Latin American surgical outcomes study: study protocol for a multicentre international observational cohort study of patient outcomes after surgery in Latin American countries.

Background: Reported data suggest that 4.2 million deaths will occur within 30 days of surgery worldwide each year, half of which are in low- and middle-income countries. Postoperative complications are a leading cause of long-term morbidity and mortality. Patients who survive and leave the hospital after surgical complications regularly experience reductions in long-term survival and functional independence, resulting in increased costs. With a high volume of surgery performed, there is a growing perception of the substantial impact of even minor enhancements in perioperative care. The Latin American Surgical Outcomes Study (LASOS) is an international, multicentre, prospective cohort study of adults submitted to in-patient surgery in Latin America aiming to provide detailed data describing postoperative complications and surgical mortality. Methods: LASOS is a 7 day cohort study of adults undergoing surgery in Latin America. Details of preoperative risk factors, intraoperative care, and postoperative outcomes will be collected. The primary outcome will be in-hospital postoperative complications of any cause. Secondary outcomes include in-hospital all-cause mortality, duration of hospital stay after surgery, and admission to a critical care unit within 30 days after surgery during the index hospitalisation. Results: The LASOS results will be published in peer-reviewed journals, reported and presented at international meetings, and widely disseminated to patients and public in participating countries via mainstream and social media. Conclusions: The LASOS may augment our understanding of postoperative complications and surgial mortality in Latin America. Clinical trial registration: NCT05169164.

Preoperative Management of Medications.

Increasingly complex medication regimens for many comorbidities in patients for planned surgical and procedural interventions necessitate detailed preoperative evaluation of the pharmacologic therapy, including the indications, the specific drugs, and dosing amount and interval. The implications of continuing or withholding these agents in the perioperative period need to be elucidated, as well as the risks of interactions and side effects. A comprehensive plan of the management of the therapeutic agents should be devised during the preoperative visit, with input from all relevant specialists, and clearly communicated to the patients in a format that ensures their comprehension and consistent compliance.

Impact of surgically-induced weight loss on respiratory function: a prospective analysis.

BACKGROUND: Morbid obesity (MO) causes several degrees of respiratory impairment that may resolve after weight reduction. The aims of the present study were to investigate the frequency of respiratory impairment in a selected cohort of morbidly obese patients with BMI 40-50 kg/m(2) with no respiratory symptoms and to evaluate the impact of surgically-induced weight loss on respiratory function. METHODS: Prospective analysis of respiratory impairment was conducted before surgery and 1 year after surgery in a cohort of patients with MO who underwent vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG). 30 consecutive patients with MO who underwent VBG (14 open and 16 laparoscopic) in a 1-year period were studied. Respiratory function tests, arterial blood gases and hemoglobin were obtained in all patients before and 1 year after VBG. RESULTS: Results were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Spearman for variables without normal distribution. Mean age was 35+/-8 years; there were 3 males and 27 females. BMI was 44+/-4 kg/m(2) before surgery and 32+/-4 kg/m(2) at 1-year follow-up. By respiratory function tests, the diagnosis of obstructive disease was made before surgery in 4 patients and a restrictive disorder was identified in 4 additional patients. Evidence of pulmonary disease was absent in all patients 1 year after surgery. Forced vital capacity, inspiratory and expiratory forces, tidal volume, SaO(2), and PaCO(2) significantly improved after weight reduction. CONCLUSION: Surgically-induced weight loss significantly improves pulmonary function.

Total parenteral nutrition.

In recent months, numerous reports concerning total parenteral nutrition in critically ill patients have been published, including the guidelines and recommendations of the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. The old controversy regarding the use of the enteral versus parenteral route still exists. Although the enteral route is indicated in those patients with normal gastrointestinal function, the parenteral route is obviously beneficial in several clinical conditions and appears to be associated with few procedure-related complications when performed by experienced clinicians. There is also continued interest in the supplementation of parenteral formulas with nutrients that were previously considered nonessential, such as arginine, glutamine, and omega-3 fatty acids, but that may become essential in the setting of critical illness.

Open versus laparoscopic vertical banded gastroplasty: a randomized controlled double blind trial.

BACKGROUND: Vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG) is a frequently used surgical procedure for the treatment of morbid obesity. It can be done open (OVBG) or laparoscopic (LVBG). The aim of this double-blind randomized clinical trial was to compare the postoperative outcome and 1-year follow-up of 2 cohorts of patients who underwent either OVBG or LVBG. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 30 patients with morbid obesity were randomized into 2 groups (14 OVBG and 16 LVBG). Pain intensity, analgesic requirements, respiratory function, and physical activity were blindly analyzed during the first 3 postoperative days. Complications, weight loss, and cosmetic results after 1 year follow-up were evaluated. RESULTS: Both groups were highly comparable before surgery. Surgical time was longer in the laparoscopic procedure. Patients in this group required less analgesics during the first postoperative day. There was an earlier recovery in the expiratory and inspiratory forces, as well as faster recovery of physical activities in patients who underwent LVBG. Postoperative complications were more frequent in the open group. Excess body weight loss after 1 year was similar in both groups. Cosmetic results were significantly better in the laparoscopic group. CONCLUSIONS: LVBG had advantages over the open procedure in terms of analgesic requirements, respiratory function, postoperative recovery, and cosmetic results.