JAMA surgery
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The Society for Vascular Surgery recommends annual surveillance with computed tomography (CT) or ultrasonography after endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) for abdominal aortic aneurysms. However, such lifelong surveillance may be unnecessary for most patients, thereby contributing to overuse of imaging services. ⋯ Nonadherence to the Society for Vascular Surgery guidelines for post-EVAR imaging was not associated with poor outcomes, suggesting that, in many patients, less frequent surveillance is not associated with worse outcomes. Improved criteria for defining optimal surveillance will achieve higher value in aneurysm care.
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Multicenter Study
Compliance With Evidence-Based Guidelines and Interhospital Variation in Mortality for Patients With Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.
Compliance with evidence-based guidelines in traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been proposed as a marker of hospital quality. However, the association between hospital-level compliance rates and risk-adjusted clinical outcomes for patients with TBI remains poorly understood. ⋯ Hospital-level compliance with evidence-based guidelines has minimal association with risk-adjusted outcomes in patients with severe TBI. Our results suggest that caution should be taken before using compliance with these measures as independent quality metrics. Given the complexity of TBI care, outcomes-based metrics, including functional recovery, may be more accurate than current process measures at determining hospital quality.
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Comparative Study
Comparison of US and Canadian Perioperative Outcomes and Hospital Efficiency After Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty.
The combination of an aging population, growing number of medical interventions, and surging economic burden of health care has renewed interest in reevaluating and exploring new health care models. ⋯ The rate of major complications was significantly higher in Canada following TKA, but there was no significant difference following THA. Patients undergoing the procedures in US hospitals also had substantially shorter lengths of hospital stay, perhaps reflecting more efficient postoperative care and discharge planning in those facilities.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Periprosthetic Anesthetic for Postoperative Pain After Laparoscopic Ventral Hernia Repair: A Randomized Clinical Trial.
Laparoscopic ventral hernia repair (LVHR) using mesh is a well-established intervention for ventral hernia, but pain control can be challenging. ⋯ Administration of a long-acting local anesthetic between the mesh and the peritoneum significantly reduces postoperative pain and narcotic use after LVHR.