Predictors of acute incisional hernia incarceration at initial hernia diagnosis on computed tomography.

BACKGROUND: Acute incisional hernia incarceration is associated with high morbidity and mortality yet there is little evidence to guide which patients will benefit most from prophylactic repair. We explored baseline computed tomography (CT) characteristics associated with incarceration. METHODS: A case-control study design was utilized to explore adults (≥18 years) diagnosed with an incisional hernia between 2010 and 2017 at a single institution with a 1-year minimum follow-up. Computed tomography imaging at the time of initial hernia diagnosis was examined. Following propensity score matching for baseline characteristics, multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify independent predictors associated with acute incarceration. RESULTS: A total of 532 patients (27.26% male, mean 61.55 years) were examined, of whom 238 experienced an acute incarceration. Between two well-matched cohorts with and without incarceration, the presence of small bowel in the hernia sac (odds ratio [OR], 7.50; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.35-16.38), increasing sac height (OR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.10-1.64), more acute hernia angle (OR, 0.98 per degree; 95% CI, 0.97-0.99), decreased fascial defect width (OR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.58-0.81), and greater outer abdominal fat (OR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.02-1.60) were associated with acute incarceration. Using threshold analysis, a hernia angle of <91 degrees and a sac height of >3.25 cm were associated with increased incarceration risk. CONCLUSION: Computed tomography features present at the time of hernia diagnosis provide insight into later acute incarceration risk. Improved understanding of acute incisional hernia incarceration can guide selection for prophylactic repair and thereby may mitigate the excess morbidity associated with incarceration. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic and Epidemiological; Level III.

