Perioperative Cost Differences Between Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy and Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass: A Single Institutional Review.

Background: Minimizing bariatric surgery care costs is important since more than 250,000 patients undergo bariatric surgery annually in the United States. The study objective was to compare perioperative costs for the two most common bariatric procedures: laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) and laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB). In addition, we sought to identify predictors of high-cost perioperative care. Methods: Adult patients who underwent LSG or LRYGB from 2012 to 2017 were identified using our institutional bariatric surgery database. Perioperative costs, defined as costs incurred from the time of entering the preoperative unit until exiting the postanesthesia care unit, were obtained through billing data. Median perioperative cost components of LSG and LRYGB were compared using Mann-Whitney tests. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to investigate patient-level predictors of high-cost care, defined as the top tercile of perioperative costs. Results: We included 546 bariatric surgery patients with a mean age and body mass index (BMI) of 49.7 years and 45.9 kg/m2, respectively. There were no significant differences in median perioperative costs between LSG and LRYGB ($14,942 versus $15,016; P = .80). Stapler use was the largest cost contributor for both procedures, accounting for 27.7% and 29.2% of costs for LSG and LRYGB, respectively. In multivariable analyses, preoperative patient characteristics, including BMI, were not associated with high-cost perioperative care. Conclusions: Perioperative costs for LSG and LRYGB were similar in our single institution study. Reducing costs outside of the operating room, including those related to ED visits and complications, may be more impactful than focusing on cost reduction directly related to perioperative care.

Hemorrhagic Pleural Effusion: A Rare Presentation of Vitamin K Deficiency in an Adult Patient.

Nutritionally acquired vitamin K deficiency is a rare condition in adults and can uncommonly present as hemorrhagic pleural effusion. We discuss the case of A 44-year-old apparently healthy man who presented with left-sided pleuritic chest pain two months after experiencing upper respiratory tract symptoms. Imaging revealed a loculated left-sided effusion, and a corresponding thoracentesis yielded exudative hemorrhagic fluid with no microbial growth. Laboratory work-up showed prolonged clotting time with low factors II, VII, and X activity, absence of clotting factor inhibitors, and very low serum vitamin K levels. A five-day course of oral vitamin K and nutritional optimization normalized the clotting profile. Acquired vitamin K deficiency from poor micronutrient intake is rare in adults and can result in hemorrhagic pleural effusion. Vitamin K supplementation can normalize the clotting profile while nutritional counseling helps prevent a recurrence. Malnutrition-induced vitamin K deficiency can occur in the setting of a major depressive disorder in adults. Thorough patient history and physical examination are necessary to promptly identify and reverse the coagulopathy.

30-Day Outcomes After Intraoperative Leak Testing for Bariatric Surgery Patients.

BACKGROUND: Intraoperative testing of anastomoses and staples lines is commonly performed to minimize the risk of postoperative leaks in bariatric surgery, but its impact is unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the association between leak testing and 30-d postoperative leak, bleed, reoperation, and readmission rates for patients undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). METHODS: This is a retrospective observational study utilizing 2015-2016 data from the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program database. Postoperative outcomes were compared using χ2 test. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with 30-d outcomes. RESULTS: We included 237,081 patients. Leak testing was performed on 73.0% and 92.1% of LSG and RYGB patients, respectively. LSG was associated with lower rates of leak, bleed, reoperation, and readmission than RYGB. On multivariable analysis, intraoperative leak testing was associated with increased rates of postoperative leak for LSG and RYGB (OR 1.48 and 1.90, respectively) and lower rates of bleed for LSG (OR 0.76). There were no significant associations between leak testing and rates of reoperation or readmission. CONCLUSIONS: Use of intraoperative leak testing was not associated with improved outcomes for either LSG or RYGB. A prospective trial investigating leak testing is warranted to better elucidate its impact.

Restored iron transport by a small molecule promotes absorption and hemoglobinization in animals.

Multiple human diseases ensue from a hereditary or acquired deficiency of iron-transporting protein function that diminishes transmembrane iron flux in distinct sites and directions. Because other iron-transport proteins remain active, labile iron gradients build up across the corresponding protein-deficient membranes. Here we report that a small-molecule natural product, hinokitiol, can harness such gradients to restore iron transport into, within, and/or out of cells. The same compound promotes gut iron absorption in DMT1-deficient rats and ferroportin-deficient mice, as well as hemoglobinization in DMT1- and mitoferrin-deficient zebrafish. These findings illuminate a general mechanistic framework for small molecule-mediated site- and direction-selective restoration of iron transport. They also suggest that small molecules that partially mimic the function of missing protein transporters of iron, and possibly other ions, may have potential in treating human diseases.