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Background:. The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database provides an important resource for determining complication rates and risk factors for surgical procedures. However, NSQIP is limited to 30-day follow-up, and it is unclear whether this is reliable for evaluating prosthetic breast reconstruction outcomes. Methods:. A single-institution, cross-sectional, retrospective review was performed for patients undergoing mastectomy with immediate, prepectoral tissue expander reconstruction. Timing of complications was stratified as early (within 30 days of operation) versus late (after 30 days). Categorical variables were compared using χ2 (or Fisher exact) tests, and continuous variables were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis or Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. Results:. There were 301 patients (509 reconstructed breasts) included with a median follow-up time of 11 months. Of them, 176 patients (58%) experienced a postoperative complication—140 patients (47%) experienced an early complication and 36 patients (12%) experienced a late complication. Patients with late complications had a significantly higher rate of reconstructive failure compared with the early complication group (17% versus 10%; P = 0.001) and were more likely to require a flap (28% versus 7%; P = 0.001) for final reconstruction. Revision surgery rates after final implant placement were higher in the late complication group (36% versus 64%; P = 0.285). Conclusions:. Late complications after prepectoral breast reconstruction have a more prominent impact on reconstructive failure and revisions than early complications. This finding may inform strategies to revise national databases such as NSQIP to include more detailed information and longer capture periods.

Objective: To understand how mosaicism varies across patient-specific variables and clinics. Design: Cross-sectional cohort. Setting: Genetic testing laboratory. Patients: A total of 86,208 embryos from 17,366 patients underwent preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy using next-generation sequencing. Intervention(s): Mosaic embryos were classified as either low-level (20%–40%) or high-level (40%–80%) and by type of mosaic error: single segmental, complex segmental, single chromosome, or complex abnormal mosaic. The rate of mosaicism was stratified by the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology age categories: 42 years. Main Outcome Measure(s): Distribution of chromosomal findings and prevalence of mosaicism type by age. Probability of creating mosaic embryos in a subsequent cycle. Result(s): Among all embryos, 44% were euploid, 40.2% were aneuploid, and 15.8% were mosaic. Both low-level and high-level mosaicism were more prevalent among younger patients. Of all mosaic embryos, the youngest age cohort 42 years had the highest single whole chromosome and complex abnormal mosaicism (37.1% and 34.0%, respectively). Although there was variability in mosaic rates across clinics, the median mosaic rate over 3 years ranged from 14.48% to 17.72%. A diagnosis of a mosaic embryo in a previous cycle did not increase a patient’s odds for having a mosaic embryo in a subsequent cycle. Conclusion(s): Mosaicism is overall higher in younger patients, but the complexity of mosaic errors increases with age. A history of mosaicism was not associated with mosaicism in subsequent cycles. Additional research is needed to understand the etiologies of the various subtypes of mosaic embryos and clinical outcomes associated with their transfer.

Background:. Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols have been associated with hypotensive episodes after autologous breast reconstruction. Gabapentin (Gaba), a nonopioid analgesic used in ERAS, has been shown to attenuate postoperative hemodynamic responses. This study assesses ERAS’s impact, with and without Gaba, on postoperative hypotension after microvascular breast reconstruction. Methods:. Three cohorts were studied: traditional pathway, ERAS + Gaba, and ERAS no-Gaba. We evaluated length of stay, inpatient narcotic use [morphine milligram equivalents (MME)], mean systolic blood pressure, hypotension incidence, and complications. The traditional cohort was retrospectively reviewed, whereas the ERAS groups were enrolled prospectively after the initiation of the protocol in April 2019 (inclusive of Gaba until October 2022). Results:. In total, 441 patients were analyzed. The three cohorts, in the order mentioned above, were similar in age and bilateral reconstruction rates (57% versus 61% versus 60%). The ERAS cohorts, both with and without Gaba, had shorter stays (P < 0.01). Inpatient MME was significantly less in the ERAS + Gaba cohort than the traditional or ERAS no-Gaba cohorts (medians: 112 versus 178 versus 158 MME, P < 0.01). ERAS + Gaba significantly increased postoperative hypotensive events on postoperative day (POD) 1 and 2, with notable reduction after Gaba removal (P < 0.05). Across PODs 0–2, mean systolic blood pressure was highest in the traditional cohort, followed by ERAS no-Gaba, then the ERAS + Gaba cohort (P < 0.05). Complication rates were similar across all cohorts. Conclusions:. Postmicrovascular breast reconstruction, ERAS + Gaba reduced overall inpatient narcotic usage, but increased hypotension incidence. Gaba removal from the ERAS protocol reduced postoperative hypotension incidence while maintaining similar stay lengths and complication rates.

