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Background The main purpose of this article is to determine the trend of intraoperative complications of resident-performed cataract surgery under the supervision of one attending surgeon during the initial 5 years of surgical teaching. Methods A retrospective chart review was conducted at the Wilmer Eye Institute for all postgraduate year 4 resident-performed cataract surgeries between July 2013 and June 2018 that were supervised by one attending surgeon who was directly out of fellowship training. Recorded data included patient demographics, presence of preoperative risk factors (small pupil, dense cataract, history of ocular trauma, pseudoexfoliation syndrome, postvitrectomy, pre-existing zonular weakness, and high myopia), and intraoperative complications (posterior capsule tear resulting in vitreous loss and zonular dehiscence resulting in vitreous loss and/or loss of sulcus support). A generalized estimating equation model was constructed to determine factors associated with intraoperative complications. Results A total of 1,253 resident cataract surgeries involving 988 patients were included. The overall complication rate was 3.6% (n = 45/1253), with a decreasing trend observed in the rate of intraoperative complications across the study years. Multivariate analysis found that complications during cataract surgery were more likely to occur in earlier years of the supervising surgeon's career (p = 0.01), at the beginning of the academic year (p = 0.03), in eyes with preoperative risk factors (p Conclusion A learning curve exists for novice attending surgeons during their initial years of resident cataract surgery supervision. Residency programs should consider resources to educate novice surgical educators, especially on how to effectively supervise resident-performed complex cases.

ZusammenfassungDieses Dokument der DGP ersetzt die Empfehlungen von 1998 und 2013. Anhand der aktuellen Datenlage und einer Konsensuskonferenz wurden Empfehlungen zu Indikationen, zur Auswahl und Durchführung der geeigneten Belastungsuntersuchungen sowie zu den technischen und personellen Voraussetzungen formuliert. Detaillierte Angaben werden zur Blutgasanalyse unter Belastung, zu Gehtests und Rechtsherzkatheter unter Belastung sowie zur Spiroergometrie und Stressechokardiografie gemacht. Der korrekte Einsatz von Belastungsuntersuchungen bei anstrengungsinduziertem Asthma, bei sport-, arbeits- bzw. rehabilitationsmedizinischen Fragestellungen, bei Adipositas, bei der präoperativen Risikostratifizierung und beim Therapiemonitoring pneumologischer Erkrankungen wird dargestellt.

ZusammenfassungDie präoperative Anamnese und körperliche Untersuchung sind anerkannter Standard bei der Risikoevaluation von Patienten vor elektiven chirurgischen Eingriffen. Ob und unter welchen Umständen technische Voruntersuchungen dazu beitragen können, das perioperative Risiko zu reduzieren, ist bislang nur unzureichend untersucht. Auch besteht unter Anästhesisten, Chirurgen und Internisten vielfach Unsicherheit im perioperativen Umgang mit der Dauermedikation. Die deutschen wissenschaftlichen Fachgesellschaften für Anästhesiologie und Intensivmedizin (DGAI), Chirurgie (DGCH) und Innere Medizin (DGIM) haben daher eine gemeinsame Empfehlung zur präoperativen Evaluation erwachsener Patienten vor elektiven, nicht herz-thoraxchirurgischen Eingriffen erarbeitet und erstmals im Jahr 2010 publiziert. Die vorliegende Fassung ist eine Überarbeitung der Stellungnahme von 2010 unter Einbeziehung der seither publizierten Literatur sowie von aktuellen Leitlinien internationaler Fachgesellschaften. Zunächst werden die allgemeinen Prinzipien der präoperativen Evaluation dargestellt (Teil A). Das Vorgehen bei Patienten mit bekannten oder vermuteten kardiovaskulären Vorerkrankungen wird gesondert betrachtet (Teil B: „Erweiterte kardiale Diagnostik“). Abschließend wird der perioperative Umgang mit der Dauermedikation diskutiert (Teil C). Die vorgestellten Konzepte stellen fachübergreifende Empfehlungen dar, die ein strukturiertes und gemeinsames Vorgehen ermöglichen sollen. Ihr Ziel ist es, durch transparente und verbindliche Absprachen eine hohe Patientenorientierung unter Vermeidung unnötiger Voruntersuchungen zu gewährleisten, präoperative Untersuchungsabläufe zu verkürzen sowie letztlich Kosten zu reduzieren. Die gemeinsamen Empfehlungen von DGAI, DGCH und DGIM spiegeln den gegenwärtigen Kenntnisstand, aber auch die Meinungen von Experten wider, da nicht für jede Fragestellung wissenschaftliche Evidenz besteht. Daher werden eine regelmäßige Überprüfung und Aktualisierung der Empfehlungen erfolgen, sobald gesicherte neue Erkenntnisse vorliegen.

