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Surgical practices in emergency umbilical hernia repair and implications for trial design
No full textINTRODUCTION: There is variation in the investigation, management, and surgical technique of acutely symptomatic umbilical hernias and optimal strategies remain to be established. This survey aimed to identify key variables influencing decision-making and preferred surgical techniques in emergency umbilical hernia care to help inform trial design and understand potential challenges to trial delivery. METHODS: A survey was distributed to surgeons through social media, personal contacts, and ASGBI lists. It comprised five sections: (i) performer of repair, (ii) repair preferences, (iii) important outcomes, (iv) perioperative antibiotic use, and (v) potential future trial design. RESULTS: There were 105 respondents, of which 49 (46.6%) were consultants. The median largest defect surgeons would attempt to repair with sutures alone was 2 cm (IQR 2-4 cm). In the acute setting, the most common mesh preferences are preperitoneal plane placement (n = 61, 58.1%), with synthetic non-absorbable mesh (n = 72, 68.6%), in clean (n = 41, 39.0%) or clean-contaminated (n = 52, 49.5%) wounds. Respondents believed suture repair to be associated with better short-term outcomes, and mesh repair with better long-term outcomes. Pre-/intra-operative antibiotics were very frequently given (n = 48, 45.7%) whilst post-operative antibiotics were rarely (n = 41, 39%) or very rarely (n = 28, 26.7%) given. The trial design felt to most likely influence practice is comparing mesh and suture repair, and post-operative antibiotics versus no post-operative antibiotics. Respondents indicated that to change their practice, the median difference in surgical site infection rate and recurrence rate would both need to be 5%. CONCLUSION: This survey provides insight into surgical preferences in emergency umbilical hernia management, offering guidance for the design of future trials.RDUH staff can access the full-text of this article by clicking on the 'Additional Link' above and logging in with NHS OpenAthens if prompted
Revision Total Ankle Arthroplasty Using a Novel Modular Fixed-Bearing Revision Ankle System
No full textINTRODUCTION: Large bone defects such as those encountered after failed total ankle replacement have previously been a relative contraindication to revision ankle replacement due to inadequate bone stock. We describe our experience and patient reported outcomes with a modular ankle replacement system with tibial and talar augments. METHODS: This is a retrospective case series analysis of patients who underwent a total ankle replacement using the INVISION system across 2 centers between 2016 and 2022. Patients completed the Manchester-Oxford Foot Questionnaire (MOXFQ), Ankle Osteoarthritis Scale (AOS), and EQ-5D pre-operatively and then post-operatively at 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, and 5 years. Medical records were reviewed for complications and re-operations. X-rays were reviewed for lucencies and alignment. RESULTS: A total of 17 patients were included in the study; 14 men and 3 women with an average age at the time of surgery of 67.9 years (range 56-80 years). The average follow-up post-operatively was 40.5 months (range 7-78) at the time of this study. The indication for surgery was revision of failed total ankle replacement (TAR) in 16 and revision of failed ankle fusion in 1. An augmented tibia was used in 13, an augmented talus in 13, and both augmented tibia and talus in 9 cases. There were no early surgical complications. One patient required debridement and implant retention for late deep infection. No implants have been revised. The average MOXFQ score improved by 19.3 points at most recent follow-up. The average AOS score improved by 25.2 points. CONCLUSION: The early results of a modular augmented ankle arthroplasty system have shown satisfactory patient outcomes with a low complication and re-operation rate and present another option for patients with larger bone defects. This is a small series, and a larger series with long-term follow-up would be beneficial. LEVELS OF EVIDENCE: Level IV: Case series.accepted version, submitted versionNot hel
Comparison of Medical Research Abstracts Written by Surgical Trainees and Senior Surgeons or Generated by Large Language Models
