Roxelyn G. Baumgartner

ANALYSIS OF EARLY COMPLICATIONS AFTER RADICAL CYSTECTOMY: RESULTS OF A COLLABORATIVE CARE PATHWAY

PURPOSE We examined our recent series of patients who underwent radical cystectomy to determine and analyze the early perioperative morbidity of the procedure in a contemporary series treated with the guidance of a clinical pathway. MATERIALS AND METHODS We reviewed the records of 304 consecutive patients who underwent radical cystectomy from December 1995 to July 2000. We specifically evaluated complications that developed within 30 days of the procedure. Potential variables predictive of early morbidity were analyzed, including patient age, gender, race, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, type of urinary diversion, smoking history, estimated blood loss, transfusion requirement, pathological stage and operative time. RESULTS The overall minor complication rate was 30.9% (94 of 304 patients). Postoperative ileus was the most common minor complication, affecting 54 patients (18%). Increased blood loss and major complications predicted a significantly higher likelihood of ileus on multivariate analysis (p = 0.02 and 0.001, respectively). Major complications in 15 patients (4.9%) correlated with higher American Society of Anesthesiologists score, surgical intensive care unit admission and transfusion requirement (p = 0.01, <0.001 and 0.001, respectively). The early mortality rate was 0.3% (1 patient). CONCLUSIONS Within the framework of a clinical pathway, radical cystectomy can be performed safely with an acceptable rate of early minor and major complications. Delay in the return of bowel function is the most common minor complication. Increased estimated blood loss, transfusion requirement and a major complication predicted a higher likelihood of postoperative ileus. The acceptable rate of early morbidity in this series in a 5-year period validates its use in patients undergoing radical cystectomy.

CAUSES OF INCREASED HOSPITAL STAY AFTER RADICAL CYSTECTOMY IN A CLINICAL PATHWAY SETTING

PURPOSE Our institution targets postoperative days 6 to 8 for discharge home after radical cystectomy. We examined this population to determine the causes of increased hospital stay and risk factors that may predict prolonged hospitalization. MATERIALS AND METHODS We reviewed the records of 304 consecutive patients who underwent radical cystectomy from October 1995 to July 2000. The variables examined included age, gender, race, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, urinary diversion type, smoking history, estimated blood loss, transfusion requirement, operative time, hospital stay, perioperative minor and major complications, and the mortality rate. RESULTS Of the 304 patients 144 (47.4%) underwent ileal conduit diversion and 145 (47.7%) underwent orthotopic bladder substitution. Median hospital stay was 7 days (range 4 to 48). Of 302 patients 225 (74%) were discharged home by postoperative day 8, while 52 of the remaining 77 (67.5%) with increased hospital stay were discharged home by day 12. Postoperative ileus was the most common cause of increased hospitalization (53 of 77 cases or 68.8%). Major complications developed in 15 patients (4.9%), of whom 66% required a hospital stay of greater than 12 days. There was a single perioperative death (0.3%). No preoperative variables other than race predicted increased hospitalization. Of the clinical variables increased estimated blood loss, transfusion and minor or major complications correlated with an increased stay (p <0.05). However, on multivariate analysis only complications were associated with prolonged hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS Our cystectomy clinical care pathway targets a hospital discharge date that is safely achieved in the majority of patients. Postoperative ileus is the most common cause of prolonged hospitalization. Age, gender, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, urinary diversion type and pathological stage did not correlate with increased hospital stay.

Robotic assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy versus radical retropubic prostatectomy for clinically localized prostate cancer: comparison of short-term biochemical recurrence-free survival.

PURPOSE We compared biochemical recurrence-free survival of patients who underwent radical retropubic prostatectomy vs robot assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy in concurrent series at a single institution. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 2,132 patients were treated between June 2003 and January 2008. We excluded from study patients with prior treatment (115), missing data (83) and lymph node involvement (30). The remaining cohort (1,904) was compared based on clinical, surgical and pathological factors. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed comparing biochemical recurrence after robot assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy and radical retropubic prostatectomy. A Cox proportional hazards model was generated to determine whether surgical approach is an independent predictor of biochemical recurrence. RESULTS There were 491 radical retropubic prostatectomies (25.9%) and 1,413 robot assisted laparoscopic prostatectomies (74.1%) performed, and median followup was 10 months (IQR 2 to 23). On univariate analysis the robot assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy group was slightly lower risk with lower median prostate specific antigen (5.4 vs 5.8, p <0.01), a lower proportion of pathological grade 7-10 (48.5% vs 54.7%, p <0.01) and lower pathological stage (80.5% pT2 vs 69.6% pT2, p <0.01). The 3-year biochemical recurrence-free survival rate was similar between the robot assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy and radical retropubic prostatectomy groups on the whole as well as when stratified by pathological stage, grade and margin status. On multivariate analysis extracapsular extension (p <0.01), pathological grade 7 or greater (p <0.01) and positive surgical margin (p <0.01) were independent predictors of biochemical recurrence while surgical approach was not. CONCLUSIONS The likelihood of biochemical recurrence was similar between groups when stratified by known risk factors of recurrence. Surgical approach was not a significant predictor of biochemical recurrence in the multivariate model. Our analysis is suggestive of comparable effectiveness for robot assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy, although longer term studies are needed.

