undergoing liver transplantation (LT) for metastatic neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). DESIGN: Retrospective analysis. SETTING: University of Kentucky Medical Center. PATIENTS: Patients undergoing LT performed for NET metastases from October 1, 1988, through January 31, 2008, were analyzed using the United Network for Organ Sharing database. Main Outcome Measure  Patient survival. RESULTS: During the study period, 87 280 LTs were performed. One hundred fifty LTs were performed for metastatic NETs. Among those 150 patients undergoing LT, 51 patients (34.0%) had carcinoid, 6 had insulinoma (4.0%), 3 had glucagonoma (2.0%), 11 had gastrinoma (7.3%), and 9 had vasoactive intestinal peptide-secreting tumors (6.0%); an additional 70 (46.7%) had an unspecified NET. The mean (SE) age of the patients was 45.1 (12.5) years. The mean (SE) cold ischemic time was 8.9 (4.1) hours. One hundred forty-four patients were adults and 6 were children. Thirteen patients received another organ at the time of LT. During the same period, 4693 patients underwent transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma. Overall, 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates for patients with NETs undergoing isolated LT were 81%, 65%, and 49%, respectively. No difference in survival was observed in patients with carcinoid vs noncarcinoid tumors (P = .84). No significant difference was observed in patient survival between those with metastatic NETs and those with hepatocellular carcinoma. Patients waiting for LT longer than 2 months had improved survival (P = .005). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with liver metastases from NETs who were undergoing LT had long-term survival similar to that of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Longer wait times were associated with better outcomes in our series. Waiting for disease to stabilize before considering patients with liver metastases from NETs for transplantation may be appropriate. Excellent results can be obtained in highly selected patients.

Appendiceal neoplasms with peritoneal dissemination: outcomes after cytoreductive surgery and intraperitoneal hyperthermic chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Appendiceal neoplasms frequently present with peritoneal dissemination (PD) and have a clinical course marked by bowel obstruction and subsequent death. Few data have correlated outcome with appendiceal histology after cytoreductive surgery and intraperitoneal hyperthermic chemotherapy (IPHC). We have reviewed our experience with cytoreductive surgery and IPHC for PD from the appendix. METHODS: A total of 110 cases of PD from proven appendiceal neoplasms treated with IPHC were identified from a prospectively managed database. Tumor samples were classified on pathologic review as disseminated peritoneal adenomucinosis (n = 55), peritoneal mucinous carcinomatosis (PMCA) with intermediate features (n = 18), PMCA (n = 29), or high-grade nonmucinous lesions (n = 8). A retrospective review was performed with long-term survival as the primary outcome measure. RESULTS: A total of 116 IPHCs were performed on 110 patients for appendiceal PD between 1993 and 2004. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates for all cases were 79.9% +/- 4.1%, 59.0% +/- 5.7%, and 53.4% +/- 6.5%, respectively. When stratified by histology, disseminated peritoneal adenomucinosis and intermediate tumors had better 3-year survival rates (77% +/- 7% and 81% +/- 10%) than PMCA and high-grade nonmucinous lesions (35% +/- 10% and 15% +/- 14%; P = .0032 for test of differences between groups). Age at presentation (P = .0134), performance status (P < .0001), time between diagnosis and IPHC (P = .0011), resection status (P = .0044), and length of hyperthermic chemoperfusion (P = .0193) were independently associated with survival. CONCLUSIONS: The data show that long-term survival is anticipated in most patients who are treated with cytoreduction and IPHC for appendiceal PD. The findings presented herein underscore the important prognostic characteristics that predict outcome after IPHC in patients with PD. In all, this work establishes a framework for the consideration of IPHC in future trials for appendiceal PD.

Cytoreductive surgery and intraperitoneal hyperthermic chemotherapy for peritoneal carcinomatosis from small bowel adenocarcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: Peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) is associated with a dismal prognosis. Small bowel adenocarcinoma is a rare etiology for PC. Due to the rarity, poor prognosis, and lack of standard treatment, we chose to review our experience with this disease process treated with cytoreductive surgery (CS) and intraperitoneal hyperthermic chemotherapy (IPHC). METHODS: From a prospective database of IPHC patients, six patients diagnosed with PC from adenocarcinoma of the small bowel were identified. Between 1995 and 2004 these patients underwent CS and IPHC with Mitomycin C. A retrospective review was performed on these patients with mortality as the primary outcome measure. RESULTS: Three of the six patients in this series are still alive, with a mean follow-up of 19.7 months after treatment with CS and IPHC. Three patients died of disease progression 29, 30, and 45 months after IPHC. Median survival after diagnosis of small bowel adenocarcinoma was 54 months, while median survival after CS and IPHC for PC was 30.1 months. CONCLUSIONS: Small bowel adenocarcinoma with PC remains an unusual therapeutic challenge. Treatment with CS and IPHC is an attractive option for patients in this setting.

