Benjamin S. Brooke

Angiotensin II Blockade and Aortic-Root Dilation in Marfan's Syndrome

BACKGROUNDnProgressive enlargement of the aortic root, leading to dissection, is the main cause of premature death in patients with Marfans syndrome. Recent data from mouse models of Marfans syndrome suggest that aortic-root enlargement is caused by excessive signaling by transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) that can be mitigated by treatment with TGF-beta antagonists, including angiotensin II-receptor blockers (ARBs). We evaluated the clinical response to ARBs in pediatric patients with Marfans syndrome who had severe aortic-root enlargement.nnnMETHODSnWe identified 18 pediatric patients with Marfans syndrome who had been followed during 12 to 47 months of therapy with ARBs after other medical therapy had failed to prevent progressive aortic-root enlargement. The ARB was losartan in 17 patients and irbesartan in 1 patient. We evaluated the efficacy of ARB therapy by comparing the rates of change in aortic-root diameter before and after the initiation of treatment with ARBs.nnnRESULTSnThe mean (+/-SD) rate of change in aortic-root diameter decreased significantly from 3.54+/-2.87 mm per year during previous medical therapy to 0.46+/-0.62 mm per year during ARB therapy (P<0.001). The deviation of aortic-root enlargement from normal, as expressed by the rate of change in z scores, was reduced by a mean difference of 1.47 z scores per year (95% confidence interval, 0.70 to 2.24; P<0.001) after the initiation of ARB therapy. The sinotubular junction, which is prone to dilation in Marfans syndrome as well, also showed a reduced rate of change in diameter during ARB therapy (P<0.05), whereas the distal ascending aorta, which does not normally become dilated in Marfans syndrome, was not affected by ARB therapy.nnnCONCLUSIONSnIn a small cohort study, the use of ARB therapy in patients with Marfans syndrome significantly slowed the rate of progressive aortic-root dilation. These findings require confirmation in a randomized trial.

Patient Readmission and Mortality after Colorectal Surgery for Colon Cancer: Impact of Length of Stay Relative to Other Clinical Factors

BACKGROUNDnData on readmission as well as the potential impact of length of stay (LOS) after colectomy for colon cancer remain poorly defined. The objective of the current study was to evaluate risk factors associated with readmission among a nationwide cohort of patients after colorectal surgery.nnnSTUDY DESIGNnWe identified 149,622 unique individuals from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare dataset with a diagnosis of primary colorectal cancer who underwent colectomy between 1986 and 2005. In-hospital morbidity, mortality, LOS, and 30-day readmission were examined using univariate and multivariate logistic regression models.nnnRESULTSnPrimary surgical treatment consisted of right (37.4%), transverse (4.9%), left (10.5%), sigmoid (22.8%), abdominoperineal resection (7.3%), low anterior resection (5.6%), total colectomy (1.2%), or other/unspecified (10.3%). Mean patient age was 76.5 years and more patients were female (52.9%). The number of patients with multiple preoperative comorbidities increased over time (Charlson comorbidity score ≥3: 1986 to 1990, 52.5% vs 2001 to 2005, 63.1%; p < 0.001). Mean LOS was 11.7 days and morbidity and mortality were 36.5% and 4.2%, respectively. LOS decreased over time (1986 to 1990, 14.0 days; 1991 to 1995, 12.0 days; 1996 to 2000, 10.4 days; 2001 to 2005, 10.6 days; p < 0.001). In contrast, 30-day readmission rates increased (1986 to 1990, 10.2%; 1991 to 1995, 10.9%; 1996 to 2000, 12.4%; 2001 to 2005, 13.7%; p < 0.001). Factors associated with increased risk of readmission included LOS (odds ratio = 1.02), Charlson comorbidities ≥3 (odds ratio = 1.27), and postoperative complications (odds ratio = 1.17) (all p < 0.01).nnnCONCLUSIONSnReadmission rates after colectomies have increased during the past 2 decades and mean LOS after this operation has declined. More research is needed to understand the balance and possible trade off between these hospital performance measures for all surgical procedures.

Hyperglycemia independently increases the risk of perioperative stroke, myocardial infarction, and death after carotid endarterectomy.