Background:. Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols have demonstrated efficacy following microvascular breast reconstruction. This study assesses the impact of an ERAS protocol following microvascular breast reconstruction at a high-volume center. Methods:. The ERAS protocol introduced preoperative counseling, multimodal analgesia, early diet resumption, and early mobilization to our microvascular breast reconstruction procedures. Data, including length of stay, body mass index, inpatient narcotic use, outpatient narcotic prescriptions, inpatient pain scores, and complications, were prospectively collected for all patients undergoing microvascular breast reconstruction between April 2019 and July 2021. Traditional pathway patients who underwent reconstruction immediately before ERAS implementation were retrospectively reviewed as controls. Results:. The study included 200 patients, 99 in traditional versus 101 in ERAS. Groups were similar in body mass index, age (median age: traditional, 54.0 versus ERAS, 50.0) and bilateral reconstruction rates (59.6% versus 61.4%). ERAS patients had significantly shorter lengths of stay, with 96.0% being discharged by postoperative day (POD) 3, and 88.9% of the traditional cohort were discharged on POD 4 (P < 0.0001). Inpatient milligram morphine equivalents (MMEs) were smaller by 54.3% in the ERAS cohort (median MME: 154.2 versus 70.4, P < 0.0001). Additionally, ERAS patients were prescribed significantly fewer narcotics upon discharge (median MME: 337.5 versus 150.0, P < 0.0001). ERAS had a lower pain average on POD 0–3; however, this finding was not statistically significant. Conclusion:. Implementing an ERAS protocol at a high-volume microvascular breast reconstruction center reduced length of stay and postoperative narcotic usage, without increasing pain or perioperative complications.

Abstract Background Partial gland ablation (PGA) is a new option for treatment of prostate cancer (PCa). Cryotherapy, an early method of PGA, has had favorable evaluations, but few studies have employed a strict protocol using biopsy endpoints in men with clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa). Methods 143 men with unilateral csPCa were enrolled in a prospective, observational trial of outpatient PGA‐cryotherapy. Treatment was a 2‐cycle freeze of the affected prostate part. Participants were evaluated with MRI‐guided biopsy (MRGB) at baseline and at 6 months and 18 months after treatment. Absence of csPCa upon MRGB was the primary endpoint; quality‐of‐life at baseline and at 6 months after treatment was assessed by EPIC‐CP questionnaires in the domains of urinary and sexual function. Results Of the 143 participants, 136 (95%) completed MRGB at 6 months after treatment. In 103/136 (76%), the biopsy revealed no csPCa. Of the 103, 71 subsequently had an 18‐month comprehensive biopsy; of the 71 with 18‐month biopsies, 46 (65%) were found to have no csPCa. MRI lesions became undetectable in 96/130 (74%); declines in median serum PSA levels (6.9 to 2.5 ng/mL), PSA density (0.15 to 0.07), and prostate volume (42 to 34cc) were observed (all p

Background: Long term outcomes in transplant recipients experiencing recurrent focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) remains poor. Despite early treatment, more than half lose their graft. The aims of this study were to evaluate treatment patterns, outcomes and to evaluate for predictors of treatment failure in recurrent FSGS. Methods: This was a single center retrospective observational study. Between 1/2014 and 8/2019, 1860 kidney transplantations were performed at UCLA, 100 of which had end stage renal disease due to biopsy-proven FSGS. Comparative statistics were obtained and a multivariate analysis for graft outcomes in patients with recurrence was constructed. The primary outcomes were recurrent FSGS, allograft failure and pheresis dependence. Results: Twenty-six of the 100recipients experienced FSGS recurrence. Patients with recurrence were younger (34.3 vs. 44.9, p = 0.001) and more likely to have had native nephrectomy (27% vs. 3%, p = 0.001). Gender, race, comorbidities, donor type, previous transplants and rates of rejection were similar between the recurrence and non-recurrence groups. Most patients received plasmapheresis (n = 24) with or without rituximab (11 vs. 13) which allowed for recovery of graft function in 18 patients (75%). Those experiencing a complete recovery required a median of 9 pheresis sessions, while those with graft failure (n = 3) or who became plasmapheresis-dependent (n = 5) required a median of 59 and 158 sessions, respectively. A multivariate analysis was constructed and no additional predictors of graft failure were encountered. Conclusions: Patients with recurrent FSGS whoexperienced remissiondid so following a short course of plasmapheresis. The patients whose recurrence never resolved or who lost their graft underwent much longer courses of plasmapheresis. If this pattern of early durable response is validated in larger studies, there may be a future when transplant teams discuss the possibility of re-gifting based on treatment response to plasmapheresis following recurrence.

