Annals of surgery
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Multicenter Study
Benchmarking outcomes in the critically injured trauma patient and the effect of implementing standard operating procedures.
To determine and compare outcomes with accepted benchmarks in trauma care at 7 academic level I trauma centers in which patients were treated on the basis of a series of standard operating procedures (SOPs). ⋯ This study provides the current benchmark and the overall positive effect of implementing SOPs for severely injured patients. Over the course of the study, there were improvements in morbidity and mortality rates and increasing compliance with SOPs. Mortality was surprisingly low, given the degree of injury, and improved over the duration of the study, which correlated with improved SOP compliance.
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The present review illustrates the state of the art of regenerative medicine (RM) as applied to surgical diseases and demonstrates that this field has the potential to address some of the unmet needs in surgery. RM is a multidisciplinary field whose purpose is to regenerate in vivo or ex vivo human cells, tissues, or organs to restore or establish normal function through exploitation of the potential to regenerate, which is intrinsic to human cells, tissues, and organs. RM uses cells and/or specially designed biomaterials to reach its goals and RM-based therapies are already in use in several clinical trials in most fields of surgery. The main challenges for investigators are threefold: Creation of an appropriate microenvironment ex vivo that is able to sustain cell physiology and function in order to generate the desired cells or body parts; identification and appropriate manipulation of cells that have the potential to generate parenchymal, stromal and vascular components on demand, both in vivo and ex vivo; and production of smart materials that are able to drive cell fate.
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Comparative Study
Calcimimetics versus parathyroidectomy for treatment of primary hyperparathyroidism: retrospective chart analysis of a prospective database.
This study aims to determine the efficacy of calcimimetics in improving bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) and compare those results to patients undergoing parathyroidectomy. ⋯ Parathyroidectomy results in greater normalization of serum calcium and PTH levels and significantly improves cortical BMD compared to calcimimetics. Regardless of treatment, normalization of PTH is associated with significant improvement in spine and femur BMD, suggesting that the superior effects of surgery may be mediated by better control of PTH.
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To identify independent preoperative predictors of outcome for total hip or knee replacement (THKR) and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair, including the importance of the time interval between an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) or stroke and surgery. ⋯ Previous stroke and ACS increased the odds of perioperative mortality from THKR but not AAA surgery; THKR surgery conducted up to 12 months after an ACS was associated with increased mortality.
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To provide an evidence-based focused review of aspirin use in the perioperative period along with an in-depth discussion of the considerations and risks associated with its preoperative withdrawal. ⋯ Clinicians should employ a patient-specific strategy for perioperative aspirin management that weighs the risks of stopping aspirin with those associated with its continuation. Most patients, especially those taking aspirin for secondary cardiovascular prevention, should have their aspirin continued throughout the perioperative period. When aspirin is held preoperatively, the aspirin withdrawal syndrome may significantly increase the risk of a major thromboembolic complication. For many operative procedures, the risk of perioperative bleeding while continuing aspirin is minimal, as compared with the concomitant thromboembolic risks associated with aspirin withdrawal. Those cases where aspirin should be stopped include patients undergoing intracranial, middle ear, posterior eye, intramedullary spine, and possibly transurethral prostatectomy surgery.