Richard G. Berrisford

Long term results of diaphragmatic plication for unilateral diaphragm paralysis

OBJECTIVES To examine whether diaphragmatic plication is an effective and lasting treatment option for non-malignant diaphragmatic paralysis. METHODS Nineteen patients who had undergone diaphragm plication (1983-1990) were recalled for interview, pulmonary function testing and chest X-ray. RESULTS There were 13 men and six women aged 24-73 (mean 55). Diaphragm paralysis was idiopathic (n=9), postsurgical (n=3), related to cervical spondylosis (n=4) and neck injury (n=2). Patients presented with breathlessness (18/19) or orthopnoea (1/19). Symptoms had lasted 3-60 months (mean 24 months). All patients had a raised hemidiaphragm on chest X-ray with paradoxical movement on ultrasound. Mean preoperative FVC was 71% predicted (range 38-93, SD 12.9) and mean FEV(1) was 67% predicted (range 33-90, SD 10.8). Supine lung volumes were 81% (mean) of sitting values. There were six right plications and 13 left. There were no postoperative deaths. One patient required re-plication. Follow-up (18/19 of original operated patients) ranged from 7-14 years (mean 10 years). Three patients had died of unrelated causes and one patient failed to attend long term follow-up, leaving 15 patients of the original 19 operated on. Positional change in lung volumes was not affected by surgery at early (6 week) or late (>5 year) follow-up. FVC, FEV(1), FRC and TLC improved by 10.1*, 11.8*, 16.9* and 9.2*%, respectively, at early follow-up and 11.8*, 15.4*, 26 and 13.3*% at late follow-up (*P<0.005 signed rank). Dyspnoea scores at long term follow-up improved 1 point (n=5), 2 points (n=5) and 3 points (n=2), remained unchanged (n=1) or dropped 1 point (n=2). Of the 15 patients followed up all but one who had been employed returned to work. 14/15 patients expressed satisfaction with their surgery. CONCLUSION Diaphragm plication is an effective procedure with lasting results.

The Role of Health-Related Quality of Life Outcomes in Clinical Decision Making in Surgery for Esophageal Cancer: A Systematic Review

BackgroundEsophagectomy for cancer offers a chance of cure but is associated with morbidity, at least a temporary reduction in health-related quality of life (HRQL), and a 5-year survival of approximately 30%. This research evaluated how and whether HRQL outcomes contribute to surgical decision making.MethodsA systematic review identified randomized trials and longitudinal and cross-sectional studies that assessed HRQL after esophagectomy with multidimensional validated questionnaires. Articles were independently evaluated by two reviewers, and the value of HRQL in clinical decision making was categorized in three ways: (1) the assessment of the quality of HRQL methodology according to predefined criteria; (2) the influence of HRQL outcomes on treatment recommendations and/or informed consent; and (3) the HRQL after esophagectomy for cancer in methodologically robust studies.ResultsEighteen publications were identified, of which 16 (89%) were categorized as having robust HRQL design. Of these studies, 3 concluded that HRQL influenced treatment recommendations and 11 (including the former 3) informed patient consent. The remaining five papers were well designed, but the authors did not use HRQL to influence treatment recommendations or informed consent. After esophagectomy, patients report major deterioration in most aspects of HRQL with slow recovery.ConclusionHRQL outcomes are relevant to surgical decision making. Methods to communicate HRQL outcomes to patients are required to inform consent and clinical practice.

The European Thoracic Database project: composite performance score to measure quality of care after major lung resection

