Surgery
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Frailty is an established predictor of adverse outcomes in geriatric patients. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is an important outcome measure among trauma patients. This prospective observational study examined the impact of frailty on health-related quality of life in geriatric trauma patients. ⋯ Compared with nonfrail geriatric trauma patients, those who were frail had poor health-related quality of life at discharge and at 30-day postdischarge. Frailty negatively affects the recovery of health-related quality of life after trauma. The use of frailty indices may help identify and develop targeted interventions to improve health-related quality of life among geriatric trauma patients.
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In response to the growing opioid crisis, Florida recently implemented a law restricting the duration of opioid prescriptions for acute pain. Little is known about the impact of such legislation on opioid prescription practices at the time of discharge after surgery. The objective of this study was to determine whether Florida's new legislation changed opioid prescription practices for analgesia after surgery. ⋯ Opioid prescriptions for patients undergoing common outpatient surgical procedures at a large public university-affiliated hospital in Florida were substantially reduced within 6 months after implementation of state legislation limiting the duration of opioid prescriptions. This reduction was not associated with an increase in the number of postoperative emergency department visits. The legislation should significantly decrease the amount of unused opioid pills potentially available for diversion and abuse. Secondary effects from the enactment of this law remain to be evaluated.
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The rationale for total pancreatectomy in painful, treatment refractory, chronic pancreatitis is pain control. Concomitant islet cell autotransplantation can prevent the loss of islet cell function. This study aimed to systematically examine the impact of total pancreatectomy with islet cell autotransplantation on pain and quality of life. ⋯ In selected patients with painful, treatment refractory, chronic pancreatitis, evidence shows that total pancreatectomy with islet cell autotransplantation is effective for pain control in almost two-thirds of patients, whereas the insulin-free rate is relatively low.
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Women are underrepresented as recognition award recipients across several medical specialties. This phenomenon has not been investigated in surgery. This study investigates the prevalence of female award recipients among the major American surgical societies. ⋯ Overall, female trainees are proportionately represented as winners of awards from surgical societies, but nontrainees receive a disproportionately higher percentage of awards as compared with the national rates of female surgeons. However, there is significant variation among societies. Further research is warranted to elucidate why this variation exists and what can be done to remedy it.
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In an attempt to prevent overly aggressive treatment of low-risk thyroid cancers, the American Thyroid Association changed guideline recommendations in late 2015 to state that either hemithyroidectomy or total thyroidectomy are acceptable operations for these patients. We hypothesized that surgeons would increasingly perform hemithyroidectomy after the release of these guidelines. ⋯ In hospitals participating in the National Surgery Quality Improvement Program, the hemithyroidectomy rate increased significantly after the release of the 2015 American Thyroid Association guidelines. Surgeons at hospitals that participate in the National Surgery Quality Improvement Program may be changing practice patterns in response to these guidelines.