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Background: Tunneled central venous catheters (CVCs) are the cornerstone of modern oncologic practice. Establishing best practices for catheter management in children with cancer is essential to optimize care, but few guidelines exist to guide placement and management., Objectives: To address four questions: 1) Does catheter composition influence the incidence of complications; 2) Is there a platelet count below which catheter placement poses an increased risk of complications; 3) Is there an absolute neutrophil count (ANC) below which catheter placement poses an increased risk of complications; and 4) Are there best practices for the management of a central line associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI)?, Methods: Data Sources: English language articles in Ovid Medline, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Databases., Study Selection: Independently performed by 2 reviewers, disagreements resolved by a third reviewer., Data Extraction: Performed by 4 reviewers on forms designed by consensus, quality assessed by GRADE methodology., Results: Data were extracted from 110 manuscripts. There was no significant difference in fracture rate, venous thrombosis, catheter occlusion or infection by catheter composition. Thrombocytopenia with minimum thresholds of 30,000-50,000 platelets/mcl was not associated with major hematoma. Limited evidence suggests a platelet count <30,000/mcL was associated with small increased risk of hematoma. While few studies found a significant increase in CLABSI in CVCs placed in neutropenic patients with ANC<500Kcells/dl, meta-analysis suggests a small increase in this population. Catheter removal remains recommended in complicated or persistent infections. Limited evidence supports antibiotic, ethanol, or hydrochloric lock therapy in definitive catheter salvage. No high-quality data were available to answer any of the proposed questions., Conclusions: Although over 15,000 tunneled catheters are placed annually in North America into children with cancer, there is a paucity of evidence to guide practice, suggesting multiple opportunities to improve care., Level of Evidence: III. This study was registered as PROSPERO 2019 CRD42019124077., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Although Children's Oncology Group renal tumor protocols mandate lymph node sampling during extirpative surgery for pediatric renal tumors, lymph node sampling is often omitted or low yield. Concerns over morbidity associated with extended lymph node sampling have led to hesitancy in adopting a formal lymph node sampling template. We hypothesized that complications in children undergoing lymph node sampling for renal tumors would be rare, and not associated with the number of lymph nodes sampled., Materials and Methods: A single-institution, retrospective review of patients aged 0-18 years undergoing extirpative renal surgery with lymph node sampling for a suspected malignancy between 2005 and 2019 was performed. Patients with 0 or an unknown number of lymph nodes sampled or <150 days of follow-up were excluded. A "clinically significant" complication was defined as any Clavien complication ≥III, small-bowel obstruction, chylous ascites, organ injury, or wound infection. The number of lymph nodes sampled and its influence on the odds of experiencing a clinically significant complication was examined., Results: A total of 144 patients met inclusion criteria. Median patient age was 38 months. Twenty-one patients (15%) had a clinically significant complication, the most common of which was ileus/small-bowel obstruction (n=16). In a multivariable analysis, increased lymph node yield was not found to influence the odds of experiencing a clinically significant complication ( P = .6)., Conclusions: In this cohort, there was no statistically significant difference in clinically significant complications in patients who underwent more extensive lymph node sampling during surgery for a suspected malignant pediatric renal tumor. Future studies on protocol adherence, staging accuracy, and survival trends using a lymph node sampling template in these patients should be performed.

