Surgical Indication and Approach are Associated with Transfusion in Hysterectomy for Benign Disease.

Objective: To identify pre-operative and intraoperative factors associated with the risk of red blood cell transfusion among women undergoing hysterectomy. Methods: A retrospective cohort study of hysterectomy for benign indications between January 1, 2011 - December 31, 2017. Patients receiving blood transfusion within 30 days of surgery were compared to patients who did not receive any transfusion. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify clinical and surgical variables associated with blood transfusion. Results: Among 171,940 women who underwent hysterectomy for benign indication, 4,667 (2.7%) required blood transfusion. The rate of transfusion was highest among patients with uterine fibroids (4.3%) and lowest in patients with genital prolapse (1.1%) (p < 0.05). Odds of blood transfusion were significantly elevated in patients undergoing hysterectomy for uterine fibroids compared to patients with genital prolapse (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.36, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.15 - 1.61). Other patient characteristics included body mass index, smoking, bleeding disorders, pre-operative sepsis, and American Society of Anesthesiologists score ≥ 2 (p < 0.05). Higher pre-operative hematocrit significantly decreased the risk of blood transfusion (aOR 0.84, 95% CI 0.84 - 0.85 per percent increase in hematocrit). Abdominal and vaginal hysterectomies were associated with greater odds of transfusion compared with laparoscopic approaches (aOR 5.06, 95% CI 4.70 - 5.44; aOR 1.87, 95% CI 1.67 - 2.10, respectively). Conclusions: Certain patient comorbidities, surgical indication, and approach to hysterectomy are associated with increased risk of blood transfusion. These results may have implications for pre-operative patient counseling, perioperative care, and health system planning.

Efficacy of primary prevention of venous thromboembolism among subgroups of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy: A post- hoc analysis of the AVERT trial.

BACKGROUND: Apixaban has been shown to significantly decrease the rate of VTE among intermediate-to-high risk patients starting chemotherapy compared to placebo. This investigation sought to determine the impact of apixaban among different subgroups of patients with cancer. METHODS: This is a pre-planned post-hoc analysis of the AVERT randomized controlled trial which compared apixaban to placebo for the primary prevention of VTE in ambulatory patients initiating chemotherapy. Subgroup analyses were performed based on different baseline characteristics. The primary efficacy outcome was objectively documented major VTE. Hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using the Cox proportional hazards model to compare the treatment effect accounting for clustering at study center level. RESULTS: During the study period, major VTE events occurred in 4.2% and 10.2% of the apixaban and placebo groups, respectively (HR 0.41; 95%CI, 0.26-0.65). Characteristics associated with decreased risk of major VTE among patients on apixaban included: male sex (HR 0.25, 95%CI 0.12-0.48); weight > 90Kg (HR 0.18, 95%CI, 0.06-0.52); no prior history of VTE (HR 0.41, 95%CI 0.26-0.64); solid cancers (HR 0.30; 95%CI, 0.19-0.47); metastatic disease (HR 0.45; 95%CI, 0.26-0.78); and concurrent use of antiplatelet therapy (HR 0.18, 95%CI 0.10-0.33). CONCLUSIONS: In the AVERT trial, while apixaban thromboprophylaxis reduced the risk of major VTE in most patients, patients with weight > 90 kg, solid cancers, or concurrent antiplatelet therapy experienced the greatest benefits.

