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A majority of patients with primary hyperparathyroidism are not referred for surgical evaluation. We hypothesized that disparities in the rate of surgeon evaluation by language, race and ethnicity, and insurance contribute to this deficit.We queried our institutional electronic health record registry for patients with first-incident hypercalcemia between 2010 and 2018 and subsequent biochemical diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism. We used the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards modeling to investigate estimated time to surgeon evaluation by language, race and ethnicity, and insurance status.Of 1,333 patients with a diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism, 74% were female, 67% were White, 44% were privately insured, and 88% preferred English. Fewer than one third (n = 377; 28%) were evaluated by a surgeon. After adjusting for demographic and clinical factors, Asian (hazard ratio = 0.38; 95% confidence interval, 0.18-0.84; P = .016) and Black or African American patients (hazard ratio = 0.59; 95% confidence interval, 0.39-0.90; P = .014) had a lower rate of surgeon evaluation compared to White patients. Although patients with Medicaid had a lower rate of surgeon evaluation compared to privately insured patients (hazard ratio = 0.52; 95% confidence interval, 0.35-0.77; P = .001), there was no difference in rate for those with Medicare or who were uninsured. Patients with non-English and non-Spanish language had a lower rate of evaluation compared to those who preferred English (hazard ratio = 0.47; 95% confidence interval, 0.23-0.98; P = .043).Rates of surgeon evaluation vary by race and ethnicity, insurance status, and preferred language. Evaluation of factors contributing to these disparities is needed to improve access to surgeon referral.

To compare secondary patient reported outcomes of perceptions of treatment success and function for patients treated for appendicitis with appendectomy vs. antibiotics at 30 days.The Comparison of Outcomes of antibiotic Drugs and Appendectomy trial found antibiotics noninferior to appendectomy based on 30-day health status. To address questions about outcomes among participants with lower socioeconomic status, we explored the relationship of sociodemographic and clinical factors and outcomes.We focused on 4 patient reported outcomes at 30 days: high decisional regret, dissatisfaction with treatment, problems performing usual activities, and missing10 days of work. The randomized (RCT) and observational cohorts were pooled for exploration of baseline factors. The RCT cohort alone was used for comparison of treatments. Logistic regression was used to assess associations.The pooled cohort contained 2062 participants; 1552 from the RCT. Overall, regret and dissatisfaction were low whereas problems with usual activities and prolonged missed work occurred more frequently. In the RCT, those assigned to antibiotics had more regret (Odd ratios (OR) 2.97, 95% Confidence intervals (CI) 2.05-4.31) and dissatisfaction (OR 1.98, 95%CI 1.25-3.12), and reported less missed work (OR 0.39, 95%CI 0.27-0.56). Factors associated with function outcomes included sociodemographic and clinical variables for both treatment arms. Fewer factors were associated with dissatisfaction and regret.Overall, participants reported high satisfaction, low regret, and were frequently able to resume usual activities and return to work. When comparing treatments for appendicitis, no single measure defines success or failure for all people. The reported data may inform discussions regarding the most appropriate treatment for individuals.Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT02800785.

Background The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic restricted movement of individuals and altered provision of health care, abruptly transforming health care-use behaviors. It serves as a natural experiment to explore changes in presentations for surgical diseases including acute appendicitis. The objective was to determine if the pandemic was associated with changes in incidence of acute appendicitis compared to a historical control and to determine if there were associated changes in disease severity. Methods The study is a retrospective, multicenter cohort study of adults (N = 956) presenting with appendicitis in nonpandemic versus pandemic time periods (December 1, 2019–March 10, 2020 versus March 11, 2020–May 16, 2020). Corresponding time periods in 2018 and 2019 composed the historical control. Primary outcome was mean biweekly counts of all appendicitis presentations, then stratified by complicated (n = 209) and uncomplicated (n = 747) disease. Trends in presentations were compared using difference-in-differences methodology. Changes in odds of presenting with complicated disease were assessed via clustered multivariable logistic regression. Results There was a 29% decrease in mean biweekly appendicitis presentations from 5.4 to 3.8 (rate ratio = 0.71 [0.51, 0.98]) after the pandemic declaration, with a significant difference in differences compared with historical control (P = .003). Stratified by severity, the decrease was significant for uncomplicated appendicitis (rate ratio = 0.65 [95% confidence interval 0.47–0.91]) when compared with historical control (P = .03) but not for complicated appendicitis (rate ratio = 0.89 [95% confidence interval 0.52–1.52]); (P = .49). The odds of presenting with complicated disease did not change (adjusted odds ratio 1.36 [95% confidence interval 0.83–2.25]). Conclusion The pandemic was associated with decreased incidence of uncomplicated appendicitis without an accompanying increase in complicated disease. Changes in individual health care–use behaviors may underlie these differences, suggesting that some cases of uncomplicated appendicitis may resolve without progression to complicated disease.

