Salvage surgery for locally recurrent anal cancer after intensity modulated radiation therapy with concurrent chemotherapy.

INTRODUCTION: Chemoradiation (CRT) with intensity modulated radiation treatment (IMRT) has become the standard for anal cancer. In patients who fail this treatment modality, salvage surgery with abdominal perineal resection can result in long term cancer control. We aimed to evaluate a single centre's experience of salvage surgery for local recurrence since the introduction of IMRT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed of all patients who underwent definitive CRT for anal carcinoma at a single tertiary referral center since IMRT became standard in 2009. Patients with recurrent or persistent disease after treatment who underwent salvage surgery were included. Details of CRT, salvage surgery and surgical complications, patterns of recurrence after surgery, and survival data were collected and described. RESULTS: Between 2009-2018, 181 patients underwent definitive treatment using IMRT for anal carcinoma. Of 26 patients who had locoregional recurrent or persistent disease, 14 underwent salvage surgery. Nine had multi-visceral resection and 8 required autologous flap reconstruction. Twelve patients had resections with clear margins and 2 had microscopic positive margins. Twelve patients (86%) experienced post-operative complications, and eight (57%) had perineal wound complications. After salvage, four patients (29%) recurred locally. None of the 8 patients with rpT2 disease recurred. After salvage surgery, 5-year disease free survival was 68.4% and 5-year overall survival was 75%. CONCLUSION: Following IMRT based chemoradiation, salvage surgery has high rates of surgical complications; however disease free and overall survival results are excellent particularly for small recurrences.

Humanistic education in surgery: a "patient as teacher" program for surgical clerkship.

Summary: Surgeons are frequently perceived by medical students to be uncompassionate, resolute and individualistic. Surgical education often prioritizes teaching and learning approaches that perpetuate these perceptions. In other specialties, engaging patients in education has shown promise in refocusing attention from the technical and procedural aspects of care toward the humanistic and social aspects. Despite proven favourable outcomes for both patients and students in many clinical areas, a "patient as teacher" approach to surgical education has yet to be adopted widely in Canada. A patient as teacher program was developed for surgical clerks at the University of Toronto with the goal of emphasizing the humanity of the patient, the psychosocial impact of a surgical diagnosis of breast cancer on patients and their families, and the social and humanistic roles for surgeons in providing patient-centred care. We report on the program's development process and pilot session.

Surgical site infection prevention: a qualitative analysis of an individualized audit and feedback model.

BACKGROUND: Surgical site infection (SSI) adversely affects patient outcomes and health care costs, so prevention of SSI has garnered much attention worldwide. Surgical site infection is recognized as an important quality indicator of patient care and safety. The purpose of this study was to use qualitative research methods to evaluate staff perceptions of the utility and impact of individualized audit and feedback (AF) data on SSI-related process metrics for their individual practice, as well as on overall communication and teamwork as they relate to SSI prevention. STUDY DESIGN: This study was performed in a tertiary care center, based on patients treated in the colorectal and hepatic-pancreatic-biliary surgical oncology services. Eighteen clinicians were interviewed. Analysis of interviews via comparative analysis techniques and coding strategies were used to identify themes. RESULTS: The most important finding of this study was that although nearly all participants believed that the individualized AF model was useful in effecting individual practice change as well as improving awareness and accountability around individual roles in preventing SSIs, it was not seen as a means to enable the multidisciplinary teamwork required for sustainable practice changes. Moreover, such teamwork requires a team leader. CONCLUSIONS: Provision of individualized AF data had a significant impact on promoting individual practice change. Despite this, we concluded that practice change is a shared responsibility, requiring a team leader. So, AF had little bearing on establishing a necessary multidisciplinary team approach to SSI prevention, to create more effective and sustainable practice change among an entire team.

Surgical site infection prevention: a survey to identify the gap between evidence and practice in University of Toronto teaching hospitals.

BACKGROUND: A gap exists between the best evidence and practice with regards to surgical site infection (SSI) prevention. Awareness of evidence is the first step in knowledge translation. METHODS: A web-based survey was distributed to 59 general surgeons and 68 residents at University of Toronto teaching hospitals. Five domains pertaining to SSI prevention with questions addressing knowledge of prevention strategies, efficacy of antibiotics, strategies for changing practice and barriers to implementation of SSI prevention strategies were investigated. RESULTS: Seventy-six individuals (60%) responded. More than 90% of respondents stated there was evidence for antibiotic prophylaxis and perioperative normothermia and reported use of these strategies. There was a discrepancy in the perceived evidence for and the self-reported use of perioperative hyperoxia, omission of hair removal and bowel preparation. Eighty-three percent of respondents felt that consulting published guidelines is important in making decisions regarding antibiotics. There was also a discrepancy between what respondents felt were important strategies to ensure timely administration of antibiotics and what strategies were in place. Checklists, standardized orders, protocols and formal surveillance programs were rated most highly by 75%-90% of respondents, but less than 50% stated that these strategies were in place at their institutions. CONCLUSION: Broad-reaching initiatives that increase surgeon and trainee awareness and implementation of multifaceted hospital strategies that engage residents and attending surgeons are needed to change practice.

