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An increasing number of patients older than 65 years are referred for and have access to organ transplantation, and an increasing number of older adults are donating organs. Although short-term outcomes are similar in older versus younger transplant recipients, older donor or recipient age is associated with inferior long-term outcomes. However, age is often a proxy for other factors that might predict poor outcomes more strongly and better identify patients at risk for adverse events. Approaches to transplantation in older adults vary across programs, but despite recent gains in access and the increased use of marginal organs, older patients remain less likely than other groups to receive a transplant, and those who do are highly selected. Moreover, few studies have addressed geriatric issues in transplant patient selection or management, or the implications on health span and disability when patients age to late life with a transplanted organ. This paper summarizes a recent trans-disciplinary workshop held by ASP, in collaboration with NHLBI, NIA, NIAID, NIDDK and AGS, to address issues related to kidney, liver, lung, or heart transplantation in older adults and to propose a research agenda in these areas.

Significant knowledge gaps exist in the perioperative pain management of patients with a history of chronic pain, substance use disorder, and/or opioid tolerance as highlighted in the US Health and Human Services Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force 2019 report. The report emphasized the challenges of caring for these populations and the need for multidisciplinary care and a comprehensive approach. Such care requires stakeholder alignment across multiple specialties and care settings. With the intention of codifying this alignment into a reliable and efficient processes, a consortium of 15 professional healthcare societies was convened in a year-long modified Delphi consensus process and summit. This process produced seven guiding principles for the perioperative care of patients with chronic pain, substance use disorder, and/or preoperative opioid tolerance. These principles provide a framework and direction for future improvement in the optimization and care of 'complex' patients as they undergo surgical procedures., Competing Interests: Competing interests: DMD receives research support from Abbott and SPR therapeutics; speaker and/or consulting fees from Abbott, SPR Therapeutics, Vertos, Pfizer, Myovant, Nalu, and Biotronik; NME receives consulting fees for legal case review and from Pacira; SS receives consulting fees from SPR Therapeutics, Masimo Corp, and Allergan. GS receives consulting fees from Pacira and holds minor stake equity (stock options) in Dorsal Health; MS receives consulting fees and research support from Saluda Medical, consulting fees from Patch technologies, Witness, etc and iVitalie, and holds stock and/or receives consulting fees from Cellarian, Spark Biomedical, Nanomedical Systems, Full Spectrum Healthcare Management, MedAnswers, Reveliance solutions, and Assurance Med Management, (© American Society of Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Objective: To evaluate changes in opioid prescribing and patient-reported outcomes after surgery following implementation of Michigan's prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) use mandate in June 2018., Background: Most states mandate clinicians to query prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) databases before prescribing controlled substances. Whether these PDMP use mandates affect opioid prescribing and patient-reported outcomes after surgery is unclear, especially among patients with elevated "Narx" scores, a risk score for overdose death used in most PDMPs., Methods: We conducted an interrupted time series analysis of a statewide surgical registry linked to Michigan's PDMP database. Analyses included adults undergoing general surgical procedures during January 2017-October 2019. Outcomes included monthly mean days supplied in dispensed opioid prescriptions (those filled within 3 days of discharge) and monthly mean scores for 3 patient-reported outcomes (pain in the week after surgery, care satisfaction, regret undergoing surgery). Segmented regression models were used to assess for level and slope changes in outcomes in June 2018. Analyses were repeated among patients with Narx scores ≥200, a threshold that defines the top quartile., Results: Analyses included 21,897 patients. The mandate was associated with a -0.5 (95% CI: -0.8, -0.2) level decrease in mean days supplied in dispensed opioid prescriptions, but not with worsened patient-reported outcomes. Findings were similar among patients with Narx scores ≥200., Conclusions: Following implementation of Michigan's PDMP use mandate, the duration of opioid prescriptions decreased, but patient-reported outcomes did not worsen. Findings suggest PDMP use mandates may not be associated with worsened experience among general surgical patients., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest Disclosures: Dr. Chua reports receiving consulting fees from the U.S. Department of Justice. Dr. Brummett reports consulting for Heron Therapeutics, Merck Pharmaceutical and Vertex Pharmaceuticals for work outside the current study. Dr. Brummett also provides expert medical testimony outside the current study. Dr. Bohnert reports serving as an expert witness for the State of Michigan in a suit related to opioid distribution. No other conflicts of interest were reported., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared.

Background: Hernias in patients with ascites are common, however we know very little about the surgical repair of hernias within this population. The study of these repairs has largely remained limited to single center and case studies, lacking a population-based study on the topic., Study Design: The Michigan Surgical Quality Collaborative and its corresponding Core Optimization Hernia Registry (MSQC-COHR) which captures specific patient, hernia, and operative characteristics at a population level within the state was used to conduct a retrospective review of patients with ascites undergoing ventral or inguinal hernia repair between January 1, 2020 and May 3, 2022. The primary outcome observed was incidence and surgical approach for both ventral and inguinal hernia cohorts. Secondary outcomes included 30-day adverse clinical outcomes as listed here: (ED visits, readmission, reoperation and complications) and surgical priority (urgent/emergent vs elective)., Results: In a cohort of 176 patients with ascites, surgical repair of hernias in patients with ascites is a rare event (1.4% in ventral hernia cohort, 0.2% in inguinal hernia cohort). The post-operative 30-day adverse clinical outcomes in both cohorts were greatly increased compared to those without ascites (ventral: 32% inguinal: 30%). Readmission was the most common complication in both inguinal (n = 14, 15.9%) and ventral hernia (n = 17, 19.3%) groups. Although open repair was most common for both cohorts (ventral: 86%, open: 77%), minimally invasive (MIS) approaches were utilized. Ventral hernias presented most commonly urgently/emergently (60%), and in contrast many inguinal hernias presented electively (72%)., Conclusion: A population-level, ventral and incisional hernia database capturing operative details for 176 patients with ascites. There was variation in the surgical approaches performed for this rare event and opportunities for optimization in patient selection and timing of repair., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Introduction: While identifying opioid prescriptions in claims data has been instrumental in informing best practises, studies have not evaluated whether certain methods of identifying opioid prescriptions yield better results. We compared three common approaches to identify opioid prescriptions in large, nationally representative databases., Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study, analyzing MarketScan, Optum, and Medicare claims to compare three methods of opioid classification: claims database-specific classifications, National Drug Codes (NDC) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), or NDC from Overdose Prevention Engagement Network (OPEN). The primary outcome was discrimination by area under the curve (AUC), with secondary outcomes including the number of opioid prescriptions identified by experts but not identified by each method., Results: All methods had high discrimination (AUC>0.99). For MarketScan (n=70,162,157), prescriptions that were not identified totalled 42,068 (0.06%) for the CDC list, 2,067,613 (2.9%) for database-specific categories, and 0 (0%) for the OPEN list. For Optum (n=61,554,852), opioid prescriptions not identified totalled 9,774 (0.02%) for the CDC list, 83,700 (0.14%) for database-specific categories, and 0 (0%) for the OPEN list. In Medicare claims (n=92,781,299), the number of opioid prescriptions not identified totalled 8,694 (0.01%) for the CDC file and 0 (0%) for the OPEN list., Discussion: This analysis found that identifying opioid prescriptions using methods from CDC and OPEN were similar and superior to prespecified database-specific categories. Overall, this study shows the importance of carefully selecting the approach to identify opioid prescriptions when investigating claims data., Competing Interests: Competing interests: CMB serves as a consultant for Vertex Pharmaceuticals and Merck Pharmaceuticals. In addition, CMB provides expert medicolegal testimony unrelated to this analysis., (© American Society of Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Introduction: To balance adequate pain management while minimizing opioid-related harms after surgery, opioid prescribing guidelines rely on patient-reported