The effect of surgeon volume and hospital characteristics on in-hospital outcome after ureteral reimplantation in children

Resection of pediatric lung malformations: National trends in resource utilization & outcomes

PURPOSE

We sought to determine factors influencing survival and resource utilization in patients undergoing surgical resection of congenital lung malformations (CLM). Additionally, we used propensity score-matched analysis (PSMA) to compare these outcomes for thoracoscopic versus open surgical approaches.

METHODS

Kids' Inpatient Database (1997-2009) was used to identify congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM) and pulmonary sequestration (PS) patients undergoing resection. Open and thoracoscopic CPAM resections were compared using PSMA.

RESULTS

1547 cases comprised the cohort. In-hospital survival was 97%. Mortality was higher in small vs. large hospitals, p<0.005. Survival, pneumothorax (PTX), and thoracoscopic procedure rates were higher, while transfusion rates and length of stay (LOS) were lower, in children ≥3 vs. <3months (p<0.001). Multivariate analysis demonstrated longer LOS for older patients and Medicaid patients (all p<0.005). Total charges (TC) were higher for Western U.S., older children, and Medicaid patients (p<0.02). PSMA for thoracoscopy vs. thoracotomy in CPAM patients showed no difference in outcomes.

CONCLUSION

CLM resections have high associated survival. Children <3months of age had higher rates of thoracotomy, transfusion, and mortality. Socioeconomic status, age, and region were independent indicators for resource utilization. Extent of resection was an independent prognostic indicator for in-hospital survival. On PSMA, thoracoscopic resection does not affect outcomes.

Outcomes after pediatric ureteral reimplantation: a population based analysis

PURPOSE

Pediatric urology literature is often biased toward single, high volume institutions. We determined the impact of patient, surgeon and hospital characteristics on immediate outcomes for children undergoing ureteral reimplantation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We queried the University Health-System Consortium Clinical Data Base to identify a pediatric population who underwent ureteroneocystostomy between 2004 and 2009. We measured the association of the outcome variables length of stay, number of days in the intensive care unit and complication rates on the independent variables of age, gender, race, insurance status, year of surgery, and surgeon and hospital characteristics. The data were analyzed using multiple logistic, Poisson and Poisson hurdle model regression analyses incorporating random effects for surgeon and hospital.

RESULTS

We identified 5,668 subjects who underwent ureteroneocystostomy. Compared with patients treated by high volume providers, those treated by low volume surgeons (less than 13 cases per year) had a longer length of stay (47%), higher odds of intensive care unit admission (OR 8.1), longer intensive care unit stays (103%) and higher rate of surgical related complications (162%). Other independent variables of male gender, nonwhite race and prior comorbidities were independently associated with longer length of stay, higher intensive care unit admissions and higher risk of complications.

CONCLUSIONS

Surgeon volume, not hospital volume, is an important and consistent predictor of length of stay, intensive care unit admissions, intensive care unit days and complication rate after ureteroneocystostomy. These findings posit that the short length of stay, low intensive care unit admission rate and low complication rate reported in the literature may not be generalizable, but rather limited to higher volume surgeons.