Intraoperative vasopressor use does not increase complications in microvascular post-mastectomy breast reconstruction: Experience in 1729 DIEP flaps at a single center.

INTRODUCTION: Vasopressors are traditionally avoided in microsurgery due to concerns about their effect on free flap survival. We examine the impact of intraoperative vasopressors on microsurgical outcomes in a large series of DIEP flap breast reconstructions. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed of patients who underwent DIEP breast reconstruction between January 2010 and May 2020. Intraoperative and postoperative microsurgical outcomes were compared in patients who received vasopressors and those who did not. RESULTS: The study included 1102 women who underwent 1729 DIEP. 878 patients (79.7%) received intraoperative phenylephrine, ephedrine, or a combination of both. There was no significant difference in overall complications, intraoperative microvascular events, takebacks for microvascular complications, or partial or total flap loss between groups. Outcomes were not affected by vasopressor type, dose, or timing of administration. The vasopressor group received significantly lower intraoperative fluid volumes. Multivariate logistic regression found a significant association between overall complications and excessive fluids (OR 2.03, 99% CI 0.98-5.18, p = 0.03) but not vasopressor use (OR 0.79, 99% CI 0.64-3.16, p = 0.7) CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that vasopressors do not adversely affect clinical outcomes after DIEP breast reconstruction. Withholding vasopressors results in excessive intravenous fluid administration and increased postoperative complications.

Subspecialty approach for the management of acute cholecystitis: an alternative to acute surgical unit model of care.

BACKGROUND: Acute cholecystitis is a common condition. Recent studies have shown an association between creation of an acute surgical unit (ASU) and improved outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes of a subspecialty based approach to the management of acute cholecystitis as an alternative to the traditional 'generalist' general surgery approach or the ASU model. METHOD: A 6-year retrospective analysis of outcomes in patients admitted under a dedicated upper gastrointestinal service for acute cholecystitis undergoing emergency laparoscopic cholecystectomy. RESULTS: Seven hundred emergency laparoscopic cholecystectomies were performed over this time. A total of 486 patients were available for analysis. The median time to operation was 2 days and median length of operation was 80 min. A total of 86.9% were performed during daylight hours. Eight cases were converted to open surgery (1.6%). Intra-operative cholangiography was performed in 408 patients. The major complication rate was 8.2%, including retained common bile duct stones (2.3%), sepsis (0.2%), post-operative bleeding (0.4%), readmission (0.6%), bile leak (2.1%), AMI (0.4%), unscheduled return to theatre (0.6%) and pneumonia (0.8%). There were no mortalities and no common bile duct injuries. CONCLUSION: Over a time period that encompasses the current publications on the ASU model, a subspecialty model of care has shown consistent results that exceed established benchmarks. Subspecialty management of complex elective pathologies has become the norm in general surgery and this study generates the hypothesis that subspecialty management of patients with complex emergency pathologies should be considered a valid alternative to ASU. Access block to emergency theatres delays treatment and prolongs hospital stay.

Laparoscopic Totally Extraperitoneal Groin Hernia Repair Using a Self-Gripping Mesh: Clinical Results of 235 Primary and Recurrent Groin Hernias.

INTRODUCTION: Compared with open surgery, laparoscopic groin hernia repair has been shown to significantly reduce postoperative pain. However, chronic pain remains a problem with the laparoscopic approach, affecting approximately 10% of patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate clinical outcomes following the use of Parietex ProGrip™ (Covidien, Dublin, Ireland) self-gripping mesh during laparoscopic totally extraperitoneal groin hernia repair. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were collected prospectively from 145 male and 15 female patients with 235 inguinal hernias. All patients underwent repair by the laparoscopic totally extraperitoneal approach using Parietex ProGrip mesh. During follow-up ranging from 5 to 24 months, complications, pain score, patient satisfaction, and recurrence were analyzed. RESULTS: All patients were discharged on the day of surgery or the next morning. There were no immediate complications or returns to the operating room. Delayed postoperative complications included minor bruising to the genital region (3 cases), hematoma/seroma (1 case), and wound infection (1 case). The mean follow-up was 15 months, at which time there were no reports of hernia recurrence and 99% of patients were satisfied with their hernia repair. One patient (0.63%) reported severe pain (numeric rating scale score of >7), and 4 patients (2.5%) reported intermittent mild pain on exertion. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that the use of a self-gripping mesh during the laparoscopic totally extraperitoneal approach is a promising and effective technique for repairing both primary and recurrent inguinal hernias.

Relationship between postoperative complications and survival after free flap reconstruction for oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Current literature on the effect of postoperative complications on survival outcomes in head and neck cancers remains contradictory. This study assesses whether postoperative complications adversely affect survival in cases of complex surgical ablation and reconstruction of oral squamous cell carcinoma. METHODS: In all, 255 consecutive patients with complete clinicopathologic data were included. Survival was determined using the log-rank test and Kaplan-Meier survival curves were generated. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to adjust for the effect of other significant covariates to determine the independent effect of complication variables for overall survival (OS). A competing risk model was used for disease-specific survival (DSS). RESULTS: On multivariable analysis, major complications independently prognosticated for reduced OS [hazard ratio (HR) 2.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1-3.2, p = .02]. There was no evidence for an association between any complication-variable and DSS or recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Major postoperative complications are independently associated with decreased OS.

Update in pathological diagnosis of orbital infections and inflammations.

Orbital infections and inflammations include a broad spectrum of orbital diseases that can be idiopathic, infectious, from primary or secondary inflammatory processes. Being able to properly diagnose and manage these orbital diseases in a timely manner can avoid permanent vision loss and possibly save a patient's life. When clinicians are faced with such patients, quite often the exact diagnosis cannot be made just based on clinical examination, various laboratory tests and imaging are needed. Moreover, orbital biopsies with histopathological analyses are often required, especially for the atypical cases. Thus, it is important for the clinicians to be familiar with the pathological features and characteristics of these orbital diseases. This review provides a comprehensive update on the clinical and pathological diagnosis of these orbital infections and inflammations.