Background: Neutropenic enterocolitis is uncommon but potentially life-threatening, with the cornerstone of treatment being medical management (MM), and surgical intervention reserved for clinical deterioration or bowel perforation. We hypothesized that the Shock Index Pediatric Age-Adjusted (SIPA) is elevated in patients who are at greatest risk for surgical intervention and mortality. We also sought to identify computed tomography (CT) findings associated with surgical intervention and mortality., Methods: A single-center cancer registry was reviewed for neutropenic enterocolitis patients from 2006 -2018. Survival models compared patients with normal versus elevated SIPA throughout their hospitalizations for the time to surgical management (SM), as well as in-hospital mortality., Results: Seventy-four patients with neutropenic enterocolitis were identified; 7 underwent surgery. In-hospital mortality was 12% in MM and 29% in SM; mortality among patients with elevated SIPA was 4.7 times higher compared to those with normal SIPA (95% CI: 1.1, 19.83, p = 0.04). CT findings of bowel obstruction, pneumatosis, and a greater percentage of large bowel involvement were associated with surgical intervention (all ps < 0.05)., Conclusion: Select pre-operative CT findings were associated with need for operative management. Elevated SIPA was associated with increased mortality. Elevated SIPA in pediatric cancer patients with neutropenic enterocolitis may help to identify those with more severe disease and expedite beneficial interventions., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. No grant funding was used to support this research. Institutional funding was provided by the Colorado Firefighter Endowed Chair, Children's Hospital Colorado Center for Research in Outcomes in Children's Surgery, and generous support from the Colorado Firefighter Calendar. The funder/sponsor did not participate in the work., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: When evaluating suspected appendicitis, limited data support quality benchmarks for negative appendectomy (NA); none exist for delayed diagnosis of appendicitis (DDA). The objectives of this study are the following: (1) to provide preliminary evidence supporting a quality benchmark for DDA and 2) to compare presenting features and diagnostic evaluations of children with NA and DDA with those with pathology-confirmed appendicitis (PCA) diagnosed during initial emergency department (ED) encounter., Methods: Secondary analysis of data from a QI project designed to reduce the use computed tomography when evaluating suspected appendicitis using a case-control design. Patients undergoing appendectomy in an academic tertiary care children's hospital system between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2016 (n = 1,189) were eligible for inclusion in this case-control study. Negative appendectomy was defined as no pathologic change or findings consistent with a different diagnosis. Delayed diagnosis of appendicitis was defined as patients undergoing appendectomy within 7 days of a prior ED visit for a related complaint. Controls of PCA (n = 150) were randomly selected from all cases undergoing appendectomy., Results: There were 42 NA (3.5%) and 31 DDA (2.6%). Cases of PCA and NA exhibited similar histories, examination findings, and underwent comparable diagnostic evaluations. Cases of PCA more frequently demonstrated a white blood cell count greater than 10 × 103/μL (85% vs 67%; P = 0.01), a left-shift (77% vs 45%; P < 0.001), and an ultrasound interpretation with high probability for appendicitis (73% vs 54%; P = 0.03). Numerous significant differences in history, examination findings, and diagnostic tests performed existed between cases of PCA and DDA., Conclusions: Children with PCA and NA present similarly and undergo comparable evaluations resulting in appendectomy. A 3% to 4% NA rate may be unavoidable given these similarities. Presenting features in DDA significantly differ from those of PCA. An irreducible proportion of appendicitis diagnoses may be delayed., Competing Interests: Disclosure: The authors declare no conflict of interest. S.S., L.B., and J.A.G. conceived the study and design. S.S., T.B., L.B., and J.A.G. acquired the data. S.S., J.L., L.B., and J.A.G. analyzed and interpreted the data. S.S., T.B., and J.A.G. drafted the article. J.B., L.B., and J.A.G. critical revised the article for important intellectual content. J.L. provided statistical expertise for data analysis., (Copyright © 2020 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background/purpose: The surgical morbidity and mortality (M&M) conferences at a regional children's hospital achieved the goals of case by case peer review and education for trainees but provided limited data for trending and analysis. In 2019, an institution-wide effort was initiated to create an electronic case review system with the goals of improving event capture and real-time practice performance feedback. Surgical M&M was migrated to this structured case review format to provide a platform for surgical performance improvement., Methods: An online secure database was created with a 3-step classification system based on Clavien-Dindo