use after surgery. However, it is unclear how many patients are required to develop precise guidelines. We aimed to compare patterns of use, required sample size, and the precision for patient-reported opioid consumption after common surgical procedures., Methods: We analyzed procedure-specific 30-day opioid consumption data reported after discharge from 15 common surgical procedures between January 2018 and May 2019 across 65 hospitals in the Michigan Surgical Quality Collaborative. We calculated proportions of patients using no pills and the estimated number of pills meeting most patients' needs, defined as the 75th percentile of consumption. We compared several methods to model consumption patterns. Using the best method (Tweedie), we calculated sample sizes required to identify opioid consumption within a 5-pill interval and estimates of pills to meet most patients' needs by calculating the width of 95% CIs., Results: In a cohort of 10,688 patients, many patients did not consume any opioids after all types of procedures (range 20%-40%). Most patients' needs were met with 4 pills (thyroidectomy) to 13 pills (abdominal hysterectomy). Sample sizes required to estimate opioid consumption within a 5-pill wide 95% CI ranged from 48 for laparoscopic appendectomy to 188 for open colectomy. The 95% CI width for estimates ranged from 0.7 pills for laparoscopic cholecystectomy to 7.0 pills for ileostomy/colostomy., Conclusions: This study demonstrates that profiles of opioid consumption share more similarities than differences for certain surgical procedures. Future investigations on patient-reported consumption are required for procedures not currently included in prescribing guidelines to ensure surgeons and perioperative providers can appropriately tailor recommendations to the postoperative needs of patients., Competing Interests: Competing interests: JS, YL, and VG have no disclosures. CMB, MJE, JFW, and MCB receive funding from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (R01DA042859). CMB is a consultant for Heron Therapeutics, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Alosa Health and the Benter Foundation, not related to this work. JS had full access to all the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis., (© American Society of Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Documentation of intraoperative details is critical for understanding and advancing hernia care, but is inconsistent in practice. Therefore, to improve data capture on a statewide level, we implemented a financial incentive targeting documentation of hernia defect size and mesh use., Methods: The Abdominal Hernia Care Pathway (AHCP), a voluntary pay for performance (P4P) initiative, was introduced in 2021 within the statewide Michigan Surgical Quality Collaborative (MSQC). This consisted of an organizational-level financial incentive for achieving 80% performance on eight specific process measures for ventral hernia surgery, including complete documentation of hernia defect size and location, as well as mesh characteristics and fixation technique. Comparisons were made between AHCP and non-AHCP sites in 2021., Results: Of 69 eligible sites, 47 participated in the AHCP in 2021. There were N = 5362 operations (4169 at AHCP sites; 1193 at non-AHCP sites). At AHCP sites, 69.8% of operations had complete hernia documentation, compared to 50.5% at non-AHCP sites (p < 0.0001). At AHCP sites, 91.4% of operations had complete mesh documentation, compared to 86.5% at non-AHCP sites (p < 0.0001). The site-level hernia documentation goal of 80% was reached by 14 of 47 sites (range 14-100%). The mesh documentation goal was reached by 41 of 47 sites (range 4-100%)., Conclusions: Addition of an organizational-level financial incentive produced marked gains in documentation of intra-operative details across a statewide surgical collaborative. The relatively large effect size-19.3% for hernia-is remarkable among P4P initiatives. This result may have been facilitated by surgeons' direct role in documenting hernia size and mesh use. These improvements in data capture will foster understanding of current hernia practices on a large scale and may serve as a model for improvement in collaboratives nationally., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Objectives: Despite their widespread use, the evidence base for the effectiveness of quality improvement collaboratives remains mixed. Lack of clarity about 'what good looks like' in collaboratives remains a persistent problem. We aimed to identify the distinctive features of a state-wide collaboratives programme that has demonstrated sustained improvements in quality of care in a range of clinical specialties over a long period., Design: Qualitative case study involving interviews with purposively sampled participants, observations and analysis of documents., Setting: The Michigan Collaborative Quality Initiatives programme., Participants: 38 participants, including clinicians and managers from 10 collaboratives, and staff from the University of Michigan and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan., Results: We identified five features that characterised success in the collaboratives programme: learning from positive deviance; high-quality coordination; high-quality measurement and comparative performance feedback; careful use of motivational levers; and mobilising professional leadership and building community. Rigorous measurement, securing professional leadership and engagement, cultivating a collaborative culture, creating accountability for quality, and relieving participating sites of unnecessary burdens associated with programme participation were all important to high performance., Conclusions: Our findings offer valuable learning for optimising collaboration-based approaches to improvement in healthcare, with implications for the design, structure and resourcing of quality improvement collaboratives. These findings are likely to be useful to clinicians, managers, policy-makers and health system leaders engaged in multiorganisational approaches to improving quality and safety., Competing Interests: Competing interests: The Michigan Quality Collaboratives are supported by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan. MJE receives salary support from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan as well as the NIH and the Michigan DHHS. DAC, GLK and MJE’s institution (University of Michigan) receives a partial salary paid for by the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Value Partnerships for the Michigan Surgical Quality Collaborative. GLK, DAC and MJE are employed by the Michigan Surgical Quality Collaborative. MJE and JBD were interviewed as participants in the study., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.)

Importance: Insurers are increasingly limiting the duration of opioid prescriptions for acute pain. Among patients undergoing surgery, it is unclear whether implementation of these limits is associated with changes in opioid prescribing and patient-reported outcomes, such as pain., Objective: To assess changes in surgical opioid prescribing and patient-reported outcomes after implementation of an opioid prescribing limit by a large commercial insurer in Michigan., Design, Setting, and Participants: This was a cross-sectional study with an interrupted time series analysis. Data analyses were conducted from October 1, 2022, to February 28, 2023. The primary data source was the Michigan Surgical Quality Collaborative, a statewide registry containing data on opioid prescribing and patient-reported outcomes from adults undergoing common general surgical procedures. This registry is linked to Michigan's prescription drug monitoring program database, allowing observation of opioid dispensing. The study included 6045 adults who were covered by the commercial insurer and underwent surgery from January 1, 2017, to October 31, 2019., Exposure: Policy limiting opioid prescriptions to a 5-day supply in February 2018., Main Outcomes and Measures: Among all patients, segmented regression models were used to assess for level or slope changes during February 2018 in 3 patient-reported outcomes: pain in the week after surgery (assessed on a scale of 1-4: 1 = none, 2 = minimal, 3 = moderate, and 4 = severe), satisfaction with surgical experience (scale of 0-10, with 10 being the highest satisfaction), and amount of regret regarding undergoing surgery (scale of 1-5, with 1 being the highest level of regret). Among patients with a discharge opioid prescription and a dispensed opioid prescription (prescription filled within 3 days of discharge), additional outcomes included total morphine milligram equivalents in these prescriptions, a standardized measure of opioid volume., Results: Among the 6045 patients included in the study, mean (SD) age was 48.7 (12.6) years and 3595 (59.5%) were female. Limit implementation was not associated with changes in patient-reported satisfaction or regret and was associated with only a slight level decrease in patient-reported pain score (-0.15 [95% CI, -0.26 to -0.03]). Among 4396 patients (72.7%) with a discharge and dispensed opioid prescription, limit implementation was associated with a -22.3 (95% CI, -32.8 to -11.9) and -26.1 (95% CI, -40.9 to -11.3) level decrease in monthly mean total morphine milligram equivalents of discharge and dispensed opioid prescriptions, respectively. These decreases corresponded approximately to 3 to 3.5 pills containing 5 mg of oxycodone., Conclusions: This cross-sectional analysis of data from adults undergoing general surgical procedures found that implementation of an insurer's limit was associated with modest reductions in opioid prescribing but not with worsened patient-reported outcomes. Whether these findings generalize to other procedures warrants further study.

