A Systematic Review of Strategies for Preventing Delirium in Patients Undergoing Vascular Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Elderly patients undergoing vascular surgery are at a risk of developing postoperative delirium, which is associated with high mortality. Delirium prevention is difficult and is investigated in surgical patients from various specialisms, but little is known about delirium prevention in vascular surgery. For this reason we performed a systematic review on strategies for delirium prevention in patients undergoing elective surgery for peripheral arterial disease or for an aneurysm of the abdominal aorta. METHODS: This systematic review included studies describing strategies for preventing delirium in patients undergoing elective surgery for peripheral arterial disease or for an aneurysm of the abdominal aorta. The search was conducted using the keywords 'vascular surgery,' 'prevention,' and 'delirium' and was last run on October 21, 2021 in the electronic databases PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, the Cochrane library, and Emcare. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomized controlled trials and the ROBINS-1 tool for observational studies. RESULTS: Four studies including 565 patients were included in the systematic review. A significant decrease in the incidence of delirium was reported by a study investigating the effect of comprehensive geriatric assessments within patients undergoing surgery for an aneurysm of the abdominal aorta or lower limb bypass surgery (24% in the control group vs. 11% in the intervention group, P = 0.018) and in the total group of a study evaluating the effect of outpatient clinic multimodal prehabilitation for patients with an aneurysm of the abdominal aorta (11.7% in the control group vs. 8.2% in the intervention group, P = 0.043, Odds Ratio = 0.56). A nonsignificant decrease in delirium incidence was described for patients receiving a multidisciplinary quality improvement at the vascular surgical ward (21.4% in the control group vs. 14.6% in the intervention group, P = 0.17). The study concerning the impact of the type of anesthesia on delirium in 11 older vascular surgical patients, of which 3 developed delirium, did not differentiate between the different types of anesthesia the patients received. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the high and continuous increasing incidence of delirium in the growing elderly vascular population, little is known about effective preventive strategies. An approach to address multiple risk factors simultaneously seems to be promising in delirium prevention, whether through multimodal prehabilitation or comprehensive geriatric assessments. Several strategies including prehabilitation programs have been proven to be successful in other types of surgery and more research is required to evaluate effective preventive strategies and prehabilitation programs in vascular surgical patients.

Reducing complication rates and hospital readmissions while revising the enhanced recovery after bariatric surgery (ERABS) protocol.

BACKGROUND: To optimize the postoperative phase following bariatric surgery, the enhanced recovery after bariatric surgery pathway (ERABS) has been developed. The aim of ERABS is to create a care path that is as safe, efficient and patient-friendly as possible. Continuous evaluation and optimization of ERABS are important to ensure a safe treatment path and may result in better outcomes. The objective of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes of patients undergoing bariatric surgery over 2014-2017, during which the ERABS protocol was continuously evaluated and optimized. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study. Data were collected from patients undergoing a primary Roux-en-Y gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy between January 2014 and December 2017. Outcomes were early complications, unplanned hospital revisits, readmissions, duration of surgery and length of hospital stay. RESULTS: 2889 patients underwent a primary bariatric procedure in a single center. There was a significant decrease in minor complications over the years from 7.0 to 1.9% (p < 0.001). Hospital revisit rates decreased after 2015 (p < 0.001). Readmission rates decreased over time (p < 0.001). The mean duration of surgery decreased from 52 (in 2014) to 41 (in 2017) minutes (p < 0.001). Median length of hospital stay decreased from 1.8 to 1.5 days in 2015 (p = 0.002) and remained stable since. CONCLUSION: An improvement of the ERABS protocol was associated with a decrease in minor complication rates, number of unplanned hospital revisits and readmission rates after primary bariatric procedures.

The effect of sex and menopause on carotid intima-media thickness and pulse wave velocity in morbid obesity.

BACKGROUND: Women are relatively protected from cardiovascular disease compared with men. Since morbid obesity is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the current study investigated whether the association between sex and cardiovascular risk factors and outcomes can be demonstrated in subjects suffering from morbid obesity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two hundred subjects enrolled in a study on cardiovascular risk factors in morbid obesity underwent extensive laboratory screening, carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) and pulse wave velocity (PWV) measurements. Gender differences were analysed using univariate and multivariable linear regression models. In addition, the effect of menopause on cIMT and PWV was analysed. Results of these models were reported as B coefficients with 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: The group consisted of 52 men and 148 women, with a mean age of 41 (±11.8) years and a mean body mass index (BMI) of 42.7 (±5.2) kg/m2 . Both, cIMT and PWV were significantly higher in men than in women, although the difference in cIMT disappeared after adjustment for covariables such as waist circumference, age, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and mean arterial pressure. PWV was associated with sex after adjustments for covariables in morbidly obese patients. Postmenopausal women had significantly increased cIMT and PWV when compared with premenopausal women. CONCLUSION: Sex differences in PWV persist in subjects suffering from morbid obesity. However, no difference was found in cIMT between morbidly obese men and women after adjustment for classic cardiovascular risk factors. Premenopausal morbidly obese women are protected for cardiovascular disease when compared with postmenopausal morbidly obese women.

