Individuals' experiences in genetic counseling and predictive testing for familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

As clinical genetic testing in the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) diagnostic setting increases, the identification of at-risk family members has also expanded. No practice guidelines specifically for predictive genetic testing exist, and few studies about the psychological impacts of testing in this subgroup have occurred, limiting the ability to tailor recommendations and counseling in this community. We surveyed asymptomatic individuals at risk for inheriting an ALS-associated gene mutation. The 80-question survey was designed using a combination of validated measures (General Anxiety Disorder; FACToR; Decision Regret Scale) and original items. Ninety participants completed the survey, including those who completed predictive genetic testing (N = 42) and those who did not (N = 48). Gene positive individuals experienced greater negativity, uncertainty, and overall psychological impairment (p = 0.002; p < 0.001; p = 0.001). Individuals who had not undergone testing reported thinking about their risk multiple times per day and experiencing more decisional regret than those who tested (p = 0.006). In terms of decision-making, being prepared for potential clinical drug trials was a more important potential benefit among those who underwent testing (p = 0.026). Participants valuing preparedness for clinical drug trials supports the concept that genetic testing for ALS will increase as research in gene-targeted therapeutics progresses. This study describes factors relevant to the genetic testing decision-making process and adaptation to results from the perspective of at-risk individuals, which can ultimately guide genetic counseling practice in this population.

Patients of Obese Representation Require Longer Operative Times: An Evaluation of Acetabular and Pelvic Ring Operative Duration.

Recent literature has determined that operative times for the obese population are greater for both elective and nonelective orthopedic procedures. If time allotted for a given surgical procedure is used as a measure of procedural difficulty, then consideration can be given for using an additional coding modifier (i.e., Modifier 22) for the increased skill and effort associated with longer procedures. A retrospective chart review was conducted on all patients who underwent surgical treatment for an acute fracture about the pelvis at an urban level-1 trauma center from October 1, 2010 through October 31, 2018. After allowing for both inclusion and exclusion criteria, 102 patients with acetabular fractures and 55 patients with pelvic ring injuries were included in this investigation. The obese population within the acetabular fracture cohort demonstrated significantly longer mean times for the duration of surgery, total time in spent in the operating room, and duration under anesthesia (P values of 0.038, 0.05 and 0.035, respectively). Similar results were observed with the pelvic ring injury cohort, with significantly longer procedural times (P = 0.019), total time in the operating room (P = 0.034), and total duration under anesthesia (P = 0.0395). A trend towards a greater risk of infection was found in obese patients (7%) when compared with nonobese patients (1.6%) within the acetabular fracture subset (P = 0.093). Operative duration for acetabular fractures and pelvic ring injuries is significantly longer in the obese population. Furthermore, this indicates that a Modifier 22 may be justified for the surgical treatment of these injuries in the obese and morbidly obese patient populations.

The Effect of Obesity on Operative Time and Postoperative Complications for Peritrochanteric Femur Fractures.

Introduction The high prevalence of obesity among adults in the United States presents significant challenges to orthopedic surgeons. Obesity has been shown to increase operative time and complications in both elective and nonelective orthopedic surgeries. Despite this, there is a lack of literature evaluating the effect obesity has on operative time and postoperative complications following peritrochanteric fracture surgery. Methods and Materials We performed a retrospective review of patients who underwent isolated operative stabilization of a peritrochanteric femur fracture at our urban level one trauma center between 2010 and 2018. Patients were divided into an obese group, as defined by a body mass index (BMI) equal to or greater than 30 kg/m2, and a nonobese group, as defined by a BMI less than 30 kg/m2. Operative timing variables including time to surgery, operative time, total operating room (OR) time, anesthesia time, and fluoroscopy time were collected. Postoperative variables evaluated including the presence of a major postoperative complication within 90 days of surgery, the need for repeat surgery within 90 days, and the need for surgery due to an infection within 90 days were collected. Results A total of 175 patients were included in this retrospective review. Thirty-seven patients were included in the obese group, and 138 were included in the nonobese group. Obesity was associated with a significantly (p = 0.002) longer operative time, total OR time (p = 0.0001), anesthesia time (p = 0.00006), and fluoroscopy time (p = 0.0001). There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in postoperative variables between the obese and nonobese group. The 90-day major postoperative complication rate was 10.8% in the obese group and 10.9% in the nonobese group. Both repeat surgery and surgery for infection within 90 days were 2.7% in the obese group and 1.4% in the nonobese group. Conclusion The treatment of peritrochanteric femur fractures in obese patients is associated with a significantly longer operative time, total OR time, anesthesia time, and fluoroscopy time, but no difference in major postoperative complications when compared to nonobese patients.