Objective: To assess the prevalence of and identify characteristics associated with unhealthy use before surgery., Background: Although the escalation in US drug overdose deaths is apparent, the unhealthy use of substances among patients presenting for surgery is unclear., Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of patients presenting for elective surgical procedures between December 2018 and July 2021 and prospectively recruited to 1 of 2 clinical research studies (Michigan Genomics Initiative, Prevention of Iatrogenic Opioid Dependence after Surgery Study). The primary outcome was unhealthy substance use in the past 12 months as determined using the Tobacco, Alcohol, Prescription medication, and other Substance use tool., Results: Among 1912 patients, unhealthy substance use was reported in 768 (40.2%). The most common substances with unhealthy use were illicit drugs [385 (20.1%)], followed by alcohol 358 (18.7%)], tobacco [262 (13.7%)], and prescription medications [86 (4.5%)]. Patients reporting unhealthy substance use were significantly more likely to be younger, male [aOR: 1.95 (95% CI, 1.58-2.42)], and have higher scores for pain [aOR: 1.07 (95% CI, 1.02-1.13)], and anxiety [aOR: 1.03 (95% CI, 1.01-1.04)]. Unhealthy substance use was more common among surgical procedures of the forearm, wrist, and hand [aOR: 2.58 (95% CI, 1.01-6.55)]., Conclusions: As many as 2 in 5 patients in the preoperative period may present with unhealthy substance use before elective surgery. Given the potential impact of substance use on surgical outcomes, increased recognition of the problem by screening patients is a critical next step for surgeons and perioperative care teams., Competing Interests: Dr M.C.B reports past personal fees and other from Axial Healthcare and past personal fees from Alosa Health outside the submitted work. Dr C.M.B. serves as a consultant for Heron Therapeutics, a biotech company that produces a nonopioid analgesic for acute pain, and he served as a one-time consultant for Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Alosa Health, and the Benter Foundation. In addition, Dr C.M.B. provides expert medicolegal testimony unrelated to this viewpoint. The remaining authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To explore how surgery residents cope with unwanted patient outcomes including postoperative complications and death., Background: Surgery residents face a variety of work-related stressors that require them to engage in coping strategies. Postoperative complications and deaths are common sources of such stressors. Although few studies examine the response to these events and their impacts on subsequent decision-making, there has been little scholarly work exploring coping strategies among surgery residents specifically., Methods: This study investigated the ways, in which general surgery residents cope with unwanted patient outcomes, including complications and deaths. Mid-level and senior residents (n = 28) from 14 academic, community, and hybrid training programs across the United States participated in exploratory semistructured interviews conducted by an experienced anthropologist. Interview transcripts were analyzed iteratively, informed by thematic analysis., Results: When discussing how they cope with complications and deaths, residents described both internal and external strategies. Internal strategies included a sense of inevitability, compartmentalization of emotions or experiences, thoughts of forgiveness, and beliefs surrounding resilience. External strategies included support from colleagues and mentors, commitment to change, and personal practices or rituals, such as exercise or psychotherapy., Conclusions: In this novel qualitative study, general surgery residents described the coping strategies that they organically used after postoperative complications and deaths. To improve resident well-being, it is critical to first understand the natural coping processes. Such efforts will facilitate structuring future support systems to aid residents during these difficult periods., Competing Interests: P.A.S. is funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (K08 HS026772). M.C.B. and A.D.R. are funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality by 5T32HS000053. A.D.R. is also funded by the National Clinician Scholar Program. S.J.R. is funded by the Obesity Scientist Training Program by 5T32DK108740. A.L. is supported by the National Cancer Institute (T32CA009672). M.A. is supported by the National Institute on Aging (1T32AG062403-01A1). The remaining authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Importance: Collaborative quality improvement (CQI) models, often supported by private payers, create hospital networks to improve health care delivery. Recently, these systems have focused on opioid stewardship; however, it is unclear whether reduction in postoperative opioid prescribing occurs uniformly across health insurance payer types., Objective: To evaluate the association between insurance payer type, postoperative opioid prescription size, and patient-reported outcomes in a large statewide CQI model., Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective cohort study used data from 70 hospitals within the Michigan Surgical Quality Collaborative clinical registry for adult patients (age ≥18 years) undergoing general, colorectal, vascular, or gynecologic surgical procedures between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2020., Exposure: Insurance type, classified as private, Medicare, or Medicaid., Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was postoperative opioid prescription size in milligrams of oral morphine equivalents (OME). Secondary outcomes were patient-reported opioid consumption, refill rate, satisfaction, pain, quality of life, and regret about undergoing surgery., Results: A total of 40 149 patients (22 921 [57.1%] female; mean [SD] age, 53 [17] years) underwent surgery during the study period. Within this cohort, 23 097 patients (57.5%) had private insurance, 10 667 (26.6%) had Medicare, and 6385 (15.9%) had Medicaid. Unadjusted opioid prescription size decreased for all 3 groups during the study period from 115 to 61 OME for private insurance patients, from 96 to 53 OME for Medicare patients, and from 132 to 65 OME for Medicaid patients. A total of 22 665 patients received a postoperative opioid prescription and had follow-up data for opioid consumption and refill. The rate of opioid consumption was highest among Medicaid patients throughout the study period (16.82 OME [95% CI, 12.57-21.07 OME] greater than among patients with private insurance) but increased the least over time. The odds of refill significantly decreased over time for patients with Medicaid compared with patients with private insurance (odds ratio, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.89-0.98). Adjusted refill rates for private insurance remained between 3.0% and 3.1% over the study period; adjusted refill rates among Medicare and Medicaid patients decreased from 4.7% to 3.1% and 6.5% to 3.4%, respectively, by the end of the study period., Conclusions and Relevance: In this retrospective cohort study of surgical patients in Michigan from 2018 to 2020, postoperative opioid prescription size decreased across all payer types, and differences between groups narrowed over time. Although funded by private payers, the CQI model appeared to have benefitted patients with Medicare and Medicaid as well.