Background: Kidney transplantation between HLA matched siblings results in superior graft survival. It has been hypothesized that the degree of HLA matching in these cases reduces the risk of organ rejection, allowing for reduced immunosuppression exposure. Current tolerance protocols are successful in permitting immunosuppression withdrawal, but require initial exposure to high levels of immunosuppression. Long term data on immunosuppressive complications has not been well studied in this population, and are needed to fully evaluate current tolerance protocols. Methods: In this retrospective cohort, we aimed to evaluate immunosuppression regimens among HLA-matched living kidney transplant recipients. We screened living kidney donor transplant donors-recipient pairs from 2013 to 2019 and found 28 recipients meeting criteria. A retrospective chart review using the electronic medical record was performed evaluating for preoperative clinical factors, cause of ESRD, maintenance immunosuppression regimen, short and long term sequelae of immunosuppression exposure as well as graft outcomes. Results: Median age was 49, half were women and half were non-White (25% Hispanic, 14% Asian/Pacific Islander, 7% other and 4% African American). Median follow up was 3.5 years. Most common causes of ESRD were glomerulonephritis, diabetes and polycystic kidney disease. Over 80% of patients were on calcineurin inhibitor based dual therapy, with approximately 50% on prednisone and the remainder on an anti-metabolite. 14% of first time HLA matched kidney transplant recipients were on 3 immunosuppressive medications. 43% of recipients experienced immunosuppression-related complications, the most common of which was infection, occurring in almost a third of all patients. Graft and overall survival was 100% for this cohort with an average serum creatinine between 1.1 and 1.3 mg/dL at the end of the study period. One patient experienced acute rejection (4%). Conclusions: In our single institution study, a large proportion of HLA matched living kidney transplant recipients experienced complications related to immunosuppression. The majority of patients were on CNI based therapy with a second agent. Additional studies are necessary to determine minimal effective dosing of immunosuppression in HLA matched living donor kidney transplants.

Background Current recommendations for delivery timing of pregnant persons with congenital heart disease (CHD) are based on expert opinion. Justification for early‐term birth is based on the theoretical concern of increased cardiovascular stress. The objective was to evaluate whether early‐term birth with maternal CHD is associated with lower adverse maternal or neonatal outcomes. Methods and Results This is a retrospective cohort study of pregnant persons with CHD who delivered a singleton after 37 0/7 weeks gestation at a quaternary care center with a multidisciplinary cardio‐obstetrics care team between 2013 and 2021. Patients were categorized as early‐term (37 0/7 to 38 6/7 weeks) or full‐term (≥39 0/7) births and compared. Multivariable logistic regression was conducted to calculate the adjusted odds ratio for the primary outcomes. The primary outcomes were composite adverse cardiovascular, maternal obstetric, and adverse neonatal outcome. Of 110 pregnancies delivering at term, 55 delivered early‐term and 55 delivered full‐term. Development of adverse cardiovascular and maternal obstetric outcome was not significantly different by delivery timing. The rate of composite adverse neonatal outcomes was significantly higher in early‐term births (36% versus 5%, P

Abstract Background Metastatic prostate cancer (PC) is highly lethal. The ability to identify primary tumors capable of dissemination is an unmet need in the quest to understand lethal biology and improve patient outcomes. Previous studies have linked chromosomal instability (CIN), which generates aneuploidy following chromosomal missegregation during mitosis, to PC progression. Evidence of CIN includes broad copy number alterations (CNAs) spanning > 300 base pairs of DNA, which may also be measured via RNA expression signatures associated with CNA frequency. Signatures of CIN in metastatic PC, however, have not been interrogated or well defined. We examined a published 70-gene CIN signature (CIN70) in untreated and castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) cohorts from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and previously published reports. We also performed transcriptome and CNA analysis in a unique cohort of untreated primary tumors collected from diagnostic prostate needle biopsies (PNBX) of localized (M0) and metastatic (M1) cases to determine if CIN was linked to clinical stage and outcome. Methods PNBX were collected from 99 patients treated in the VA Greater Los Angeles (GLA-VA) Healthcare System between 2000 and 2016. Total RNA was extracted from high-grade cancer areas in PNBX cores, followed by RNA sequencing and/or copy number analysis using OncoScan. Multivariate logistic regression analyses permitted calculation of odds ratios for CIN status (high versus low) in an expanded GLA-VA PNBX cohort (n = 121). Results The CIN70 signature was significantly enriched in primary tumors and CRPC metastases from M1 PC cases. An intersection of gene signatures comprised of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) generated through comparison of M1 versus M0 PNBX and primary CRPC tumors versus metastases revealed a 157-gene “metastasis” signature that was further distilled to 7-genes (PC-CIN) regulating centrosomes, chromosomal segregation, and mitotic spindle assembly. High PC-CIN scores correlated with CRPC, PC-death and all-cause mortality in the expanded GLA-VA PNBX cohort. Interestingly, approximately 1/3 of M1 PNBX cases exhibited low CIN, illuminating differential pathways of lethal PC progression. Conclusions Measuring CIN in PNBX by transcriptome profiling is feasible, and the PC-CIN signature may identify patients with a high risk of lethal progression at the time of diagnosis.

