Upper gastrointestinal and hepatopancreaticobiliary surgery in New Zealand: Balancing the volume-outcome relationship with accessibility in a surgically low volume country.

INTRODUCTION: New Zealand has a population of only 5.5 million meaning that for many surgical procedures the country qualifies as a "low-volume center." However, the health system is well developed and required to provide complex surgical procedures that benchmark internationally against comparable countries. This investigation was undertaken to review regional variation and volumes of complex resection and palliative upper gastrointestinal (UGI) surgical procedures within New Zealand. METHODS: Data pertaining to patients undergoing complex resectional UGI procedures (esophagectomy, gastrectomy, pancreatectomy, and hepatectomies) and palliative UGI procedures (esophageal stenting, enteroenterostomy, biliary enteric anastomosis, and liver ablation) in a New Zealand hospital between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2019 were obtained from the National Minimum Dataset. RESULTS: New Zealand is a low-volume center for UGI surgery (229 hepatectomies, 250 gastrectomies, 126 pancreatectomies, and 74 esophagectomies annually). Over 80% of patients undergoing hepatic resection/ablation, gastrectomy, esophagectomy, and pancreatectomy are treated in one of the six national cancer centers (Auckland, Waikato, Mid-Central, Capital Coast, Canterbury, or Southern). There is evidence of the decreasing frequency of these procedures in small centers with increasing frequency in large centers suggesting that some regionalization is occurring. Palliative procedures were more widely performed. Indigenous Maori were less likely to be treated in a nationally designated cancer center than non-Maori. CONCLUSIONS: The challenge for New Zealand and similarly sized countries is to develop and implement a system that optimizes the skills and pathways that come from a frequent performance of complex surgery while maintaining system resilience and ensuring equitable access for all patients.

Educational quality of Robotic Whipple videos on YouTube.

BACKGROUND: Videos on Robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy (RPD) may be watched by surgeons learning RPD. This study sought to appraise the educational quality of RPD videos on YouTube. METHODS: One-hundred videos showing RPD or 'Robotic Whipple' were assessed using validated scales (LAP-VEGaS & Consensus Statement Score (CSS)). The association between the scores and the video characteristics (e.g. order of appearance, provider type etc) was assessed. The minimum number of videos required to cumulatively cover the entire LAP-VEGaS and CSS was also noted. RESULTS: The videos were of variable quality; median LAP-VEGaS = 0.67 (0.17-0.94), median CSS = 0.45 (0.29-0.53). There was no association between the educational quality of the videos and their order of appearance, view counts, provider type, length or country of origin. Videos lacked information such as patient consent (100%), potential pitfalls (97%) or surgeon credentials (84%). The first 29 videos cumulatively met all the criteria of CSS and LAP-VEGaS scores except for reporting consent. CONCLUSION: YouTube videos on RPD are of variable quality, without any recognised predictors of quality, and miss important safety information. An impractical number of videos need to be watched to cumulatively fulfil educational criteria. There is a need for high-quality, peer-reviewed videos that adhere to educational principles.

Best supportive care in advanced pancreas cancer: a systematic review to define a patient-care bundle.

BACKGROUND: The majority of patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) have advanced disease at presentation, preventing treatment with curative intent. Management of these patients is often provided by surgical teams for whom there are a lack of widely accepted strategies for care. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review to identify key issues in patients with advanced PDAC and integrate the evidence to form a care bundle checklist for use in surgical clinics. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was performed regarding best supportive care for advanced PDAC according to the PRISMA guidelines. Interventions pertaining to supportive care were included whilst preventative and curative treatments were excluded. A narrative review was planned. RESULTS: Forty-four studies were assessed and four themes were developed: (i) Pain is an undertreated symptom, requiring escalating analgesics and sometimes invasive modalities. (ii) Health-related quality of life necessitates optimisation by involving family, carers and multi-disciplinary teams. (iii) Malnutrition and weight loss can be mitigated with early assessment, replacement therapies and resistance exercise. (iv) Biliary and duodenal obstruction can often be relieved by endoscopic/radiological interventions with surgery rarely required. CONCLUSION: This is the first systematic review to evaluate the different types of interventions utilized during best supportive care in patients with advanced PDAC. It provides a comprehensive care bundle for surgeons that informs management of the common issues experienced by patients within a multidisciplinary environment.