Objective: In this study, we explored which postoperative opioid prescribing practices were associated with persistent opioid use among adolescents and young adults., Background: Approximately 5% of adolescents and young adults develop postoperative new persistent opioid use. The impact of physician prescribing practices on persistent use among young patients is unknown., Methods: We identified opioid-naïve patients aged 13 to 21 who underwent 1 of 13 procedures (2008-2016) and filled a perioperative opioid prescription using commercial insurance claims (Optum Deidentified Clinformatics Data Mart Database). Persistent use was defined as ≥ 1 opioid prescription fill 91 to 180 days after surgery. High-risk opioid prescribing included overlapping opioid prescriptions, co-prescribed benzodiazepines, high daily prescribed dosage, long-acting formulations, and multiple prescribers. Logistic regression modeled persistent use as a function of exposure to high-risk prescribing, adjusted for patient demographics, procedure, and comorbidities., Results: High-risk opioid prescribing practices increased from 34.9% to 43.5% over the study period; the largest increase was in co-prescribed benzodiazepines (24.1%-33.4%). High-risk opioid prescribing was associated with persistent use (aOR 1.235 [1.12,1.36]). Receipt of prescriptions from multiple opioid prescribers was individually associated with persistent use (aOR 1.288 [1.16,1.44]). The majority of opioid prescriptions to patients with persistent use beyond the postoperative period were from nonsurgical prescribers (79.6%)., Conclusions: High-risk opioid prescribing practices, particularly receiving prescriptions from multiple prescribers across specialties, were associated with a significant increase in adolescent and young adult patients' risk of persistent opioid use. Prescription drug monitoring programs may help identify young patients at risk of persistent opioid use., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Our objective was to evaluate changes in elective surgical volume in Michigan while an executive order (EO) was in place curtailing elective surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic., Summary Background Data: Many state governors enacted EOs curtailing elective surgery to protect scare resources and generate hospital capacity for patients with COVID-19. Little is known of the effectiveness of an EO on achieving a sustained reduction in elective surgery., Methods: This retrospective cohort study of data from a statewide claims-based registry in Michigan includes claims from the largest private payer in the state for a representative set of elective operations on adult patients from February 2 through August 1, 2020. We reported trends in surgical volume over the period the EO was in place. Estimated backlogs in elective surgery were calculated using case counts from the same period in 2019., Results: Hospitals achieved a 91.7% reduction in case volume before the EO was introduced. By the time the order was rescinded, hospitals were already performing elective surgery at 60.1% of pre-pandemic case rates. We estimate that a backlog of 6419 operations was created while the EO was in effect. Had hospitals ceased elective surgery during this period, an additional 18% of patients would have experienced a delay in surgical care., Conclusions: Both the introduction and removal of Michigan's EO lagged behind the observed ramp-down and ramp-up in elective surgical volume. These data suggest that EOs may not effectively modulate surgical care and could also contribute to unnecessary delays in surgical care., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Importance: The COVID-19 pandemic impacted healthcare beyond COVID-19 infections. A better understanding of how COVID-19 worsened the opioid crisis has potential to inform future response efforts., Objective: To summarize changes from the COVID-19 pandemic on outcomes regarding opioid use and misuse in the USA and Canada., Evidence Review: We searched MEDLINE via PubMed, EMBASE, and CENTRAL for peer-reviewed articles published between March 2020 and December 2021 that examined outcomes relevant to patients with opioid use, misuse, and opioid use disorder by comparing the period before vs after COVID-19 onset in the USA and Canada. Two reviewers independently screened studies, extracted data, assessed methodological quality and bias via Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, and synthesized results., Findings: Among 20 included studies, 13 (65%) analyzed service utilization, 6 (30%) analyzed urine drug testing results, and 2 (10%) analyzed naloxone dispensation. Opioid-related emergency medicine utilization increased in most studies (85%, 11/13) for both service calls (17% to 61%) and emergency department visits (42% to 122%). Urine drug testing positivity results increased in all studies (100%, 6/6) for fentanyl (34% to 138%), most (80%, 4/5) studies for heroin (-12% to 62%), and most (75%, 3/4) studies for oxycodone (0% to 44%). Naloxone dispensation was unchanged and decreased in one study each., Interpretation: Significant increases in surrogate measures of the opioid crisis coincided with the onset of COVID-19. These findings serve as a call to action to redouble prevention, treatment, and harm reduction efforts for the opioid crisis as the pandemic evolves., Prospero Registration Number: CRD42021236464., Competing Interests: Competing interests: Disclosures: SS and YA have no disclosures. CMB, MJE, JFW and MCB receive funding from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (R01DA042859). MCB reports past consultation with Axial Healthcare and Alosa Health not related to this work. CMB is a consultant for Heron Therapeutics and the Benter Foundation, served as a one-time consultant for Vertex Pharmaceuticals and Alosa Health, and provides expert medical testimony., (© American Society of Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine 2023. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Whether all patients will require an opioid prescription after cardiac surgery is unknown. We performed a multicenter analysis to identify patient predictors of not receiving an opioid prescription at the time of discharge home after cardiac surgery., Methods: Opioid-naïve patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting and/or valve surgery through a sternotomy at 10 centers from January to December 2019 were identified retrospectively from a prospectively maintained data set. Opioid-naïve was defined as not taking opioids at the time of admission. The primary outcome was discharge without an opioid prescription. Mixed-effects logistic regression was performed to identify predictors of discharge without an opioid prescription, and postdischarge opioid prescribing was monitored to assess patient tolerance of discharge without an opioid prescription., Results: Among 1924 eligible opioid-naïve patients, mean age was 64 ± 11 years, and 25% were women. In total, 28% of all patients were discharged without an opioid prescription. On multivariable analysis, older age, longer length of hospital stay, and undergoing surgery during the last 3 months of the study were independent predictors of discharge without an opioid prescription, whereas depression, non-Black and non-White race, and using more opioid pills on the day before discharge were independent predictors of receiving an opioid prescription. Among patients discharged without an opioid prescription, 1.8% (10 of 547) were subsequently prescribed an opioid., Conclusions: Discharging select patients without an opioid prescription after cardiac surgery appears well tolerated, with a low incidence of postdischarge opioid prescriptions. Increasing the number of patients discharged without an opioid prescription may be an area for quality improvement., (Copyright © 2022 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To evaluate the association between postoperative opioid prescription size and patient-reported satisfaction among surgical patients., Summary Background Data: Opioids are overprescribed after surgery, which negatively impacts patient outcomes. The assumption that larger prescriptions increase patient satisfaction has been suggested as an important driver of excessive prescribing., Methods: This prospective cohort study evaluated opioid-naive adult patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy, laparoscopic appendectomy, and minor hernia repair between January 1 and May 31, 2018. The primary outcome was patient satisfaction, collected via a 30-day postoperative survey. Satisfaction was measured on a scale of 0 to 10 and dichotomized into "highly satisfied" (9-10) and "not highly satisfied" (0-8). The explanatory variable of interest was size of opioid prescription at discharge from surgery, converted into milligrams of oral morphine equivalents (OME). Hierarchical logistic regression was performed to evaluate the association between prescription size and satisfaction while adjusting for clinical covariates., Results: One thousand five hundred twenty patients met the inclusion criteria. Mean age was 53 years and 43% of patients were female. One thousand two hundred seventy-nine (84.1%) patients were highly satisfied and 241 (15.9%) were not highly satisfied. After multivariable adjustment, there was no significant association between opioid prescription size and satisfaction (OR 1.00, 95% CI 0.99-1.00). The predicted probability of being highly satisfied ranged from 83% for the smallest prescription (25 mg OME) to 85% for the largest prescription (750 mg OME)., Conclusions: In a large cohort of patients undergoing common surgical procedures, there was no association between opioid prescription size at discharge after surgery and patient satisfaction. This implies that surgeons can provide significantly smaller opioid prescriptions after surgery without negatively affecting patient satisfaction., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Skeletal muscle relaxants and benzodiazepines are thought to mitigate against postoperative muscle contraction. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration warn against coprescribing them with opioids because of increased risks of overdose and death. The authors evaluated the frequency of coprescribing of opioids with skeletal muscle relaxants or benzodiazepines after implant-based reconstruction., Methods: The authors examined health care claims to identify women (18 to 64 years old) who underwent implant-based breast reconstruction between January of 2008 and June of 2019 to determine the frequency of coprescribing, factors associated with coprescribing opioids and skeletal muscle relaxants or benzodiazepines, and the impact on opioid refills within 90 days of reconstruction., Results: A total of 86.7 percent of women ( n = 7574) who had implant-based breast reconstruction filled an opioid prescription perioperatively. Of these, 27.7 percent of women filled prescriptions for opioids and benzodiazepines, 14.4 percent for opioids and skeletal muscle relaxants, and 2.4 percent for opioids, benzodiazepines, and skeletal muscle relaxants. Risk factors for coprescribing opioids and benzodiazepines included use of acellular dermal matrix, immediate reconstruction, and history of anxiety. Women who filled prescriptions for opioids and skeletal muscle relaxants, opioids and benzodiazepines, and opioids with skeletal muscle relaxants and benzodiazepines were significantly more likely to refill opioid prescriptions, even when controlling for preoperative opioid exposure., Conclusions: Nearly half of women filled an opioid prescription with a benzodiazepine, skeletal muscle relaxant, or both after implant-based breast reconstruction. Coprescribing of opioids with skeletal muscle relaxants may potentiate opioid use after surgery and should be avoided given the risks of sedation. Identifying strategies that avoid sedatives to manage pain after breast reconstruction is critical to mitigate high-risk prescribing practices., Clinical Question/level of Evidence: Risk, III., (Copyright © 2022 by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.)

