Clinical practice and volume trends of inferior vena cava filter usage at a single tertiary care center during a 19-year period.

BACKGROUND: We investigated the clinical practice and volume trends of inferior vena cava filter (IVCF) usage at a single institution for an extended period and identified the potential factors affecting the clinical decision for placement, follow-up, and retrieval. METHODS: An institutional database was queried for IVCFs placed from 2000 to 2018 using the Current Procedural Terminology codes. The medical records were reviewed to evaluate the demographics, economic status, placement indication, IVCF type, follow-up evaluation for retrieval, and retrieval success rates. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS, and t tests for continuous and χ2 for categorical variables. RESULTS: A total of 3915 IVCFs were placed from 2000 to 2018. The placement of IVCFs had increased steadily from 2000 (127 IVCFs/y), peaking in 2010 at 371 IVCFs/y and representing a 292% increase in IVCF usage. Since 2010, the number of IVCFs placed has steadily declined until 2016 to 2018, with a 426% decrease from the peak. In a subgroup of IVCFs placed for prophylaxis, the total volume trends paralleled a shift in clinical indications, peaking in 2010 and accounting for 45% of all IVCFs placed and then decreasing from 2013 to 2018 to ≤10%. Overall, 989 permanent IVCFs (25.3%) and 2926 retrievable IVCFs (74.7%) were placed during the entire study period. Before dedicated efforts to implement retrieval follow-up visits, the successful retrieval rate was ∼1% from 2000 to 2006 and had increased to ∼10% to 15% from 2007 to 2015, 36.7% in 2016, 40.2% in 2017, and 40.3% in 2018 after implementation of more active retrieval follow-up protocols. The predictors for the lack of evaluation for IVCF retrieval included an extended length of stay (P = .004) and geographic distance (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The use of IVCFs during the past 19 years at our institution reflected increased usage from 2000 to 2010, corresponding to an increase in prophylactic placement, followed by a decreasing total volume from 2011 to 2018, largely attributable to decreased prophylactic IVCF placement. Improved retrieval rates were seen after implementation of an active IVCF retrieval program.

Acute Sialadenitis After Skull Base Surgery: Systematic Review and Summative Practice Recommendations.

BACKGROUND: Sialadenitis is a rare complication of skull base neurosurgery, in which the submandibular gland undergoes acute inflammation with edema after surgery. Although attributable to transient obstruction or manual compression, presentation may be rapidly life-threatening as a result of airway obstruction. Understanding risk factors is limited at present, and no practical management guidelines have been reported. Our objective was to survey the literature and to characterize the associated risk factors, treatment considerations, and overall trends in outcomes for patients experiencing post skull base neurosurgery sialadenitis. METHODS: A search of the Ovid EMBASE, SCOPUS, and PubMed databases from inception through August 2020 was performed via Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. RESULTS: Systematic review identified 13 publications describing 18 cases of acute sialadenitis after skull base surgery. We describe the 19th reported case. Commonalities include the need for aggressive respiratory support as intubation or emergent tracheostomy is almost universally required. Risk factors are poorly understood but may include extreme flexion and/or rotation of the head and neck. Outcomes are favorable overall, although secondary complications have been described. CONCLUSIONS: Sialadenitis is a rare but potentially life-threatening complication of skull base neurosurgery, owing to acute loss of airway and the potential for a diverse array of secondary complications.

Prevalence of Surgical, Anesthetic, and Device-related Complications Among Infants Implanted Before 9 and 12 Months of Age Versus Older Children: Evidence for the Continued Expansion of Pediatric Cochlear Implant Candidacy Criteria.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the prevalence of surgical, anesthetic, and device-related complications among infants and older children receiving cochlear implantation (CI). STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. SETTING: Tertiary academic referral center. PATIENTS: Pediatric patients who underwent CI from November 1990 to January 2020. INTERVENTION: CI. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Surgical, anesthetic, and device-related complication rates were compared by age group (<12 versus 12-23 versus 24+ months with subset analysis of <9 versus 9-11 months). RESULTS: A total of 406 primary pediatric CI surgeries encompassing 482 ears were analyzed, including 45 ears in 23 patients implanted less than 9 months and 89 ears in 49 patients less than 12 months. No anesthetic complications occurred. Postoperative surgical and device-related complication rates were not significantly different among the less than 12, 12 to 23, and 24+ month groups (16% versus 16% versus 12%; p = 0.23) or between the less than 9 and 9 to 11 month groups (22% versus 9%; p = 0.09). Thirty-day readmission was significantly higher for patients less than 12 months compared with patients 24+ months (6% versus <1%; p = 0.011), but was not significantly higher compared with patients 12 to 23 months (6% versus 3%; p = 0.65). Reoperation rates did not differ significantly among the less than 12, 12 to 23, and 24+ month groups (10% versus 7% versus 6%; p = 0.31). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of surgical, anesthetic, and device related complications was not significantly different among infants implanted less than 9 or less than 12 months of age when compared with older children. These data provide evidence for the continued expansion of pediatric cochlear implant candidacy criteria to include appropriately selected infants less than 9 months of age.

Language and Audiological Outcomes Among Infants Implanted Before 9 and 12 Months of Age Versus Older Children: A Continuum of Benefit Associated With Cochlear Implantation at Successively Younger Ages.

