The impact of urgency of umbilical hernia repair on adverse outcomes in patients with cirrhosis: a population-based cohort study from England.

INTRODUCTION: Umbilical hernia is common in patients with cirrhosis; however, there is a paucity of dedicated studies on postoperative outcomes in this group of patients. This population-based cohort study aimed to determine the outcomes after emergency and elective umbilical hernia repair in patients with cirrhosis. METHODS: Two linked electronic healthcare databases from England were used to identify all patients undergoing umbilical hernia repair between January 2000 and December 2017. Patients were grouped into those with and without cirrhosis and stratified by severity into compensated and decompensated cirrhosis. Length of stay, readmission, 90-day case fatality rate and the odds ratio of 90-day postoperative mortality were defined using logistic regression. RESULTS: In total, 22,163 patients who underwent an umbilical hernia repair were included and 297 (1.34%) had cirrhosis. More patients without cirrhosis had an elective procedure, 86% compared with 51% of those with cirrhosis (P < 0.001). In both the elective and emergency settings, patients with cirrhosis had longer hospital length of stay (elective: 0 vs 1 day, emergency: 2 vs 4 days, P < 0.0001) and higher readmission rates (elective: 4.87% vs 11.33%, emergency:11.39% vs 29.25%, P < 0.0001) than those without cirrhosis. The 90-day case fatality rates were 2% and 0.16% in the elective setting, and 19% and 2.96% in the emergency setting in patients with and without cirrhosis respectively. CONCLUSION: Emergency umbilical hernia repair in patients with cirrhosis is associated with poorer outcomes in terms of length of stay, readmissions and mortality at 90 days.

Management standards and burnout among surgeons in the United Kingdom.

BACKGROUND: Burnout arising from chronic work-related stress is endemic among surgeons in the UK. Identification of contributory and modifiable psychosocial work characteristics could inform risk reduction activities. AIMS: We aimed to assess the extent to which surgeons' psychosocial working conditions met aspirational Management Standards delineated by the UK Health and Safety Executive, draw comparisons with national general workforce benchmarks and explore associations with burnout. METHODS: Surgeons (N = 536) completed the Management Standards Indicator Tool and a single-item measure of burnout. Descriptive data were computed for each Standard, independent t-tests were used to examine differences between trainees and consultants, and hierarchical linear regression was applied to explore relations between psychosocial work environment quality and burnout. RESULTS: Psychosocial work environment quality fell short of each Management Standard. Trainee surgeons (n = 214) reported significantly poorer psychosocial working conditions than consultant surgeons (n = 322) on the control, peer support and change Standards. When compared with UK workforce benchmarks, trainees' psychosocial working conditions fell below the 10th percentile on four Standards and below the 50th percentile on the remainder. Consultant surgeons were below the 50th percentile on five of the seven Standards. Psychosocial working conditions accounted for 35% of the variance in burnout over that accounted for by socio- and occupational-demographic characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: Surgeons' psychosocial working conditions were poor in comparison with benchmark data and associated with burnout. These findings suggest that risk management activities based on the Management Standards approach involving modification of psychosocial working conditions would help to reduce burnout in this population.

Identification of Surgeon Burnout via a Single-Item Measure.

BACKGROUND: Burnout is endemic in surgeons in the UK and linked with poor patient safety and quality of care, mental health problems, and workforce sustainability. Mechanisms are required to facilitate the efficient identification of burnout in this population. Multi-item measures of burnout may be unsuitable for this purpose owing to assessment burden, expertise required for analysis, and cost. AIMS: To determine whether surgeons in the UK reporting burnout on the 22-item Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) can be reliably identified by a single-item measure of burnout. METHODS: Consultant (n = 333) and trainee (n = 217) surgeons completed the MBI and a single-item measure of burnout. We applied tests of discriminatory power to assess whether a report of high burnout on the single-item measure correctly classified MBI cases and non-cases. RESULTS: The single-item measure demonstrated high discriminatory power on the emotional exhaustion burnout domain: the area under the curve was excellent for consultants and trainees (0.86 and 0.80), indicating high sensitivity and specificity. On the depersonalisation domain, discrimination was acceptable for consultants (0.76) and poor for trainees (0.69). In contrast, discrimination was acceptable for trainees (0.71) and poor for consultants (0.62) on the personal accomplishment domain. CONCLUSIONS: A single-item measure of burnout is suitable for the efficient assessment of emotional exhaustion in consultant and trainee surgeons in the UK. Administered regularly, such a measure would facilitate the early identification of at-risk surgeons and swift intervention, as well as the monitoring of group-level temporal trends to inform resource allocation to coincide with peak periods.

