Evaluation of an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Protocol (ERAS) for Same-Day Discharge and Reduction of Opioid Use Following Bimaxillary Orthognathic Surgery.

PURPOSE: This study sought to evaluate the impact of implementation of a comprehensive enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol upon patients undergoing maxillary and mandibular osteotomy (MMO). METHODS: This study was a retrospective, observational study of patients undergoing MMO. The study intervention group consisted of patients who underwent MMO with utilization of ERAS protocol compared to control group without ERAS. The primary outcome measure was same-day discharge. Secondary outcome measures included hospital length-of-stay (LOS), overall dose of opioids administered, total operating room time, estimated blood loss, need for hospital admission, and complications. Descriptive statistics and multivariable analysis were computed and the P value was set at .05. RESULTS: We compared 189 patients who underwent MMO with and without genioplasty and received a comprehensive surgical and multimodal analgesic regimen to 170 control patients who underwent MMO with or without genioplasty without receiving the above protocol. There was a statistically significant decrease in hospital admission post-surgery (83.5% - control vs 22.2% - intervention) and in overall hospital length-of-stay in the intervention group. There was no change in the overall operating room time, but there was a decrease in blood loss in the intervention group. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that use of a comprehensive ERAS protocol for patients undergoing MMO will decrease hospital length-of-stay without an increase in readmissions or complications. Future studies are needed to evaluate if pain scores, postoperative nausea and vomiting, and other complications differed when using a ERAS protocol.

Cryoablation is associated with shorter length of stay and reduced opioid use in pectus excavatum repair.

PURPOSE: The use of intercostal nerve cryoablation (INC) is becoming increasingly common in patients undergoing pectus excavatum (PE) repair. This study sought to evaluate the use of INC compared to traditional use of thoracic epidural (TE). METHODS: A retrospective review of 79 patients undergoing PE repair with either INC or TE from May 2009 to December 2019 was conducted. The operations were performed by four surgeons who worked together at four different hospitals and have the same standardized practice. The primary outcome measure was hospital length of stay (LOS). Secondary variables included surgical time, total operating room time, operating room time cost, total hospital cost, inpatient opioid use, long-term opioid use after discharge, and postoperative complications. RESULTS: LOS decreased to 2.5 days in the INC group compared to 5 days in the TE group (p < 0.0001). Surgical time was increased in the INC group, but there was no difference in total OR time. The INC group experienced significantly lower hospital costs. Total hospital opioid administration was significantly lower in INC group, and there was a significant decrease in long-term opioid use in the INC group. CONCLUSIONS: INC is a newer modality that decreases LOS, controls pain, and results in overall cost savings. We recommend that INC be included in the current practice for postoperative pain control in PE patients undergoing Nuss procedure.

Three-dimensional coronary dark-blood interleaved with gray-blood (cDIG) magnetic resonance imaging at 3 tesla.

PURPOSE: Three-dimensional (3D) dark-blood MRI has shown great potential in coronary artery plaque evaluation. However, substantial variability in quantification could result from superficial calcification because of its low signal. To address this issue, a 3D coronary dark-blood interleaved with gray-blood (cDIG) technique was developed. METHODS: cDIG is based on a balanced steady-state free precession readout combined with a local re-inversion-based double-inversion-recovery (LocReInv-DIR) preparation. The LocReInv-DIR is applied every two RR intervals. Dark-blood and gray-blood contrasts are collected in the first and second RR interval, respectively. To improve the respiratory gating efficiency, two independent navigators were developed to separately gate the respiratory motion for the two interleaved acquisitions. In vivo experiments in eight healthy subjects and one patient were conducted to validate the technique. RESULTS: cDIG provided dual-contrasts without compromise in scan time. The dark-blood images with cDIG demonstrated excellent wall and lumen signal performances and morphological measurements. Advantageously, cDIG yielded a second contrast that was shown to help identify the superficial calcification in the coronary plaque of a patient. CONCLUSION: A novel technique was developed for obtaining 3D coronary vessel wall and gray lumen images. The additional contrast may aid in identifying calcified nodules and thus potentially improve the evaluation of coronary plaque burden.