Cancer Screening Services: What Do Indigenous Communities Want? A Systematic Review.

PURPOSE: Indigenous communities experience worse cancer outcomes compared with the general population partly because of lower cancer screening access. One-size-fits-all screening programs are unsuitable for reaching Indigenous communities. In this review, we summarize available evidence on the perspectives of these communities; with a view to informing the improvement of cancer screening services to achieve equitable access. METHODS: We undertook a systematic review according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, using the databases MEDLINE, Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar. The search terms used were "Indigenous community or Indigenous communities," "cancer screening," and "facilitators, enablers, desires, or needs." Qualitative studies published up to the August 30, 2022 investigating the perspectives of Indigenous communities on factors encouraging screening participation were included in the study. The included studies were reviewed and analyzed inductively by two independent reviewers, and key themes regarding indigenous access to cancer screening were then extracted. RESULTS: A total of 204 unique articles were identified from the search. The title and abstracts of these studies were screened, and 164 were excluded on the basis of the exclusion and inclusion criteria. The full texts of the remaining 40 studies were examined and 18 were included in the review. Four key themes were identified pertaining to culturally tailored education and information dissemination, community involvement, positive relationships with health care providers, and individual empowerment and autonomy. CONCLUSION: Improvements, on the basis of the key themes identified from this review, must be made at all levels of the health care system to achieve equitable screening participation in Indigenous communities. However, we recommend an investigation into the perspectives of the local Indigenous communities before the initiation of cancer screening programs.

The increasing use of minimally invasive surgery in acute general surgical conditions: A decade of results from a national data set.

BACKGROUND: To assess the rate of uptake of acute laparoscopic surgery for common general surgical conditions using national-level data. METHODS: The use of laparoscopic surgery in the acute management of appendicitis, cholecystitis, adhesive small bowel obstruction, and inguinal hernias was assessed between 2013 and 2022 at a national level in New Zealand. RESULTS: Laparoscopic appendicectomy increased from 83% to 95% (P = .0002). Laparoscopic cholecystectomy increased from 94% to 96% (P = .001). Laparoscopic adhesiolysis increased from 42% to 60% (P = .001). Laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair increased from 3% to 18% (P = .004). The rate of laparoscopic conversion demonstrated a decrease for appendicectomy (1.9% to 0.24%), cholecystectomy (0.77% to 0.39%), and adhesiolysis (9% to 2.4%) across this time. The laparoscopic cohorts were all associated with a shorter and less expensive length of stay compared to the open cohort. Maori and Pacific Island patients had largely equitable or superior rates of laparoscopic use compared to the rest of the population. No changes in laparoscopic use were detected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rates of laparoscopic cholecystectomy and appendicectomy are similar throughout the regions. The largest difference in rates detected was for adhesiolysis, which was more common in the northern region. CONCLUSION: There has been a statistically significant rise in the use of acute laparoscopic surgery for acute general surgical procedures. This rise is likely clinically and economically significant, particularly in appendicectomy and adhesiolysis, with rises of 12% and 17% across the 10 years, with the known associated patient and health care system benefits.

Robot-assisted general surgery in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Robot-assisted surgery refers to a surgeon controlling a robotic device that performs an operation. This viewpoint explores the current state of robot-assisted surgery in Aotearoa New Zealand using the da Vinci Surgical System (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, California, United States), the only currently available robotic surgical system for general surgery in the country. We describe the contemporary progress in Aotearoa New Zealand compared to Australia and globally, and present emerging high-level evidence from randomised controlled trials regarding the utility of the robot-assisted approach for general surgery procedures. From the available evidence, we suggest that the value of robot-assisted general surgery in the public healthcare system arises from its emerging clinical benefits for complex procedures and its potential to engender equitable access and outcomes, particularly for Maori and Pacific peoples, improve education and training and contribute towards quality assurance and workforce development. Therefore, its implementation aligns with the New Zealand Health Strategy's long-term goals and priority areas to achieve pae ora, healthy futures for all.