The Potential Value of Prehabilitation for Preventing Delirium in Elective Surgery for Aneurysms of the Abdominal Aorta.

Objective: Delirium is a common and serious postoperative complication in elderly patients undergoing abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair and is associated with a variety of adverse outcomes. Multimodal prehabilitation aims to identify and minimize potential risk factors for delirium and improve overall health. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of multimodal prehabilitation on delirium incidence in elderly patients undergoing elective repair for AAA. Methods: A single-centre cohort analysis was performed in the Netherlands for patients aged ≥70 years, undergoing elective repair for AAA (open surgery and endovascular aortic repair). Prehabilitation was gradually introduced between 2016 and 2019 and offered as standard care from 2019. The program was constructed to optimize overall health and included delirium risk assessment, home-based tailor-made exercises by a physical therapist, nutritional optimization by a dietician, iron infusion in case of anaemia and a comprehensive geriatric assessment by a geriatrician in case of frailty. The primary outcome was incidence of delirium within 30 days after surgery. Results: A total of 81 control and 123 prehabilitation patients were included. A reduction in incidence of delirium was found (11.1% in the control group to 4.9% in the prehabilitation group), with too small numbers to reach statistical significance (p=0.09). Also, patients in the prehabilitation group had a small, non-significant decreased length of hospital stay (4 days) compared to the control group (5 days) (p=0.07). Conclusion: Although no significant differences were found, we carefully conclude that this study provides some support for implementing multimodal prehabilitation for delirium prevention in elderly patients undergoing AAA repair. Further research with larger cohorts is necessary to identify and select patients that would most benefit from prehabilitation.

Multicomponent Prehabilitation as a Novel Strategy for Preventing Delirium in Older Chronic Limb Threatening Ischemia Patients: A Study Protocol.

Objective: Chronic limb threatening ischemia is the final stage of peripheral arterial disease. Current treatment is based on revascularization to preserve the leg. In the older, hospitalized chronic limb threatening ischemia patient, delirium is a frequent and severe complication after revascularization. Delirium leads to an increased length of hospital stay, a higher mortality rate and a decrease in quality of life. Currently, no specific guidelines to prevent delirium in chronic limb threatening ischemia patients exist. We aim to evaluate the effect of a multicomponent, multidisciplinary prehabilitation program on the incidence of delirium in chronic limb threatening ischemia patients ≥65 years. Design: A prospective observational cohort study to investigate the effects of the program on the incidence of delirium will be performed in a large teaching hospital in the Netherlands. This manuscript describes the design of the study and the content of this specific prehabilitation program. Methods: Chronic limb threatening ischemia patients ≥65 years that require revascularization will participate in the program. This program focuses on optimizing the patient's overall health and includes delirium risk assessment, nutritional optimization, home-based physical therapy, iron infusion in case of anaemia and a comprehensive geriatric assessment in case of frailty. The primary outcome is the incidence of delirium. Secondary outcomes include quality of life, amputation-free survival, length of hospital stay and mortality. Exclusion criteria are the requirement of acute treatment or patients who are mentally incompetent to understand the procedures of the study or to complete questionnaires. A historical cohort from the same hospital is used as a control group. Discussion: This study will clarify the effect of a prehabilitation program on delirium incidence in chronic limb threatening ischemia patients. New insights will be obtained on optimizing a patient's preoperative mental and physical condition to prevent postoperative complications, including delirium. Trial: This protocol is registered at the Netherlands National Trial Register (NTR) number: NL9380.