Renovascular disease in children and adolescents.

PURPOSE: This retrospective review describes the surgical management of renovascular disease in 25 consecutive children and adolescents with severe hypertension. METHODS: Patients 95 th percentile systolic or diastolic pressure adjusted for gender, age, and height). RA repair comprised 25 bypasses (73%) consisting of 28% saphenous vein, 60% hypogastric artery, and 12% polytetrafluoroethylene; 2 patch angioplasties (6%), and 7 reimplantations (21%). Branch RA exposure was required in 28 kidneys (88%), and branch reconstruction was required in 61%. Warm in situ repair was used in 53%, in situ cold perfusion in 24%, and ex vivo cold perfusion in 23%. Of six bilateral RA repairs, one was staged and two patients are awaiting a staged repair. Combined aortic reconstruction was required in three patients. No unplanned nephrectomy was performed. There were no perioperative deaths. Hypertension was cured in 36%, improved in 56%, and failed in 8% at mean follow-up of 46.4 +/- 7.8 months. The mean calculated glomerular filtration rate increased from 82.0 mL/min/1.73 m 2 preoperatively to 98.2 mL/min/1.73 m 2 postoperatively. The postoperative patency of 30 RA reconstructions was evaluated by angiography, RDS scanning, or both. At mean follow-up of 32.8 months (median, 21.2 months), primary RA patency was 91%. No failures were observed after 2 months follow-up. Estimated survival was 100% at 60 months, with one death 9 years after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Renovascular hypertension in children and adolescents was caused by a heterogeneous group of lesions. All patients had RA repair, with arterial autografts in most of the RA bypasses. Cold perfusion preservation was used in half of the complex branch RA repairs. These strategies provided 91% primary patency at mean follow-up of 32.8 months, with beneficial blood pressure response in 92%. Surgical repair of clinically significant renovascular disease in children and adolescents is supported by these results.

Multiple aneurysms in childhood.

Arterial aneurysms in children are rare. When present, they are often associated with connective tissue disorders or arteritidies. Idiopathic aneurysms occurring at multiple sites throughout the arterial tree are rare, with only ten cases reported. This report describes a case of multiple arterial aneurysms of uncertain origin involving upper-extremity, extracranial cerebrovascular, aortoiliac, and renal arteries in a 14-year-old boy. The clinical presentation, vascular reconstruction, pathologic findings, and a brief review of the literature are described.

Non-helmeted motorcyclists: a burden to society? A study using the National Trauma Data Bank.

INTRODUCTION: Helmet laws remain controversial. Opponents believe negative findings are a result of biased statistical analyses that fail to account for the impact of alcohol and drugs. In this study, we evaluated the effect that helmet use had upon injury severity, outcome controlling for alcohol or drug use, resource utilization, and financial burden using the National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB). METHODS: Two groups of patients, helmeted and non-helmeted motorcyclists, were identified using the NTDB over an 8-year period. Group differences were compared using nonparametric Wilcoxon tests for continuous variables and Fisher's exact test for dichotomous outcomes. To evaluate the effect that alcohol or drug use had on mortality, logistic regression models were created. RESULTS: A total of 9,769 patients were identified by the NTDB of which 6756 (69.2%) were helmeted and 3013 (30.8%) were non-helmeted. Helmet use was associated with lower injury severity, mortality, and resource utilization. Non-helmeted motorcyclists accrued greater hospital charges and were significantly less likely to have health insurance. When controlling for alcohol or drug use, mortality continued to be significantly associated with non-helmet use. CONCLUSION: Non-helmeted motorcyclists have worse outcomes than their helmeted counterparts independent of the use of alcohol or drugs. Furthermore, they monopolize more hospital resources, incur higher hospital charges, and as non-helmeted motorcyclists frequently do not have insurance, reimbursement in this group of patients is poor. Thus, the burden of caring for these patients is transmitted to society as a whole.