No full textIMPORTANCE: Artificial intelligence (AI) has permeated academia, especially OpenAI Chat Generative Pretrained Transformer (ChatGPT), a large language model. However, little has been reported on its use in medical research. OBJECTIVE: To assess a chatbot's capability to generate and grade medical research abstracts. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: In this cross-sectional study, ChatGPT versions 3.5 and 4.0 (referred to as chatbot 1 and chatbot 2) were coached to generate 10 abstracts by providing background literature, prompts, analyzed data for each topic, and 10 previously presented, unassociated abstracts to serve as models. The study was conducted between August 2023 and February 2024 (including data analysis). EXPOSURE: Abstract versions utilizing the same topic and data were written by a surgical trainee or a senior physician or generated by chatbot 1 and chatbot 2 for comparison. The 10 training abstracts were written by 8 surgical residents or fellows, edited by the same senior surgeon, at a high-volume hospital in the Southeastern US with an emphasis on outcomes-based research. Abstract comparison was then based on 10 abstracts written by 5 surgical trainees within the first 6 months of their research year, edited by the same senior author. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary outcome measurements were the abstract grades using 10- and 20-point scales and ranks (first to fourth). Abstract versions by chatbot 1, chatbot 2, junior residents, and the senior author were compared and judged by blinded surgeon-reviewers as well as both chatbot models. Five academic attending surgeons from Denmark, the UK, and the US, with extensive experience in surgical organizations, research, and abstract evaluation served as reviewers. RESULTS: Surgeon-reviewers were unable to differentiate between abstract versions. Each reviewer ranked an AI-generated version first at least once. Abstracts demonstrated no difference in their median (IQR) 10-point scores (resident, 7.0 [6.0-8.0]; senior author, 7.0 [6.0-8.0]; chatbot 1, 7.0 [6.0-8.0]; chatbot 2, 7.0 [6.0-8.0]; P = .61), 20-point scores (resident, 14.0 [12.0-7.0]; senior author, 15.0 [13.0-17.0]; chatbot 1, 14.0 [12.0-16.0]; chatbot 2, 14.0 [13.0-16.0]; P = .50), or rank (resident, 3.0 [1.0-4.0]; senior author, 2.0 [1.0-4.0]; chatbot 1, 3.0 [2.0-4.0]; chatbot 2, 2.0 [1.0-3.0]; P = .14). The abstract grades given by chatbot 1 were comparable to the surgeon-reviewers' grades. However, chatbot 2 graded more favorably than the surgeon-reviewers and chatbot 1. Median (IQR) chatbot 2-reviewer grades were higher than surgeon-reviewer grades of all 4 abstract versions (resident, 14.0 [12.0-17.0] vs 16.9 [16.0-17.5]; P = .02; senior author, 15.0 [13.0-17.0] vs 17.0 [16.5-18.0]; P = .03; chatbot 1, 14.0 [12.0-16.0] vs 17.8 [17.5-18.5]; P = .002; chatbot 2, 14.0 [13.0-16.0] vs 16.8 [14.5-18.0]; P = .04). When comparing the grades of the 2 chatbots, chatbot 2 gave higher median (IQR) grades for abstracts than chatbot 1 (resident, 14.0 [13.0-15.0] vs 16.9 [16.0-17.5]; P = .003; senior author, 13.5 [13.0-15.5] vs 17.0 [16.5-18.0]; P = .004; chatbot 1, 14.5 [13.0-15.0] vs 17.8 [17.5-18.5]; P = .003; chatbot 2, 14.0 [13.0-15.0] vs 16.8 [14.5-18.0]; P = .01). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this cross-sectional study, trained chatbots generated convincing medical abstracts, undifferentiable from resident or senior author drafts. Chatbot 1 graded abstracts similarly to surgeon-reviewers, while chatbot 2 was less stringent. These findings may assist surgeon-scientists in successfully implementing AI in medical research.UnknownJournal content freely available via Open Access. Some content may be unavailable due to publisher embargo. Click on the 'Additional link' above to access the full-text
Management of intraoperatively identified small bile duct stones in patients undergoing cholecystectomy
No full textINTRODUCTION: The management of CBDS (common bile duct stones) in patients with co-existing gallbladder stones has been debated. Guidelines recommend patients with CBDS identified on imaging should be offered duct clearance; however, this is based on low-quality evidence. This study aimed to investigate the natural history of small CBDS identified using IOUS (intraoperative ultrasound) in patients undergoing cholecystectomy. This may provide evidence to support a short-term expectant management approach in such patients. METHODS: Patients with CBDS diagnosed on IOUS during cholecystectomy were identified from a database of consecutive patients undergoing surgery. Patients with CBDS identified were divided into small stone (SS, =5 mm) and large stone (LS, >5 mm) groups. Intraoperative CBDS management, postoperative investigations, postoperative bile duct clearance, re-admissions, complications, length of stay (LOS) and follow-up are described. RESULTS: Fifty-nine of 427 patients had CBDS identified on IOUS. In the SS group (n=51), 46 patients underwent short-term expectant management rather than immediate/planned bile duct clearance. Following short-term expectant management, 41/46 patients (89.1%) did not require postoperative endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and at >3 year follow-up, none has since presented with residual CBDS. Median LOS was 0 days in the short-term expectant management group and 2 days in the immediate/planned bile duct clearance group, P=0.039. CONCLUSIONS: This study reports the natural history of small CBDS identified on IOUS in patients undergoing cholecystectomy. Such patients were safely treated with short-term expectant management associated with a reduced hospital LOS. This provides rationale for undertaking further research to establish this as a preferred management strategy.Published version, accepted version (12 month embargo)Not hel
Single-shot liposomal bupivacaine in place of rectus sheath catheters to provide non-opiate analgesia after laparotomy: a quality improvement project to reduce the need for ongoing nursing input
No full textOpioid-sparing pain management is an integral component of enhanced recovery after colonic and rectal surgery. In our hospital, rectus sheath catheters (RSCs) are routinely placed during emergency laparotomy for colorectal procedures to allow a postoperative compartmental block of the surgical site with repeated doses of bupivacaine. However, RSCs require a significant amount of clinical nursing time to maintain and 'top-up'. We present a quality improvement project in which we administered single-shot liposomal bupivacaine (LB) intraoperatively as an alternative to bolus doses of conventional bupivacaine delivered through RSCs. Having thereby reduced the demands placed on nursing time through a reduction in the use of RSCs, we sought to establish whether there was any associated change in analgesic efficacy. Patient pain scores, use of patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) and length of stay following surgery were analysed before and after the introduction of LB. No disruption in these outcomes was identified using statistical process control analysis. A direct comparison of results for patients who received LB versus those who received bolus dosing of bupivacaine via RSCs found no significant differences, with a median total PCA dose of 270 mg oral morphine equivalents (OME) for patients who received LB versus 396 mg OME for patients who had RSCs (p=0.54). The median length of stay for patients who received LB was 15.5 days versus 16 days for those who had RSCs (p=0.87). We conclude that LB represents a viable alternative to boluses of conventional bupivacaine via RSCs in promoting enhanced recovery after emergency laparotomy and look to extend its use locally.Published version, accepted version, submitted versionThe article is available via Open Access. Click on the 'Additional link' above to access the full-text
Are the cardiovascular properties of GLP-1 receptor agonists differentially modulated by sulfonylureas? Insights from post-hoc analysis of EXSCEL
No full textAIMS: To examine whether the cardiovascular effects of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists are attenuated by concurrent sulfonylurea (SU) therapy in a post-hoc analysis of the Exenatide Study of Cardiovascular Event Lowering (EXSCEL). METHODS: We investigated whether SUs, as a class or by specific type, modulated the effects of once-weekly exenatide (EQW) on EXSCEL cardiovascular outcomes in intent-to-treat analyses of all trial participants, categorized as SU users or nonusers. Marginal structural models were used to evaluate whether there were differential EQW effects by SU category on major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), depending on duration of SU use (6, 12, and 18 months). EQW-by-SU type interaction p-values and hazard ratios (95 % CIs) for EQW versus placebo for each baseline SU type (glibenclamide, gliclazide, glimepiride, other SUs) were calculated. RESULTS: Neither SU use nor baseline SU type modified the effect of EQW on time to MACE (p(interaction) = 0.88 and 0.78, respectively), nor did individual SU types, including glibenclamide (a systemically wide-acting SU). CONCLUSIONS: SUs did not modulate the effect of EQW on cardiovascular outcomes, suggesting that SU treatment choices need not be altered to optimize the cardiovascular effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists in people with type 2 diabetes.Published version, accepted version (12 month embargo), submitted versionJournal content freely available via Open Access. Some content may be unavailable due to publisher embargo. Click on the 'Additional link' above to access the full-text
