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BackgroundPatients undergoing surgery for early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) may be at high risk for postoperative mortality. Access to stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) may facilitate more appropriate patient selection for surgery.Research questionIs postoperative mortality associated with early stage NSCLC lower at facilities with higher use of SBRT?Study design and methodsPatients with early stage NSCLC reported to the National Cancer Database between 2004 and 2015 were included. Use of SBRT was defined by each facility's SBRT experience (in years) and SBRT to surgery volume ratios. Multivariate logistic regression was used to test for the associations between SBRT use and postoperative mortality.ResultsThe study cohort consisted of 202,542 patients who underwent surgical resection of cT1-T2N0M0 NSCLC tumors. The 90-day postoperative mortality rate declined during the study period from 4.6%to 2.6%(P< .001), the proportion of facilities that used SBRT increased from 4.6%to 77.5%(P< .001), and the proportion of patients treated with SBRT increased from 0.7%to 15.4%(P< .001). On multivariate analysis, lower 90-day postoperative mortality rates were observed at facilities with > 6 years of SBRT experience (OR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.76-0.94; P= .003) and SBRT to surgery volume ratios of more than 17%(OR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.79-0.92; P< .001). Ninety-day mortality also was associated with surgical volume, region, year, age, sex, and race, among other covariates. Interaction testing between these covariates showed negative results.InterpretationPatients who underwent resection for early stage NSCLC at facilities with higher SBRT use showed lower rates of postoperative mortality. These findings suggest that the availability and use of SBRT may improve the selection of patients for surgery who are predicted to be at high risk of postoperative mortality.

In this era of value-based healthcare, costs must be measured alongside patient outcomes to prioritize quality improvement and inform performance-based reimbursement strategies. We sought to identify drivers of costs for patients undergoing minimally invasive esophagectomy for esophageal cancer.Patients who underwent minimally invasive esophagectomy for esophageal cancer from December 2008 to March 2020 were included. Our institutional Society of Thoracic Surgeons database was merged with financial data to determine inpatient direct accounting costs in 2020 US dollars for total, operative (surgery and anesthesia), and postoperative (intensive care, floor, radiology, laboratory, etc) services. A supervised machine learning quantitative method, the lasso estimator with 10-fold cross-validation, was applied to identify predictors of costs.In the study cohort (n = 240) most had ≥cT2 pathology (82%), adenocarcinoma histology (90%), and received neoadjuvant therapy (78%). Mean length of stay was 8.00 days (SD, 4.13) with 45% inpatient morbidity rate and no deaths. The largest proportions of cost were from the operating room (30%), inpatient floor (30%), and postanesthesia care/intensive care units (20%). Preoperative predictors of operative costs were age (-5.18% per decade [95% confidence interval {CI}, -9.95 to -0.27], P = .039), body mass index ≥ 30 (+12.9% [95% CI, 0.00-27.5], P = .050), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (-3.24% per 10% forced expiratory volume in 1 second [95% CI, -5.80 to -0.61], P = .017), and year of surgery (+2.55% [95% CI, 0.97-4.15], P = .002). Predictors of postoperative costs were postoperative renal failure (+91.6% [95% CI, 9.93-233.8], P = .022), respiratory failure (+414.6% [95% CI, 158.7-923.6], P .001), pneumonia (+136.1% [95% CI, 71.1-225.8], P.001), and reoperation (+60.5% [95% CI, 21.5-111.9], P = .001).Costs associated with minimally invasive esophagectomy are driven by preoperative risk factors and postoperative outcomes. These data enable surgeons and policymakers to reduce cost variation, improve quality through standardization, and ultimately provide greater value to patients.

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS)-Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support (Intermacs) 2020 Annual Report reviews outcomes on 25,551 patients undergoing primary isolated continuous-flow left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation between 2010 and 2019. In 2019, 3198 primary LVADs were implanted, which is the highest annual volume in Intermacs history. Compared with the previous era (2010-2014), patients who received an LVAD in the most recent era (2015-2019) were more likely to be African American (26.8% vs 22.9%, P

Patient-reported outcomes (PRO) are an ideal method for measuring patient functional status. We sought to evaluate whether preoperative PRO were associated with resource utilization. We hypothesize that higher preoperative physical function PRO scores, measured via the NIH-sponsored Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS), are associated with shorter length of stay (LOS). Preoperative physical function scores were obtained using NIH PROMIS in a prospective observational study of patients undergoing minimally invasive surgery for lung cancer. Poisson regression models were constructed to estimate the association between the length of stay and PROMIS physical function T-score, adjusting for extent of resection, age, gender, and race. Due to the significant interaction between postoperative complications and physical function T-score, the relationship between physical function and LOS was described separately for each complication status. A total of 123 patients were included; 88 lobectomy, 35 sublobar resections. Mean age was 67 years, 35% were male, 65% were Caucasian. Among patients who had a postoperative complication, a lower preoperative physical function T-score was associated with progressively increasing LOS (P value = 0.006). In particular, LOS decreased by 18% for every 10-point increase in physical function T-score. Among patients without complications, T-score was not associated with LOS (P = 0.86). Preoperative physical function measured via PRO identifies patients who are at risk for longer LOS following thoracoscopic lung cancer surgery. In addition to its utility for preoperative counseling and planning, these data may be useful in identifying patients who may benefit from risk-reduction measures.

