The impact of comorbidities on postoperative outcomes of ventral hernia repair: the patients' perspective.

INTRODUCTION: Ventral hernia repair (VHR) outcomes can be adversely affected by modifiable patient co-morbidities, such as diabetes, obesity, and smoking. Although this concept is well accepted among surgeons, the extent to which patients understand the significance of their co-morbidities is unknown, and a few studies have sought to determine patient perspectives regarding the impact of their modifiable co-morbidities on their post-operative outcomes. We attempted to determine how accurately patients predict their surgical outcomes after VHR compared to a surgical risk calculator while considering their modifiable co-morbidities. METHODS: This is a prospective, single-center, survey-based study evaluating patients' perceptions of how their modifiable risk factors affect outcomes after elective ventral hernia repair. Pre-operatively, after surgeon counseling, patients predicted the percentage of impact that they believed their modifiable co-morbidities (diabetes, obesity, and smoking) had on 30-day surgical site infections (SSI) and hospital readmissions. Their predictions were compared to the Outcomes Reporting App for CLinicians and Patient Engagement (ORACLE) surgical risk calculator. Results were analyzed using demographic information. RESULTS: 222 surveys were administered and 157 were included in the analysis after excluding for incomplete data. 21% had diabetes, 85% were either overweight with body mass index (BMI) 25-29.9 or obese (BMI ≥ 30), and 22% were smokers. The overall mean SSI rate was 10.8%, SSOPI rate was 12.7%, and 30-day readmission rate was 10.2%. ORACLE predictions correlated with observed SSI rates (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.12-1.54, p < 0.001), but patient predictions did not (OR 1.00, 95% CI 0.98-1.03, p = 0.868). The correlation between patient predictions and ORACLE calculations was weak ([Formula: see text] = 0.17). Patient predictions were on average 10.1 ± 18.0% different than ORACLE, and 65% overestimated their SSI probability. Similarly, ORACLE predictions correlated with observed 30-day readmission rates (OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.00-1.21, p = 0.0459), but patient predictions did not (OR 1.00, 95% CI 0.975-1.03, p = 0.784). The correlation between patient predictions and ORACLE calculations for readmissions was weak ([Formula: see text] = 0.27). Patient predictions were on average 2.4 ± 14.6% different than ORACLE, and 56% underestimated their readmission probability. Additionally, a substantial proportion of the cohort believed that they had a 0% risk of SSI (28%) and a 0% risk of readmission (43%). Education, income and healthcare employment did not affect the accuracy of patient predictions. CONCLUSIONS: Despite surgeon counseling, patients do not accurately estimate their risks after VHR when compared to ORACLE. Most patients overestimate their SSI risk and underestimate their 30-day readmission risk. Furthermore, several patients believed that they had a 0% risk of SSI and readmission. These findings persisted regardless of level of education, income level, or healthcare employment. Additional attention should be directed toward setting expectations prior to surgery and using applications such as ORACLE to assist in this process.

Surgeon accuracy and interrater reliability when interpreting CT scans after ventral hernia repair.

BACKGROUND: Recurrent ventral hernia repair can be complex and requires a thorough understanding of prior interventions, myofascial releases, and location of prosthetic material. Without detailed operative reports, this information can be challenging to obtain, and some surgeons have suggested prior operative details can be discerned from radiographic imaging. We evaluated the accuracy and interrater reliability of surgeons to identify the type of prior VHR using CT imaging. METHODS: Fifteen expert abdominal wall reconstruction surgeons individually reviewed 21 CT scans of patients after various VHR approaches and determined the approach from a multiple-choice selection. Negative controls (no prior laparotomy) and positive controls (laparotomy without VHR) were also included. Surgeon accuracy and interrater reliability were measured. RESULTS: Surgeons were unable to identify the correct VHR over 50% of the time: open TAR and Rives-Stoppa were identified 42% of the time, open anterior component separation 24%, and robotic IPOM and eTEP 22% of the time, respectively. Surgeon interrater reliability, or agreement on answers-whether correct or incorrect-was fair (coefficient 0.23, p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Surgeons' ability to accurately identify the type of previous VHR using post-operative CT scans is poor. Without the knowledge of prior repairs, surgeons may find it difficult to choose the best reoperative approach, anticipate operative complexities, and schedule appropriate OR time. All of which guides patient counseling and expectations. This highlights the importance to accurately reflect VHR details in operative reports and use necessary resources to obtain operative reports, since surgeons cannot reliably use CT scans to identify prior repairs.

Incisional hernia rates following midline laparotomy in the obese patient: a retrospective review.

