Jeffrey E. Keenan

The Preventive Surgical Site Infection Bundle in Colorectal Surgery An Effective Approach to Surgical Site Infection Reduction and Health Care Cost Savings

IMPORTANCE Surgical site infections (SSIs) in colorectal surgery are associated with increased morbidity and health care costs. OBJECTIVE To determine the effect of a preventive SSI bundle (hereafter bundle) on SSI rates and costs in colorectal surgery. DESIGN Retrospective study of institutional clinical and cost data. The study period was January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2012, and outcomes were assessed and compared before and after implementation of the bundle on July 1, 2011. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS Academic tertiary referral center among 559 patients who underwent major elective colorectal surgery. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was the rate of superficial SSIs before and after implementation of the bundle. Secondary outcomes included deep SSIs, organ-space SSIs, wound disruption, postoperative sepsis, length of stay, 30-day readmission, and variable direct costs of the index admission. RESULTS Of 559 patients in the study, 346 (61.9%) and 213 (38.1%) underwent their operation before and after implementation of the bundle, respectively. Groups were matched on their propensity to be treated with the bundle to account for significant differences in the preimplementation and postimplementation characteristics. Comparison of the matched groups revealed that implementation of the bundle was associated with reduced superficial SSIs (19.3% vs 5.7%, P < .001) and postoperative sepsis (8.5% vs 2.4%, P = .009). No significant difference was observed in deep SSIs, organ-space SSIs, wound disruption, length of stay, 30-day readmission, or variable direct costs between the matched groups. However, in a subgroup analysis of the postbundle period, superficial SSI occurrence was associated with a 35.5% increase in variable direct costs (

Current management and outcome of chronic type B aortic dissection: results with open and endovascular repair since the advent of thoracic endografting

13,253 vs

Impact of specific postoperative complications on the outcomes of emergency general surgery patients.

9779, P = .001) and a 71.7% increase in length of stay (7.9 vs 4.6 days, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE The preventive SSI bundle was associated with a substantial reduction in SSIs after colorectal surgery. The increased costs associated with SSIs support that the bundle represents an effective approach to reduce health care costs.

Improving Outcomes in Colorectal Surgery by Sequential Implementation of Multiple Standardized Care Programs

BACKGROUND Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) has become the preferred treatment for chronic type B aortic dissection (CTBAD) at our institution. However, it remains incapable of treating all patients with CTBAD. The present study aims to review our contemporary results with open and endovascular CTBAD repairs since the advent of thoracic endografting. METHODS The records of all patients undergoing index repair of CTBAD (chronic DeBakey type IIIA, IIIB and repaired type I) at our institution between June 2005 and December 2013, were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS A total of 107 patients underwent CTBAD repair, of whom 70% (n=75) underwent endovascular-based procedures [44 TEVAR, 27 hybrid arch and four hybrid thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) repair] and 30% (n=32) underwent open procedures (nine open descending and 23 open TAAA). Connective tissue disease (CTD), prior aortic surgery and DeBakey dissection type were strongly associated with the choice of operation. The rates of stroke, paraplegia and operative mortality following endovascular-based repairs were 0%, 0% and 4% (n=3), respectively. Adverse neurologic events were higher following open repair, and rates of stroke, paraplegia, and operative mortality were 16% (n=5), 9% (n=3), and 6% (n=2), respectively. However, 1- and 5-year survival rates were similar for endovascular-based repairs (86% and 65%, respectively), and open repairs (88% and 79%, respectively). Over a median follow-up interval of 34 months, the rate of descending aortic reintervention was 24% (n=18) following endovascular-based repairs and 0% following open repairs (P=0.001). Forty-four percent (n=8) of descending aortic reinterventions were required to treat stent graft complications (five endoleak, two stent graft collapse and one stent graft-induced new entry tear) and the remainder were required to treat metachronous pathology (n=2) or progressive aneurysmal disease related to persistent distal fenestrations (n=8). CONCLUSIONS Endovascular repair of CTBAD was associated with excellent procedural and survival outcomes, but at the expense of further reinterventions. Open repair remains relevant for patients who are not candidates for endovascular repair and was associated with higher procedural morbidity but similar overall survival and fewer reinterventions.

Laparoscopic versus open low anterior resection for rectal cancer: results from the national cancer data base.

BACKGROUND The relative contribution of specific postoperative complications on mortality after emergency operations has not been previously described. Identifying specific contributors to postoperative mortality following acute care surgery will allow for significant improvement in the care of these patients. METHODS Patients from the 2005 to 2011 American College of Surgeons’ National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database who underwent emergency operation by a general surgeon for one of seven diagnoses (gallbladder disease, gastroduodenal ulcer disease, intestinal ischemia, intestinal obstruction, intestinal perforation, diverticulitis, and abdominal wall hernia) were analyzed. Postoperative complications (pneumonia, myocardial infarction, incisional surgical site infection, organ/space surgical site infection, thromboembolic process, urinary tract infection, stroke, or major bleeding) were chosen based on surgical outcome measures monitored by national quality improvement initiatives and regulatory bodies. Regression techniques were used to determine the independent association between these complications and 30-day mortality, after adjustment for an array of patient- and procedure-related variables. RESULTS Emergency operations accounted for 14.6% of the approximately 1.2 million general surgery procedures that are included in American College of Surgeons’ National Surgical Quality Improvement Program but for 53.5% of the 19,094 postoperative deaths. A total of 43,429 emergency general surgery patients were analyzed. Incisional surgical site infection had the highest incidence (6.7%). The second most common complication was pneumonia (5.7%). Stroke, major bleeding, myocardial infarction, and pneumonia exhibited the strongest associations with postoperative death. CONCLUSION Given its disproportionate contribution to surgical mortality, emergency surgery represents an ideal focus for quality improvement. Of the potential postoperative targets for quality improvement, pneumonia, myocardial infarction, stroke, and major bleeding have the strongest associations with subsequent mortality. Since pneumonia is both relatively common after emergency surgery and strongly associated with postoperative death, it should receive priority as a target for surgical quality improvement initiatives. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Prognostic and epidemiologic study, level III.