Structural and functional vascular improvement 1 year after bariatric surgery: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Data on structural and functional arterial changes after bariatric surgery are scarce. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the effects of bariatric surgery on the carotid intima media thickness (cIMT) and pulse wave velocity (PWV). SETTING: General hospital. METHODS: We collected data prospectively in 200 patients scheduled for bariatric surgery between 2015-2017. Based on an increase or decrease of 1 standard deviation of the mean difference in cIMT and PWV 1 year postoperatively, patients were divided into progressors, regressors', and unchanged. We analyzed data on medical history, baseline body mass index, surgery type, and difference in body mass index after 1 year. RESULTS: Data on cIMT were available for 134 patients. Thirty-four patients (25.4%) had a cIMT regression with a mean decrease of .1 mm (-.24 to -.06), 10 patients (7.5%) were progressors with a mean increase of .1 mm (.07-.30), and 90 patients (67.2%) remained unchanged. Progressors more often had type 2 diabetes (P = .035) and hypertension (P = .020). Data on PWV were available for 120 patients, of whom 91 (75.8%) were regressors, 26 (21.6%) remained unchanged, and 3 (2.5%) were progressors. Predictors of PWV changes were total plasma cholesterol and hypertension at baseline. CONCLUSIONS: A significant improvement of the vascular quality already after 1 year of follow-up was established in 25%-76% of all patients after bariatric surgery and the vast majority showed stabilization.

Contribution of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus to Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Subjects with Morbid Obesity.

INTRODUCTION: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and obesity are both related to increased risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality. Early atherosclerotic vascular changes can be detected by non-invasive tests like carotid artery intima-media thickness (cIMT) and pulse wave velocity (PWV). Both cIMT and PWV are significantly impaired in T2DM patients and in obese patients, but the additional effect of T2DM on these vascular measurements in obese subjects has not been evaluated. METHODS: Two hundred morbidly obese patients with or without T2DM were enrolled in a prospective cohort study and underwent extensive laboratory testing, including cIMT and PWV measurements. The cohort was divided into a group with and a group without T2DM. RESULTS: Within this cohort, 43 patients (21.5%) were diagnosed with T2DM. These patients were older and had more often (a history of) hypertension as compared to patients without T2DM. HbA1c levels were significantly increased, while LDL cholesterol was significantly lower and the use of statins higher than in non-diabetic participants. cIMT and PWV were significantly increased in subjects suffering from T2DM. The variability in cIMT and PWV was related to differences in age and systolic blood pressure, but not to the presence of T2DM. CONCLUSION: While T2DM negatively affects the vasculature in morbid obesity, hypertension and age seem to be the major risk factors, independent from the presence of T2DM. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: Dutch Trial Register NTR5172 .

Discrepancies Between BMI and Classic Cardiovascular Risk Factors.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is related to increased cardiovascular risk. It is unknown whether increasing levels of obesity also increase levels of cardiovascular risk factors and systemic inflammation. This study describes the relationship between classic cardiovascular risk factors and inflammatory markers with BMI in a group of obese and non-obese subjects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Obese subjects (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2; n = 576; mean ± SD BMI 43.8 ± 7.58 kg/m2) scheduled for bariatric surgery were included. The reference population consisted of non-obese volunteers (BMI < 30 kg/m2; n = 377, BMI 25.0 ± 2.81 kg/m2). The relationship between BMI quintiles and the levels of cardiovascular risk factors was analyzed. Adipose tissue volumetry was performed in 42 obese subjects using abdominal CT scans. RESULTS: The obese group included more women and subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and current smoking behavior. In obese subjects, HDL-C and triglycerides decreased with increasing BMI. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, LDL-C, and apoB were not related to BMI in the obese group, in contrast to the non-obese group. Inflammatory markers CRP, leukocyte count, and serum complement C3 increased with increasing BMI in the obese group, while these relations were less clear in the non-obese group. The subcutaneous adipose tissue surface was positively correlated to BMI, while no correlation was observed between BMI and visceral adipose tissue. CONCLUSIONS: Markers of inflammation are strongest related to BMI in obese subjects, most likely due to increased adipose tissue mass, while cardiovascular risk factors do not seem to deteriorate above a certain BMI level. Limited expansion capacity of visceral adipose tissue may explain these findings.

The Standardized Postoperative Checklist for Bariatric Surgery; a Tool for Safe Early Discharge?

