Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England最新文献

Introduction: Parathyroid localisation is now routine before first-time surgery for patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). The aim of this study was to investigate the contribution of intraoperative parathyroid hormone (PTH) (ioPTH) in patients in whom localisation was either not undertaken or negative for a tumour.

Methods: This was a retrospective study of patients undergoing first-time parathyroidectomy for PHPT in a regional endocrine centre. Data were collected prospectively (Microsoft Excel) and the all-Wales electronic patient record portal was used to retrieve missing data. Statistical analysis appropriate for nonparametric data was undertaken, with statistical significance reached when p<0.05.

Results: Between 1 July 2002 and 31 December 2022, 1,490 patients underwent a first-time parathyroidectomy for PHPT. Of this cohort, 1,133 patients had at least one positive imaging modality; the study group consisted of 343 patients that had negative imaging, and 13 that had no preoperative localisation. Patients with MEN-1 (n=26), an incorrect diagnosis (n=4), or less than six months follow-up (n=6) were excluded. Of the remaining 321, 106 patients underwent surgery without ioPTH (Group A), 215 cases with ioPTH (Group B). In Group B there were more women (170 female/45 male; 79% vs 67 female/37 male; 63% p=0.002, chi-squared), lower calcium (median [range] 2.77 [2.63-3.24] mmol/l; vs 2.85 [2.60-4.52] p=0.001) and lower PTH (12.0pmol/l [3.4-39.5] vs 14.4 [3.9-97.0] p=0.001) and smaller weights of resected tissue (320mg [50-9,000] vs 454 [46-8,280] p=0.02) (Student's t-test). The rate of multiple gland disease was similar (Group A 29%; Group B 27%). The rate of normocalcaemia at 6 months was significantly higher when ioPTH was used (Group B 202/215; 94% vs Group A 90/106; 85%) (p=0.014, chi-square test). The sensitivity and specificity of ioPTH was 98.5% [confidence interval (CI) 96.2-99.6] and 91.2% [80.7-97.0] (positive predictive value 99.9%, CI 93.6-100.0).

Conclusion: Despite milder hyperparathyroidism and smaller tumour weight, the outcome in patients in whom ioPTH was used was superior, with failure rates 2.5-fold higher in the cohort where ioPTH was not utilised. The results of this study demonstrate that ioPTH is a valuable adjunct for the surgeon in cases where localisation has failed or not been undertaken.

Introduction: Septorhinoplasty addresses both functional and cosmetic concerns with the nose and has been shown to have consistent, long-term benefits for patients. Nasal irrigation and medication such as antimicrobials are prescribed postoperatively to improve outcomes. Patient compliance with these interventions and outcomes of surgery have not been described. We aim to describe what the effects of compliance with these interventions may be in long-term follow-up.

Methods: Patients undergoing septorhinoplasty were reviewed prospectively from 2015 to 2022. At time of operation, patients were prescribed medications, saline douching and given smoking cessation advice. Patients underwent rhinoplasty outcomes evaluation (ROE) preoperatively, at four weeks, and 3, 12, 24 and 36 months postoperatively. Compliance with postoperative interventions was measured at four weeks. Statistical tests were performed.

Results: A total of 56 patients underwent septorhinoplasty. Preoperative ROE scores were improved significantly at all stages of postprocedure follow-up (p<0.0001). Multiple linear regression found no significant differences in patients who were not compliant with medications (p>0.40), nasal douching (p>0.22), both medication and nasal douching (p>0.40), and a positive smoking status (p>0.11) at four weeks. At 3- and 24-months follow-up, there were no significant differences in ROE scores between compliant patients and those who were noncompliant with medications, nasal douching or both (p>0.13).

Conclusions: Our data represent the only series of patient-reported outcomes from septorhinoplasty patients where compliance with nasal irrigation, smoking cessation and antimicrobials is considered. Compliance with nasal irrigation, topical antimicrobials or smoking cessation did not influence postoperative ROE scores.

Introduction: Simulation training can develop surgical procedural skills in a safe environment. Able to offer high-intensity exposure, simulation is increasingly important as working time for surgeons becomes more protected. Materials used in simulated tendon repair play a critical role in the fidelity and face validity of the model. Although organic materials like porcine tendon are commonly used, non-organic materials offer advantages such as accessibility, reproducibility, cost-effectiveness and ease of use without the need for special licences or facilities. This study aims to establish the face, content and concurrent validity of using a novel silicone material in a simulated tendon repair model.

Methods: Three tendon models, bathroom silicone sealant, DragonSkin^® silicone and organic porcine tendons, were evaluated for concurrent validity through mechanical load to failure testing. Face and content validity were assessed, following participant repair of a DragonSkin^® tendon, using a 5-point Likert scale for five clinically relevant parameters.

