Jose H. Salazar

Perioperative strategies and technical modifications to the Nuss repair for pectus excavatum in pediatric patients: A large volume, single institution experience

BACKGROUND The safety and efficacy of minimally invasive pectus excavatum repair have been demonstrated over the last twenty years. However, technical details and perioperative management strategies continue to be debated. The aim of the present study is to review a large single-institution experience with the modified Nuss procedure. METHODS A retrospective review was performed of patients who underwent primary pectus excavatum repair at a single tertiary hospital via a modified Nuss procedure that included: no thoracoscopy, retrosternal dissection achieved via a left-to-right thoracic approach, four-point stabilization of the bar, and no routine epidural analgesia. Data collected included demographics, preoperative symptoms, operative characteristics, hospital charges and postoperative outcomes. RESULTS A total of 336 pediatric patients were identified. No cardiac perforations occurred and the rate of pericarditis was 0.6%. Contemporary rates of bar displacement have fallen to 1.2%. Routine use of chlorhexidine scrub reduced superficial site infections to 0.7%. Two patients (0.6%) with severe recurrence required reoperation. Bars were removed after an average period of 31.7(SD 13.2) months, with satisfactory cosmetic and functional results in 94.9% of cases. CONCLUSIONS We report here a single-institution large volume experience, including modifications to the Nuss procedure that make the technique simpler and safer, improve results, and minimize hospital charges.

A Novel Multispecialty Surgical Risk Score for Children

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: There is a lack of broadly applicable measures for risk adjustment in pediatric surgical patients necessary for improving outcomes and patient safety. Our objective was to develop a risk stratification model that predicts mortality after surgical operations in children. METHODS: The model was created by using inpatient databases from 1988 to 2006. Patients younger than 18 years who underwent an inpatient surgical procedure as identified by using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification, coding were included. A 7-point scale was developed with 70 variables selected for their predictive value for mortality using multivariate analysis. This model was evaluated with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and compared with the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) in two separate validation data sets. RESULTS: A total of 2 087 915 patients were identified in the training data set. Generated risk scores positively correlated with inpatient mortality. In the training data set, the ROC was 0.949 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.947, 0.950). In the first validation data set, the ROC was 0.959 (95% CI: 0.952, 0.967) compared with the CCI ROC of 0.596 (95% CI: 0.575, 0.616). In the second validation data set, the ROC was 0.901 (95% CI: 0.885, 0.917) and the CCI ROC was 0.587 (95% CI: 0.562, 0.611). CONCLUSIONS: This study depicts creation of a broadly applicable model for risk adjustment that predicts inpatient mortality with more reliability than current risk indexes in pediatric surgical patients. This risk index will allow comorbidity-adjusted outcomes broadly in pediatric surgery.

Age at presentation of common pediatric surgical conditions: Reexamining dogma

PURPOSE The commonly cited ages at presentation of many pediatric conditions have been based largely on single center or outdated epidemiologic evidence. Thus, we sought to examine the ages at presentation of common pediatric surgical conditions using cases from large national databases. METHODS A retrospective analysis was performed on Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project databases from 1988 to 2009. Pediatric discharges were selected using matched ICD9 diagnosis and procedure codes for malrotation, intussusception, hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (HPS), incarcerated inguinal hernia (IH), and Hirschsprung disease (HD). Descriptive statistics were computed. RESULTS A total of 63,750 discharges were identified, comprising 2744 cases of malrotation, 5831 of intussusception, 36,499 of HPS, 8564 of IH, and 10,112 of HD. About 58.2% of malrotation cases presented before age 1. Moreover, 92.8% of HPS presented between 3 and 10weeks. For intussusception, 50.3% and 91.4% presented prior to ages 1 and 4years, respectively. Also, 55.8% of IHD cases presented before their first birthday. For HD, 6.5% of cases presented within the neonatal period and 45.9% prior to age 1year. CONCLUSION Our findings support generally cited presenting ages for HPS and intussusception. However, the ages at presentation for HD, malrotation, and IH differ from commonly cited texts.