Antibiotics as first-line alternative to appendicectomy in adult appendicitis: 90-day follow-up from a prospective, multicentre cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Uncomplicated acute appendicitis can be managed with non-operative (antibiotic) treatment, but laparoscopic appendicectomy remains the first-line management in the UK. During the COVID-19 pandemic the practice altered, with more patients offered antibiotics as treatment. A large-scale observational study was designed comparing operative and non-operative management of appendicitis. The aim of this study was to evaluate 90-day follow-up. METHODS: A prospective, cohort study at 97 sites in the UK and Republic of Ireland included adult patients with a clinical or radiological diagnosis of appendicitis that either had surgery or non-operative management. Propensity score matching was conducted using age, sex, BMI, frailty, co-morbidity, Adult Appendicitis Score and C-reactive protein. Outcomes were 90-day treatment failure in the non-operative group, and in the matched groups 30-day complications, length of hospital stay (LOS) and total healthcare costs associated with each treatment. RESULTS: A total of 3420 patients were recorded: 1402 (41 per cent) had initial antibiotic management and 2018 (59 per cent) had appendicectomy. At 90-day follow-up, antibiotics were successful in 80 per cent (1116) of cases. After propensity score matching (2444 patients), fewer overall complications (OR 0.36 (95 per cent c.i. 0.26 to 0.50)) and a shorter median LOS (2.5 versus 3 days, P < 0.001) were noted in the antibiotic management group. Accounting for interval appendicectomy rates, the mean total cost was €1034 lower per patient managed without surgery. CONCLUSION: This study found that antibiotics is an alternative first-line treatment for adult acute appendicitis and can lead to cost reductions.

Outcomes after non-operative management of perforated diverticular disease: a population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The management of perforated diverticular disease has changed in the past 10 years with a move towards less surgical intervention. This population-based cohort study aimed to define the risk of death and readmission following non-operative management of perforated diverticular disease. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with perforated diverticular disease and managed without surgery were identified from the linked Clinical Practice Research Datalink and Hospital Episode Statistics data from 2000 to 2013. The outcomes were 1-year case fatality, readmissions, and surgery at readmission. RESULTS: In total, 880 patients with perforated diverticular disease were managed without surgery, comprising 523 women (59.4 per cent). The 1-year case fatality rate was 33.2 per cent (293 of 880). The majority of deaths occurred in the first 90 days after the index admission, with a 90-day case fatality rate of 28.8 per cent. The 90-day survival rate varied by age, and was 97.2 per cent among those aged less than 65 years, compared with 85.0 per cent for those aged between 65 and 74 years, and 47.7 per cent in those at least 75 years old. Of 767 patients discharged from hospital, 250 (32.6 per cent) were readmitted (47 elective, 6.1 per cent; 203 emergency, 26.5 per cent) during a median of 1.6 (i.q.r. 0.1-3.9) years of follow-up, with similar proportions in each age category. In the first year of follow-up, only 5.1 per cent of patients required surgery, of whom 16 of 767 (2.1 per cent) required elective and 23 (3.0 per cent) emergency operation. CONCLUSION: Non-operative management of perforated diverticulitis in those aged less than 65 years is feasible and safe. Reintervention rates following conservative management were low across all age categories.

