Laparoscopic surgery for adrenocortical carcinoma: Estimating the risk of margin-positive resection.

BACKGROUND: Over recent years, there has been increasing adoption of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) in the treatment of adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC). However, MIS has been associated with noncurative resection and locoregional recurrence. We aimed to identify risk factors for margin-positivity among patients who undergo MIS resection for ACC. We hypothesized that a simple nomogram can accurately identify patients most suitable for curative MIS resection. METHODS: Curative-intent resections for ACC were identified through the National Cancer Database spanning 2010-2018. Trends in MIS utilization were reported using Pearson correlation coefficients. Factors associated with margin-positive resection were identified among preoperatively available variables using multivariable logistic regression, then incorporated into a predictive model. Model quality was cross validated using an 80% training data set and 20% test data set. RESULTS: Among 1260 ACC cases, 38.6% (486) underwent MIS resection. MIS utilization increased over time at nonacademic centers (R = 0.818, p = 0.007), but not at academic centers (R = 0.009, p = 0.982). Factors associated with margin-positive MIS resection were increasing age, nonacademic center (odds ratio [OR]: 1.8, p = 0.006), cT3 (OR: 4.7, p < 0.001) or cT4 tumors (OR: 14.6, p < 0.001), and right-sided tumors (OR: 2.0, p = 0.006). A predictive model incorporating these four factors produced favorable c-statistics of 0.75 in the training data set and 0.72 in the test data set. A pragmatic nomogram was created to enable bedside risk stratification. CONCLUSIONS: An increasing proportion of ACC are resected via minimally invasive operations, particularly at nonacademic centers. Patient selection based on a few key factors can minimize the risk of noncurative surgery.

Mid-term Surgery Outcomes in Patients With COVID-19: Results From a Nationwide Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Determine mid-term postoperative outcomes among coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-positive (+) patients compared with those who never tested positive before surgery. BACKGROUND: COVID-19 is thought to be associated with prohibitively high rates of postoperative complications. However, prior studies have only evaluated 30-day outcomes, and most did not adjust for demographic, clinical, or procedural characteristics. METHODS: We analyzed data from surgeries performed at all Veterans Affairs hospitals between March 2020 and 2021. Kaplan-Meier curves compared trends in mortality and Cox proportional hazards models estimated rates of mortality and pulmonary, thrombotic, and septic postoperative complications between patients with a positive preoperative severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) test [COVID (+)] and propensity score-matched COVID-negative (-) patients. RESULTS: Of 153,741 surgical patients, 4778 COVID (+) were matched to 14,101 COVID (-). COVID (+) status was associated with higher postoperative mortality ( P <0.0001) with a 6-month survival of 94.2% (95% confidence interval: 93.2-95.2) versus 96.0% (95% confidence interval: 95.7.0-96.4) in COVID (-). The highest mortality was in the first 30 postoperative days. Hazards for mortality and postoperative complications in COVID (+) decreased with increasing time between testing COVID (+) and date of surgery. COVID (+) patients undergoing elective surgery had similar rates of mortality, thrombotic and septic complications, but higher rates of pulmonary complications than COVID (-) patients. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report of mid-term outcomes among COVID-19 patients undergoing surgery. COVID-19 is associated with decreased overall and complication-free survival primarily in the early postoperative period, delaying surgery by 5 weeks or more reduces risk of complications. Case urgency has a multiplicative effect on short-term and long-term risk of postoperative mortality and complications.