Can a tailored knowledge translation strategy improve short term outcomes? A pilot study to increase compliance with bowel preparation recommendations in general surgery.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that practices supported by level I evidence may take up to 20 years before they are adopted. Although mechanical bowel preparation (MBP) has been a routine practice in colorectal surgery, there is strong evidence dating back to the early 1990s suggesting that in most patients MBP before elective colorectal surgery is not required. The objective of this study was to determine if surgical practices pertaining to bowel preparation could be altered using a tailored knowledge translation strategy. METHODS: A multi-faceted strategy including guideline development, consensus, education by opinion leaders, audit and feedback, and reminder cards was used in this before-after study. The primary outcome was compliance with the recommendations presented in the guideline regarding MBP, normal diet on the day prior to surgery, and enemas. RESULTS: Two-hundred eighty-two patients were enrolled in the study with 111 enrolled before the intervention and 171 enrolled after the intervention. Demographic and clinical characteristics between the 2 groups were similar. Overall, there was a 7.8% increase in compliance with MBP recommendations (81.1% vs 88.4%, P = .038), a 10.2% increase in compliance with diet recommendations (45.6% vs 55.8%, P = .080), and a 5.6% increase in compliance with enema recommendations (88.5% vs 94.2%, P < .001). CONCLUSION: The results of this study reveal that a tailored, multi-faceted knowledge translation strategy is effective in changing surgeon behavior.

Preoperative bowel preparation for patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery: a clinical practice guideline endorsed by the Canadian Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons.

BACKGROUND: Despite evidence that mechanical bowel preparation (MBP) does not reduce the rate of postoperative complications, many surgeons still use MBP before surgery. We sought to appraise and synthesize the available evidence regarding preoperative bowel preparation in patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Databases to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing patients who received a bowel preparation with those who did not. Two authors reviewed the abstracts to identify articles for critical appraisal. We used the methods of the United States Preventive Services Task Force to grade study quality and level of evidence, as well as formulate the final recommendations. Outcomes assessed included postoperative infectious complications, such as anastomotic dehiscence and superficial surgical site infections. RESULTS: Our review identified 14 RCTs and 8 meta-analyses. Based on the quality and content of these original manuscripts, we formulated 6 recommendations for various aspects of bowel preparation in patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery. CONCLUSION: Taking into account the lack of difference in postoperative infectious complication rates when MBP is omitted and the adverse effects of MBP, we believe that, based on the literature, MBP before surgery should be omitted.

Patients admitted with acute abdominal conditions are at high risk for venous thromboembolism but often fail to receive adequate prophylaxis.

INTRODUCTION: The aim was to determine the frequency with which thromboprophylaxis is prescribed, factors predicting its prescription, and the frequency of symptomatic venous thromboembolism in patients admitted with acute abdominal conditions. METHODS: Charts of patients admitted with acute abdominal conditions that did not have surgery for at least 24 h following admission were audited to identify if thromboprophylaxis was prescribed, if it was prescribed appropriately, factors affecting its prescription, and the rate of symptomatic venous thromboembolism. RESULTS: Of 350 patients (176 females, mean age 64.9 ± 18.6), 194 (55.4%) were admitted for bowel obstruction, 113 (32.3%) for biliary conditions, 14 (4.0%) for diverticulitis, 8 (2.3%) for pancreatitis, and 21 (6.0%) for other conditions. One hundred forty-two (40.6%) underwent surgery. Two hundred fifty-two (72.0%, 95% CI 67.3-76.7%) received thromboprophylaxis although only 199 (56.9%, 95% CI 51.7-62.1%) received adequate thromboprophylaxis. Hospital site and having surgery were associated with prescription of thromboprophylaxis. Twelve patients (3.4%, 95% CI 1.5-4.3%) developed symptomatic venous thromboembolism (nine deep venous thrombosis, three pulmonary embolism). CONCLUSIONS: Despite patients admitted with acute abdominal conditions being at high risk for development of symptomatic venous thromboembolism, many do not receive adequate thromboprophylaxis. Further work is required to decrease this gap in care.

