Surgical Emergencies in Patients with Significant Comorbid Diseases.

Emergency surgery in patients with significant comorbidities benefits from a structured approach to preoperative evaluation, intra-operative intervention, and postoperative management. Providing goal concordant care is ideal using shared decision-making. When operation cannot achieve the patient's goal, non-operative therapy including Comfort Care is appropriate. When surgical therapy is offered, preoperative physiology-improving interventions are far fewer than in other phases. Reevaluation of clinical care progress helps define trajectory and inform goals of care. Palliative Care Medicine may be critical in supporting loved ones during a patient's critical illness. Outcome evaluation defines successful strategies and outline opportunities for improvement.

Higher center volume is significantly associated with lower mortality in trauma patients with shock.

INTRODUCTION: Injured patients presenting in shock are at high risk of mortality despite numerous efforts to improve resuscitation. Identifying differences in outcomes among centers for this population could yield insights to improve performance. We hypothesized that trauma centers treating higher volumes of patients in shock would have lower risk-adjusted mortality. METHODS: We queried the Pennsylvania Trauma Outcomes Study from 2016 to 2018 for injured patients ≥16 years of age at Level I&II trauma centers who had an initial systolic blood pressure (SBP) of <90 mmHg. We excluded patients with critical head injury (abbreviated injury score [AIS] head ≥5) and patients coming from centers with a shock patient volume of ≤10 for the study period. The primary exposure was tertile of center-level shock patient volume (low, medium, or high volume). We compared risk-adjusted mortality by tertile of volume using multivariable Cox proportional hazards model incorporating age, injury severity, mechanism, and physiology. RESULTS: Of 1,805 included patients at 29 centers, 915 (50.7%) died. The median annual shock trauma patient volume was 9 patients for low volume centers, medium 19.5, and high 37. Median ISS was higher at high volume compared to low volume centers (22 vs 18, p <0.001). Raw mortality was 54.9% at high volume centers, 46.7% for medium, and 42.9% for low. Time elapsed from arrival to emergency department (ED) to the operating room (OR) was lower at high volume than low volume centers (median 47 vs 78 min) p = 0.003. In adjusted analysis, hazard ratio for high volume centers (referenced to low volume) was 0.76 (95% CI 0.59-0.97, p = 0.030). CONCLUSION: After adjusting for patient physiology and injury characteristics, center-level volume is significantly associated with mortality. Future studies should seek to identify key practices associated with improved outcomes in high-volume centers. Furthermore, shock patient volume should be considered when new trauma centers are opened.

Outcomes among trauma patients with duodenal leak following primary versus complex repair of duodenal injuries: An Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma multicenter trial.

BACKGROUND: Duodenal leak is a feared complication of repair, and innovative complex repairs with adjunctive measures (CRAM) were developed to decrease both leak occurrence and severity when leaks occur. Data on the association of CRAM and duodenal leak are sparse, and its impact on duodenal leak outcomes is nonexistent. We hypothesized that primary repair alone (PRA) would be associated with decreased duodenal leak rates; however, CRAM would be associated with improved recovery and outcomes when leaks do occur. METHODS: A retrospective, multicenter analysis from 35 Level 1 trauma centers included patients older than 14 years with operative, traumatic duodenal injuries (January 2010 to December 2020). The study sample compared duodenal operative repair strategy: PRA versus CRAM (any repair plus pyloric exclusion, gastrojejunostomy, triple tube drainage, duodenectomy). RESULTS: The sample (N = 861) was primarily young (33 years) men (84%) with penetrating injuries (77%); 523 underwent PRA and 338 underwent CRAM. Complex repairs with adjunctive measures were more critically injured than PRA and had higher leak rates (CRAM 21% vs. PRA 8%, p < 0.001). Adverse outcomes were more common after CRAM with more interventional radiology drains, prolonged nothing by mouth and length of stay, greater mortality, and more readmissions than PRA (all p < 0.05). Importantly, CRAM had no positive impact on leak recovery; there was no difference in number of operations, drain duration, nothing by mouth duration, need for interventional radiology drainage, hospital length of stay, or mortality between PRA leak versus CRAM leak patients (all p > 0.05). Furthermore, CRAM leaks had longer antibiotic duration, more gastrointestinal complications, and longer duration until leak resolution (all p < 0.05). Primary repair alone was associated with 60% lower odds of leak, whereas injury grades II to IV, damage control, and body mass index had higher odds of leak (all p < 0.05). There were no leaks among patients with grades IV and V injuries repaired by PRA. CONCLUSION: Complex repairs with adjunctive measures did not prevent duodenal leaks and, moreover, did not reduce adverse sequelae when leaks did occur. Our results suggest that CRAM is not a protective operative duodenal repair strategy, and PRA should be pursued for all injury grades when feasible. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic/Care Management; Level IV.

