Journal of the American College of Surgeons
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Observational Study
Coronary Artery Calcification and Risk of Cardiac Complication in Geriatric Trauma Population.
Better means of identifying patients with increased cardiac complication (CC) risk is needed. Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is reported on routine chest CT scans. We assessed the correlation of CAC and CCs in the geriatric trauma population. ⋯ CAC as reported on chest CT scans demonstrates a significant correlation with CC and should warrant additional cardiac monitoring.
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An elevated BMI is a major cause of transplant preclusion for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). This phenomenon exacerbates existing socioeconomic and racial disparities and increases the economic burden of maintaining patients on dialysis. Metabolic bariatric surgery (MBS) in such patients is not widely available. Our center created a collaborative program to undergo weight loss surgery before obtaining a kidney transplant. ⋯ A collaborative approach between bariatric and transplant surgery teams offers a pathway toward transplant for obese ESRD patients and potentially alleviates existing healthcare disparities. ESRD patients who undergo MBS have unique complications to be aware of. The improvement in comorbidities may lead to superior posttransplant outcomes.
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Behavioral health disorders (BHDs) can often be exacerbated in the setting of cancer. We sought to define the prevalence of BHD among cancer patients and characterize the association of BHD with surgical outcomes. ⋯ BHD was associated with lower likelihood to achieve a postoperative textbook outcome, higher expenditures, as well as worse prognosis. Initiatives to target BHD are needed to improve outcomes of cancer patients undergoing surgery.
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Race and socioeconomic status incompletely identify patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) at the highest risk for screening, treatment, and mortality disparities. Social vulnerability index (SVI) was designed to delineate neighborhoods requiring greater support after external health stressors, summarizing socioeconomic, household, and transportation barriers by census tract. SVI is implicated in lower cancer center use and increased complications after colectomy, but its influence on long-term prognosis is unknown. Herein, we characterized relationships between SVI and CRC survival. ⋯ High SVI was independently associated with poorer prognosis after CRC resection beyond the perioperative period. Acknowledging needs for multi-institutional evaluation and elaborating causal mechanisms, neighborhood-level vulnerability may inform targeted outreach in CRC care.