Implementation of a restrictive blood transfusion protocol in a gynecologic oncology service.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a restrictive blood transfusion protocol in a postoperative gynecologic oncology population. The primary objective was the rate of blood transfusions after surgery before and after implementation of a restrictive transfusion protocol (from July 1st 2011 to December 30th 2016). Secondary outcomes were patient morbidity and included rates of surgical site infection, pneumonia, sepsis, unplanned intubation, prolonged ventilator use, renal insufficiency, acute renal failure, urinary tract infection, cerebral vascular accident, cardiac complications, venous thromboembolism, and death within 30 days of surgery, readmissions and length of stay. METHODS: A restrictive blood transfusion protocol was implemented by the gynecologic oncology service at a National Comprehensive Cancer Network designated Comprehensive Cancer Center on January 1st, 2014. The restrictive protocol required that no patient receive a blood transfusion for hemoglobin greater than 7.0 g/dL (or hematocrit greater than 21.0%) and that all red blood cells were administered in one unit increments followed by re-evaluation of blood parameters. Exceptions to this protocol were postoperative symptomatic anemia, intraoperative or day of surgery transfusion, active bleeding, postoperative severe sepsis, postoperative active coronary ischemia, and postoperative transfusion after 1.5 liter or greater blood loss. RESULTS: 1482 patients were identified for this study (755 in the pre-protocol group and 727 in the post-protocol group). Patients treated under the restrictive protocol had decreased rates of red blood cell transfusion (11.0% vs 5.9% p<0.001), superficial surgical site infection (7.7% vs 4.1% p=0.005), deep surgical site infection (2.3% vs 0.7% p=0.02), and median length of stay (3.0 days vs 2.0 days p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: A restrictive blood transfusion protocol is associated with reductions in the rates of blood transfusions and postoperative morbidity with a 46.8% reduction in superficial surgical site infection and a 69.6% decrease in deep surgical site infection in the gynecologic oncology patient population.

Efficacy of Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy and Cytoreductive Surgery in the Treatment of Recurrent Uterine Sarcoma.

OBJECTIVE: Uterine sarcomas (USs) are characterized by poor response to systemic chemotherapy and high recurrence rates. This study evaluates whether the use of cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) confers survival benefit in comparison with conventional treatment modalities in patients with recurrent US. METHODS/MATERIALS: A retrospective analysis of patients with recurrent US at a single institution for an 11-year study period was performed. All women with a pathologic diagnosis of leiomyosarcoma, adenosarcoma, endometrial stromal sarcoma, or undifferentiated US were identified. Overall and disease-free survival was estimated using Kaplan-Meier method. Comparisons between the study groups were performed with the log-rank test and Cox regression. RESULTS: A total of 26 patients were identified. Five patients received chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy without surgical intervention, 14 patients underwent surgery alone or a combination of surgery and adjuvant systemic chemotherapy, and 7 patients received cytoreductive surgery with HIPEC. There was no treatment-related mortality in any group, and only 1 patient had grade III-IV surgical complications. Median disease-free survival was 2.4 months for patients with nonsurgical treatments, 5.3 months for patients treated with conventional surgery, and 11.3 months for patients treated with HIPEC. Median overall survival was 35.9 months for patients treated with conventional surgery and 43.8 months for patients treated with HIPEC. CONCLUSIONS: Our study is the first to compare survival outcomes of HIPEC versus conventional therapies for recurrent US and is suggestive of treatment benefit. Further studies with more patients and longer follow-up to evaluate the role of HIPEC in management of this disease are warranted.

Ultrarestrictive Opioid Prescription Protocol for Pain Management After Gynecologic and Abdominal Surgery.

Importance: Opioids are routinely prescribed for postoperative home pain management for most patients in the United States, with limited evidence of the amount needed to be dispensed. Opioid-based treatment often adversely affects recovery. Prescribed opioids increase the risk of chronic opioid use, abuse, and diversion and contribute to the current opioid epidemic. Objective: To evaluate whether after hospital discharge, postsurgical acute pain can be effectively managed with a markedly reduced number of opioid doses. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this case-control cohort study, an ultrarestrictive opioid prescription protocol (UROPP) was designed and implemented from June 26, 2017, through June 30, 2018, at a single tertiary-care comprehensive cancer center. All patients undergoing gynecologic oncology surgery were included. Patients undergoing ambulatory or minimally invasive surgery (laparoscopic or robotic approach) were not prescribed opioids at discharge unless they required more than 5 doses of oral or intravenous opioids while in the hospital. Patients who underwent a laparotomy were provided a 3-day opioid pain medication supply at discharge. Main Outcomes and Measures: Total number of opioid pain medications prescribed in the 60-day perioperative period, requests for opioid prescription refills, and postoperative pain scores and complications were evaluated. Factors associated with increased postoperative pain, preoperative and postoperative pain scores, inpatient status, prior opioid use, and all opioid prescriptions within the 60-day perioperative window were monitored among the case patients and compared with those from consecutive control patients treated at the center in the 12 months before the UROPP was implemented. Results: Patient demographics and procedure characteristics were not statistically different between the 2 cohorts of women (605 cases: mean [SD] age, 56.3 [14.5] years; 626 controls: mean [SD] age, 55.5 [13.9] years). The mean (SD) number of opioid tablets given at discharge after a laparotomy was 43.6 (17.0) before implementation of the UROPP and 12.1 (8.9) after implementation (P < .001). For patients who underwent laparoscopic or robotic surgery, the mean (SD) number of opioid tablets given at discharge was 38.4 (17.4) before implementation of the UROPP and 1.3 (3.7) after implementation (P < .001). After ambulatory surgery, the mean (SD) number of opioid tablets given at discharge was 13.9 (16.6) before implementation of the UROPP and 0.2 (2.1) after implementation (P < .001). The mean (SD) perioperative oral morphine equivalent dose was reduced to 64.3 (207.2) mg from 339.4 (674.4) mg the year prior for all opioid-naive patients (P < .001). The significant reduction in the number of dispensed opioids was not associated with an increase the number of refill requests (104 patients [16.6%] in the pre-UROPP group vs 100 patients [16.5%] in the post-UROPP group; P = .99), the mean (SD) postoperative visit pain scores (1.1 [2.2] for the post-UROPP group vs 1.4 [2.3] for pre-UROPP group; P = .06), or the number of complications (29 cases [4.8%] in the post-UROPP group vs 42 cases [6.7%] in the pre-UROPP group; P = .15). Conclusions and Relevance: Implementation of a UROPP was associated with a significant decrease in the overall amount of opioids prescribed to patients after gynecologic and abdominal surgery at the time of discharge for all patients, and for the entire perioperative time for opioid-naive patients without changes in pain scores, complications, or medication refill requests.