Surgery Commons^™

Leaving Against Medical Advice From In-Patients Departments Rate, Reasons And Predicting Risk Factors For Re-Visiting Hospital Retrospective Cohort From A Tertiary Care Hospital, Obada Hasan, Muhammad Adil Samad, Hamza Khan, Maryam Sarfraz, Shahryar Noordin, Tashfeen Ahmad, Gul Nowshad

Section of Orthopaedic Surgery

Background: Approximately 1% to 2% of hospitalized patients get discharged or leave from the hospital against medical advice and up to 26% in some centers. They have higher readmission rate and risk of complications than patients who receive complete care. In this study we aimed to determine the rate of leave against medical advice (LAMA) and reasons for the same across different in-patient departments of a tertiary care hospital.
Methods: Retrospective cohort study on patients admitted in all departments at our institute over a 1-year period. All patients who were admitted to an in-patient ward at the hospital and who …

Predictors Of An Increased Length Of Stay Following Total Knee Arthroplasty: Survey Report, Azeem Tariq Malik, Syed Hamza Mufarrih, Arif Ali, Shahryar Noordin

Section of Orthopaedic Surgery

Objective: To find various preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative factors that predict an increased length of stay in patients following total knee arthroplasty.
Methods: The retrospective cohort study was conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, and comprised record of patients regardless of gender, co-morbids and age who had undergone a unilateral or bilateral total knee arthroplasty between January 2007 and December 2015. An increased length of stay was defined as ≥75th centile (≥11 days).
Results: Of the 577 patients, 448(77.6%) were women. Overall, 311(53.9%) patients were aged 56-70 years. Of the total, 100(17.3%) patients stayed for at least 11 …

Timing Of Postoperative Magnetic Resonance Imaging (Mri) Following Glioma Resection: Shattering The 72 Hour Window, Syed Sarmad Bukhari, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim, Fatima Mubarak

Section of Neurosurgery

Extent of enhancing tumour resection is correlated with progression free survival following glioma surgery. Historically, a contrast enhanced MRI has been recommended within 72 hours following surgery to evaluate for residual disease. This theoretical window was established amidst conflicting evidence to avoid reactive enhancement. Recent studies with better designs and better imaging quality have sought to challenge this window with a more pragmatic method of evaluating residual disease.

Minimally Invasive Technique Of Placing A Dual Chamber Permanent Pacemaker In Children, Muneer Amanullah, Somia Razaq, Asif Hasan Siddiqui, Fazal Wahab Khan

Section of Paediatric Surgery

Objective: To share the experience of a minimally invasive technique in the implantation of a dual chamber permanent pacemaker in paediatric population.
Methods: The retrospective study was conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, and comprised data of patients aged up to1 6 years who underwent epicardial dual chamber permanent pacemaker insertion via xiphisternal incision between April 2011 and August 2016. Demographic data included age, weight and gender of the patient. Indications for pacemaker insertion, electrocardiography findings, concomitant cardiac procedures and procedural complications were reviewed. Pacemaker thresholds and impedance at the time of implantation and throughout the course of follow-up …

Microbial Colonization Of Pneumatic Tourniquets In The Orthopedic Operating Room, Syed Hamza Mufarrih, Nada Qaisar Qureshi, Rizwan Haroon Rashid, Bilal Ahmed, Seema Irfan, Akbar Jaleel Zubair, Shahryar Noordin

Section of Orthopaedic Surgery

Background: The rate of surgical site infections following orthopedic procedures is approximately 2% globally. Potential sources of contamination in the operating room include pneumatic tourniquets, blood pressure cuffs, and stethoscopes, among others. Our study aims to investigate microbial colonization on reusable pneumatic tourniquets stored and used in the orthopedic department of our institution and evaluate the efficacy of the cleaning protocols employed. Methods: Over a course of two weeks, 26 samples were obtained. A total of 14 pneumatic tourniquets were sampled preoperatively on Monday morning following the weekly cleaning protocol of soaking the tourniquets in sodium hypochlorite for 30 minutes …