Do androgen-directed therapies improve outcomes in prostate cancer patients undergoing radical prostatectomy? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Approximately 50% of patients with non-metastatic prostate cancer are treated with radical prostatectomy (RP). While some men will be cured with surgery alone, a substantial proportion will experience cancer recurrence. Androgen-directed therapy (ADT) is an effective adjuvant therapy for patients treated with prostate radiation. Comparatively, the efficacy of ADT in surgical patients has not been well-studied. METHODS: A systematic search of MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Library from inception to July 2020 was performed. Randomized trials comparing ADT with RP vs. prostatectomy alone in patients with clinically localized prostate cancer were included. Neoadjuvant ADT and adjuvant ADT interventions were assessed separately. The primary outcomes were cancer recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). Pathological outcomes following neoadjuvant ADT were also evaluated. RESULTS: Fifteen randomized trials met eligibility criteria; 11 evaluated neoadjuvant ADT (n=2322) and four evaluated adjuvant ADT (n=5205). Neoadjuvant ADT (three months of treatment) did not improve RFS (hazard ratio [HR] 0.90, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.74-1.11) or OS (HR 1.22, 95% CI 0.62-2.41). Neoadjuvant ADT significantly decreased the risk of positive surgical margins (relative risk [RR] 0.48, 95% CI 0.41-0.56) and extraprostatic tumor extension (RR 0.75, 95% CI 0.64-0.89). Adjuvant ADT improved RFS (HR 0.65, 95% CI 0.45-0.93) but did not improve OS (HR 1.02, 95% CI 0.84-1.24). CONCLUSIONS: Neoadjuvant ADT causes a pathological downstaging of prostate tumors but has not been found to delay cancer recurrence nor extend survival. Few studies have evaluated adjuvant ADT. Trials are needed to determine the benefits and harms of intermediate- or long-term adjuvant ADT for RP patients.

Venous Thromboembolism After Blood Transfusions in Women Undergoing Hysterectomy for Non-Malignant Indications: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify the effect of blood transfusion on the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) among women undergoing hysterectomy for non-malignant indications. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) was conducted. Women who underwent hysterectomy for non-malignant indications between 2011 and 2016 were identified using the Current Procedural Terminology and Internationally Classification of Diseases codes. The primary outcome was development of VTE. Data on patient demographics and perioperative variables were obtained. Pair-wise comparison using χ2 tests were performed to compare women with and without VTE. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to adjust for potential confounders and identify independent predictors of VTE. RESULTS: Between 2011 and 2016, 169 593 women underwent hysterectomy for non-malignant indications. The overall incidence of VTE was 0.32%. Patient characteristics associated with VTE included obesity and higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) status. Associated operative factors included abdominal surgery, blood transfusion, and prolonged operative time (P < 0.05 for all). Following adjustment for potential confounders, abdominal hysterectomy was associated with greater odds of VTE than laparoscopic or vaginal approaches (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.81; 95% CI 1.48-2.21 and aOR 2.31; 95% CI 1.62-3.28, respectively). Greater odds of VTE were also observed with OR time >150 minutes (aOR 1.88; 95% CI 1.46-2.42), ASA class ≥III (aOR 1.53; 95% CI 1.05-2.26), and intra- and postoperative transfusion (aOR 2.65; 95% CI 1.78-3.95 and aOR 2.98; 95% CI 1.95-4.55, respectively). CONCLUSION: The risk of VTE is low in women undergoing hysterectomy for non-malignant indications. Blood transfusion was associated with the highest risk of VTE.

Urinary function following radical cystectomy and orthotopic neobladder urinary reconstruction.

INTRODUCTION: An orthotopic neobladder urinary diversion aims to minimize the physical and psychological effects of radical cystectomy through avoidance of a stoma and maintenance of urethral voiding. Neobladder function reported in the literature ranges widely due to differences in patient selection and method of assessment. The objective of the study was to characterize functional outcomes of consecutive patients treated at a tertiary care hospital. METHODS: A historical cohort of patients who underwent radical cystectomy with a neobladder diversion performed at The Ottawa Hospital between January 2006 and December 2014 were reviewed. Outcomes of interest were urinary continence, use of clean intermittent catheterization (CIC), post-void residual volume, and uroflowmetry at three, six, and 12 months following cystectomy. RESULTS: During the study period, 158 neobladder diversions were performed. The mean age of patients was 63.1 years (standard deviation [SD] 8.1), and 81.7% were male. Significant daytime incontinence (>1 pad) three months following surgery was common (65%), but decreased to 8.6% by 12 months. Nighttime incontinence was also common at three months (54%) and improved at 12 months (20%). While no appreciable differences between men and women were observed for continence, more women performed CIC at 12 months post-surgery (59% of women; 9% of men; relative risk [RR] 0.15; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.07-0.30). Among patients who did not catheterize, uroflowmetry and post-void residual volume parameters were stable between three and 12 months postoperative. CONCLUSIONS: Daytime and nighttime incontinence is common in neobladder patients following surgery, but improves considerably with time. Correspondingly, many female neobladder patients at our institution use CIC.