Management and Outcomes of Pathologic Upstaging of Clinical Stage I Rectal Cancers: An Exploratory Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Preoperative staging of clinical stage I rectal cancer can fail to diagnose T3 or nodal disease. Adjuvant treatment of these upstaged patients remains controversial. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to identify predictors of clinical stage I rectal cancer upstaging and quantify rates of local and systemic recurrence. DESIGN: This was a retrospective cohort study. SETTINGS: The study was conducted using data from the United States Rectal Cancer Consortium, a registry of 1881 rectal cancer resections performed at 6 academic medical centers. PATIENTS: There were a total of 94 clinical stage I rectal cancer patients who underwent proctectomy without preoperative therapy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary measures were incidence of pathologic upstaging, recurrence (local and systemic), and overall survival. RESULTS: Among 94 clinical stage I patients who underwent proctectomy without preoperative therapy, 23 (24.5%) were upstaged by surgical pathology. There were 6 pT3N0 patients, 8 pT1-2N+ patients, and 9 pT3N+ patients. There were no significant differences in demographic or clinical characteristics between upstaged and nonupstaged patients. Of the 6 patients who were upstaged to T3N0 disease, none received adjuvant therapy and none developed recurrence. Of the 17 patients who were upstaged to N+ disease, 14 (82%) received adjuvant chemotherapy and 6 (35%) received adjuvant chemoradiation. None developed a local recurrence, but 4 (24%) developed systemic recurrence, and 2 (12%) died of disease over a mean of 36 months of follow-up. Among the 9 pT3N+ patients, the systemic recurrence rate was 33%, despite 8 of 9 patients receiving adjuvant fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin. LIMITATIONS: Small sample size hinders the ability to draw significant conclusions. CONCLUSIONS: One in 4 patients with stage I rectal cancer had unrecognized T3 or nodal disease found on operative pathology. Occult nodal disease was associated with worse outcomes, despite receiving adjuvant therapy. Systemic recurrence was more common than local recurrence. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/B885 . MANEJO Y RESULTADOS DEL AUMENTO DEL ESTADIO PATOLGICO DE LOS CNCERES DE RECTO EN ESTADIO CLNICO I UN ANLISIS EXPLORATORIO: ANTECEDENTES:El estadiaje pre-operatorio del cáncer de recto en fase clínica I puede ser erróneo en el diagnóstico T3 o en la diseminación ganglionar. El tratamiento adyuvante de estos pacientes sobre-estadificados ​​sigue siendo controvertido.OBJETIVO:El identificar los factores predictivos en fase clínica I del cáncer de recto y cuantificar las tasas de recurrencia local y sistémica.DISEÑO:Estudio de cohortes retrospectivo.AJUSTE:El estudio se realizó utilizando los datos del Consorcio del Cáncer de Recto de los Estados Unidos, con un registro de 1.881 resecciones oncológicas rectales realizadas en seis centros médicos académicos.PACIENTES:Un total de 94 pacientes con cáncer de recto en fase clínica I fueron sometidos a proctectomía sin terapia preoperatoria.PRINCIPALES MEDIDAS DE RESULTADO:Las medidas primarias fueron la incidencia del sobre-estadiaje histopatológico, la recurrencia (local y sistémica) y la sobrevida general.RESULTADOS:De 94 pacientes en fase clínica I que se sometieron a una proctectomía sin terapia preoperatoria, 23 (24,5%) fueron sobre-estadiados ​​por la histopatología quirúrgica. Hubieron 6 pacientes pT3N0, 8 pT1-2N + y 9 pT3N +. No hubo diferencias significativas en las características demográficas o clínicas entre los pacientes sobre-estadiados ​​y los no sobre-estadiados. De los 6 pacientes que fueron sobre-estadiados en la enfermedad T3N0, ninguno de ellos recibió terapia adyuvante y ninguno recidivó. De los 17 pacientes que fueron sobre-estadiados a la enfermedad N +, 14 (82%) recibieron quimioterapia adyuvante y 6 (35%) recibieron quimio-radioterapia adyuvante. Ninguno desarrolló recidiva local, pero 4 (24%) desarrollaron recidiva sistémica y 2 (12%) murieron a causa de la enfermedad durante el seguimiento medio de 36 meses. Entre los 9 pacientes con pT3N +, la tasa de recidiva sistémica fue del 33%, a pesar de que 8 de 9 pacientes recibieron fluorouracilo, leucovorina y oxaliplatino como quimio-adyuvantes.LIMITACIONES:El tamaño pequeño de la muestra dificulta la capacidad de obtener conclusiones significativas.CONCLUSIONES:Uno de cada cuatro pacientes con cáncer de recto en estadío I presentaba enfermedad ganglionar o T3 no descrita en la histopatología operatoria. La enfermedad ganglionar oculta se asoció con peores resultados, a pesar de recibir terapia adyuvante. La recidiva sistémica fue más común que la recidiva local. Consulte Video Resumen en http://links.lww.com/DCR/B885 . (Traducción-Dr. Xavier Delgadillo ).

Cost-effectiveness of Choosing Wisely guidelines for axillary observation in women older than age 70 years with hormone receptor-positive, clinically node-negative, operable breast tumors.

BACKGROUND: The Society for Surgical Oncology's Choosing Wisely guidelines recommend against sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in favor of observation in this population. Recent analyses reveal that this has not been widely adopted. The purpose of this cost-effectiveness analysis is to compare the costs and benefits associated with observation or SLNB in women >70 years old with hormone receptor-positive, clinically node-negative, operable breast cancer. METHODS: A decision tree with Markov modeling was created to compare treatment strategies using long-term follow-up data from clinical trials in this population. Costs were estimated from published literature and publicly available databases. Breast cancer-specific health-state utilities were derived from the literature and expert opinion. One-way, 2-way, and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were conducted. A structural sensitivity analysis was performed to assess the effect of functional status and anxiety from nonevaluation of the axilla on cost-effectiveness. Costs and benefits, measured in life-years (LYs) and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), were tabulated across 10, 15, and 20 years and compared using incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs). RESULTS: SLNB is not cost-effective from the payer or societal perspectives with ICERs of $138,374/LY and $131,900/LY, respectively. When QALYs were considered, SLNB provided fewer QALYs (SLNB, 10.33 QALYs; observation, 10.53 QALYs) at a higher cost (SLNB, $15,845; observation, $4020). Structural sensitivity analysis revealed that SLNB was cost-effective in certain patients with significant anxiety related to axillary observation (ICER, $39,417/QALY). CONCLUSIONS: Routine SLNB in this population is not cost-effective. The cost-effectiveness of SLNB, however, is dependent on individual patient factors, including functional status as well as patient preference.

