Mental health disorders as a risk factor in young patients with rectal prolapse.

BACKGROUND: Rectal prolapse (RP) typically presents in the elderly, though it can present in younger patients lacking traditional risk factors. The current study compares medical and mental health history, presentation, and outcomes for young and older patients with RP. METHODS: This is a single-center retrospective review of patients who underwent abdominal repair of RP between 2005 and 2019. Individuals were dichotomized into two groups based on age greater or less than 40 years. RESULTS: Of 156 patients, 25 were < 40. Younger patients had higher rates of diagnosed mental health disorders (80% vs 41%, p < 0.001), more likely to take SSRIs (p = .02), SNRIs (p = .021), anxiolytics (p = 0.033), and antipsychotics (p < 0.001). Younger patients had lower preoperative incontinence but higher constipation. Both groups had low rates of recurrence (9.1% vs 11.6%, p = 0.73). CONCLUSIONS: Young patients with RP present with higher concomitant mental health diagnoses and represent unique risk factors characterized by chronic straining compared to pelvic floor laxity.

Unique Breast Cancer Screening Disparities in a Safety-Net Health System.

INTRODUCTION: Breast cancer screening (BCS) disparities leave historically underserved groups more vulnerable to adverse outcomes. This study explores granular associations between BCS and patient sociodemographic factors in a large urban safety-net health system. METHODS: A retrospective review among female patients ages 50-74 within an urban safety-net health system was conducted in 2019. All patients had a primary care visit in the past 2 years. Multiple patient health and sociodemographic characteristics were reviewed, as well as provider gender and specialty. Bivariate analyses and multivariable logistic regression were performed in 2022. RESULTS: The BCS rate among 11,962 women was 69.7%. Over half of patients were non-White (63.6%) and had public insurance (72.3%). Patients with limited English proficiency made up 44.3% of the cohort. Compared to their sociodemographic counterparts, patients with White race, English proficiency, and Medicare insurance had the lowest rates of BCS. Serious mental illness and substance use disorder were associated with lower odds of BCS. In multivariable analysis, when using White race and English speakers as a reference, most other races (Black, Hispanic, and Other) and languages (Spanish, Portuguese, and Other) had significantly higher odds of screening ranging from 8% to 63% higher, except Asian race and Haitian Creole language. Female (versus male) and internal medicine-trained providers were associated with higher screening odds. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple unique variables contribute to BCS disparities, influenced by patient and health system factors. Defining and understanding the interplay of these variables can guide policymaking and identify avenues to improve BCS for vulnerable or traditionally under-resourced populations.

Changing Surgical Culture Through Surgical Education: Introduction to the PACTS Trial.

The Provider Awareness and Cultural dexterity Toolkit for Surgeons (PACTS) curriculum was developed to improve surgical resident cultural dexterity, with the goal of promoting health equity by developing cognitive skills to adapt to individual patients' needs to ensure personal, patient-centered surgical care through structured educational interventions for surgical residents. Funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH)'s National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, PACTS addresses surgical disparities in patient care by incorporating varied educational interventions, with investigation of both traditional and nontraditional educational outcomes such as patient-reported and clinical outcomes, across multiple hospitals and regions. The unique attributes of this multicenter, multiphased research trial will not only impact future surgical education research, but hopefully improve how surgeons learn nontechnical skills that modernize surgical culture and surgical care. The present perspective piece serves as an introduction to this multifaceted surgical education trial, highlighting the rationale for the study and critical curricular components such as key stakeholders from multiple institutions, multimodal learning and feedback, and diverse educational outcomes.

A Conduit for a Culturally Competent Consent: Medical Interpreters' Perspectives on Surgical Informed Consent Discussions.