OBJECTIVE:Clinical and experimental evidence suggests that hyperglycemia lowers the neuronal ischemic threshold, potentiates stroke volume in focal ischemia, and is associated with morbidity and mortality in the surgical critical care setting. It remains unknown whether hyperglycemia during carotid endarterectomy (CEA) predisposes patients to perioperative stroke and operative related morbidity and mortality. METHODS:The clinical and radiological records of all patients undergoing CEA and operative day glucose measurement from 1994 to 2004 at an academic institution were reviewed and 30-day outcomes were assessed. The independent association of operative day glucose before CEA and perioperative morbidity and mortality were assessed via multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS:One thousand two hundred and one patients with a mean age of 72 ± 10 years (748 men, 453 women) underwent CEA (676 asymptomatic, 525 symptomatic). Overall, stroke occurred in 46 (3.8%) patients, transient ischemic attack occurred in 19 (1.6%), myocardial infarction occurred in 19 (1.6%), and death occurred in 17 (1.4%). Increasing operative day glucose was independently associated with perioperative stroke or transient ischemic attack (Odds ratio [OR], 1.005; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00–1.01; P = 0.03), myocardial infarction (OR, 1.01; 95% CI, 1.004–1.016; P = 0.017), and death (OR, 1.007; 95% CI, 1.00–1.015; P = 0.04). Patients with operative day glucose greater than 200 mg/dl were 2.8-fold, 4.3-fold, and 3.3-fold more likely to experience perioperative stroke or transient ischemic attack (OR, 2.78; 95% CI, 1.37–5.67; P = 0.005), myocardial infarction (OR, 4.29; 95% CI, 1.28–14.4; P = 0.018), or death (OR, 3.29; 95% CI, 1.07–10.1; P = 0.037), respectively. Median and interquartile range length of hospitalization was greater for patients with operative day glucose greater than 200 mg/dl (4 d [interquartile range, 2–15 d] versus 3 d [interquartile range, 2–7 d]; P < 0.05). CONCLUSION:Independent of previous cardiac disease, diabetes, or other comorbidities, hyperglycemia at the time of CEA was associated with an increased risk of perioperative stroke or transient ischemic attack, myocardial infarction, and death. Strict glucose control should be attempted before surgery to minimize the risk of morbidity and mortality after CEA.

Reduction of in-hospital mortality among California hospitals meeting Leapfrog evidence-based standards for abdominal aortic aneurysm repair

BACKGROUNDnThe Leapfrog Group established evidence-based standards for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair, including targets for case volume and perioperative beta-blocker usage. The purpose of this study was to determine whether meeting these benchmarks correlated with improved patient outcomes over time.nnnMETHODSnWe studied California hospitals that responded to consecutive Leapfrog Group Hospital Quality and Safety Surveys between 2000 and 2005. Survey results of compliance with Leapfrog standards were linked to patient outcomes for AAA repair using the California state discharge database for the corresponding years. A random-effects Poisson regression analysis was performed to measure the effect of meeting beta-blocker and case volume standards on hospital mortality and average length of stay after elective open and endovascular AAA repair (EVAR) during the early (2000-2002) and later (2003-2005) phase of Leapfrog implementation.nnnRESULTSnAmong 140 hospitals that performed open AAA repair, 25 (17.4%) met the Leapfrog case volume standard, 32 (22.2%) were compliant with routine perioperative beta-blocker use, 5 hospitals (3.5%) met both criteria, and 78 control hospitals failed to meet either standard. After controlling for temporal differences in hospital and patient characteristics, hospitals that implemented a policy for perioperative beta-blocker usage were found to have an estimated 51% reduction of in-hospital mortality (relative risk, 0.49; 95% confidence interval, 0.24-0.99; P < .05) after open AAA repair cases compared with control hospitals over time. There was no improvement in mortality outcomes over time, however, after open AAA repair in hospitals meeting case volume standards. Among 111 California hospitals in which EVAR was performed, there was an estimated 61% reduction of in-hospital mortality over time (relative risk, 0.39; 95% confidence interval, 0.07-1.80) among hospitals meeting Leapfrog case volume standards compared with control hospitals, although these results did not reach statistical significance. Finally, there was no reduction in length of hospital stay over time after either EVAR or open AAA repair for hospitals meeting Leapfrog standards compared with control hospitals.nnnCONCLUSIONSnThis population-based study supports the effectiveness of meeting Leapfrog AAA repair standards towards improving mortality outcomes over time and suggests that their impact depends upon procedure type. Further studies are needed to help promote the standardization of evidence-based measures that may improve vascular surgery outcomes.