Despite meeting operative indications for primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT), many patients never undergo parathyroidectomy. We hypothesized that patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) would be less likely to undergo parathyroidectomy than English-proficient (EP) patients.We retrospectively analyzed patients with PHPT from an institution-wide registry who met operative criteria between 2010 and 2018. The cohort was stratified by English proficiency. Univariate associations between sociodemographic and clinical factors with parathyroidectomy were assessed. A multivariable logistic regression model was created to assess independent predictors of parathyroidectomy.Among a cohort of 1,104 patients, 262 (24%) underwent parathyroidectomy. LEP patients (n = 135, 12%) were significantly younger (mean age 62 vs. 69, p 0.001), more likely non-white race and ethnicity (p 0.001), and less likely to have private insurance (p 0.001). After adjusting for covariates, non-English and non-Spanish preferred language was an independent negative predictor of undergoing parathyroidectomy (OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.21-0.95, p = 0.037).Limited English proficiency may be an independent barrier to appropriate surgical management of PHPT. Systems-level and disease-specific interventions are needed to address this disparity faced by patients with LEP.

The influence of patient-level factors on palliative and hospice care is unclear. We conducted a retrospective review of 2321 patients aged ≥18 that died within 6 months of admission to our institution between 2012 and 2017. Patients were included for analysis if their chart was complete, their length of stay was ≥48 hours, and if based on their diagnoses, they would have benefited from palliative care consultation (PCC). Bayesian regression with a weakly informative prior was used to find the odds ratio (OR) and 99% credible interval (CrI) of receiving PCC based on race/ethnicity, education, language, insurance status, and income. 730 patients fit our inclusion criteria and 30% (n = 211) received PCC. The OR of receiving PCC was 1.26 (99% CrI, 0.73-2.12) for Blacks, 0.81 (99% CrI, 0.31-1.86) for Hispanics, and 0.69 (99% CrI, 0.19-2.46) for other minorities. Less than high school education was associated with greater odds of PCC (OR 2.28, 99% CrI, 1.09-4.93) compared to no schooling. Compared to English speakers, non-English speakers had higher odds of receiving PCC when cared for by medical services (OR 3.01 [99% CrI, 1.44-5.32]) but lower odds of PCC when cared for by surgical services (0.22 [99% CrI

Background Venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis has become routine for patients undergoing most operations, but it remains controversial for breast operations due to a perceived low risk of VTE. There is limited evidence to support routine or extended VTE prophylaxis in breast surgery. We investigated the benefits and risks of the Caprini risk stratification tool and corresponding prevention program, including extended prophylaxis for high-risk groups, in patients undergoing operations for benign and malignant breast lesions. Study Design Using Boston Medical Center data, we reviewed records of patients who underwent lumpectomy or total mastectomy (with or without axillary surgery and/or reconstruction), between 2011 and 2018, to collect information about operation, Caprini score, administration of prophylaxis, and postoperative VTE or bleeding events. Descriptive statistics were performed. Results Seven hundred fifty patients underwent 881 operations; 48.9% were at low or moderate risk of VTE, 43.8% were at high risk, and 7.3% were at highest risk. There were no VTE events in the low- and moderate-risk groups, 5 (1.3%) in the high-risk, and 1 (1.6%) in the highest-risk group. One patient was diagnosed with VTE during hospitalization. None of the 5 patients who developed VTE after discharge was prescribed the recommended extended chemoprophylaxis. There were 19 bleeding events that did not require reoperation; 3 patients returned to the operating room. There was no correlation of bleeding with receipt of extended chemoprophylaxis. Conclusions The Caprini protocol can identify high-risk breast surgery patients who may benefit from extended VTE chemoprophylaxis, as well as low-risk patients who require no chemoprophylaxis. Furthermore, administration of extended chemoprophylaxis was not associated with an increased risk of bleeding.