An MRI study demonstrating consistent anatomic relation of central longitudinal artery and associated periosteal vessels with the medial femoral epicondyle and adductor tubercle-A visual landmark method for femoral tunnel placement in medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction
No full textThe two most common techniques to determine femoral tunnel placement during medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) reconstruction are radiographic and by palpation. Their intra/interobserver reliability is widely debated. Both techniques rely on identifying bony landmarks such as the medial epicondyle (ME) and adductor tubercle (AT) during surgery. During MPFL reconstructive surgery, the central longitudinal vessels (CLVs) are seen consistently. The aim of this study was to investigate the anatomic relationship of CLV to ME and AT and to determine if CLV might be used as a landmark during MPFL reconstruction. A retrospective review of MRI scans in skeletally mature patients was undertake. There were two groups, a PFI group that consisted of patients with a diagnosis of patellofemoral instabiliy (PFI) and a non-PFI group that underwent MRI scan for an alternative diagnosis. MRIs were measured for the CLV-ME-AT anatomy and relationship. Following exclusions, 50 patients were identified in each group. The CLV passed anterior to the AT and ME in all patients. ME morphology did not differ greatly between the groups except in the tubercle height, where there was statistically significant but not a clinically important difference (larger in the non-PFI group, 2.95 vs. 2.52 mm, p = 0.002). The CLV to ME tip distance was consistent between the groups (PFI group 3.8 mm and non-PFI group 3.9 mm). The CLV-ME-AT relationship remained consistent irrespective of patients' presenting pathology. The CLV consistently courses anterior to ME and AT. The CLV could be used as a vascular landmark assisting femoral tunnel placement during MPFL reconstruction.Published version, accepted version (12 month embargo), submitted versionNot hel
Meta-analysis and systematic review of long-term oncological safety of immediate breast reconstruction in patients with locally advanced breast cancer
No full textBACKGROUND: Immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) in locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) (stage 3A and above) is widely debated, both in terms of delay of adjuvant therapy and oncological safety. This study aims to systematically review and evaluate the long-term oncological safety of IBR in patients with LABC undergoing mastectomy. METHODS: Search conducted using Medline, Embase, PubMed and Google Scholar between 1 and 24 December 2023 involving patients with LABC who underwent mastectomy with or without IBR were included. The meta-analysis included studies comparing IBR with mastectomy alone in patients with LABC with the primary outcomes of 5-year overall survival, disease-free survival and local and distant recurrence rates. RESULTS: A total of 19,907 patients were included spanning 10 papers. Of these, 89.1% underwent mastectomy alone, while 10.9% underwent IBR (51.2% autologous and 48.8% implant-based reconstruction). The 5-year overall survival rate was higher in IBR compared to mastectomy alone (IBR n = 2038/2491 81.8%, vs. Mx only n = 7468/10,124 73.7%, RR 1.10 [95% CI 1.07-1.12], P < 0.001). No significant difference found in 5-year disease-free survival (IBR n = 510/689 74.0% vs. Mx only n = 1339/1924 69.6%, RR 1.06 [95% CI 0.98-1.15], P = 0.17), 5-year local recurrence groups (IBR n = 52/646 8.0% vs. Mx only n = 122/1708 7.1%, RR 0.80 [95% CI 0.46-1.38], P = 0.42), or 5-year distant recurrence rates (IBR n = 117/594 19.6% vs. Mx only n = 211/882 23.9%, P = 0.11). CONCLUSION: IBR in LABC may be associated with improved overall 5-year survival rates without affecting disease-free survival or recurrence rates. Therefore, IBR may be a safe option in the treatment of LABC when considering optimal oncological outcomes.RDUH staff can access the full-text of this article by clicking on the 'Additional Link' above and logging in with NHS OpenAthens if prompted