OBJECTIVE: To understand medical interpreter's perspectives on surgical informed consent discussions and provide feedback for surgeons on improving these conversations. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Informed consent is a critical component of patient-centered surgical decision-making. For patients with limited English proficiency (LEP), this conversation may be less thorough, even with a medical interpreter, leaving patients with an inadequate understanding of their diagnosis or treatment options. METHODS: A semi-structured interview guide was developed with input from interpreters and a qualitative research expert. We purposively sampled medical interpreters representing multiple languages until thematic saturation was achieved. Participants discussed their experience with the surgical consent discussion and process. Interview transcripts were analyzed using emergent thematic analysis. RESULTS: Among 22 interpreters, there were ten languages represented and an average experience of 15 years (range 4-40 y). Four major themes were identified. First, interpreters consistently described their roles as patient advocates and cultural brokers. Second, interpreters reported unique patient attributes that influence the discussion, often based on patients' cultural values/expectations, anticipated decisional autonomy, and family support. Third, interpreters emphasized the importance of surgeons demonstrating compassion and patience, using simple terminology, conversing around the consent, providing context about the form/process, and initiating a pre-encounter discussion. Finally, interpreters suggested reducing legal terminology on consent forms and translation into other languages. CONCLUSIONS: Experienced interpreters highlighted multiple factors associated with effective and culturally tailored informed consent discussions. Surgeons should recognize interpreters' critical and complex roles, be cognizant of cultural variations among patients with LEP, and improve interpersonal and communication skills to facilitate effective understanding.

Early C-reactive protein after colorectal surgery is not predictive of anastomotic leak: a retrospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: Prior studies suggest postoperative C-reactive protein (CRP) trends are sensitive for predicting anastomotic leak (AL) after elective colorectal surgery. However, in the setting of enhanced recovery pathways, multi-day CRP trends may not be feasible. This study aimed to assess the realistic and clinical utility of CRP in prediction of AL. METHODS: A retrospective review of patients who underwent elective colectomy or proctectomy from January 2019 to October 2020 at a single institution was performed. Comorbidities, operative characteristics, and perioperative outcomes were recorded. CRP was checked routinely on POD1 and on a clinical basis subsequently. The association between 10-point change in CRP-POD1 and AL was evaluated using multivariable logistic regression. The relationships between CRP-POD3, CRP-POD1, and AL were assessed using exploratory analyses. RESULTS: Among 332 patients, 23 (6.9%) developed AL, of which 9 cases (39%) were diagnosed upon readmission. AL was not associated with mortality. Median length of stay was 3 days (IQR 2-5). Median days to AL diagnosis was 7 (IQR 4-15). Adjusting for diverting stoma, steroid use, diagnosis, and open surgery, each 10-point increase in CRP was associated with increased odds of AL (OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.03-1.21, p=0.008). CRP-POD1 had poor discriminant utility for detecting AL (AUC 0.62, 95% CI = 0.494-0.746; p=0.061). CONCLUSION: CRP on POD1 is not a reliable method to predict a leak, and trending CRP may not be practical with decreasing lengths of stay in colorectal surgery.

Impact of National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer guidelines on surgical margin status.

BACKGROUND: The American College of Surgeons established the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer (NAPRC) to standardize rectal cancer care. We sought to assess the impact of NAPRC guidelines at a tertiary care center on surgical margin status. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Institutional NSQIP database was queried for patients with rectal adenocarcinoma undergoing surgery for curative intent two years prior to and following implementation of NAPRC guidelines. Primary outcome was surgical margin status before (pre-NAPRC) versus after (post-NAPRC) implementation of NAPRC guidelines. RESULTS: Surgical pathology in five (5%) pre-NAPRC and seven (8%) post-NAPRC patients had positive radial margins (p = 0.59); distal margins were positive in three (3%) post-NAPRC and six (7%) post-NAPRC patients (p = 0.37). Local recurrence was observed in seven (6%) pre-NAPRC patients, there were no recurrences to date in post-NAPRC patients (p = 0.15). Metastasis was observed in 18 (17%) pre-NAPRC patients and four (4%) post-NAPRC patients (p = 0.55). CONCLUSION: NAPRC implementation was not associated with a change in surgical margin status for rectal cancer at our institution. However, the NAPRC guidelines formalize evidence-based rectal cancer care and we anticipate that improvements will be greatest in low-volume hospitals which may not utilize multidisciplinary collaboration.

Colorectal cancer screening in a safety-net health system: The intersectional impact of race, ethnicity, language, and mental health.

