30-Day Outcomes of Laparoscopic Versus Open Total Proctocolectomy with Ileoanal Anastomosis in Children and Young Adults: A Combined Analysis of the National Surgical Quality Improvement Project Pediatric and Adult Databases

Surgical Site Infections in Colorectal Resections: What is the Cost?

INTRODUCTION

Although surgical site infections (SSIs) associated with colectomy are tracked by the National Healthcare Safety Network/Center for Disease Control, untracked codes, mainly related to patients undergoing proctectomy, are not. These untracked codes are performed less often yet they may be at a greater risk of SSI due to their greater complexity. Determining the impact and predictors of SSI are critical in the development of quality improvement initiatives.

METHODS

Following an institutional review board approval, National Surgery Quality Improvement Program, institutional National Surgery Quality Improvement Program, and financial databases were queried for tracked colorectal resections and untracked colorectal resections (UCR). National data were obtained for January 2019-December 2019, and local procedures were identified between January 2013 and December 2019. Data were analyzed for preoperative SSI predictors, operative characteristics, outcomes, and 30-day postdischarge costs (30dPDC).

RESULTS

Nationally, 71,705 colorectal resections were identified, and institutionally, 2233 patients were identified. UCR accounted for 7.9% nationally and 11.8% of all colorectal resections institutionally. Tracked colorectal resection patients had a higher incidence of SSI predictors including sepsis, hypoalbuminemia, coagulopathy, hypertension, and American Society of Anesthesiologists class. UCR patients had a higher rate of SSIs [12.9% (P < 0.001), 15.2% (P = 0.064)], readmission, and unplanned return to the operating room. Index hospitalization and 30dPDC were significantly higher in patients experiencing an SSI.

CONCLUSIONS

SSI was associated with nearly a two-fold increase in index hospitalization costs and six-fold in 30dPDC. These data suggest opportunities to improve hospitalization costs and outcomes for patients undergoing UCR through protocols for SSI reduction and preventing readmissions.

Risk assessment and optimization strategies to reduce perioperative respiratory adverse events in pediatric anesthesia-Part 1 patient and surgical factors

Pediatric surgery cases are increasing worldwide. Within pediatric anesthesia, perioperative respiratory adverse events are the most common precipitant leading to serious complications. They can have intraoperative impact on the surgical procedure itself, lead to premature case termination and in addition may have postoperative impact resulting in longer hospitalization stays and costs. Although most perioperative respiratory adverse events can be promptly detected and managed, and will not lead to any sequelae, the risk of life-threatening progression remains. The incidence of respiratory adverse events increases in children with comorbid respiratory and/or nonrespiratory illnesses. Optimized perioperative patient care, risk-stratified care level choice, and practitioners with appropriate training allow for risk mitigation. This review will discuss patient and surgical risk factors with a focus on common patient comorbid illnesses and review scoring systems to quantify risk.

Prophylactic colectomy for children with familial adenomatous polyposis: resource utilization and outcomes for open and laparoscopic surgery

Background

Laparoscopic approach for the surgical management of familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) has become increasingly common for pediatric patients. The purpose of this study was to compare short-term outcomes and resource utilization between open and laparoscopic surgery for prophylactic colectomy in children with FAP.

Methods

The Kids' Inpatient Database (2009 and 2012) was analyzed for children (age ≤20 years) with FAP that underwent prophylactic total colectomy or proctocolectomy. Patient demographics, treating hospital characteristics, hospital charges, and short-term outcomes were compared according to the surgical technique utilized (open versus laparoscopic).

Results

Overall, we identified 216 patients with FAP that underwent elective total colectomy, of which 95 cases were performed by open surgery and 121 were done laparoscopically. The majority of patients were treated at large, not-for-profit, urban teaching hospitals, and the median age was equal (16 years) in both groups. Complications that were more common for open procedures included accidental perforation or hemorrhage (4% vs. 0%, P=0.023), reopening of surgical site (3% vs. 0%, P=0.049), and pneumonia (3% vs. 0%, P=0.049). Simultaneous proctectomy was performed more commonly in the open cohort (91% vs. 71%, P<0.001) as well as ileostomy creation (74% vs. 49%, P<0.001). The median length of stay was similar in the open and laparoscopic groups (7 vs. 6 days, P=0.712). Median total hospital charges were also similar ($67,334 vs. $68,717, P=0.080).

Conclusions

A laparoscopic approach for prophylactic colectomy can be safely performed in children with FAP, and total hospital charges are equivalent compared to open surgery. However, simultaneous proctectomy was performed less often with laparoscopic surgery.