Current AJCC guidelines recommend evaluating ≥6 lymph nodes during gallbladder cancer resection but real world data suggest this is rarely achieved. We evaluated the extent of lymphadenectomy and survival among patients with gallbladder adenocarcinoma.Patients with resected pT1b-T3 gallbladder adenocarcinoma were identified from the NCDB (2004-2017). Propensity scores were created for the odds of sufficient lymphadenectomy (≥6 nodes), patients were matched 1:1 and survival was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method.Overall, 4760 patients were identified: 16.7% underwent sufficient lymphadenectomy, which was predictive of nodal disease (OR 1.77, 95%CI 1.51-2.08) and demonstrated a survival benefit in N0 (median OS 140.8 versus 44.4 months; p 0.0001) and N1-2 disease (median OS 27.7 versus 17.7 months; p 0.0001) after matching.The majority of patients with gallbladder adenocarcinoma do not undergo the recommended nodal dissection, resulting in a survival disadvantage, likely due to understaging, decisions regarding adjuvant therapy and local tumor recurrence.

Several studies demonstrated language that discordant care between may lead to mixed outcomes and increased use of hospital-resources. In the setting of bariatric surgery, which relies heavily on intensive pre-operative and post-operative counseling, we hypothesized that patients with LEP would have less favorable outcomes compared to English-proficient (EP) patients.All patients 18 years and older, who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (SG) or laparoscopic gastric bypass (LGBP) from January 2013 to December 2017 were included. Language proficiency was determined by chart review for the use of an interpreter at least once during the study period. Outcomes of interest at 30-days and 1 year included: emergency department (ED) visits, readmission, length of stay (LOS), chief-complaint on readmission, and post-operative complications. Additionally, comorbidity remission and weight loss at one year was recorded.A total of 671 patients were categorized as LEP (40%) and spoke 6 unique languages. Within the 1 year post-operative period, EP patients presented to the ED more than LEP patients (23% vs. 14% p lt; 0.001). After multivariable regression for potential confounders this difference persisted; adjusted OR = 0.65 (95% CI 0.43-0.95; p = 0.029). However, despite more frequent ED visits by EP patients, there was no significant difference in readmission within one year; adjusted OR = 0.94 (95% CI 0.56-1.55; p = 0.50). Both groups demonstrated similar successful weight loss at 1 year: EP-31.85% (LGBP) and - 28.02% (SG) vs. LEP-30.17% (LGBP) and - 28.36% (SG). EP and LEP patients also had similar remission of obesity-related comorbidities.There were no differences in outcomes following bariatric surgery when comparing patients with limited English proficiency to those who are proficient in English. Bariatric surgical care can be delivered in a safe and effective manner with equivalent outcomes between patients who are and are not English-language proficient.

