Effect of specialization on surgery Quality

BACKGROUND: The legally prescribed minimum volume standards for complex esophageal and pancreatic surgery have been increased or will increase in 2023 and 2025, respectively. Hospitals not reaching the minimum volume standards are no longer allowed to perform these surgeries and are not entitled tor reimbursement. OBJECTIVE: The study aims to explore which effects are expected by healthcare professionals and patient representatives and what possible solutions exist for Brandenburg, a rural federal state in northeast Germany...

The loss of efficacy of adalimumab, one of the most commonly used biologics for the treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa/acne inversa, is not news to the scientific community, and it should be noted that the number of cases not responding to this agent has been progressively increasing in recent years. We present a 45-year-old patient with hidradenitis suppurativa/acne inversa (Hurley II-III) with a complaint duration of 3 years who has been on adalimumab 40 mg weekly for 9 months. The lack of improvement in the clinical condition as well as the progression of the disease within the ongoing biologic therapy led to the need for repeated hospitalizations and the additional introduction of intravenous treatment with a regimen of antibiotics (Ertapenem, Metronizadol, Ceftriaxone), zinc, colchicine, and pain relievers...

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate health-related quality of life (HRQoL) before and 1 year after radical cystectomy in relation to age and gender. METHODS: This prospective study involves 112 men and 40 women with bladder cancer treated with radical cystectomy between 2015 and 2018. HRQoL was assessed preoperatively and 1 year post-surgery through Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Scale - General (FACT-G) and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Scale - Vanderbilt Cystectomy Index (FACT-VCI) questionnaires...

OBJECTIVE: The challenge of pediatric brain tumor surgery is given due to a relative low prevalence but high heterogeneity in age, localization, and pathology. Improvements of long-term overall survival rates were achieved during the past decades stressing the importance of a multidisciplinary decision process guided by a national treatment protocol. We reviewed the entire spectrum of pediatric brain tumor surgeries from the perspective of an interdisciplinary pediatric neuro-oncology center in Germany...

INTRODUCTION: Coronary heart disease (CHD) is one of the common cardiovascular diseases that seriously jeopardise human health, and endothelial inflammation and dyslipidaemia are the initiating links leading to its occurrence. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is one of the most effective surgical treatments for CHD with narrowed or blocked blood vessels, which can quickly unblock the blocked vessels and restore coronary blood supply. However, most patients may experience coronary microcirculation disorders (CMDs) and decreased cardiac function after PCI treatment, which directly affects the efficacy of PCI and the prognosis of patients...

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) has emerged as an effective endoscopic bariatric procedure over the past decade. Data comparing short-term outcomes of ESG based on operator specialty is scarce. We aimed to assess the impact of operator specialization on patient outcomes using a large bariatric-specific database. METHODS: We identified a retrospective cohort of patients who underwent ESG by gastroenterologists using the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation Quality Improvement Program database (2020-2021)...

BACKGROUND: More than 700 hospitals participate in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program, but most pancreatectomies are performed in 165 centers participating in the pancreas procedure-targeted registry. We hypothesized that these hospitals ("targeted hospitals") might provide more specialized care than those not participating ("standard hospitals"). METHODS: The 2014 to 2019 pancreas-targeted and standard American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program registry were reviewed regarding patient demographics, comorbidities, and perioperative outcomes using standard univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses...

The prevalence of obesity has become a global health concern, and severe obesity is associated with various chronic diseases and decreased quality of life. Bariatric surgery has shown success in treating obesity. Nevertheless, some patients experience weight regain and unsatisfactory outcomes. Multidisciplinary interventions have been shown to improve postoperative outcomes. Case managers, often specialized nurses, play a crucial role in patient support and coordination of care. However, the diverse design of case-managing interventions hinders the assessment of their success...

In the future, a need-base health care system should be ensured by cooperation between the service providers. To promote this, the current legal framework is being adjusted to include the introduction of "day treatment at hospitals", distribution of "service groups" to individual clinics, and the establishment of integrated control centers and emergency centers. Healthcare providers are to be motivated to collaborate via financial support, and also the utilization of synergistic effects and the need of training of future professionals...

Differentiating between various intraocular lens (IOL) changes can be a challenge. In particular, certain IOL models carry the risk of late postoperative calcification. A major cause of IOL exchange surgery could be avoided if appropriate modifications were made during the IOL manufacturing process. The use of a hydrophilic acrylate carries the risk of IOL calcification, especially when a secondary procedure, such as a pars plana vitrectomy or other procedures using gas or air, is performed. In secondary IOL calcification, there is a wide range of opacification patterns, which are usually located in the centre on the anterior surface of the IOL or sometimes elsewhere...