Measuring the impact of digitisation on NHS nurses' time and morale: A time and motion study
No full textOBJECTIVE: Despite the benefits of digital transformation, many healthcare organisations still rely on manual, traditional processes to transfer clinical images and videos to electronic patient records (EPRs), consuming valuable nurse-patient-facing time. Our study aimed to outline tasks performed by nurses to traditionally transfer clinical images and videos to EPRs, assess the impact on nurses' time and efficiency cost, and report on nurse experiences when transitioning to a digitised process. METHODS: Observations spanned two one-week periods in the ENT outpatient department of Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, using direct observational time and predetermined motion time system analysis to map nurses' tasks pre-and post-implementation of a Medical Video Recorder and Centralised Medical Content Management. Two staff experience surveys were conducted, and data was aggregated to evaluate the impact of digitisation. RESULTS: Nurses traditionally followed two processes to transfer clinical images and video to EPRs. Digitisation saved 43 seconds per endoscopy (a 10% efficiency gain) compared to Process 1, in which nurses print, attach, scan, and digitise images off-site to EPRs, and 3 minutes and 8 seconds (a 33% efficiency gain) compared to Process 2, where urgent content is recorded on an iPad and transferred to EPRs. Digitising could save nurses 26 working days annually by reducing non-patient-facing tasks in the ENT department, leading to an annual time efficiency cost-saving of £6780. Furthermore, 75% of nurses reported significantly improved morale, 63% strongly agreed that digitisation improved confidence in the accuracy of patient details, and all paper processes were eliminated. CONCLUSION: Our findings highlight the inefficiency of traditional methods in transferring images and videos to EPRs. Digital transformation could enhance nursing efficiency and morale, improving care quality. Future studies should evaluate the effectiveness of Medical Video Recorders and Centralised Medical Content Management in other departments.This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work as published without adaptation or alteration, provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access page (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).
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Age-related disparities in complications among women with peripartum cardiomyopathy
No full textINTRODUCTION: While the exact pathogenesis of peripartum cardiomyopathy, a potentially life-threatening condition, is still unknown, its incidence is rising globally. We sought to understand the differences in outcomes and complications based on age. METHODS: Records from the 2016-2020 National Inpatient Sample were used for our study. The sample consisted of females diagnosed with peripartum cardiomyopathy that required hospitalization care. They were divided into two age-based cohorts: 15-29 years and 30-40 years. We evaluated differences in in-hospital complications between the two groups using multivariable regression. RESULTS: The analysis consisted of 20520 females diagnosed with peripartum cardiomyopathy, of whom 57.3 % were in the 30-40 years cohort and 42.7 % in the 15-29 years group. The prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors such as smoking, obesity, hypertension, diabetes and lipid disorder was higher among women aged 30-40 years (p < 0.01). These patients also demonstrated higher odds of reporting acute ischemic stroke (aOR 1.354, 95 % CI 1.038-1.767, p = 0.026) while having a reduced risk of cardiogenic shock (aOR 0.787, 95 % CI 0.688-0.901, p < 0.01) as compared to those aged 15-29 years during their hospitalisation with PPCM. No statistically significant differences were noted for events of acute kidney injury (aOR 1.074, 95 % CI 0.976-1.182, p = 0.143), acute pulmonary oedema (aOR 1.147, 95 % CI 0.988-1.332, p = 0.071) or in-hospital mortality (aOR 0.978, 95 % CI 0.742-1.290, p = 0.877). CONCLUSION: Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a serious condition that requires appropriate care and management. Our study linked cases of ages 30-40 years with increased odds of acute ischemic stroke but lower odds of cardiogenic shock.Published version, accepted version (12 month embargo), submitted versionNot hel