Multicenter Assessment of Cryoanalgesia Use in Minimally Invasive Repair of Pectus Excavatum: A 20-center Retrospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the clinical implications of cryoanalgesia for pain management in children undergoing minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum (MIRPE). BACKGROUND: MIRPE entails significant pain management challenges, often requiring high postoperative opioid use. Cryoanalgesia, which blocks pain signals by temporarily ablating intercostal nerves, has been recently utilized as an analgesic adjunct. We hypothesized that the use of cryoanalgesia during MIRPE would decrease postoperative opioid use and length of stay (LOS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A multicenter retrospective cohort study of 20 US children's hospitals was conducted of children (age below 18 years) undergoing MIRPE from January 1, 2014, to August 1, 2019. Differences in total postoperative, inpatient, oral morphine equivalents per kilogram, and 30-day LOS between patients who received cryoanalgesia versus those who did not were assessed using bivariate and multivariable analysis. P value <0.05 is considered significant. RESULTS: Of 898 patients, 136 (15%) received cryoanalgesia. Groups were similar by age, sex, body mass index, comorbidities, and Haller index. Receipt of cryoanalgesia was associated with lower oral morphine equivalents per kilogram (risk ratio=0.43, 95% confidence interval: 0.33-0.57) and a shorter LOS (risk ratio=0.66, 95% confidence interval: 0.50-0.87). Complications were similar between groups (29.8% vs 22.1, P =0.07), including a similar rate of emergency department visit, readmission, and/or reoperation. CONCLUSIONS: Use of cryoanalgesia during MIRPE appears to be effective in lowering postoperative opioid requirements and LOS without increasing complication rates. With the exception of preoperative gabapentin, other adjuncts appear to increase and/or be ineffective at reducing opioid utilization. Cryoanalgesia should be considered for patients undergoing this surgery.

Growing Deficit in New Cancer Diagnoses 2 Years Into the COVID-19 Pandemic: A National Multicenter Study.

BACKGROUND: Large decreases in cancer diagnoses were seen early in the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the evolution of these deficits since the end of 2020 and the advent of widespread vaccination is unknown. METHODS: This study examined data from the Veterans Health Administration (VA) from 1 January 2018 through 28 February 2022 and identified patients with screening or diagnostic procedures or new cancer diagnoses for the four most common cancers in the VA health system: prostate, lung, colorectal, and bladder cancers. Monthly procedures and new diagnoses were calculated, and the pre-COVID era (January 2018 to February 2020) was compared with the COVID era (March 2020 to February 2022). RESULTS: The study identified 2.5 million patients who underwent a diagnostic or screening procedure related to the four cancers. A new cancer was diagnosed for 317,833 patients. During the first 2 years of the pandemic, VA medical centers performed 13,022 fewer prostate biopsies, 32,348 fewer cystoscopies, and 200,710 fewer colonoscopies than in 2018-2019. These persistent deficits added a cumulative deficit of nearly 19,000 undiagnosed prostate cancers and 3300 to 3700 undiagnosed cancers each for lung, colon, and bladder. Decreased diagnostic and screening procedures correlated with decreased new diagnoses of cancer, particularly cancer of the prostate (R = 0.44) and bladder (R = 0.27). CONCLUSION: Disruptions in new diagnoses of four common cancers (prostate, lung, bladder, and colorectal) seen early in the COVID-19 pandemic have persisted for 2 years. Although reductions improved from the early pandemic, new reductions during the Delta and Omicron waves demonstrate the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer care.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on diagnosis of new cancers: A national multicenter study of the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused disruptions in treatment for cancer. Less is known about its impact on new cancer diagnoses, where delays could cause worsening long-term outcomes. This study quantifies decreases in encounters related to prostate, lung, bladder and colorectal cancers, procedures that facilitate their diagnosis, and new diagnoses of those cancers in the COVID era compared to pre-COVID era. METHODS: All encounters at Veterans' Affairs facilities nationwide from 2016 through 2020 were reviewed. The authors quantified trends in new diagnoses of cancer and in procedures facilitating their diagnosis, from January 1, 2018 onward. Using 2018 to 2019 as baseline, reductions in procedures and new cancer diagnoses in 2020 were estimated. Calculated absolute and percentage differences in annual volume and observed-to-expected volume ratios were calculated. Heat maps and funnel plots of volume changes were generated. RESULTS: From 2018 through 2020, there were 4.1 million cancer-related encounters, 3.9 million relevant procedures, and 251,647 new cancers diagnosed. Compared to the annual averages in 2018 through 2019, colonoscopies in 2020 decreased by 45% whereas prostate biopsies, chest computed tomography scans, and cystoscopies decreased by 29%, 10%, and 21%, respectively. New cancer diagnoses decreased by 13% to 23%. These drops varied by state and continued to accumulate despite reductions in pandemic-related restrictions. CONCLUSION: The authors identified substantial reductions in procedures used to diagnose cancer and subsequent reductions in new diagnoses of cancer across the United States because of the COVID-19 pandemic. A nomogram is provided to identify and resolve these unmet health care needs and avoid worse long-term cancer outcomes. LAY SUMMARY: The disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic have led to substantial reductions in new cancers being diagnosed. This study quantifies those reductions in a national health care system and offers a method for understanding the backlog of cases and the resources needed to resolve them.

