Inpatient Complications After Transsphenoidal Surgery in Cushing's Versus Non-Cushing's Disease Patients.

OBJECTIVE: Transsphenoidal surgery (TSS) harbors a potential for hypopituitarism, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks, and other complications. We utilized the Nationwide Inpatient Sample Database (NIS) to compare inpatient complication rates between Cushing's disease (CD) and non-Cushing's disease (NCD) patients undergoing TSS. METHODS: Inpatient hospitalization data for 960 CD and 12 110 NCD patients who underwent TSS between 2002 and 2010 were accessed. Demographic information, outcomes, and complication rates were evaluated. RESULTS: Patients with CD had a female predilection (81.7%) and were younger (40.5 ± 14.4 years) than NCD patients (47.8% female; 52.1 ± 16.3 years) (P < .001). Length of stay and total charges did not differ between groups. Patients with CD had significantly greater postoperative diabetes insipidus rates (14.0% vs 9.6%, P < .001) and urinary/renal complications (1.7% vs 0.9%, P = .027). After adjusting for possible confounders, the relationship between urinary/renal complications and CD status strengthened. There was no difference in rates of CSF leak and iatrogenic pituitary disorders overall. CONCLUSION: No differences were noted in the rate of early CSF leaks between postoperative TSS CD and NCD patients. Postoperative diabetes insipidus did not significantly differ between groups after adjusting for confounders. Only odds of urinary/renal complications in CD patients was significant after adjustment.

Olfactory-Specific Quality of Life Outcomes after Endoscopic Endonasal Surgery of the Sella.

OBJECTIVE: To assess olfactory outcomes as measured by an olfactory-specific quality of life (QOL) questionnaire in patients undergoing EESBS for sellar lesions. DESIGN: Retrospective case series. SETTING: Tertiary academic medical center. PARTICIPANTS: In total, 36 patients undergoing EESBS for lesions limited to the sella were evaluated. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The following were performed before and three months after surgery: 22-Item Sinonasal Outcomes Test (SNOT-22), University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT), and the Assessment of Self-reported Olfactory Functioning (ASOF), which has three domains: subjective olfactory capability scale (SOC), smell-related problems (SRP), and olfactory-related quality of life (ORQ). RESULTS: Median age at surgery was 52.5 years, with a median tumor size of 1.8 cm (range: 0.2 to 3.9 cm). Pre- and postoperative median scores were 35 [34, 36.2] and 34.5 [32, 36] for UPSIT, 21 [7.5, 33.5] and 21.5 [6.8, 35.7] for SNOT-22, 10 [9, 10] and 9 [8, 10] for ASOF-SOC, 5 [4.8, 5] and 4.5 [4, 5] for ASOF-SRP, and 5 [5, 5] and 5 [4.5, 5] for ASOF-ORQ. There was no significant change in the two of the three domains of the ASOF. Correlation between ASOF and UPSIT scores were weak. Older age and larger tumor size were associated with worsened olfaction after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Patients did not experience significant changes in olfactory-specific QOL three months after EESBS, as measured by two domains of the ASOF. The ASOF may serve as a useful adjunctive tool for assessing olfaction after surgery. The lack of correlation between UPSIT and ASOF suggests the need for more research in subjective olfactory-related quality of life after surgery.

Factors associated with opioid use after endoscopic sinus surgery.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Responsible prescribing of postoperative pain medications is necessary in combatting the current opioid epidemic in the United States. The goal of this study was to determine which clinical factors affect opioid usage following functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS). STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective medical records study. METHODS: This is a single-institution retrospective study of subjects undergoing FESS by the senior author between September 2016 and December 2017. Opioid usage was assessed for each patient at the first postoperative visit. Univariate and multivariable analyses were performed to investigate factors associated with pain medication usage. Patients using opioids prior to surgery were excluded. RESULTS: A total of 136 patients were stratified into three groups based on number of opioid tablets taken during the first week after surgery: 31 patients (23%) took no opioids, 61 patients (45%) took one to five tablets, and 44 patients (32%) took more than five tablets. Gender, extent of surgery, revision surgery, polyp status, and cystic fibrosis did not significantly vary between the three groups. Multinomial logistic regression analysis with backward stepwise variable selection method revealed that those who had septoplasty (odds ratio [OR]: 4.84, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.68-13.98; P < .01) or were of younger age (OR 0.96, 95% CI: 0.93-0.99; P = .01) had significantly higher odds of taking >5 tablets. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of patients undergoing FESS did not take more than 5 opioid tablets after surgery. Concurrent septoplasty and younger age were associated with increased opioid usage. Knowledge of such factors can help surgeons to assess opioid prescribing patterns and to counsel their patients on postoperative pain. Laryngoscope, 129:1751-1755, 2019.