Saddle block anesthetic technique for benign outpatient anorectal surgery.

BACKGROUND: Current American Society of Colorectal Surgery Clinical Practice Guidelines for Ambulatory Anorectal Surgery endorse use of monitored anesthesia care, general anesthesia, or spinal anesthesia based on physician and patient preference. Although several studies support the use of monitored anesthesia care over general anesthesia, the literature regarding spinal anesthesia is limited and heterogenous due to small sample sizes and disparate spinal anesthesia techniques. Saddle block anesthesia is a form of spinal anesthesia that localizes to the lowermost sacral spinal segments allowing for preservation of lower extremity motor function and faster recovery. We accrued one of the largest reported cohort of anorectal procedures using saddle block anesthesia, as such, we sought to evaluate our institutional 12-year experience. METHODS: Patients who underwent a benign anorectal procedure at our outpatient surgery center between July 2008-2020 were retrospectively reviewed. Demographics, surgical factors, perioperative times, and adverse events were collected from the electronic medical records. Saddle block anesthesia was generally performed in the preoperative area using a spinal needle (25-27 gauge) and a single injection technique of a 1:1 ratio local anesthetic mixed with 10% dextrose solution. Between 2.5-5 mg of hyperbaric anesthetic was injected intrathecally in the sitting position and the patient remained upright for 3-10 minutes. This technique of saddle block anesthesia provides analgesia for approximately 1-3 hours. RESULTS: In the study, 859 saddle block anesthesia patients were identified, with a mean age of 44.6 years and American Society of Anesthesia score of 1.9; 609 (70.9%) were male. Surgical indications included lesion removal (27.1%), anal fistula (25.8%), hemorrhoidectomy (24.7%), pilonidal disease (6.3%), anal fissure (5.8%), and a combination of prior (10.2%). Prone jackknife positioning was used in 91.6% of procedures. Saddle block anesthesia most often was performed with bupivacaine (48.9%) or ropivacaine (41.7%). The median procedural saddle block anesthesia time was 11 minutes, surgery time was 17 minutes, anesthesia time was 42 minutes, and recovery time was 91 minutes. Patients spent a median of 3 hours and 53 minutes in the facility. Adverse events included urinary retention (1.9%), conversion to general anesthesia (1.8%), spinal headache (1.5%), hemodynamic instability (0.9%), and injection site reaction (0.3%). CONCLUSION: Demonstrated using the largest known cohort of anorectal patients with saddle block anesthesia, saddle block anesthesia provides an effective method of analgesia to avoid general anesthesia with a low rate of adverse events.