Background Atherectomy has become the fastest growing catheter-based peripheral vascular intervention performed in the United States, and overuse has been linked to increased reimbursement, but the patterns of use have not been well characterized. Methods and Results We used Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Preferred Provider Organization and Medicare fee-for-service professional claims data from the Michigan Value Collaborative for patients undergoing office-based laboratory atherectomy in 2019 to calculate provider-specific rates of atherectomy use, reimbursement, number of vessels treated, and number of atherectomies per patient. We also calculated the rate that each provider converted a new patient visit to an endovascular procedure within 90 days. Correlations between parameters were assessed with simple linear regression. Providers completing ≥20 office-based laboratory atherectomies and ≥20 new patient evaluations during the study period were included. A total of 59 providers performing 4060 office-based laboratory atherectomies were included. Median professional reimbursement per procedure was $4671.56 (interquartile range [IQR], $2403.09-$7723.19) from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and $14 854.49 (IQR, $9414.80-$18 816.33) from Medicare, whereas total professional reimbursement from both payers ranged from $2452 to $6 880 402 per year. Median 90-day conversion rate was 5.0% (IQR, 2.5%-10.0%), whereas the median provider-level average number of vessels treated per patient was 1.20 (IQR, 1.13-1.31) and the median provider-level average number of treatments per patient was 1.38 (IQR, 1.26-1.63). Total annual reimbursement for each provider was directly correlated with new patient-procedure conversion rate ( R 2 =0.47; P <0.001), mean number of vessels treated per patient ( R 2 =0.31; P <0.001), and mean number of treatments per patient ( R 2 =0.33; P <0.001). Conclusions A minority of providers perform most procedures and are reimbursed substantially more per procedure compared with most providers. Procedural conversion rate, number of vessels, and number of treatments per patient represent potential policy levers to curb overuse.

Objective: Endovascular techniques continue to be increasingly utilized to treat vascular disease, but the effect of these minimally invasive techniques on opioid use following surgery is not known., Methods: Using Medicare data, we identified opioid-naive patients undergoing vascular procedures between 2009 and 2017. We selected patients ≥65 years old with continuous enrollment 12 months before and 6 months after surgery and had no additional operations. We defined new persistent opioid use (NPOU) as one or more opioid prescription fills both between 4-90 and 91-180 days postoperatively. Multivariable regression was performed for risk adjustment, and frequencies of NPOU were estimated between endovascular and open techniques to compare surgical approach., Results: A total of 77,767 patients were identified, with 2.6% of all patients developing new persistent use. In addition to the identification of several risk factors for new persistent use, patients undergoing endovascular carotid or vertebral interventions were found to have higher adjusted frequencies of persistent use compared to those undergoing open interventions (3.0% vs. 1.8%, p < 0.001) as did those undergoing endovenous compared to open vein procedures (2.2%, vs. 1.6%, p = 0.019). We found no difference for peripheral vascular or aortic/iliac procedures., Conclusions: Patients undergoing vascular surgery are at high risk for new persistent use. Undergoing endovascular carotid or venous surgery was associated with an increased risk of NPOU, whereas no differences were found between endovascular and open approaches for peripheral arterial or aortic disease.

Objective: To determine the effect of prescription opioid use in the year before surgery on opioid consumption after surgery., Background: Recently developed postoperative opioid prescribing guidelines rely on data from opioid-naïve patients. However, opioid use in the USA is common, and the impact of prior opioid exposure on the consumption of opioids after surgery is unclear., Methods: Population-based cohort study of 26,001 adults 18 years of age and older who underwent one of nine elective general or gynecologic surgical procedures between January 1, 2017 and October 31, 2019, with prospectively collected patient-reported data from the Michigan Surgical Quality Collaborative (MSQC) linked to state prescription drug monitoring program at 70 MSQC-participating hospitals on 30-day patient-reported opioid consumption in oral morphine equivalents (OME) (primary outcome)., Results: Compared with opioid-naïve participants, opioid-exposed participants (26% of sample) consumed more prescription opioids after surgery (adjusted OME difference 12, 95% CI 10 to 14). Greater opioid exposure was associated with higher postoperative consumption in a dose-dependent manner, with chronic users reporting the greatest consumption (additional OMEs 32, 95% CI 21 to 42). However, for eight of nine procedures, 90% of opioid-exposed participants consumed ≤150 OMEs. Among those receiving perioperative prescriptions, opioid-exposed participants had higher likelihood of refill (adjusted OR 4.7, 95% CI 4.4 to 5.1), number of refills (adjusted incidence rate ratio 4.0, 95% CI 3.7 to 4.3), and average refill amount (adjusted OME difference 333, 95% CI 292 to 374))., Conclusions: Preoperative opioid use is associated with small increases in patient-reported opioid consumption after surgery for most patients, though greater differences exist for patients with chronic use. For most patients with preoperative opioid exposure, existing guidelines may meet their postoperative needs. However, guidelines may need tailoring for patients with chronic use, and providers should anticipate a higher likelihood of postoperative refills for all opioid-exposed patients., Competing Interests: Competing interests: MCB has received consulting fees from Axial Healthcare and Alosa Health. CMB has served as a consultant for Heron Therapeutics, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, and Alosa Health, and provides expert medicolegal testimony. Otherwise the authors declare no competing interests., (© American Society of Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine 2022. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Objective: To examine the relationship between aspects of surgical intensity and postoperative opioid prescribing., Summary of Background Data: Despite the emergence of postoperative prescribing guidelines, recommendations are lacking for many procedures. identifying a framework based on surgical intensity to guide prescribing for those procedures in which guidelines may not exist could inform postoperative prescribing., Methods: We used clustering analysis with 4 factors of surgical intensity (intrinsic cardiac risk, pain score, median operative time, and work relative value units) to devise a classification system for common surgical procedures. We used IBM MarketScan Research Database (2010-2017) to examine the correlation between this framework with initial opioid prescribing and rates of refill for each cluster of procedures., Results: We examined 2,407,210 patients who underwent 128 commonly performed surgeries. Cluster analysis revealed 5 ordinal clusters by intensity: low, mid-low, mid, mid-high, and high. We found that as the cluster-order increased, the median amount of opioid prescribed increased: 150 oral morphine equivalents (OME) for low-intensity, 225 OME for mid-intensity, and 300 OME for high-intensity surgeries. Rates of refill increased as surgical intensity also increased, from 17.4% for low, 26.4% for mid, and 48.9% for high-intensity procedures. The odds of refill also increased as cluster-order increased; relative to low-intensity procedures, high-intensity procedures were associated with 4.37 times greater odds of refill., Conclusion: Surgical intensity is correlated with initial opioid prescribing and rates of refill. Aspects of surgical intensity could serve as a guide for procedures in which guidelines based on patient-reported outcomes are not available., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

