American Journal of Surgery

BACKGROUND: Allografts donated after cardiac death (DCD) are the fastest growing organ source worldwide. Unfortunately, information is lacking on how to judge these organs' viability. Here, we analyzed the effects of donor characteristics, including age and BMI, on outcomes of DCD simultaneous-pancreas-kidney transplantation (SPK). METHODS: We evaluated UNOS DCD-SPK transplants from 1988 to 2012. Effects of donor characteristics on graft and recipient survival were evaluated using Cox Regression and the Kaplan-Meier method, and compared to predictions from the pancreas and kidney donor risk indices (PDRI, KDRI)...

BACKGROUND: Administration of adjuvant therapy (AT) in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) remains inconsistent despite recent trial data. This study investigates predictors of receipt of AT and survival. METHODS: Patients with ICC who underwent resection were identified using the NCDB (2004-2014). Logistic regression and Cox analysis were used to determine predictors of AT and survival, respectively. "High-risk" was defined as positive margins/nodes or stage III/IVa disease...

BACKGROUND: Outcomes of emergency general surgery (EGS) procedures on hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HST) recipients have not been defined in a large, national database. Whether EGS during HST engraftment admission, or in HST patients with graft versus host disease (GVHD) results in worse outcomes is unknown. METHODS: The National Inpatient Sample (NIS) was examined for patients with a history of BMT between 2001 and 2014. RESULTS: There were 520,000 HST admissions meeting inclusion criteria, of which, 14,143 (2...

BACKGROUND: Surgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRF) can be used to improve pulmonary mechanics; however, hardware infection is a morbid complication. Antibiotic impregnated beads have been used to suppress infection in orthopedic practices. We aimed to determine the efficacy of antibiotic beads for infected and at-risk SSRF hardware. METHODS: This is a single institution retrospective review of adults (18 years or older) that received SSRF between 2009 and 2017...

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to evaluate variation in positive CRM at the surgeon and hospital levels and assess impact on disease-specific survival. METHODS: Patients with stage I-III rectal cancer were identified in New York State. Bayesian hierarchical regressions estimated observed-to-expected (O/E) ratios for each surgeon/hospital. Competing-risks analyses estimated disease-specific survival among patients who were treated by surgeons/hospitals with O/E > 1 compared to those with O/E ratio ≤ 1...

INTRODUCTION: Alcohol consumption has been shown to alter coagulation. However, thromboelastography with platelet mapping (TEG PM) to evaluate platelet function has not been studied. METHODS: A prospective, non-randomized study of healthy volunteers was conducted. Baseline TEG PM were collected. Subjects consumed alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages for 2 h. Repeat TEG PM was collected. RESULTS: Fifty-four volunteers entered either the experimental group (EG, 17 women and 16 men) or control group (CG, 11 women and 10 men)...

BACKGROUND: Frailty is highly prevalent in the elderly and confers high risk for adverse outcomes. We aimed to assess the impact of frailty on critically ill older adult trauma patients. METHODS: We analyzed the ACS-TQIP(2010-2014) including all critically-ill trauma patients ≥65y. The modified frailty index (mFI) was calculated. Following stratified into frail and non-frail, propensity score matching was performed. Our primary outcome measure was in-hospital complications...

BACKGROUND: Purported benefits of minimally-invasive inguinal hernia repair techniques include less postoperative pain, but objective data is lacking. We analyzed prescribing habits and opiate requirements to provide an objective comparison. METHODOLOGY: Inguinal hernia repairs performed on patients aged 18-65 from October 2016 through February 2018 were examined. Patients with prior opiate use or complicated operative courses were excluded. Discharge prescriptions, morphine milligram equivalents(MME), and additional prescriptions within three months were evaluated...

BACKGROUND: Aim of the study was to describe characteristics and outcomes of Hartmann's procedure (HP) and subsequent intestinal restoration. METHODS: Retrospective study including all patients who underwent HP over a period of 16 consecutive years. We propose a classification and regression tree for a more accurate view of the relationship between the variables related to intestinal restoration and their weighting in the decision to reverse HP. RESULTS: 533 patients were included...

