Tiffany W. Liang

IP231. Short- and Long-Term Outcomes After Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair Are Noninferior at a Veterans Affairs Hospital Staffed by Academic Vascular Surgeons

Results: In this study, 33 patients (16 diabetic, 17 nondiabetic) who underwent femoral endarterectomy for high-grade occlusive disease were evaluated. No significant difference in key demographics was observed. Tissue plaque FAS content was 69.8% higher in diabetic compared with nondiabetic patients (P 1⁄4 .011); cFAS was also elevated by 41.7% in diabetic patients compared with nondiabetic patients (P 1⁄4 .048). Correlation analysis of 23 patients’ paired samples revealed a significant correlation between cFAS and plaque FAS content (Spearman r 1⁄4 0.4711; r 1⁄4 0.229; P 1⁄4 .023). Conclusions: Our study is the first to evaluate cFAS levels in patients with high-grade, symptomatic, lower extremity peripheral artery disease and demonstrates evidence that cFAS and tissue FAS levels correlate in patients withdiabetes. Future studieswill helpdeterminewhether cFAS is a relevant biomarker for disease severity and progression in diabetic patients.

Comparative Outcomes for Open and Endovascular Repair of Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms Using Anatomic Criteria for Treatment Approach

A 17-year-old boy arrived alert but in stage IV hemorrhagic shock with an abdominal gunshot injury. Because of the injury and hemodynamic instability, he was taken directly to the operating room and found to have an anterior and posterior injury to the infrarenal aorta and a concomitant small bowel injury. Massive transfusion protocol was initiated, and a shunt was placed in the aorta. The injured bowel was resected and left in discontinuity with an open abdomen as he was resuscitated in the intensive care unit for his hypotension and hypothermia. We returned to surgery the next day and repaired his aortic injury with a prosthetic tube graft. The trauma team took him back for a third operation to restore bowel continuity and abdominal closure. Postoperatively, he recovered uneventfully without any signs of infection. A 1-month postoperative computed tomography scan showed a patent aortic repair without pseudoaneurysm. Aortic shunting is rarely used in trauma surgery, but we think it was valuable in maintaining lower extremity perfusion, allowing resuscitation and staged aortic repair under stable conditions.

Sarcopenia is a Significant Predictor of Mortality After Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair

Repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) decreases the incidence of rupture and death. In cancer patients, sarcopenia has been associated with increased surgical complications and mortality. The impact of sarcopenia on survival after AAA repair has yet to be described.

A surgery trainee's guide to writing a manuscript

Publishing clinical and research work for dissemination is a critical part of the academic process. Learning how to write an effective manuscript should be a goal for medical students and residents who hope to participate in publishing. While there are a number of existing texts that address how to write a manuscript, there are fewer guides that are specifically targeted towards surgery trainees. This review aims to direct and hopefully encourage surgery trainees to successfully navigate the process of converting ideas into a publication that ultimately helps understanding and improves the care of patients.

Institutional Cost of Unplanned 30-Day Readmission Following Open and Endovascular Surgery

Background: Vascular surgical patients have a high rate of readmission, and the cost of readmission for these patients has not been described. Herein, we characterize and compare institutional index hospitalization and 30-day readmission cost following open and endovascular vascular procedures. Methods: The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was used to identify inpatient open and endovascular procedures at a single institution, from January 2011 through June 2012. Variable and fixed costs for index hospitalization and unplanned 30-day readmissions were obtained using SAP BusinessObjects. Patient characteristics and outcome variables were analyzed using Student t tests or Wilcoxon rank-sum nonparametric tests for continuous variables and Fisher exact tests for categorical variables. Results: One thousand twenty-six inpatient procedures were included in the analysis. There were 605 (59%) open and 421 (41%) endovascular procedures with a 30-day unplanned readmission rate of 16.9% and 17.8%, respectively (P = .679). The mean index hospitalization costs for open and endovascular procedures were US

Exogenous GDF11 induces cardiac and skeletal muscle dysfunction and wasting

27 653 and US

Autologous bone marrow mononuclear cell therapy for critical limb ischemia is effective and durable

23 999, respectively (P = .146). The mean costs for 30-day unplanned readmission for open and endovascular procedures were US

Erratum to: Exogenous GDF11 induces cardiac and skeletal muscle dysfunction and wasting

19 117 and US

Impact of clinical fellowships on academic productivity in departments of surgery.

17 887, respectively (P = .635). Among open procedures, the mean cost for patients not readmitted was US

A Surgery Trainee’s Guide to Writing a Manuscript

28 321 compared to US