Sex dimorphisms in coagulation characteristics in the pediatric trauma population appear after puberty.

BACKGROUND: The role of age and sex in mediating coagulation characteristics in injured children is not well defined. We hypothesize that thromboelastography (TEG) profiles are equivalent across sex in younger children and diverge after puberty. METHODS: Consecutive trauma patients younger than 18 years were identified from a university-affiliated, Level I, pediatric trauma center (2016-2020) database. Demographics, injury characteristics, and TEG parameters were recorded. Children were categorized by sex and age (younger, ≤10 years; older, ≥11 years). Baseline characteristics, outcomes, and TEG parameters were compared using nonparametric tests as appropriate. To account for the effects of confounding variables, analysis of covariance was performed controlling for Injury Severity Score (ISS), admission Glasgow Coma Scale score, and pediatric age-adjusted shock index. RESULTS: Six hundred forty-seven subjects were identified (70.2% male, median ISS, 10; interquartile range, 5-24; blunt mechanism, 75.4%). Among 395 younger children (≤10 years), there were no differences in TEG characteristics between sexes. Among 252 adolescents (≥11 years), males had greater kinetic times (1.8 vs. 1.4 min; p < 0.001), decreased alpha angles (69.6° vs73.7°; p < 0.001), and lower maximum amplitudes (59.4 vs. 61.5 mm; p = 0.01). Fibrinolysis was significantly lower in older females compared with younger females (0.4% vs. 1.5%, p < 0.001) and age-matched males (0.4% vs. 1.0%, p = 0.02). Compared with younger male children, adolescent males had greater kinetic times (1.8 vs. 1.4 min; p < 0.001), decreased alpha angles (73.5° vs. 69.6°, p < 0.001), lower maximum amplitudes (59.4 vs. 62 mm, p < 0.001), and less fibrinolysis (1.0% vs. 1.3%, p = 0.03). This interaction persisted after controlling for ISS, Glasgow Coma Scale, and pediatric age-adjusted shock index. CONCLUSION: Sex dimorphisms in TEG coagulation profiles appear after puberty. This divergence appears to be driven by a shift in male coagulation profiles to a relatively hypocoagulable state and female coagulation profiles to a relatively hypercoagulable state after puberty. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic and Epidemiologic, Level III.

Transanal excision with adjuvant therapy for pT1N0 rectal tumors with high-risk features offers equivalent survival to radical resection: A National Cancer Database analysis.

BACKGROUND: Current guidelines favor transabdominal radical resection (RR) over transanal local excision (TAX) followed by adjuvant therapy (TAXa) for pT1N0 rectal tumors with high-risk features. Comparison of oncologic outcomes between these approaches is limited, although the former is associated with increased postoperative morbidity. We hypothesize that such treatment strategies result in equivalent long-term survival. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the National Cancer Database (2010-2016) to identify patients with pT1N0 rectal adenocarcinoma with high-risk features who underwent TAX or RR for curative intent. The primary outcome was 5-year overall survival (OS), evaluated with log-rank and Cox-proportional hazards testing. RESULTS: A total of 1159 patients (age 67.4 ± 12.9 years; 56.6% male; 83.3% White) met study criteria, of which 1009 (87.1%) underwent RR and 150 (12.9%) underwent TAXa. Patients undergoing TAXa had shorter lengths of stay (RR = 6.5 days, TAXa = 2.7 days, p < 0.001). The 5-year OS was equivalent between groups. TAX without adjuvant therapy was associated with an increased risk of mortality (hazard ratio 1.81, 95% confidence interval 1.17-2.78, p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: This is the largest study to demonstrate equivalent 5-year OS between TAXa and RR for T1N0 rectal cancer with high-risk features. These findings may guide the development of prospective, randomized trials and influence changes in practice recommendations for early-stage rectal cancer.

