Incidence and Preoperative Risk Factors for Major Complications After Capsulectomy: Analysis of 3,048 Patients

Background While there are many indications for periprosthetic breast capsulectomy, heightened public attention surrounding breast implant illness has resulted in increased rates of capsulectomy. Objectives This study aims to identify the incidence of major complications and risk factors associated with capsulectomy. Methods Using a prospectively enrolled cosmetic surgery insurance database, CosmetAssure (Birmingham, AL, USA), patients undergoing capsulectomy between January 2, 2017 and July 31, 2019 were identified. Outcomes measured included the occurrence of and risk factors for major complication(s) necessitating an emergency department visit, hospitalization, or reoperation within 45 postoperative days. Results Among 76,128 patients evaluated, 3048 (4.0%) underwent capsulectomy. There was a significant increase in number of capsulectomies following January 6, 2019 (2.7/day vs 5.2/day, p<0.05). Capsulectomy patients had more likely to have any complication and specifically hematoma than those undergoing breast implant removal or replacement without capsulectomy (2.8% vs 1.9% and 1.6% vs 0.9%, respectively, p<0.05). Eighty-four (2.8%) developed at least one complication. The most common complications included hematoma (1.6%) followed by infection (0.5%). ASA class III/IV was an independent risk factor for any complication and BMI ≥30 and office-based surgical suites were risk factors for infection. Conclusions There is a growing number of capsulectomies being performed. The most common major complication is hematoma. Patients undergoing capsulectomy confer a higher complication rate compared to those undergoing breast implant removal or replacement without capsulectomy. Patients should be counseled regarding the potential for major complications.

Skeletal Muscle Depletion and Major Postoperative Complications in Locally-Advanced Head and Neck Cancer: A Comparison between Ultrasound of Rectus Femoris Muscle and Neck Cross-Sectional Imaging

Skeletal muscle mass (SMM) depletion has been validated in many surgical fields as independent predictor of complications through cross-sectional imaging. We evaluated SMM depletion in a stage III-IV head and neck cancer cohort, comparing the accuracy of CT/MRI at C3 level with ultrasound (US) of rectus femoris muscle (RF) in terms of prediction of major complications. Patients submitted to surgery were recruited from 2016 to 2021. SMM was estimated on CT/MRI by calculating the sum of the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the sternocleidomastoid and paravertebral muscles at C3 level and its height-indexed value (cervical skeletal muscle index, CSMI) and on US by computing the CSA of RF. Specific thresholds were defined for both US and CT/MRI according to ROC curve in terms of best prediction of 30-day major complications to detect sarcopenic subjects (40–53%). Sixty-five patients completed the study. At univariate analysis, major complications were associated to lower RF CSA, lower CSA at C3 level and lower CSMI, together with previous radiotherapy, higher ASA score and higher modified frailty index (mFI). At multivariate analysis RF CSA (OR 7.07, p = 0.004), CSA at C3 level (OR 6.74, p = 0.005) and CSMI (OR 4.02, p = 0.025) were confirmed as independent predictors in three different models including radiotherapy, ASA score and mFI. This analysis proved the value of SMM depletion as predictor of major complications in a head and neck cancer cohort, either defined on cross-sectional imaging at C3 or on US of RF.

Combined versus Single Perforator Propeller Flaps for Reconstruction of Large Soft Tissue Defects: A Retrospective Clinical Study

Sufficient wound closure of large soft tissue defects remains a challenge for reconstructive surgeons. We aimed to investigate whether combined perforator propeller flaps (PPFs) are suitable to expand reconstructive options. Patients undergoing PPF reconstruction surgery between 2008 and 2021 were screened and evaluated retrospectively. Of 86 identified patients, 69 patients received one perforator propeller flap, while 17 patients underwent combined PPF reconstruction with multiple flaps. We chose major complications as our primary outcome and defined those as complications that required additional surgery. Postoperatively, 27 patients (31.4%) suffered major complications. The propeller flap size, the type of intervention as well as the operation time were not associated with a higher risk of major complications. A defect size larger than 100 cm2, however, was identified as a significant risk factor for major complications among single PPFs but not among combined PPFs (OR: 2.82, 95% CI: 1.01−8.36; p = 0.05 vs. OR: 0.30, 95% CI: 0.02−3.37; p = 0.32). In conclusion, combined PPFs proved to be a reliable technique and should be preferred over single PPFs in the reconstruction of large soft tissue defects at the trunk and proximal lower extremity.

