Impact of Complications After Cardiac Operation on One-Year Patient-Reported Outcomes

A study on the preoperative risk factors for primary healing failure in the reconstruction of deep sternal wound infection with platelet-rich plasma and negative pressure trauma therapy

Deep sternal wound infection (DSWI) is a relatively complex wound in wound reconstruction surgery. Because plastic surgeons deal with DSWI patients late. The primary healing (healing by first intention) after reconstruction of DSWI is restricted by many preoperative risk factors. The purpose of this study is to explore and analyse the risk factors of primary healing failure in patients with DSWI treated with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and negative pressure trauma therapy (NPWT). 115 DSWI patients treated with the PRP and NPWT (PRP + NPWT) modality were retrospectively (2013-2021) analysed. They were divided into two groups according to primary healing results after the first PRP + NPWT treatment. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to compare the data of the two groups to find out the risk factors and their optimal cut-off values were identified by ROC analysis. The primary healing results, debridement history, wound size, sinus, osteomyelitis, renal function, bacterial culture, albumin (ALB), platelet (PLT) between the two groups were significantly different (P < 0.05). Binary logistic regression showed that osteomyelitis, sinus, ALB and PLT were the risk factors affecting primary healing outcomes (P < 0.05). ROC analysis showed that AUC for ALB in the non-primary healing group was 0.743 (95% CI: 0.650-0.836, P < 0.05) and its optimal cutoff value of 31 g/L was associated with primary healing failure with a sensitivity of 96.9% and specificity of 45.1%. AUC for PLT in the non-primary healing group was 0.670 (95% CI: 0.571 ~ 0.770, P < 0.05) its optimal cutoff value of 293 × 109 /L was associated with primary healing failure with a sensitivity of 72.5% and specificity of 56.3%. In the cases included in this study, the success rate of primary healing of DSWI treated with PRP + NPWT was not affected by the most common preoperative risk factors for wound non-union. It is indirectly confirmed that PRP + NPWT is an ideal treatment. However, it should be noted that it will still be adversely affected by sinus osteomyelitis, ALB and PLT. The patients need to be carefully evaluated and corrected before reconstruction.

Putting patient value first: Using a modified nominal group technique for the implementation of enhanced recovery after cardiac surgery recommendations

Objective

In 2019, the Society for Enhanced Recovery After Cardiac Surgery (ERAS-CS) published perioperative guidelines to optimize the care of patients undergoing cardiac surgery. For centers with limited capacity, a sequential approach to the implementation of the full guidelines may be more feasible. Therefore, we aimed to explore the priority of implementation of the ERAS-CS guideline recommendations from a patient and caregiver perspective.

Methods

Using a modified nominal group technique, individuals who previously underwent cardiac surgery and their caregivers ranked ERAS-CS recommendations within 3 time points (ie, preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative) and across 2 to 3 voting rounds. Final round rankings (median, mean and first quartile) were used to determine relative priorities.

Results

Seven individuals (5 patients and 2 caregivers) participated in the study. Patient engagement tools (2, 2.29, and 1.50), surgical site infection reduction (2, 1.67, and 1.25), and postoperative systematic delirium screening (1, 2.43, and 1.00) were the top-ranked ERAS-CS recommendations in the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative time points, respectively.

Conclusions

Exploration of patient and caregiver priorities may provide important insights to guide the healthcare team with clinical pathway development and implementation. Further study is needed to understand the impact of the integration of patient and caregiver values on effective and sustainable clinical pathway implementation.

Long-term patient-reported outcomes after non-small cell lung cancer resection

OBJECTIVES

Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are critical tools for evaluating patients before and after lung cancer resection. In this study, we assessed patient-reported pain, dyspnea, and functional status up to 1 year postoperatively.

METHODS

This study included patients who underwent surgery for non-small cell lung cancer at a single institution (2017-2020). We collected PROs using the National Institutes of Health Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS). Data were prospectively collected and merged with our institutional Society of Thoracic Surgeons data. Using multivariable linear mixed effect models, we compared PROMIS scores for preoperative and several postoperative visits.

RESULTS

From 2017 until 2020, 334 patients underwent lung cancer resection with completed PROMIS assessments. Pain interference, physical function, and dyspnea severity scores were worse 1 month after surgery (P < .001). Pain interference and physical function scores returned to baseline by 6 months after surgery. However, dyspnea severity scores remained persistently worse up to 1 year after surgery (1-month difference, 8.8 ± 1.9; 6-month difference, 3.6 ± 2.2; 1-year difference, 4.9 ± 2.8; P < .001). Patients who received a thoracotomy had worse physical function and pain interference scores 1 month after surgery compared with patients who received a minimally invasive operation; however, there were no differences in PROs by 6 months after surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

PROs are important metrics for assessing patients before and after lung cancer resection. Patients may report persistent dyspnea up to 1 year after resection. Additionally, patients undergoing thoracotomy initially report worse pain and physical function but these impairments improve by 6 months after surgery.

