The effect of frailty on post-operative outcomes and health care expenditures in patients treated with partial nephrectomy

OBJECTIVE

To examine the effect of frailty on short-term post-operative outcomes and total hospital charges (THCs) in patients with non-metastatic renal cell carcinoma, treated with partial nephrectomy (PN).

METHODS

Within the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database we identified 25,545 patients treated with PN from 2000 to 2015. We used the Johns Hopkins Adjusted Clinical Groups (ACG) frailty-defining indicator and we examined the rates of frailty over time, as well as its effect on overall complications, major complications, blood transfusions, non-home-based discharge, length of stay (LOS) and THCs. Time trends and multivariable logistic, Poisson and linear regression models were applied.

RESULTS

Overall, 3574 (14.0%) patients were frail, 2677 (10.5%) were older than 75 years and 2888 (11.3%) had Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) ≥ 2. However, the vast majority of frail patients were neither elderly nor comorbid (83%). Rates of frail patients treated with PN increased over time, from 8.3 in 2000 to 18.1% in 2015 (all p < 0.001). Frail patients showed higher rates of overall complications (43.5 vs. 30.3%), major complications (16.6 vs. 9.8%), blood transfusions (11.6 vs 8.3%) and non-home-based discharge (9.9 vs. 5.4%). longer LOS [4 (IQR: 3-6) vs. 4 (IQR: 2-5) days] and higher THCs ($43,906 vs. $38,447 - all p < 0.001). Moreover, frailty status independently predicted overall complications (OR: 1.73), major complications (OR: 1.63), longer LOS (RR: 1.07) and higher THCs (RR: +$7506). Finally, a dose-response on the risk of suboptimal surgical outcomes was shown in patients with multiple risk factors.

CONCLUSIONS

One out of seven patients is frail at time of surgery and this rate is on the rise. Moreover, frailty is associated with adverse outcomes after PN. In consequence, preoperative assessment of frailty status should be implemented, to identify patients who may benefit from pre- or postoperative measures aimed at improving surgical outcomes in this patient population.

Parenchymal biopsy in the management of patients with renal cancer

PURPOSE

The role of non-tumour renal biopsy in predicting renal function after surgery for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is poorly investigated. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of renal parenchymal histology on renal function after radical nephrectomy in a cohort of patients with RCC.

METHODS

This cohort study included 171 patients with RCC submitted to radical nephrectomy between 2006 and 2018. Two biopsy samples from normal parenchyma were collected at nephrectomy and renal parenchyma damage (RPD) was scored on histologic samples according to validated methodology. The outcomes were eGFR after surgery and its reduction > 25% relative to baseline at maximum 12 months' follow-up. Linear and logistic multivariable regression were used, adjusting for age at surgery, presence of hypertension, diabetes, clinical tumour size, time from surgery and basal eGFR.

RESULTS

171 patients were enrolled and RPD was demonstrated in 64 (37%). Patients with RPD had more comorbidities (CCI > 2 in 25 vs. 9%, p < 0.001), in particular hypertension (70 vs. 53%; p = 0.03), diabetes with (5% vs. 0%, p = 0.007) or without (31 vs. 18%; p = 0.007) organ damage, cerebrovascular disease (19 vs. 5%; p = 0.006) and nephropathy (20 vs. 3%; p = 0.0004). At multivariable analyses, RPD was associated with lower eGFR (Est. - 5.48; 95% CI - 9.27: - 1.7; p = 0.005) and with clinically significant reduction of eGFR after surgery (OR 3.06; 95% CI 1.17: 8.49; p = 0.026).

CONCLUSIONS

Presence of RPD in non-tumour renal tissue is an independent predictor of functional impairment in patients with RCC. Such preliminary finding supports the use of parenchyma biopsy during clinical decision making.