Impact of Auricular Neurostimulation in Patients Undergoing Colorectal Surgery with an Enhanced Recovery Protocol: A Pilot Randomized, Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Narcotics are the cornerstone of postoperative pain control, but the opioid epidemic and the negative physiological and psychological effects of narcotics implore physicians to utilize nonpharmacological methods of pain control. OBJECTIVE: This pilot study investigated a novel neurostimulation device for postoperative analgesia. We hypothesized that active neurostimulation would decrease postoperative narcotic requirements. DESIGN: This was a placebo-controlled, double-blinded trial. SETTINGS: This trial was conducted at an academic medical center and a Veterans Affairs hospital. PATIENTS: This trial included adult patients who underwent elective bowel resection between December 2016 and April 2018. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomly assigned to receive an active or inactive (sham) device, which was applied to the right ear before surgery and continued for 5 days. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was total opioid consumption. The secondary outcomes included pain, nausea, anxiety, return of bowel function, complications, 30-day readmissions, and opioid consumption at 2 weeks and 30 days. RESULTS: A total of 57 patients participated and 5 withdrew; 52 patients were included in the analysis. Twenty-eight patients received an active device and 24 received an inactive device. There was no difference in total narcotic consumption between active and inactive devices (90.79 ± 54.93 vs 90.30 ± 43.03 oral morphine equivalents/day). Subgroup analyses demonstrated a benefit for patients after open surgery (p = 0.0278). When patients were stratified by decade, those aged 60 to 70 and >70 years derived a benefit from active devices in comparison with those aged 30 to 40, 40 to 50, and 50 to 60 years old (p = 0.01092). No serious adverse events were related to this study. LIMITATIONS: This study was limited by the small sample sizes. CONCLUSIONS: No difference in opioid use was found with auricular neurostimulation. However, this pilot study suggests that older patients and those with larger abdominal incisions may benefit from auricular neurostimulation. Further investigation in these high-risk patients is warranted. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/B452.ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02892513. IMPACTO DE LA NEUROESTIMULACIN AURICULAR EN PACIENTES SOMETIDOS A CIRUGA COLORRECTAL CON UN PROTOCOLO DE RECUPERACIN MEJORADA UN ENSAYO PILOTO ALEATORIZADO Y CONTROLADO: ANTECEDENTES:Los narcóticos son la piedra angular del control del dolor postoperatorio, pero la epidemia de opioides y los efectos fisiológicos y psicológicos negativos de los narcóticos incentivan a los médicos a que utilicen métodos no farmacológicos de control del dolor.OBJETIVO:Este estudio piloto investigó un nuevo dispositivo de neuroestimulación para analgesia postoperatoria. Hipotetizamos que la neuroestimulación activa disminuiría los requerimientos narcóticos postoperatorios.DISEÑO:Este fue un ensayo doble ciego controlado con placebo.ESCENARIO:Esto se llevó a cabo en un centro médico académico y en un hospital de Asuntos de Veteranos (Veterans Affairs hospital).PACIENTES:Este ensayo incluyó pacientes adultos que se sometieron a resección intestinal electiva entre diciembre de 2016 y abril de 2018.INTERVENCIONES:Los pacientes fueron asignados al azar para recibir un dispositivo activo o inactivo (falso), que se aplicó al oído derecho antes de la cirugía y se mantuvo durante 5 días.PRINCIPALES MEDIDAS DE RESULTADO:El resultado primario fue el consumo total de opioides; los resultados secundarios incluyeron dolor, náusea, ansiedad, retorno de la función intestinal, complicaciones, reingresos a 30 días y consumo de opioides a 2 semanas y a 30 días.RESULTADOS:Participaron un total de 57 pacientes y 5 se retiraron; Se incluyeron 52 pacientes en el análisis. Veintiocho pacientes recibieron un dispositivo activo y 24 recibieron un dispositivo inactivo. No hubo diferencias en el consumo total de narcóticos entre los dispositivos activos e inactivos (90.79 ± 54.93 vs 90.30 ± 43.03 equivalentes de morfina oral [OME] / día). Los análisis de subgrupos demostraron un beneficio para los pacientes después de cirugía abierta (p = 0.0278). Cuando los pacientes se estratificaron por década, aquellos de 60-70 y > 70 años obtuvieron un beneficio de los dispositivos activos en comparación con los de 30-40, 40-50 y 50-60 años (p = 0.01092). No hubo eventos adversos graves relacionados con este estudio.LIMITACIONES:Este estudio estuvo limitado por los pequeños tamaños de muestra.CONCLUSIONES:No se encontró diferencia en el uso de opioides con la neuroestimulación auricular. Sin embargo, este estudio piloto sugiere que los pacientes mayores y aquellos con incisiones abdominales más grandes pueden beneficiarse de la neuroestimulación auricular. Está justificada la investigación adicional en estos pacientes de alto riesgo. Consulte Video Resumen en http://links.lww.com/DCR/B452. (Traducción-Dr. Jorge Silva Velazco).

Resident perception of fundamental endoscopic skills exam: a single institution's experience.