BACKGROUND: Limited English proficiency (LEP) is common among hospitalized patients and may impact care. We synthesized the literature comparing clinical outcomes after in-hospital care for English-proficient(EP) versus LEP patients. METHODS: This systematic review searched PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science from database inception through June 7, 2020, to identify research investigating clinical outcomes in patients receiving hospital-based care (in the emergency department, inpatient ward, surgical/procedural suite, or intensive care unit) that compared patients with LEP to an EP group. We assessed mortality, length of stay (LOS), readmissions/revisits, and complications. Study quality was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. RESULTS: Twenty-six studies met eligibility criteria. Study settings and populations were heterogeneous. Determination of primary language varied; a majority of studies (16/26) used patient self-report directly or via hospital records. Of 16 studies examining LEP and all-cause mortality, 13 found no significant association. Of 17 studies measuring LOS, 9 found no difference, 4 found longer LOS, 3 found shorter LOS, and 1 had mixed LOS results among patients with LEP. Several investigations suggested that LOS differences may be mediated at the hospital level. Nine studies evaluated inpatient readmissions. Among patients with LEP, there was evidence for increased readmissions in the setting of chronic medical conditions such as heart failure, but no evidence for increased readmissions among cohorts undergoing surgeries/procedures or with acute medical conditions. Five studies evaluated complications or harm related to a hospitalization, and no differences were found between language groups. DISCUSSION: The research community lacks a standardized definition of LEP. Most studies did not find an association between English proficiency and mortality or complications. LOS findings were mixed and may be influenced at the hospital level. Differences in readmissions by language were concentrated in chronic medical conditions. Given the paucity of studies examining LEP populations, additional research is imperative. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020143477 SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11606-021-07348-6.

There is a paucity of data regarding the utilization of palliative care consultation (PCC) in surgical specialties. We conducted a retrospective review of 2321 adult patients (age ≥18) who died within 6 months of admission to Boston Medical Center from 2012 to 2017. Patients were included for analysis if their length of stay was more than 48 hours and if, based on their diagnoses as determined by literature review and expert consensus, they would have benefited from PCC. Bayesian regression was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 99% credible intervals (CrI) of receiving PCC adjusted for age, sex, race, insurance status, median income, and comorbidity status. Among the 739 patients who fit the inclusion criteria, only 30% (n = 222) received PCC even though 664 (90%) and 75 (10%) of these patients were identified as warranting PCC on medical and surgical services, respectively. Of the 222 patients who received PCC, 214 (96%) were cared for by medical services and 8 (4%) were cared for by surgical services. Patients cared for primarily by surgical were significantly less likely to receive PCC than primary patients of medical service providers (OR, 0.19, 99% CrI, 0.056-0.48). At our institution, many surgical patients appropriate for PCC are unable to benefit from this service due to low consultation numbers. Further investigation is warranted to examine if this phenomenon is observed at other institutions, elucidate the reasons for this disparity, and develop interventions to increase the appropriate use of PCC throughout all medical specialties.

A feared complication after thyroid and parathyroid operations is postoperative hematoma that threatens the airway. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with postoperative hematoma.Patients undergoing thyroidectomy or parathyroidectomy were evaluated for postoperative hematoma requiring operative intervention using the database of the Collaborative Endocrine Surgery Quality Improvement Program. Associations between perioperative factors and postoperative hematoma were evaluated with bivariate methodologies and multivariable logistic regression.Among 19,356 patients, 60.4% underwent thyroidectomy ± lymph node dissection, 34.9% parathyroidectomy, and 4.7% concurrent thyroidectomy/parathyroidectomy. Postoperative hematoma occurred in 0.6% overall: 0.7% of thyroidectomies, 0.3% of parathyroidectomies, and 1.3% of combined thyroid/parathyroid operations (P.001). The incidence of postoperative hematoma was greater among men (P.001) and after greater operative times (P.001) but was not influenced by body mass index, prior neck surgery, or reoperations. Multivariable logistic regression determined that operative complexity, operation1 hour, male sex, and age were independently associated with postoperative hematoma. Postoperative hematoma were associated with greater rates of other complications as well.Large databases such as Collaborative Endocrine Surgery Quality Improvement Program are useful to evaluate rare complications. The risk of postoperative hematoma is associated with extent of operation, greater operative times, age, and male sex. These data may be beneficial in counseling patients and may serve as a benchmark for surgeons to evaluate their practices.