Iterative Reconstruction Results in Larger Computed Tomography Measurements of Iliofemoral Artery Diameter in Patients Referred for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

OBJECTIVES: We hypothesized that improved iterative reconstruction increases image quality and reduces artifacts for iliofemoral artery computed tomography imaging in patients referred for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). METHODS: We examined 56 consecutive patients undergoing computed tomography for possible TAVR and compared image quality and iliofemoral artery size between adaptive statistical iterative reconstructions (ASIRs) and improved model-based iterative reconstructions (MBIRs). RESULTS: Model-based iterative reconstruction (vs ASIR) was associated with improved (P < 0.001 for each) image quality (3.4 ± 0.8 vs 2.8 ± 1.0), beam hardening (3.5 ± 0.8 vs 3.0 ± 1.1), and wall definition (3.6 ± 0.6 vs 3.1 ± 0.8). Image signal-to-noise ratios (20.4 ± 10.1 vs 13.7 ± 6.6, P < 0.001) were also increased with MBIR as compared with ASIR. Mean iliofemoral artery size was larger using MBIR compared with ASIR (left, 7.7 ± 1.5 vs 7.4 ± 1.7 mm, P < 0.001; right, 7.8 ± 1.2 vs 7.4 ± 1.5 mm, P = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: In patients referred for TAVR, improved MBIR resulted in higher image quality, reduced artifacts, and larger iliofemoral artery diameters compared with standard iterative reconstructions.

Increased pericardial fat accumulation is associated with increased intramyocardial lipid content and duration of highly active antiretroviral therapy exposure in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus: a 3T cardiovascular magnetic resonance feasibility study.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the current study was to examine whether the use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in patients with HIV is associated with changes in pericardial fat and myocardial lipid content measured by cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR). METHODS: In this prospective case-control study, we compared 27 HIV seropositive (+) male subjects receiving HAART to 22 control male subjects without HIV matched for age, ethnicity and body mass index. All participants underwent CMR imaging for determination of pericardial fat [as volume at the level of the origin of the left main coronary artery (LM) and at the right ventricular free wall] and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) for evaluation of intramyocardial lipid content (% of fat to water in a single voxel at the interventricular septum). All measurements were made by two experienced readers blinded to the clinical history of the study participants. Two-sample t-test, Spearman's correlation coefficient or Pearson's correlation coefficient and multivariable logistic regression were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Pericardial fat volume at the level of LM origin was higher in HIV (+) subjects (33.4 cm(3) vs. 27.4 cm(3), p = 0.03). On multivariable analysis adjusted for age, Framingham risk score (FRS) and waist/hip ratio, pericardial fat remained significantly associated to HIV-status (OR 1.09, p = 0.047). For both HIV (+) and HIV (-) subjects, pericardial fat volume showed strong correlation with intramyocardial lipid content (r = 0.58, p < 0.0001) and FRS (r = 0.53, p = 0.0002). Among HIV (+) subjects, pericardial fat was significantly higher in patients with lipo-accumulation (37 cm(3) vs. 27.1 cm(3), p = 0.03) and showed significant correlation with duration of both HIV infection (r = 0.5, p = 0.01) and HAART (r = 0.46, p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Pericardial fat content is increased in HIV (+) subjects on chronic HAART (>5 years), who demonstrate HAART-related lipo-accumulation and prolonged HIV duration of infection. Further investigation is warranted to determine whether increased pericardial fat is associated with higher cardiovascular risk leading to premature cardiovascular events in this patient population.

Assessment of myocardial reactivity to controlled hypercapnia with free-breathing T2-prepared cardiac blood oxygen level-dependent MR imaging.