An Analysis of Patients Treated for Cerebrospinal Fluid Rhinorrhea in the United States from 2002 to 2010.

Background The Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database was used to analyze the demographic features and concomitant diagnoses in patients admitted with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea. Methods We analyzed the NIS database for all hospital admissions of CSF rhinorrhea between 2002 and 2010. Patient demographics, length of stay, hospital charges, concomitant diagnoses, hospital level characteristics, and complications were analyzed for patients undergoing surgical repair (group I) and for those treated without surgical repair (group II). Results Patients in group I were significantly older, the majority were female (67.5%), and were more likely to be obese (12.9%), have diabetes mellitus (15.7%), and hypertension (41.6%). Lengths of stay were similar between the two groups, but group I patients incurred higher hospital charges (p < 0.001). Group I patients were more likely classified as an elective admission (59.8 vs. 38.6%), and were more frequently admitted to a teaching hospital (83.6%) with a large bed size (79.0%). Acute medical complications and concomitant diagnosis of meningitis were similar in both groups. Conclusion Rates of meningitis did not differ between the two groups. Patients who underwent surgical repair were more likely to be an elective admission and admitted to a teaching hospital. Hospital charges were higher in patients undergoing repair.

Outcomes of Vestibular Schwannoma Surgery among the Elderly.

Objective To compare comorbidities and in-hospital complications between elderly and nonelderly patients undergoing vestibular schwannoma (VS) surgery. To examine average length of stay (LOS) and hospital charges among elderly patients. Study Design Population-based inpatient registry analysis. Setting Academic medical center. Subjects and Methods Retrospective analysis of the National Inpatient Sample for patients undergoing VS surgery from 2002 to 2010: 4137 patients met inclusion criteria, with 519 (12.5%) in the elderly cohort (≥65 years). Outcomes of elderly and nonelderly (<65 years) patient cohorts were compared. Results Compared with the nonelderly cohort, the elderly cohort had more comorbidities, including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and pulmonary disease (all P < .001). Elderly patients had longer LOS (6.5 vs 5.4 days; P = .001) but did not incur significantly greater hospital charges. Rates of cerebrospinal fluid leak, meningitis, and facial nerve injury did not vary significantly between groups. The elderly cohort experienced higher rates of in-hospital complications, including acute cardiac events, iatrogenic cerebrovascular infarction/hemorrhage, postoperative bleeding (hemorrhage/hematoma), and in-hospital mortality (all P < .05). In binary logistic regression, correcting for patient demographics and presence of comorbidities, elderly status was associated with 1.848 (95% confidence interval, 1.167-2.927; P = .009) greater odds of medical complications and 13.188 (95% confidence interval, 1.829-95.113; P = .011) greater odds of in-hospital mortality. Conclusion Elderly patients undergoing VS surgery have more comorbidities, in-hospital complications, and longer LOS than nonelderly patients. The elderly cohort had a greater rate of in-hospital mortality, though rare. Interestingly, elderly patients did not have a higher rate of many known complications associated with VS surgery and did not incur more hospital charges.