Outcomes of minimally invasive partial nephrectomy among very elderly patients: report from the RESURGE collaborative international database

The aim of the study was to perform a comprehensive investigation of clinical outcomes of robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) or laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN) in elderly patients presenting with a renal mass. The REnal SURGery in Elderly (RESURGE) collaborative database was queried to identify patients aged 75 or older diagnosed with cT1-2 renal mass and treated with RAPN or LPN. Study outcomes were: overall complications (OC); warm ischemia time (WIT) and 6-month estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR); positive surgical margins (PSM), disease recurrence (REC), cancer-specific mortality (CSM) and other-cause mortality (OCM). Descriptive statistics, Kaplan-Meier, smoothed Poisson plots and logistic and linear regression models (MVA) were used. Overall, 216 patients were included in this analysis. OC rate was 34%, most of them being of low Clavien grade. Median WIT was 17 minutes and median 6-month eGFR was 54 ml/min/1.73 m2. PSM rate was 5%. After a median follow-up of 20 months, the 5-year rates of REC, CSM and OCM were 4, 4 and 5%, respectively. At MVA predicting perioperative morbidity, RAPN relative to LPN (odds ratio [OR] 0.33; p <0.0001) was associated with lower OC rate. At MVA predicting functional outcomes, RAPN relative to LPN was associated with shorter WIT (estimate [EST] -4.09; p <0.0001), and with higher 6-month eGFR (EST 6.03; p = 0.01). In appropriately selected patients with small renal masses, minimally-invasive PN is associated with acceptable perioperative outcomes. The use of a robotic approach over a standard laparoscopic approach can be advantageous with respect to clinically relevant outcomes, and it should be preferred when available.

Cytoreductive Nephrectomy in Metastatic Patients with Signs or Symptoms: Implications for Renal Cell Carcinoma Guidelines

The role of cytoreductive nephrectomy (CN) patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) is unclear. To define the proportion of symptomatic mRCC, to investigate the impact of CN on symptomatic improvement and perioperative morbidity, and to elucidate the trade-off between such benefit and harm, an observational study of 317 mRCC patients treated with CN was performed. Symptomatic mRCC was defined as the presence of any sign or symptom causally related to the disease. Sign or symptom resolution and improvement were defined as the absence of all the signs and symptoms recorded at baseline, and the absence of at least one sign or symptom recorded at baseline, respectively. Perioperative morbidity was assessed using the Clavien-Dindo classification. Response to CN was classified as beneficial, mixed, or harmful according to the trade-off between symptomatic improvement and perioperative morbidity. The proportions of local, metastasis-specific, and general signs or symptoms were 37%, 23%, and 27%, respectively. The proportions of any sign or symptom resolution and improvement after CN were 43% and 71%, respectively. The proportions of local sign or symptom resolution and improvement after CN were 91% and 95%, respectively. The risks of any complication and major complication were 37% and 10%, respectively. At regression analysis, symptomatic status was not associated with perioperative morbidity. The proportion of beneficial response was invariably higher than the proportion of harmful response. At mRCC diagnosis, two out of three patients suffer from any sign or symptom, and one out of three suffers from local signs or symptoms. CN has a positive impact on symptomatic status. PATIENT SUMMARY: Most metastatic renal cell carcinoma patients are symptomatic, and they should be aware that cytoreductive nephrectomy has a positive impact on symptomatic status.

Statistical analysis of inter-arrival times of rainfall events for Italian Sub-Alpine and Mediterranean areas

Abstract. In this work a set of time-series of inter-arrival times of rainfall events, at daily scale, was analysed, with the aim to verify the issue of increasing duration of dry periods. The set consists of 12 time-series recorded at rain gauges in 1926–2005, six of them belong to an Italian Sub-Alpine area (Piedmont) and six to a Mediterranean one (Sicily). In order to overcome the problem related to limited sample size for high values of inter-arrival times, the discrete probability polylog-series distribution was used to fit the empirical data from partial (20 yr) time-series. Moreover, a simple qualitative trend analysis was applied to some high quantiles of inter-arrival times as well as to the average extent of rain clusters. The preliminary analysis seems to confirm the issue of increasing duration of dry periods for both environments, which is limited to the ''cold'' season.

[Thromboembolic complications in resuscitation and intensive care. Clinical and therapeutic considerations]

The Authors, on the ground of the data of the experience of the Reanimation and Intensive Care Department (Palermo University), emphasize that the patients admitted in these units are "high risk patients" for thrombosis and embolism diseases for the invasive techniques used, for stillness, shock and politrauma. The Authors recommend an adequate prophilaxis also if often very difficult and emphasize that using Urokynase and Calcium-Heparin recovers the illness of thrombo-embolic complications also if prognosis remain non modified in the pulmonary general form.