PURPOSE: To examine whether controlled and tolerable levels of hypercapnia may be an alternative to adenosine, a routinely used coronary vasodilator, in healthy human subjects and animals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Human studies were approved by the institutional review board and were HIPAA compliant. Eighteen subjects had end-tidal partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PetCO2) increased by 10 mm Hg, and myocardial perfusion was monitored with myocardial blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Animal studies were approved by the institutional animal care and use committee. Anesthetized canines with (n = 7) and without (n = 7) induced stenosis of the left anterior descending artery (LAD) underwent vasodilator challenges with hypercapnia and adenosine. LAD coronary blood flow velocity and free-breathing myocardial BOLD MR responses were measured at each intervention. Appropriate statistical tests were performed to evaluate measured quantitative changes in all parameters of interest in response to changes in partial pressure of carbon dioxide. RESULTS: Changes in myocardial BOLD MR signal were equivalent to reported changes with adenosine (11.2% ± 10.6 [hypercapnia, 10 mm Hg] vs 12% ± 12.3 [adenosine]; P = .75). In intact canines, there was a sigmoidal relationship between BOLD MR response and PetCO2 with most of the response occurring over a 10 mm Hg span. BOLD MR (17% ± 14 [hypercapnia] vs 14% ± 24 [adenosine]; P = .80) and coronary blood flow velocity (21% ± 16 [hypercapnia] vs 26% ± 27 [adenosine]; P > .99) responses were similar to that of adenosine infusion. BOLD MR signal changes in canines with LAD stenosis during hypercapnia and adenosine infusion were not different (1% ± 4 [hypercapnia] vs 6% ± 4 [adenosine]; P = .12). CONCLUSION: Free-breathing T2-prepared myocardial BOLD MR imaging showed that hypercapnia of 10 mm Hg may provide a cardiac hyperemic stimulus similar to adenosine.

Multi-contrast atherosclerosis characterization (MATCH) of carotid plaque with a single 5-min scan: technical development and clinical feasibility.

BACKGROUND: Multi-contrast weighted imaging is a commonly used cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) protocol for characterization of carotid plaque composition. However, this approach is limited in several aspects including low slice resolution, long scan time, image mis-registration, and complex image interpretation. In this work, a 3D CMR technique, named Multi-contrast Atherosclerosis Characterization (MATCH), was developed to mitigate the above limitations. METHODS: MATCH employs a 3D spoiled segmented fast low angle shot readout to acquire data with three different contrast weightings in an interleaved fashion. The inherently co-registered image sets, hyper T1-weighting, gray blood, and T2-weighting, are used to detect intra-plaque hemorrhage (IPH), calcification (CA), lipid-rich necrotic core (LRNC), and loose-matrix (LM). The MATCH sequence was optimized by computer simulations and testing on four healthy volunteers and then evaluated in a pilot study of six patients with carotid plaque, using the conventional multi-contrast protocol as a reference. RESULTS: On MATCH images, the major plaque components were easy to identify. Spatial co-registration between the three image sets with MATCH was particularly helpful for the reviewer to discern co-existent components in an image and appreciate their spatial relation. Based on Cohen's kappa tests, moderate to excellent agreement in the image-based or artery-based component detection between the two protocols was obtained for LRNC, IPH, CA, and LM, respectively. Compared with the conventional multi-contrast protocol, the MATCH protocol yield significantly higher signal contrast ratio for IPH (3.1±1.3 vs. 0.4±0.3, p<0.001) and CA (1.6±1.5 vs. 0.7±0.6, p=0.012) with respect to the vessel wall. CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, the proposed MATCH sequence is the first 3D CMR technique that acquires spatially co-registered multi-contrast image sets in a single scan for characterization of carotid plaque composition. Our pilot clinical study suggests that the MATCH-based protocol may outperform the conventional multi-contrast protocol in several respects. With further technical improvements and large-scale clinical validation, MATCH has the potential to become a CMR method for assessing the risk of plaque disruption in a clinical workup.