Characteristics of patients treated for orbital cellulitis: An analysis of inpatient data.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Orbital cellulitis represents a spectrum of diseases, some of which may progress to potentially serious complications. The authors used the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database to analyze the epidemiologic features of pediatric and adult patients admitted for the treatment of orbital cellulitis and to examine associations with surgical management. METHODS: The NIS was queried for patients admitted for treatment of orbital cellulitis from 2002 to 2010. Patient demographics, length of stay, hospital charges, and concomitant diagnoses were analyzed. RESULTS: There were 14,149 cases of orbital cellulitis identified with 1,717 (12.1%) having undergone surgical management. Surgical patients were older (29.6 ± 23.4) and more commonly male (62.0%) (P = 0.004 and < 0.001, respectively). Patients who had surgical intervention had longer length of stay and higher hospital charges than nonsurgical patients (P < 0.001). Our study showed that the proportion of pediatric patients age 10 to 19 years (22.1%) undergoing surgery was four times that of patients < 5 years of age (5.1%) (P < 0.001). Patients with concomitant diagnoses of acute and chronic sinusitis, acute osteomyelitis, exophthalmos, diplopia, and conjunctival edema had significantly increased odds ratio of surgical intervention. Frontal sinusitis was the site most commonly associated with surgical intervention among sinusitis patients. CONCLUSION: This study describes the characteristics of pediatric and adult patients admitted for orbital cellulitis from a national perspective. Patients 10 to 19 years of age were most likely to undergo surgical management. Acute and chronic sinusitis, acute osteomyelitis, exophthalmos, diplopia, and conjunctival edema were concomitant diagnoses associated with significantly increased odds ratio of surgical intervention. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2C. Laryngoscope, 126:554-559, 2016.

Impact of Diabetes Mellitus on Head and Neck Cancer Patients Undergoing Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: The impact of diabetes mellitus (DM) on surgical outcomes and cost of care for patients undergoing surgery for head and neck cancer (HNCA) is not well established. We used the Nationwide Inpatient Sample to analyze the postoperative impact of DM on HNCA patients. STUDY DESIGN: Population-based inpatient registry analysis. SETTING: Academic medical center. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Discharge data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample were analyzed for patients undergoing HNCA surgery from 2002 to 2010. Patient demographics, comorbidities, length of stay, hospital charges, and postoperative complications were compared between HNCA patients with and without DM. RESULTS: Of 31,075 patients, 4029 patients (13.0%) had a DM diagnosis. DM patients were older (65.7 ± 10.8 vs 61.1 ± 14.1 years old; P < .001), had more preexisting comorbidities, had longer hospitalizations, and incurred greater hospital charges. Compared with the non-DM cohort, DM patients experienced significantly higher rates of postoperative infections (2.6% vs 2.1%, P = .025), cardiac events (9.0% vs 4.3%, P < .001), pulmonary edema/failure (6.6% vs 5.7%, P = .023), acute renal failure (3.3% vs 1.5%, P < .001), and urinary tract infections (2.8 % vs 2.1%, P = .005). No differences in surgical wound healing rates were observed (0.1 vs 0.1, P = .794). On multivariate logistic regression corrected for age and race, DM patients had greater odds of postoperative infections (1.382, P = .007), cardiac events (1.893, P < .001), and acute renal failure (2.023, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: DM is associated with greater length of stay and hospital charges among HNCA patients. DM patients have significantly greater rates of postoperative complications, including postoperative infections, cardiac events, and acute renal failure.

Impact of postoperative pneumonia following pituitary surgery.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Postoperative pneumonia (PNA) has been identified as a preventable never event by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The CMS has discussed possibly discontinuing reimbursement for this postoperative complication. In this study, risk factors, patient outcomes, and hospital charges of care associated with postoperative PNA in patients undergoing pituitary surgery were evaluated. METHODS: Discharge data of patients who underwent pituitary surgery between 2002 and 2010 were obtained from the National Inpatient Sample database. Demographics, preexisting comorbidities, postoperative complications, morbidity, length of hospital stay, and hospital charges were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 15,317 patients were included in this analysis. Ninety-eight patients (0.6%) were diagnosed with PNA postoperatively. There was a significant association between postoperative PNA and older age (P < 0.001), male gender (P = 0.044), and transfrontal surgical approach (P < 0.001). Patients with anemia, congestive heart failure, chronic pulmonary disease, diabetes mellitus, fluid and electrolyte disorders, paralysis, and weight loss had a significantly higher rate of PNA. Patients with PNA had a significantly higher mortality (P < 0.001). They also incurred on average over four times the hospital charges and nearly five times longer hospitalizations compared to patients without PNA. CONCLUSIONS: Variables associated with an increased risk of postoperative PNA in patients undergoing pituitary surgery include older age, male gender, and transfrontal surgical approach. Patients with postoperative PNA had a longer length of hospital stay, higher hospital charges, and increased mortality. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2C.