Background Prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart disease has been associated with early‐term delivery and cesarean delivery (CD). We implemented a multi‐institutional standardized clinical assessment and management plan (SCAMP) through the University of California Fetal‐Maternal Consortium. Our objective was to decrease early‐term (37–39 weeks) delivery and CD in pregnancies complicated by fetal congenital heart disease using a SCAMP methodology to improve practice in a high‐risk and clinically complex setting. Methods and Results University of California Fetal‐Maternal Consortium site‐specific management decisions were queried following SCAMP implementation. This contemporary intervention group was compared with a University of California Fetal‐Maternal Consortium historical cohort. Primary outcomes were early‐term delivery and CD. A total of 496 maternal–fetal dyads with prenatally diagnosed congenital heart disease were identified, 185 and 311 in the historical and intervention cohorts, respectively. Recommendation for later delivery resulted in a later gestational age at delivery (38.9 versus 38.1 weeks, P=0.01). After adjusting for maternal age and site, historical controls were more likely to have a CD (odds ratio [OR],1.8; 95% CI, 2.1–2.8; P=0.004) and more likely (OR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.4–3.3) to have an early‐term delivery than the intervention group. Vaginal delivery was recommended in 77% of the cohort, resulting in 61% vaginal deliveries versus 50% in the control cohort (P=0.03). Among pregnancies with major cardiac lesions (n=373), vaginal birth increased from 51% to 64% (P=0.008) and deliveries ≥39 weeks increased from 33% to 48% (P=0.004). Conclusions Implementation of a SCAMP decreased the rate of early‐term deliveries and CD for prenatal congenital heart disease. Development of clinical pathways may help standardize care, decrease maternal risk secondary to CD, improve neonatal outcomes, and reduce healthcare costs.

Purpose: Most malignancies are diagnosed in older adults who are potentially susceptible to aging-related health conditions; however, the manifestation of geriatric syndromes during surgical cancer treatment is not well quantified. Accordingly, we sought to assess the prevalence and ramifications of geriatric events during major surgery for cancer., Patients and Methods: Using Nationwide Inpatient Sample data from 2009 to 2011, we examined hospital admissions for major cancer surgery among elderly patients (ie, age ≥ 65 years) and a referent group age 55 to 64 years. From these observations, we identified geriatric events that included delirium, dehydration, falls and fractures, failure to thrive, and pressure ulcers. We then estimated the collective prevalence of these events according to age, comorbidity, and cancer site and further explored their relationship with other hospital-based outcomes., Results: Within a weighted sample of 939,150 patients, we identified at least one event in 9.2% of patients. Geriatric events were most common among patients age ≥ 75 years, with a Charlson comorbidity score ≥ 2, and who were undergoing surgery for cancer of the bladder, ovary, colon and/or rectum, pancreas, or stomach (P < .001). Adjusting for patient and hospital characteristics, those patients who experienced a geriatric event had a greater likelihood of concurrent complications (odds ratio [OR], 3.73; 95% CI, 3.55 to 3.92), prolonged hospitalization (OR, 5.47; 95% CI, 5.16 to 5.80), incurring high cost (OR, 4.97; 95% CI, 4.58 to 5.39), inpatient mortality (OR, 3.22; 95% CI, 2.94 to 3.53), and a discharge disposition other than home (OR, 3.64; 95% CI, 3.46 to 3.84)., Conclusion: Many older patients who receive cancer-directed surgery experience a geriatric event, particularly those who undergo major abdominal surgery. These events are linked to operative morbidity, prolonged hospitalization, and more expensive health care. As our population ages, efforts focused on addressing conditions and complications that are more common in older adults will be essential to delivering high-quality cancer care., (© 2016 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.)