Predictable Patterns of Intracranial and Cervical Spine Injury in Craniomaxillofacial Trauma: Analysis of 4786 Patients

Background: Patients presenting with traumatic craniomaxillofacial fractures often have occult concomitant injuries. This study was designed to determine whether facial fracture patterns are associated with a particular constellation of concomitant head and neck injuries. Methods: A retrospective review of 4786 consecutive patients diagnosed with maxillofacial fractures at a dedicated urban trauma center from 1998 to 2005 was conducted; maxillofacial fractures and cervical spine injuries were grouped by dividing the craniomaxillofacial skeleton and cervical spine into thirds. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify associations between facial fractures and other traumatic injuries. Results: Among all patients with facial fractures, 461 (9.7 percent) also had cervical spine injuries and 2175 (45.5 percent) had associated head injuries. Fractures of the upper face were associated with increased likelihood of mid lower cervical spine injuries, severe intracranial injuries, and increased mortality rates. Unilateral mandible injuries were associated with an increased likelihood of having upper cervical spine injuries, whereas unilateral midface injuries were associated with basilar skull fractures and several intracranial injuries. Finally, bilateral midface injuries were associated with basilar skull fracture and death. Conclusions: Craniomaxillofacial fractures are commonly associated with head and cervical spine injuries that involve predictable patterns of force dispersion from the maxillofacial skeleton and transmission to the cranial vault and cervical spine. These results suggest that concomitant injuries should be investigated closely with distinct types of facial fractures.

Contemporary management of vascular complications associated with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome

OBJECTIVESnThere has been debate regarding the safety of performing elective procedures in patients with vascular manifestations associated with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS). The purpose of this study was to review the surgical management and clinical outcomes of EDS patients undergoing vascular procedures at a tertiary medical center with multimodality expertise in connective tissue disorders.nnnMETHODSnAll patients with EDS undergoing endovascular and open vascular procedures at a single-institution academic medical center from 1994 to 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical data were evaluated including patient demographics, length of stay (LOS), and mortality outcomes during hospital course and long-term follow-up.nnnRESULTSnA total of 40 patients with EDS were identified, including individuals diagnosed with classic (n = 15), hypermobility (n = 16), and vascular (n = 9) types of EDS. These patients collectively underwent 45 endovascular and 18 open procedures for vascular disease during the time period, including embolization (n = 37), angioplasty (n = 8), arterial bypass (n = 5), and aortic aneurysm repair (n = 13). All cases were performed electively, except for one (2%) urgent endovascular and one (5%) emergent open procedure. Endovascular procedures were associated with a median LOS (interquartile range [IQR]) of 2 (1 to 3) days with no procedure-related mortality or in-hospital deaths among all EDS types, whereas open vascular procedures had median LOS (IQR) of 6 (5 to 8) days with one (6%) in-hospital death occurring in a vascular EDS patient. Survival free of any complication at 5 years was 85% and 54% following endovascular and open procedures, respectively.nnnCONCLUSIONSnThe elective surgical management of vascular disorders in EDS patients using open and endovascular procedures has been associated with good outcomes. Our results suggest that vascular interventions in these EDS patients can be safely performed and should not be withheld until rupture or acute symptoms arise.

Contemporary management of thoracic outlet syndrome.

Purpose of review The diagnosis and management of thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) has been surrounded by controversy since this disorder was first recognized. Recent evidence from observational studies has helped us better understand the pathophysiology of different TOS subtypes and guide clinical decision making for this disorder. Recent findings The identification of anatomic anomalies involved with the cause of different TOS subtypes has been made easier by contemporary diagnostic techniques. This includes the injection of neuromuscular blocking agents into anterior scalene muscles to help confirm the diagnosis of neurogenic TOS. Surgical intervention by means of first rib resection and anterior scalenectomy is an effective treatment for patients diagnosed with neurogenic and venous TOS, resulting in a significant increase in quality-of-life measures for the majority of patients. Patients with acute and chronic venous TOS should be maintained on anticoagulation during the perioperative period and may not need thrombolysis prior to surgery. Finally, patients with arterial TOS should undergo cervical or first rib resection with or without arterial reconstruction to alleviate and prevent recurrence of symptoms. Summary The management of TOS requires a multidisciplinary approach with specific treatment algorithms for each TOS subtype. Appropriately selected patients with all different types of TOS may benefit from surgical intervention.