Factors influencing antibiotic prophylaxis for surgical site infection prevention in general surgery: a review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Surgical site infections (SSIs) are common surgical complications that can be prevented with antibiotic prophylaxis. Research shows poor adherence to guidelines for this practice. We conducted a scoping review to identify factors or interventions that influence antibiotic prophylaxis administration. METHODS: An investigator with informatics training searched indexed (MEDLINE, Cochrane Library) and nonindexed (Internet) sources from January 1996 to February 2007. Selected studies were English-language, peer-reviewed, quantitative or qualitative studies describing factors or interventions influencing adherence to SSI-prevention guidelines or SSI rates in general surgery. Two investigators independently reviewed citations and full-text articles and extracted data, and met to compare selections or data and resolve differences through discussion. We extracted data on type of surgery, study design, intervention or factors examined and key findings. We then examined the quantity and type of studies and their findings. RESULTS: Nineteen of 192 studies met the eligibility criteria. Seven studies investigated predictors of appropriate antibiotic use through descriptive or exploratory means. Twelve evaluated adherence to antibiotic prophylaxis recommendations by comparing patient cohorts before and after the introduction of quality-improvement strategies. Individual knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and practice; team communication and allocation of responsibilities; and institutional support for promoting and monitoring practice appear to influence practice. CONCLUSION: Larger and multisite studies included in our review favour implementation of multidisciplinary pathways, individualized performance data and written or computerized order sets as quality-improvement strategies, but further research is warranted to more rigorously evaluate the effectiveness of these strategies on antibiotic prophylaxis practice.

Identifying opportunities for quality improvement in surgical site infection prevention.

BACKGROUND: This study evaluated surgical site infection (SSI) prevention strategies at a network of university hospitals to identify interventions that may be required to improve compliance with guidelines. METHODS: Qualitative methods were used for thematic analysis of institutional tools and protocols, and transcripts of interviews with 7 surgical division heads and 11 professional managers of quality improvement or infection prevention and control at 7 hospitals. They were asked about awareness of, and accountability for, SSI prevention, and current and recommended strategies to promote compliance. RESULTS: Despite awareness of SSI prevention guidelines and the presence of organizational factors thought necessary for quality improvement (coordinators, champions), most sites had not reviewed their own practice and implemented corrective strategies. Barriers included use of passive educational strategies, lack of clinician accountability, limited implementation of point-of-care tools, and an absence of performance data. CONCLUSION: The sites involved in this evaluation and others interested in increasing compliance with SSI prevention guidelines might implement education and performance data in tandem with accountabilities that trigger action, more actively engage champions to promote SSI prevention, create or update and incentivize use of tools such as standard orders, and encourage greater teamwork through organizational support of quality improvement.

Function and quality of life after transanal excision of rectal polyps and cancers.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the functional outcomes and health-related quality of life of patients after transanal excision of rectal cancers or polyps and to assess the relationship between functional outcomes and health-related quality of life. METHODS: All patients having a transanal excision at the Mount Sinai Hospital from 1989 to 2002 were included if the indication for surgery was a benign or malignant neoplasm. Physician charts were reviewed, and patients and their physicians were contacted to obtain follow-up information. Continence was assessed by using the Continence Score described by Jorge and Wexner and the Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life instrument by Rockwood and Lowry. RESULTS: Eighty-two patients fit the inclusion criteria (42 males; mean age, 71 +/- 13.7 years). Of these, 29 had villous adenomas, 2 had carcinoids, and 1 had a hyperplastic polyp. Fifty had cancers, including 34 with T1, 14 with T2, and 2 with T3 cancers. Seven patients had a low anterior resection or abdominoperineal resection within two months of transanal excision because of advanced features of cancer. Five patients had salvage abdominoperineal resections or low anterior resections for local recurrences. Five patients died of rectal cancer (including 3 who had salvage surgery) and an additional seven patients died of other causes. Functional results were assessed in 58 of 61 eligible patients. The mean Continence Score postoperatively was 3.5 +/- 3.9 compared with 2.4 +/- 3.7 preoperatively (P = 0.03). The mean Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life scores after surgery in all patients were 3.9 +/- 0.3, 3.6 +/- 0.6, 3.7 +/- 0.3, 3.7 +/- 0.6 in the domains of lifestyle, coping, depression, and embarrassment, respectively, after surgery, indicating high quality of life. Using Spearman's correlation, we found that the continence scores after surgery correlated well with the Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life scores. In the domains of lifestyle (Spearman's correlation = -0.69), coping and behavior (Spearman's correlation = -0.7), and embarrassment (Spearman's correlation = -0.61) but did not correlate well with the domain of depression (Spearman's correlation = -0.17). CONCLUSIONS: Although functional results are worsened in a minority of patients after transanal excision, quality of life is high in the majority of patients.