In recent years, there has been increasing focus on the well-being of resident physicians. Considering the persistent problem of burnout and attrition particularly among surgical trainees, this is a well-warranted and laudable area of focus. However, despite the widespread adoption of resources available to residents through individual institutions, there is little understanding of how and why these resources are engaged or not during particularly vulnerable moments, such as following an unwanted patient event including postoperative complications and deaths., Methods: This qualitative study explored access to and usage of resources to promote well-being following an unwanted patient outcome through semi-structured interviews of 28 general surgery residents from 14 residency programs across the United States, including community, academic, and hybrid programs. A qualitative descriptive approach was used to analyze transcripts., Results: Residents described 3 main types of institutional resources available to them to promote well-being, including counseling services, support from program leadership, and wellness committees. Residents also described important barriers to use for each of these resources, which limited their access and value of these resources. Finally, residents shared their recommendations for future initiatives, including additional protected time off during weekdays and regular usage of structured debrief sessions following adverse patient outcomes., Conclusions: While institutional resources are commonly available to surgery residents, there remain important limitations and barriers to use, which may limit their effectiveness in supporting resident well-being in times of need. These barriers should be addressed at the program level to improve services and accessibility for residents., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Objective: To determine if patients consume less opioid after minimally invasive colectomy compared to open colectomy., Background: Opioids are overprescribed after surgery, and surgeons are under increasing pressure to reduce postoperative opioid prescribing. In colorectal surgery, minimally invasive approaches are partly justified by reduced inpatient opioid use, but there are no studies comparing post-discharge opioid consumption between minimally invasive and open colectomy., Methods: This was a retrospective observational study of adult patients undergoing colectomy from January 2017 to May 2018 in the Michigan Surgical Quality Collaborative database. After postoperative day 30, patients were contacted by phone or email and asked to report post-discharge opioid consumption. The main outcome measure was post-discharge opioid consumption, and the primary predictor was surgical approach (minimally invasive vs open). Zero-inflated negative binomial regression analysis was used to test for an association between surgical approach and opioid consumption., Results: We identified 562 patients who underwent minimally invasive or open colectomy from 43 hospitals. After multivariable adjustment, no significant difference was demonstrated in opioid consumption (P = 0.54) or the likelihood of using no opioids (P = 0.39) between patients undergoing minimally versus open colectomy. Larger prescriptions were associated with more opioid use and a lower likelihood of using no opioids. Age greater than 65 and diagnosis of cancer/adenoma were associated with less opioid use., Conclusions: Patients undergoing minimally invasive and open colectomy consume similar amounts of opioid after discharge. The size of the postoperative prescription, patient age, and diagnosis are more important in determining opioid use. Understanding factors influencing postoperative opioid requirements may allow surgeons to better tailor prescriptions to patient needs., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to report., (Copyright © 2020 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Complication rates after colectomy remain high. Previous work has failed to establish the relative contribution of patient comorbidities, surgeon performance, and hospital systems in the development of complications after elective colectomy., Study Design: We identified all patients undergoing elective colectomy between 2012 and 2018 at hospitals participating in the Michigan Surgical Quality Collaborative. The primary outcome was development of a postoperative complication. We used risk- and reliability-adjusted generalized linear mixed models to estimate the degree to which variance in patient-, surgeon-, and hospital-level factors contribute to complications., Results: A total of 15,755 patients were included in the study. The mean hospital-level complication rate was 15.8% (range, 8.7% to 30.2%). The proportion of variance attributable to the patient level was 35.0%, 2.4% was attributable to the surgeon level, and 1.8% was attributable to the hospital level. The predicted probability of complication for the least comorbid patient was 1.5% (CI 0.7-3.1%) at the highest performing hospital with the highest performing surgeon, and 6.6% (CI 3.2-12.2%) at the lowest performing hospital with the lowest performing surgeon. By contrast, the most comorbid patient in the cohort had a 66.3% (CI 39.5-85.6%) or 89.4% (CI 73.7-96.2%) risk of complication., Conclusions: This study demonstrated that variance from measured factors at the patient level contributed more than 8-fold more to the development of complications after colectomy compared with variance at the surgeon and hospital level, highlighting the impact of patient comorbidities on postoperative outcomes. These results underscore the importance of initiatives that optimize patient foundational health to improve surgical care., (Copyright © 2022 by the American College of Surgeons. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE: The authors have indicated they have no financial relationships relevant to this article to disclose.

Split-liver transplantation has allocation advantages over reduced-size transplantation because of its ability to benefit 2 recipients. However, prioritization of split-liver transplantation relies on the following 3 major assumptions that have never been tested in the United States: similar long-term transplant recipient outcomes, lower incidence of segment discard among split-liver procurements, and discard of segments among reduced-size procurements that would be otherwise "transplantable." We used United Network for Organ Sharing Standard Transplant Analysis and Research data to identify all split-liver (n = 1831) and reduced-size (n = 578) transplantation episodes in the United States between 2008 and 2018. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to compare 7-year all-cause graft loss between cohorts. Secondary analyses included etiology of 30-day all-cause graft loss events as well as the incidence and anatomy of discarded segments. We found no difference in 7-year all-cause graft loss (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.8-1.5) or 30-day all-cause graft loss (aHR, 1.1; 95% CI, 0.7-1.8) between split-liver and reduced-size cohorts. Vascular thrombosis was the most common etiology of 30-day all-cause graft loss for both cohorts (56.4% versus 61.8% of 30-day graft losses; P = 0.85). Finally, reduced-size transplantation was associated with a significantly higher incidence of segment discard (50.0% versus 8.7%) that were overwhelmingly right-sided liver segments (93.6% versus 30.3%). Our results support the prioritization of split-liver over reduced-size transplantation whenever technically feasible., (Copyright © 2021 by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.)