Impact and cost of care of venous thromboembolism following pituitary surgery.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: In 2008, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services discontinued reimbursement for postoperative venous thromboembolism (VTE) events such as deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, citing them as preventable postoperative complications. We examined the impact of postoperative VTE on patients undergoing pituitary surgery. METHODS: The Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) was evaluated for patients undergoing pituitary resection from 2002 to 2010. Patient demographics, comorbidities, length of stay, hospital charges, and postoperative complications were analyzed. RESULTS: Eighty-seven patients who underwent pituitary surgery developed a VTE. Patients who underwent pituitary surgery that developed VTE were older (55.9 ± 15.2 years) than those who did not develop VTE (50.1 ± 17.2 years) (P = 0.002). VTE occurred at a significantly higher rate in patients with coagulopathy, peripheral vascular disorder, and weight loss (P < 0.05). VTE was associated with increased rates of postoperative neurological, pulmonary, cardiac, urinary, renal, hemorrhage, fluid and electrolytes, diabetes insipidus, and cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea complications (P < 0.01)-as well as increased mortality rate (P < 0.001), length of stay (P < 0.001), and cost of care (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Analysis of the data from the NIS database showed that risk factors for the development of VTE following pituitary surgery include older age, preexisting coagulopathy, peripheral vascular disorder, and weight loss. Patients who developed postoperative VTE had a longer length of hospital stay, higher hospital charges, and increased morbidity and mortality.

Transsphenoidal surgery and diabetes mellitus: An analysis of inpatient data and complications.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Transsphenoidal surgery (TSS) has emerged as the standard approach for pituitary resection due to its minimally invasive nature. There has been little analysis examining the impact of diabetes mellitus (DM) on patients undergoing TSS. In this study, we characterize DM's association with postoperative TSS complications. In addition to analysis of associated charges and patient demographics, we performed comparison of complication rates between DM and non-DM patients who have undergone TSS in recent years. METHODS: The Nationwide Inpatient Sample, a database encompassing nearly 8 million inpatient hospitalizations, was evaluated for patients undergoing TSS from 2002 to 2010. RESULTS: Of 12,938 TSS patients, 2,173 (16.8%) had a DM diagnosis. The non-DM cohort was younger (50.1 y ± 16.6SD vs. 56.8 y ± 14.1; P < 0.001) and had shorter hospitalizations and lesser charges. DM patients had a greater incidence of pulmonary, cardiac, urinary/renal, and fluid/electrolyte complications, and had a lesser incidence of diabetes insipidus (P < 0.05). Upon controlling for age, the greater incidence of pulmonary and fluid/electrolyte complications was present only among patients < 60 years of age. Higher occurrence of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea was noted among black diabetics when compared to non-DM blacks. CONCLUSIONS: DM is associated with greater length of stay and hospital charges among TSS patients. DM patients undergoing TSS have a significantly greater incidence of pulmonary and fluid/electrolyte complications among patients under the age of 60, and greater risk for urinary/renal complications across all ages. Despite a theoretical concern due to an impaired wound-healing in DM patients, association with cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea was only noted among black diabetics. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2C.

Characterization of transsphenoidal complications in patients with acromegaly: an analysis of inpatient data in the United States from 2002 to 2010.

BACKGROUND: Transsphenoidal surgery (TSS) is a common procedure for a variety of pituitary lesions. This procedure can be associated with complications related to the surgery or specific pathology. In this study, we evaluate inpatient postoperative complications among patients who underwent TSS for growth hormone adenomas using a nationally representative database, and compare patient characteristics and complications to patients who underwent TSS for other benign pituitary neoplasms. METHODS: Analysis of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample revealed 13,070 TSS patients (including 892 with acromegaly) between 2002 and 2010. Complication rates, outcomes, patient demographics, hospital stay, and total charges were evaluated among TSS patients with and without acromegaly. RESULTS: There was an increase in TSS performed in both cohorts from 2002 to 2010. Acromegaly patients were younger, had shorter hospital stays, and incurred fewer charges. Acromegaly patients had a lower occurrence of postoperative urinary/renal complications (0.2% vs 1.1%), thromboembolic events (0% vs 0.4%), fluid/electrolyte abnormalities (5.7% vs 9.1%), and iatrogenic hypopituitarism (0.3% vs 1.1%) compared to other TSS patients (all p < 0.05). After adjusting for age, acromegalic patients maintained a statistically lower occurrence of fluid/electrolyte abnormalities (p = 0.007). Cerebrospinal fluid leak occurrence in acromegaly patients was 2.6% vs 1.7% in non-acromegaly patients, a result that did not reach significance (p = 0.054). CONCLUSION: Upon comparison of inpatient hospitalizations for patients undergoing TSS for growth hormone adenomas and other benign pituitary neoplasms, acromegaly patients had a significantly lower occurrence of postoperative fluid/electrolyte abnormalities. Acromegaly patients had shorter hospitalizations and subsequently fewer total charges.