severity score, peer review, and causality fishbone analysis. The data entered were available in an interactive dashboard. Retrospective tabulation of the 2018 M&M data was performed using the archived paper system used prior to 2019., Results: For the calendar year of 2019, the division of pediatric surgery captured and categorized 193 complications in the case review system. The capture rate was 50 per 1000 surgical procedures. For a similar time frame in 2018, the capture rate was 35 per 1000 surgical procedures. The dashboard provided run charts of the incidence and types of complications by procedure and by surgeon. Similar trend data were not available in 2018. The dashboard output has made possible the creation of (non- risk adjusted) individual surgeon performance reports. The output has been used to direct process improvement projects and educational content., Conclusion: Creation of an online database with interactive dashboard has allowed surgical M&M to evolve into a systematic case review that greatly facilitates quality improvement efforts. This system increased the event capture rate and provided novel practice performance feedback, resulting in process improvement projects and educational objectives predicated on the trending data. These electronic reporting tools are now available to all surgical divisions and represent a transformative approach to surgical case review., Type of Study: Retrospective Historical control; Quality improvement., Level of Evidence: Level III., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: The management of childhood empyemas has transformed over the past decade, with current trends favoring chest tube placement and intrapleural fibrinolytic therapy. Although this strategy often avoids the need for video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), hospital length of stay can be long., Methods: To characterize national trends and outcomes associated with empyema management, the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) database was queried to identify children (2 months-18 years) treated for an empyema between January 2010 and December 2017. The cohort was divided into those treated with primary VATS and those treated with chest tube and intrapleural fibrinolysis. Number of chest radiographic studies obtained, frequency of pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission, mechanical ventilation requirements, and length of hospitalization were compared between groups., Results: A total of 3,365 otherwise healthy children met inclusion criteria. Among them, 523 (16%) were managed with primary VATS and 2,842 (84%) were managed with chest tube and fibrinolytic therapy. Of those who were treated with chest tube and fibrinolysis, 193 (6.8%) subsequently underwent VATS. The percentage of children treated with chest tube and fibrinolysis increased from 65% in 2010 to 95% in 2017 (p<0.001). After adjusting for age, race, ethnicity, payer, and region, children who underwent primary VATS received fewer chest radiographic studies, were less likely to be admitted to the PICU or require mechanical ventilation and had a shorter PICU and hospital length of stay compared to those who were treated with chest tube and fibrinolytic therapy (p<0.001 for all analyses)., Discussion: Although national trends favor chest tube and fibrinolysis, primary VATS are associated with a shorter hospital and PICU length of stay and a lower requirement for mechanical ventilation. Future studies should aim to risk stratify children who may suffer from a protracted course with the goal to offer primary VATS to this subset of children and return them to normal life more expeditiously., Level of Evidence: III., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Minimally invasive surgery has broad applicability to pediatric diseases, including pediatric cancer resection. Neuroblastic tumors of childhood are highly variable in presentation, and so careful selection of appropriate candidates for minimally invasive resection is paramount to achieving safe and durable surgical and oncological outcomes., Methods: The American Pediatric Surgical Association Cancer Committee developed questions seeking to better define the role of minimally invasive surgery for neuroblastic tumors. A search using PubMed, Medline, Embase, Web of Science, ProQuest Dissertations, and Clinical Trials was performed for articles published from 1998 to 2018 in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) guidelines., Results: The evidence identified is all retrospective in nature. Minimally invasive surgical resection of neuroblastic tumors is safe for carefully selected smaller (4-6 cm) image defined risk factor (IDRF)-negative abdominal tumors when oncologic principles are followed. Size is a less-well defined criterion for thoracic neuroblastic tumors. Open approaches for both abdominal and thoracic tumors may be preferable in the presence of IDRF's., Conclusion: Small tumors without IDRF's are reasonable candidates for minimally invasive resection. Surgical oncologic guidelines should be closely followed. The quality of data supporting this systematic review is poor and highlights the need for refinement in the study of such surgical