Gabapentin and postoperative pain and opioid consumption: A double-blind randomized controlled trial of perioperative pain management for sinus surgery.

BACKGROUND: The link between post-operative narcotic prescription and opioid misuse has spurred a nationwide effort to reduce perioperative opioid use. Previous work has suggested that perioperative gabapentin may reduce post-operative pain and opioid consumption across different procedures, although the optimal regimen remains to be defined. METHODS: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) patients undergoing functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) with or without septoplasty were randomized to receive a 7-day pre- and post-operative course of placebo or gabapentin, starting at 300 mg daily and titrated to 300 mg three times daily, in a double-blind fashion. Primary endpoint was pain level using a validated visual analog scale (VAS). Secondary endpoints included post-operative opioid consumption and side effects, as well as modified Lund-Kennedy endoscopy, Lund-Mackay, and SNOT-22 scores. RESULTS: Analysis of 35 patients (20 gabapentin, 15 control) showed no significant difference in mean postoperative VAS (p = 0.18) or postoperative opioid consumption between the placebo and gabapentin groups (2.3 and 4.8 oxycodone tablets respectively, p = 0.18). 15 of 35 patients did not require any post-operative oxycodone tablets, and only two patients required more than six tablets. CONCLUSION: Preliminary results show no significant change in pain after FESS with or without septoplasty in patients taking 7-day pre- and post-operative gabapentin versus placebo. Results also showed no significant difference in opioid consumption between the treatment and placebo groups. Post-operative pain scores and opioid requirements are both quite low following FESS. Many patients do not need opioids at all, suggesting that routine initial post-operative opioid prescriptions can be limited accordingly.

Report of a vagal paraganglioma at the cervicothoracic junction.

BACKGROUND: Vagus nerve paragangliomas are rare tumors, comprising 0.03% of head and neck neoplasms. These tumors are usually located cephalad to the hyoid bone, and there is only one previously reported case that arose from the lower third of the neck. METHODS: We describe the second reported case of a lower neck vagus nerve paraganglioma that was managed with a limited sternotomy for access and surgical removal. RESULTS: A 66-year-old male presented with a long-standing lesion of the cervicothoracic junction. CT, MRI, and Ga-68 DOTATATE PET/CT showed an avidly enhancing 5.2 × 4.2 × 11.5 cm mass extending from C6 to approximately T4 level. FNA confirmed the diagnosis. The patient underwent catheter angiography and embolization via direct puncture technique followed by excision of the mass via a combined transcervical and limited sternotomy approach. CONCLUSION: We describe an unusual case of vagal paraganglioma at the cervicothoracic junction with retrosternal extension requiring a sternotomy for surgical excision.

The effects of continuing aspirin on blood loss and postoperative outcomes in percutaneous nephrolithotomy.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) is an effective surgery for complex kidney stones yet with inherent bleeding risks. It remains unclear whether aspirin should be discontinued prior to PCNL. We aimed to further substantiate the safety of continuing aspirin during PCNL surgery and to determine whether aspirin status affects postoperative outcomes following PCNL. METHODS: We retrospectively queried our endourology database for patients who underwent PCNL from October 2017 to December 2022 at our high-volume tertiary referral center. The three groups were based on aspirin status at the time of PCNL: no aspirin (NA), discontinued aspirin (DA), and continued aspirin (CA). Data collected included demographics, preoperative characteristics, operative parameters, pre and postoperative lab values, transfusions, and complications. RESULTS: A total 648 patients were divided into these study groups: 525 NA patients (81.0%), 55 DA (8.5%), and 68 CA (10.5%). The DA and CA groups were of similar comorbidities, and both were more comorbid at baseline than NA. Postoperative change in lab values and complications did not differ significantly. Rates of postoperative blood transfusion were higher in the CA and DA groups compared to NA and approached statistical significance. There were no significant differences in any postoperative outcomes between the DA and CA groups alone. CONCLUSIONS: In patients on chronic aspirin therapy, continuing aspirin appears equally safe to discontinuing aspirin prior to PCNL. Most patients should not forego the benefits of continuous aspirin for the theoretical risk of bleeding. Patients on prolonged aspirin therapy may be more likely than those who are not on chronic aspirin therapy to require blood transfusions. However, regardless of whether aspirin use is stopped, this may be caused by patient comorbidities rather than higher rates of blood loss.

