Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia: Demographics and 30-day Outcomes in Adults.

BACKGROUND: Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a pathology most often affecting the pediatric population, although adults can also be affected. Few studies exist of adults undergoing repair of this defect. Using a national database, we sought to determine demographics and outcomes of this population. METHODS: An analysis of the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) database (2015-2018) was performed, capturing patients with postoperative diagnosis of CDH, distinct from ventral hernia. Two groups were created based upon surgical approach of open or minimally invasive (MIS) repair. Baseline demographics and outcomes were compared. RESULTS: 110 patients undergoing surgical correction of CDH were captured in the database. We found rates of return to the operating room (4.55%), postoperative respiratory failure (5.45%), and reintubation (3.64%) with no difference between groups. There was no mortality and no difference between groups in length of operation, discharge to home, or postoperative complications. Patients undergoing open repair had a longer length of stay than patients in the MIS group (6.47 ± 10.76 days vs. 3.68 ± 3.74 days, P = .0471). Mesh was used in MIS more often than the open group (47.30% vs. 5.56%, P < .0001). DISCUSSION: This study describes rates of postoperative complications in patients undergoing repair of CDH, and suggests outcomes those are equivalent between patients receiving open or MIS approaches. Further case series or retrospective studies are needed to further describe this population of patients.

The influence of radiographic markers of biomechanical variables on outcomes in reverse shoulder arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Controversy exists in reverse total shoulder arthroplasty in regard to variability in the center of rotation (COR), which modifies the superior-inferior position of the humerus to affect the acromiohumeral interval (AHI), and its effect on the deltoid lever arm (DLA), acromial index (AI), and critical shoulder angle (CSA). The purpose of this study was to investigate the variation in biomechanics and the association with patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and range of motion (ROM) measurements. METHODS: Radiographs, ROM, and 2-year PRO scores were retrospectively reviewed for 108 patients. RESULTS: There was large variability in preoperative and postoperative biomechanics. The COR was medialized 12.01 ± 4.8 mm. The CSA increased 2.64° ± 12.45°. The AHI increased 20.6 ± 9.80 mm. The DLA lengthened 21.21 ± 10.15 mm. The AI increased 0.009 ± 0.3. Postoperative AI positively correlated with American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score and Penn Shoulder Score (P = .03). Specifically, a postoperative AI of 0.62 corresponded to American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score (72.5 ± 18.3 vs. 62.3 ± 24.7; P = .02) and Penn Shoulder Score (71.2 ± 21.4 vs. 61.8 ± 25.6; P = .05), an average 10 points higher than AI of <0.6. Also, a smaller postoperative CSA (<25°) correlated with improved forward elevation (P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study that evaluates the variability of biomechanical factors and their impact on postoperative ROM and PROs. An increased AI and decreased CSA are associated with improved PROs in this study, and a smaller CSA is associated with better forward elevation. Change in the COR, AHI, or DLA, however, did not affect patient outcomes or ROM. Further study is warranted to determine the optimal position.