Annals of surgery
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To examine the association of prescription opioid fills over the year prior to surgery with postoperative outcomes. ⋯ This study is the first to examine the effect of presurgical opioid exposure on both clinical and non-clinical outcomes in a broad cohort of patients, and shows that exposure is associated with worse postsurgical outcomes. A key question to be addressed is whether and to what extent opioid tapering before surgery mitigates these risks after surgery.
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This study examined the association between insurance type and postoperative unplanned care encounters among patients on long-term opioid therapy prior to surgery. ⋯ Among patients on preoperative long-term opioid therapy, unplanned care encounters were higher among patients with Medicaid when compared to private insurance. While this is likely multifactorial, differences by insurance status may point to disparities in underlying social determinants of health and suggest the need for postoperative care pathways that address these gaps.
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To evaluate whether a machine learning algorithm (i.e. the "NightSignal" algorithm) can be used for the detection of postoperative complications prior to symptom onset after cardiothoracic surgery. ⋯ Machine learning analysis of biometric data collected from wearable devices has the potential to detect postoperative complications-prior to symptom onset-after cardiothoracic surgery.
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To determine whether hospital- and surgeon-level operative volumes are associated with differences in postoperative outcomes among infants undergoing elective lung surgery for a congenital lung malformation (CLM). ⋯ In this cohort study of infants undergoing elective lung resection for a CLM, lower volume providers were associated with higher postoperative patient morbidity. These findings represent an opportunity to inform quality improvement initiatives on pediatric lung resection and the debate on surgical subspecialization for this unique patient population.
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Assess factors affecting the cumulative lifespan of a transplanted liver. ⋯ In summary, transplanted livers frequently get as old as those in the average population despite ischemic-reperfusion-injury and immunosuppression. The presented results justify using older donor livers regardless of donation type, even in sicker recipients with limited options.