Transsphenoidal surgery for malignant pituitary lesions: an analysis of inpatient complications.

BACKGROUND: Fewer than 4% of pituitary tumors are malignant lesions. These tumors predominantly represent metastatic disease from elsewhere. This study evaluates inpatient complications, demographics, and hospitalization characteristics of patients who underwent transsphenoidal surgery (TSS) for malignant pituitary lesions. METHODS: The Nationwide Inpatient Sample was evaluated for TSS patients from 1998 to 2010. Demographics, hospitalization characteristics, and complications were evaluated among patients with malignant lesions and compared to those with benign tumors. RESULTS: There were 17,425 inpatient records, 1.0% of which involved malignant pituitary tumors. There was no difference in age between these cohorts (p = 0.378). Patients with malignant tumors had greater length of stay (6.7 days vs 4.5 days, p = 0.003) and higher trending charges ($55,371 vs $40,550 p = 0.091). The most common postoperative complications among patients with malignant lesions included diabetes insipidus (DI) (17.9%), fluid/electrolyte abnormalities (14.0%), neurological complications (5.6%), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea (2.2%), and iatrogenic pituitary disorders (2.2%). Patients with malignant lesions had a significantly greater rates of postoperative DI and fluid/electrolyte abnormalities (odds ratio = 2.0 and 1.7, respectively), whereas no statistical difference was noted in the rates of CSF rhinorrhea (p = 0.372). CONCLUSION: In this analysis of inpatient hospitalizations for TSS patients, malignant pituitary disease was associated with a greater rate of postoperative DI and fluid/electrolyte abnormalities, but no differences in the rates of postoperative CSF rhinorrhea and other complications were found. Patients with malignant pituitary lesions undergoing TSS had significantly longer hospitalizations and higher trending charges than those with benign lesions. This analysis is, however, subject to the limitations of the database.

Clival keloid after nasopharyngeal radium irradiation masquerading as skull base malignancy.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Nonchordomatous lesions of the clivus are rare entities. Nasopharyngeal radium irradiation (NRI) treatment consists of application of radium to the posterior nasopharynx near the orifice of the Eustachian tubes, an area adjacent to the clivus. Here we present a unique case of a patient with a history of NRI 70 years prior to presentation with a space-occupying clival lesion suspicion for a skull-based malignancy. This lesion was resected using an endoscopic endonasal approach. Histopathological analysis revealed a clival keloid, an entity not previously reported in the literature.

Sinonasal melanoma: survival and prognostic implications based on site of involvement.

BACKGROUND: Sinonasal melanoma (SNM) is a rare malignancy that commonly presents at an advanced age and has a slight male predominance. Local recurrence has been implicated as a major reason for treatment failure, and there are poor reported 5-year survival rates. We analyzed the impact of specific location within the sinonasal region on the survival of this rare malignancy. METHODS: The U.S. National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registry was used to extract data on SNM between 1973 and 2009. Survival trends and hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated to compare the prognostic implications of involvement of varying areas of the sinonasal tract. RESULTS: A total of 567 cases were identified. Females constituted 56.44% patient. Disease-specific survival (DSS) at 5 years was 36.66% for patients diagnosed with nasal cavity disease, 23.80% for patients with maxillary sinus tumors, and 18.20% for patients with ethmoid sinus disease. Patients showing evidence of overlapping sinus involvement had approximate 1-year survival of 54.45% and none survived beyond 49 months. HRs for maxillary sinus, ethmoid sinus, and overlapping sinus disease were 1.34, 1.60, and 2.30, respectively. All DSSs and HRs were statistically significant (p < 0.05). There was a higher proportion of earlier-stage disease in the nasal cavity compared to the most common paranasal sinus region (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Prognosis in SNM is dependent on the anatomic subsite. Paranasal sinus involvement indicates a poorer prognosis when compared to nasal cavity disease. Patients presenting with overlapping sinus involvement have the poorest prognosis.