Background This study investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on endocrine surgeons. Methods A survey on the professional, educational, and clinical impact was sent to active and corresponding members of the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons (AAES) in September 2020. Chi-square and paired t-test were used for analysis. Results 77 surgeons responded (14.8 %). All reported suspension of elective surgeries; 37.7 % were reassigned to other duties during this time. The median number of cases backlogged was 30 (IQR 15–50). Most surgeons reported decreased clinical volume (74.6 %). The use of virtual platforms for clinical and educational purposes increased from pre-COVID-19 levels (all p

Background Antibiotic therapy has been proposed as an alternative to surgery for the treatment of appendicitis. Methods We conducted a pragmatic, nonblinded, noninferiority, randomized trial comparing antibiotic therapy (10-day course) with appendectomy in patients with appendicitis at 25 U.S. centers. The primary outcome was 30-day health status, as assessed with the European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D) questionnaire (scores range from 0 to 1, with higher scores indicating better health status; noninferiority margin, 0.05 points). Secondary outcomes included appendectomy in the antibiotics group and complications through 90 days; analyses were prespecified in subgroups defined according to the presence or absence of an appendicolith. Results In total, 1552 adults (414 with an appendicolith) underwent randomization; 776 were assigned to receive antibiotics (47% of whom were not hospitalized for the index treatment) and 776 to undergo appendectomy (96% of whom underwent a laparoscopic procedure). Antibiotics were noninferior to appendectomy on the basis of 30-day EQ-5D scores (mean difference, 0.01 points; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.001 to 0.03). In the antibiotics group, 29% had undergone appendectomy by 90 days, including 41% of those with an appendicolith and 25% of those without an appendicolith. Complications were more common in the antibiotics group than in the appendectomy group (8.1 vs. 3.5 per 100 participants; rate ratio, 2.28; 95% CI, 1.30 to 3.98); the higher rate in the antibiotics group could be attributed to those with an appendicolith (20.2 vs. 3.6 per 100 participants; rate ratio, 5.69; 95% CI, 2.11 to 15.38) and not to those without an appendicolith (3.7 vs. 3.5 per 100 participants; rate ratio, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.45 to 2.43). The rate of serious adverse events was 4.0 per 100 participants in the antibiotics group and 3.0 per 100 participants in the appendectomy group (rate ratio, 1.29; 95% CI, 0.67 to 2.50). Conclusions For the treatment of appendicitis, antibiotics were noninferior to appendectomy on the basis of results of a standard health-status measure. In the antibiotics group, nearly 3 in 10 participants had undergone appendectomy by 90 days. Participants with an appendicolith were at a higher risk for appendectomy and for complications than those without an appendicolith. (Funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute; CODA ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02800785.).

Antibiotic therapy has been proposed as an alternative to surgery for the treatment of appendicitis.We conducted a pragmatic, nonblinded, noninferiority, randomized trial comparing antibiotic therapy (10-day course) with appendectomy in patients with appendicitis at 25 U.S. centers. The primary outcome was 30-day health status, as assessed with the European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D) questionnaire (scores range from 0 to 1, with higher scores indicating better health status; noninferiority margin, 0.05 points). Secondary outcomes included appendectomy in the antibiotics group and complications through 90 days; analyses were prespecified in subgroups defined according to the presence or absence of an appendicolith.In total, 1552 adults (414 with an appendicolith) underwent randomization; 776 were assigned to receive antibiotics (47% of whom were not hospitalized for the index treatment) and 776 to undergo appendectomy (96% of whom underwent a laparoscopic procedure). Antibiotics were noninferior to appendectomy on the basis of 30-day EQ-5D scores (mean difference, 0.01 points; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.001 to 0.03). In the antibiotics group, 29% had undergone appendectomy by 90 days, including 41% of those with an appendicolith and 25% of those without an appendicolith. Complications were more common in the antibiotics group than in the appendectomy group (8.1 vs. 3.5 per 100 participants; rate ratio, 2.28; 95% CI, 1.30 to 3.98); the higher rate in the antibiotics group could be attributed to those with an appendicolith (20.2 vs. 3.6 per 100 participants; rate ratio, 5.69; 95% CI, 2.11 to 15.38) and not to those without an appendicolith (3.7 vs. 3.5 per 100 participants; rate ratio, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.45 to 2.43). The rate of serious adverse events was 4.0 per 100 participants in the antibiotics group and 3.0 per 100 participants in the appendectomy group (rate ratio, 1.29; 95% CI, 0.67 to 2.50).For the treatment of appendicitis, antibiotics were noninferior to appendectomy on the basis of results of a standard health-status measure. In the antibiotics group, nearly 3 in 10 participants had undergone appendectomy by 90 days. Participants with an appendicolith were at a higher risk for appendectomy and for complications than those without an appendicolith. (Funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute; CODA ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02800785.).