techniques to improve knowledge and outcomes for patients with neuroblastic tumors., Type of Study: Systematic Review., Level of Evidence: Level III and Level IV., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background/purpose: Melanoma is the most common skin cancer in children and often presents in an atypical fashion when compared to adults. The purpose of this review is to present an update on the epidemiology, surgical and medical management and prevention strategies in pediatric melanoma., Methods: A comprehensive review of the current literature on the epidemiology, surgical and medical management and prevention of adult and pediatric melanoma was performed by the authors and the results of this review are summarized in the manuscript., Results: Most recently, the incidence of melanoma in children has been declining, possibly owing to increased awareness and sun exposure prevention. The mainstay of therapy is surgical resection, often with sentinel lymph node biopsy. A positive sentinel node has prognostic value; however, completion node dissection is no longer recommended in the absence of clinically or radiographically positive nodes. Those with advanced disease also receive adjuvant systemic therapy using increasingly targeted immunologic therapies., Conclusions: Sentinel lymph node positive patients no longer require completion lymph node dissection and instead may be followed by ultrasound. However, it is important to note that children have been excluded from most melanoma clinical trials to date, and therefore, recommendations for management are based on existing pediatric retrospective data and extrapolation from adult studies., Level of Evidence: IV., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Despite advancements in medical therapy for ulcerative colitis (UC), a significant proportion of children progress to colectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA). Procedural related complications between two- and three-stage operations in children have not been well described., Methods: We performed a retrospective review of patients who underwent a colectomy for UC or inflammatory bowel disease unclassified between 2008 and 2018., Results: Forty-nine children underwent an IPAA at the time of colectomy (two stage) or during a subsequent operation (three stage). Preoperative hemoglobin and albumin concentrations were lower among those undergoing three-stage procedures. The rate of early complications (≤30 days) was similar between the two groups (p = 0.46); however, late complications (>30 days) were more commonly associated with three-stage procedures (p = 0.03). Time with a stoma was 3.2 months longer among those who underwent a three-stage procedure. While three-stage procedures were more often performed during the first half of the study period (2008-2012), two-stage procedures became more common during the second half (2013-2018). During this transition to favor two-stage procedures, complication rates did not significantly change., Conclusion: Although three-stage procedures were thought to be associated with fewer complications, we found comparable complication rates as we transition to two-stage procedures.

Neuroblastoma is an embryonic cancer arising from neural crest stem cells. This cancer is the most common malignancy in infants and the most common extracranial solid tumor in children. The clinical course may be highly variable with the possibility of spontaneous regression in the youngest patients and increased risk of aggressive disease in older children. Clinical heterogeneity is a consequence of the diverse biologic characteristics that determine patient risk and survival. This review will focus on current progress in neuroblastoma staging, risk stratification, and treatment strategies based on advancing knowledge in tumor biology and genetic characterization. TYPE OF STUDY: Review article. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Pheochromocytoma is a rare chromaffin cell tumor that may be associated with a genetic predisposition, such as von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease. VHL is an autosomal dominant disorder that is characterized by a predisposition to multiple tumors, including retinal and central nervous system hemangioblastomas, renal cell carcinoma, and pheochromocytomas. The classic presentation of pheochromocytoma is episodic hypertension, headaches, palpitations, and diaphoresis. In the pediatric population, 40% of pheochromocytomas have a hereditary basis. We present a case of metastatic pheochromocytoma in a child with VHL and discuss the relevant current medical literature., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To identify the factors associated with a shorter postoperative stay, as an initial step to develop a care pathway for children undergoing extirpative kidney surgery., Study Design: This study retrospectively reviewed patients managed with upfront open radical nephrectomy for renal tumors between 2005 and 2016 at a pediatric tertiary care facility. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were performed to identify factors associated with early discharge (by postoperative day 4)., Results: A total of 84 patients met inclusion criteria. Median age was 28.1 months (range 1.8-193.1). Thirty-four (40.5%) patients had a nasogastric tube postoperatively. The patients were advanced to a clear liquid diet on a median postoperative day 2 (range 0-7) and regular diet on a median postoperative day 3 (range 1-8). Median time from surgery to discharge was 5 days (range 2-12), with 38 (45.2%) discharged early. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that earlier resumption of regular diet (OR 0.523, P = 0.028) was positively associated with early discharge. Other analyzed factors were not significant (see Table)., Discussion: Timely initiation of adjuvant therapy is a specific requirement of Children's Oncology Group (COG) protocols. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are ideally initiated simultaneously, as early as possible, within 2 weeks of surgery. Thus, factors that can facilitate early discharge from the hospital can maximize protocol adherence with respect to timing of adjuvant therapy initiation and optimize patient outcome. This study shed light on several postoperative factors and how these relate to postoperative stay and recovery. Specifically, tumor size, pre-operative bowel preparation, extent of lymph node sampling, stage, operative time, estimated blood loss, surgical service, postoperative nasogastric tube use, transfusion, and chemotherapy prior to discharge were not associated with discharge timing. Early re-feeding was associated with early discharge. Thus, it seems reasonable that, when developing a postoperative care pathway for these patients, these factors be considered and specifically encourage early re-feeding. In pediatrics, data on early recovery after surgery protocols are limited, and high-quality studies are unavailable. Within pediatric urology, early recovery after surgery protocols in children undergoing major urologic reconstruction have been shown to reduce hospital stay and can decrease complication rates. It seems reasonable that a similar pathway can be applied to children undergoing radical nephrectomy for suspected malignancy., Conclusions: For children with renal tumors who underwent radical nephrectomy, early re-feeding was associated with a shorter time to discharge. Use of bowel preparation and nasogastric tube did not appear to shorten time to discharge. These data are important for developing postoperative care pathways for these patients., (Copyright © 2018 Journal of Pediatric Urology Company. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The best method for diagnosing pediatric nonnephroblastoma solid intraabdominal tumors is unknown. We hypothesized that core needle biopsy (CNB) is noninferior to open wedge biopsy (OWB) for pathologic diagnosis., Methods: We prospectively enrolled children aged 1day to 17years with radiographic evidence of nonnephroblastoma solid intraabdominal tumors scheduled for OWB from 5/2013 to 12/2015 at a single institution. Four 16-gauge CNBs were obtained, followed by OWB. Two pathologists independently reviewed all specimens to determine adequacy for diagnosis., Results: Fourteen patients enrolled, 57% male, with an average age of 4years (range 7days to 16years). Both pathologists agreed OWB was completely sufficient for diagnosis in 13 patients (93%), compared to 4 patients for CNB (29%: Burkitt lymphoma, adrenocortical tumor, inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor, p=0.001, δ=-0.64±0.27, 95% CI). In 6 patients (43%), CNB was incompletely diagnostic according to at least one pathologist (neuroblastoma, hepatoblastoma). In 4 patients (29%), both pathologists determined that CNB was nondiagnostic (ganglioneuroblastoma, teratoma, hepatoblastoma, and recurrent neuroblastoma)., Conclusions: In a prospective clinical study, CNB is inferior to OWB for the pathologic diagnosis of pediatric nonnephroblastoma solid intraabdominal tumors. These data suggest that OWB should generally be performed in these patients., Level of Evidence: Study of Diagnostic Test, Level I., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Innovation is a crucial part of surgical history that has led to enhancements in the quality of surgical care. This comprises both changes which are incremental and those which are frankly disruptive in nature. There are situations where innovation is absolutely required in order to achieve quality improvement or process improvement. Alternatively, there are innovations that do not necessarily arise from some need, but simply are a new idea that might be better. All change must assure a significant commitment to patient safety and beneficence. Innovation would ideally enhance patient care quality and disease outcomes, as well stimulate and facilitate further innovation. The tensions between innovative advancement and patient safety, risk and reward, and demonstrated effectiveness versus speculative added value have created a contemporary "surgical conundrum" that must be resolved by a delicate balance assuring optimal patient/provider outcomes. This article will explore this delicate balance and the rules that govern it. Recommendations are made to facilitate surgical innovation through clinical research. In addition, we propose options that