Background The oncologic efficacy of segmentectomy is controversial. We compared long-term survival in clinical stage IA (T1N0) Medicare patients undergoing lobectomy and segmentectomy in The Society of Thoracic Surgeons database. Methods The Society of Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic Surgery Database was linked to Medicare data in 14,286 lung cancer patients who underwent segmentectomy (n = 1654) or lobectomy (n = 12,632) for clinical stage IA disease from 2002 to 2015. Cox regression was used to create a long-term survival model. Patients were then propensity matched on demographic and clinical variables to derive matched pairs. Results In Cox modeling segmentectomy was associated with survival similar to lobectomy in the entire cohort (hazard ratio, 1.04; 95% confidence interval, 0.89-1.20; P = .64) and in the matched subcohort. A subanalysis restricted to the 2009 to 2015 population (n = 11,811), when T1a tumors were specified and positron emission tomography results and mediastinal staging procedures were accurately recorded in the database, also showed that segmentectomy and lobectomy continue to have similar survival (hazard ratio, 1.00; 95% confidence interval, 0.87-1.16). Subanalysis of the pathologic N0 patients demonstrated the same results. Conclusions Lobectomy and segmentectomy for early-stage lung cancer are equally effective treatments with similar survival. Surgeons from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons database appear to be selecting patients appropriately for sublobar procedures.

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database is the most mature and comprehensive database in cardiac surgery and one of the most respected clinical data registries in health care. It is widely acknowledged for accurately benchmarking risk-adjusted outcomes and serving as the foundation for quality measurement and improvement activities in cardiac surgery. In addition, the database is a valuable resource for novel research. The advent of the database's fourth decade in operation is being heralded with major revisions to its functionality, ease of use, and value to multiple stakeholders. This report is the fifth in a series of annual reports that provides updated national outcomes, volume trends, and database-related developments, as well as a summary of research performed in the past year using data from this valuable repository on quality and performance improvement.

Background Significant controversy remains regarding the care of patients with clinical stage III (N2-positive) NSCLC. Although multimodality therapy is effective, the roles of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy are not fully defined and the optimal treatment approach is not firmly established. We analyzed outcomes and predictors associated with trimodality therapy (TT) in the National Cancer Database. Materials and Methods The NCDB was queried from 2004 to 2014 for patients with NSCLC diagnosed with stage III (N2) disease and treated with chemotherapy and radiation (CRT). Three cohorts of patients were studied: CRT only/no surgery (NS), CRT plus lobectomy (LT), and CRT plus pneumonectomy (PT). The univariate and multivariable analyses (MVA) were conducted using Cox proportional hazards model and log-rank tests. Results A total of 29,754 patients were included in this analysis: NS 90.1%, LT 8.4%, and PT 1.5%. Patient characteristics: median age 66 years; male 56% and white 85%. Patients treated at academic centers were more likely to receive TT compared with those treated at community centers (odds ratio: 1.85 [1.53–2.23]; p < .001). On MVA, patients that received TT were associated with better survival than those that received only CRT (hazard ratio: 0.59 [0.55–0.62]; p < .001). The LT group was associated with significantly better survival than the PT and NS groups (median survival: 62.8 months vs. 51.8 months vs. 34.2 months, respectively). In patients with more than two nodes involved, PT was associated with worse survival than LT and NS (median survival: 51.4 months in LT and 39 months in NS vs. 37 months in PT). The 30-day and 90-day mortality rates were found to be significantly higher in PT patients than in LT. Conclusion TT was used in less than 10% of patients with stage III N2 disease, suggesting high degree of patient selection. In this selected group, TT was associated with favorable outcomes relative to CRT alone. Implications for Practice This analysis demonstrates that trimodality therapy could benefit a selected subset of patients with stage III (N2) disease. This plan should be considered as a treatment option following patient evaluation in a multidisciplinary setting in experienced medical centers with the needed expertise.

Lung cancer invading the chest wall is treated with concomitant en bloc lung and chest wall resection (CWR). It is unclear how CWR affects postoperative outcomes of lung resection. We hypothesized that CWR would be associated with increased risk of adverse outcomes after lung cancer resection.We performed a retrospective analysis of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) General Thoracic Surgery Database from 2016-2019. Patients with superior sulcus tumors were excluded. Patient demographic and operative outcomes were compared between those with and without CWR. Chest wall resection was added to existing STS lung risk models to determine the association with a composite adverse outcome, which included major morbidity and death.Among 41 310 lung resections, 306 (0.74%) occurred with concomitant CWR. Differences between those with and without CWR included demographic and comorbidities. Patients undergoing CWR were more likely to have the composite adverse outcome (64 of 306 [20.9%] vs 3128 of 41 004 [7.6%] for non-CWR resections, P.001). Mortality was also increased among the CWR cohort (2.9% vs 1.1%, P = .003). CWR was associated with an increased risk of adverse composite outcome among all lung resection patients in a multivariable model (odds ratio 1.74, P = .0003) and the lobectomy subgroup (odds ratio 2.35, P.0001). Among institutions with ≥10 lung resections, 49.1% performed lung resections with CWR.Concomitant CWR adds risk of adverse outcomes after lung cancer resection. As a subset of intuitions perform CWR, quality assessments should control for CWR. This variable will be incorporated into the STS lung cancer and lobectomy quality composite measures.

Quality-focused, cost-effective, patient-centered care is at the forefront of current healthcare reform. Recent data show that enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) results in improved surgical outcomes and decreased hospital costs. As a result, ERAS has been widely accepted among multiple surgical subspecialties as a modality for increasing the value of healthcare delivered to our patients. While this objective data is convincing for practitioners and administrators alike, how ERAS directly impacts the patient experience is unclear. Patient reported outcomes (PRO) are starting to drive patterns of healthcare delivery and influence surgical decision-making. In order to improve surgical outcomes and deliver patient-centered care, it is imperative that clinicians start reviewing objective metrics contained within morbidity and mortality data alongside subjective data regarding patients’ experience. This article reviews the current data surrounding both ERAS and PROs within thoracic surgery and investigates how the two concepts are ultimately related.