Renal papillary calcification and the development of calcium oxalate monohydrate papillary renal calculi: a case series study.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study is to determine in a case series (four patients) how calcified deposits in renal papillae are associated with the development of calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) papillary calculi. METHODS: From the recently collected papillary calculi, we evaluated retrospectively patients, subjected to retrograde ureteroscopy, with COM papillary lithiasis. RESULTS: The COM papillary calculi were found to result from subepithelial injury. Many of these lesions underwent calcification by hydroxyapatite (HAP), with calculus morphology and the amount of HAP in the concave zone dependent on the location of the calcified injury. Most of these HAP deposits grew, eroding the epithelium covering the renal papillae, coming into contact with urine and starting the development of COM calculi. Subepithelial HAP plaques may alter the epithelium covering the papillae, resulting in the deposit of COM crystals directly onto the epithelium. Tissue calcification depends on a pre-existing injury, the continuation of this process is due to modulators and/or crystallization inhibitors deficiency. CONCLUSIONS: Since calculus morphology and the amount of detected HAP are dependent on the location and widespread of calcified injury, all types of papillary COM calculi can be found in the same patient. All patients had subepithelial calcifications, with fewer papillary calculi, demonstrating that some subepithelial calcifications did not further evolve and were reabsorbed. A high number of subepithelial calcifications increases the likelihood that some will be transformed into COM papillary calculi.

Time Out: The Impact of Physician Burnout on Patient Care Quality and Safety in Perioperative Medicine.

Perioperative care delivery is a patient-centered, multidisciplinary process. It relies heavily on synchronized teamwork from a well-coordinated team. Perioperative physicians-surgeons and anesthesiologists-face enormous challenges in surgical care delivery due to changing work environments, post-COVID consequences, shift work disorder, value conflict, escalating demands, regulatory complexity, and financial uncertainties. Physician burnout in this working environment has become increasingly prevalent. It is not only harmful to physicians' health and well-being, but it also affects the quality and safety of patient care. Additionally, the economic costs associated with physician burnout are untenable due to the high turnover rate, high recruitment expenses, and potential early permanent exit from medical practice. In this deteriorating environment of unbalanced physician supply/demand, recognizing, managing, and preventing physician burnout may help preserve the system's most valuable asset and contribute to higher quality and safety of patient care. Leaders in government agencies, health care systems, and organizations must work together to re-engineer the health care system for better physicians and patient care.

Veiled Harm: Impacts of Microaggressions on Psychological Safety and Physician Burnout.

Microaggression is widespread in the health care industry and occurs in every health care delivery setting. It comes in many forms, from subtle to obvious, unconscious to conscious, and verbal to behavioral. Women and minority groups (eg, race/ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation) are often marginalized during medical training and subsequent clinical practice. These contribute to the development of psychologically unsafe working environments and widespread physician burnout. Physicians experiencing burnout who work in unsafe psychological environments impact the safety and quality of patient care. In turn, these conditions impose high costs on the health care system and organizations. Microaggressions and psychological unsafe work environments are intricately related and mutually enhanced. Therefore, addressing both simultaneously is a good business practice and a responsibility for any health care organization. Additionally, addressing them can reduce physician burnout, decrease physician turnover, and improve the quality of patient care. To counter microaggression and psychological unsafe, it takes conviction, initiative, and sustainable efforts from individuals, bystanders, organizations, and government agencies.

Same-day discharge following the Nuss repair: A comparison.