Systematic review of the efficacy and purpose of student surgical interest groups.

BACKGROUND: There is concern around projected unmet need in the surgical workforce internationally. Current barriers to medical students pursuing surgical careers include lack of early exposure, low confidence in surgical skills, and perceived lifestyle barriers. This review aimed to examine both the purpose of student surgical interest groups (SIGs) globally, and their effect on metrics representing student surgical career interest. barriers. METHODS: MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, and Google Scholar were searched for papers analysing surgical interest group purpose and efficacy. Risk of bias was assessed for survey-based papers using a 20-point checklist. Descriptive analysis was performed based on qualitative data. RESULTS: Twenty-eight papers were included in the analysis including 13 surveys. These were of moderate quality. The analysed SIGs had 100-1000 student members and a diverse range of funding sources. Purpose of SIGs was described by 26 of 28 papers with common themes including promotion of surgical career choice and developing theoretical/practical surgical skills. Common initiatives of SIGs included surgical lectures/teaching and practical skills workshops. Data from 15 papers analysing efficacy of SIGs suggested they positively influenced self-reported student interest in surgical careers (78.6%) and confidence in surgical knowledge (80%), as well as confidence in practical skills, knowledge about surgical careers/lifestyle, mentorship opportunity, and research involvement. CONCLUSION: Student SIGs make a unique contribution to early medical student experience through positive effect on promoting surgical careers. They target relevant metrics such as surgical knowledge and confidence that are known to influence surgical career choice in the modern surgical landscape.

Quality Performance Indicators for the Surgical Management of Oesophageal Cancer: A Systematic Literature Review.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this systematic review was to identify pre-existing quality performance indicators (QPIs) for the surgical management of oesophageal cancer (OC). These QPIs can be used to objectively measure and compare the performance of individual units and capture key elements of patient care to improve patient outcomes. METHODS: A systematic literature search of PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus and Embase was conducted. Articles reporting on the quality of healthcare in relation to oesophageal neoplasm or cancer and the surgical treatment of OC available until the 1st of March 2022 were included. RESULTS: The final list of articles included retrospective reviews (n = 13), prospective reviews (n = 8), expert guidelines (n = 1) and consensus (n = 1). The final list of QPIs was categorized as process, outcome or structural measures. Process measures included multidisciplinary involvement, availability of multimodality diagnostic and treatment pathways and surgical metrics. Outcome measures included reoperation and readmission rates, the achievement of RO resection and length of hospital stay. Structural measures include multidisciplinary meetings. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review summarizes QPIs for the surgical treatment of OC. The data will serve as an introduction to establishing a quality initiative project for OC resections.

Quality performance indicator compliance for the treatment of gastric adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Quality performance indicators (QPI) are objective measurements of aspects of patient care that affect clinical outcome. This study investigates the compliance rate to published QPIs of gastric adenocarcinoma (GA) management, in a single institution, to determine areas of strong performance and those requiring improvement. METHODS: All patients with GA treated from 2010 to 2015, and 2020 to 2021 were included. Electronic data in the form of clinic letters, operation notes, and histology and radiology reports were reviewed with ethics approval. QPI adherence was collected in binary form. RESULTS: QPIs with high compliance rate include preoperative radiological staging and histological diagnosis, subspecialty surgeon training and pathology report documentation. QPIs with low compliance include perioperative chemotherapy (31.6%), postoperative radiological surveillance (32.5%) and minimally invasive approaches to surgical resection (12.5%). CONCLUSIONS: QPIs from the systematic review are variably implemented in clinical practice, thus informing on their relevance to real world clinical practice whilst also identifying the areas requiring focus for improvement.

Hepatectomy and pancreatectomy: how we could do it.

Visible patient software provides surgeons and trainees with the opportunity to construct accurate three dimensional models of patients liver and pancreas which reflect tumour location and unique anatomical features. These can be used for operative planning, patient discussions, operative rehearsal and teaching as well as pre and postoperative briefings.