BACKGROUND: Graduating general surgery residents are required to pass the FES exam for ABS certification. Trainees and surgery educators are interested in defining the most effective methods of exam preparation. Our aim is to define trainee perceptions, performance, and the most effective preparation methods regarding the FES exam. METHODS: General surgery residents from a single institution who completed the FES exam were identified. All participated in a flexible endoscopy rotation, and all had access to an endoscopy simulator. Residents were surveyed regarding preparation methods and exam difficulty. Descriptive statistics and a Kruskal-Wallis test were used. RESULTS: A total of 26 trainees took the FES exam with a first-time pass rate of 96.2%. Of 26 surveys administered, 21 were completed. Twenty trainees (76.9%) participated in a dedicated endoscopy curriculum. Scores were not different among those who received dedicated curricular instruction compared to those who did not (547 [IQR 539-562.5] vs. 516 [484.5-547], p = 0.1484; 535.5 [468.5-571] vs. 519 [464.75-575], p = 0.9514). Written exam difficulty was rated as 5.5 on a 10-point Likert scale, and 85.7% felt it was a fair assessment of endoscopy knowledge; skills exam difficulty was rated as 7, and 71% felt it was a fair assessment of endoscopy skills. Online FES modules, the endoscopy clinical rotation, and an exam preparation session with a faculty member were most effective for written exam preparation. The most effective skills exam preparation methods were independent simulator practice, the endoscopy clinical rotation, and a preparation session with a faculty member. The most difficult skills were loop reduction and retroflexion. Skill decay did not appear to be significant. CONCLUSIONS: A clinical endoscopy rotation, a method for independent skills practice, and faculty-mediated exam instruction appear to be effective exam preparation methods. When these are present, trainees report minimal need for dedicated exam preparation time prior to taking the FES exam.

Retroileal anastomosis in hand-assisted laparoscopic left colectomy: experience at a single institution.

BACKGROUND: Left hemicolectomy and complicated sigmoid colectomy require an anastomosis between the transverse colon and rectum. Generous mobilization will typically allow the colon to reach to the rectum. However, despite full mobilization of the splenic flexure and extensive work on the mesentery, there are cases in which reach to the pelvis is still an issue. Retroileal routing of the colon is one technique for overcoming such a reach problem and achieving a tension-free anastomosis. Performing retroileal routing using laparoscopic techniques has been reported rarely, and to date, there are no data on this technique when performed in a hand-assisted laparoscopic fashion. This study aimed to describe the feasibility of doing a retroileal routing using a hand-assisted laparoscopic technique. METHODS: This was a retrospective chart review of patients who underwent a colon or rectal resection, either open or laparoscopic, with a pelvic anastomosis, by a single colorectal surgeon at an academic institution between 2008 and 2015 with a focus on the immediate and long-term postoperative complications, estimated blood loss, and operating room time for patients having an operation that included retroileal routing for construction of a colorectal anastomosis. RESULTS: A total of 340 patients fit inclusion criteria and of these, 13 underwent hand-assisted laparoscopic procedures with retroileal routing of the proximal colon to the colorectal anastomosis. Postoperative morbidity included intubation for CO2 retention in one patient and a RLL effusion in another patient; there were no anastomotic leaks. Long-term morbidities included two ventral hernias at 2 years postoperatively. Mean operating room time was 208 min. There were no 30- or 90-day mortalities. CONCLUSIONS: Hand-assisted laparoscopic retroileal routing is a feasible and safe technique in accomplishing a tension-free colorectal anastomosis when proximal colon length makes standard routing of the colon to the rectum an issue.

Initial Experience With Staging Rectal Adenocarcinoma Using 7T Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

BACKGROUND: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become the preferred method for local staging of rectal cancer. Current MRI technology, operating at 1.5-3 T, results in incorrectly reported tumor depth and therefore inaccurate staging in one-third of individuals. Inaccurate staging can result in suboptimal treatment in patients with rectal cancer and can submit them to unnecessary treatments. The Medical College of Wisconsin Center for Imaging Research houses one of approximately twenty experimental 7 T MRIs worldwide capable of imaging the human pelvis. We present our initial experience with this novel imaging technique for the human rectum. METHODS: This was a prospective observational trial conducted at a single institution. Patients diagnosed with rectal cancer and who underwent low anterior resection or abdominoperineal resection between July 2015 and July 2017 were included. Excised rectal specimens were suspended in a saline-filled container and imaged by MRI at 7T. Tumor depth and lymph node status were determined by a single radiologist who was blinded to the pathologic results. These MRI interpretations were then compared with the pathologic stage. RESULTS: Seven of the 10 patients received neoadjuvant chemoradiation. When using the T1-weighted volumetric interpolated breath-hold examination-flex fat-suppressed sequences, radiologic and pathologic interpretation was identical regarding tumor depth in 7 of 10 patients (70%). Nodal status was correctly interpreted by 7T MRI in 8 of 10 patients (80%). Lymph nodes as small as 2 mm were able to be correctly characterized as harboring malignancy. CONCLUSIONS: We have demonstrated that 7T MRI of the rectum ex vivo has a strong correlation with histologic results. With its superior signal-to-noise ratio and spatial resolution, 7T MRI holds promise in more accurately staging rectal cancer and may be useful in correctly categorizing response to neoadjuvant therapy.