Background Triple valve surgery (TVS) is associated with an elevated risk for operative mortality and thus remains a surgical challenge. We report our experience and results of TVS procedures, especially with respect to identification of preoperative risk factors, to improve patient selection. Methods Between December 1994 and January 2013, 487 consecutive patients (240 male, 247 female) underwent TVS at the Heart Center Leipzig, University of Leipzig. The data were prospectively collected and retrospectively analyzed. Univariate and multivariable regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors. Results The 30-day mortality was 16.1% and the long-term survival at 1 year and 5 years was 71.8% and 54.6%, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified previous myocardial infarction to be the only significant predictor for early mortality. Age, New York Heart Association functional class IV, previous myocardial infarction, dialysis, and liver dysfunction were identified as preoperative predictors for late mortality. Furthermore, an increase of operative risk, given for each year, was observed during the study period. In contrast, 30-day mortality decreased during the observation time. Conclusion TVS is associated with a high surgical risk. Long-term survival is decreased, but acceptable for these high-risk patients. The series demonstrates that increasing surgical risk, age, and comorbidities are the future challenges in TVS.

Objectives Neoplasms involving the pineal gland are rare. When they do occur, tumor resection is anatomically challenging and is traditionally addressed by either a supratentorial or an infratentorial approach. To date, no large, multicenter studies have been performed that systematically analyze outcomes comparing these two approaches. This study aimed to evaluate outcomes for patients undergoing pineal neoplasm resection, comparing supratentorial and infratentorial approaches. Design Retrospective database review. Setting Multi-institutional database. Participants From 2005 to 2016, 60 patients were identified, with 13 undergoing a supratentorial approach and 47 undergoing an infratentorial approach. Main Outcome Measures Patient demographics, comorbidities, and 30-day postoperative outcomes were investigated using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. Demographics, readmission, reoperation, and complication rates were analyzed and compared with previous studies. Results Patient demographics were similar between these two groups. The overall complication rates for the supratentorial and infratentorial approaches were 30.8 and 17%, respectively, and the difference was not statistically significant. The most common medical complications encountered were respiratory and hematological. Conclusion As the first multi-institutional database analysis of approaches to the pineal gland, this study provides an analysis of patient demographics, comorbidities, and postoperative complications. After controlling for preoperative risk factors and demographic characteristics, no statistically significant differences in postoperative outcomes were found between infratentorial and supratentorial approaches. The mean readmission, reoperation, and complication rates were found to be 2.1, 8.3, and 20%, respectively. The lack of significant difference between approaches suggests that clinical decision-making should depend upon anatomical considerations and physician preference, although the complications illustrated here may provide some preoperative guidance.

Objective Reoperations after aortic valve replacement (AVR) with stentless valve prostheses are believed to be surgically more difficult than after stented prostheses. Methods Between January 1996 and December 2006, 1,340 of 3,785 patients with AVR in a single institution received a stentless valve prosthesis in aortic position (Medtronic Freestyle, Medtronic GmbH, Meerbusch, Germany). Reoperations after stentless AVR occurred in 27 patients (2.0%). Twenty-four of these patients were compared with another 24 patients having redo surgery after a primary stented bioprosthesis after carrying out propensity score matching. Results After matching, stentless valve redo patients had a similar preoperative risk profile regarding EuroSCORE (stentless 10 ± 3 points/stented 11 ± 3 points; p = 0.37), preoperative active endocarditis (stentless 37.5%/stented 16.7%; p = 0.081), and amount of concomitant procedures (stentless 37.5%/stented 16.7%; p = 0.222). Thirty-day mortality after reoperation was 20.8% (5 patients) in the stentless and 4.2% (1 patient) in the stented group ( p = 0.081), and reintubation rate was 16.7% in the stentless and 0% in the stented group ( p = 0.037). Aortic clamping time (stentless 90 ± 25 min/stented 86 ± 34 min; p = 0.208) and extracorporeal circulation time (stentless 151 ± 59 min/stented 132 ± 52 min; p = 0.55) were similar in both groups. Conclusion Our data do not show that the technical difficulty of reoperations after stentless AVR is higher than that of reoperations after stented AVR. The clinically visible, but not statistically significant, higher early mortality rate of our stentless group is mainly due to more active valve prosthesis endocarditis cases and a higher amount of concomitant procedures.