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed many lives and strained the US health care system. At Boston Medical Center (BMC), a regional safety net hospital, the Department of Surgery created a dedicated, COVID-19 Procedure Team to ease the burden on other providers coping with the surge of infected patients. As restrictions on social distancing are lifted, health systems are bracing for additional surges in COVID-19 cases. Our objective is to quantify the volume and types of procedures performed, review outcomes, and highlight lessons for other institutions that may need to establish similar teams. Study Design Procedures were tracked prospectively along with patient demographics, immediate complications, and time from donning to doffing of the personal protective equipment (PPE). Retrospective chart review was conducted to obtain patient outcomes and delayed adverse events. We hypothesized that a dedicated, surgeon-led team would perform invasive bedside procedures expeditiously and with few complications. Results From March 30 to April 30, 2020, there were 1,196 COVID-19 admissions. The Procedure Team performed 272 procedures on 125 patients, including placement of 135 arterial catheters, 107 central venous catheters, 25 hemodialysis catheters, and 4 thoracostomy tubes. Specific to central venous access, the average procedural time was 47 minutes, and the rate of immediate complications was 1.5%, including 1 arterial cannulation and 1 pneumothorax. Conclusions Procedural complication rate was less than rates reported in the literature. The team saved approximately 192 hours of work that could be re-directed to other patient care needs. In times of crisis, redeployment of surgeons (who arguably have the most procedural experience) into procedural teams is a practical approach to optimize outcomes and preserve resources., Highlights TOC Statement- 20200796 Formation of a surgeon-run, COVID-19 Procedure Team eased the workload of providing medical care to COVID-19 patients, decreased exposures to COVID-19, conserved personal protective equipment, and allowed for expeditious bedside procedures at lesser-than-expected rates of complications. The importance of this study is that it may serve as a guide for surgeons in future acute disruptions to the health care system and provides data on realistic anticipated outcomes.

IMPORTANCE: Some studies based on proportions of patients with perforated appendicitis (PA) among all patients with acute appendicitis (AA) have found an association between socioeconomic status (SES) and risk of perforation. A potential limitation is their use of proportions, which assumes that incidence of AA is evenly distributed across populations at risk. This assumption may be invalid, and SES may have a more complex association with both AA and PA. OBJECTIVE: To generate population-based incidences of AA and PA and to examine geographic patterns of incidence alongside geographic patterns of SES. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Retrospective study of data from Washington’s Comprehensive Hospital Abstract Reporting System and the 2010 US census. Geographic methods were used to identify patterns of age- and sex-standardized incidence in Washington State between 2008 and 2012. The study included all patients discharged with International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes for AA or PA. Data were analyzed between November 2016 and December 2018. EXPOSURES: Location of primary residence. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Age- and sex-standardized incidence for AA and PA was generated for each census tract (CT). Global spatial autocorrelation was examined using Moran index (0.0 = completely random incidence; 1.0 = fully dependent on location). Clusters of low-incidence CTs (cold spots) and high-incidence CTs (hot spots) were identified for AA. Census-based SES data were aggregated for hot spots and cold spots and then compared. RESULTS: Statewide, over the 5-year study period, there were 35 730 patients with AA (including 9780 cases of PA), of whom 16 574 were women (46.4%). Median age of the cohort was 29 years (IQR, 16-48 years). Statewide incidence of AA and PA was 106 and 29 per 100 000 person-years (PY), respectively. Crude incidence was higher within the male population and peaked at age 10 to 19 years. Age- and sex-standardized incidence of AA demonstrated significant positive spatial autocorrelation (Moran index, 0.30; P