PURPOSE: Intercostal Nerve Cryoablation (INC) has significantly improved pain control following the Nuss repair of pectus excavatum (PE). This study sought to evaluate patients undergoing the Nuss repair with INC compared to the Nuss repair with an ERAS protocol, INC, and intercostal nerve blocks (INB). METHODS: In June 2020, a new protocol was implemented involving surgery, anesthesia, nursing, physical therapy, and child life with the goal of safe same day discharge for patients undergoing the Nuss repair. They were compared to a control group who underwent the Nuss repair with INC alone in 2017-2019. The primary outcome measure was hospital length of stay (LOS) in hours, secondary outcomes were number of patients discharged on postoperative day (POD) 0, and returns to the emergency department (ED), urgent care (UC), and operating room (OR). RESULTS: The characteristics between the groups were the same (Table 1). The mean LOS was 11.8 h in the INB group versus 58.2 h in the INC group, p < 0.01. 10 of 15 patients in the INB group went home on POD 0 (average of 5.5 h postop), versus 0 patients in the INC only group, p < 0.01. Five patients in the INB stayed overnight. Two patients stayed owing to anxiety, one owing to urinary retention, one owing to nausea, and one owing to drowsiness. None stayed for pain control. Four patients in the INC group returned to the ED for pain control, versus 0 in the INB group, and 1 patient in the INB returned to UC for constipation. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of patients undergoing the Nuss repair of PE with a multidisciplinary regimen of pre and postoperative nursing education, precise intraoperative anesthesia care, performance of direct vision INB and INC, as well as careful surgery can go home on the day of surgery without adverse outcomes or unanticipated returns to the hospital. LEVEL-OF-EVIDENCE: Level II.

Same day discharge for pectus excavatum-is it possible?

PURPOSE: The use of intercostal nerve cryoablation (INC) has been an effective modality for treating pain in patients undergoing pectus excavatum (PE) repair. This study sought to evaluate if PE patients undergoing Nuss procedures with INC and intercostal nerve block (INB) could safely be discharged the same day of surgery. METHODS: A prospective study with IRB approval of 15 consecutive patients undergoing PE Nuss repair with INC, INB, and an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol was conducted. The primary outcome measure was hospital length of stay (LOS) in hours. Secondary variables included same day discharge, postoperative complications, emergency department (ED) visits, urgent care (UC) visits, opioid use, and return to the operating room (OR). RESULTS: LOS averaged 11.9 h amongst 15 patients. Ten patients (66.7%) went home on postoperative day (POD) 0, and the rest went home on POD 1. No patients stayed in the hospital due to pain. Reasons for failure to discharge included urinary retention, drowsiness, vomiting, and anxiety, but not pain. No patients were readmitted to the ED. One patient visited UC for constipation. One patient had bar migration requiring return to the OR for revision. Ten (66.7%) patients did not use opioids after discharge. CONCLUSIONS: Same day discharge is feasible and safe in PE patients undergoing Nuss procedure with INC and INB. INC with INB can adequately control pain without significant complications. Same day discharge can be safely considered for PE patients undergoing Nuss procedure with INC with INB. TYPE OF STUDY: Prognosis study LEVEL-OF-EVIDENCE RATING: Level II.

Perioperative Acetaminophen and Dexmedetomidine Eliminate Post-Operative Opioid Requirement following Pediatric Tonsillectomy.

Administration of post-operative opioids following pediatric tonsillectomy can elicit respiratory events in this patient population that often arise as central and obstructive sleep apnea. The primary objective of this study was to determine whether a perioperative combination of dexmedetomidine and acetaminophen could eliminate post-operative (in recovery and at home) opioid requirements. Following IRB approval and a waiver for informed consent, the medical records of 681 patients who underwent tonsillectomy between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2018 were evaluated. Between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2015, all patients received a fentanyl-sevoflurane-based anesthetic, without acetaminophen or dexmedetomidine, and received opioids in recovery and for discharge home. On 1 January 2016, an institution-wide practice change replaced this protocol with a multimodal perioperative regimen of acetaminophen (intravenous or enteral) and dexmedetomidine and eliminated post-operative opioids. This is the first time that the effect of an acetaminophen and dexmedetomidine combination on the perioperative and home opioid requirement has been reported. Primarily, we compared the need for rescue opioids in the post-anesthesia care period and after discharge. The multi-modal protocol eliminated the need for post-tonsillectomy opioid administration. Dexmedetomidine in combination with acetaminophen eliminated the need for post-operative opioids in the recovery period.