Regionalization of Pediatric Surgery: Trends Already Underway

Introduction:This study aims to characterize the delivery of pediatric surgical care based on hospital volume stratified by disease severity, geography, and specialty. Longitudinal regionalization over the 10-year study period is noted and further explored. Methods:The Kids’ Inpatient Database (KID) was queried from 2000 to 2009 for patients <18 years undergoing noncardiac surgery. Hospitals nationwide were grouped into commutable regions and identified as high-volume centers (HVCs) if they had more than 1000 weighted procedures per year. Regions that had at least one HVC and one or more additional lower volume center were included for analysis. Low-risk, high-risk neonatal, and surgical subspecialties were analyzed separately. Results:A total of 385,242 weighted pediatric surgical admissions in 33 geographical regions and 224 hospitals were analyzed. Overall, HVCs comprised 33 (14.7%) hospitals, medium-volume center (MVC) 33 (14.7%), and low-volume center (LVC) 158 (70.5%). The four low-risk procedures analyzed were increasingly regionalized: appendectomy (52% in HVCs in 2000 to 60% in 2009, P < 0.001), fracture reduction (63% to 68%, P < 0.001), cholecystectomy (54% to 63%, P < 0.001), and pyloromyotomy (65% to 85%, P < 0.001). Neonatal surgery showed significant regionalization trends for tracheoesophageal fistula (66% to 87%, P < 0.001) and gastroschisis (76% to 89%, P < 0.001). Conclusions:This is the first large-scale, multi-region analysis to demonstrate that pediatric surgical care has transitioned to HVCs over a recent decade, particularly for low-risk patients. It is important for practitioners and policymakers alike to understand such volume trends in order to ensure hospital capacity while maintaining an optimal quality of care.

Safety and Postoperative Adverse Events in Pediatric Otologic Surgery: Analysis of American College of Surgeons NSQIP-P 30-Day Outcomes.

Objectives Describe safety and postoperative sequelae of pediatric otologic surgery and identify predictive factors for postoperative events. Study Design Retrospective cohort study of the American College of Surgeons National Surgery Quality Improvement Program–Pediatric (NSQIP-P) database. Setting Data pooled from the 2012 NSQIP-P public use file (50 institutions). Subjects and Methods Current procedural terminology codes were used to identify children who underwent otologic surgery. Variables of interest included demographics and 30-day postoperative events grouped as reoperation, readmission, and complication. Event rates were determined and prevalence of events compared by procedure type and within patient subgroups according to chi-square analysis. Multivariate logistic regression evaluated predictive factors for postoperative events. Results Of 37,319 pediatric operations, 2556 (6.8%) were otologic procedures. The most common procedure was tympanoplasty (n = 893, 34.9%), followed by myringoplasty (n = 741, 30.0%), cochlear implantation (n = 464, 18.2%), and tympanomastoidectomy (n = 458, 17.9%). There were 9 reoperations (0.4%), 32 readmissions (1.3%), and 18 complications (0.7%). Children undergoing tympanomastoidectomy or cochlear implantation were more likely to be readmitted irrespective of other factors (odds ratio = 5.5, P = .010; odds ratio = 3.5, P = .083). Children <3 years old were 4 times more likely to be readmitted than older children (odds ratio = 4.4, P < .001). Conclusion Pediatric otologic procedures are common and have low rates of global 30-day postoperative events. Tympanomastoidectomy and cochlear implantation have the highest risk of 30-day readmission. Young children (<3 years) are more likely to be readmitted following these procedures. Further optimization of the NSQIP-P to include specialty and procedure-specific variables is necessary to assess complete, actionable outcomes of pediatric otologic surgery, however the present study provides a foundation to build upon for safety and quality improvement initiatives in pediatric otology.

A randomized trial of laparoscopic versus open Nissen fundoplication in children under two years of age

AIMS The surgery of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is common in modern pediatric surgical practice. Any differences in perioperative and long-term clinical outcomes following laparoscopic (LN) or open Nissen (ON) fundoplication have not been comprehensively described in young children. This randomized, prospective study examines outcomes following LN versus ON in children<2 years of age. METHODS Four surgeons at a single institution enrolled patients under 2 years of age that required surgical management of GERD, who were then randomized to LN or ON between 2005 and 2012. A universal surgical dressing was employed for blinding. Analgesia and enteral feeding pathways were standardized. The primary outcome was postoperative length of stay. Perioperative outcomes and long-term follow up were collected as secondary outcomes and used to compare groups. RESULTS Of 39 enrolled patients, 21 were randomized to ON and 18 to LN. Length of postoperative hospital stay, time of advancement to full enteral feeds, and analgesic requirements were not significantly different between treatment cohorts. The LN group experienced longer median operating times (173 vs 91 min, P<0.001) and higher surgical charges (

