Journal of the American College of Surgeons
-
Distal cholangiocarcinoma (DC) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are often managed as 1 entity, yet direct comparisons are lacking. Our aim was to use 2 large multi-institutional databases to assess treatment, pathologic, and survival differences between these diseases. ⋯ Distal cholangiocarcinoma and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma are distinct entities. Distal cholangiocarcinoma has a favorable prognosis compared with PDAC, yet current adjuvant therapy regimens are only associated with improved survival in PDAC, not DC. Therefore, treatment paradigms used for PDAC should not be extrapolated to DC, despite similar operative approaches, and novel therapies for DC should be explored.
-
To identify patients with a high risk of 30-day mortality after elective surgery, who may benefit from referral for tertiary care, an institution-specific process using the Veterans Affairs Surgical Quality Improvement Program (VASQIP) Risk Calculator was developed. The goal was to develop and validate the methodology. Our hypothesis was that the process could optimize referrals and reduce mortality. ⋯ These data validate this methodology to identify patients for referral to a higher level of care, reducing mortality at the referring institutions and significantly improving patient outcomes. This methodology can help guide decisions on referrals and optimize patient care. Further application and studies are warranted.
-
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with Medicaid or no health insurance have inferior survival compared with privately insured patients. Safety-net hospitals that care for these patients are often criticized for their inferior outcomes. We hypothesized that HCC survival was related to appropriate surgical management. ⋯ Vulnerable patients with HCC are commonly treated at safety-net hospitals, are less likely to receive curative surgery, and have worse short-term outcomes. However, safety-net patients who can endure liver surgery have a similar prognosis as patients at nonsafety-net hospitals. Providing equal access to surgery may improve survival for vulnerable populations of HCC patients.
-
Post-endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) endoleaks and the need for reintervention are challenging. Additional endovascular treatment is advised for type Ia endoleaks detected on post-EVAR completion angiogram. This study analyzed management and late outcomes of these endoleaks. ⋯ Immediate post-EVAR type Ia endoleaks are associated with higher rates of early interventions, late endoleaks and reintervention, which will necessitate strict post-EVAR surveillance.
-
Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are rare neoplasms. Our group has treated more than 2,000 NET patients and has performed more than 1,000 surgical cytoreductive procedures. ⋯ Surgical cytoreduction in NET patients has low morbidity and mortality rates and results in prolonged survival. We believe that surgical cytoreduction should play a major role in the care of patients with NETs.