Results: Significant differences in load to failure were observed among bathroom sealant, DragonSkin^® and porcine tendon (11.1N, 31.7N and 56.2N; p < 0.001). Participant feedback on the DragonSkin^® tendon indicated that it was suitably representative, easy to use and useful for training (agreement rates 58%, 75% and 83%, respectively). However, participants noted that the model did not handle or glide like human tendon (both 8% agreement).

Conclusion: DragonSkin^® silicone is an adaptable and valid material for simulated tendon repair models. It is low cost, widely available and shows promise as a training tool. Future research will focus on exploring its effectiveness in training settings.

Introduction: Anastomotic leak is a relatively common and debilitating complication. Colorectal leak rates vary widely in the literature, ranging from 1% to 20%. In modern surgical practice, there is much emphasis on the use of indocyanine green (ICG). This is a fluorescent dye administered intravenously to locate and predict an adequate line of anastomosis. We sought to analyse the current literature and supporting evidence behind the use of ICG in the context of elective colorectal surgery.

Methods: A literature search was conducted for papers published between January 1991 and December 2022 concerning the use of ICG in colorectal surgery. Data on anastomotic leak, overall complication rate, operative time and involvement of artificial intelligence (AI) were compared.

Results: A total of 24 studies were selected, including 3 randomised controlled trials. There was an anastomotic leak rate of 4.3% in cases with ICG administration compared with 9.5% in the control group (p<0.00001). Seven studies mentioned overall complication rates. These were lower in the ICG cohort than in the control group (15.5% vs 24.5%). There was no significant correlation between ICG use and operative time (p=0.78). Five studies looked at AI, with results suggesting that use of AI leads to much better accuracy in ICG metric analysis. However, the current literature is still inconclusive.

Conclusions: While there is strong evidence behind ICG use in the existing literature, more randomised controlled trials are required for better recommendations. AI in ICG metric interpretation has proved to be difficult owing to interpatient variability. Nevertheless, new data suggest better understanding and standardisation.

Following renal transplant, ureteral stents aim to minimise ureteroneocystostomy anastomotic complications. Although there is no specified timing for stent removal after transplantation, these are ideally removed at between 2 and 4 weeks. However, forgotten stents can adversely affect renal allograft function and contribute to obstructive uropathy. We present a 59-year-old man with a retained ureteral stent for more than 19 years with an absence of encrustations, fragmentation, migration and stone formation. To our knowledge, this is the longest retained ureteral stent in a renal transplant patient and the first forgotten stent removed via flexible cystoscopy under local anaesthetic.

Introduction: Literature data indicate a correlation between vitamin D deficiency and thyroid cancer (TC). We conducted this observational study to test this hypothesis.

Methods: We studied 327 consecutive thyroidectomy cases, and compared patients with TC and those who had benign thyroid disease (BTD). In total, 183 cases with well-differentiated TC (group B) were compared with 144 cases of BTD (group A). We defined 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)VitD) values <10ng/ml as severe vitamin D deficiency (15.4%), 10-30ng/ml as inadequacy (70.4%) and >30ng/ml as adequate (14.2%). We further used a cut-off point of 30ng/ml (used in a recent meta-analysis) to classify patients as vitamin D deficient or not.

Results: There was no statistically significant difference in the following: age, size of the thyroid gland, preoperative calcium levels, preoperative parathormone and vitamin D levels, body mass index and anti-thyroid antibodies. Only thyroid-stimulating hormone and weight of the thyroid gland were found to differ. There was no significant difference in mean vitamin D levels (group A = 19.82ng/ml [sd 9.59] vs group B = 19.69ng/ml [sd 11.34]; p = 0.917). The same was found when we compared the two groups according to the three categories of vitamin D values (deficiency, inadequacy, adequacy; p = 0.485) and when we performed the analysis based on all threshold levels (10, 20 and 30ng/ml; p = 0.328). Using various statistical methods, no correlation was found between vitamin D deficiency and differentiated TC (overall, microcarcinomas, macrocarcinomas).

Conclusions: Based on our results, no correlation between vitamin D deficiency and TC was confirmed, contradicting and questioning the results of two recent meta-analyses.

Introduction: This study aimed to report the proportion of children requiring subsequent surgical intervention, rate of complications and radiologic outcomes following collar and cuff immobilisation with high elbow flexion (>90°) for Gartland type II supracondylar fractures.

Methods: A retrospective case series of consecutive patients aged <18 years with Gartland type II fractures treated at a level 1 trauma centre from December 2020 to April 2023 was conducted. The need for surgical intervention and complications were recorded from electronic clinical notes. The initial, post-immobilisation and final Baumann's angle and lateral humeral-capitellar angle (LHCA) were measured and compared.

Results: In total, 42 patients were included in this study. Thirty-four were treated definitively in a collar and cuff with a mean elbow flexion of 109.4°. Two patients underwent closed reduction and Kirschner wire fixation. No patient required subsequent corrective osteotomy. There were no cases of recorded complications. Immobilisation in a collar and cuff with >90° elbow flexion was associated with a significant improvement in the mean LHCA (initial 80.9° vs final 65.6°, p < 0.001). There was no significant change in the LHCA post immobilisation in a collar and cuff until final radiographic follow-up (post immobilisation 68.3° vs final 65.6°, p=0.274).