Japanese Society for Cancer of the Colon and Rectum (JSCCR) guidelines 2020 for the Clinical Practice of Hereditary Colorectal Cancer

Hereditary colorectal cancer (HCRC) accounts for < 5% of all colorectal cancer cases. Some of the unique characteristics commonly encountered in HCRC cases include early age of onset, synchronous/metachronous cancer occurrence, and multiple cancers in other organs. These characteristics necessitate different management approaches, including diagnosis, treatment or surveillance, from sporadic colorectal cancer management. There are two representative HCRC, named familial adenomatous polyposis and Lynch syndrome. Other than these two HCRC syndromes, related disorders have also been reported. Several guidelines for hereditary disorders have already been published worldwide. In Japan, the first guideline for HCRC was prepared by the Japanese Society for Cancer of the Colon and Rectum (JSCCR), published in 2012 and revised in 2016. This revised version of the guideline was immediately translated into English and published in 2017. Since then, several new findings and novel disease concepts related to HCRC have been discovered. The currently diagnosed HCRC rate in daily clinical practice is relatively low; however, this is predicted to increase in the era of cancer genomic medicine, with the advancement of cancer multi-gene panel testing or whole genome testing, among others. Under these circumstances, the JSCCR guidelines 2020 for HCRC were prepared by consensus among members of the JSCCR HCRC Guideline Committee, based on a careful review of the evidence retrieved from literature searches, and considering the medical health insurance system and actual clinical practice settings in Japan. Herein, we present the English version of the JSCCR guidelines 2020 for HCRC.

Recognizing Risks and Optimizing Perioperative Care to Reduce Respiratory Complications in the Pediatric Patient

There have been significant advancements in the safe delivery of anesthesia as well as improvements in surgical technique; however, the perioperative period can still be high risk for the pediatric patient. Perioperative respiratory complications (PRCs) are some of the most common critical events that can occur in pediatric surgical patients and they can lead to increased length of hospitalization, worsened patient outcomes, and higher hospital and postoperative costs. It is important to determine the various factors that put pediatric patients at increased risk of PRCs. This will allow for more detailed and accurate informed consent, optimized perioperative management strategy, improved allocation of clinical resources, and, hopefully, better patient experience. There are only a few risk prediction models/scoring tools developed for and validated in the pediatric patient population, but they have been useful in helping identify the key factors associated with a high likelihood of developing PRCs. Some of these factors are patient factors, while others are procedure-related factors. Some of these factors may be modified such that the patient’s clinical status is optimized preoperatively to decrease the risk of PRCs occurring perioperatively. Fore knowledge of the factors that are not able to be modified can help guide allocation of perioperative clinical resources such that the negative impact of these non-modifiable factors is buffered. Additional training in pediatric anesthesia or focused expertise in pediatric airway management, vascular access and management of massive hemorrhage should be considered for the perioperative management of the less than 3 age group. Intraoperative ventilation strategy plays a key role in determining respiratory outcomes for both adult and pediatric surgical patients. Key components of lung protective mechanical ventilation strategy such as low tidal volume and moderate PEEP used in the management of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in pediatric intensive care units have been adopted in pediatric operating rooms. Adequate post-operative analgesia that balances pain control with appropriate mental status and respiratory drive is important in reducing PRCs.

Better characterization of operation for ulcerative colitis through the National surgical quality improvement program: A 2-year audit of NSQIP-IBD

INTRODUCTION

There is little consensus of quality measurements for restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis(RPC-IPAA) performed for ulcerative colitis(UC). The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program(NSQIP) cannot accurately classify RPC-IPAA staged approaches. We formed an IBD-surgery registry that added IBD-specific variables to NSQIP to study these staged approaches in greater detail.

METHODS

We queried our validated database of IBD surgeries across 11 sites in the US from March 2017 to March 2019, containing general NSQIP and IBD-specific perioperative variables. We classified cases into delayed versus immediate pouch construction and looked for independent predictors of pouch delay and postoperative Clavien-Dindo complication severity.

RESULTS

430 patients received index surgery or completed pouches. Among completed pouches, 46(28%) and 118(72%) were immediate and delayed pouches, respectively. Significant predictors for delayed pouch surgery included higher UC surgery volume(p = 0.01) and absence of colonic dysplasia(p = 0.04). Delayed pouch formation did not significantly predict complication severity.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data allows improved classification of complex operations. Curating disease-specific variables allows for better analysis of predictors of delayed versus immediate pouch construction and postoperative complication severity.