Otolaryngology Patient Satisfaction with In-Office Appointments and Virtual Visits Due to COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic forced otolaryngologists to seek new methods of providing patient care in a remote setting. The effect of this paradigm shift on patient satisfaction, however, remains unelucidated. This study compares patient satisfaction with telehealth visits during the COVID-19 pandemic to that with in-office visits during the same period in 2019. METHODS: Press Ganey survey responses of patients seen by otolaryngologists within a large, academic, multicenter hospital system were gathered. Responses were included in analyses if they corresponded with a visit that occurred either in clinic March to December 2019 or via telehealth March to December 2020. Chi-Square Test of Independence and Fisher's Exact Test were employed to detect differences between years. Binary logistic regressions were performed to detect the factors most predictive of positive telehealth experiences. RESULTS: Patient overall satisfaction with in-office and telehealth visits did not differ significantly (76.4% in 2019 vs 78.0% in 2020 rated visit overall as "very good," P = .09). Patients seen by a Head and Neck (odds ratio 4.13, 95% confidence interval 1.52-11.26, P = .005), Laryngology (OR 5.96, 95% CI 1.51-23.50, P = .01), or Rhinology (OR 4.02, 95% CI 1.55-10.43, P = .004) provider were significantly more likely to report a positive telehealth experience. CONCLUSIONS: Patients seen via telehealth during COVID-19 reported levels of satisfaction similar to those seen in-office the year prior. These telehealth satisfaction levels, however, are contextualized within the expected confines of a pandemic. Further research is required to determine whether satisfaction remains consistent as telemedicine becomes a ubiquitous component of medical practice.

Risk Factors for Multiple Tympanostomy Tube Placements in Children: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: To determine the rate and predictors of receiving multiple tympanostomy tube (TT) placements in children. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases were searched for studies reporting the risk factors for receiving repeat TT (r-TT) placements in children with chronic otitis media with effusion or recurrent acute otitis media. These articles were systematically reviewed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) recommendations. Data were pooled using a random-effects model. RESULTS: Twenty-one studies involving a total of 290,897 children were included. Among all patients, 24.1% (95% confidence interval (CI), 18.2%-29.9%) underwent ≥2 TT placements and 7.5% (95% CI, 5.7%-9.4%) underwent ≥3 TT placements. Craniofacial disease (odds ratio (OR) 5.13, 95% CI, 1.57-16.74) was the strongest predictor of r-TT. Younger age at initial TT placement and shorter TT retention time were also significantly associated with r-TT. Receipt of primary adenoidectomy with initial TT placement was associated with decreased odds of r-TT (OR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.39-0.55). Long-term tubes also significantly reduced the odds of r-TT (OR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.17-0.44). CONCLUSIONS: About 1 in 4 children receiving TT will receive at least one repeat set of TT and about 1 in 14 will receive multiple repeat sets. Concurrent adenoidectomy and long-term tubes reduced the incidence of r-TT. Younger patients and those with earlier extrusion of the initial set are at increased risk for repeat surgery. The identification of these risk factors may improve parental counseling and identify patients who might benefit from closer follow-up. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: NA Laryngoscope, 131:E2363-E2370, 2021.

Ultrasound-Guided Access in a Malrotated Kidney: Optimally Safe and Effective.