Safety and efficacy of tranexamic acid in minimizing perioperative bleeding in extrahepatic abdominal surgery: meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Perioperative bleeding is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing elective abdominal surgery. The antifibrinolytic agent tranexamic acid (TXA) has been shown to reduce perioperative bleeding and mortality risk in patients with traumatic injuries, but there is a lack of evidence for its use in elective abdominal and pelvic surgery. This meta-analysis of RCTs evaluated the effectiveness and safety of TXA in elective extrahepatic abdominopelvic surgery. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, and ClinicalTrial.gov databases were searched to identify relevant RCTs from January 1947 to May 2020. The primary outcome, intraoperative blood loss, and secondary outcomes, need for perioperative blood transfusion, units of blood transfused, thromboembolic events, and mortality, were extracted from included studies. Quantitative pooling of data was based on a random-effects model. RESULTS: Some 19 studies reporting on 2205 patients who underwent abdominal, pelvic, gynaecological or urological surgery were included. TXA reduced intraoperative blood loss (mean difference -188.35 (95 per cent c.i. -254.98 to -121.72) ml) and the need for perioperative blood transfusion (odds ratio (OR) 0.43, 95 per cent c.i. 0.28 to 0.65). TXA had no impact on the incidence of thromboembolic events (OR 0.49, 0.18 to 1.35). No adverse drug reactions or in-hospital deaths were reported. CONCLUSION: TXA reduces intraoperative blood loss during elective extrahepatic abdominal and pelvic surgery without an increase in complications.

Opioid prescription at postoperative discharge: a retrospective observational cohort study.

Opioid misuse is now considered a major public health epidemic in North America, with substantial social and financial consequences. As well as socio-economic and commercial drivers, modifiable risk-factors that have resulted in this crisis have been identified. The purpose of this study was to identify whether, within England, modifiable drivers for persistent postoperative opioid use were present. This was a retrospective cohort study of practice at 14 National Health Service hospitals across England. Data were collected retrospectively and validated for adult patients undergoing elective intermediate and major or complex major general surgical procedures between 1 and 31 March 2019. Of the 509 patients enrolled from 14 centres, 499 were included in the data analysis. In total, 31.5% (157/499) patients were in the intermediate surgery cohort and 68.5% (342/499) were in the major or complex major surgery cohort, with 21.0% (33/157) and 21.6% (74/342) discharged with opioid medicines to be taken at regular intervals, respectively. There were similar median oral morphine equivalent doses prescribed at discharge. Of patients prescribed regular opioid medicines, 76.6% (82/107) had a specified duration at discharge. However, 72.9% (78/107) had no written deprescribing advice on discharge. Similarly, of patients prescribed 'when required' opioids, 59.6% (93/156) had a specified duration of their prescription and 33.3% (52/156) were given written deprescribing advice. This study has identified a pattern of poor prescribing practices, a lack of guidance and formal training at individual institutions and highlights opportunities for improvement in opioid-prescribing practices within England.

The management of adult appendicitis during the COVID-19 pandemic: an interim analysis of a UK cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Acute appendicitis (AA) is the most common general surgical emergency. Early laparoscopic appendicectomy is the gold-standard management. SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) brought concerns of increased perioperative mortality and spread of infection during aerosol generating procedures: as a consequence, conservative management was advised, and open appendicectomy recommended when surgery was unavoidable. This study describes the impact of the first weeks of the pandemic on the management of AA in the United Kingdom (UK). METHODS: Patients 18 years or older, diagnosed clinically and/or radiologically with AA were eligible for inclusion in this prospective, multicentre cohort study. Data was collected from 23rd March 2020 (beginning of the UK Government lockdown) to 1st May 2020 and included: patient demographics, COVID status; initial management (operative and conservative); length of stay; and 30-day complications. Analysis was performed on the first 500 cases with 30-day follow-up. RESULTS: The patient cohort consisted of 500 patients from 48 sites. The median age of this cohort was 35 [26-49.75] years and 233 (47%) of patients were female. Two hundred and seventy-one (54%) patients were initially treated conservatively; with only 26 (10%) cases progressing to an operation. Operative interventions were performed laparoscopically in 44% (93/211). Median length of hospital stay was significantly reduced in the conservatively managed group (2 [IQR 1-4] days vs. 3 [2-4], p < 0.001). At 30 days, complications were significantly higher in the operative group (p < 0.001), with no deaths in any group. Of the 159 (32%) patients tested for COVID-19 on admission, only 6 (4%) were positive. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 has changed the management of acute appendicitis in the UK, with non-operative management shown to be safe and effective in the short-term. Antibiotics should be considered as the first line during the pandemic and perhaps beyond.

Meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials of early versus delayed cholecystectomy for mild gallstone pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND: Gallstones account for 30-50 per cent of all presentations of acute pancreatitis. While the management of acute pancreatitis is usually supportive, definitive treatment of gallstone pancreatitis is cholecystectomy. Guidelines from the British Society of Gastroenterology suggest definitive treatment on index admission or within 2 weeks of discharge, whereas joint recommendations from the International Association of Pancreatology and the American Pancreatic Association recommend definitive treatment on index admission. Evidence suggests that uptake of these guidelines is low. METHODS: Embase, MEDLINE and Cochrane databases were searched for RCTs investigating early versus delayed cholecystectomy in patients with a confirmed diagnosis of mild gallstone pancreatitis. The pooled synthesis was undertaken using a random-effects meta-analysis of the primary outcome of recurrent biliary complications causing hospital readmission. Secondary outcomes included intraoperative and postoperative complications, and total length of hospital stay (LOS). All analyses were performed using RevMan5 software. RESULTS: Five RCTs were identified, which included 629 patients (318 in the early cholecystectomy (EC) group and 311 in the delayed cholecystectomy (DC) group). Recurrent biliary events that required readmission were reduced in patients undergoing EC compared with the number in patients having DC (odds ratio (OR) 0·17, 95 per cent c.i. 0·09 to 0·33). There was no difference in the rate of intraoperative (OR 0·58, 0·17 to 1·92) or postoperative (OR 0·78, 0·38 to 1·62) complications. CONCLUSION: EC following mild gallstone pancreatitis does not increase the risk of intraoperative or postoperative complications, but reduces the readmission rate for recurrent biliary complications.

ANTECEDENTES: Los cálculos biliares son el factor etiológico en el 30-50% de todas las formas de pancreatitis aguda. Si bien el tratamiento de la pancreatitis aguda suele ser de soporte, el tratamiento definitivo de la pancreatitis por litiasis biliar es la colecistectomía. La guía de la British Society of Gastroenterology sugiere efectuar el tratamiento definitivo en el mismo ingreso o dentro de las 2 semanas posteriores al alta, mientras que la International Association of Pancreatology y la American Pancreatic Association recomiendan de forma conjunta el tratamiento definitivo en el mismo ingreso. Los datos disponibles sugieren que el seguimiento de estas guías es bajo. MÉTODOS: Se realizó una búsqueda en las bases de datos EMBASE, MEDLINE y Cochrane. de los ensayos clínicos aleatorizados y controlados (randomized clinical trials, RCTs) que analizaron la colecistectomía precoz frente a la tardía en pacientes con una pancreatitis leve por litiasis biliar. Se efectuó un metaanálisis de efectos aleatorios en el que la variable principal era la recidiva de complicaciones biliares que motivasen el reingreso hospitalario. Como variables secundarias se analizaron las complicaciones intraoperatorias y postoperatorias. Así como la duración de la estancia hospitalaria (length of stay, LOS). Los análisis se realizaron utilizando el programa RevMan5. RESULTADOS: Se incluyeron 5 RCTs con 629 pacientes (grupo de colecistectomía temprana (early cholecystectomy, EC), n = 318; grupo de colecistectomía tardía (delayed cholecystectomy, DC); n = 311). La recidiva de la enfermedad biliar que requiriese reingreso hospitalario fue menor en los pacientes sometidos a EC en comparación con DC, (cociente de oportunidades, odds ratio, OR) 0,17 (i.c. del 95% 0,09-0,33). No hubo diferencias en la tasa de complicaciones intraoperatorias, OR 0,58 (i.c. del 95% 0,17-1,92) o postoperatorias, OR 0,78 (i.c. del 95% 0,38-1,62). CONCLUSIÓN: La EC después de una pancreatitis leve por litiasis biliar no aumenta el riesgo de complicaciones intraoperatorias o postoperatorias, pero reduce la tasa de reingreso por la recidiva de complicaciones biliares.