Use of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in the Treatment of Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Current treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer includes neoadjuvant chemoradiation followed by surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. With neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NC), both chemoradiation and chemotherapy are given in the neoadjuvant setting. This study aims to assess patterns of NC utilization and differences in treatment response compared with standard treatment at our institution. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of patients treated for stage II-III rectal cancer at our institution between 2008 and 2018, examining patient demographics, tumor characteristics, and treatment modality. The primary outcome of interest was complete response (CR) to treatment, including both pathologic and clinical CR. RESULTS: Of 184 patients, 134 (72.8%) received standard therapy, and 50 (27.2%) received NC. In the standard treatment group, 70.1% were node positive, and 9.0% had T4-disease, compared with 92.0% and 26.0% in the NC group, respectively (both P < 0.01). NC utilization increased over time, with 3.4% of patients receiving NC between 2008 and 2012, compared with 48.5% in 2013-2018 (P < 0.01). CR was achieved in 19.4% versus 34.0% (P < 0.01) of patients in standard versus NC groups. With multivariate analysis, NC (odds ratio = 3.02 [95% confidence interval 1.37-6.67], P = 0.01) was associated with increased likelihood of achieving CR, whereas higher T-stage was associated with decreased likelihood of CR (for cT4, odds ratio = 0.06 [95% confidence interval 0.01-0.56], P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Use of NC was increasingly used at our institution from 2008 to 2018. Patients who received NC achieved higher rates of CR compared with those undergoing standard therapy, despite having more advanced disease. These data support trends from other institutions and provides rationale for further study regarding use of NC for locally advanced rectal cancer.

Race Is Associated With Burden of Anal Condyloma and Need for Operative Intervention.

BACKGROUND: Human papillomavirus is a common sexually transmitted infection that may affect the oropharynx, genitalia, or anus. Some strains of this virus may cause bulky growths around the anus known as giant anal condylomas. These can become large, disfiguring, and may cause bleeding, as well as difficulty with defecation and hygiene. Surgical management is usually necessary for large condylomas, whereas office-based procedures are common for smaller lesions. It is unclear why some develop large anal margin tumors, whereas others develop limited disease. The aim of the present study was to evaluate for risk factors that may play a role in the development of extensive disease warranting operative management. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective chart review of patients seen within the Anal Dysplasia Clinic at the Medical College of Wisconsin was undertaken. Clinic encounters for patients with anogenital condyloma were abstracted for demographic information, operative interventions, Human Immunodeficiency Virus status, and smoking history to determine risk factors that predicted operative intervention for giant anal condylomas. RESULTS: A total of 239 patients met inclusion criteria; 211 (88.3%) were male and 28 (11.7%) were female. Racial makeup of the cohort included 49% Caucasian, 38.9% African-American, 9.2% Hispanic, and 2.9% were identified as another ethnicity. One hundred forty-three patients (60.1%) were current or past smokers. One hundred ninety-eight (82.8%) patients tested positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), whereas 41 (17.2%) were negative. Multiple linear regression identified only African-American race as predictive of greater disease burden. CONCLUSIONS: African-American race was associated with increased size of anal condyloma. As the size of anal condylomas increase, management shifts from topical treatments to operative intervention. This is the first study to correlate race with burden of disease in the general population.

The impact of intravenous acetaminophen on pain after abdominal surgery: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Pain after surgery is commonly controlled with opioid pain medications. A multi-modal pain strategy that involves acetaminophen may help minimize the negative consequences of opioids, such as ileus, respiratory depression, and addictive potential. There are limited data on the effectiveness of intravenous (IV) acetaminophen in comparison with other nonopioid pain medications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four databases were queried for the keywords "acetaminophen," "intravenous," and "postoperative". Prospective studies of adult patients receiving at least 24 h of IV acetaminophen after intraabdominal surgery were analyzed for 12- and 24-h pain scores and 24-h narcotic consumption. A random effects model was performed using mean differences and 95% confidence intervals to assess the effect of IV acetaminophen on outcomes. Heterogeneity was assessed using χ2 and the I2 statistics. RESULTS: Seventeen articles were identified that complied with inclusion and exclusion criteria. There was no significant difference in 24-h pain scores between IV acetaminophen and any other comparator, or in secondary endpoints of 12-h pain scores and 24-h narcotic consumption. Subgroup analysis demonstrated significant benefit for IV acetaminophen in open surgeries for decreased 24-h narcotic consumption. When analyzing individual medications, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs demonstrated the largest reduction in 24-h narcotic consumption. Data were of moderate quality and demonstrated significant heterogeneity between studies. CONCLUSIONS: The lack of significant differences in primary endpoints may be explained by the heterogeneous, moderate-quality data. However, subgroup analyses suggested IV acetaminophen may be advantageous in open surgeries, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may lower the 24-h narcotic requirement.

