Journal of the American College of Surgeons
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Previous studies have documented that Black patients have worse outcomes after lower extremity revascularization procedures compared with White patients. However, the association of race on carotid endarterectomy (CEA) outcomes is not well described. The aim of this study was to compare perioperative outcomes of CEA for Black vs White patients with asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis. ⋯ Black patients undergoing CEA for asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis had more severe stenosis, more comorbidities, and worse perioperative outcomes compared to White patients. Overall, our data suggest substantial differences in the treatment and outcomes of asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis based on race.
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Centralizing complex cancer operations, such as pancreatectomy and esophagectomy, has been shown to increase value, largely due to reduction in complications. For high-volume operations with low complication rates, it is unknown to what degree value varies between facilities, or by what mechanism value may be improved. To identify possible opportunities for value enhancement for such operations, we sought to describe variations in episode spending for mastectomy with a secondary aim of identifying patient- and facility-level determinants of variation. ⋯ Michigan hospitals have significant variation in spending for mastectomy. Reducing length of stay through wider adoption of same-day discharge for mastectomy and reducing the frequency of bilateral surgery may represent opportunities to increase value, without compromising patient safety or oncologic outcomes.
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Severely injured patients are at particularly high risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE). Although thromboprophylaxis (PPX) is employed during the inpatient period, patients may continue to be at high risk after discharge. Comparative evidence from surgical subspecialities (eg oncology) reveals benefits of postdischarge (ie extended) PPX. We hypothesized that an extended, postinjury oral thromboprophylaxis regimen would be cost-effective. ⋯ A 30-day course of rivaroxaban is a cost-effective extended thromboprophylaxis strategy in trauma patients in this theoretical study. Prospective studies of postdischarge thromboprophylaxis to prevent postinjury VTE are warranted.
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Insurance status has been associated with disparities in stage at cancer diagnosis. We examined how Medicaid expansion (ME) impacted diagnoses, surgical treatment, use of neoadjuvant therapies (NCRT), and outcomes for Stage II and III rectal cancer. ⋯ Medicaid expansion had important impacts on increasing Stage II and III rectal cancer diagnoses, use of NCRT, and decreased 90-day mortality for patients with Medicaid. Our study supports increasing health insurance coverage to improve Medicaid patient outcomes in rectal cancer care.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Intraoperative Cytologic Sampling for Resected Pancreatic and Periampullary Adenocarcinoma with Implications for Locoregional Recurrence-Free Survival.
We hypothesized that pancreatic and periampullary adenocarcinoma recurrence after surgical resection may be affected by the shedding of malignant epithelial cells during surgical dissection and that this may have implications for disease recurrence and survival. ⋯ Cytologic sampling from ex vivo specimen irrigation after surgical resection of pancreatic and periampullary adenocarcinoma may have implications for LR, survival, and treatment, suggesting a possible cancer cell shedding phenotype.