Emergency Care Surveillance And Emergency Care Registries In Low-Income And Middle-Income Countries: Conceptual Challenges And Future Directions For Research, Hani Mowaf, Christine Ngaruiya, Gerard O'Reilly, Olive Kobusingye, Vikas Kapil, Andres Rubiano, Marcus Ong, Juan Carlos Puyana, Akm Fazlur Rahman, Rashid Jooma, Blythe Beecrof, Junaid Razzak

Section of Neurosurgery

Despite the fact that the 15 leading causes of global deaths and disability-adjusted life years are from conditions amenable to emergency care, and that this burden is highest in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), there is a paucity of research on LMIC emergency care to guide policy making, resource allocation and service provision. A literature review of the 550 articles on LMIC emergency care published in the 10-year period from 2007 to 2016 yielded 106 articles for LMIC emergency care surveillance and registry research. Few articles were from established longitudinal surveillance or registries and primarily composed of short-term data collection. …

Endoscopic Transsphenoidal Surgery For Cushing's Disease: A Review, Mirza Zain Baig, Altaf Ali Laghari, Aneela Darbar, Umme E Hani Abdullah, Sumiya Abbasi

Section of Neurosurgery

Ever since the 1960s, transsphenoidal surgery has been the modality of choice for treating Cushing's disease. Subsequent visualization of the pituitary fossa and sphenoid sinus may be done either with the operating microscope or with the relatively new endoscope. The endoscope due to its panoramic view allows greater visualization as compared to the operating microscope. It confers greater access to the cavernous sinus, sella, suprasellar, and parasellar regions and accommodates higher magnifications. It is bi-dimensional, however as opposed to the operating microscope that provides a three-dimensional view and allows greater depth perception. This article provides a comprehensive review of the …

Increasing First Case On Time Starts In An Ambulatory Surgery Center, Diane Fecteau, Shannan Reid, Sydney Green, Ruth Hanselman, Suneela Nayak, Stephen Tyzik, Amy Sparks

Operations Transformation

In an ambulatory surgical center, first case on-time starts directly affects the patient experience. In addition, in order to treat as many patients as possible, delays of first case on-time starts negatively impacts the rest of scheduled surgical patients and increases staff overtime expenditures. An ambulatory surgical team within a large urban health care system initiated a performance improvement initiative to enhance the patient experience, increase staff accountability and care team well-being.

The goal of this project was to start 70% or more first cases on time. Baseline metrics demonstrated that patients and surgeons were the largest cause of delay. …

Malignant Distal Femur Tumors Management In Children, Low Cost Innovations With Affordable Care In A Tertiary Care Hospital, A Cross Sectional Study, Masood Umer, Javeria Saeed, Obada Hussein Hasan

Section of Orthopaedic Surgery

Introduction: Malignant musculoskeletal tumors in children are mostly comprised of Osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma and distal femur is the most common site for primary bone tumors. This study examined the surgical management outcomes of pediatric patients (<18 years) presented in our setup with malignant distal femur tumors.
Methodology: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients diagnosed with malignant sarcomas of distal femur and younger than 18 years of age who underwent limb salvage surgery during June 2009-June2017.
Results: There were 31 pediatric patients who had distal femur malignant tumors and out of them 20 patients were selected who underwent limb salvage as a primary surgery. The mean age (range) …

Graft Within A Graft Endoluminal Graft, David J. Minion

Surgery Faculty Patents

A segmented endograft includes at least one positioning segment and at least one main body segment which are separately deployable. The at least one positioning segment and at least one main body segment may be connected one to another. For example, the at least one positioning segment and at least one main body segment may be connected along a portion of a circumference thereof, but unconnected along a remainder of the circumference thereof. The at least one positioning segment overlaps a portion of the at least one main body segment. Deployment systems may include the segmented endograft and the segmented …