Impact of Positive Apical Surgical Margins on Likelihood of Biochemical Recurrence After Radical Prostatectomy

PURPOSE We evaluated whether a positive surgical margin at the apex confers a different likelihood of biochemical recurrence than at other sites. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 3,087 men underwent radical prostatectomy between January 2000 and June 2008. Patients with prior treatment, positive seminal vesicles, lymph node involvement or less than 6 months of followup were excluded from analysis. The remaining 1,667 men were grouped by margin status, including negative surgical margins, a solitary positive apical margin, a solitary nonapical positive margin and multiple positive margins. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to compare biochemical recurrence across groups. Cox proportional hazards models were constructed to determine whether a solitary positive apical margin is an independent risk factor for biochemical recurrence. RESULTS Median followup was 21.1 months. Of the cases 1,295 (77.7%) had negative surgical margins, 96 (5.8%) had a solitary positive apical margin, 82 (4.9%) had a solitary positive nonapical margin and 194 (11.6%) had multiple positive margins. The likelihood of biochemical recurrence in solitary positive apical margin cases was between that of negative surgical margins and a solitary positive nonapical margin with multiple positive margins showing the highest likelihood of biochemical recurrence (p <0.001). Three-year likelihood of freedom from biochemical recurrence was 94.7% (95% CI 92.7-96.2), 87.0% (95% CI 74.1-93.7), 81.4% (95% CI 67.2-89.9) and 73.0% (95% CI 63.9-80.2) for negative surgical margins, a solitary positive apical margin, a solitary positive nonapical margin and multiple positive margins, respectively. In the multivariate model a solitary positive nonapical margin (2.17, 95% CI 1.17-4.03, p = 0.01) and multiple positive margins (3.03, 95% CI 1.99-4.61, p <0.001) were independent predictors of biochemical recurrence but a solitary positive apical margin was not (1.34, 95% CI 0.65-2.75, p = 0.43). CONCLUSIONS A solitary positive apical margin was associated with worse biochemical recurrence but on multivariate analysis it was not an independent predictor of recurrence. Models to predict biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy should account for differences in the prognostic significance of different positive margin sites.

Smaller Prostate Size Predicts High Grade Prostate Cancer at Final Pathology

PURPOSE Prostate size may influence the likelihood of detecting high grade prostate cancer at final pathology. We evaluated the association between prostate size and high grade (Gleason score 7 or greater) cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS We analyzed data from 2,880 patients who underwent surgical treatment of prostate cancer between January 2000 and June 2008. Prostate size measured at prostatectomy was compared across a strata of clinical variables (age, body mass index, prostate specific antigen, biopsy Gleason score, clinical stage and year of surgery) and pathological outcomes (final Gleason score, extraprostatic extension, positive surgical margin, seminal vesicle invasion and lymph node involvement). Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess prostate size as a predictor of high grade cancer. RESULTS Older age, higher prostate specific antigen and later year of surgery were associated with larger gland size. Small prostate size was associated with high grade prostate cancer as well as extraprostatic extension and positive surgical margins on univariate and adjusted analysis. The probability of high grade disease decreased approximately 15% across the lowest vs highest prostate sizes. On multivariate analysis adjusted for age, race, prostate specific antigen, clinical stage, biopsy Gleason score and date of surgery prostate size was an important predictor of high grade disease (OR 0.94; 95% CI 0.92, 0.97 per 2 gm increments, p <0.001). The area under the ROC curve was 0.82 (95% CI 0.81, 0.84). CONCLUSIONS Prostate size was inversely associated with the risk of high grade cancer at final pathology. The ability to predict high grade disease could have implications for the management of prostate cancer.

Safely reducing length of stay after open radical retropubic prostatectomy under the guidance of a clinical care pathway.

Collaborative care pathways have proven to be a safe and effective method of decreasing length of hospital stay (LOS) and costs after radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP). In the current study, the authors evaluated the safety and efficacy of a pathway transitioning from a 3‐day to a 2‐day LOS.