Among patients with acute appendicitis (AA), perforation is thought to be associated with symptom duration before treatment. Perforation rates vary between hospitals raising the possibility that some perforations are preventable. The factors that compel patients to present earlier or later are unknown but are critical in developing quality improvement interventions aimed at reducing perforation rates.The Appendicitis Patient Pre-Hospital Experience (APPE) Survey is a prospective study of adults and parents of children with AA in six hospitals participating in Washington State's Comparative Effectiveness Research Translation Network (CERTAIN). The APPE survey includes questions about symptom duration before presentation (late defined as24 h), predisposing characteristics, enabling factors, and need.Among 80 patients, perforation occurred more frequently in late presenters (44% versus 11%, P 0.01). Late presenters more frequently drove themselves to the hospital (64% versus 52%, P = 0.05) as opposed to relying on friends/family members and described their health behavior as "waiting it out" when something is wrong (71% versus 46%, P = 0.03). We found similar sociodemographics, clinical characteristics, health care utilization, optimism, health care trust, and risk taking between the two cohorts.Late presenters described reduced social support and a tendency to "wait it out" and had higher rates of perforation than early presenters. These characteristics have not been well-studied conditions but are important to understand to identify patients at high risk for delayed presentation. Future interventions might target those with low social support or those who are reluctant to seek care early to decrease rates of perforation.

Background: There is no consensus regarding the ideal post-operative antibiotic strategy for surgically managed complicated appendicitis. The goal of this study was to investigate differen...

IMPORTANCE In addition to biochemical cure, clinical benefits after surgery for primary aldosteronism depend on the magnitude of decrease in blood pressure (BP) and use of antihypertensive medications with a subsequent decreased risk of cardiovascular and/or cerebrovascular morbidity and drug-induced adverse effects.OBJECTIVE To evaluate the change in BP and use of antihypertensive medications within an international cohort of patients who recently underwent surgery for primary aldosteronism.DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A cohort study was conducted across 16 referral medical centers in Europe, the United States, Canada, and Australia. Patients who underwent unilateral adrenalectomy for primary aldosteronism between January 2010 and December 2016 were included. Data analysis was performed from August 2017 to June 2018. Unilateral disease was confirmed using computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and/or adrenal venous sampling. Patients with missing or incomplete preoperative or follow-up data regarding BP or corresponding number of antihypertensive medications were excluded.MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Clinical success was defined based on postoperative BP and number of antihypertensive medications. Cure was defined as normotension without antihypertensive medications, and clear improvement as normotension with lower or equal use of antihypertensive medications. In patients with preoperative normotensivity, improvement was defined as postoperative normotension with lower antihypertensive use. All other patients were stratified as no clear success because the benefits of surgery were less obvious, mainly owing to postoperative, persistent hypertension. Clinical outcomes were assessed at follow-up closest to 6 months after surgery.RESULTS On the basis of inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 435 patients (84.6%) from a cohort of 514 patients who underwent unilateral adrenalectomy were eligible. Of these patients, 186 (42.3%) were women; mean (SD) age at the time of surgery was 50.7 (11.4) years. Cure was achieved in 118 patients (27.1%), clear improvement in 135 (31.0%), and no clear success in 182 (41.8%). In the subgroup classified as no clear success, 166 patients (91.2%) had postoperative hypertension. However, within this subgroup, the mean (SD) systolic and diastolic BP decreased significantly by 9 (22) mm Hg (P CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this study, for most patients, adrenalectomy was associated with a postoperative normotensive state and reduction of antihypertensive medications. Furthermore, a significant proportion of patients with postoperative, persistent hypertension may benefit from adrenalectomy given the observed clinically relevant and significant reduction of BP and antihypertensive medications.

Cementation of a liner into a well-fixed acetabular shell is common in revision hip arthroplasty. We compare the biomechanical strengths of cemented liners with standard locked liners. Fifty polyethylene liners were inserted into acetabular shells using the standard locking mechanism or 1 of 2 cement types then loaded to failure by torsion or lever-out testing. Lever-out testing showed that all cemented liners failed at similar loads to standard locked liners. With torsion testing, cemented liners failed at significantly higher loads than standard locked liners; roughening the liner increased load to failure. Cementation of an acetabular liner into a metal shell is safe and strong and a good alternative to metal shell replacement. Saw roughening of the polyethylene liner strengthens the poly-cement interface.