BACKGROUND: Attenuating post-injury neuroendocrine stress abrogates persistent injury-associated anemia. Our objective was to examine the mechanisms by which propranolol and clonidine modulate this process. We hypothesized that propranolol and clonidine would decrease bone marrow expression of high-mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) and increase expression of stem cell factor (SCF) and B-cell lymphoma-extra large (Bcl-xL). METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were allocated to naïve control, lung contusion followed by hemorrhagic shock (LCHS), or LCHS plus daily chronic restraint stress (LCHS/CS) ±propranolol, ±clonidine...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

BACKGROUND: Using the military as a model for an equal-access, no-cost healthcare system, we sought to (1) describe screening breast MRI compliance rates and (2) identify patient-perceived barriers to screening. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study of a prospectively maintained database at a tertiary level center, we compared compliance among women at ≥20% risk of developing breast cancer (Tyrer-Cuzick) and conducted structured phone interviews with women at ≥30% risk...

AbdCT for the evaluation of AAP in the ED in the US may be excessive and is potentially (although rarely) misleading and harmful. A selective policy of 'AbdUS first' combined with an observation unit and/or surgeon evaluation prior to AbdCT is preferred to a 'routine AbdCT' policy. Repeated AbdCTs for abdominal pain are not recommended because of cumulative radiation exposure. Standardized and complete history and physical examination, such as that originally designed for computer-aided diagnosis of AAP, along with select laboratory testing and higher utilization of AbdUS lessens the necessity of AbdCT...

BACKGROUND: Evaluation of returns to the operating room (RORs) may spur practice modifications to improve patient outcomes and hospital practices. We determined the frequency and indications for RORs after breast operations. METHODS: We identified patients ≥18 years who underwent a breast operation at our institution 1/1/14-1/13/17 and assessed ROR within 45-days. RORs were categorized as unplanned/planned, staged/unstaged, or unrelated procedures. Univariate and multivariable analyses compared variables between patients who did and did not have an ROR...

BACKGROUND: We sought to assess participation of underrepresented minorities with endocrine neoplasms in clinical trials conducted in the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Intramural Research Program. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of patients enrolled in Endocrine Oncology Branch (EOB) clinical trials, comparing demographics to regional and national demographics. We compared specific endocrine cancer patient data to data from NCI's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program...

The high rate of immunosuppressive medication non-adherence in transplant recipients demands the search for a solution that targets modifiable risk factors and incorporates mobile health technology to better engage and educate patients. Kidney transplant recipients (kidneys alone or multi-organ) were randomized to receive a mobile app known as Transplant Hero, both the app and a smart watch, or neither. The coefficient of variability (CV) of tacrolimus levels was measured at one and three months. No statistically significant differences in CV levels were observed between the three groups at either one or three months...

BACKGROUND: Lymphocele is a complication of sentinel node biopsy (SNB) for melanoma. Plant-based hemostatic powder (PBHP) may have a lymphostatic benefit. We studied whether PBHP placed intraoperatively could reduce lymphocele rates. METHODS: We performed an open label, prospective, IRB -approved, before- and-after, matched control trial of PBHP placed into the wound in patients undergoing SNB of groin or axillary nodes for melanoma staging. Patient/tumor features and lymphocele rates were compared by standard statistical tests...

BACKGROUND: Focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST) performance metrics are unknown in patients with non-compressible torso hemorrhage (NCTH). METHODS: Retrospective review of a dedicated NCTH database from four level 1 trauma centers (2008-2012). NCTH was defined as (1) named axial torso vessel disruption; (2) AIS chest or abdomen >2 with shock (base deficit < -4) or truncal operation in ≤ 90 min; or (3) pelvic fracture with ring disruption...

BACKGROUND: One in three adults above 50 years old have not been screened for colorectal cancer as of 2013.1 Rural areas have even lower screening and have more general surgeons compared to gastroenterologists,2 offering surgeons as a reservoir for necessary services. METHODS: Public data from the 2006-2015 CDC National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey was analyzed using SAS. Number of colonoscopies performed by rural general surgeons, family medicine practitioners, and other specialties were compared to their urban counterparts...

BACKGROUND: Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) is associated with significant morbidity. The risk factors for AKI in elderly trauma patients have not been defined. METHODS: Injured patients 75 years old or older from 2014 to 2016 were evaluated. AKI was identified by RIFLE criteria. Patients with and without AKI were compared with chi square, ANOVA, and logistic regression. RESULTS: 836 patients were 75 years old or older. Patients with AKI were more commonly male, hypotensive on admission with a greater Injury Severity Score but age, diabetes, hypertension and baseline creatinine were similar...