Pathological Stage T2 Subgroups to Predict Biochemical Recurrence After Prostatectomy

PURPOSE We evaluated whether the 2002 TNM substages of pathological T2 prostate cancer predict intermediate term biochemical recurrence-free survival. MATERIALS AND METHODS The cohort consisted of men who underwent radical prostatectomy between January 2000 and June 2008, and had pT2 disease at final pathological evaluation. We excluded patients with prior treatment, less than 6 months of followup or missing data, leaving 1,370 available for analysis, including 340 with pT2a, 35 with pT2b and 995 with pT2c disease. Clinical and pathological characteristics were compared between groups using univariate analysis. Biochemical recurrence-free survival was compared between substages using Kaplan-Meier analysis. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate tumor substage as a biochemical recurrence-free survival predictor. RESULTS Median followup was 21 months. No differences were seen in the likelihood of biochemical recurrence-free survival between T2 subclasses (p = 0.174). No patient with T2b disease had recurrence. The 3 and 5-year likelihood of freedom from biochemical recurrence was 95.5% (95% CI 90.9-97.8) and 93.8% (95% CI 87.3-97.0) for pT2a, and 94.3% (95% CI 91.8-96.0) and 87.5% (95% CI 82.7-91.1) for pT2c, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that significant predictors of biochemical recurrence-free survival were margin status (HR 2.7, 95% CI 1.3-5.5, p = 0.006), preoperative prostate specific antigen (HR 1.0, 95% CI 1.0-1.1, p = 0.029), pathological Gleason score 7 (HR 2.5, 95% CI 1.1-5.7, p = 0.024) and pathological Gleason score 8-10 (HR 6.2, 95% CI 2.2-17.4, p <0.001). Compared to pathological stage T2a neither pT2b nor pT2c predicted biochemical recurrence-free survival (p = 0.99 and 0.42, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Current pT2 prostate cancer substages may not have prognostic significance for intermediate term outcomes. If borne out during longer followup, future staging systems may collapse the substages into a single category.

BENEFICIAL IMPACT OF A CLINICAL CARE PATHWAY IN PATIENTS WITH TESTICULAR CANCER UNDERGOING RETROPERITONEAL LYMPH NODE DISSECTION

PURPOSE Since 1997, we have used a clinical collaborative care pathway for patients undergoing retroperitoneal lymph node dissection. We examined its impact on perioperative care and outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS We examined the records of all patients with germ cell carcinoma who underwent retroperitoneal lymph node dissection from July 1990 to July 2001. Variables examined included clinical/pathological stage, hospital stay, postoperative care and the complication rate. RESULTS A total of 118 patients underwent retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for germ cell carcinoma during this period, including 46 (39%) before pathway implementation in 1997 and 72 patients (61%) after pathway implementation. Of the 118 patients 40 (34%) underwent the procedure after chemotherapy. This rate remained fairly constant in the period before and after pathway initiation (31% and 36%, respectively). After pathway implementation fewer patients received a nasogastric tube (94% versus 5%, p <0.001) and had complications (26% versus 16%, p = 0.036). Mean hospital stay decreased after pathway implementation in all primary and post-chemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection cases (4.2 versus 6.4 days, p <0.005). Although patients who underwent the procedure after chemotherapy were more likely to have complications than those who underwent a primary procedure, the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.09). CONCLUSIONS Our collaborative clinical care pathway safely and efficiently outlines routine postoperative care and significantly decreased hospital stay.

Comparative Analysis of Whole Mount Processing and Systematic Sampling of Radical Prostatectomy Specimens: Pathological Outcomes and Risk of Biochemical Recurrence

PURPOSE Whole mount processing is more resource intensive than routine systematic sampling of radical retropubic prostatectomy specimens. We compared whole mount and systematic sampling for detecting pathological outcomes, and compared the prognostic value of pathological findings across pathological methods. MATERIALS AND METHODS We included men (608 whole mount and 525 systematic sampling samples) with no prior treatment who underwent radical retropubic prostatectomy at Vanderbilt University Medical Center between January 2000 and June 2008. We used univariate and multivariate analysis to compare the pathological outcome detection rate between pathological methods. Kaplan-Meier curves and the log rank test were used to compare the prognostic value of pathological findings across pathological methods. RESULTS There were no significant differences between the whole mount and the systematic sampling groups in detecting extraprostatic extension (25% vs 30%), positive surgical margins (31% vs 31%), pathological Gleason score less than 7 (49% vs 43%), 7 (39% vs 43%) or greater than 7 (12% vs 13%), seminal vesicle invasion (8% vs 10%) or lymph node involvement (3% vs 5%). Tumor volume was higher in the systematic sampling group and whole mount detected more multiple surgical margins (each p <0.01). There were no significant differences in the likelihood of biochemical recurrence between the pathological methods when patients were stratified by pathological outcome. CONCLUSIONS Except for estimated tumor volume and multiple margins whole mount and systematic sampling yield similar pathological information. Each method stratifies patients into comparable risk groups for biochemical recurrence. Thus, while whole mount is more resource intensive, it does not appear to result in improved detection of clinically important pathological outcomes or prognostication.

The evidence-based pathway for peri-operative management of open and robotically assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy.

Associate Editor