Septorhinoplasty is associated with postoperative infection in less than 2% of cases, even without the use of prophylactic antibiotics. However, there is a concern that increasingly prevalent, highly virulent pathogens such as MRSA may predispose to postoperative infections. Over the past several decades, MRSA has emerged as the most important cause of antibiotic-resistant nosocomial infection. MRSA-associated infections related to nasal surgery are underreported in the literature. We present a case of MRSA-associated infection following a routine septorhinoplasty in a health care worker. We discuss the incidence of this complication and contributing risk factors. The classification of MRSA-associated infections into genotypically distinct hospital-acquired and community-acquired subtypes is reviewed, and the associated differences in epidemiology, clinical presentation, and antibiotic susceptibility are discussed. A comprehensive strategy incorporating diagnostic workup, preventative management based upon preoperative risk stratification, and treatment of MRSA-associated soft tissue infections is presented.

SummaryThe aim of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of 18F-FDG PET/CT for preoperative stratification of high-risk and low-risk carcinomas in patients with endometrial cancer. Patients, methods: 60 women (mean age 53.8 ± 9.9 years) with endometrial cancer, who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT for preoperative staging work-up, followed by primary cytoreductive surgery, were enrolled in this study. Maximum and mean standardized uptake values (SUVmax, SUVmean) of endometrial tumors were measured, and compared with the various clinicopathologic findings obtained after surgery. Tumour aggressiveness was classified as high-risk and low-risk carcinomas. Patients with stage I or II, endometrioid adenocarcinoma, histologic grade 1 or 2, invasion of less than half of the myometrium, maximum tumor size less than 2.0 cm, and absence of cervical invasion and lymphovascular space involvement (LVSI) were classified as the lowrisk carcinoma group. The remaining patients were classified as the high-risk carcinoma group. Results: In univariate analysis, SUVmax of the primary endometrial tumor was significantly higher in patients who were in a postmenopausal state (p = 0.047), large (> 2 cm) primary tumor (p

BACKGROUND: Surgical intensive care units (ICUs) have to meet the demands of caring for elective surgical patients, for surgical emergencies, and for trauma patients. To achieve this a high flexi-bil-ity and a high rate of admissions and discharges are needed. ICU beds are scant and expensive, so who is to be admitted? PATIENTS AND METHODS: All admissions and dis-charges of a 20-bed surgical ICU in a university hospital within one year have been analysed. RESULTS: During the analysed year 2524 patients were admitted to the surgical ICU (6.9 ± 3.1 per day). Of 1886 planned admissions (elective surgery) only 1234 were eventually admitted, but there were 1290 additional patients admitted as emergencies. Of all realised admissions only 49 % were planned. In 653 requested but refused elective admissions, the surgery was performed with-out intensive care admission in 432 patients (64.9 %). CONCLUSIONS: Half of the patients of the surgical ICU are electively surgical, half of them are emergencies. The limited number of ICU beds requires strict indications for admission. It turns out to be useful to create a category of patients in whom postoperative intensive care is desirable but not mandatory.

Preoperative risk stratification for lung surgery requires the determination of FEV 1 and TLCO. Calculation of relative values and predective postoperative values in dependence on the extent of resection is preferable in comparison to absolute values. National and international guidelines have different recommendations for preoperative functional assessment. In general they recommend cardiopulmonary exercise testing if preoperative FEV 1 and TLCO are < 80 %-pred. or if ppo values are < 40 %-pred. Inoperability is assumed if ppo values of V'O 2 -max are < 10 ml/kg/min or < 35 %-pred. On this basis, a more simplified algorithm for the preoperative assessment of candidates for lung resection (Hemer algorithm) is presented. Nevertheless, there still remain some unresolved questions. These concern the assessment of the individual operative risk of patients who are at or just beyond the limits of functional operability. Furthermore, there is the fact that patients - in spite of a severe functional impairment - are willing to accept a higher risk of morbidity and mortality, especially if there is a curative option.