BACKGROUND: Morbidly obese patients are at higher risk of complications after surgery. In bariatric surgery, pre- and intra-operative checklists are commonly used to identify high-risk patients preoperatively, to decrease the number of postoperative complications. This pilot study evaluates the effect of a postoperative checklist in bariatric surgery, addressing regularly measured parameters, on the occurrence and early recognition of complications. METHODS: An in-house developed postoperative checklist was used on the first postoperative day after bariatric surgery and included information on nausea, pain, temperature, heart rate, and laboratory markers. Complications were scored using the Clavien-Dindo (CD) classification, and three groups were formed: no complications (CD0), minor complications (CD1 and 2), and major complications (≥CD3a). Differences between groups were analyzed using nonparametric tests. RESULTS: Six hundred ninety-four subjects were included (79.5% female, age 42.6 ± 10.8 years, BMI 43.8 ± 5.8 kg/m2). Twenty-nine subjects developed major complications within 30 days postoperatively. There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between groups. Subjects with major complications were less willing to be discharged due to complaints, compared to subjects with no or minor complications (14.8 vs. 3.6 and 4.6%, respectively) and had a higher decrease of hemoglobin level (0.8 vs. 0.6 and 0.65 mmol/l, respectively). CONCLUSION: The patient's willingness for discharge, in combination with hemoglobin decrease, may be the best early predictors of major complications after bariatric surgery. This postoperative checklist may be an adequate instrument to identify patients who can be safely discharged home on the first postoperative day and thereby play a part in patient management after bariatric surgery.

Results of Implementing an Enhanced Recovery After Bariatric Surgery (ERABS) Protocol.

BACKGROUND: With the increasing prevalence of morbid obesity and healthcare costs in general, interest is shown in safe, efficient, and cost-effective bariatric care. This study describes an Enhanced Recovery After Bariatric Surgery (ERABS) protocol and the results of implementing such protocol on procedural times, length of stay in hospital (LOS), and the number of complications, such as readmissions and reoperations. METHODS: Results of implementing an ERABS protocol were analyzed by comparing a cohort treated according to the ERABS protocol (2012-2014) with a cohort treated before implementing ERABS (2010-2012). Differences between both cohorts were analyzed using independent t tests and chi-squared tests. RESULTS: A total of 1.967 patients (mean age 43.3 years, 80% female) underwent a primary bariatric procedure between 2010 and 2014, of which 1.313 procedures were performed after implementation of ERABS. A significant decrease of procedural times and a significantly decreased LOS, from 3.2 to 2.0 nights (p < 0.001), were seen after implementation of ERABS. Significantly more complications were seen post-ERABS (16.1 vs. 20.7%, p = 0.013), although no significant differences were seen in the number of major complications. CONCLUSION: Implementation of ERABS can result in shorter procedural times and a decreased LOS, which may lead to more efficient and cost-effective bariatric care. The increase in complications was possibly due to better registration of complications. The main goal of an ERABS protocol is efficient, safe, and evidence-based bariatric care, which can be achieved by standardization of the total process.

The Sleeve Bypass Trial: a multicentre randomized controlled trial comparing the long term outcome of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass for morbid obesity in terms of excess BMI loss percentage and quality of life.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is an increasing disease worldwide. Bariatric surgery is the only effective therapy to induce sufficient long-term weight loss for morbidly obese patients. Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (LRYGB) is the gold standard surgical technique. Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy (LSG) is a new promising bariatric procedure which has the advantage of maintaining an intact gastrointestinal tract. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficiency of both techniques. Our hypothesis is that LSG has a similar percentage excess BMI loss (%EBMIL) after 5 years compared to LRYGB. METHODS/DESIGN: The Sleeve Bypass Trial is a randomized multicentre clinical trial: patients eligible for bariatric surgery are randomized to either LSG or LRYGB. Patients with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 40 kg/m(2) or BMI 35 kg/m(2) with obesity related comorbidity (T2 DM, sleep apnoea, hypertension) are eligible for randomization. At randomization patients are stratified for centre, sex, T2 DM and BMI ≥ 50 kg/m(2). A total number of 620 patients will be enrolled and equally (1:1) randomized to both treatment arms. Only surgeons experienced in both operation techniques will participate in the Sleeve Bypass trial. The primary endpoint is the 5-year weight loss (%EBMIL) of LSG and LRYGB. Secondary endpoints are resolution of obesity related comorbidity, complications, revision bariatric surgery and quality of life (QOL) defined in various questionnaires. DISCUSSION: Long-term %EBMIL between the two treatment strategies used to be in favour of LRYGB, but more recent results throughout the world show similar %EBMIL in both techniques. If weight loss is comparable, obesity-related comorbidity and QOL after bariatric procedures should be taken into account when deciding on which surgical technique is to be preferred for certain subgroups in the future. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Dutch Trial Register: NTR 4741.