COVID-19 Vaccination Associated With Reduced Postoperative SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Morbidity.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of COVID-19 vaccination on postoperative mortality, pulmonary and thrombotic complications, readmissions and hospital lengths of stay among patients undergoing surgery in the United States. BACKGROUND: While vaccination prevents COVID-19, little is known about its impact on postoperative complications. METHODS: This is a nationwide observational cohort study of all 1,255 Veterans Affairs facilities nationwide. We compared patients undergoing surgery at least 2 weeks after their second dose of the Pfizer BioNTech or Moderna vaccines, to contemporary propensity score matched controls. Primary endpoints were 30-day mortality and postoperative COVID-19 infection. Secondary endpoints were pulmonary or thrombotic complications, readmissions, and hospital lengths of stay. RESULTS: 30,681 patients met inclusion criteria. After matching, there were 3,104 in the vaccination group (1,903 received the Pfizer BioNTech, and 1,201 received the Moderna vaccine) and 7,438 controls. Full COVID-19 vaccination was associated with lower rates of postoperative 30-day COVID-19 infection (Incidence Rate Ratio and 95% confidence intervals, 0.09 [0.01,0.44]), pulmonary complications (0.54 [0.39, 0.72]), thrombotic complications (0.68 [0.46, 0.99]) and decreased hospital lengths of stay (0.78 [0.69, 0.89]). Complications were also low in vaccinated patients who tested COVID-19 positive before surgery but events were too few to detect a significant difference compared to controls. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 vaccination is associated with lower rates of postoperative morbidity. The benefit is most pronounced among individuals who have never had a COVID-19 infection before surgery.

A Nation-Wide Review of Elective Surgery and COVID-Surge Capacity.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in over 225,000 excess deaths in the United States. A moratorium on elective surgery was placed early in the pandemic to reduce risk to patients and staff and preserve critical care resources. This report evaluates the impact of the elective surgical moratorium on case volumes and intensive care unit (ICU) bed utilization. METHODS: This retrospective review used a national convenience sample to correlate trends in the weekly rates of surgical cases at 170 Veterans Affairs Hospitals around the United States from January 1 to September 30, 2020 to national trends in the COVID-19 pandemic. We reviewed data on weekly number of procedures performed and ICU bed usage, stratified by level of urgency (elective, urgent, emergency), and whether an ICU bed was required within 24 hours of surgery. National data on the proportion of COVID-19 positive test results and mortality rates were obtained from the Center for Disease Control website. RESULTS: 198,911 unique surgical procedures performed during the study period. The total number of cases performed from January 1 to March 16 was 86,004 compared with 15,699 from March 17 to May 17. The reduction in volume occurred before an increase in the percentage of COVID-19 positive test results and deaths nationally. There was a 91% reduction from baseline in the number of elective surgeries performed allowing 78% of surgical ICU beds to be available for COVID-19 positive patients. CONCLUSION: The moratorium on elective surgical cases was timely and effective in creating bed capacity for critically ill COVID-19 patients. Further analyses will allow targeted resource allocation for future pandemic planning.

LONG-TERM HEMATOLOGIC AND CLINICAL OUTCOMES OF SPLENECTOMY IN CHILDREN WITH HEREDITARY SPHEROCYTOSIS AND SICKLE CELL DISEASE.