Outcomes Associated With Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation in Dogs

The purpose of this study was to retrospectively characterize outcomes and complications associated with osteochondral allograft transplantation for treating chondral and osteochondral lesions in a group of client-owned dogs with naturally-occurring disease. Records were reviewed for information on signalment, treated joint, underlying pathology (e.g., osteochondritis dissecans; OCD), and type, size, and number of grafts used. Complications were classified as “trivial” if no treatment was provided, “non-surgical” if non-surgical treatment were needed, “minor surgical” if a minor surgical procedure such as pin removal were needed but the graft survived and function was acceptable, or “major” if the graft failed and revision surgery were needed. Outcomes were classified as unacceptable, acceptable, or full function. Thirty-five joints in 33 dogs were treated including nine stifles with lateral femoral condyle (LFC) OCD and 10 stifles with medial femoral condyle (MFC) OCD treated with osteochondral cylinders or “plugs.” There were 16 “complex” procedures of the shoulder, elbow, hip, stifle, and tarsus using custom-cut grafts. In total there were eight trivial complications, one non-surgical complication, two minor surgical complications, and five major complications for a total of 16/35 cases with complications. Accordingly, there were five cases with unacceptable outcomes, all of whom had major complications while the other 30 cases had successful outcomes. Of the 30 cases with successful outcomes, 15 had full function and 15 had acceptable function. Based on these subjective outcome assessments, it appears osteochondral allograft transplantation is a viable treatment option in dogs with focal or complex cartilage defects. However, no conclusions can be made regarding the inferiority or superiority of allograft transplantation in comparison to other treatment options based upon these data.

Comparison between laser sheaths, femoral approach and rotating mechanical sheaths for lead extraction

Introduction Efficiency and safety are important features in the selection of lead extraction tools. We report our experience with different endovascular techniques to extract individual pacing and defibrillator leads. Methods This is a single-centre study of consecutive lead extraction procedures from 1997 until 2019. A total of 1725 leads were extracted in 775 patients. Direct traction sufficed for 588 leads, and 22 leads were primarily removed by surgery. The endovascular techniques used in the remainder were a laser sheath (190 leads), the femoral approach (717 leads) and rotating mechanical sheaths (208 leads). Results The three approaches were comparably effective in completely removing the leads (p = 0.088). However, there were more major complications with the laser sheath than with the femoral approach or rotating mechanical sheaths (8.4%, 0.5% and 1.2%, respectively). Therefore, the procedural result—extraction without major complications—was significantly better with both the femoral approach and rotating mechanical sheaths than with the laser sheath (p < 0.001). This result was confirmed after propensity score matching to compensate for differences between lead cohorts (p = 0.007). Cross-over to another endovascular tool was necessary in 7.9%, 7.1% and 8.2% of laser, femoral and rotating mechanical attempts, respectively. Conclusion All three endovascular lead extraction techniques showed comparable efficacy. However, there were significantly more major complications using the laser sheath compared to the femoral approach or rotating mechanical sheaths, leading us to abandon the laser technique. Importantly, no single endovascular technique sufficed to successfully extract all leads.

Surgical Treatment of Sprengel’s Deformity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

(1) Background: Sprengel’s deformity (SD) is a rare congenital anomaly caused by failure in the descent of the scapula. We aimed to systematically review the current literature reporting data from children undergoing surgery for SD, in order to explore the rate of success and complications of the different surgical techniques, possibly providing recommendations about the management of SD in children. (2) Methods: we electronically searched the literature from Ovid, MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library databases. Demographic data, surgical procedures, outcomes and complications were analyzed. We categorized surgical procedures into five groups. (3) Results: 41 articles met the inclusion criteria, showing a poor overall study quality; 674 patients (711 shoulders) were analyzed. Green’s and Woodward’s procedures, both aiming the scapular relocation in a more anatomical position, were the most commonly used techniques. We counted 168 adverse events (18 major complications). The best clinical and cosmetic results seem to be achieved when surgery is performed in children aged less than eight years. (4) Conclusions: this paper represents the first systematic review reporting qualitative and quantitative data about the surgical treatment of SD. Surgery for SD seems to be effective in increasing the shoulder’s range of motion and improving the cosmetic appearance in almost all cases, with a low rate of major complications.