Background: Management of renal calculi in a patient with kidney malrotation can be difficult because of complexity and alteration of collecting system anatomy. Pyelolithotomy, whether open, laparoscopic, or robotic, has been shown to be an effective method of stone removal in this patient population; however, it is not always ideal because of its invasiveness and increased morbidity. Ideally, a percutaneous approach may be less invasive, and if feasible, it can optimize patient safety and stone-free status. Case Presentation: Here we present a case of a 68-year-old Caucasian female who presented with 2.7 cm stone in the renal pelvis of a severely malrotated left kidney, which was managed using a combination of fluoroscopy and ultrasound (US)-guided percutaneous nephrolithotomy. Conclusion: US-guided access properly delineates the anatomic complexities of a severely malrotated kidney and permits safe percutaneous management of large stones. This is because fluoroscopic guidance alone may lead to inadvertent adjacent visceral organ trauma and increased risk of parenchymal and intrarenal vascular injury.

The National Landscape of Acute Mastoiditis: Analysis of the Nationwide Readmissions Database.

OBJECTIVE: To determine risk factors for readmission, prolonged length of stay, and discharge to a rehabilitation facility in patients with acute mastoiditis. Trends in treatment and complication rates were also examined. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Nationwide Readmissions Database (2013, 2014). PATIENTS: Pediatric and adult patients in the Nationwide Readmissions Database with a primary diagnosis of acute mastoiditis. INTERVENTIONS: Medical treatment, surgical intervention. OUTCOME MEASURES: Rates of and risk factors for readmission, prolonged length of stay, and discharge to a rehabilitation facility. Procedure and complication rates were also examined. RESULTS: Four thousand two hundred ninety-five pediatric and adult admissions for acute mastoiditis were analyzed. The overall rates of readmission, prolonged length of stay, and discharge to a rehabilitation facility were 17.0, 10.4, and 10.2%, respectively. Children 4 to 17 years of age had the highest rates of intracranial complications, and children ≤3 years were most likely to undergo operative intervention. Any procedure was performed in 31.2% of cases, and undergoing myringotomy or mastoidectomy was associated with lower rates of readmission but higher rates of prolonged length of stay. Those with intracranial complications and subperiosteal abscesses had the highest surgical intervention rates. CONCLUSIONS: Readmission, prolonged length of stay, and discharge to a rehabilitation facility are common in patients with acute mastoiditis with various sociodemographic and disease-related risk factors. While once a primarily surgical disease, a minority of patients in our cohort underwent procedures. Undergoing a surgical procedure was protective against readmission but a risk factor for prolonged length of stay.

Radical Prostatectomy Sociodemographic Disparities Based on Hospital and Physician Volume.

INTRODUCTION: The objective of this study was to assess the impact of volume status on socio-demographic disparities for radical prostatectomy (RP) in New York State. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All patients undergoing RP from 2006 to 2014 with an admitting or principal diagnosis of prostate cancer were identified. All 40,533 cases were separated into volume groups stratified by hospital and physician quartiles with a goal of maintaining consistent numbers between the 4 volume groups. Patient-level data included race, ethnicity, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), median income by zip code, and source of payment. Hospital-level data included hospital location, teaching status, health service area, and facility number. Continuous and categorical variables were compared between cohorts using the Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon test and Pearson χ2 tests, respectively. Multivariate regression analysis was conducted to assess predictors of access to very high-volume facilities and physician groups as well as predictors of receiving a minimally invasive RP. RESULTS: Of 40,533 total cases, 9602 (24%) were conducted at low-volume hospitals, 9208 (22%) were conducted at medium-volume hospitals, 8478 (21%) were conducted at high-volume hospitals, and 13,245 (33%) were conducted at very high-volume hospitals. Negative predictors of receiving care from a very high-volume physician include increased CCI, Asian race, black race, unknown race, Medicaid status, age 65 to 79 years, and age 80 to 130 years (P < .001). Negative predictors of receiving care from a very high-volume facility include Asian race, black race, unknown race, Medicaid status, and self-payment status (P < .001). CONCLUSION: Socioeconomic disparities exist in New York State for RP and are associated with disadvantaged groups being overrepresented in low-volume hospital and physician groups.