Thymectomy for myasthenia gravis in children: A comparison of open and thoracoscopic approaches

4450 vs

Helicopter Overtriage in Pediatric Trauma

2722, P=0.002). The incidence of post-discharge complications did not differ significantly between the groups at last follow-up (median 42 months). CONCLUSIONS This randomized trial comparing postoperative outcomes following LN vs ON did not detect statistically significant differences in short- or long-term clinical outcomes between these approaches. LN was associated with longer surgical time and higher operating room costs. The benefits, risks, and costs of laparoscopy should be carefully considered in clinical pediatric surgical practice.

Regionalization of the surgical care of children: A risk-adjusted comparison of hospital surgical outcomes by geographic areas

PURPOSE Thymectomy is an accepted component of treatment for myasthenia gravis (MG), but optimal timing and surgical approach have not been determined. Though small series have reported the feasibility of thoracoscopic resection, some studies have suggested that minimally invasive methods are suboptimal compared to open sternotomy owing to incomplete clearance of thymic tissue. Here we report the largest series of thymectomies for pediatric myasthenia gravis in the literature to date. METHODS A retrospective review of patients undergoing thymectomy for MG between 1990 and 2013 in a tertiary referral hospital was performed. Twelve patients who underwent thoracoscopic thymectomy were compared to 16 patients who underwent open thymectomy via median sternotomy. Postoperative outcomes were determined by electronic chart review in consultation with the treating pediatric neurologist. Disease severities were graded according to a modified Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA) Quantitative MG (QMG) score. RESULTS Overall, thoracoscopic resections tended to be performed on patients with earlier and less severe disease than open surgeries. Inpatient length of stay was significantly shorter after thoracoscopic surgery (mean 1.8 vs 8.0 days, p=0.045). The preoperative and postoperative MGFA QMG scores were equivalent between the two groups. Both groups experienced a decrease in disease severity (p<0.001) after median follow-up time of 23 months in the thoracoscopic group and 44 months in the open group. CONCLUSIONS Minimally invasive thymectomy for MG in children has increased in popularity as surgeons and neurologists compare the risks and benefits of surgery against other therapies. This analysis suggests that thoracoscopic thymectomy is not inferior to median sternotomy in terms of disease control in this small series, and that the morbidity of the thoracoscopic approach appears sufficiently low to be considered for early stage disease. Low perioperative morbidity and shortened hospital course make thoracoscopic thymectomy an attractive option in centers with sufficient medical and surgical experience.

Secondary overtriage in pediatric trauma: can unnecessary patient transfers be avoided?

BACKGROUND Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) have been designed to provide faster access to trauma center care in cases of life-threatening injury. However, the ideal recipient population is not fully characterized, and indications for helicopter transport in pediatric trauma vary dramatically by county, state, and region. Overtriage, or unnecessary utilization, can lead to additional patient risk and expense. In this study we perform a nationwide descriptive analysis of HEMS for pediatric trauma and assess the incidence of overtriage in this group. METHODS We reviewed records from the American College of Surgeons National Trauma Data Bank (2008-11) and included patients less than 16 years of age who were transferred from the scene of injury to a trauma center via HEMS. Overtriage was defined as patients meeting all of the following criteria: Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) equal to 15, absence of hypotension, an Injury Severity Score (ISS) less than 9, no need for procedure or critical care, and a hospital length of stay of less than 24 hours. RESULTS A total of 19,725 patients were identified with a mean age of 10.5 years. The majority of injuries were blunt (95.6%) and resulted from motor vehicle crashes (48%) and falls (15%). HEMS transported patients were predominately normotensive (96%), had a GCS of 15 (67%), and presented with minor injuries (ISS<9, 41%). Overall, 28 % of patients stayed in the hospital for less than 24 hours, and the incidence of overtriage was 17%. CONCLUSIONS Helicopter overtriage is prevalent among pediatric trauma patients nationwide. The ideal model to predict need for HEMS must consider clinical outcomes in the context of judicious resource utilization. The development of guidelines for HEMS use in pediatric trauma could potentially limit unnecessary transfers while still identifying children who require trauma center care in a timely fashion.