BACKGROUND Performance measurement is an essential element of quality improvement initiatives. The objective of this study was to develop a composite performance score (CPS) incorporating processes and outcomes measures available in the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS) Database and apply it to stratify performance of participating units. METHODS A total of 1656 major lung resections for malignant primary neoplastic disease were collected in the ESTS database from 2001 through 2003 and were analyzed. For the purpose of this study only data collected from units contributing more than 50 consecutive cases were included. Three quality domains were selected: preoperative care, operative care, and postoperative outcome. According to best available evidence the following measures were selected for each domain: preoperative care (% of predicted postoperative carbon monoxide lung diffusion capacity (ppoDLCO) measurement in patients with predicted postoperative forced expiratory volume in one second (ppoFEV1) <40%), operative care (% of systematic lymph node dissection), and outcomes (risk-adjusted cardiopulmonary morbidity and mortality rates). Morbidity and mortality risk models were developed by hierarchical logistic regression and validated by bootstrap analyses. Individual processes and outcomes scores were rescaled according to their standard deviations and summed to generate the CPS, which was used to rate units. RESULTS CPS ranged from -4.4 to 3.7. Individual scores were poorly correlated with each other. Two units were negative outliers and two positive outliers (outside 95% confidence limits). Compared to the rating obtained by using the risk-adjusted mortality rates, all units changed their positions when ranked by CPS. CONCLUSIONS The composite performance score methodology may support future peer-based organizational quality benchmarking initiatives and may be used for regulatory and credentialing purposes.

Laparoscopic ischaemic conditioning of the stomach may reduce gastric-conduit morbidity following total minimally invasive oesophagectomy

OBJECTIVE Oesophagectomy, whether open or minimal access, is associated with a significant incidence of gastric-conduit-related complications. Previous animal and human studies suggest that ischaemic conditioning of the stomach prior to oesophagectomy improves perfusion of the gastric conduit. We have adopted laparoscopic ligation of the left gastric artery 2 weeks prior to minimally invasive oesophagectomy, having identified a relative high incidence of gastric-tube complications through a cumulative summation (CUSUM) analysis. METHODS This study included 77 consecutive patients who underwent a Total MIO (thoracoscopic oesophageal mobilisation, laparoscopic gastric tube formation, cervical anastomosis). The ligation group comprised 22 consecutive patients, excluding those with middle-third squamous tumours or early-stage adenocarcinoma, who underwent ligation 2 weeks prior to MIO at staging laparoscopy. The control group comprised 55 patients who did not undergo ischaemic conditioning in this way. We have defined conduit-related complications as: leak managed conservatively (L); tip necrosis requiring resection and re-anastomosis (TN) and conduit necrosis needing resection and oesophagostomy (CN). The values are reported as medians. The effect of ligation of the left gastric artery was followed with a CUSUM analysis. RESULTS Ligation was performed 15.5 days pre-operatively (median). There were no complications and the length of hospital stay was 1 day. Although gastric mobilisation at MIO was technically more difficult after ligation, there was no significant difference in operating time (ligation, 407 min; control, 425 min) or blood loss (ligation and control, 500 ml). There was less gastric-conduit morbidity in the ligation group (two of 22, 10%; one L, one CN) compared with the control group (11 of 55, 20%; four L, five TN, two CN), but these differences did not reach statistical significance (p=0.211 and p=0.176 Fishers exact test). The CUSUM analysis showed that during ligation of the left gastric artery, conservatively treated gastric-conduit-related morbidity (leak, resection and re-anastomosis or conduit necrosis) remained within safe limits (10%). Conduit-related-morbidity increased after stopping ligation. CONCLUSION In this non-randomised clinical setting, our results suggest that ischaemic conditioning of the stomach prior to MIO is safe. There is a trend to reduced morbidity related to gastric-conduit ischaemia, which was demonstrated by a CUSUM analysis. A randomised trial is needed before ligation of the left gastric artery can be routinely recommended.

Management of Malignant Pleural Effusion Associated with Trapped Lung Syndrome

Management of recurrent malignant pleural effusion associated with trapped lung syndrome remains problematic. An alternative treatment using a pleural catheter has been advocated. Between August 1999 and August 2002, 127 patients underwent thoracoscopy for malignant pleural effusion. Of these, 52 (41%) with trapped lung were managed by insertion of a pleural catheter. Mean age was 66 years (range, 42–89 years). The most frequent diagnosis was breast cancer. Spontaneous pleurodesis (drainage < 10 mL) occurred in 25 (48%) patients whose catheter was removed after 30 to 255 days (mean, 93.8 days). Symptomatic relief was achieved in 49 (94%) patients. Mean dyspnea score improved significantly from 3.0 to 1.9. Complications comprised catheter blockage, surgical emphysema, cellulitis, and loculated effusion in 2 patients each. Mean length of hospital stay was 3 days (range, 1–16 days). Median survival was 126 days (range, 10–175 days). We conclude that long-term placement of a pleural catheter provides effective palliation for malignant pleural effusion associated with trapped lung syndrome.