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has created a shift in how many surgical diseases are treated. Examining the effect on resident operative experience provides valuable insight into trends that may be useful for restructuring the requirements of resident training.To evaluate changes in general surgery resident operative experience regarding MIS.Retrospective review of the frequency of MIS relative to open operations among general surgery residents using the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education case logs for academic years 1993-1994 through 2011-2012.General surgery residency training among accredited programs in the United States.We analyzed the difference in the mean number of MIS techniques and corresponding open procedures across training periods using 2-tailed t tests with statistical significance set at P .05.Of 6,467,708 operations with the option of MIS, 2,393,030 (37.0%) were performed with the MIS approach. Of all MIS operations performed, the 5 most common were cholecystectomy (48.5%), appendectomy (16.2%), groin hernia repair (10.0%), abdominal exploration (nontrauma) (4.4%), and antireflux procedures (3.6%). During the study period, there was a transition from a predominantly open to MIS approach for appendectomy, antireflux procedures, thoracic wedge resection, and partial gastric resection. Cholecystectomy is the only procedure for which MIS was more common than the open technique throughout the study period (P.001). The open approach is more common for all other procedures, including splenectomy (0.7% MIS), common bile duct exploration (24.9% MIS), gastrostomy (25.9% MIS), abdominal exploration (33.1% MIS), hernia (20.3% MIS), lung resection (22.3% MIS), partial or total colectomy (39.1%), enterolysis (19.0% MIS), ileostomy (9.0% MIS), enterectomy (5.2% MIS), vagotomy (1.8% MIS), and pediatric antireflux procedures (35.9% MIS); P .001.Minimally invasive surgery has an increasingly prominent role in contemporary surgical therapy for many common diseases. The open approach, however, still predominates in all but 5 procedures. Residents today must become efficient at performing multiple techniques for a single procedure, which demands a broader skill set than in the past.

BackgroundGeneral surgery (GS) residents in ACGME programs log cases performed during their residency. We reviewed designated pediatric surgery (PS) cases to assess for changes in performed cases over time.MethodsThe ACGME case logs for graduating GS residents were reviewed from academic year (AY) 1989-1990 to 2010-2011 for designated pediatric cases. Overall and designated PS cases were analyzed. Data were combined into five blocks: Period I (AY1989-90 to AY1993-94), Period II (AY1994-95 to AY1998-99), Period III (AY1999-00 to AY2002-03), Period IV (AY2003-04 to AY2006-07), and Period V (AY2007-08 to AY2010-11). Periods IV and V were delineated by implementation of duty hour restrictions. Student t-tests compared averages among the time periods with significance at P < .05.ResultsOverall GS case load remained relatively stable. Of total cases, PS cases accounted for 5.4% in Period I and 3.7% in Period V. Designated pediatric cases declined for each period from an average of 47.7 in Period I to 33.8 in Period V. These changes are due to a decline in hernia repairs, which account for half of cases. All other cases contributed only minimally to the pediatric cases. The only laparoscopic cases in the database were anti-reflux procedures, which increased over time.ConclusionsGS residents perform a diminishing number of designated PS cases. This decline occurred before the onset of work-hour restrictions. These changes have implications on the capabilities of the current graduating workforce. However, the case log does not reflect all cases trainees may be exposed to, so revision of this list is recommended.

Cementation of a liner into a well-fixed acetabular shell is common in revision hip arthroplasty. We compare the biomechanical strengths of cemented liners with standard locked liners. Fifty polyethylene liners were inserted into acetabular shells using the standard locking mechanism or 1 of 2 cement types then loaded to failure by torsion or lever-out testing. Lever-out testing showed that all cemented liners failed at similar loads to standard locked liners. With torsion testing, cemented liners failed at significantly higher loads than standard locked liners; roughening the liner increased load to failure. Cementation of an acetabular liner into a metal shell is safe and strong and a good alternative to metal shell replacement. Saw roughening of the polyethylene liner strengthens the poly-cement interface.