There is ample evidence that premature and low birth weight children have a poor outcome after congenital heart surgery. The aim of the present study was to characterize the perioperative factors which significantly influence the outcome of these babies following cardiac surgery, and to clarify whether the RACHS-1 and the Aristotle score are compatible for this complex kind of heart surgery.During the past 10 years, 108 children with a body weight of less than 3000 g were operated, including 43 premature babies. Mean weight at operation was 2.5 +/- 0.5 kg, mean age was 36.8 +/- 55 days. Fifty percent of the treatments were categorized into risk groups 4 and 6 and 54 % belonged to the complexity levels 3 and 4. Eighty-one operations (75 %) were performed using extracorporeal circulation.The 30 day mortality rate was 18 %, and the overall mortality rate was 30 %. The correlation between mortality rates and risk groups was significant ( p0.001). Other significant factors were preoperative acidosis ( p = 0.026), preoperative catecholamine support ( p0.001), prolonged ICU stay (7 days) after operation ( p0.001), and postoperative infection ( p = 0.019). In addition, X-clamp time ( p = 0.029) and palliative procedures ( p0.001) were significant factors for poor outcome.The results demonstrate that the mortality for correction of congenital heart defects in children weighing less than 3000 g depends on several factors. The risk groups of the RACHS-1 study and the complexity levels of the Aristotle score are useful tools to assess preoperative risk.

BACKGROUND Influencing factors on medium-term and long-term clear graft survival following penetrating keratoplasty are mostly basically known but their quantitative importance and interaction are far less well established. Due to abundance and complex interaction of influencing factors, comprehensive collection of pre- and postoperative data is imperative. Furthermore, application of stringent quality control as addressed in the German transplantation law established in 1997 is only possible if comprehensive data are available within a database system. METHODS All data from corneas preserved at the Lions cornea bank NRW as well as donor and follow-up data are entered into a custom-relational database system. This system implements management of data concerning the waiting list, the donors, organ culture as well as surgical and follow-up data. In order to demonstrate analysis of these data, 5-year graft survival with respect to preoperative risk assessment is analysed. RESULTS Data of 1710 donors and 3333 recipients have been entered into the system so far. Clear graft survival 5 years after normal risk keratoplasty is 85 %, whereas prognosis of high-risk cases is significantly worse (history of ocular herpes simplex virus keratitis: 80 %, increased risk of graft rejection as the only risk factor: 65 %, glaucoma: 45 %, limbal stem cell insufficiency: 30 %; p < 0.05; log-rank test). CONCLUSIONS The database system has proved indispensable for documentation, quality control and research. The implementation of this system is possible at any cornea bank. A common relational database system for cornea banks would of the banks as well as multicentre keratoplasty studies.

Between 8/81 and 9/89 2658 patients underwent retinal detachment surgery at the university eye hospital Erlangen/Nurnberg. From this number there were 30 (= 1.1%) pseudophakic retinal detachments consisting of 14 males and 16 females. Minimal age was 48, maximal 89 years, average age was 70.9 years. There were 4479 extracapsular cataract extractions with implantation of a posterior chamber lens performed in the same interval at our eye hospital. Out of this 4479 extracapsular cataract extractions we found 9 patients (= 0.2%) with pseudophakic retinal detachment. In our investigated group we found preoperative risk factors resulting in a pseudophakic retinal detachment consisting out of myopia, latticelike degeneration of the retina and contusion bulbi. Intraoperative risk factors are the rupture of the posterior capsule and vitreous prolapse. A postoperative risk factor is YAG-laser-capsulotomy. We observed a pseudophakic retinal detachment with patients undergoing YAG-laser-capsulotomy after minimal 30, maximal 880 and 372 days in average. Out of 30 patients 17 (= 66.6%) were treated successfully with the first operation. The success rate summed up to 83.2% after one re-operation. With 17 out of 30 patients we had to apply extensive endoophthalmic vitreous and retinal surgical techniques (cerclage, pars-plana-vitrectomy, silicone oil instillation).

The postoperative outcome after CABG of 6639 consecutive patients was analysed in respect to gender related differences. All consecutive patients with isolated CABG between 1/2003 and 12/2006 were analysed from a prospectively generated computer based data set. Outcome parameters, defined as major cardiac and cerebral events (MACCE) were analysed and differentiated in respect to gender different age groups and On-pump versus Off-pump surgical technique. Among the 6639 patients 5055 were males and 1584 females. Preoperative risk parameters were higher in females: age (p80y, death and CVE was higher in males. Mortality for low- and normal body mass index (

In 36 patients who underwent surgery for carcinoma of the oesophagus (21 patients subjected to blunt mediastinal dissection, 15 to thoracotomy) the preoperative status was determined by means of cardiopulmonary stepwise diagnosis and an individually adapted concomitant therapy was performed. A scheme for preoperative risk assessment which is equally important for both methods was evolved from the postoperative changes of VC, FEV1 and the preoperative values for RV/TLC, FEV1/VC, paO2 and paCO2 after retrospective analysis of the individual complication rates (60% cardiopulmonary). The 30-day lethality was 11%.