Conclusions: Immobilisation in a collar and cuff with high elbow flexion is a safe and effective nonoperative treatment method to reduce and immobilise Gartland type II supracondylar fractures. Surgical treatment could be reserved for cases with unsatisfactory alignment or early loss of reduction following attempted nonoperative treatment.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to explore whether there were any differences in consultant colorectal surgeon training and adjusted 90-day postoperative colorectal cancer mortality rates (AMR).

Methods: We undertook a retrospective analysis of outcomes data published on the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland (ACPGBI) website. A total of 51,562 procedures for patients in England diagnosed with large bowel cancer between 2010 and 2015, registered under 551 consultants were included. Consultants were split into two cohorts. The first group were the pre-Calman Trained Consultants (pre-CTr), who completed their training before 1998. The second group-the post-Calman Trained Consultants (post-CTr)-included those who received their Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) under the Calman Training Principles (CTC, 1998-2007) and the Modernising Medical Careers Curriculum (MMC, 2008 and onwards). The outcome measure was an AMR.

Results: The pre-CTr cohort (n=84) consisted of 3.6% female colorectal consultants (n=3/84), whereas the post-CTr cohort (n=467) consisted of 14.3% female colorectal consultants (n=67/467) (p=0.006). In this cross-sectional analysis over 5 years, the average pre-CTr undertook a greater number of colorectal resections than their post-CTr peers: median procedures (interquartile range, IQR): 104 (59) vs 89 (57) respectively, p=0.008. The median AMR was significantly greater among pre-CTrs compared with post-CTrs, median AMR (IQR): 2.7% (2.0) vs 2.1% (2.9), p=0.022.

Conclusions: These data indicate that the implementation of the MMC and Calman training principles for colorectal training is associated with a statistically lower AMR compared with other historical training periods. This merits further exploration.

Introduction: The Scoliosis Research Society 22r (SRS-22r) questionnaire is a proven tool in assessing healthcare-related quality of life (HRQoL) in idiopathic scoliosis and is the adopted patient-reported outcome measure for the deformity pathway recorded into the British Spinal Registry (BSR). Surgery for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is performed frequently in teenagers; however, patients also present with curves in the surgical range into adulthood. This work aimed to assess HRQoL differences between patients following surgery for AIS performed in adolescence and adulthood using SRS-22r data collected from the BSR.

Methods: An anonymised BSR search of pre- and postoperative SRS-22r scores for patients with diagnoses of AIS and adult idiopathic scoliosis was conducted. Data from all subdomains were compared preoperatively and at the two-year postoperative timepoint.

Results: Preoperative SRS-22r scores were analysed for 1,912 patients with AIS and 65 with adult idiopathic scoliosis. Patients with adult idiopathic scoliosis had significantly lower preoperative SRS-22r scores in all subdomains (p<0.05). By two years postoperatively, both groups of patients had improved SRS-22r scores significantly compared with baseline in all subdomains (p<0.001). A cross-group analysis revealed patients with AIS had significantly better function scores years postoperatively than their adult counterparts (p=0.005).

Conclusions: This work confirms there are benefits following surgery for AIS in improving HRQoL, but has also provided HRQoL data in adult patients, who again show similar improvements following surgery from baseline. This is of value when counselling patients regarding anticipated benefits of surgery performed in childhood and adulthood.

Background: Best practice pathways for common surgical procedures, including total knee arthroplasty (TKA), have the potential to improve patient outcomes and reduce carbon emissions. We aimed to estimate the reduction in carbon emissions due to changing trends in the care of patients undergoing TKA in England.

Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of Hospital Episode Statistics data from 1 April 2013 to 31 March 2022 on adults undergoing elective primary TKA in England. The carbon footprint for each patient was calculated using carbon factors for multiple steps in the pathway, including ipsilateral knee arthroscopies in the year preceding the TKA, outpatient attendances, the index TKA, revisions of the TKA performed within 180 days of the index procedure, length of hospital stay and emergency readmissions.

Results: A total of 648,861 TKA operations were identified. Over the study period, the median length of stay reduced from four to three days, the proportion of patients undergoing ipsilateral knee arthroscopies performed within a year before TKA surgery fell from 5.9% to 0.5% and the number of early revisions and emergency readmissions also fell. The per-patient carbon footprint reduced from 378.8kgCO₂e to 295.2kgCO₂e over this time. If all the study patients had the same carbon footprint as the average patient in 2021/2022, 32.4kilotons CO₂e would have been saved, enough to power 29,509 UK homes for one year.

Conclusions: Practices that were introduced primarily to improve patient outcomes can contribute to a reduction in the carbon footprint.