Transhiatal esophagectomy in squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus: what are the best indications? / Esofagectomia transhiatal no carcinoma de células escamosas do esôfago: quais são suas melhores indicações?

ABSTRACT Background: Southern Brazil has one of the highest incidences of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in the world. Transthoracic esophagectomy allows more complete abdominal and thoracic lymphadenectomy than transhiatal. However, this one is associated with less morbidity. Aim: To analyze the outcomes and prognostic factors of squamous esophageal cancer treated with transhiatal procedure. Methods: All patients selected for transhiatal approach were included as a potentially curative treatment and overall survival, operative time, lymph node analysis and use of neoadjuvant therapy were analyzed. Results: A total of 96 patients were evaluated. The overall 5-year survival was 41.2%. Multivariate analysis showed that operative time and presence of positive lymph nodes were both associated with a worse outcome, while neoadjuvant therapy was associated with better outcome. The negative lymph-node group had a 5-year survival rate of 50.2%. Conclusion: Transhiatal esophagectomy can be safely used in patients with malnutrition degree that allows the procedure, in those with associated respiratory disorders and in the elderly. It provides considerable long-term survival, especially in the absence of metastases to local lymph nodes. The wider use of neoadjuvant therapy has the potential to further increase long-term survival.

RESUMO Racional: O sul do Brasil tem uma das maiores incidências de carcinoma epidermoide do esôfago no mundo. A esofagectomia transtorácica permite linfadenectomia abdominal e torácica mais completa do que a transhiatal. No entanto, esta está associado à menor morbidade. Objetivo: Analisar os desfechos e fatores prognósticos do câncer epidermoide do esôfago que foram tratados com procedimento transhiatal. Métodos: Foram incluídos todos os pacientes selecionados para abordagem transhiatal como tratamento potencialmente curativo correlacionando sobrevida geral, tempo operatório, análise de linfonodos e uso de terapia neoadjuvante. Resultados: Foram avaliados 96 pacientes. A sobrevida geral em cinco anos foi de 41,2%. A análise multivariada mostrou que o tempo operatório e a presença de linfonodos positivos foram associados a pior resultado, enquanto a terapia neoadjuvante contribuiu para melhor resultado. O grupo de linfonodos negativos teve taxa de sobrevivência em cinco anos de 50,2%. Conclusão: A esofagectomia transhiatal pode ser empregada com segurança em pacientes que apresentem desnutrição com grau que permita o procedimento, nos com distúrbios respiratórios associados e nos idosos. Proporciona sobrevida em longo prazo considerável, especialmente na ausência de metástases para linfonodos locais. O uso mais amplo da terapia neoadjuvante tem o potencial de aumentar ainda mais a sobrevida em longo prazo.

Adverse Events and Risk Factors of Blood Transfusion in Cardiovascular Surgery: A Prospective Cohort Study

Abstract Background: Hemodilution, transoperative bleeding and cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) are some of the factors associated with high transfusion rates in cardiac surgery. Objective: To analyze the incidence of blood transfusion and early postoperative outcomes in cardiac surgery patients. Methods: Cohort study of patients undergoing cardiac surgery in a university hospital, consecutively enrolled from May 2015 to February 2017. Data were prospectively collected and comparisons were made between two patients' groups: transfused and not transfused. Student's t-test, chi-square test, and logistic regression were used, and a p-value < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Among the 271 patients evaluated, 100 (37%) required transfusion in the transoperative (32.1%) and/or postoperative periods (19.5%). The following predictors of transfusion were identified by multivariate analysis: EuroScore II (OR 1.2); chronic kidney disease (CKD) (OR 3.2); transoperative bleeding ≥ 500 mL (OR 6.7); baseline hemoglobin (Hb) ≤ 10 g/dL (OR 11.5); activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) (OR 1.1) and CPB duration (OR 1.03). Transfusion was associated with prolonged mechanical ventilation (≥ 24h) (2.4% vs. 23%), delirium (5.9% vs. 18%), bronchopneumonia (1.2% vs. 16%), acute renal failure (3.5% vs. 25%), acute on CKD (0.6% vs. 8%), stroke or transient ischemic attack (1.8% vs. 8%), intensive care unit stay ≥ 72 h (36% vs. 57%), longer hospital stay (8 ± 4 days vs. 16 ± 15 days), as well as increased early mortality (1.75% vs. 15%). Conclusion: EuroScore II, CKD, major transoperative bleeding, preoperative Hb and aPTT values and CPB time were independent predictors of transfusion, which was associated with a higher rate of adverse outcomes, including early mortality.

Criação e implementação de um banco de dados cirúrgico totalmente informatizado baseado nas ferramentas Google: experiência inicial em cirurgia cardiovascular / Design and implementation of a fully electronic surgery database based on Google tools: an initial experience in cardiovascular surgery

