Annals of surgery
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The aim of the study was to compare the short- and long-term outcomes of colopharyngoplasty and esophagocoloplasty for caustic injuries of the upper digestive tract. ⋯ Overall Kaplan-Meyer survival at 1, 5, and 10 years after colopharyngoplasty and esophagocoloplasty were 92%, 74%, 67% and 92%, 83%, 73%, respectively (P = 0.56). Quality of life and functional results (success: 57% vs 95%, P < 0.0001) were impaired after colopharyngoplasty. On multivariate analysis, older age (odds ratio [OR]: 0.94; confidence interval [CI]: 0.91-0.97 P < 0.0001) and pharyngeal reconstruction (OR: 0.05; CI: 0.02-0.13, P < 0.0001) were associated with failure. The decline in success with age was more pronounced after colopharyngoplasty with only 1 (7%) of 15 patients operated after the age of 55 being self-sufficient for eating and breathing. Laryngeal resection during colopharyngoplasty had no influence on success (54% vs 58%, P = 0.67) CONCLUSIONS:: The need to associate pharyngeal reconstruction during esophageal reconstruction for caustic injuries has a long-term negative impact on functional outcome.
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Editorial Comment
Understanding failure to rescue and improving safety culture.
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A preoperative weight-reducing regimen is usually adhered to in most centers performing bariatric surgery for obesity. The potential to reduce postoperative complications by such a routine is yet to be defined. ⋯ Weight loss before bariatric surgery is associated with marked reduction of risk of postoperative complications. Moreover, the degree of risk reduction seems to be related to amount of weight lost and patients in the higher range of BMI are likely to benefit most from preoperative weight reduction.
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We sought to determine the reliability of surgeon-specific postoperative complication rates after colectomy. ⋯ The vast majority of surgeons do not perform enough colectomies to generate a reliable surgeon-specific complication rate. Risk-adjusted complication rates should be viewed with caution when evaluating surgeons with low operative volume, as statistical noise is a large determinant in estimating their surgeon-specific complication rates.