The US Health and Human Services Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force initiated a public-private partnership which led to the publication of its report in 2019. The report emphasized the need for individualized, multimodal, and multidisciplinary approaches to pain management that decrease the over-reliance on opioids, increase access to care, and promote widespread education on pain and substance use disorders. The Task Force specifically called on specialty organizations to work together to develop evidence-based guidelines. In response to this report's recommendations, a consortium of 14 professional healthcare societies committed to a 2-year project to advance pain management for the surgical patient and improve opioid safety. The modified Delphi process included two rounds of electronic voting and culminated in a live virtual event in February 2021, during which seven common guiding principles were established for acute perioperative pain management. These principles should help to inform local action and future development of clinical practice recommendations., Competing Interests: Competing interests: JMS declares salary support from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan; research funding from Neuros Medical (Willoughby, OH, USA), Setpoint Medical (Valencia, CA, USA), and Medtronic (Dublin, Ireland; legal consulting for Yates, McLamb and Weyher, LLP (Raleigh, NC, USA). KKKH is a consultant for True Digital Surgery (Goleta, CA, USA). GS is an advisory board member for Dorsal Health (New York, NY, USA) and consultant for Pacira Biosciences (Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ, USA). SS is a consultant for Masimo (Irvine, CA, USA), Allergan (Dublin, Ireland), and SPR Therapeutics (Cleveland, OH, USA). These companies had absolutely no input into any aspect of the project design, Pain Summit, or manuscript preparation. None of the other authors has any financial interests to declare., (© American Society of Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine 2022. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Objective: To assess the association between preoperative opioid exposure and readmissions following common surgery., Summary Background Data: Preoperative opioid use is common, but its effect on opioid-related, pain-related, respiratory-related, and all-cause readmissions following surgery is unknown., Methods: We analyzed claims data from a 20% national Medicare sample of patients ages ≥ 65 with Medicare Part D claims undergoing surgery between January 1, 2009 and November 30, 2016. We grouped patients by the dose, duration, recency, and continuity of preoperative opioid prescription fills. We used logistic regression to examine the association between prior opioid exposure and 30-day readmissions, adjusted for patient risk factors and procedure type., Results: Of 373,991 patients, 168,579 (45%) filled a preoperative opioid prescription within 12 months of surgery, ranging from minimal to chronic high use. Preoperative opioid exposure was associated with higher rate of opioid-related readmissions, compared with naive patients [low: aOR=1.63, 95% CI=1.26-2.12; high: aOR=3.70, 95% CI=2.71-5.04]. Preoperative opioid exposure was also associated with higher risk of pain-related readmissions [low: aOR=1.27, 95% CI=1.23-1.32; high: aOR=1.62, 95% CI=1.53-1.71] and respiratory-related readmissions [low: aOR=1.10, 95% CI=1.05-1.16; high: aOR=1.44, 95% CI=1.34-1.55]. Low, moderate, and high chronic preoperative opioid exposures were predictive of all-cause readmissions (low: OR 1.09, 95% CI: 1.06-1.12); high: OR 1.23, 95% CI: 1.18-1.29)., Conclusions: Higher levels of preoperative opioid exposure are associated with increased risk of readmissions after surgery. These findings emphasize the importance of screening patients for preoperative opioid exposure and creating risk mitigation strategies for patients., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To morphometrically measure to muscle mass which may reflect physical components of frailty. Hence, we evaluated the association between L4 total psoas area (TPA) and operative outcome after radical cystectomy (RC) for bladder cancer., Methods: In a retrospective single-center study, bladder cancer patients who underwent RC and urinary diversion between 2007 and 2012 were enrolled. TPA was evaluated in the cross-sectional imaging. The psoas muscles were normalized with the height. Male patients with a psoas mass index ≤7.4 cm 2 /m 2 and female patients with a psoas mass index ≤5.2 cm 2 /m 2 were classified as sarcopenic. Outcome measures were 30- and 90-day readmission and complications, and survival. Multivariable logistic and Cox proportional-hazards regression models were used to determine relevant predictors., Results: The median age of the 441 participants and follow up time was 68 years (IQR 59-75) and 1.2 years (IQR 0.5-1.9), respectively. One hundred forty-three patients (32.4%) were sarcopenic. The 30-day readmission and the complication rates were 13.8% and 44.7%, respectively. The 90-day readmission and complication rates were 23.9% and 53.1%, respectively. The 1-year mortality rate was 11.6% (95%CI 8.7-15.4). Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed an association between increased TPA and lower odds of 30-day complications after RC (OR 0.95, 95%CI 0.92-0.99, P = .02); similarly, an increase in TPA was of prognostic value, although not statistically significant in the multivariable model (P = .05) once adjusting for other patient factors., Conclusion: Sarcopenia predicted early complications and showed an informative trend for overall survival after RC, and thus may inform models predicting postsurgical outcomes., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To determine the effect of nonchronic, periodic preoperative opioid use on prolonged opioid fills after surgery., Background: Nonchronic, periodic opioid use is common, but its effect on prolonged postoperative opioid fills is not well understood. We hypothesize greater periodic opioid use before surgery is correlated with persistent postoperative use., Methods: We used a national private insurance claims database, Optum's de-identifed Clinformatics Data Mart Database, to identify adults undergoing general, gynecologic, and urologic surgical procedures between 2008 and 2015 (N = 191,043). We described patterns of opioid fills based on dose, recency, duration, and continuity to categorize preoperative opioid exposure. Patients with chronic use were excluded. Our primary outcome was persistent postoperative use, defined as filling an opioid prescription between 91- and 180-days post-discharge. The association between preoperative opioid use and persistent use was determined using multivariable logistic regression, controlling for clinical covariates., Results: In the year before surgery, 41% of patients had nonchronic, periodic opioid fills. Compared with other risk factors, patterns of preoperative fills were most strongly correlated with persistent postoperative opioid use. Patients with recent intermittent use were significantly more likely to have prolonged fills after surgery compared with opioid-naïve patients [minimal use: odds ratio (OR): 2.0, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.89-2.03; remote intermittent: OR 4.7, 95% CI 4.46-4.93; recent intermittent: OR 12.2, 95% CI 11.49-12.90]., Conclusions: Patients with nonchronic, periodic opioid use before surgery are vulnerable to persistent postoperative opioid use. Identifying opioid use before surgery is a critical opportunity to optimize care after surgery., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Despite the risk of new persistent opioid use after cardiac surgery, postdischarge opioid use has not been quantified and evidence-based prescribing guidelines have not been established., Methods: Opioid-naive patients undergoing primary cardiac surgery via median sternotomy between January and December 2019 at 10 hospitals participating in a statewide collaborative were selected. Clinical data were linked to patient-reported outcomes collected at 30-day follow-up. An opioid prescribing recommendation stratified by inpatient opioid use on the day before discharge (0, 1-3, or ≥4 pills) was implemented in July 2019. Interrupted time-series analyses were performed for prescription size and postdischarge opioid use before (January to June) and after (July to December) guideline implementation., Results: Among 1495 patients (729 prerecommendation and 766 postrecommendation), median prescription size decreased from 20 pills to 12 pills after recommendation release (P < .001), while opioid use decreased from 3 pills to 0 pills (P < .001). Change in prescription size over time was +0.6 pill/month before and -0.8 pill/month after the recommendation (difference = -1.4 pills/month; P = .036). Change in patient use was +0.6 pill/month before and -0.4 pill/month after the recommendation (difference = -1.0 pills/month; P = .017). Pain levels during the first week after surgery and refills were unchanged. Patients using 0 pills before discharge (n = 710) were prescribed a median of 0 pills and used 0 pills, while those using 1 to 3 pills (n = 536) were prescribed 20 pills and used 7 pills, and those using greater than or equal to 4 pills (n = 249) were prescribed 32 pills and used 24 pills., Conclusions: An opioid prescribing recommendation was effective, and prescribing after cardiac surgery should be guided by inpatient use., (Copyright © 2021 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose of Review: This review explores trends in the United States (US) transplant surgery workforce with a focus on historical demographics, post-fellowship job market, and quality of life reported by transplant surgeons. Ongoing efforts to improve women and racial/ethnic minority representation in transplant surgery are highlighted. Future directions to create a transplant workforce that reflects the diversity of the US population are discussed., Recent Findings: Representation of women and racial and ethnic minorities among transplant surgeons is minimal. Although recent data shows an improvement in the number of Black transplant surgeons from 2% to 5.5% and an increase in women