Surgical time out checklist with debriefing and multidisciplinary feedback improves venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in thoracic surgery: a prospective audit

OBJECTIVES There is a significant global burden of preventable morbidity and mortality after surgery caused by avoidable adverse events. Venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis, despite evidence for its efficacy, is not reliably and consistently prescribed, and is currently a serious concern for patient safety. The aim of this study was to prospectively audit errors captured by an extended surgical time out checklist and relate them to the introduction of a safety culture. METHODS The use of an extended surgical time out checklist was prospectively audited, in consecutive patients in one operating theatre over a period of two years. Errors captured were analysed and related to other improvements to safety culture; human factors training, debriefing and regular departmental meetings. RESULTS Time out was performed in 959 patients of 990 (96.8%) undergoing thoracic surgery. Performance was consistent over time. Errors were categorized as VTE prophylaxis (n = 53, 6%), blood products (n = 11), clerical (n = 5), imaging (n = 2) and miscellaneous (n = 2). After a lag period of 15 months, during which the team underwent human factors training, introduced debriefing and escalated VTE prophylaxis to regular departmental meetings, VTE prophylaxis errors were substantially reduced. The temporal relationship between error capture and error elimination is explored. CONCLUSIONS Use of checklists alongside appropriate human factors training, debriefing and regular multidisciplinary communication can substantially improve VTE prophylaxis in patients undergoing surgery.

The decision to operate: role of integrated computed tomography positron emission tomography in staging oesophageal and oesophagogastric junction cancer by the multidisciplinary team

OBJECTIVE Our objective was to assess the role of fusion positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) in staging patients for minimally invasive oesophagectomy (MIO) with potentially resectable disease from the perspective of a multidisciplinary team (MDT) deciding on operability with conventional staging investigations. METHODS Fifty consecutive patients presenting with potentially operable oesophageal or oesophagogastric junctional tumours were staged with computed tomography (CT) and endoluminal ultrasound (EUS). The MDT categorised patients as group A (n=33; CT N0M0) or group B (n=17; CT N1/possible M1). All patients underwent FDG PET-CT. Patients with localised disease (at T3), including single level N1 disease on PET-CT, were deemed suitable for induction chemotherapy followed by surgery. RESULTS PET-CT re-categorised 12% of patients as inoperable on grounds of distant metastases (four in group A, two in group B). Five patients did not proceed to resection for other reasons. Two had metastatic disease at thoracoscopy. Resection specimens (n=37) contained 24 nodes (median). Compared with pN status, positive predictive value of PET-CT was 40% and negative predictive value was 43%. The expected PET-CT N1 group had the highest mean number of involved nodes. Median survival for all patients (n=50) was 31.9 months for group A compared with 17.3 months for group B (not statistically significant). There was no significant difference between patients who were PET-CT N0 or N1 in survival or disease-free survival in patients undergoing surgery (n=37). CONCLUSIONS PET-CT informs the MDT decision to operate in avoiding futile surgery in stage IV disease or widespread nodal disease. In this study, overall PET-CT N1 status has low positive and negative predictive value for overall pN status.

Continuous paravertebral block for thoraco‐abdominal oesophageal surgery

portion of entrained air decreases, resulting in the inhaled concentration returning towards that delivered by the Venturi (point c). The down stroke (point d) represents exhalation from the anatomical dead space, which contains some of the carbon dioxide containing mixture that is inhaled. The end-tidal carbon dioxide level (point e) remains significantly lower than that delivered by the Venturi device because the total carbon dioxide delivered is insufficient to raise alveolar carbon dioxide further (due to dilution with entrained ambient air). We believe the variability in the height of the peaks of each tail may be explained by the capnograph response time being insufficient, in these conditions of marked hyperventilation. How is this relevant to clinical practice? Outside a carefully controlled research environment there are few reasons to deliver extra carbon dioxide. However this trace does illustrate the limitations of the ‘fixed performance’ Venturi mask during hyperventilation. A similar trace for supplemental oxygen could easily be imagined in a critically ill, acidotic patient who is hyperventilating. In this scenario, the patient would receive considerably less oxygen than expected, which may have important clinical implications.