Background: Total splenectomy (TS) and partial splenectomy (PS) are used for children with congenital hemolytic anemia (CHA), although the long-term outcomes of these procedures are poorly defined. This report describes long-term outcomes of children with CHA requiring TS or PS. Procedure: We collected data from children ages 2-17 with hereditary spherocytosis (HS) or sickle cell disease (SCD) requiring TS or PS from 1996 to 2016 from 14 sites in the Splenectomy in Congenital Hemolytic Anemia (SICHA) consortium using a prospective, observational patient registry. We summarized hematologic outcomes, clinical outcomes, and adverse events to 5 years after surgery. Hematologic outcomes were compared using mixed effects modeling. Results: Over the study period, 110 children with HS and 97 children with SCD underwent TS or PS. From preoperatively compared to postoperatively, children with HS increased their mean hemoglobin level by 3.4 g/dL, decreased their mean reticulocyte percentage by 6.7%, and decreased their mean bilirubin by 2.4mg/dL. Hematologic improvements and improved clinical outcomes were sustained over 5 years of follow-up. For children with SCD, there was no change in hemoglobin after PS or TS following surgery, although all clinical outcomes were improved. Over 5 years, there was one child with HS and 5 children with SCD who developed post-splenectomy sepsis. Conclusions: For children with HS, there are excellent long-term hematologic and clinical outcomes following either PS or TS. Although hemoglobin levels do not change after TS or PS in SCD, the long-term clinical outcomes for children with SCD are favorable.

Comparing oncologic outcomes after minimally invasive and open surgery for pediatric neuroblastoma and Wilms tumor.

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has been widely adopted for common operations in pediatric surgery; however, its role in childhood tumors is limited by concerns about oncologic outcomes. We compared open and MIS approaches for pediatric neuroblastoma and Wilms tumor (WT) using a national database. METHODS: The National Cancer Data Base from 2010 to 2012 was queried for cases of neuroblastoma and WT in children ≤21 years old. Children were classified as receiving open or MIS surgery for definitive resection, with clinical outcomes compared using a propensity matching methodology (two open:one MIS). RESULTS: For children with neuroblastoma, 17% (98 of 579) underwent MIS, while only 5% of children with WT (35 of 695) had an MIS approach for tumor resection. After propensity matching, there was no difference between open and MIS surgery for either tumor for 30-day mortality, readmissions, surgical margin status, and 1- and 3-year survival. However, in both tumors, open surgery more often evaluated lymph nodes and had larger lymph node harvest. CONCLUSION: Our retrospective review suggests that the use of MIS appears to be a safe method of oncologic resection for select children with neuroblastoma and WT. Further research should clarify which children are the optimal candidates for this approach.

Contemporary management and outcomes of acute type A aortic dissection: An analysis of the STS adult cardiac surgery database.

PURPOSE: Management of acute type A aortic dissection (AAAD) is challenging and operative strategies are varied. We used the STS Adult Cardiac Surgery Database (STS ACSD) to describe contemporary surgical strategies and outcomes for AAAD. METHODS: Between July 2011 and September 2012, 2982 patients with AAAD underwent operations at 640 centers in North America. RESULTS: In this cohort, median age was 60 years old, 66% were male, and 80% had hypertension. The most common arterial cannulation strategies included femoral (36%), axillary (27%), and direct aortic (19%). The median perfusion and cross-clamp times were 181 and 102 min, respectively. The lowest temperature on bypass showed significant variation. Hypothermic circulatory arrest (HCA) was used in 78% of cases. Among those undergoing HCA, brain protection strategies included antegrade cerebral perfusion (31%), retrograde cerebral perfusion (25%), both (4%), and none (40%). Median HCA plus cerebral perfusion time was 40 min. Major complications included prolonged ventilation (53%), reoperation (19%), renal failure (18%), permanent stroke (11%), and paralysis (3%). Operative mortality was 17%. The median intensive care unit and hospital length of stays were 4.7 and 9.0 days, respectively. Among 640 centers, the median number of cases performed during the study period was three. Resuscitation, unresponsive state, cardiogenic shock, inotrope use, age >70, diabetes, and female sex were found to be independent predictors of mortality. CONCLUSIONS: These data describe contemporary patient characteristics, operative strategies, and outcomes for AAAD in North America. Mortality and morbidity for AAAD remain high.