Aortic Graft Infection Secondary to Iatrogenic Transcolonic Graft Malposition.

Aortic graft infections are a rare but devastating complication of aortic revascularization. Often infections occur due to contamination at the time of surgery. Iatrogenic misplacement of the limbs of an aortobifemoral graft is exceedingly rare, and principles of evaluation and treatment are not well defined. We report 2 cases of aortobifemoral bypass graft malposition through the colon. CASE REPORT: Case 1 is a 54-year-old male who underwent aortobifemoral bypass grafting for acute limb ischemia. He had previously undergone a partial sigmoid colectomy for diverticulitis. Approximately 6 months after vascular surgery, he presented with an occult graft infection. Preoperative imaging and intraoperative findings were consistent with graft placement through the sigmoid colon. Case 2 is a 60-year-old male who underwent aortobifemoral bypass grafting due to a nonhealing wound after toe amputation. His postoperative course was complicated by pneumonia, bacteremia thought to be secondary to the pneumonia, general malaise, and persistent fevers. Approximately 10 weeks after the vascular surgery, he presented with imaging and intraoperative findings of graft malposition through the cecum. CONCLUSIONS: Aortic graft infection is usually caused by surgical contamination and presents as an indolent infection. Case 1 presented as such; Case 2 presented more acutely. Both grafts were iatrogenically misplaced through the colon at the index operation. The patients underwent extra-anatomic bypass and graft explantation and subsequently recovered.

Elevated Venous Thromboembolism Risk Following Colectomy for IBD Is Equal to Those for Colorectal Cancer for Ninety Days After Surgery.

BACKGROUND: The risk of postoperative venous thromboembolism is high in patients with colon cancer and IBD. Although The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons suggests posthospital prophylaxis after surgery in patients with colon cancer, there are no such recommendations for patients with IBD. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to analyze the incidence and risk factors for postoperative venous thromboembolism. DESIGN: This was a retrospective review using the Explorys platform. SETTINGS: Aggregated electronic medical records from 26 major health care systems across the United States from 1999 to 2017 were used for this study. PATIENTS: Patients who underwent colon surgery were included. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Patients were followed up to 90 days postoperatively for deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. RESULTS: A total of 75,620 patients underwent colon resections, including 32,020 patients with colon cancer, 9850 patients with IBD, and 33,750 patients with diverticulitis. The 30-day incidence of venous thromboembolism was higher in patients with cancer and IBD than in patients with diverticulitis (2.9%, 3.1%, and 2.4%, p < 0.001 for both comparisons). The 30-day incidence of venous thromboembolism in patients with ulcerative colitis is greater than in patients with Crohn's disease (4.1% vs 2.1%, p < 0.001). The cumulative incidence of venous thromboembolism increased from 1.2% at 7 days after surgery to 4.3% at 90 days after surgery in patients with cancer, and from 1.3% to 4.3% in patients with IBD. In multivariable analysis, increase in the risk of venous thromboembolism was associated with cancer diagnosis, IBD diagnosis, age ≥60, smoking, and obesity. LIMITATIONS: This study was limited by its retrospective nature and by the use of the aggregated electronic database, which is based on charted codes and contains only limited collateral clinical data. CONCLUSIONS: Because of the elevated and sustained risk of postoperative thromboembolism, patients with IBD, especially ulcerative colitis, might benefit from extended thromboembolism prophylaxis similar to that of patients with colon cancer. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/A544.

Olefin metathesis in homogeneous aqueous media catalyzed by conventional ruthenium catalysts.

Olefin metathesis in aqueous solvents is sought for applications in green chemistry and with the hydrophilic substrates of chemical biology, such as proteins and polysaccharides. Most demonstrations of metathesis in water, however, utilize exotic complexes. We have examined the performance of conventional catalysts in homogeneous water/organic mixtures, finding that the second-generation Hoveyda-Grubbs catalyst has extraordinary efficiency in aqueous dimethoxyethane and aqueous acetone. High (71-95%) conversions are achieved for ring-closing and cross metathesis of a variety of substrates in these solvent systems.