PURPOSE: Incisional hernia is the most common complication of midline laparotomy. Although obesity is a known risk factor, the incidence of hernia formation in obese patients is not well defined. We sought to define the rate of incisional hernia formation in obese patients undergoing primary midline laparotomy in a large academic medical center. METHODS: Obese patients (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) who underwent an elective or urgent primary midline laparotomy from 2017 to 2021 at our institution were retrospectively identified. A blinded hernia surgeon reviewed imaging to assess for incisional hernia formation, defined as a midline fascial defect with intra-abdominal contents herniated outside of the peritoneal cavity. RESULTS: A total of 2241 patients met inclusion criteria. Cross-sectional imaging was available for 914 (41%) of these patients. The median BMI for all patients was 34.3 kg/m2 (range 30.0-59.1). Median time to follow-up imaging was 316 days (181-957, IQR = 185) for all patients and 316 days (201-903, IQR = 184) for patients with incisional hernia. In total, 474 (51.9%) had radiographic evidence of an incisional hernia. Colorectal and General Surgery demonstrated the highest rate of incisional hernia (p < 0.001). During the study period, 138 patients (15.1%) underwent surgical repair of their hernia at our institution, with the highest percentage being Colorectal Surgery patients. CONCLUSION: There is a high rate of hernia formation and subsequent hernia repair in obese patients undergoing midline laparotomy. Most importantly, these findings demonstrate an immediate and pressing need to identify the patient risk factors and technical issues related to this rate of hernia formation.

Comparing anterior gastropexy to no anterior gastropexy for paraesophageal hernia repair: a study protocol for a randomized control trial.

BACKGROUND: More than half of patients undergoing paraesophageal hernia repair (PEHR) will have radiographic hernia recurrence at 5 years after surgery. Gastropexy is a relatively low-risk intervention that may decrease recurrence rates, but it has not been studied in a prospective manner. Our study aims to evaluate the effect of anterior gastropexy on recurrence rates after PEHR, compared to no anterior gastropexy. METHODS: This is a two-armed, single-blinded, registry-based, randomized controlled trial comparing anterior gastropexy to no anterior gastropexy in PEHR. Adult patients (≥18 years) with a symptomatic paraesophageal hernia measuring at least 5 cm in height on computed tomography, upper gastrointestinal series, or endoscopy undergoing elective minimally invasive repair are eligible for recruitment. Patients will be blinded to their arm of the trial. All patients will undergo laparoscopic or robotic PEHR, where some operative techniques (crural closure techniques and fundoplication use or avoidance) are left to the discretion of the operating surgeon. During the operation, after closure of the diaphragmatic crura, participants are randomized to receive either no anterior gastropexy (control arm) or anterior gastropexy (treatment arm). Two hundred forty participants will be recruited and followed for 1 year after surgery. The primary outcome is radiographic PEH recurrence at 1 year. Secondary outcomes are symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease, dysphagia, odynophagia, gas bloat, regurgitation, chest pain, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, postprandial pain, cardiovascular, and pulmonary symptoms as well as patient satisfaction in the immediate postoperative period and at 1-year follow-up. Outcome assessors will be blinded to the patients' intervention. DISCUSSION: This randomized controlled trial will examine the effect of anterior gastropexy on radiographic PEH recurrence and patient-reported outcomes. Anterior gastropexy has a theoretical benefit of decreasing PEH recurrence; however, this has not been proven beyond a suggestion of effectiveness in retrospective series. If anterior gastropexy reduces recurrence rates, it would likely become a routine component of surgical PEH management. If it does not reduce PEH recurrence, it will likely be abandoned. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04007952 . Registered on July 5, 2019.

Clinical significance of the preoperative plasma carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level in patients with carcinoma of the large bowel.

Preoperative levels of perchloric acid extractable plasma CEA were measured in 911 patients with complaints of the digestive system. A final diagnosis of benign disease was made for 579 patients; 332 patients were found to have cancer. Data for the preoperative CEA values were examined for clinical significance as an aide to diagnosis, preoperative disease staging, and prognosis. The results of our analysis support the conclusions of many investigators that the CEA assay is not a clinically useful diagnostic test, but it shows limited value in preoperative staging and a somewhat stronger correlation with prognosis.

Clinical evaluation of the Makari Intradermal Test in patients with cancer of the colon and rectum.

A clinical study to evaluate the Makari Intradermal Test (MIT) involved 180 patients seen with symptoms suggestive of malignant disease, 85 of whom were subsequently shown to have carcinoma of the large bowel, and 66 asymptomatic volunteers. The prognostic value of initial and serial studies relative to patient-survival rate and the efficacy of serial studies in detecting disease in long-term follow-up of patients with resected malignant lesions were evaluated. On the basis of this study, the MIT appears to merit further investigation, not as a definitive diagnostic procedure, but as a survey for identifying patients with early malignancy or individuals at high risk to malignant epigenesis.