Evaluating the Cost-effectiveness of Prehospital Plasma Transfusion in Unstable Trauma Patients: A Secondary Analysis of the PAMPer Trial.

Importance: Prehospital plasma transfusion is lifesaving for trauma patients in hemorrhagic shock but is not commonly used owing to cost and feasibility concerns. Objective: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of prehospital thawed plasma transfusion in trauma patients with hemorrhagic shock during air medical transport. Design, Setting, and Participants: A decision tree and Markov model were created to compare standard care and prehospital thawed plasma transfusion using published and unpublished patient-level data from the Prehospital Plasma in Air Medical Transport in Trauma Patients at Risk for Hemorrhagic Shock (PAMPer) trial conducted from May 2014 to October 2017, health care and trauma-specific databases, and the published literature. Prehospital transfusion, short-term inpatient care, and lifetime health care costs and quality of life outcomes were included. One-way, 2-way, and Monte Carlo probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed across clinically plausible ranges. Data were analyzed in December 2019. Main Outcomes and Measures: Relative costs and health-related quality of life were evaluated by an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio at a standard willingness-to-pay threshold of $100 000 per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY). Results: The trial included 501 patients in the modified intention-to-treat cohort. Median (interquartile range) age for patients in the thawed plasma and standard care cohorts were 44 (31-59) and 46 (28-60) years, respectively. Overall, 364 patients (72.7%) were male. Thawed plasma transfusion was cost-effective with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $50 467.44 per QALY compared with standard care. The preference for thawed plasma was robust across all 1- and 2-way sensitivity analyses. When considering only patients injured by a blunt mechanism, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio decreased to $37 735.19 per QALY. Thawed plasma was preferred in 8140 of 10 000 iterations (81.4%) on probabilistic sensitivity analysis. A detailed analysis of incremental costs between strategies revealed most were attributable to the in-hospital and postdischarge lifetime care of critically ill patients surviving severe trauma. Conclusions and Relevance: In this study, prehospital thawed plasma transfusion during air medical transport for trauma patients in hemorrhagic shock was lifesaving and cost-effective compared with standard care and should become commonplace.

Patient Factors Limit Colon Cancer Survival at Safety-Net Hospitals: A National Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Safety-net hospitals serve a vital role in society by providing care for vulnerable populations. Existing data regarding oncologic outcomes of patients with colon cancer treated at safety-net hospitals are limited and variable. The objective of this study was to delineate disparities in treatment and outcomes for patients with colon cancer treated at safety-net hospitals. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study identified 802,304 adult patients with colon adenocarcinoma from the National Cancer Database between 2004-2016. Patients were stratified according to safety-net burden of the treating hospital as previously described. Patient, tumor, facility, and treatment characteristics were compared between groups as were operative and short-term outcomes. Cox proportional hazards regression was utilized to compare overall survival between patients treated at high, medium, and low burden hospitals. RESULTS: Patients treated at safety-net hospitals were demographically distinct and presented with more advanced disease. They were also less likely to receive surgery, adjuvant chemotherapy, negative resection margins, adequate lymphadenectomy, or a minimally invasive operative approach. On multivariate analysis adjusting for patient and tumor characteristics, survival was inferior for patients at safety-net hospitals, even for those with stage 0 (in situ) disease. CONCLUSION: This analysis revealed inferior survival for patients with colon cancer treated at safety-net hospitals, including those without invasive cancer. These findings suggest that unmeasured population differences may confound analyses and affect survival more than provider or treatment disparities.

