The British journal of surgery
-
Postoperative complications may activate prometastatic systemic pathways through tissue damage, wound healing, infection, and inflammation. Postoperative complications are associated with inferior survival in several types of cancer. The aim was to determine the association between postoperative complications and survival in breast cancer. ⋯ Major surgical postoperative complications are associated with inferior survival, especially after mastectomy. These results underline the importance of surgical de-escalation.
-
Expert recommendations propose the WHO Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS) 2.0 as a core outcome measure in surgical studies, yet data on its long-term measurement properties remain limited. These were evaluated in a secondary analysis of the Measurement of Exercise Tolerance before Surgery (METS) prospective cohort. ⋯ The WHODAS questionnaire has construct validity and responsiveness as a measure of functional status at 1 year after major surgery.
-
There is a substantial gap in provision of adequate surgical care in many low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to identify the economic burden of unmet surgical need for the common condition of appendicitis. ⋯ For a comparatively non-complex emergency condition such as appendicitis, increasing access to care should be prioritized. Although improving quality of care should not be neglected, increasing provision of care at current standards could reduce societal costs substantially.