Can Alternate-Day Statin Regimen Minimize Its Adverse Effects On Muscle And Tendon?: A Systematic Review, Zehra Abdul Muhammad, Tashfeen Ahmad, Naveed Baloch

Section of Orthopaedic Surgery

Objective: To review evidence-based data with respect to safety and efficacy of alternate-day statin therapy in dyslipidaemia compared to the standard daily dose.
Methods: The literature review was conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi from July, 2016 to August, 2017. Electronic database search was carried out to compile available literature using PubMed, Excerpta Medica database and Google Scholar. The most relevant evidence-based research articles published over 10 years were selected. The latest search was dated August 03, 2017.
Results: A total of 2,074 articles were initially located. Alternate day statin regimen was reported in 53% of articles. Adverse effects …

Effect Of Pregnancy On Growth Of Intracranial Meningiomas, Ayesha Quddusi, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim, Quratulain Virani

Section of Neurosurgery

Meningiomas are the most common benign primary intracranial tumours in adults. Their rapid growth during pregnancy has been well reported. Moreover, the relationship of increased progesterone expression during pregnancy and extensive tumour growth has been debated. In this review, we discuss not only the effect of progesterone on meningiomal growth but also other mechanisms involved in gestational meningiomas.

Ossification Of The Cruciform Ligament Of Atlas; A Rare Cause Of Cervical Myelopathy: Case Report And Review Of Literature, Muhammad Waqas Saeed Baqai, Gohar Javed, Mirza Zain Baig

Section of Neurosurgery

We present a case of cervical myelopathy secondary to ossification of the cruciform ligament (also known as cruciate ligament). This is a rare phenomenon that, to the best of our knowledge, has only been reported 16 times previously in literature. We have added a review of literature after our case presentation. We hope that by doing so, we may aid clinicians reach early diagnosis so as to be able to better manage this rare disease.

Perianal Necrotizing Fasciitis With Retroperitoneal Extension: A Case Report From Pakistan, Mirza Zain Baig, Abeer Aziz, Umme E Hani Abdullah, Muhammad Salman Khalil, Sumiya Abbasi

Section of Neurosurgery

Necrotizing fasciitis is a rare but potentially fatal condition. It is defined as a rapidly spreading infection of the subcutaneous soft tissue. Extension into the retroperitoneum may further complicate this deadly condition. We report a case of a 45-year-old gentleman who presented to our institute with perianal necrotizing fasciitis with extension into the retroperitoneum. He was managed with antibiotics and prompt surgical debridement. Our patient had a positive outcome which may be due to the fact that we had a high clinical suspicion, on the basis of which we opted for early operative management rather than delaying definitive treatment by …

Consumer Prices For Surgical Management Of Ankle Arthritis: Limited Availability And Wide Variability., Niall A Smyth, Brody J Dawkins, Joshua P Goldstein, Jonathan R Kaplan, Lew C Schon, Amiethab A Aiyer

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Background: Healthcare costs for the surgical management of ankle arthritis continue to rise. Patients are generally unaware of the prices of the services they use. Understanding the costs associated with surgical management of ankle arthritis is an important facet of patient care. The purposes of this study were to (1) determine the access to the surgical cost of total ankle arthroplasty (TAAs) and ankle arthrodesis and (2) the variability of the price between the two procedures.

Methods: Fifty foot and ankle centers (25 academic, 25 private) that perform TAAs and ankle arthrodeses were contacted using a standardized patient script. The …

Global Spinal Deformity From The Upper Cervical Perspective. What Is "Abnormal" In The Upper Cervical Spine?, Peter G Passias, Haddy Alas, Renaud Lafage, Bassel G Diebo, Irene Chern, Christopher P Ames, Paul Park, Khoi D Than, Alan H Daniels, D Kojo Hamilton, Douglas C Burton, Robert A Hart, Shay Bess, Breton G Line, Eric O Klineberg, Christopher I Shaffrey, Justin S Smith, Frank J Schwab, Virginie Lafage

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Hypothesis: Reciprocal changes in the upper cervical spine correlate with adult TL deformity modifiers.