SHORT SUMMARY

We applied our previously validated novel NSIP-IBD database for classifying complex, multi-stage surgical approaches for UC to a degree that was not possible prior to our collaborative effort. From this, we describe predictive factors for delayed pouch formation in UC RPC-IPAA with the largest multicenter effort to date.

Total Abdominal Colectomies With Proctectomy Are Associated With Higher 30-Day Readmission Rates in Children With Ulcerative Colitis

BACKGROUND

Hospital readmissions are a burden on patients and families and place financial strain on the health care system. Thirty-day readmission rates for adult patients undergoing colectomy are as high as 30%, and inflammatory bowel disease is a risk factor for readmission. We used a multicenter pediatric surgical database to determine the 30-day readmission rate for pediatric patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) undergoing total abdominal colectomy (TAC) and to identify risk factors for 30-day hospital readmission.

METHODS

We used the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program-Pediatrics database to identify pediatric patients with UC undergoing a TAC between 2012 and 2017. We identified patient and procedural data from the index hospitalization and used logistic regression to identify risk factors for 30-day readmission rates, adjusting for confounding factors.

RESULTS

We identified 489 pediatric UC TAC hospitalizations between 2012 and 2017, and 19.4% were readmitted within 30 days of surgical discharge. Patient demographics and preoperative laboratory values were not associated with risk of readmission. The TAC procedures that included a proctectomy were at a 2-fold (odds ratio = 2.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-5.2) higher risk of 30-day readmission than TAC alone after adjusted analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Nearly 20% of annual pediatric UC hospitalizations involving a colectomy resulted in a 30-day hospital readmission. Notably, TAC procedures that included a proctectomy had significantly higher readmission rates compared to TAC alone. These results can inform risk management strategies aimed at reducing morbidity and hospital readmissions for children with UC.

Polypoid disease of colon in children

Polyps in gastrointestinal tract are mostly benign and result from hamartomas or lymphoid hyperplasia of submucosa. They usually occur as isolated lesions in children and are referred to as juvenile polyps. Multiple polyps with inherited origin are called polyposis and can be seen as a part of the syndrome. The polyps with adenomatous histopathology have malignant potential and necessitate genetic testing and colonoscopy to define the risk of cancer. Although simple endoscopic removal is adequate in the treatment of juvenile polyps, children with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) need total colectomy with ileorectal anastomosis (IRA) or ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA). The timing of prophylactic colectomy and the type of surgical treatment are controversial in children. The clinical features, the assessment of cancer risk, and the alternatives of the surgical treatment of polyps are reviewed in this paper.

The effect of diversion on readmission following ileal pouch-anal anastomosis in children

BACKGROUND

Readmission rates as high as 20% have been reported after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) in children, with obstruction and dehydration as the most commonly listed reasons. We hypothesized that a diverting ileostomy contributes to unplanned readmission after IPAA creation.

METHODS

Children (age <18) who underwent IPAA creation from January 2007 to August 2018 at two affiliated institutions were reviewed. Patient demographics, operative details, and post-operative length of stay (LOS) were abstracted. Unplanned readmission within 30 days and details on patient readmission were reviewed.

RESULTS

Ninety-three patients (57% female) with a median age of 15 years (range: 18 months-17 years) underwent IPAA. Indications for IPAA included ulcerative colitis (n = 63; 68%), familial adenomatous polyposis (n = 24; 26%), indeterminate colitis (n = 5; 5%), and total colonic Hirschsprung's (n = 1; 1%). Sixty-one (66%) patients were diverted at the time of IPAA creation. Fourteen patients (15%) were readmitted, and reasons for readmission included bowel obstruction (n = 9; 64%), dehydration (n = 2; 14%), anastomotic leak (n = 2; 14%), and gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding (n = 1; 6%). Patients with a diverting ileostomy at the time of IPAA were more often readmittted than patients who were not diverted (21% vs 3%, p = 0.03). Further, 10 (71%) of the readmitted patients had complications attributable to their ileostomy. In patients readmitted for obstructive symptoms, six (67%) required red rubber catheter insertion for resolution, two (22%) patients required reoperation for obstructions at the level of the stoma, and one (11%) resolved with bowel rest alone.

CONCLUSION

Readmission following IPAA creation in children is often secondary to preventable issues related to diverting ileostomy. Surgeons should carefully consider the necessity of diversion. When it is necessary, particular attention to fascial aperture size and post-discharge initiatives to reduce dehydration may reduce readmission rates.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III.