investigators and institutions may use to address competing priorities., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Anterior mediastinal masses (AMM) pose a diagnostic challenge to surgeons, oncologists, anesthesiologists, intensivists, and interventional radiologists as induction of general anesthesia can cause airway obstruction and cardiovascular collapse. We hypothesized that in the majority of patients, diagnosis can be obtained through biopsy of extrathoracic tissue., Methods: We performed a retrospective review of all patients in the solid tumor oncology clinic with a diagnosis of AMM between 2002 and 2012 including preoperative evaluation and management prior to obtaining a tissue diagnosis, clinical course and complications., Results: We identified 69 patients with AMM (mean age 12.2±4.4years, 64% male) secondary to Hodgkin lymphoma (34), Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (26), and other diagnoses (9). The majority of patients (56, 81.2%) underwent biopsy of tissue outside of the mediastinal mass. Local anesthesia with sedation was used for successful biopsy in 21 (30%) patients. Four (5.8%) required repeat biopsy due to inadequate sample obtained at initial procedure. Three (4.4%) suffered respiratory complications with no fatalities or severe complications., Conclusions: Our data demonstrate that in the majority of children with AMM, tissue biopsy can be successfully obtained from tissue outside of the mass itself with minimal complications and highlight the importance of multidisciplinary preoperative planning to minimize anesthetic risks., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Summary: This report describes a new method for the surgical repair of the chest wall deformity encountered in complex Poland's syndrome. In this report, we describe the use of a customized titanium implant that was used to replace the missing second through fifth ribs and to provide chest wall stabilization before breast reconstruction. This approach might be considered an alternative to autologous rib grafting in patients who have reached skeletal maturity. It avoids the morbidity and risk associated with rib grafts and improves chest wall symmetry.

Purpose of Review: This review outlines the current approaches to prenatal imaging, differential diagnosis, antenatal natural history, and the available treatment options for the most commonly prenatally diagnosed malignant tumors., Recent Findings: In-utero diagnosis of fetal tumors, although still a rare event, has become more common as prenatal imaging modalities have improved. In general, this prenatal diagnosis allows more informed prenatal counseling and better perinatal planning for potentially high-risk deliveries. There are rare indications for prenatal fetal intervention., Summary: Diagnosis of a fetal tumor should prompt referral to a specialized center. Further understanding of these rare patients will require multicenter collaboration.

Objective: Almost one-half of all pediatric gastrostomy tube insertions are accompanied by a fundoplication, yet little is understood about the surgical decision-making for these procedures. The objective of this study was to examine the decision-making process of surgeons about whether to perform a fundoplication in children already scheduled to have a gastrostomy tube placed., Methods: A written questionnaire of all pediatric surgeons at a major children's hospital was completed for each planned gastrostomy procedure over the course of 1 year; the questionnaire asked about various influences on the fundoplication decision: primary care and subspecialty physicians' opinions, patient characteristics, and parent opinions. Patient demographics and clinical characteristics from the medical record, as well as questionnaire responses, were summarized for each gastrostomy occurrence. We modeled the association of questionnaire responses and patient characteristics with the outcome of having a fundoplication., Results: We received questionnaires on 161 of 169 eligible patients (95%). A total of 52% of patients had fundoplication. Primary care physicians were involved in 44% of decisions, and when involved had "a lot" of influence on the fundoplication decision only 28% of time, compared with neonatologists (61%), hospitalists (44%), pediatric pulmonologists (42%), and pediatric gastroenterologists (40%). A total of 86% of patients had a subspecialist involved, and 28% had >1 subspecialist. A pH probe was performed in 7.5% of cases, and failed pharmacotherapy was noted by the surgeons in only 26.5% of the fundoplications performed., Conclusions: The decision to do a fundoplication was rarely based on definitive testing or failed medical treatment. From the surgeon's perspective, subspecialists were more influential than primary care physicians, which is at odds with current concepts of the medical home., (Copyright © 2012 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A novel case of Nuss bar displacement with near-fatal hemorrhage 3 months after insertion and 3 weeks after unreported bar movement is presented. Salient features of presentation, evaluation, and treatment are described including how to divide the bar from an intrathoracic approach.