Trials of nonoperative management exceeding 3 days are associated with increased morbidity in patients undergoing surgery for uncomplicated adhesive small bowel obstruction.

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the sequential implementation of the enhanced recovery program (ERP) and surgical site infection bundle (SSIB) on short-term outcomes in colorectal surgery (CRS) to determine if the presence of multiple standardized care programs provides additive benefit. STUDY DESIGN Institutional ACS-NSQIP data were used to identify patients who underwent elective CRS from September 2006 to March 2013. The cohort was stratified into 3 groups relative to implementation of the ERP (February 1, 2010) and SSIB (July 1, 2011). Unadjusted characteristics and 30-day outcomes were assessed, and inverse proportional weighting was then used to determine the adjusted effect of these programs. RESULTS There were 787 patients included: 337, 165, and 285 in the pre-ERP/SSIB, post-ERP/pre-SSIB, and post-ERP/SSIB periods, respectively. After inverse probability weighting (IPW) adjustment, groups were balanced with respect to patient and procedural characteristics considered. Compared with the pre-ERP/SSIB group, the post-ERP/pre-SSIB group had significantly reduced length of hospitalization (8.3 vs 6.6 days, p = 0.01) but did not differ with respect to postoperative wound complications and sepsis. Subsequent introduction of the SSIB then resulted in a significant decrease in superficial SSI (16.1% vs 6.3%, p < 0.01) and postoperative sepsis (11.2% vs 1.8%, p < 0.01). Finally, inflation-adjusted mean hospital cost for a CRS admission fell from

Mitochondrial quality-control dysregulation in conditional HO-1–/– mice

31,926 in 2008 to

Surgical Resection of the Primary Tumor in Stage IV Colorectal Cancer Without Metastasectomy is Associated With Improved Overall Survival Compared With Chemotherapy/Radiation Therapy Alone.

22,044 in 2013 (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Sequential implementation of the ERP and SSIB provided incremental improvements in CRS outcomes while controlling hospital costs, supporting their combined use as an effective strategy toward improving the quality of patient care.

Evolving practice pattern changes and outcomes in the era of hybrid aortic arch repair

BackgroundWhile the use of laparoscopy has increased among patients undergoing colorectal surgery, there is ongoing debate regarding the oncologic equivalence of laparoscopy compared to open low anterior resection (LAR) for rectal cancer.MethodsThe 2010–2011 NCDB was queried for patients undergoing LAR for rectal cancer. Subjects were grouped by laparoscopic (LLAR) versus open (OLAR) technique. Baseline characteristics were compared. Subjects were propensity matched, and outcomes were compared between groups.ResultsA total of 18,765 patients were identified (34.3 % LLAR, 65.7 % OLAR). After propensity matching, all baseline variables were highly similar except for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level. Complete resection was more common in patients undergoing LLAR (91.6 vs. 88.9 %, p < 0.001), and statistically significant benefits were observed for gross, microscopic, and circumferential (>1 mm) margins (all p < 0.001). There was no difference in median number of lymph nodes obtained (15 vs. 15). Patients undergoing LLAR had shorter lengths of stay (5 vs. 6 days, p < 0.001) without a corresponding increase in 30-day readmission rates (6 vs. 7 %, p = 0.02).ConclusionsLaparoscopic LAR appears to result in equivalent short-term oncologic outcomes compared to the traditional open approach as measured via surrogate endpoints in the NCDB. While these results support the increasing use of laparoscopy in rectal surgery, further data are necessary to assess long-term outcomes.

Management of 1- to 2-cm carcinoid tumors of the appendix: Using the national cancer data base to address controversies in general surgery

BACKGROUND Controversy exists over how long trials of nonoperative management should be pursued in patients with uncomplicated adhesive small bowel obstructions (ASBOs) before deciding to proceed with surgery. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of incremental delays in surgery on the 30-day postoperative outcomes of patients undergoing surgery for uncomplicated ASBO. METHODS American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program 2005–2011 data were used to identify patients with uncomplicated ASBO in whom a trial of nonoperative management was attempted. Multivariate logistic or linear regression model was created to determine the independent association between the length of preoperative hospitalization and 30-day postoperative outcomes after adjustment for patient- and procedure-related factors. RESULTS A total of 9,297 patients were included in the study. The 30-day postoperative mortality and overall morbidity rates of the entire cohort were 4.4% and 29.6%, respectively. The median postoperative length of hospitalization was 7 days (interquartile range, 5–11 days). After risk adjustment, there was no association between preoperative length of hospitalization and 30-day postoperative mortality. In contrast, increased 30-day overall morbidity was observed in patients who received their operation after a preoperative length of hospitalization of 3 days compared with earlier in their hospitalization. Furthermore, an increased postoperative length of hospitalization was found in patients who were operated on after a preoperative length of hospitalization of 4 days. CONCLUSION Trials of nonoperative management for uncomplicated ASBO exceeding 3 days are associated with increased morbidity and postoperative length of hospitalization. These trials should therefore generally not extend beyond this time point. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Therapeutic study, level IV.