Frequency and Predictors of Internal Mammary Artery Graft Failure and Subsequent Clinical Outcomes: Insights From the Project of Ex-vivo Vein Graft Engineering via Transfection (PREVENT) IV Trial.

BACKGROUND: The internal mammary artery (IMA) is the preferred conduit for bypassing the left anterior descending (LAD) artery in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. Systematic evaluation of the frequency and predictors of IMA failure and long-term outcomes is lacking. METHODS AND RESULTS: The Project of Ex-vivo Vein Graft Engineering via Transfection (PREVENT) IV trial participants who underwent IMA-LAD revascularization and had 12- to 18-month angiographic follow-up (n=1539) were included. Logistic regression with fast false selection rate methods was used to identify characteristics associated with IMA failure (≥75% stenosis). The relationship between IMA failure and long-term outcomes, including death, myocardial infarction, and repeat revascularization, was assessed with Cox regression. IMA failure occurred in 132 participants (8.6%). Predictors of IMA graft failure were LAD stenosis <75% (odds ratio, 1.76; 95% confidence interval, 1.19-2.59), additional bypass graft to diagonal branch (odds ratio, 1.92; 95% confidence interval, 1.33-2.76), and not having diabetes mellitus (odds ratio, 1.82; 95% confidence interval, 1.20-2.78). LAD stenosis and additional diagonal graft remained predictive of IMA failure in an alternative model that included angiographic failure or death before angiography as the outcome. IMA failure was associated with a significantly higher incidence of subsequent acute (<14 days of angiography) clinical events, mostly as a result of a higher rate of repeat revascularization. CONCLUSIONS: IMA failure was common and associated with higher rates of repeat revascularization, and patients with intermediate LAD stenosis or with an additional bypass graft to the diagonal branch had increased risk for IMA failure. These findings raise concerns about competitive flow and the benefit of coronary artery bypass grafting in intermediate LAD stenosis without functional evidence of ischemia. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: http:/www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00042081.

Traveling to a High-volume Center is Associated With Improved Survival for Patients With Esophageal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: An association between volume and outcomes has been observed for esophagectomy, though little is known about why or how patients choose low- or high-volume centers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how travel burden and hospital volume influence treatment and outcomes of patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer. METHODS: Predictors of receiving esophagectomy for patients with T1-3N1M0 mid or distal esophageal cancer in the National Cancer Data Base from 2006 to 2011 were identified using multivariable logistic regression. Survival was compared using propensity score-matched groups: patients in the bottom quartile of travel distance who underwent treatment at low-volume facilities (Local) and patients in the top quartile of travel distance who underwent treatment at high-volume facilities (Travel). RESULTS: Of 4979 patients who met inclusion criteria, we identified 867 Local patients who traveled 2.7 [interquartile range (IQR): 1.6-4 miles] miles to centers that treated 2.6 (IQR: 1.9-3.3) esophageal cancers per year, and 317 Travel patients who traveled 107.1 (IQR: 65-247) miles to centers treating 31.9 (IQR: 30.9-38.5) cases. Travel patients were more likely to undergo esophagectomy (67.8% vs 42.9%, P < 0.001) and had significantly better 5-year survival (39.8% vs 20.6%, P < 0.001) than Local patients. CONCLUSIONS: Patients who travel longer distances to high-volume centers have significantly different treatment and better outcomes than patients who stay close to home at low-volume centers. Strategies that support patient travel for treatment at high-volume centers may improve esophageal cancer outcomes.

The association of donor age and survival is independent of ischemic time following deceased donor lung transplantation.