Calcifying fibrous pseudotumours: an unusual case with multiple pleural and mediastinal lesions.

Calcifying fibrous pseudotumour (CFPT) is a rare soft tissue lesion that has been reported in the pleura and mediastinum. The literature contains reports of multiple pleural lesions. We describe a case of a 22-year-old woman with multiple bilateral pleural and mediastinal CFPTs. The diagnosis was established following the resection of multiple lesions. However, many lesions remain. We discuss the clinical behaviour of CFPTs and the dilemma of leaving remaining lesions in situ.

Comparing open and minimally invasive surgical procedures for oesophagectomy in the treatment of cancer: the ROMIO (Randomised Oesophagectomy: Minimally Invasive or Open) feasibility study and pilot trial.

BACKGROUND Localised oesophageal cancer can be curatively treated with surgery (oesophagectomy) but the procedure is complex with a risk of complications, negative effects on quality of life and a recovery period of 6-9 months. Minimal-access surgery may accelerate recovery. OBJECTIVES The ROMIO (Randomised Oesophagectomy: Minimally Invasive or Open) study aimed to establish the feasibility of, and methodology for, a definitive trial comparing minimally invasive and open surgery for oesophagectomy. Objectives were to quantify the number of eligible patients in a pilot trial; develop surgical manuals as the basis for quality assurance; standardise pathological processing; establish a method to blind patients to their allocation in the first week post surgery; identify measures of postsurgical outcome of importance to patients and clinicians; and establish the main cost differences between the surgical approaches. DESIGN Pilot parallel three-arm randomised controlled trial nested within feasibility work. SETTING Two UK NHS departments of upper gastrointestinal surgery. PARTICIPANTS Patients aged ≥ 18 years with histopathological evidence of oesophageal or oesophagogastric junctional adenocarcinoma, squamous cell cancer or high-grade dysplasia, referred for oesophagectomy or oesophagectomy following neoadjuvant chemo(radio)therapy. INTERVENTIONS Oesophagectomy, with patients randomised to open surgery, a hybrid open chest and minimally invasive abdomen or totally minimally invasive access. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE The primary outcome measure for the pilot trial was the number of patients recruited per month, with the main trial considered feasible if at least 2.5 patients per month were recruited. RESULTS During 21 months of recruitment, 263 patients were assessed for eligibility; of these, 135 (51%) were found to be eligible and 104 (77%) agreed to participate, an average of five patients per month. In total, 41 patients were allocated to open surgery, 43 to the hybrid procedure and 20 to totally minimally invasive surgery. Recruitment is continuing, allowing a seamless transition into the definitive trial. Consequently, the database is unlocked at the time of writing and data presented here are for patients recruited by 31 August 2014. Random allocation achieved a good balance between the arms of the study, which, as a high proportion of patients underwent their allocated surgery (69/79, 87%), ensured a fair comparison between the interventions. Dressing patients with large bandages, covering all possible incisions, was successful in keeping patients blind while pain was assessed during the first week post surgery. Postsurgical length of stay and risk of adverse events were within the typical range for this group of patients, with one death occurring within 30 days among 76 patients. There were good completion rates for the assessment of pain at 6 days post surgery (88%) and of the patient-reported outcomes at 6 weeks post randomisation (74%). CONCLUSIONS Rapid recruitment to the pilot trial and the successful refinement of methodology indicated the feasibility of a definitive trial comparing different approaches to oesophagectomy. Although we have shown a full trial of open compared with minimally invasive oesophagectomy to be feasible, this is necessarily based on our findings from the two clinical centres that we could include in this small preliminary study. TRIAL REGISTRATION Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN59036820. FUNDING This project was funded by the NIHR Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 20, No. 48. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.