Though rates of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening continue to improve with increased advocacy and awareness, there are numerous disparities that continue to be defined within different health systems and populations. We aimed to define associations between patients' socio-demographic characteristics and CRC screening in a well-resourced safety-net health system. A retrospective review was performed from 2018 to 2019 of patients between 50 and 75-years-old who had a primary care visit within the last two years. Numerous patient characteristics were extracted from the medical record, including self-reported race, self-reported ethnicity, insurance, preferred language, severe mental health diagnoses (SMHD), and substance use disorder (SUD). Multivariate logistic regression assessed characteristics associated with CRC screening. Of 22,145 included patients, 16,065 (72.5%) underwent CRC screening. <40% of the population was White or of North American/European ethnicity and 38% had limited English proficiency. Hispanic patients had the highest screening rate while White patients had the lowest among races (78.1% vs 68.5%, respectively). White patients had higher rates of SMHD and SUD (p < 0.001). In multivariable analysis, most other races (Black, Asian, and Hispanic), ethnicities, and languages had significantly higher odds of screening, ranging from 20% to 55% higher, when White, North American/European, English-speakers are used as reference. In a well-resourced safety-net health system, patients who were non-White, non-North American/European, and non-English-speaking, had higher odds of CRC screening. This data from a unique health system may better guide screening outreach and implementation strategies in historically under-resourced communities, leading to strategies for equitable colorectal cancer screening.

Trauma patients with limited English proficiency: Outcomes from two level one trauma centers.

BACKGROUND: Outcomes for surgical patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) may be worse compared to patients with English proficiency. We sought to evaluate the association of LEP with outcomes for trauma patients. METHODS: Admitted adult patients on trauma service at two Level One trauma centers from 2015 to 2019 were identified. RESULTS: 12,562 patients were included in total; 7.3% had LEP. On multivariable analyses, patients with LEP had lower odds of discharge to post-acute care versus home compared to patients with English proficiency (OR 0.69; 95% CI 0.58-0.83; p < 0.001) but had similar length of stay (Beta coefficient 1.16; 95% CI 0.00-2.32; p = 0.05), and 30-day readmission (OR 1.08; 95% CI 0.87-1.35; p = 0.46). CONCLUSIONS: Trauma patients with LEP had comparable short-term outcomes to English proficient patients but were less likely to be discharged to post-acute care facilities. The role of structural barriers, family preferences, and other factors merit future investigation.

Thromboprophylaxis Timing After Blunt Solid Organ Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Trauma patients with blunt abdominal solid organ injuries are at high risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE), but the optimal time to safely administer chemical thromboprophylaxis is controversial, especially for patients who are managed nonoperatively due to increased risk of hemorrhage. We sought to compare failure of nonoperative management (NOM) and VTE events based on timing of chemical thromboprophylaxis initiation. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted in PubMed and Embase databases. Studies were included if they evaluated timing of initiation of chemical thromboprophylaxis in trauma patients who underwent NOM of blunt solid organ injuries. Outcomes included failure of NOM and incidence of VTE. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed comparing patients who received late (>48 h) versus early thromboprophylaxis initiation. RESULTS: Twelve retrospective cohort studies, comprising 21,909 patients, were included. Three studies, including 6375 patients, provided data on adjusted outcomes. Pooled adjusted analysis demonstrated no difference in failure of NOM in patients receiving late versus early thromboprophylaxis (odds ratio [OR] 0.92, 95% confidence interval [CI]:0.4-2.14). When including all unadjusted studies, even those at high risk of bias, there remained no difference in failure of NOM (OR 1.16, 95% CI:0.72-1.86). In the adjusted analysis for VTE events, which had 6259 patients between two studies, patients receiving late chemical thromboprophylaxis had a higher risk of VTE compared with those who received early thromboprophylaxis (OR 1.89, 95% CI:1.15-3.12). CONCLUSIONS: Based on current observational evidence, initiation of prophylaxis before 48 h is associated with lower VTE rates without higher risk of failure of NOM.

