Emergency Hand and Reconstructive Microsurgery in the COVID-19-Positive Patient

The influence of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination on post-operative outcomes in microsurgery patients

Background

The healthcare industry's efforts to immunize the global community against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus‐2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) have been unprecedented. Given the fast‐tracking of the novel vaccine, its short‐ and long‐term medical implications remain largely to‐be‐determined in most patient populations. This study aims to analyze 90‐day post‐operative outcomes in microsurgical patients, who have received or not received SARS‐CoV‐2‐vaccination, using a continuously updated federated electronic medical record network (TriNetX Inc, Cambridge, MA).

Methods

After screening 70 million de‐identified records, 16,799 microsurgery patients aged 18–99 meeting medical coding criteria were allocated into two cohorts. Cohort One received SARS‐CoV‐2‐vaccination prior to undergoing microsurgery whereas Cohort Two did not. Two equally sized cohorts, totaling 818 patients were created after propensity score matching for characteristics including: age, race, ethnicity, smoking, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and history of SARS‐CoV‐2 exposure. Postoperative outcomes within 30‐, 60‐, and 90‐days of microsurgery were analyzed.

Results

Patients who were SARS‐CoV‐2‐immunized experienced significantly lower (p < .01) surgical site infections (Absolute Risk Reduction (ARR)[95%CI]) = (3.79%–5.36% [0.84–8.54]) ICU admission (9.47%–9.82%[5.45–13.88]), generalized infections (7.68%–9.92%[3.15–14.64]), and hospitalizations (28.48%–32.57%[20.99–40.13]) within 30‐, 60‐, and 90‐days of microsurgery. Additionally, SARS‐CoV‐2‐vaccinated patients also experienced significantly less flap failure (2.49%[0.97–4.02]) and death (2.46%[0.96–3.97]) within 30‐ and 60‐days post‐operatively.

Conclusion

Our analysis examines the potential protective effect of SARS‐CoV‐2‐vaccination in microsurgical patients. Limitations include the retrospective nature of this analysis and the inherent reliance on medical coding. Future prospective studies are warranted to better understand if in fact pre‐operative SARS‐CoV‐2‐vaccination has the potential to protect against post‐operative microsurgery outcomes.

Important updates of finger fractures, entrapment neuropathies and wide-awake surgery of the upper extremity

Hand surgery is rapidly changing. The wide-awake approach, minimum dissection surgery and early protected movement have changed many things. This is an update of some of the important changes regarding early protected movement with K-wired finger fracture management, simplification of nerve decompression surgery, such as elbow median and ulnar nerve releases, and some new areas in performing surgery with wide-awake local anaesthesia without tourniquet.

Effective assessments to identify overuse injuries in unaffected limbs of persons with unilateral upper limb amputations

STUDY DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION

Overuse injuries (OI) present major health problems and oftentimes, permanent disability. Persons with unilateral upper limb diagnoses, such as amputation, are at-risk for developing OI in their unaffected limbs. Measures to identify high-risk populations are needed.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

Scores on 6 OI-assessments were compared for persons with unilateral upper limb amputations (UULA) and healthy participants. Cutoff values were proposed.

METHODS

Sixty-two persons with UULA and 62 healthy controls completed this study. Scores for hand volume (HV), visual analogue scale (VAS), multi-site Semmes Weinstein Monofilament for median and ulnar nerves (SWM-M/SWM-U), torque range of motion for wrist/finger extension and flexion (TROM-E/TROM-F), intrinsic tightness (IT), and differential flexor tendon gliding (DFTG) were collected before and after 15 minutes of repetitive and resistive exercise. When analyzing collected data, descriptive statistics, and ANOVA were used to identify differences between groups. Receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC), area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity were calculated to determine acceptable cutoff scores. Cutoff values with significant AUC ≥ 0.60 and sensitivity ≥ 0.80 were accepted.

RESULTS

Statistically significant differences were found between HV by gender in both pre-exercise and post-exercise conditions. Gain scores for whole sample HV, female HV, and TROM-E were statistically different although differences were small and not meaningful. Significant AUC and acceptable pre-exercise cutoff values included 375 ml. for female HV (sensitivity 89%, specificity 87%), 505 ml. for male HV (sensitivity 81%, specificity 70%), 82 degrees for TROM-E (sensitivity 92%, specificity 71%), and 73 degrees of TROM-F (sensitivity 90%, specificity 89%).

CONCLUSIONS

Potential at-risk OI-related populations, especially unaffected limbs of UULA persons, are best identified by pre-exercise cutoff values using HV by gender, TROM, and single-site SWM 2.83.