Lumbar disk herniation (LDH) is a common condition affecting millions worldwide. The management of LDH has evolved over the years, with the development of newer surgical techniques that aim to provide better outcomes with minimal invasiveness. One promising emerging technique is biportal endoscopic spinal surgery (BESS), which utilizes specialized endoscopic equipment to treat LDH through two small incisions. This review aims to assess the effectiveness of BESS as a management option for LDH by analyzing the available literature on surgical outcomes and potential complications associated with the technique...

Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by impairment of bone microarchitecture that causes high socioeconomic impacts in the world because of fractures and hospitalizations. Although dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is the gold standard for diagnosing the disease, access to DXA in developing countries is still limited due to its high cost, being present only in specialized hospitals. In this paper, we analyze the performance of Osseus, a low-cost portable device based on electromagnetic waves that measures the attenuation of the signal that crosses the medial phalanx of a patient's middle finger and was developed for osteoporosis screening...

Ewing' s sarcoma is an invariable manifestation in facial bones. Primary lesions in head and neck region had come up with better prognosis compared to other primary sites; hence, management of such jaw lesions is a challenge particularly in pediatric patients during first decade of life as functional impairment and facial disfigurement may affect the quality of life. Here, we are discussing a unique case of primary lesion of horizontal region of mandible with special focus on use of radiation therapy, radiation dose-related effects and spontaneous bone regeneration...

The development of endonasal endoscopic surgery has been advanced one step further by the image quality and expressiveness of endoscopes. The widespread use of HD endoscopic cameras has enabled tumor dissection, preservation of vital vessels, and delicate dissection of nerves during endonasal surgery through the close and detailed observation of intracranial structures. The observation of high image quality is essential. In addition, instruments that can be carefully manipulated are essential for achieving this image quality...

Background Thyroid cancer is the most common malignant disease in the endocrine glands. Symptoms of the disease affect the functions of organs in the body. Although thyroid cancer is often considered a "good cancer" because it progresses slowly, the likelihood of successful treatment is quite high; what is special is that the effect on the quality of life (QoL) is on par with more severe types of cancer. Currently, studies on QoL assessment in thyroid cancer patients are quite limited in southern Vietnam. The present study investigated the potential risk factors of deterioration in QoL scores in thyroid cancer patients after thyroidectomy...

BACKGROUND: Management of head and neck cancers requires a multidisciplinary approach where surgery followed by radio and chemotherapy is the mainstay of treatment. The above-mentioned treatment can cause mucositis, a severely debilitating side effect. This can have a significant impact on quality of life. A recent advancing mode of drug delivery is the bioadhesive system. This interacts with mucosa by adhering to it and thereby improving the efficacy of the therapeutic agent delivered...

BACKGROUND: Prehabilitation interventions are being delivered across surgical specialities to improve health risk behaviours leading to better surgical outcomes and potentially reduce length of hospital stay. Most previous research has focused on specific surgery specialities and has not considered the impact of interventions on health inequalities, nor whether prehabilitation improves health behaviour risk profiles beyond surgery. The aim of this review was to examine behavioural Prehabilitation interventions across surgeries to inform policy makers and commissioners of the best available evidence...

The European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) guidelines, shortened in 2021, are widely used for providing the most suitable nutrition support to patients with cancer. However, there is a lack of specialized guidelines for different cancer types. In 2020, members of the French medical and surgical societies involved in digestive oncology, nutrition and supportive care developed the Thésaurus National de Cancérologie Digestive (TNCD) practice guidelines which are specific nutritional and physical activity guidelines for patients with digestive cancers...

The proportion of deaths attributable to cancer is rising, and malignant neoplasms have become the leading cause of death in high-income countries. Obesity and diabetes are now recognized as risk factors for several types of malignancies, especially endometrial, colorectal, and postmenopausal breast cancers. Mechanisms implicated include disturbances in lipid-derived hormone secretion, sex steroids biosynthesis, hyperinsulinemia, and chronic inflammation. Intentional weight loss is associated with a mitigation of risk for obesity-related cancers, a phenomenon observed specially with bariatric surgery...

The year 2022 will mark the beginning of a new era for hospitals in North Rhine-Westphalia. With the reorganization of hospital planning in NRW to an allocation of treatment assignments via specialized medical service groups with personnel and infrastructural structural quality requirements specific for this purpose instead of via specialized departments and beds, a new form of hospital planning and structuring is implemented. This method is now proposed by the "government commission for a modern and needs-based hospital treatment" implemented by the Minister of Health Lauterbach as a structurization option for the whole of Germany in combination with hospital treatment levels...