Association between Surgery, Anesthesia, and Obstetric Workforce and Emergent Surgical and Obstetric Mortality among United States Hospital Referral Regions.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between SAO workforce and mortality from emergent surgical and obstetric conditions within US HR Rs. BACKGROUND: SAO workforce per capita has been identified as a core metric of surgical capacity by the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery, but its utility has not been assessed at the subnational level for a high-income country. METHODS: The number of practicing surgeons, anesthesiologists, and obstetricians per capita was estimated for all HRRs using the US Health Resources & Services Administration Area Health Resource File Database. Deaths due to emergent general surgical and obstetric conditions were determined from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention WONDER database. We utilized B-spline quantile regression to model the relationship between SAO workforce and emergent surgical mortality at different quantiles of mortality and calculated the expected change in mortality associated with increases in SAO workforce. RESULTS: The median SAO workforce across all HRRs was 74.2 per 100,000 population (interquartile range 33.3-241.0). All HRRs met the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery lower target of 20 SAO per 100,000, and 97.7% met the upper target of 40 per 100,000. Nearly 2.8 million Americans lived in HRRs with fewer than 40 SAO per 100,000. Increases in SAO workforce were associated with decreases in surgical mortality in HRRs with high mortality, with minimal additional decreases in mortality above 60 to 80 SAO per 100,000. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing SAO workforce capacity may reduce emergent surgical and obstetric mortality in regions with high surgical mortality but diminishing returns may be seen above 60 to 80 SAO per 100,000. Trial Registration: N/A.

Trends in the Management of Non-emergent Surgery for Diverticular Disease and the Impact of Practice Parameters.

BACKGROUND: Due to the rise in diverticular disease, the ASCRS developed practice parameters to ensure high-quality patient care. Our study aims to evaluate the impact of the 2014 practice parameters on the treatment of non-emergent left-sided diverticular disease. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study using the ACS-National Surgical Quality Improvement Project (ACS-NSQIP). Elective sigmoid resections performed by year were evaluated and compared before and after practice parameters were published. RESULTS: Overall, 46,950 patients met inclusion criteria. There was a significant decrease in the number of non-emergent operations when evaluating before and after guideline implementation (P < .001). There was a significant decrease in the number of patients younger than 50 years of age operated electively for diverticular disease (25.8% vs. 23.9%, P = .005). Adoption of minimally invasive surgery continued to increase significantly throughout the study period. CONCLUSIONS: Publication of the 2014 ASCRS practice parameters is associated with a change in management of diverticular disease in the non-emergent setting.

Lost in translation: A qualitative analysis of facilitators and barriers to collecting patient reported outcome measures for surgical patients with limited English proficiency.

BACKGROUND: Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are increasingly being used throughout surgical disciplines, but their use is limited in multilingual patient populations. We aimed to investigate facilitators and barriers to PROMs collection for patients with limited English proficiency (LEP). METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were performed with providers from multiple surgical disciplines across six academic medical centers until thematic saturation was achieved. RESULTS: Among 24 interviews, respondents noted either systematic exclusion of patients with LEP or significant barriers to implementation. Barriers included lack of valid and translated PROMs, lack of multi-lingual electronic medical record integration, and insufficient time and resources to accommodate patients with LEP. Facilitators to collection included institutional leadership and funding support for validating translations. CONCLUSION: These barriers may result in inadvertent but systematic exclusion of patients with LEP from outcomes datasets as well as clinical decision making. Future implementation projects should consider these themes when developing initiatives for more equitable PROMs collection and utilization.

Oncotype DX testing does not affect clinical practice in stage IIa colon cancer.

Although studies have demonstrated the 12-gene Oncotype DX Colon Recurrence Score's (RS) validity in predicting recurrence and influence on physician-patient decision-making, its discriminatory power and inability to predict response to treatment make its clinical impact uncertain. We sought to evaluate the influence of RS in the decision to offer adjuvant chemotherapy after resection of stage IIa colon cancer. A review of patients with stage IIa colon cancer who obtained the RS at a tertiary academic medical center was conducted. The main study outcome was decision to start adjuvant chemotherapy. The association between RS and the decision to obtain adjuvant chemotherapy was evaluated utilizing the Wilcoxon rank-sum test and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. 52 of 105 patients with stage IIa colon cancer underwent RS testing. Overall, seven of 52 patients (13%) received adjuvant chemotherapy. 34 (65%) patients obtained the RS test despite having multiple other recurrence risk factors. There were no significant associations between any patient/tumor characteristic and RS score (all p > 0.08) or starting adjuvant chemotherapy (all p > 0.15). On multivariable analysis, there was no significant effect of RS on the odds of undergoing chemotherapy (OR 1.07, 95% CI 0.98-1.19; p = 0.14). There was no clear association between RS and starting adjuvant chemotherapy (AUC 0.64, 95% CI 0.36-0.91; p = 0.25). RS was not associated with the decision to start adjuvant chemotherapy. Given its lack of association with clinical decision-making and inability to predict clinical outcome, our data suggest the RS should not be obtained in patients with stage IIa colon cancer.