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery® in Octogenarians Undergoing Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery

Advances in perioperative care have increased the frequency of surgical intervention performed on the very elderly (≥80 years). This study aims to investigate the impact of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) on outcomes for octogenarians after major hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) surgery. Patients ≥80 years old in a single HPB ERAS program (September 2015-July 2018) were prospectively tracked in the ERAS Interactive Audit System (EIAS). Postoperative length of stay (LOS) as well as 30-day major complications, readmissions, and mortality were compared to a pre-ERAS octogenarian control. Since ERAS implementation, octogenarians comprised 7.3% (27 of 370) of patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy (n=17), distal pancreatectomy (n=7), or hepatectomy (n=3). Thirty-day readmissions decreased after ERAS implementation (50% to 15%, P=.037). Thirty-day major complications, mortality, and LOS were similar with 64% median protocol compliance. ERAS for octogenarians in HPB surgery is safe and may contribute to more sustainable recovery resulting in reduced readmissions.

A-10-Year Review on Survival Rate and Prognostic Factors of Ewing Family Tumour in Children at Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia

Introduction: Ewing Family Tumour (EFT) is a group of rare malignant and aggressive tumour, with a considerably improved prognosis. However, there is lack of study on the outcome of children with EFT in Malaysia. Objectives: The study aimed to evaluate the Overall Survival (OS) rate, Event Free Survival (EFS) rate and identify the prognostic factors that determined the EFT outcome at Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). Methodology: A retrospective record review of children aged 0-18 years with EFT was done. Patients were identified from the registration data in the Oncology Unit and Record Office of Hospital USM. For patients with untraceable information or deceased, a letter was sent to State Registry to obtain the outcome of the patient. The association between demographics and patients’ clinical factors was determined using the Cox regression. Survival curves were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method and were compared using the Log-rank test. Results: There were 51 patients identified but 29 of them were eligible for the study. The mean duration of follow-up was 21 months. The OS rate at 1, 2, 3 and 5 years were 62.1%, 44.8%, 30.2% and 21.6% respectively. The EFS rate at 1, 2, 3 and 5 years were 41.9%, 26.7%, 17.8% and 0% respectively. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the presence of surgical intervention (p = 0.030) and major complications (p = 0.045) were the significant prognostic factors to the survival of EFT. Conclusion: The survival rate of EFT among our patients was comparable to other developing countries, with surgical intervention and the presence of major complications as independent prognostic factors.

P-OGC06 The effect of surgical complications on long-term prognosis following oesophagectomy for oesophageal cancer

Background Globally, oesophageal cancer incidence continues to increase. In recent years, surgical and oncological advancements have increased survival rates. Despite this, survival remains &lt;50% at five-years for patients treated with curative oesophagectomy. Previous data has suggested post-operative complications may play a role in long-term increased mortality in oesophageal cancer patients. This study aimed to examine the effect of adverse in-hospital events following oesophagectomy on the long-term prognosis for oesophageal cancer, including assessing the effect of cumulative complication burden using data from a single high-volume academic unit in the UK. Methods Retrospective analysis of patients undergoing oesophagectomy for oesophageal adenocarcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma was performed to assess the relationship between in-hospital events and long-term survival. Analysis was limited to patients who survived to 90 days post-oesophagectomy (n = 380). Complications were graded according to the Clavien-Dindo (CD) classification and the Comprehensive Complication Index (CCI). Survival was estimated using Kaplan Meier survival curves and multivariate cox-regression, adjusting for variables known to influence survival. The absolute magnitude of effect of complications on survival was assessed using the risk-adjusted population attributable fraction (PAF), which estimates the percentage improvement in survival if specified complications were removed. Results Complications occurred in 251 patients (66.1%). ≥CD3a complications (HR1.65, 95%CI 1.15-2.38, p &lt; 0.010) and unplanned critical care admissions (HR2.24, 95%CI 1.45-3.46, p &lt; 0.001) were independently associated with worse prognosis whereas pulmonary complications and anastomotic leak were not. A CCI &gt;30 was the optimum cut-point for OS (HR1.94, 95%CI 1.36-2.78, p &lt; 0.001), and after weighting to remove confounding bias median survival was shorter with CCI&gt;30 (28vs72 months, p &lt; 0.001). There was no difference in median survival when CCI&gt;30 occurred from major or multiple minor complications (31 vs 21 months, p = 0.096). The risk adjusted PAF for CCI&gt;30 was 8.5% (95%CI 3.6-13.1%). Conclusions Long-term survival following oesophagectomy for oesophageal cancer is significantly affected by major complications and unplanned critical care admissions. The cumulative effect of multiple post-operative minor complications is comparable to the effect of major complications on long-term survival from oesophageal cancer, and cause a substantial number of potentially preventable deaths, even in patients who survive to discharge.