RESUMO Objetivo: descrever de maneira prática e detalhada a criação de uma plataforma totalmente informatizada para coleta, armazenamento e análise de dados, inicialmente proposta para cirurgia cardiovascular, com interfaces reprodutíveis e aplicáveis a outras especialidades cirúrgicas, bem como, apresentar a experiência inicial de trabalho com esta ferramenta e os resultados preliminares obtidos após sua implementação em um hospital universitário terciário brasileiro. Métodos: a plataforma foi desenvolvida com base nas ferramentas Google, gratuitas, de fácil utilização e amplamente acessíveis. Desde o início desta iniciativa, em maio de 2015, até a análise preliminar, em fevereiro de 2017, dados de 271 pacientes, consecutivos, submetidos à cirurgia cardiovascular foram prospectivamente recordados e analisados. Resultados: a iniciativa foi implementada com pleno sucesso, com 100% dos pacientes incluídos e sem perda de qualquer variável em um banco de dados composto por mais de 500 variáveis. As complicações pós-operatórias imediatas mais frequentes foram: fibrilação atrial (22,5%), broncopneumonia (10,7%), delirium (10,3%), insuficiência renal aguda (10%), acidente vascular encefálico (5%) e morte (7%). Comparando-se as taxas de mortalidade no primeiro e segundo anos da iniciativa, uma redução de 10,8% para 4% (p=0,042), respectivamente, foi evidenciada. Conclusão: a nova proposta de coleta e armazenamento de dados apresentada neste trabalho mostrou-se plenamente factível e efetiva. Por serem gratuitas, de fácil manuseio e universalmente acessíveis, estas ferramentas podem ser úteis a outras especialidades cirúrgicas que desejem desenvolver métodos de avaliação de sucesso e complicações pós-operatórios, bem como, programas de melhoria de qualidade.

ABSTRACT Objective: to describe, in a practical and step-by-step manner, the construction of a fully electronic platform for data collection, storage, and analysis, initially proposed for cardiovascular surgery, with interfaces that are reproducible and applicable to other surgical specialties, as well as to present the initial work experience with this instrument in cardiac surgery and the preliminary results obtained after its implementation in a Brazilian tertiary university hospital. Methods: the platform was developed based on Google tools, which are free, easy to use, and widely accessible. From the beginning of this initiative, in May 2015, to the preliminary analysis, in February 2017, data from 271 consecutive patients submitted to cardiovascular surgery were prospectively recorded and preliminarily analyzed. Results: the initiative was implemented with full success, with 100% of patients included and without loss of any variable, in a database composed of more than 500 variables. The most frequent immediate postoperative complications were: atrial fibrillation (22.5%), bronchopneumonia (10.7%), delirium (10.3%), acute renal failure (10%), stroke (5%), and death (7%). Comparing mortality rates in the first and second years of the initiative, a reduction from 10.8% to 4% (p=0.042), respectively, was evidenced. Conclusion: the new proposal of data collection and storage presented in this work was fully feasible and effective. It may be useful to other surgical specialties that wish to develop methods to evaluate success and postoperative complication rates, as well as quality improvement programs.

Prospective evaluation of vesicourethral anastomosis outcomes in robotic radical prostatectomy during early experience in a university hospital

ABSTRACT Purpose: Robotic assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) presents challenges for the surgeon, especially during the initial learning curve. We aimed to evaluate early and mid-term functional outcomes and complications related to vesicourethral anastomosis (VUA), in patients who underwent RARP, during the initial experience in an academic hospital. We also assessed possible predictors of postoperative incontinence and compared these results with the literature. Materials and Methods: We prospectively collected data from consecutive patients that underwent RARP. Patients with at least 6 months of follow-up were included in the analysis for the following outcomes: time to complete VUA, continence and complications related to anastomosis. Nerve-sparing status, age, BMI, EBL, pathological tumor staging, and prostate size were evaluated as possible factors predicting early and midterm continence. Results were compared with current literature. Results: Data from 60 patients was assessed. Mean time to complete VUA was 34 minutes, and console time was 247 minutes. Continence in 6 months was 90%. Incidence of urinary leakage was 3.3%, no patients developed bladder neck contracture or postoperative urinary retention. On multivariate analysis, age and pathological staging was associated to 3-month continence status. Conclusion: Our data show that, during early experience with RARP in a public university hospital, it is possible to achieve good results regarding continence and other outcomes related to VUA. We also found that age and pathological staging was associated to early continence status.

Consumo de bebidas alcoólicas em alunos de escolas públicas de Porto Alegre, RS / Alcohol use among adolescents of Porto Alegre's public schools

Säo investigados os hábitos alcoólicos segundo sexo, idade, religiäo, desempenho escolar, estrutura familiar e trabalho de um grupo de adolescentes com idade variando entre 10 e 18 anos, selecionados aleatoriamente em escolas públicas de Porto Alegre, com o objetivo de relacionar o padräo de consumo com o grau de escolaridade dos pais, assumindo este dado como um indicador do nível sócio-econêmico. Padronizaram-se os níveis de ingesta em gramas de álcool por mês ,agrupando-se os adolescentes em näo-bebedores (NB), bebedores experimentais (BE), bebedores regulares moderados (BRM) e bebedores regulares excessivos (BRE). A amostra constitui-se de 571 adolescentes. A prevalência de consumo de álcool em nosso estudo foi de 78,9 por cento, sendo ligeiramente maior nas mulheres (80,1 por cento) do que nos homens (77,3 por cento), porém com maior número de BRE entre os homens (7,7 por cento) do que entre as mulheres (2,2 por cento). Observamos que a ingesta aumenta com a idade em todos os grupos de consumo. Näo foi encontrada relaçäo significativa entre o padräo de consumo e o nível de escolaridade dos pais. A alta prevalência de consumo de álcool em nosso meio e o fato de que 5 por cento dos estudantes apresentam um consumo excessivo permitem concluir que a ingestäo de álcool nesta faixa etária representa näo apenas um problema epidemiológico, mas também clínico, justificando a necessidade imediata de medidas preventivas