Palliative Care Education for Surgical Residents: Current Practices and Future Directions.

Despite the benefits and increased clinical application of primary palliative care principles within surgery, palliative care education among surgical trainees remains varied and poorly defined. Through a survey of general surgery program directors, this perspective highlights current palliative care educational practices of general surgery residencies and existing curricula. Although program directors deemed palliative care education important to surgical training, barriers to improving resident education included limited overall educational time, few available palliative care experts, and the lack of a dedicated curriculum. There is a need for a surgical palliative care educational toolkit that is validated, easily available, incorporates local experts, and adjustable to the variety of educational practices of surgical programs and their residents.

Language Proficiency and Survival in Pancreatic Cancer: a Propensity Score-Matched Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Limited English proficiency has been shown to negatively affect health outcomes. However, as of now, little is known about survival rates of patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) when compared to patients with English proficiency (EP) in an urban, non-safety net setting. We aimed to compare survival rates between patients with LEP and those with EP who had a diagnosis of PDAC. METHODS: A single-institution retrospective propensity-matched cohort study of patients with biopsy-proven PDAC was undertaken. Demographics, clinical characteristics, and language information were collected for all participants. Patients were classified as having LEP or EP based on their preferred speaking language at the time of admission and matched on baseline characteristics using propensity scores. Survival analysis methods were used to study survival rates in patients with PDAC based on their EP status. RESULTS: Of 739 included patients, 71 (9.48%) had LEP, mean age was 68.4 ± 10.9, and 51.8% were female. Both groups of patients were comparable for age, gender, marital status, and time to treatment. LEP status was associated with higher odds of death in both unmatched (HR 1.65, 95% CI 1.22-2.22) and matched (HR 1.60, 95% CI 1.03-2.47) analyses. Additionally, patients with LEP had significantly decreased odds of receiving cancer-directed treatment and increased odds of advanced stage cancer at presentation. CONCLUSIONS: In this cohort of patients with PDAC, LEP predicted worse survival. The results of this study suggest that, after accounting for interpreter use, other factors contribute to this disparity. Such factors, as yet unmeasured, may include health literacy and cultural expectations, for which further investigation is warranted to better understand and limit this survival disparity.

Non-English Primary Language is Associated with Emergency Surgery for Diverticulitis.

BACKGROUND: Language barriers can limit access to care for patients with a non-English primary language (NEPL). The objective of this study was to define the association between primary language and emergency versus elective surgery among diverticulitis patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of adult patients from the 2009-2014 New Jersey State Inpatient Database. Patients were included if they had primary language data and underwent a partial colon resection for diverticulitis. Primary language was dichotomized into NEPL versus English primary language (EPL). The primary outcome was surgical admission type - urgent/emergent (referred to as "emergency") versus elective. Descriptive and multivariable analyses were performed. RESULTS: A total of 9,453 patients underwent surgery for diverticulitis, of which 592 (6.3%) had NEPL. Among NEPL patients, 300 (51%) had Spanish as primary language and 292 (49%) had another non-Spanish primary language. Patients with NEPL and EPL were similar in age (median age 58 versus 59 years; P = 0.54) and sex (52% versus 53% female; P = 0.45). Patients with NEPL were less likely to have commercial insurance (45% versus 59%; P <0.001). On multivariable analysis, compared to patients with EPL, NEPL was associated with increased odds of emergency surgery for diverticulitis (OR 1.35; 95% Confidence Interval 1.13-1.62; P = 0.001) CONCLUSION: Patients with NEPL have higher odds of emergency versus elective surgery for diverticulitis compared to patients with EPL. Further research is needed to examine differences in referral pathways, patient-provider communication, and health literacy that may hinder access to elective surgery in patients with diverticulitis.