Variations in surgical outcomes associated with hospital compliance with safety practices

BACKGROUNDnThe Leapfrog Group aims to improve patient safety by promoting hospital compliance with National Quality Forum (NQF) safe practices. It is unknown, however, whether implementation of these safety practices improve outcomes after high-risk operations.nnnMETHODSnWe conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 658 nationwide hospitals that responded to the 2005 Leapfrog Group Hospital Quality & Safety survey. A total of 79,462 patients were identified from Medicare claims data who underwent a pancreatectomy, hepatectomy, esophagectomy, open aortic aneurysm repair, colectomy, or gastrectomy procedure from 2004 through 2006. Random effects logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between hospital compliance with NQF safe practices and risk-adjusted odds of complications, rate of failure to rescue, and mortality after adjusting for patient- and hospital-level confounders.nnnRESULTSnOf the 658 hospitals that responded to surveys, 41% had fully implemented NQF safe practices and 59% reported partial compliance with these standards. Compared with hospitals with partial NQF compliance, we found evidence that hospitals with full compliance had an increased likelihood of diagnosing a complication after any of the 6 high-risk operations (odds ratio [OR], 1.13; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-1.25), but had a decreased likelihood of failure to rescue (OR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.71-0.96), and a decreased odds of mortality (OR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.71-0.91).nnnCONCLUSIONnDespite having a greater rate of postoperative complications, hospitals fully complying with safe practices were associated with less failure to rescue and decreased mortality after high-risk operations. These results highlight the importance of having hospital systems in place to promote safety and manage postoperative complications.

Developing Strategies for Predicting and Preventing Readmissions in Vascular Surgery

The escalating cost burden of hospital readmission has prompted recent nationwide efforts aimed at reducing the incidence of this important quality measure. Because patients undergoing vascular surgery account for a significant proportion of readmissions, vascular surgeons may face reduced reimbursements in the near future if these trends continue. However, risk factors associated with readmission remain poorly defined, and further research is needed to identify interventions that will prevent readmission following vascular procedures. Accordingly, this manuscript will (1) propose a conceptual model to explain the driving forces behind readmissions in vascular surgery, (2) review current evidence directed at identifying risk factors and evaluating interventions to reduce readmissions across different medical and surgical specialties, and (3) identify key areas in patient care where targeted research or interventions may be implemented in vascular surgery.

Impact of hospital teaching status on survival from ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm repair

OBJECTIVESnControversy exists over the optimal hospital type to which high-risk surgical patients should be referred for operative management. While high volume centers have been traditionally advocated, recent evidence suggests teaching hospitals may have better outcomes for high-risk patients. We investigated whether mortality outcomes of patients undergoing surgery for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA) were different between teaching hospitals and non-teaching hospitals, independent of hospital operative volume.nnnMETHODSnA retrospective review of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample dataset (1998-2004) was performed to identify open and endovascular (EVAR) repair for rAAA. Hospitals were stratified by teaching status, including teaching hospitals (TH) with any type of residency training program, those with general surgery training programs (GSTH) and those with vascular surgery training programs (VSTH). The association of hospital teaching status with in-hospital mortality for open AAA repair and EVAR was assessed via multi-level multivariable logistic regression, controlling for patient demographics, comorbidities, and hospital operative volume.nnnRESULTSnOf 6636 open AAA repairs for rAAA, the overall perioperative mortality was 42%. Mortality was significantly lower at TH than non-TH (39.3% vs 44.5%; P < .05). Mortality was also lower at GSTH (38.7%) and VSTH (34.3%). After adjusting for hospital operative volume, patient demographics, and comorbidities, we found a 25% decrease in likelihood of in-hospital death at VSTH vs non-VSTH (odds ratio 0.75; 95% confidence interval 0.60-0.94; P < .05).nnnCONCLUSIONnIn-hospital mortality is significantly reduced for patients undergoing open AAA repair for rAAA at teaching hospitals and hospitals with vascular surgery training programs, independent of volume. These results suggest that in addition to factors associated with teaching hospitals in general, the type of specialty training within teaching institutions is a critical factor which may influence outcomes, specifically for patients with rAAA.