Background Current studies in cardiothoracic clinical research frequently fail to use end points that are most meaningful to patients, including measures associated with quality of life. Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) represent an underused but important component of high-quality patient-centered care. Our objective was to highlight important principles of PRO measurement, describe current use in cardiothoracic operations, and discuss the potential for and challenges associated with integration of PROs into large clinical databases. Methods We performed a literature review by using the PubMed/EMBASE databases. Clinical articles that focused on the use of PROs in cardiothoracic surgical outcomes measurement or clinical research were included in this review. Results PROs measure the outcomes that matter most to patients and facilitate the delivery of patient-centered care. When effectively used, PRO measures have provided detailed and nuanced quality-of-life data for comparative effectiveness research. However, further steps are needed to better integrate PROs into routine clinical care. Conclusions Incorporation of PROs into routine clinical practice is essential for delivering high-quality patient-centered care. Future integration of PROs into prospectively collected registries and databases, including that The Society of Thoracic Surgeons National Database, has the potential to enrich comparative effectiveness research in cardiothoracic surgery.

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database is one of the most mature, comprehensive, and respected clinical data registries in health care. Through nearly three decades of growth and refinement, it is widely recognized for accurately benchmarking risk-adjusted outcomes in cardiac surgery and serves as the foundation for all quality measurement and improvement activities of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. This is the fourth in a series of annual reports that provides updated national outcomes, volume trends, and database-related developments in quality measurement and performance improvement.

Background Parameters defining attainment and maintenance of proficiency in thoracoscopic video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lobectomy remain unknown. To address this knowledge gap, this study investigated the institutional performance curve for VATS lobectomy by using risk-adjusted cumulative sum (Cusum) analysis. Methods Using The Society of Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic Surgery Database, the study investigators identified centers that had performed a total of 30 or more VATS lobectomies. Major morbidity, mortality, and blood transfusion were deemed primary outcomes, with expected incidence derived from risk-adjusted regression models. Acceptable and unacceptable failure rates for outcomes were set a priori according to clinical relevance and informed by regression model output. Results Between 2001 and 2016, 24,196 patients underwent VATS lobectomy at 159 centers with a median volume of 103 (range, 30 to 760). Overall rates of operative mortality, major morbidity, and transfusion were 1% (244 of 24,189), 17.1% (4,145 of 24,196), and 4% (975 of 24,196), respectively. Of the highest-volume centers (≥100 cases), 84% (65 of 77) and 82 % (63 of 77) (p = 0.48) were proficient by major morbidity standards by their 50th and 100th cases, respectively. Similarly, 92% (71 of 77) and 90% (69 of 77) (p = 0.41) of centers showed proficiency by transfusion standards by their 50th and 100th cases, respectively. Three performance patterns were observed: (1) initial and sustained proficiency, (2) crossing unacceptability thresholds with subsequent improved performance; and (3) crossing unacceptability thresholds without subsequent improved performance. Conclusions VATS lobectomy outcomes have improved with lower mortality and transfusion rates. The majority of high-volume centers demonstrated proficiency after 50 cases; however, maintenance of proficiency is not ensured. Cusum provides a simple yet powerful tool that can trigger internal audits and performance improvement initiatives.

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) National Database was established in 1989 as an initiative for quality improvement and patient safety among cardiothoracic surgeons. As of January 1, 2018, the STS National Database has four components, each focusing on a different area of cardiothoracic surgery-adult cardiac surgery, general thoracic surgery, and congenital heart surgery, as well as mechanical circulatory support through the STS Intermacs Database. In December 2015, The Annals of Thoracic Surgery began publishing a monthly series of scholarly articles on outcomes analysis, quality improvement, and patient safety. As part of that series, this article provides an annual summary of the status of the STS National Database as of October 2018 and provides a synopsis of related articles that appeared in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery 2018 series entitled: "Outcomes Analysis, Quality Improvement, and Patient Safety".

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database is the most mature and comprehensive cardiac surgery database. It has been the foundation for quality measurement and improvement activities in cardiac surgery, facilitated the generation of accurate risk adjusted performance benchmarks and serves as a platform for novel research. Recent enhancements have added to the database's functionality, ease of use, and value to multiple stakeholders. This report is the sixth in a series of annual reports that provide updated volumes, outcomes, database-related developments, quality improvement initiatives, and research summaries using the Adult Cardiac Surgery Database in the past year.

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Adult Cardiac Surgery Database (ACSD) is the largest cardiac surgical database in the world. Linked data from STS ACSD and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) database were used to determine contemporary completeness, penetration, and representativeness of STS ACSD.Variables common to both STS and CMS databases were used to link STS procedures to CMS data for all CMS coronary artery bypass grafting surgery (CABG) discharges between 2000 and 2018, inclusive. For each CMS CABG hospitalization, it was determined whether a matching STS record existed.Center-level penetration (number of CMS sites with at least 1 matched STS participant divided by total number of CMS CABG sites) increased from 45% in 2000 to 95% in 2018. In 2018, 949 of 1004 CMS CABG sites (95%) were linked to an STS site. Patient-level penetration (number of CMS CABG hospitalizations at STS sites divided by total number of CMS CABG hospitalizations) increased from 51% in 2000 to 97% in 2018. In 2018, 68,584 of 70,818 CMS CABG hospitalizations (97%) occurred at an STS site. Completeness of case inclusion at STS sites (number of CMS CABG cases at STS sites linked to STS records divided by total number of CMS CABG cases at STS sites) increased from 88% in 2000 to 98% in 2018. In 2018, 66,673 of 68,108 CMS CABG hospitalizations at STS sites (98%) were linked to an STS record.Linkage of the STS and CMS databases demonstrates high and increasing penetration and completeness of STS ACSD. STS ACSD now includes 97% of CABG in the United States.

Databases are created to serve 1 of 2 fundamental functions: (1) research and (2) benchmarking/quality. Their construction and nature affects the extent to which they can accomplish these functions.

Objective Octogenarians comprise an increasing proportion of patients presenting with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study examines postoperative morbidity and mortality, and long-term survival in octogenarians undergoing thoracoscopic anatomic lung resection for NSCLC, compared with younger cohorts. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of our institutional Society of Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic Surgery Database of all patients ≥60 years old undergoing elective lobectomy or segmentectomy for pathologic stage I, II, and IIIA NSCLC between 2009 and 2018. Results were compared between octogenarians ( n = 71) to 2 younger cohorts of 60- to 69-year-olds ( n = 359) and 70- to 79-year-olds ( n = 308). Long-term survival among octogenarians was graphically summarized using the Kaplan–Meier method. Cox regression analysis was used to identify preoperative risk factors for mortality. Results A greater proportion of octogenarians required intensive care unit admission and discharge to extended-care facilities; however, postoperative length of stay was similar between groups. Among postoperative complications, arrhythmia and renal failure were more likely in the older cohort. Compared to the youngest cohort, in-hospital and 30-day mortality were highest among octogenarians. Overall survival among octogenarians at 1, 3, and 5 years was 87.3%, 61.8%, and 50.5%, respectively. On multivariable Cox regression analysis of baseline demographic variables, presence of stroke (hazard ratio [HR] = 28.5, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 6.1 to 132.7, P < 0.001) and coronary artery disease (HR = 2.5, 95% CI: 1.2 to 5.3, P = 0.02) were significant predictors of overall mortality among octogenarians. Conclusions Thoracoscopic resection can be performed with favorable early postoperative outcomes among octogenarians. Long-term survival, although comparable to their healthy peers, is worse than those of younger cohorts. Further study into preoperative risk stratification and alternative therapies among octogenarians is needed.

Patient-centered care is a growing focus of research and modern surgical practice. To this end, there has been an ever-increasing utilization of patient reported outcomes (PRO) and health-related quality of life metrics (HR-QOL) in thoracic surgery research. Here we describe reasons and methods for integration of PRO measurement into routine thoracic surgical practice, commonly utilized PRO measurement instruments, and several examples of successful integration.

Background: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States and globally, and many questions exist about treatment options. Harmonizing data across registries and other data collection efforts would yield a robust data infrastructure to help address many research questions. The purpose of this project was to develop a minimum set of patient and clinician relevant harmonized outcome measures that can be collected in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patient registries and clinical practice. Methods: Seventeen lung cancer registries and related efforts were identified and invited to submit outcome measures. Representatives from medical specialty societies, government agencies, health systems, health information technology groups, patient advocacy organizations, and industry formed a stakeholder panel to categorize the measures and harmonize definitions using the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s supported Outcome Measures Framework (OMF). Results: The panel reviewed 66 outcome measures and identified a minimum set of 8 broadly relevant measures in the OMF categories of patient survival, clinical response, events of interest, and resource utilization. The panel harmonized definitions for the 8 measures through in-person and virtual meetings. The panel did not reach consensus on 1 specific validated instrument for capturing patient-reported outcomes. The minimum set of harmonized outcome measures is broadly relevant to clinicians and patients and feasible to capture across NSCLC disease stages and treatment pathways. A pilot test of these measures would be useful to document the burden and value of the measures for research and in clinical practice. Conclusions: By collecting the harmonized measures consistently, registries and other data collection systems could contribute to the development research infrastructure and learning health systems to support new research and improve patient outcomes.

The Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists, in partnership with The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, has developed the Adult Cardiac Anesthesiology Section of the Adult Cardiac Surgery Database. The goal of this landmark collaboration is to advance clinical care, quality, and knowledge, and to demonstrate the value of cardiac anesthesiology in the perioperative care of cardiac surgical patients. Participation in the Adult Cardiac Anesthesiology Section has been optional since its inception in 2014 but has progressively increased. Opportunities for further growth and improvement remain. In this first update report on quality and outcomes of the Adult Cardiac Anesthesiology Section, we present an overview of the clinically significant anesthesia and surgical variables submitted between 2015 and 2018. Our review provides a summary of quality measures and outcomes related to the current practice of cardiothoracic anesthesiology. We also emphasize the potential for addressing high-impact research questions as data accumulate, with the overall goal of elucidating the influence of cardiac anesthesiology contributions to patient outcomes within the framework of the cardiac surgical team.

Patient quality of life (QOL) is a critical outcomes measure in lung cancer surgery. Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) provide valuable insight into the patient experience and allow measurement of preoperative and postoperative QOL. Our objective was to determine which clinical factors predict differences in QOL, as measured by patient-reported physical function and pain intensity among patients undergoing minimally invasive lung cancer surgery.PRO surveys assessing physical function and pain intensity were conducted using instruments from the National Institutes of Health Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System. PRO surveys were administered to patients undergoing minimally invasive lung cancer resections at preoperative, 1-month, and 6-month postoperative time points, in an academic institution. Linear mixed-effects regression models were constructed to assess the association between clinical variables on PRO scores over time.A total of 123 patients underwent a thoracoscopic lung resection for cancer. Mean age of the cohort was 67 ± 9.6 years, 43% were male, and 80% were White. When comparing clinical variables with PRO scores after surgery, lower diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (Dlco) was associated with significantly worse physical function (P.01) and greater pain intensity scores (P.01) at 6 months, with no differences identified at 1 month. No other studied clinical factor was associated with significant differences in PRO scores.Low preoperative Dlco was associated with significant decreases in PRO after minimally invasive lung cancer surgery. Dlco may be of utility in identifying patients who experience greater decline in QOL after surgery and for guiding surgical decision making.

Background Costs related to care of patients who undergo lobectomy for lung cancer may vary depending on patient, disease, and treating facility characteristics. We aimed to identify underlying case mix factors that contribute to variability of 90-day costs of lobectomy for early-stage lung cancer. Methods The Society of Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic Surgery Database was queried for lobectomy for clinical stage I lung cancer (2008-2013). Demographics, clinical outcomes, and 90-day episode-of-care costs across all care settings were analyzed for patients successfully linked to Medicare data. Hospital costs were estimated from charges using cost-to-charge ratios. Comprehensive regression models were created to identify impact of preoperative patient factors and hospital characteristics on costs, and to delineate additive costs due to perioperative outcomes and complications. Results The mean 90-day cost for lobectomy was $45,080 ± $38,239. Variables associated with significant additive costs were age greater than or equal to 75 years, American Society of Anesthesiologists classification III or IV, forced expiratory volume in 1 second less than 80% predicted, body mass index less than 18.5 or greater than 35, current or past smoker, cerebrovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, impaired functional status, open thoracotomy, prolonged operative time, government hospitals, metropolitan setting, and geographic location. Patients with 1 or more postoperative complication resulted in an overall mean added cost of $27,259. Added costs increased with the number of complications; isolated recurrent laryngeal nerve paresis ($3,911) and respiratory failure ($35,011) were associated with the least and most additive cost, respectively. Conclusions Lobectomy is associated with substantial variability of episode-of-care costs. Variability is driven by patient demographic and clinical factors, hospital characteristics, and the occurrence and severity of complications.

Background The longitudinal cost of treating patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) undergoing surgical resection has not been evaluated. We describe initial and 4-year resource use and cost for NSCLC patients aged 65 years of age or greater who were treated surgically between 2008 and 2013. Methods Using clinical data for NSCLC resections from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic Surgery Database linked to Medicare claims, resource use and cost of preoperative staging, surgery, and subsequent care through 4 years were examined ($2017). Cost of hospital-based care was estimated using cost-to-charge ratios; professional services and care in other settings were valued using reimbursements. Inverse probability weighting was used to account for administrative censoring. Outcomes were stratified by pathologic stage and by surgical approach for stage I lobectomy patients. Results Resection hospitalizations averaged 6 days and cost $31,900. In the first 90 days, costs increased with stage ($12,430 for stage I to $26,350 for stage IV). Costs then declined toward quarterly means more similar among stages. Cumulative costs ranged from $131,032 (stage I) to $205,368 (stage IV). In the stage I lobectomy cohort, patients selected for minimally invasive procedures had lower 4-year costs than did thoracotomy patients ($120,346 versus $136,250). Conclusions The 4-year cost of surgical resection for NSCLC was substantial and increased with pathologic stage. Among stage I lobectomy patients, those selected for minimally invasive surgery had lower costs, particularly through 90 days. Potential avenues for improving the value of surgical resection include judicious use of postoperative intensive care and earlier detection and treatment of disease.

Large chest wall resections can result in skeletal instability, altered respiratory mechanics, and significant cosmetic defects. When reconstruction of bony chest wall defects require a prosthesis, a variety of materials are available for the surgeon to use. The broad categories of materials include synthetic and biologic prostheses patches, plates, and bars. The current literature comparing these materials is limited to single institution retrospective cases series and a few retrospective cohort studies. Based on this literature, a synthetic prosthesis is recommended as the best overall choice for chest wall reconstruction, and biologic prosthesis is recommended for chest wall reconstruction in a contaminated field.

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Congenital Heart Surgery Database (STS CHSD) is the largest congenital and pediatric cardiac surgical clinical data registry in the world. The most recent biannual feedback report to participants includes analysis of data submitted from 125 hospitals, representing nearly all centers performing pediatric and congenital heart operations in the United States and Canada. In addition to serving as a platform for reporting of outcomes and for quality improvement, the database continues to be a primary data source for clinical research and for innovations related to quality measurement. Over the past year, several investigative teams reported analyses of data in the STS CHSD pertaining to various processes of care, including assessment of variation in specific practices and patient characteristics across centers participating in the STS CHSD, and their associations with outcomes. Additional ongoing projects involve the development of new or refined metrics for quality measurement and reporting of outcomes and center level performance. To meet the needs of investigators, the STS Research Center and Workforce on Research Development has created multiple pathways through which investigators may propose and, ultimately, perform outcomes research projects based on STS CHSD data. This article reviews published outcomes research and quality improvement projects from the past year and describes ongoing research related to quality measurement.

The field of mechanical circulatory support has been impacted by the approval of new continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) and changes to the United States heart allocation system.Primary isolated continuous-flow LVAD implants in The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Intermacs registry from January 2014 through September 2019 were evaluated. Survival and freedom from major adverse events were compared between axial-flow, centrifugal-flow with hybrid levitation (CF-HL), and centrifugal-flow with full magnetic levitation (CF-FML) devices.Of 2603 devices implanted in 2014, 1824 (70.1%) were axial flow and 1213 (46.6%) were destination therapy (DT); through September 2019, 1752 devices were implanted, but only 37 (2.1%) were axial flow and 1230 (70.2%) were DT. Implants were performed in 13,016 patients between 2014 and 2018. Patients receiving implants in 2017-2018 compared with 2014-2016 were more likely to be at Intermacs profile 1 (17.1% vs 14.3%, P.001) and to have preimplant temporary mechanical circulatory support (34.8% vs 29.3%, P.001). Overall survival and freedom from major adverse events were higher with CF-FML devices. In multivariable analysis of survival between CF-HL and CF-FML, device type was not a significant early hazard, but the use of CF-HL devices had a late hazard ratio for death of 3.01 (P .001).Over the past 5 years, centrifugal-flow LVADs have become the dominant technology and DT the most common implant strategy. While outcomes with CF-FML devices are promising, comparisons with other devices from nonrandomized registry studies should be made with caution.

Purpose The prevalence of minimally invasive lung cancer surgery using video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) has increased dramatically over the past decade, yet recent studies have suggested that the lymph node evaluation during VATS lobectomy is inadequate. We hypothesized that the minimally invasive approach to lobectomy for stage I lung cancer resulted in a longitudinal outcome that was not inferior to thoracotomy. Patients and Methods Patients > 65 years of age who had undergone lobectomy for stage I lung cancer between 2002 and 2013 were analyzed within the Society of Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic Surgery Database, which had been linked to Medicare data, as part of a retrospective-cohort, noninferiority study. Results A total of 10,597 patients with clinical stage I lung cancer who underwent lobectomy were evaluated (4,448 patients underwent thoracotomy, and 6,149 underwent VATS). VATS patients had a more favorable distribution of all health-related variables, including pulmonary function (59% of VATS patients had intact spirometry v 51% of thoracotomy patients; P < .001). Cox proportional hazards models were performed over two eras to account for an evolving practice standard. The mortality risk associated with the VATS approach was not greater than thoracotomy in either the earlier era (2002 to 2008; hazard ratio, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.87 to 1.09; P = .62) or the more recent era (2009 to 2013; hazard ratio, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.75 to 0.93; P < .001). Kaplan-Meier survival estimates of 2,901 propensity-matched VATS-thoracotomy pairs demonstrated that the 4-year survival associated with VATS (68.6%) was modestly superior to thoracotomy (64.8%; P = .003). The analyses detailed above were replicated in a separate cohort of pathologic stage I patients with similar findings. Conclusion The long-term efficacy of lobectomy for stage I lung cancer performed using the VATS approach by board-certified thoracic surgeons does not seem to be inferior to that of thoracotomy.

For nearly 15 years The Society of Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic Surgery Database (STS GTSD) has provided participating institutions with risk-adjusted feedback reports that allow outcome comparisons relative to national benchmarks. With more than 300 contributing centers across North America, the STS GTSD now includes more than 530,000 cases. In 2017 the STS GTSD Task Force revised the data collection form with the goal of collecting more detailed and accurate information for the most important thoracic surgical cases without increasing the workload of registrars. In addition, the learning curve for thoracoscopic lobectomy was examined, online public reporting was initiated, institutional feedback reports were made more user-friendly, and collaboration with the European Society of Thoracic Surgery continued. The STS GTSD Task Force continues to work to improve the quality of care and support research initiatives in general thoracic surgery. This report summarizes current aggregate national outcomes in general thoracic surgery and reviews related activities in the areas of quality measurement, performance improvement, and transparency from the STS GTSD during the past 12 months.

Through nearly 3 decades of iterative refinement, The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database has evolved into one of the most comprehensive and respected clinical data registries in health care. It is a widely acknowledged exemplar for accurately benchmarking risk-adjusted outcomes in cardiac surgery and underpins all quality measurement and improvement activities of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. This is the latest in a series of annual reports that outlines current national aggregate outcomes and volume trends in cardiac surgery and summarizes database-related work in quality measurement and performance improvement during the past year.

Background Prior risk models using the STS General Thoracic Surgery database (STS-GTSD) have been limited to 30-day outcomes. We have now linked STS data to Medicare data and sought to create a risk prediction model for long-term mortality after lung cancer resection in patients older than 65 years. Methods The STS-GTSD was linked to Medicare data for lung cancer resections from 2002 to 2013 as previously reported. Successful linkage was performed in 29,899 lung cancer resection patients. Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to create a long-term survival model. Variable selection was performed using statistically significant univariate factors and known clinical predictors of outcome. Calibration was assessed by dividing the cohort into deciles of predicted survival and discrimination assessed with a C-statistic corrected for optimism via 1,000 bootstrap replications. Results Median age was 73 years (interquartile range, 68 to 78 years), and 48% of the patients were male. Of the 29,094 patients with nonmissing pathologic stage, 69% were stage I, 18% stage II, 11% stage III, and 2% stage IV. Procedure performed was lobectomy in 69%, bilobectomy in 3%, pneumonectomy in 3%, segmentectomy in 7%, sleeve lobectomy in 1%, and wedge resection in 17%. Thoracoscopic approach was performed in 47% of resections. The final Cox model reveals that stage and age are the strongest predictors of long-term survival. Even after controlling for stage, wedge resection, segmentectomy, bilobectomy, and pneumonectomy are all associated with increased hazard of death in comparison with lobectomy. Thoracoscopic approach is associated with improved long-term survival in comparison with thoracotomy. Other modifiable predictive factors include smoking and low body mass index. Calibration of the model demonstrates excellent performance across all survival deciles and a C-statistic of 0.694. Conclusions The STS-GTSD-Medicare long-term risk model includes several novel factors associated with mortality. Although medical factors predict long-term survival, age and stage are the strong predictors. Despite this, procedure choice and thoracoscopic/open approach are potentially modifiable predictors of long-term survival after lung cancer resection.

Objectives Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is now the standard of care in medically inoperable stage I NSCLC, yielding high rates of local control. It is unknown whether SBRT can be safely utilized in the locally advanced NSCLC setting. This multi-institution phase I study evaluated the safety of 44 Gy of conventionally fractionated thoracic radiation with concurrent chemotherapy plus dose-escalated SBRT boost to both the primary tumor and involved mediastinal lymph nodes. The primary end point of this study was to establish the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of the SBRT boost. Methods Inclusion criteria included unresectable stage IIIA or IIIB disease, primary tumor 8 cm or smaller, and N1 or N2 lymph nodes 5 cm or smaller. Tumors were staged with positron emission tomography/computed tomography (CT), and four-dimensional CT simulation was used for radiation planning. The treatment schema was 44 Gy of thoracic radiation (2 Gy/d) with weekly carboplatin and paclitaxel chemotherapy. A second CT simulation was obtained after 40 Gy had been delivered, and a SBRT boost was planned to the remaining gross disease at the primary site and involved mediastinal lymph nodes. Consolidation chemotherapy was given at the discretion of the treating medical oncologist. Four SBRT boost dose cohorts were tested: cohort 1 (9 Gy × 2), cohort 2 (10 Gy × 5), cohort 3 (6 Gy × 5), and cohort 4 (7 Gy × 5). Patients were treated in cohorts of three patients, and the Bayesian escalation with overdose control method was used to determine the MTD of the SBRT boost. Dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) were defined as any grade 3 or higher toxicities within 30 days of treatment attributed to treatment, not including hematologic toxicity, or any grade 5 toxicity attributed to treatment. Results The study enrolled 19 patients from November 2012 to December 2016. There were four screen failures, and 15 patients were treated on study. There were no DLTs in dose cohort 1 (n = 3) and 2 (n = 6). DLT developed in one patient in dose cohort 3 (n = 3) and in 2 patients in dose cohort 4 (n = 3). The calculated MTD was 6 Gy × 5. The DLT observed at this dose level was a tracheoesophageal fistula; given this substantial toxicity, there was investigator reluctance to enroll further patients at this dose level. Thus, the calculated MTD was 6 Gy × 5; however, 10 Gy × 2 is thought to be a reasonable dose as well, given that no grade 5 toxicities occurred with that dose. Conclusions The MTD of a SBRT boost combined with 44 Gy of thoracic chemoradiation was 6 Gy × 5. A SBRT boost dose of 10 Gy × 2 could be considered safer, with no grade 3 or higher toxicities observed at this dose level during the follow-up period in this study.

The outcomes research efforts based on The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) General Thoracic Surgery Database include two established research programs with dedicated task forces and with data analyses conducted at the STS data analytic center: (1) The STS-sponsored research by the Access and Publications program, and (2) grant and institutionally funded research by the Longitudinal Follow-Up and Linked Registries Task Force. Also, the STS recently introduced the research program enabling investigative teams to apply for access to deidentified patient-level General Thoracic Surgery Database data sets and conduct related analyses at their own institution. Last year's General Thoracic Surgery Database-based research publications and the new Participant User File research program are reviewed.

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Congenital Heart Surgery Database (STS CHSD) is the largest congenital and pediatric cardiac surgical clinical data registry in the world. It contains data pertaining to more than 435,000 total operations. The most recent biannual feedback report to participants (Spring 2017, Report of the Twenty-Sixth Harvest) included analysis of data submitted from 127 hospitals in North America. That represents nearly all centers performing pediatric and congenital heart operations in the United States and Canada. As an unparalleled platform for assessment of outcomes and for quality improvement activities in the subspecialty of surgery for pediatric and congenital heart disease, the STS CHSD continues to be a primary data source for clinical investigations and for research and innovations related to quality measurement. In 2016, several major original publications reported analyses of data in the CHSD pertaining to various processes of care, including assessment of variation across centers and associations between specific practices, patient characteristics, and outcomes. Additional publications reported the most recent development, evaluation, and application of metrics for quality measurement and reporting of pediatric and congenital heart operation outcomes and center level performance. Use of the STS CHSD for outcomes research and for quality measurement continues to expand as database participation has grown to include nearly all centers in North America, and the available wealth of data in the database continues to grow. This article reviews outcomes research and quality improvement articles published in 2016 that are based on STS CHSD data.

Background A critical gap in The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Database is the absence of patient-reported outcomes (PRO), which are of increasing importance in outcomes and performance measurement. Our aim was to demonstrate the feasibility of integrating PRO into the STS Database for patients undergoing lung cancer operations. Methods The National Institutes of Health Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) includes reliable, precise measures of PRO. We used validated item banks within PROMIS to develop a survey for patients undergoing lung cancer resection. PRO data were prospectively collected electronically on tablet devices and merged with our institutional STS data. Patients were enrolled over 18 months (November 2014 to May 2016). The survey was administered preoperatively and at 1 and 6 months after lung cancer resection. Results The study included 127 patients. All patients completed the initial postoperative survey, and 108 reached the 6-month follow-up. The most common procedure was video-assisted thoracic lobectomy (55%). At the first postoperative visit, there was a significant increase in pain, fatigue, and sleep impairment and a decrease in physical function. By 6 months, these PRO measures had generally improved toward baseline. Conclusions Collecting PRO data from lung cancer surgical patients and integrating the results into an institutional database is feasible. This pilot serves as a model for widespread incorporation of PRO data into the STS Database. Future integration of such data will continue to position the STS National Database as the gold standard for clinical registries. This will be necessary for assessing overall patient responses to different surgical therapies.

BACKGROUND Patients with resectable esophageal cancer (rEC) are managed with either concurrent chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery (CRSx) or concurrent chemoradiotherapy alone (cCR). To the authors' knowledge, there is insufficient evidence comparing the overall survival of patients treated with these 2 options. METHODS The National Cancer Data Base was queried for rEC cases diagnosed from 2003 through 2011. Patients with previous cancers, cervical rEC, clinical stage T1N0 disease, or metastasis were excluded. cCR was defined as radiotherapy administered within 30 days of chemotherapy. CRSx was defined as cCR followed by esophagectomy within 90 days. Overall survival was compared using Kaplan-Meier methods, propensity score matching, and extended Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS Of the 11,122 eligible patients, 8091 (72.7%) received cCR and 3031 (27.3%) received CRSx. The odds of receiving CRSx were higher among patients with American Joint Committee on Cancer stage II disease (vs stage III), adenocarcinoma (vs squamous cell carcinoma), lesions of the lower one-third of the esophagus, private insurance, and those living >25 miles from the treating facility or in areas with a higher median income or a greater percentage of high school-educated residents. Patients aged >70 years, female patients, African-American patients, those with ≥2 comorbidities, or those treated at community programs were more likely to receive cCR. After propensity score matching, the median and 10-year survival rates were found to be significantly better with CRSx (32.5 months [95% confidence interval (95% CI), 29.6-34.8 months] and 23.8% months [95% CI, 20.0-27.9 months], respectively) compared with cCR (14.2 months [95% CI, 13.4-15.5 months] and 6.1% months [95% CI, 3.9-9.0 months], respectively). CONCLUSIONS Data from the National Cancer Data Base support the inclusion of surgery after concurrent chemoradiotherapy for patients with locally advanced rEC. Cancer 2017. © 2017 American Cancer Society.

Large chest wall resections can result in skeletal instability, altered respiratory mechanics, and significant cosmetic defects. Here the authors review a variety of prostheses that can be used to reconstruct these defects, the indications for their use, the technique for implantation, and the available data regarding their clinical outcomes.

Background The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) has developed composite quality measures for cardiac surgical procedures and lobectomy for lung cancer. This study sought to develop a composite measure for esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. Methods The STS esophagectomy composite score is derived from two risk-adjusted outcomes: mortality and major complications. General Thoracic Surgery Database data were included from 2012 to 2014, and 95% Bayesian credible intervals were established to determine "star" ratings. STS participants were compared with the National Inpatient Sample as a national benchmark (including non-STS participants). Results The study population included 4,321 patients who underwent esophagectomy from 167 participating centers. The operative mortality rate was 3.1% (N = 135), and the major complication rate was 33.1% (N = 1,429). Of the 167 participants, 70 reported an average yearly volume of five or more esophagectomies during the study period. With this threshold, reliability for the composite score was 0.58 (95% credible interval, 0.41 to 0.72). Of these 70 participants, 5 (7.1%) were three star, 63 (90.0%) were two star, and 2 (2.9%) were one star. A majority of STS participants, 58.1% (N = 97), did not have sufficient volume to receive a reliable composite score. Benchmarked to the 2012 National Inpatient Sample cohort, STS General Thoracic Surgery Database participants have comparable discharge mortality rates and shorter postoperative lengths of stay. Conclusions STS has developed a quality measure for esophageal cancer surgical procedures based on a composite score of risk-adjusted operative mortality rates and major complications. The composite rating for esophagectomy has good reliability for programs performing an average of five procedures annually, although almost 60% of participants are not eligible for a star rating because of lower procedure volumes.

Objectives: Esophageal adenosquamous carcinoma (ASC) is a rare tumor with characteristics of adenocarcinoma (AC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), the two most common esophageal cancers. Its behavior is aggressive but poorly understood. Using the National Cancer Database (NCDB), the clinical features and overall survival of ASC were compared with AC and SCC. Methods: The NCDB was queried for patients with esophageal ASC, AC, and SCC. Univariate association of histology with patient characteristics and overall survival were analyzed and socioeconomic characteristics were balanced. Results: Clinical M stage was 0 in a significantly lower proportion of ASC (69.0%) than in AC (70.9%) or SCC (75.6%) (p < 0.001). Median survival was lower in patients with ASC (9.6 months) than with AC (13.5) or SCC (9.7) and 2-year OS was lower in patients with ASC (23.8%) than with AC (34.6%) or SCC (26.5%) (p < 0.001). The OS hazard ratio for ASC was 1.14 when compared to AC (95% CI = 1.016-1.267, p = 0.025) and 1.10 when compared to SCC, but the latter was not significant (95% CI = 0.980-1.222, p = 0.111). Conclusion: ASC is a rare tumor among esophageal carcinomas with a greater burden of metastatic disease than AC or SCC and worse OS than AC.

Background Although body mass index (BMI) has been used in risk stratification for lung resection, many models only take obesity into account. Recent studies have demonstrated that underweight patients also experience increased postoperative complications. We explored the relationship of extremes of BMI to outcomes after lung resection for non-small cell cancer. Methods Patients in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic Surgery Database (2009 to 2014) undergoing elective lung resection for cancer were evaluated. Multivariable logistic regression was used to adjust for potential confounders including functional status and spirometry. Results We evaluated 41,446 patients (median 68 years of age; 53% female) grouped by BMI: underweight ( Conclusions BMI is associated with postoperative complications after lung resection for cancer. Being underweight or severely overweight is associated with an increased risk of complications, whereas being overweight or moderately obese appears to have a protective effect.

The art and science of outcomes analysis, quality improvement, and patient safety continue to evolve, and cardiothoracic surgery leads many of these advances. The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) National Database is one of the principal reasons for this leadership role, as it provides a platform for the generation of knowledge in all of these domains. Understanding these topics is a professional responsibility of all cardiothoracic surgeons. Therefore, beginning in January 2016, The Annals of Thoracic Surgery began publishing a monthly series of scholarly articles on outcomes analysis, quality improvement, and patient safety. This article provides a summary of the status of the STS National Database as of October 2016 and summarizes the articles about the STS National Database that appeared in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery 2016 series, "Outcomes Analysis, Quality Improvement, and Patient Safety."

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) National Database was established in 1989 as an initiative for quality improvement and patient safety for cardiothoracic surgery. The STS National Database has 4 components, each focusing on a distinct discipline—Adult Cardiac Surgery, General Thoracic Surgery, Congenital Heart Surgery, and mechanical circulatory support with the STS Interagency Registry for Mechanical Circulatory Support (Intermacs)/Pediatric Interagency Registry for Mechanical Circulatory Support (Pedimacs) Database. In December 2015, The Annals of Thoracic Surgery began publishing a monthly series of scholarly articles on outcomes analysis, quality improvement, and patient safety. This article provides the fourth annual summary of the status of the STS National Database.

As the largest congenital and pediatric cardiac surgical clinical data registry in the world, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Congenital Heart Surgery Database (STS CHSD) serves as a platform for reporting of outcomes and for quality improvement. In addition, it is an important source of data for clinical research and for innovations related to quality measurement. Each year, several teams of investigators undertake analyses of data in the STS CHSD pertaining to the surgical management of specific diagnostic and procedural groups, as well as specific processes of care and their associations with patient characteristics across centers participating in the STS CHSD, and with outcomes. Additional ongoing projects involve the development of new or refined metrics for quality measurement and reporting of outcomes and center level performance. The STS, through its Workforce for National Databases and the STS Research Center and Workforce on Research Development provides multiple pathways through which investigators may propose and carry out outcomes research projects based on STS CHSD data. This article reviews research published within the past year.