OBJECTIVE: To compare language and audiological outcomes among infants (<9 and <12 mo) and older children receiving cochlear implantation (CI). STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. SETTING: Tertiary academic referral center. PATIENTS: Pediatric patients receiving CI between October 1995 and October 2019. INTERVENTION: Cochlear implantation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Most recent language and audiological assessment scores were evaluated by age group. RESULTS: A total of 118 children were studied, including 19 who were implanted <9 months of age, 19 implanted 9 to <12 months of age, and 80 implanted 12 to <36 months of age. The mean duration of follow-up was 7.4 ±â€Š5.0 years. Most recent REEL-3 receptive (88 ±â€Š12 vs. 73 ±â€Š15; p = 0.020) and expressive (95 ±â€Š13 vs. 79 ±â€Š12; p = 0.013) communication scores were significantly higher in the <9 months group compared to the 9 to <12 months group. PLS and OWLS auditory comprehension and oral expression scores were significantly higher in the <12 months group compared to the 12 to <36 months group. The difference in NU-CHIPS scores between <12 and 12 to <36 months was statistically significant (89% ±â€Š6 vs. 83% ±â€Š12; p = 0.009). LNT scores differed significantly between <9 and 9 to <12 months (94% ±â€Š4 vs. 86% ±â€Š10; p = 0.028). CONCLUSIONS: The recent FDA expansion of pediatric CI eligibility criteria to include infants as young as 9 months of age should not serve as a strict clinical cutoff. Rather, CI can be pursued in appropriately selected younger infants to optimize language and audiological outcomes.

Short and long-term outcomes of three-dimensional printed surgical guides and virtual surgical planning versus conventional methods for fibula free flap reconstruction of the mandible: Decreased nonunion and complication rates.

BACKGROUND: To determine whether virtual surgical planning and three-dimensional printed cutting guides (3D/VSP) improved radiographic bone union compared to conventional methods (CM) in fibula free flap (FFF) reconstruction of the mandibles. METHODS: Retrospective study from the years 2000-2018 at a tertiary hospital. Osseous union was evaluated by a radiologist blinded to each patient's treatment. RESULTS: Two hundred sixty patients who underwent FFF tissue transfer, 28 with VSP and 3D cutting guides. Bony union was not achieved in 46 (20%) patients who underwent CM compared to 1 (4%) of patients with VSP and guides (p = 0.036). FFF complication was significantly higher in CM with 87 patients (38%) compared to three patients (11%) in 3D/VSP (p = 0.005). Median time to bony union for patients who underwent CM was 1.4 years compared to 0.8 years in 3D/VSP. CONCLUSIONS: 3D/VSP reduced the rate of radiographic nonunion and flap-related complications in FFF reconstruction for mandibular defects.

Characterization of novel neutralizing mouse monoclonal antibody JM1-24-3 developed against MUC18 in metastatic melanoma.

BACKGROUND: MUC18 is a glycoprotein highly expressed on the surface of melanoma and other cancers which promotes tumor progression and metastasis. However, its mechanism of action and suitability as a therapeutic target are unknown. METHODS: A monoclonal antibody (mAb) (JM1-24-3) was generated from metastatic melanoma tumor live cell immunization, and high-throughput screening identified MUC18 as the target. RESULTS: Analysis of molecular interactions between MUC18 and JM1-24-3 revealed that the downstream signaling events depended on binding of the mAb to a conformational epitope on the extracellular domain of MUC18. JM1-24-3 inhibited melanoma cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro and reduced tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. CONCLUSION: These results confirm that MUC18 is mechanistically important in melanoma growth and metastasis, suggest that the MUC18 epitope identified is a promising therapeutic target, and that the JM1-24-3 mAb may serve as the basis for a potential therapeutic agent.

Wide local excision prior to sentinel lymph node biopsy for primary melanoma of the head and neck.

BACKGROUND: Previous wide local excision prior to sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) may have the potential to disrupt lymphatic channels, thus incorrectly identifying the sentinel node. The purpose of this study was to investigate: (1) regional recurrence rates of prior wide local excision compared to other biopsy techniques and (2) survival outcomes in patients with melanoma of the head and neck. METHODS: Between the years 2000 and 2016, 391 cases were reviewed with a median follow-up time of 30 months in a large tertiary care center. Biopsy practices included shave, punch, wide local excision, and narrow margin excisional/Mohs, and associations with time to local or regional relapse and death from melanoma were evaluated. Main outcomes included identification of sentinel lymph nodes, overall survival, and melanoma-specific survival. RESULTS: Of the 391 patients, biopsy patterns were as follows: 77 (19%) unknown biopsy, 30 (8%) prior wide local excision (WLE), 105 (27%) narrow margin excisional biopsy, 69 (18%) punch biopsy, and 110 (28%) shave biopsy. SLNB was successfully identified in all 30 patients whom had a prior WLE. There were 50 regional recurrences in the neck and 27 local recurrences with the median (IQR) at 1.2 years and 1.0 years, respectively. Multivariable associations of type of prior biopsy, depth of invasion, and nodal status with time to regional recurrence, local recurrence, overall survival, and melanoma-specific survival were not significantly different. CONCLUSIONS: Sentinel lymph node biopsy for melanoma of the head and neck can be successfully performed in patients after previous wide local excision.