Design: This was a retrospective review.

Introduction: The upper cervical spine has remarkable adaptability to wide ranges of thoracolumbar (TL) deformity.

Methods: Patients >18 years with adult spinal deformity (ASD) and complete radiographic data at baseline (BL) and 1 year were identified. Patients were grouped into component types of the Roussouly classification system (Type 1: Pelvic incidence [PI]

Results: A total of 343 ASD patients were analyzed. When grouped by BL Schwab and Roussouly, Group

Conclusions: Our study suggests that upper cervical alignment remains relatively stable …

The Impact Of Osteotomy Grade And Location On Regional And Global Alignment Following Cervical Deformity Surgery., Peter G Passias, Samantha R Horn, Tina Raman, Avery E Brown, Virginie Lafage, Renaud Lafage, Justin S Smith, Cole A Bortz, Frank A Segreto, Katherine E Pierce, Haddy Alas, Breton G Line, Bassel G Diebo, Alan H Daniels, Han Jo Kim, Alex Soroceanu, Gregory M Mundis, Themistocles S Protopsaltis, Eric O Klineberg, Douglas C Burton, Robert A Hart, Frank J Schwab, Shay Bess, Christopher I Shaffrey, Christopher P Ames

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Introduction: Correction of cervical deformity (CD) often involves different types of osteotomies to address sagittal malalignment. This study assessed the relationship between osteotomy grade and vertebral level on alignment and clinical outcomes.

Methods: Retrospective review of a multi-center prospectively collected CD database. CD was defined as at least one of the following: C2-C7 Cobb >10°, cervical lordosis (CL) >10°, C2-C7 sagittal vertical axis (cSVA) >4 cm, and chin-brow vertical angle > 25°. Patients were evaluated for level and type of cervical osteotomy.

Results: 86 CD patients were included (61.4 ± 10.6 years, 66.3% female, body mass index 29.1 kg/m

Conclusions: CD …

Perioperative Glycemic Control And Its Outcome In Patients Following Open Heart Surgery, Khalid M Siddiqui, Muhammad Ali Asghar, Muhammad F. Khan, Fazal Wahab Khan

Department of Anaesthesia

Background: Diabetes is not uncommon in patients requiring cardiac surgery. These patients have a higher incidence of morbidity and mortality. Subsequently, diabetes represents a major medico-economic problem in both developed and developing countries. This study was designed to observe the association between glycemic control and outcome of patients after open heart surgery in adult population.
Materials and methods: Data was collected retrospectively in all patients who underwent open cardiac surgery (coronary artery bypass grafting, valve, or bypass grafting with valve surgery) and survived 72 hours postoperatively and had diabetes. The study was conducted from January 2015 to December 2016.
Results: …

Early Experience With Cap-Assisted Endoscopic Pancreatic Necrosectomy: A Technique To Enhance Safe Tissue Extraction And Decrease Interventions., Nishant Puri, Alexander Hallac, Wichit Srikureja

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

No abstract provided.

Innovative Use Of Mesh Bolster For Adult Morgagni Hernia Repair., Nabiel Azar, Robert Azar, Katie Robertson, Priya Gupta

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Morgagni hernia is a rare type of congenital diaphragmatic hernia caused by lack of fusion of the pleuroperitoneal membrane anteriorly leading to a defect in the foramen of Morgagni. These are rare hernias and typically present early in life. Those that do not get repaired during infancy or adolescence often present later in life with variable symptoms including obstruction, incarceration, strangulation, pulmonary symptoms, chest pain, etc. Herein we present an adult case that was found incidentally after a screening computerized tomography (CT) chest scan was done for history of smoking. There are two unique aspects to this case: first, given …