PURPOSE: Early research suggests prolonged ischemic time in older donor lungs is associated with decreased survival following lung transplantation. The purpose of this study was to determine whether this association holds in the post-lung allocation score era. METHODS: We analyzed the United Network for Organ Sharing database 2005-2013 for adult recipients of cadaveric lung transplants. Cox proportional hazards modeling was utilized to determine the association of donor age, ischemic time, and the interaction of donor age and ischemic time with transplant-free survival. RESULTS: Eleven thousand eight hundred thirty-five patients met criteria. Median donor age was 32 years, and median ischemic time was 4.9 hours. Cox modeling demonstrated that donor age 50-60 (adjusted hazard ratio (HR): 1.11) and ≥60 (adjusted HR: 1.42) were associated with reduced overall survival. Neither ischemic time nor interaction of ischemic time and donor age were significantly associated with overall survival. Subanalysis demonstrated that this finding held true for patients undergoing either single or bilateral lung transplantation. CONCLUSIONS: Prolonged ischemic time is not associated with decreased overall survival in patients undergoing lung transplantation regardless of the donor's age. However, donor age >50 is independently associated with decreased survival. The lack of an association between ischemic time and survival should encourage broader geographic allocation of pulmonary allografts.

Lung transplantation delays gastric motility in patients without prior gastrointestinal surgery-A single-center experience of 412 consecutive patients.

PURPOSE: To examine the impact of lung transplantation on gastric motility. METHODS: Adult recipients at a large, single center, who were retrospectively evaluated with solid gastric emptying (SGE) study post-lung transplantation, but had no history of gastrointestinal intervention (ie, pyloroplasty or fundoplication), were selected between June 2005 and August 2013. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to determine risk factors associated with delayed gastric emptying (DGE) after transplantation. RESULTS: Delayed gastric emptying (DGE) was noted in 236 patients (57%) after transplantation. On multivariable logistic regression, an underlining diagnosis of cystic fibrosis (CF)/bronchiectasis (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 3.26, P < .01) was a significant risk factor in predicting DGE after lung transplantation. There was no survival difference between patients with postoperative DGE vs those without (log-rank test P = .53). CONCLUSIONS: Delayed gastric emptying is very common following lung transplantation, occurring in over half of all lung transplant recipients with increased prevalence in patients with CF. The association with cystic fibrosis could be secondary to extra-pulmonary manifestations of the underlying disease or indicative of increased intraoperative vagal nerve injury. We speculate that DGE may play a substantial role in the increased reflux-induced allograft injury seen after lung transplantation. Further prospective studies are needed to validate this hypothesis.

Renal medullary carcinoma: A national analysis of 159 patients.

BACKGROUND: Renal medullary carcinoma (RMC) is an aggressive malignancy seen predominantly in young males with sickle cell trait. RMC is poorly understood, with fewer than 220 cases described in the medical literature to date. We used a large national registry to define the typical presentation, treatments, and outcomes of this rare tumor. METHODS: The National Cancer Database was queried for patients under 40 years of age diagnosed with RMC from 1998 to 2011. An analysis of patient and tumor characteristics, treatment details, and overall survival (OS) was undertaken, and factors associated with mortality were identified using multivariable regression analysis. RESULTS: In total, 159 patients with RMC were identified, of whom a majority were male (71%), African American (87%), and had metastatic disease (71%). Median tumor size was 6 cm and median survival was 7.7 months. Most patients underwent surgery (60%) and chemotherapy (65%). Few patients received radiation (12%). Patients with metastatic disease had a significantly worse median survival (4.7 vs. 17.8 months, P < 0.001) and were less likely to receive surgery (42% vs. 91%, P < 0.001). Age and tumor size did not appear to impact OS. CONCLUSION: In the largest cohort to date of patients with RMC, we found a dismal median survival of less than 8 months. Age and tumor size were not associated with OS. Metastatic disease at presentation was the main negative prognostic indicator in RMC and was present in a majority of patients at the time of diagnosis.

Transplant size mismatch in restrictive lung disease.