Impact of Postoperative Complications on Oncologic Outcomes After Rectal Cancer Surgery: An Analysis of the US Rectal Cancer Consortium.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative complications (POCs) are associated with worse oncologic outcomes in several cancer types. The implications of complications after rectal cancer surgery are not well studied. METHODS: The United States Rectal Cancer Consortium (2007-2017) was reviewed for primary rectal adenocarcinoma patients who underwent R0/R1 resection. Ninety-day POCs were categorized as major or minor and were grouped into infectious, cardiopulmonary, thromboembolic, renal, or intestinal dysmotility. Primary outcomes were overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS). RESULTS: Among 1136 patients, the POC rate was 46% (n = 527), with 63% classified as minor and 32% classified as major. Of all POCs, infectious complications comprised 20%, cardiopulmonary 3%, thromboembolic 5%, renal 9%, and intestinal dysmotility 19%. Compared with minor or no POCs, major POCs were associated with both worse RFS and worse OS (both p < 0.01). Compared with no POCs, a single POC was associated with worse RFS (p < 0.01), while multiple POCs were associated with worse OS (p = 0.02). Regardless of complication grade, infectious POCs were associated with worse RFS (p < 0.01), while cardiopulmonary and thromboembolic POCs were associated with worse OS (both p < 0.01). Renal POCs were associated with both worse RFS (p < 0.001) and worse OS (p = 0.01). After accounting for pathologic stage, neoadjuvant therapy, and final margin status, Multivariable analysis (MVA) demonstrated worse outcomes with cardiopulmonary, thromboembolic, and renal POCs for OS (cardiopulmonary: hazard ratio [HR] 3.6, p = 0.01; thromboembolic: HR 19.4, p < 0.01; renal: HR 2.4, p = 0.01), and renal and infectious POCs for RFS (infectious: HR 2.1, p < 0.01; renal: HR 3.2, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Major complications after proctectomy for cancer are associated with decreased RFS and OS. Given the association of infectious complications and postoperative renal dysfunction with earlier recurrence of disease, efforts must be directed towards defining best practices and standardizing care.

Sex Comparisons in Opioid Use and Pain After Colorectal Surgery Using Enhanced Recovery Protocols.

BACKGROUND: Differences in nociception and use of opioids between sexes are of particular interest, considering higher rates of persistent opioid use among women after surgery. Although enhanced recovery protocols (ERPs) have improved postoperative pain control in colorectal surgery, sex-based comparisons of inpatient opioid use after surgery in an ERP remain understudied. METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed data from adults after colorectal surgery using an ERP at a single hospital between 2015 and 2017. The main outcome was the rate of opioid consumption measured as oral morphine equivalents per inpatient day. Poisson regression determined association between sex and opioid consumption, accounting for early discharge, using inverse probability weighting and adjusting for covariates that retained significance on univariate analysis. Linear regression assessed the association between sex and pain scores on postoperative days 0-5 adjusting for covariates. RESULTS: Of 588 patients included, 43% were men and 57% were women. In the unadjusted model, malignancy, prehospital psychiatric medication and analgesic use, tobacco, ileostomy creation, operative time, and postoperative complications were associated with increased opioid consumption. In multivariate analyses, prehospital opioid and nonopioid analgesic use, operative time, anastomotic leak, and postoperative ileus remained significantly associated with increased inpatient opioid consumption. However, there was no significant association between sex and opioid use in crude or adjusted analysis (incidence rate ratio: 1.09; 95% confidence interval: 0.90, 1.32). Women reported higher average daily pain scores (coefficient: 0.29; 95% confidence interval: 0.04, 0.55) in adjusted analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients undergoing colorectal surgery using an ERP, sex-based differences exist in pain scores but not early postoperative opioid consumption. Identification of intragroup differences in postoperative pain and opioid use among patients managed with an ERP serves as targets for customization and enhancement of current protocols. Furthermore, incongruence between reported pain and analgesic administration may have important implications for sex-related differences in persistent opioid use.