Pilot Study of Patient Reported Outcomes in Patients with Esophageal Cancer following Esophagectomy

BACKGROUND

Patient-reported outcomes are critical measures of patient well-being following esophagectomy. In this pilot study, we assessed PROs before and after esophagectomy using the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) to assess patient recovery following surgery.

METHODS

We prospectively collected PROMIS dyspnea severity, physical function, and pain interference measures from patients with esophageal cancer undergoing esophagectomy (2017-2020). We merged these data with our institutional Society of Thoracic Surgery esophagectomy database. We used linear mixed-effect multivariable models to assess changes in PROMIS scores (least square mean [LSM] differences) between pre-operative and post-operative timepoints (1-month, 6-month).

RESULTS

The study included 112 patients undergoing esophagectomy. Pain interference, physical function, and dyspnea severity scores were significantly worse 1 month following surgery. While physical function and dyspnea severity scores returned to baseline 6 months after surgery, pain interference scores remained persistently worse (LSM difference 2.7 ± 2.5, p=0.036). PROMIS scores were further assessed among patients undergoing transhiatal esophagectomy compared to transthoracic esophagectomy. Physical function and dyspnea severity scores were similar between the groups at each time point. However, pain interference scores were persistently better among patients undergoing THE at both 1 month (LSM difference 6.5 ± 5.1, p=0.013) and 6 months after surgery (LSM difference 5.2 ± 3.9, p=0.008).

CONCLUSIONS

This pilot study assessing PROMIS scores after esophagectomy for cancer reveals that pain is a persistently reported symptom up to 6 months following surgery, particularly among patients receiving transthoracic esophagectomy.

Routine Collection of Patient Reported Outcomes in Thoracic Surgery: A Quality Improvement Study

BACKGROUND

Patient reported outcomes (PROs) are critical for delivering high quality surgical care yet they are seldom collected in routine clinical practice. The objective of this quality improvement study was to improve routine PROs collection in a thoracic surgery clinic.

METHODS

Thoracic surgery patients at a single academic institution were prospectively followed from April 2019 to March 2020. The National Institutes of Health (NIH)-validated Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) was employed. Using a Model for Improvement design and through multidisciplinary participant observation, multiple plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycles (an iterative, four-stage model for rapidly testing interventions) were performed to improve routine collection reliability.

RESULTS

Over the study period, a total of 2,315 patient visits occurred. The baseline PROMIS assessment collection rate was 53%. After convening a multidisciplinary stakeholder team, the key drivers for PROMIS collection were having engaged staff, engaged patients, adequate technological capacity, and adequate time for survey completion (including when to complete the survey during the patient visits). Regular meetings between stakeholders were initiated to promote these key drivers. Several PDSA cycles were then employed to test different interventions, resulting in several positive system shifts as demonstrated on statistical process control (SPC) chart. Adherence to survey collection reached 91% of office visits by approximately 7 months, a 72% relative improvement, which was sustained.

CONCLUSIONS

Routine collection of PROs, such as PROMIS, are critical for improving thoracic surgical care. Our study shows that reliably collecting these data is possible in a clinical setting with minimal additional hospital resources.

Quality of Life Is Improved 1 Year After Cardiac Surgery

BACKGROUND

Quality of life (QoL) is increasingly important in the era of patient-centered outcomes and value-based reimbursement. However most follow-up is limited to 30 days, and long-term data on QoL improvement associated with symptom relief are lacking. Therefore we sought to analyze QoL after cardiac surgery in a nonemergent, all-comers population.

METHODS

Four hundred two patients undergoing routine cardiac surgery at 2 large urban hospitals in the Dallas, Texas area were enrolled. Follow-up was complete for 364 patients. Data were collected from August 2013 to January 2017. The Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire was administered at baseline, 1 month, and 1 year after surgery. Repeated-measures analysis was used for each domain of the questionnaire for all procedures and stratified by procedure. If time was found to be a significant factor, pairwise analysis was performed with P values adjusted using the Tukey-Kramer method.

RESULTS

There was a significant increase across all domains of Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire scores for all procedures and for most domains when stratifying by procedure. This increase in QoL was most marked after 1 month. All domain scores increased through 1 year except symptom stability, which peaked at 1 month postsurgery and then regressed at 1 year, suggesting an overall improvement and stabilization of symptoms. The occurrence of complications did not alter this trajectory.

CONCLUSIONS

QoL and other patient-centered outcomes are improved at 1 month and continue to improve throughout the year. Knowledge of these data is important for patient selection, fully informed consent, and shared decision-making.