To maximize the benefit of lung transplantation, the effect of size mismatch on survival in lung transplant recipients with restrictive lung disease (RLD) was examined. All single and bilateral RLD lung transplants from 1987 to 2011 in the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) Database were identified. Donor predicted total lung capacity (pTLC):Recipient pTLC ratio (pTLCr) quantified mismatch. pTLCr was segregated into five strata. A Cox proportional hazards model evaluated the association of pTLCr with mortality hazard. To identify a critical pTLCr, a Cox model using a restricted cubic spline for pTLCr was used. A total of 6656 transplants for RLD were identified. Median pTLCr for single orthotopic lung transplant (SOLT) and bilateral orthotopic lung transplant (BOLT) was 1.0 (0.69-1.47) and 0.98 (0.66-1.45). Examination of pTLCr as a categorical variable revealed that undersizing (pTLCr <0.8) for SOLT and moderate oversizing (pTLCr = 1.1-1.2) for SOLT and BOLT had a harmful survival effect [for SOLT pTLC <0.8: HR 1.711 (95% CI 1.146-2.557), P = 0.01 and for BOLT pTLC 1.1-1.2: HR 1.717 (95% CI 1.112-2.651), P = 0.02]. Spline analysis revealed significant changes in SOLT mortality by variation of pTLCr between 0.8-0.9 and 1.1-1.2. RLD patients undergoing SOLT are susceptible to detriments of an undersized lung. RLD patients undergoing BOLT have higher risk of mortality when pTLCr falls between 1.1 and 1.2.

Children Receiving Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation are at Increased Risk of Onychocryptosis Requiring Surgical Management.

PURPOSE: At our institution, a high proportion of children with onychocryptosis (ingrown toenail) requiring surgical intervention were noted to have a history of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). We analyzed the characteristics of patients who underwent surgical intervention for onychocryptosis and examined our institutional HSCT database to determine if an association exists between onychocryptosis and HSCT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Surgical cases for onychocryptosis performed from 2000 to 2012 were identified. Nine demographic, clinical, and perioperative variables for both patients with and without prior HSCT were assessed. In a separate analysis, the institutional HSCT database was then queried to identify the prevalence and clinical characteristics associated with onychocryptosis after HSCT. RESULTS: We identified 17 children who had undergone surgical management of onychocryptosis, of which 8 (47.1%) had previous HSCT. Children who had undergone HSCT had an aggressive form of onychocryptosis with 50.0% having bilateral great toe and nail edge involvement and 37.5% having a recurrence. In HSCT cohort analysis of 1069 children, 91 (8.5%) had onychocryptosis. Male sex, non-black race, acute graft versus host disease, and increasing age at transplantation were independently associated with onychocryptosis. CONCLUSIONS: HSCT is strongly associated with onychocryptosis requiring surgical intervention. Children with a history of HSCT may also have more aggressive toenail disease, with higher rates of surgical intervention, bilateral ingrown toenails, recurrence, and need for return to the operating room. Clinicians should perform careful screening and early treatment in these patients.

The utility of preoperative six-minute-walk distance in lung transplantation.

RATIONALE: The use of 6-minute-walk distance (6MWD) as an indicator of exercise capacity to predict postoperative survival in lung transplantation has not previously been well studied. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the association between 6MWD and postoperative survival following lung transplantation. METHODS: Adult, first time, lung-only transplantations per the United Network for Organ Sharing database from May 2005 to December 2011 were analyzed. Kaplan-Meier methods and Cox proportional hazards modeling were used to determine the association between preoperative 6MWD and post-transplant survival after adjusting for potential confounders. A receiver operating characteristic curve was used to determine the 6MWD value that provided maximal separation in 1-year mortality. A subanalysis was performed to assess the association between 6MWD and post-transplant survival by disease category. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: A total of 9,526 patients were included for analysis. The median 6MWD was 787 ft (25th-75th percentiles = 450-1,082 ft). Increasing 6MWD was associated with significantly lower overall hazard of death (P < 0.001). Continuous increase in walk distance through 1,200-1,400 ft conferred an incremental survival advantage. Although 6MWD strongly correlated with survival, the impact of a single dichotomous value to predict outcomes was limited. All disease categories demonstrated significantly longer survival with increasing 6MWD (P ≤ 0.009) except pulmonary vascular disease (P = 0.74); however, the low volume in this category (n = 312; 3.3%) may limit the ability to detect an association. CONCLUSIONS: 6MWD is significantly associated with post-transplant survival and is best incorporated into transplant evaluations on a continuous basis given limited ability of a single, dichotomous value to predict outcomes.