to 12%, the White to Non-White transplant workforce ratio has increased 35% from 2000 to 2013. Transplant surgeons report an average of 4.3 call nights per week and less than five leisure days a month. Transplant ranks 1st among surgical sub-specialties in the prevalence of three well-studied facets of burnout. Concerns about lifestyle may contribute to the decreasing demand for advanced training in abdominal transplantation by US graduates., Summary: Minimal improvements have been made in transplant surgery workforce diversity. Sustained and intentional recruitment and promotion efforts are needed to improve the representation of women and minority physicians and advanced practice providers in the field., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Underrepresented minority (URM) medical students face many educational challenges. Barriers include lack of equitable representation, scarce mentorship, and the effects of systemic racism. For students interested in diversity and health equity, perceptions of surgical culture may discourage pursuing surgical specialties. We describe a national pilot for a novel surgical pipeline program, Leadership Exposure for the Advancement of Gender and Underrepresented Minority Equity in Surgery (LEAGUES), which utilizes early exposure, mentorship, and community building to empower URM students in pursuit of academic surgical careers., Design: A 4-week virtual program included pairing students with faculty research mentors, virtual skills sessions, and seminars on leadership, advocacy, and career development. Participants underwent semi-structured interviews before and after participation, assessing experiences with mentorship and research, interest in surgery, career aspirations, and perceived barriers to career goals., Setting: Department of Surgery, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan., Participants: Rising second-year medical students., Results: All 3 participants were Latinx; 2 were first-generation college students. Participants had no surgical mentorship and limited research exposure, citing a desire to learn research methodology, connect with mentors, and build towards a career working with underserved communities as motivating factors for participation. Perceived barriers to a surgical career included surgical culture, burnout, and lack of research expertise or academic network necessary for success. At completion of the program, participants described several themes: (1) new positive perspective on academic surgical culture, (2) interest and confidence in research, (3) hope for improving health disparities, (4) networking and longitudinal mentorship connections contributing to a sense of surgical community, and (5) eagerness to share resources with colleagues at their home institutions., Conclusions: LEAGUES program participants acquired tools and motivation to pursue careers in surgery, and established valuable longitudinal network and mentor relationships. LEAGUES is a novel model for national surgical pipeline programs., (Copyright © 2021 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Importance: US liver transplant programs have traditionally been evaluated on 1-year patient and graft survival. However, there is concern that a narrow focus on recipient outcomes may not incentivize programs to improve in other ways that would benefit patients with end-stage liver disease., Objective: To determine the correlation among different potential domains of quality for adult liver transplant programs., Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective cohort study was conducted from 2014 to 2019 among adult liver transplant programs included in the United Network for Organ Sharing and Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients program-specific reports. Liver transplant programs in the United States completing at least 10 liver transplants per year were included. Data were analyzed from March 2 to August 13, 2020., Main Outcomes and Measures: The potential domains of quality examined included recipient outcomes (1-year graft and patient survival), aggressiveness (ie, marginal graft use, defined as the rate of use of donors with body mass index [calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared] greater than 40, age older than 65 years, or deceased by cardiac death), and waiting list management (ie, waiting list mortality). The correlation among measures, aggregated at the center level, was evaluated using linear regression to control for mean Model for End Stage Liver Disease-Sodium score at organ allocation. The extent to which programs were able to achieve high quality across multiple domains was also evaluated., Results: Among 114 transplant programs that performed a total of 44 554 transplants, the mean (SD) 1-year graft and patient survival was 90.3% (3.0%) with a total range of 75.9% to 96.6%. The mean (SD) waiting list mortality rate was 16.7 (6.1) deaths per 100 person-years, with a total range of 6.3 to 53.0 deaths per 100 person years. The mean (SD) marginal graft use rate was 15.8 (8.8) donors per 100 transplants, with a total range of 0 to 49.3 donors. There was no correlation between 1-year graft and patient survival and waiting list mortality (β = -0.053; P = .19) or marginal graft use (β = -0.007; P = .84) after correcting for mean allocation Model for End Stage Liver Disease-Sodium scores. There were 2 transplant programs (1.8%) that performed in the top quartile on all 3 measures, while 4 transplant programs (3.6%) performed in the bottom quartile on all 3 measures., Conclusions and Relevance: This cohort study found that among US liver transplant programs, there were no correlations among 1-year recipient outcomes, measures of program aggressiveness, or waiting list management. These findings suggest that a program's performance in one domain may be independent and unrelated to its performance on others and that the understanding of factors contributing to these domains is incomplete.

Background: Larger opioid prescriptions are associated with increased consumption without improvements in pain, and the majority of opioids prescribed go unused. We examined postoperative opioid prescription and use in patients undergoing vascular access surgery, where preoperative opioid exposure is common., Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted in adult CKD patients who underwent outpatient vascular access surgery. Patients were surveyed by telephone >2 weeks after surgery to assess pain level and opioid and non-opioid medication use., Results: Of 117 patients contacted, 76 responded (65% response rate), with a median (interquartile range) age of 56 (42-69) years. Sixty-three patients (83%) were prescribed an opioid postoperatively. Respondents were prescribed 60 (38-75) oral morphine equivalents (OMEs) and consumed 0 (0-15) OMEs over 1 day with a pain score of 5 out of 10. Thirty-nine patients (>50%) used no opioids. There were no differences in postoperative opioid prescribing or use in patients with recent opioid exposure compared to patients without. Patients who underwent arteriovenous fistula (AVF) creation (short surgical incision procedure) were prescribed 60 (38-75) OMEs, compared with 75 (56-111) OMEs for patients who underwent AVF superficialization, AVG, or BVT (long surgical incision procedure; P < 0.01) and consumed 0 (0-15) OMEs compared with 10 (0-43) OMEs, respectively (P = 0.07)., Conclusion: Regardless of preoperative opioid exposure, CKD patients undergoing vascular access surgery consumed fewer opioids than prescribed, with a median of <10% of opioids used. Therefore, we've reduced our institutional prescribing recommendations to 4 and 6 oxycodone 5mg pills for short and long surgical incision procedures, respectively., Competing Interests: Disclosure Dr. Englesbe receives partial salary support from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan through the Michigan Surgical Quality Collaborative. Dr. Woodside receives clinical trial support from Laminate Medical Technologies., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objective: Recent data have suggested that persistent opioid use is prevalent following trauma. The effect of type of injury and total injury burden is not known. We sought to characterize the relationship between injury location and severity and risk of persistent opioid use., Methods: We investigated postdischarge opioid utilization among patients who were admitted for trauma between January 2010 and June 2017 using the Optum Clinformatics Database. New persistent opioid use (NPOU) was defined as one of the following scenarios: (1) two separate opioid prescription fills between 0 and 14 days postdischarge and having 1+ fills in the 91 to 180 days following discharge or (2) filling a prescription in the 15 to 90 days following discharge in addition to a filling in the 91 to 180 day postdischarge period. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between injury type and severity with new persistent opioid use development., Results: A total of 26,437 opioid-naive patients were included in the analysis. Overall, 2,277 patients (8.6%) met the criteria for NPOU. After adjustment for confounding, NPOU was significantly more common for patients with injury to the extremities (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.75; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.57-1.94) or abdomen (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.42; 95% CI, 1.22-1.64). Importantly, patients with maximum Abbreviated Injury Scale score of ≥2 for any body region had 1.49-fold odds of NPOU compared with patients with score of 1 (95% CI, 1.28-1.73), while no difference was seen across groupings of total injury burden based on Injury Severity Score., Conclusion: New persistent opioid use is common among patients suffering from trauma. In addition, patients suffering from extremity and abdominal injuries are at highest risk. Maximum individual region injury severity predicts development of new persistent use, whereas total injury severity does not., Level of Evidence: Prognostic and epidemiological, level III., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST: The authors have indicated they have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose.