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Midterm ventricular performance after Norwood procedure with right ventricular-pulmonary artery conduit.

BACKGROUND: Midterm and long-term results of patients who underwent a Norwood procedure with a right ventricular-pulmonary artery conduit remain unclear. This study aimed to compare the midterm ventricular performance of the Norwood procedure with right ventricular-pulmonary artery conduit and the Norwood procedure with systemic-pulmonary shunt. METHODS: Twenty-one patients who underwent both a bidirectional Glenn procedure and a total cavopulmonary connection after Norwood palliation at Fukuoka Children's Hospital Medical Center were divided into two groups: the systemic-pulmonary shunt group (n = 11) and the right ventricular-pulmonary artery conduit group (n = 10). End-systolic elastance (contractility), effective arterial elastance (afterload), and ventriculoarterial coupling and the ratio of stroke work and pressure-volume area (ventricular efficiency) were measured on the basis of cardiac catheterization data before the bidirectional Glenn procedure, before and after the total cavopulmonary connection, and at approximately 1 year after total cavopulmonary connection. RESULTS: After bidirectional Glenn procedure and total cavopulmonary connection, end-systolic elastance of the right ventricular-pulmonary artery conduit group was lower than that of the systemic-pulmonary shunt group, whereas effective arterial elastance of the right ventricular-pulmonary artery conduit group was lower than that of the systemic-pulmonary shunt group. Consequently, there was no difference in ventricular efficiency in both groups 1 year after total cavopulmonary connection. CONCLUSIONS: The midterm ventricular performance of the right ventricular-pulmonary artery conduit group was comparable with the systemic-pulmonary shunt group in terms of ventricular efficiency. However, after bidirectional Glenn procedure and total cavopulmonary connection, contractility in patients who underwent a Norwood procedure with a right ventricular-pulmonary artery conduit was inferior to that of patients who underwent a Norwood procedure with a systemic-pulmonary shunt.

Aorta↗

Impact of hospital volume on racial disparities in cardiovascular procedure mortality.

OBJECTIVES: We assessed use of low-volume hospitals by race and ethnicity for major cardiovascular procedures and determined whether hospital volume is an important factor explaining racial and ethnic differences in post-procedure mortality. BACKGROUND: Low hospital volume predicts mortality for cardiovascular procedures and could be a mediator of racial and ethnic differences in procedure outcomes. METHODS: We analyzed data from 719,679 hospitalizations for cardiac artery bypass grafting (CABG), percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair, and carotid endarterectomy (CEA) from 1998 to 2001 using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. We used multivariate logistic regression to assess whether race predicts use of low-volume hospitals and the relative contribution of hospital volume to racial disparity in post-procedure in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: Black and Hispanic patients were more likely than white patients to receive cardiovascular procedures in low-volume hospitals. Black patients had greater risk-adjusted mortality than white patients after elective AAA repair (odds ratio [OR], 1.84; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.20 to 2.84), CABG (OR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.06 to 1.33), and CEA (OR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.07 to 2.27), but not PTCA. Hispanic patients did not have higher risk-adjusted mortality than white patients. Adjusting for hospital volume did not substantially reduce the relative risk of death for black patients compared with white patients. CONCLUSIONS: Black and Hispanic patients were more likely to receive cardiovascular procedures in low-volume hospitals, but hospital volume did not explain a large proportion of racial differences in post-procedure mortality. Additional research is needed to determine why black patients have increased mortality after cardiovascular procedures and how these mortality rates can be reduced.

Black or African American↗

The effect of surgical case volume on outcome after the Norwood procedure.

OBJECTIVES: We analyze the effect of surgical case volume on the survival of infants with hypoplastic left heart syndrome who underwent stage I surgical palliation (the Norwood procedure). The purpose of our study was to understand more clearly the relative effects of institution and surgeon experience on patient outcome. METHODS: Using the Pediatric Health Information System database belonging to the pediatric hospital members of the Child Health Corporation of America, we identified newborn infants (< 30 days old on admission) from 1998 through 2001 admitted with the diagnosis of hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was used to examine the association between both institutional and surgeon case volume with 28-day survival after the Norwood procedure. RESULTS: Twenty-nine hospitals and 87 surgeons performed 801 Norwood procedures during the study period. In the 4 of 29 institutions that averaged 1 or more Norwood procedures per month during the study period, survival averaged 78%. The remaining 25 institutions averaged 1 Norwood procedure every 9.6 weeks, with a survival of 59%. Data analysis revealed that higher institutional volume (P = .02) but not the number of cases performed by surgeons (P = .13) increased survival after the Norwood procedure. There was no such association with average length of stay in survivors or the time to mortality in nonsurvivors. CONCLUSION: Survival after the Norwood procedure is associated with institutional Norwood procedure volume but not with individual surgeon case volume, suggesting the need for improvements in institutional-based approaches to the care of children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and the need for establishing regional referral centers for such high-risk procedures to improve patient survival.

Cardiac Surgical Procedures↗

The Malone antegrade colonic enema isolated or associated with urological incontinence procedures: evaluation from patient point of view.

PURPOSE: Fecal and urinary incontinence in patients with congenital or acquired spinal cord defects represents a handicap that impairs chances of integration in society. Associated with the management of urinary incontinence, the Malone antegrade colonic enema is a generally successful procedure for resolving refractory fecal incontinence. We report the results of the evaluation of this technique from the patient perspective. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A survey was conducted among 19 patients who had undergone a Malone procedure, combined in 14 with urological surgical intervention for urinary incontinence. Patients completed a questionnaire either by mail or during an interview with a urotherapy nurse and/or a psychologist. Questions concerned patient opinion about the quality of preoperative information, perioperative period, stoma, functional result and overall satisfaction. The psychological impact of the procedure was also evaluated during the interviews. No complication occurred related to the Malone procedure or stomal stenosis, and a perfect functional result was achieved in 17 patients, 1 of whom had occasional leakage through the stoma. RESULTS: Of the 19 patients in the study 2 who have abandoned using the Malone procedure, including 1 with a poor result and 1 with a good functional result, did not return the questionnaire. The remaining 17 patients believed they had received adequate preoperative information and expressed no specific complaint about the perioperative period. The 15 with the stoma in the umbilicus were satisfied, although 3 young patients were temporarily disturbed by catheterizing the umbilicus and 2 with the stoma in the right fossa iliaca were disappointed. The 15 patients who had a perfect functional result recognized great improvement in quality of life but 13 complained of pain (12) and/or excessive duration of the procedure (9). The patient with a poor functional result and the other with occasional stomal leakage would not consider the procedure again. These 2 patients had durable postoperative depression while 3 others who ultimately achieved a good functional result experienced temporary depression. CONCLUSIONS: The Malone procedure generally meets the expectations of patients but it is considered by a majority as painful and lengthy. The umbilicus is the preferred stoma site but may prove to be disturbing in young patients. Abandonment of the procedure and postoperative depression experienced by some patients, despite a good functional result, deserve better prevention.

Adolescent↗

Complications and untoward effects of the tension-free vaginal tape procedure.

OBJECTIVE: To report our experience with our first 350 cases of tension-free vaginal tape (TVT), specifically assessing intraoperative complications, postoperative morbidity, and untoward effects of the procedure. METHODS: Although increased numbers of reports have documented the efficacy of the TVT procedure, there are minimal data about the incidence of complications and how they are managed. We performed a retrospective review of all patients undergoing the TVT procedure over a 4-year period to report intraoperative complications (bladder perforation and excessive bleeding), postoperative complications (de novo urge incontinence, voiding dysfunction, erosion, nerve injury, urinary retention, hematoma formation), and incidence of reoperation either for voiding dysfunction or for recurrent incontinence. RESULTS: A total of 350 patients were included in the study. Fifty-five percent (194) of women underwent the TVT procedure in conjunction with other vaginal surgery, and 45% (156) underwent the TVT alone. Seventy women (20%) had previous antiincontinence surgery. Intraoperative complications included 19 bladder perforations in 17 patients (4.9%) and three cases of significant bleeding (0.9%). Postoperatively, 17 women (4.9%) had voiding dysfunction and 42 (12%) required anticholinergic therapy beyond 6 weeks. Recurrent urinary tract infections developed in 38 (10.9%), erosion or poor healing in three (0.9%), hematoma in six (1.7%), and nerve injury in three (0.9%). Twenty-eight (8%) underwent urethral dilation in the postoperative period for varied amounts of voiding dysfunction. Of these, 82% were either improved or were cured. Six women (1.7%) underwent a takedown of the TVT procedure for continued voiding dysfunction, and two of these (33%) developed recurrent stress incontinence. To date, two patients (0.5%) have undergone another procedure for recurrent or persistent stress incontinence. CONCLUSION: The TVT procedure is efficacious for the correction of stress incontinence. Our data show that it is a safe procedure with an acceptable complication rate when performed by surgeons who have experience with retropubic and transvaginal antiincontinence procedures.

Female↗

Urinary retention after tension-free vaginal tape procedure: incidence and treatment.

OBJECTIVES: To review our experience with persistent urinary retention after the tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) procedure and report our treatment results. Ulmsten recently introduced the TVT procedure for female stress urinary incontinence. Although the morbidity is minimal, no surgical procedure is without risks, and experience will better define the morbidity of the TVT procedure. METHODS: Since November 1998, we have collectively performed 600 TVT procedures. Of these, 17 patients (2.8%) developed urinary retention or symptoms consistent with obstruction (including hesitancy, straining to void, or feeling of incomplete emptying) lasting more than 1 week from the date of the procedure. We reviewed the operative record, noting the operative time, estimated blood loss, presence of bladder penetration, and any reported complications. All 17 patients subsequently underwent transvaginal release on an outpatient basis. RESULTS: Seventeen patients (mean age 56 years, range 38 to 81) underwent sling release a mean of 64 days (range 6 to 228) after the TVT procedure. All patients voided to completion within 24 hours of release and reported no further subjective complaints of outlet obstruction. None of the subjects reported de novo urge incontinence or urgency. In each patient, the estimated blood loss was minimal; the operative time averaged 15 minutes. One urethral injury occurred and was managed intraoperatively without sequelae. Sixteen patients who underwent sling release have remained dry; the remaining patient, in whom a urethral injury was repaired, redeveloped stress incontinence and underwent an uncomplicated successful transvaginal sling procedure. CONCLUSIONS: Outlet obstruction is a risk of the TVT procedure and occurred with an incidence of 2.8% in our experience. The TVT mesh can be released by a simple vaginal incision under local anesthesia with rapid return to normal voiding. Although the number of patients studied was small, stress incontinence did not recur after uncomplicated release in our series.

Adult↗

Risk of recurrent stress incontinence in women undergoing the combined modified pereyra procedure and transvaginal sacrospinous ligament vault suspension.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the risk of recurrent stress urinary incontinence in women undergoing the combined modified Pereyra procedure and sacrospinous ligament vault suspension. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 62 patients who underwent the modified Pereyra procedure at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center between October 1, 1993 and July 10, 1999 for stress urinary incontinence was performed. RESULTS: The study group consisted of 62 patients treated for stress incontinence; 34 (55%) of the 62 patients underwent the modified Pereyra procedure for stress incontinence, and 28 (45%) underwent the combined modified Pereyra procedure and sacrospinous ligament vault suspension for stress incontinence and coexistent uterine and/or vaginal vault prolapse. Patients undergoing the modified Pereyra procedure without vaginal vault suspension had higher subjective (91% versus 64%, P = 0.01) and objective (88% versus 61%, P = 0.02) cure rates of stress urinary incontinence compared with the patients undergoing the combined modified Pereyra procedure and sacrospinous ligament vault suspension. The mean follow-up period for the patients undergoing the modified Pereyra procedure (23 +/- 14.4 months) was similar to that of the patients undergoing the combined modified Pereyra procedure and sacrospinous ligament vault suspension (26 +/- 9.4 months) (P = 0.3). Compared with the objectively cured patients, patients with objective failure demonstrated postoperative bladder neck hypermobility and a higher rate of recurrent grade 2 or greater anterior vaginal prolapse. Eleven patients had postoperative detrusor instability, and 2 patients who underwent sacrospinous ligament vault suspension developed recurrent grade 3 apical vault prolapse. CONCLUSIONS: Patients undergoing the combined modified Pereyra procedure and sacrospinous ligament vault suspension have high rates of recurrent stress urinary incontinence.

Combined Modality Therapy↗

Adverse events of procedural sedation and analgesia in a pediatric emergency department.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the adverse event and complication rate for the use of procedural sedation and analgesia for painful procedures and diagnostic imaging studies performed in a pediatric emergency department. METHODS: This prospective case series was conducted in the ED of a large, urban pediatric teaching hospital. Subjects were patients younger than 21 years seen between August 1997 and July 1998, who required intravenous, intramuscular, oral, rectal, intranasal, or inhalational agents for painful procedures or diagnostic imaging. All patients who underwent procedural sedation and analgesia were continually monitored. Adverse events and complications were recorded. The ED controlled substance log was checked weekly and all sedations were reviewed. Adverse events were defined as follows: oxygen desaturation less than 90%, apnea, stridor, laryngospasm, bronchospasm, cardiovascular instability, paradoxical reactions, emergence reactions, emesis, and aspiration. Complications were defined as adverse events that negatively affected outcome or delayed recovery. RESULTS: Of 1,180 patients who underwent procedural sedation and analgesia in the ED, 27 (2.3%) experienced adverse events, which included oxygen desaturation less than 90% requiring intervention (10 patients) [supplemental oxygen (9), bag-mask ventilation (1)], paradoxical reactions (7), emesis (3), paradoxical reaction and oxygen desaturation requiring supplemental oxygen (2), apnea requiring bag-mask ventilation (1), laryngospasm requiring bag-mask ventilation (1), bradycardia (1), stridor and emesis (1) and oxygen desaturation requiring bag-mask ventilation with subsequent emesis (1). There was no statistically significant difference in mean doses for all procedural sedation and analgesia medication regimens between those children who experienced adverse events and those who did not. No single drug or drug regimen was associated with a higher adverse event rate. In addition, there was no significant difference in the adverse event rate between males and females, among the different ages, or among the different indications for procedural sedation and analgesia. No patient required reversal of sedation with naloxone or flumazenil, endotracheal intubation, or hospital admission because of complications from procedural sedation and analgesia. CONCLUSION: The adverse event rate for procedural sedation and analgesia performed by pediatric emergency physicians was 2.3% with no serious complications noted.

Adolescent↗

Quality assurance and gastrointestinal endoscopy: an audit of 500 colonoscopic procedures.

UNLABELLED: The aim of this study was to assess the quality of colonoscopic procedures in our endoscopy unit with the goal of improving performance. METHODS: We prospectively audited 500 consecutive colonoscopic procedures and assessed sixty-two process or outcome indicators for each procedure. RESULTS: Most of the measured indicators were within standard limits: cecal intubation rate (92%), inadequate bowel preparations (24%), inappropriate procedures (9.7%), normal procedures (54%), yield for neoplasia (32%), morbidity (0.4%), and overall patient satisfaction (95.8%). Some indicators were outside standard limits suggesting our practices should be modified: endoscopy withdrawal time less than 6 minutes (78%), forceps removal of polyps (31%), resected polyps not recovered for pathological examination (12%), adenomas with villous elements (22%), patients unsatisfied because of time spent waiting for the procedure (19%), patients unsatisfied because of inadequate explanations (10%). There was no standard for a few indicators: patient discomfort (6.9%), diagnostic success (89%), therapeutic success (92%). Three new indicators were proposed: proportion of patients aged<50 years, number of normal colonoscopic procedures to perform to detect one advanced adenoma or cancer, and proportion of colonoscopic procedures causing discomfort. The diagnostic yield of colonoscopy was dependent on age, gender, indication and appropriateness of indication but not on the prescriber. CONCLUSION: This audit allowed us to evaluate our endoscopic practices and to detect certain shortcomings and deviations from standards. It enabled us to change some of our practices with the goal of improving the quality of our colonoscopic procedures.

Adolescent↗

Hospital profitability for a surgeon's common procedures predicts the surgeon's overall profitability for the hospital.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether a hospital's profitability for a surgeon's common procedures predicts the surgeon's overall profitability for the hospital. DESIGN: Observational study. SETTING: Community and university-affiliated tertiary hospital with 21,903 surgical procedures performed per year. PATIENTS: 7,520 patients having surgery performed by one of 46 surgeons. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Financial data were obtained for all patients cared for by all the surgeons who performed at least ten cases of one of the hospital's six most common procedures. A surgeon's overall profitability for the hospital was measured using his or her contribution margin ratio (i.e., total revenue for all of the surgeon's patients divided by total variable cost for the patients). Contribution margin was calculated twice: once with all of a surgeon's patients, and second, limiting consideration to those patients who underwent one of the six common procedures. The common procedures accounted for 22 +/- 15% of the 46 surgeons' overall caseload, 29 +/- 10% of their patients' hospital costs, and 30 +/- 12% of the hospital revenue generated by the surgeons. Hospital contribution margin ratios ranged from 1.4 to 4.2. Contribution margin ratios for common procedures and contribution margin ratios for all patients were correlated (tau = 0.58, n = 46, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Even though most surgical cases were for uncommon procedures, a surgeon's hospital profitability on common procedures predicted the surgeon's overall financial performance. Perioperative incentive programs based on common surgical procedures (clinical pathways) are likely to accurately reflect a surgeon's financial performance on their other surgeries.

Benchmarking↗

Left versus bi-atrial intraoperative saline-irrigated radiofrequency modified maze procedure for atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the saline-irrigated radiofrequency modified maze operation for the treatment of chronic atrial fibrillation (AF) and compare the results of the left and bi-atrial procedures. MATERIAL AND METHOD: During a period of two years, 105 patients with chronic AF having concomitant cardiac surgery underwent the procedure. Patients underwent either a bi-atrial ( n = 48) or left atrial ( n = 57) maze procedure. The first twenty patients underwent a bi-atrial maze procedure regardless of the pathology. In the following patients we adopted the bi-atrial approach in patients with a history of atrial flutter and where the right atrium has to be opened. Otherwise the procedure is restricted to the left atrial side. Mean age was 52 +/- 11 years in bi-atrial group and 54 +/- 9 years in left atrial group. RESULTS: Three patients died early postoperatively (2.9%). There were 4 revisions for bleeding (3.8%). Two patients in bi-atrial group received a permanent pacemaker (4.1%). Patients in both groups were free of AF at the end of the procedure. (Bi-atrial group: sinus: 79.2%, pacemaker: 20.8%), (Left atrial group: sinus: 82.5%, pacemaker: 17.5%) ( p > 0.05). During the last follow-up, sinus rhythm was maintained in 79.6% of cases in bi-atrial group, while this rate was 75.6% in left atrial group ( p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Saline irrigated radiofrequency modified maze procedure was performed safely and efficiently. Both the left and bi-atrial procedures were successful in terms of restoring sinus rhythm. Our current policy is to adopt the bi-atrial approach in patients with a history of atrial flutter and where the right atrium has to be opened. Otherwise the procedure is restricted to the left atrial side.

Adult↗

[Incidence of major amputations, bypass procedures and percutaneous transluminal angioplasties (PTA) in the treatment of peripheral arterial occlusive disease in a German referral center 1996-2003].

PURPOSE: To determine the current incidence of major amputations, bypass procedures and percutaneous transluminal angioplasties (PTA) in a study population of patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease in a German referral center. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a retrospective study, we recruited patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease who underwent an amputation, bypass procedure, or PTA in the region of the pelvis or lower limbs between 1996 and 2003 at the Augsburg Medical Center. Patients were identified via the hospital database. This was performed with the help of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD 9 and 10), the operation code (OPS), and appropriate invoices. The incidence of PTAs was further estimated with 200 charts. RESULTS: Of 5379 patients, 627 underwent amputation, 1832 a bypass procedure, and 2920 a PTA. The incidence of PTAs increased during the study period from 51.3/100 000/year to 64.4/100 000/year (p < 0.01), while the number of amputations and bypass procedures remained stable. The incidence of PTAs was exceeded by that of bypass procedures only in patients older than 85 years. The age of the amputees decreased during the study period from 72.2 to 70.5 years (p < 0.01). The age of patients who underwent a bypass procedure increased from 67.2 to 69.4 years, and the age of patients who underwent PTA increased from 66.3 to 69.8 years (p < 0.01). Bypass procedures and PTAs were performed in men 6.3 years earlier than in women (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The result is a population-corrected need of 8.4/100 000/year major amputations, 23/100 000/year bypass procedures and 64.4/100 000/year PTAs for patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease within the referral area of our hospital. The performance of major amputations and bypass procedures stagnates, while the incidence of PTAs is increasing.

Adult↗

Etomidate for procedural sedation in emergency medicine.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: We describe and analyze the effectiveness and safety of etomidate for procedural sedation and evaluate the patient's perspective on effectiveness, side effects, and satisfaction. METHODS: We conducted an observational retrospective study of all patients who received etomidate for procedural sedation over 2 years in 3 affiliated suburban emergency departments of a large group-model health maintenance organization. Data were abstracted from the ED records. Additionally, a patient questionnaire was prospectively administered by telephone. RESULTS: Etomidate was used for sedation in 134 patients between 6 and 93 years of age during 150 procedures. The mean cumulative dose was 0.20 mg/kg. Adjunctive medication was used in 36 (23%) procedures. Moderate sedation with verbal arousability was induced in 48 (32%) patients, and deep sedation with verbal unresponsiveness was induced in 102 (68%) patients. Full recovery to the preprocedural level of alertness was achieved within 30 minutes in 142 (95%) of procedures. Mean changes in systolic blood pressure, pulse rate, and oxygen saturation were clinically insignificant. There were 7 (4.7%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.9% to 9.4%) adverse events, including 5 (3.3%; 95% CI 1.1% to 7.6%) cases of oxygen desaturation below 94% in older patients (>55 years of age) who received slightly higher mean doses of etomidate (0.23 mg/kg). Four of these patients received brief assisted bag-valve-mask ventilation and recovered uneventfully; none required endotracheal intubation. The questionnaire was completed by 120 (90%) of 134 patients and involved 136 procedures. During 127 (93%) of these, etomidate was believed to be extremely effective in causing sleep, and for 127 (93%) it induced complete procedural amnesia. Only 5 (4%) patients experienced nausea or vomiting. Regarding willingness to receive etomidate for their next procedure, the patients' responses were favorable: extremely, 95%; moderately, 2%; slightly, 3%; and not at all, 1%. CONCLUSION: Etomidate is a useful agent for carefully conducted procedural sedation because it provides effective, brief, deep sedation with little hemodynamic compromise. Its safety may be jeopardized by the occurrence of respiratory depression in older patients receiving higher doses. Patients report a high degree of satisfaction with etomidate.

Adolescent↗

The long-term torsion effect of the adjustable Harada-Ito procedure.

PURPOSE: The Harada-Ito procedure is a widely used technique in the treatment of excyclotorsion. While previous studies have demonstrated its initial success, long-term data have not been readily available. The purpose of this study is to describe the long-term torsion effect of the adjustable Harada-Ito procedure. METHODS: All Harada-Ito procedures performed by 1 surgeon from 1982 to 1998 with at least 1 year of follow-up were reviewed. Torsion was evaluated using the double Maddox rods preoperatively, 1 day postoperatively, 2 months, 6 months, 1 year, 18 months, then annually thereafter. The effectiveness of the procedure was evaluated by comparing preoperative values to those at follow-up exams. The stability of the procedure was also evaluated by comparing torsion at 1 day and 2 months postoperatively to the torsion at subsequent exams. All comparisons were performed using the Student's t test. RESULTS: Eighty Harada-Ito procedures were performed by 1 surgeon during this period. Nineteen patients had at least 1 year of follow-up (range, 1-7 years; mean, 2.0 years). Mean excyclotorsion values were 10.7 degrees preoperatively, 1.0 degrees at 1 day, 1.0 degrees at 2 months, 3.4 degrees at 6 months, 4.8 degrees at 1 year, and 5.3 degrees at 18 months. There was a significant improvement of excyclotorsion compared to preoperative torsion up to 12 months after surgery (P <or=.05). However, there was regression of the torsion effect from 2 months to 12 months after surgery (P =.02). After 12 months, there did not appear to be any further regression at 18 and 24 months postop (P =.79 and.84, respectively), although the number of patients with follow-up beyond 1 year was small (n = 3). CONCLUSIONS: The Harada-Ito procedure is an effective procedure to treat excyclotorsion. However, regression toward excyclotorsion occurs between 2 months to 12 months postoperatively. These results suggest that an initial overcorrection may aid in long-term success of this procedure.

Diplopia↗

Patient psychologic preparation for invasive procedures: an integrative review.

If the physiologic symptoms of anxiety occur during a critical procedure, the length and difficulty of the procedure may be increased, inaccurate data may be obtained from the procedure, and physical harm may occur as a result. To avoid these negative outcomes, it would be beneficial to reduce the amount of anxiety felt by patients undergoing invasive procedures by psychologically preparing them for the procedure. Fourteen studies were found that examined the effects of different types of preparational treatment on the anxiety levels of patients undergoing procedures in the hospital. Overall, the research studied strongly supports the notion that preprocedural intervention reduces the amount of anxiety felt by the patients. The question remains as to what type of preprocedural preparation works best to reduce anxiety. Because this research applies to any procedure performed in a hospital, it is appropriate to extend the implications to include peripheral angiography. It is essential for vascular nurses to implement some type of psychologic preparation for their patients undergoing vascular procedures to improve their outcome and quality of life after the procedure.

Anxiety↗

Comparison of three surgical procedures of differing complexity in the correction of trachomatous upper lid entropion: a prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of three common surgical procedures of increasing complexity in the correction of trachomatous entropion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a prospective study, lids with moderate or severe (without lid gap) trachomatous entropion were randomly allocated to undergo either terminal tarsal rotation (I, n = 30), tarsal rotation with tarso-conjunctival advancement (II, n = 30), or anterior lamellar repositioning with lid margin split and wedge resection of tarsus (III, n = 30). The procedures were compared for improvement of symptoms, duration of surgery, cosmesis, rate and type of complications, anatomical correction, failure and recurrence. One-way and repeated-measure ANOVA, Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were used. RESULTS: The study included 90 eyes of 77 patients (age range: 30-85 years). Symptomatic improvement was comparable after each procedure (p > 0.05). Procedure I, the simplest in technique, took significantly less time (p < 0.001). The three procedures were comparable in achieving cosmesis (p = 1.0), anatomical correction (p = 0.35), and rate of complications (p = 0.43). Failure of surgery was seen in two lids (procedure II), and recurrence in one lid (procedure III). CONCLUSION: In developing countries, where manpower and other resources are limited and patient-load high, ophthalmic surgeons should choose a procedure that is simple, quick and effective. This study suggests that terminal tarsal rotation after transverse tarsotomy should be the procedure of choice in the correction of moderate or severe (without lid gap) trachomatous entropion.

Adult↗

Modeling the uncertainty of surgical procedure times: comparison of log-normal and normal models.

BACKGROUND: Medical institutions are under increased economic pressure to schedule elective surgeries efficiently to contain the costs of surgical services. Surgical scheduling is complicated by variability inherent in the duration of surgical procedures. Modeling that variability, in turn, provides a mechanism to generate accurate time estimates. Accurate time estimates are important operationally to improve operating room utilization and strategically to identify surgeons, procedures, or patients whose duration of surgeries differ from what might be expected. METHODS: The authors retrospectively studied 40,076 surgical cases (1,580 Current Procedural Terminology-anesthesia combinations, each with a case frequency of five or more) from a large teaching hospital, and attempted to determine whether the distribution of surgical procedure times more closely fit a normal or a log-normal distribution. The authors tested goodness-of-fit to these data for both models using the Shapiro-Wilk test. Reasons, in practice, the Shapiro-Wilk test may reject the fit of a log-normal model when in fact it should be retained were also evaluated. RESULTS: The Shapiro-Wilk test indicates that the log-normal model is superior to the normal model for a large and diverse set of surgeries. Goodness-of-fit tests may falsely reject the log-normal model during certain conditions that include rounding errors in procedure times, large sample sizes, untrimmed outliers, and heterogeneous mixed populations of surgical procedure times. CONCLUSIONS: The authors recommend use of the log-normal model for predicting surgical procedure times for Current Procedural Terminology-anesthesia combinations. The results help to legitimize the use of log transforms to normalize surgical procedure times before hypothesis testing using linear statistical models or other parametric statistical tests to investigate factors affecting the duration of surgeries.

Databases, Factual↗

Use of discharge abstract databases to differentiate among pediatric hospitals based on operative procedures: surgery in infants and young children in the state of Iowa.

INTRODUCTION: A pediatric hospital may aim to show governmental agencies, charitable organizations, and philanthropic individuals how its clinical services differ from those of nonpediatric surgical facilities and of other pediatric hospitals. Yet, it is unknown how to use existing databases to quantify where infants and young children undergo surgery, and to use that information to differentiate among facilities. METHODS: Discharge abstracts were used to study inpatient and outpatient operative procedures performed between January and June 2001 in children 0-2 yr old at hospitals or hospital-affiliated outpatient surgery centers in Iowa. RESULTS: Of the 93 facilities performing at least one procedure, the 90 performing 15 or fewer different types of procedures provided surgical care for 80% of procedures. Among procedures performed at these 90 facilities, less than 0.15% were physiologically complex (more than seven American Society of Anesthesiologists' basic units). In contrast, at the larger and smaller pediatric hospitals, the percentages were 26% and 7%, respectively. These pediatric hospitals performed 181 and 73 different types of procedures, respectively; 64% of the physiologically complex procedures performed statewide were performed at the larger pediatric hospital. The smaller pediatric hospital was no more similar to the larger pediatric hospital in its relative volumes of each type of procedure than it was to the other 91 facilities. CONCLUSIONS: Statewide discharge abstract data can be used by a hospital to quantify how its surgical practice differs from that of other hospitals (e.g., to show that it provides a more diverse, comprehensive, and physiologically complex selection of procedures in younger patients).

Adolescent↗