The Use of Prophylactic Somatostatin Therapy Following Pancreaticoduodenectomy: A Meta-analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials.

BACKGROUND: Prophylactic administration of somatostatin analogues (SA) to reduce the incidence of post-operative pancreatic fistula (POPF) remains contentious. This meta-analysis evaluated its impact on outcomes following pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). METHODS: The EMBASE, MEDLINE and Cochrane databases were searched for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) investigating prophylactic SA following PD. Comparative effects were summarised as odds ratio and weighted mean difference based on an intention to treat. Quantitative pooling of the effect sizes was derived using the random-effects model. MAIN RESULTS: Twelve RCTs were included involving 1615 patients [SA-treated group (n = 820) and control group (n = 795)]. The SA used included somatostatin-14, pasireotide, vapreotide and octreotide. Pooling of the data showed no significant benefit of its use for the primary outcome measure of all grades of POPF, odds ratio (OR) 0.73 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.51-1.05, p = 0.09] and clinically relevant POPF, OR 0.48 [95% CI, 0.22-1.06, p = 0.07]. There were no benefits in the secondary outcome measures of delayed gastric emptying, OR 0.98 [95% CI, 0.57-1.69, p = 0.94]; infected abdominal collections, OR 0.80 [95% CI, 0.44-1.43, p = 0.80]; reoperation rates, OR 1.24 [95% CI, 0.73-2.13, p = 0.42]; duration of hospital stay, - 0.23 [95% CI - .59 to 1.13, p = 0.74]; and mortality, 1.78 [95% CI, 0.94-3.39, p = 0.08]. CONCLUSION: SA did not improve the post-operative outcomes following PD, including reducing the incidence of POPF. The routine administration of SA cannot be recommended following PD.

Outcome of indeterminate liver lesions on computed tomography in patients with colorectal cancer.

Introduction The aim of this study was to determinate the outcome of indeterminate liver lesions on computed tomography (CT) in patients with a background history of colorectal cancer (CRC) and to identify clinicopathological variables associated with malignancy in these lesions. A secondary aim was to devise a management algorithm for such patients. Methods Patients referred to our institution with indeterminate liver lesions on CT with a background history of CRC between January 2012 and December 2014 were included in the study. Clinicopathological factors, surveillance period and histological findings were analysed. Results Fifty-six patients with indeterminate liver lesions were identified. Fifty-three (94.6%) of these required further imaging (magnetic resonance imaging [MRI; n=50] and positron emission tomography combined with CT [n=3]). For the patients who had MRI, the underlying diagnosis was benign in 19 and colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM) in 8 while 23 patients and an indeterminate lesion. In cases that remained indeterminate following MRI, liver resection was performed in 2 patients for a high suspicion of CRLM while the 21 remaining patients underwent interval surveillance (median: 9 months, range: 3-52 months). Of these 21 patients, 14 had benign lesions while CRLM was noted in 6 patients and an incidental hepatocellular carcinoma in a single patient. Age ≥65 years was the only statistically significant clinicopathological factor in predicting an underlying malignancy in patients with indeterminate liver lesions on CT. Conclusions Over a third of the patients diagnosed with indeterminate liver lesions on CT subsequently showed evidence of CRLM. These indeterminate lesions are more likely to be malignant in patients aged ≥65 years.