Are they ready? A survey of postgraduate year 1 and 2 surgical house officers.

AIM: An online survey was undertaken to analyse the perception of medical school graduates, in postgraduate years 1 and 2, of being ready to work (preparedness) and of managing the demands of practice as a junior doctor on a general surgical attachment. METHODS: An email-based survey was designed to assess medical school graduates' sense of preparedness, and was sent electronically to all house officers at the beginning of their 3-month attachment in general surgery between December 2020 and December 2021. One email reminder was sent 2 weeks after the initial email with the embedded survey hyperlink. RESULTS: The overall response rate was 50%. Of those, over 90% had accompanied surgical teams on acute calls and over extended hours as a medical student. However, only 50% had ever attended a trauma call or a resuscitation call with clinical teams. Half of the respondents indicated that they would have liked specific teaching on mental and physical self-care, preparation for night shifts and extended periods of duty as well as in prioritisation, delegation and management of workloads. CONCLUSION: This survey showed that new doctors lacked dedicated teaching in professional behaviours and felt it to be an important part of medical training and preparation for medical practice.

Defining an optimal surveillance strategy for patients following choledochal cyst resection: results of a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Choledochal cysts should be treated with complete surgical resection, or, rarely liver transplantation. Treated patients can remain at risk of developing metachronous cholangiocarcinomas and lifelong follow up is indicated. However, there is no agreement on what constitutes an acceptable follow up strategy. This review was undertaken to develop an evidenced based surveillance strategy. METHODS: A systematic review of MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar was undertaken for reports (published up to 10 September 2021) describing late biliary complications and development of metachronous cholangiocarcinoma following choledochal cyst resection. RESULTS: Twenty-five publications described 74 metachronous cholangiocarcinomas occurring in 3911 patients (overall incidence 2%). Cancers developed commonly at the hepatic hilus and were diagnosed after a median interval of 92 months (range 9-249 months) after the initial resection. While reporting is incomplete, the majority of cholangiocarcinomas developed following resection of type I and type IV cysts with few metachronous cancers recorded after treatment of type II or III cysts. Peak age range for presentation with metachronous cholangiocarcinoma is in the twenties following cyst resection in childhood suggesting that patients are at greatest risk for metachronous tumour development for up to 20 years (240 months). CONCLUSION: A surveillance strategy is proposed for patients treated primarily for cyst types I and IV and unresected type V using annual liver function tests, Ca 19-9 measurement and biannual ultrasound assessment for 20 years post cyst resection, with biannual liver function testing, Ca 19-9 measurement and three yearly ultrasound assessment thereafter.

Clinical features and postoperative survival in patients with sporadic versus multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1-related pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors: An international cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The optimal surgical management of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors in patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 is controversial. This study sought to compare clinicopathologic characteristics and outcomes of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1-associated and sporadic pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors from a large multi-national database. METHODS: A multi-institutional, international database of patients with surgically resected pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors was analyzed. The cohort was divided into 2 groups: those with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 versus those with sporadic disease. Clinicopathologic comparisons were made. Overall and disease-free survival were analyzed. Propensity score matching was used to reduce bias. RESULTS: Of 651 patients included, 45 (6.9%) had multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 and 606 sporadic pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1-associated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors were more common in younger patients and associated with multifocal disease at the time of surgery and higher T-stage. Lymph node involvement and the presence of metastasis were similar. Total pancreatectomy rate was 5-fold higher in the multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 cohort. Median survival did not differ (disease-free survival 126 months multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 vs 198 months sporadic, P > .5). After matching, survival remained similar (overall survival not reached in either cohort, disease-free survival 126 months multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 vs 198 months sporadic, P > .5). Equivalence in overall survival and disease-free survival persisted even when patients who underwent subtotal and total pancreatectomy were excluded. CONCLUSION: Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1-associated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors are more common in younger patients and are associated with multifocality and higher T-stage. Survival for patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1-associated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors is comparable to those with sporadic pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, even in the absence of radical pancreatectomy. Consideration should be given to parenchymal-sparing surgery to preserve pancreatic function.