Citations

BACKGROUND: Preoperative anemia is common and associated with adverse outcomes in surgical patients. There is limited information to guide the design and implementation of preoperative anemia clinics (PAC), which represents a critical barrier to entry for many practices. METHODS: This is a descriptive observational study highlighting the design and implementation of a multidisciplinary PAC, including key steps in planning, stakeholder engagement, organizational structure, identification of target populations, establishing anemia treatments, information technology and electronic health record integration, provider training, and data infrastructure. Demographic and clinical characteristics, laboratory results, and anemia treatments for individuals evaluated in the PAC from November 4, 2019 through September 15, 2023 are enumerated. Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) assessing changes in anemia symptoms and well-being after surgery are evaluated for 2 subsets of patients (one before PAC implementation [pre-PAC], another after PAC implementation [post-PAC]), without formal statistical comparison given limited sample sizes. RESULTS: The PAC was initiated as a multidisciplinary effort under support from a Mayo Clinic Practice Transformation Award in 2019, including broad representation from anesthesiology, surgery, and medical practices, along with institutional project management support (eg, project manager, information technologists, systems engineers). While initially limited to cardiac surgery patients, the PAC underwent planned incremental expansion to include other surgical services. Over the study period, 1188 PAC consultations across 1159 unique patients met eligibility criteria, with a median age of 66 (57–73) years and 58.1% women. The most common etiology of anemia was iron deficiency (69.1%) followed by anemia related to cancer (17.3%). Anemia-directed therapies were recommended in 1038 (87.4%) encounters, with 730 (70.3%) of those receiving recommended treatment preoperatively. Seven hundred nine (97.1%) treatments included intravenous iron and 146 (20.0%) included erythropoiesis-stimulating agents. Fifteen pre-PAC and 38 post-PAC implementation patients completed PROs. PAC implementation was accompanied by earlier resolution of anemia symptoms and less pronounced declines in postoperative well-being scores. CONCLUSIONS: This report highlights the key steps for successful PAC implementation. Treatment is possible for most patients and may be accompanied by improvements in patient-important outcomes.

Objectives: To report the outcomes of minimally invasive (MIS) nephrectomy following immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy. Materials and Methods: This multicenter retrospective cohort study included consecutive patients who underwent nephrectomy following ICI therapy at five high-volume US academic centers between 2015 and 2023. Baseline clinical features and perioperative findings were recorded. After propensity-score matching (PSM), outcomes were compared between MIS and open nephrectomies. The primary outcome was 90-day complications, and secondary outcomes included length of hospital stay (LOS) and 90-day readmission. Results: A total of 158 patients were included, of whom 76 and 82 underwent MIS and open nephrectomies, respectively. The MIS procedures included robotic ( n = 56) and laparoscopic ( n = 20). A total of six (8%) patients converted to open. On multivariable analysis, patients with nonmetastatic vs metastatic renal-cell carcinoma (RCC) (hazard ratio [HR] 3.1, p = 0.01), those with smaller tumor size (HR 1.2 for each cm, p = 0.001), and no clinical evidence of inferior vena cava thrombus (HR 29, p = 0.002) were more likely to undergo the MIS approach compared with open approach. After PSM, including 56 MIS and 36 open nephrectomies, the MIS group compared with the open group had lower estimated blood loss (100 vs 460 mL, p < 0.001) and shorter LOS (2 vs 4 days, p < 0.001). Nevertheless, 90-day complications and readmissions were similar between the two groups. There were no 90-day mortality rates in either group. Conclusion: The MIS approach appears safe and offers more favorable perioperative outcomes compared with open surgery in properly selected patients with advanced RCC who are candidates for nephrectomy following ICI therapy.

MRI and CT play an important role in sports cardiology, including preparticipation evaluation, distinguishing adaptive changes of athlete’s heart from pathologic entities, and evaluation following cardiovascular symptoms or adverse events.

Background/Objectives: Limited spinal range of motion (ROM) is linked to low back disorders, emphasizing the need to maintain mobility in the elderly. This study measured maximum spinal ROM, asymmetrical patterns, and the effects of age and muscle activation on spinal mobility. Methods: Forty healthy participants aged 50 and older were recruited. An optical motion capture system recorded three-dimensional coordinates of reflective markers placed on spinal landmarks. Asymmetry was analyzed in sidebending and axial rotation. Electromyography (EMG) data were collected bilaterally from paraspinal muscles at L3 during flexion, extension, sidebending, and axial rotation. Results: Trunk ROM averaged 111° in flexion, 38° in extension, 46° in sidebending, and 87° in axial rotation. Kinematic asymmetry was observed in sidebending and axial rotation. ROM decreased with age in flexion motion (p ≤ 0.04). EMG activity was significantly correlated with ROM data for all combined motions (p = 0.0002). The strongest EMG signal was recorded during flexion, whereas the weakest signal was observed during extension. EMG activity also correlated with kinematic asymmetry (p ≤ 0.03). Conclusions: Age and muscle activation significantly influence spinal ROM in the elderly. Lumbar kinematic asymmetry can be partially attributed to paraspinal muscle activation, underscoring the importance of analyzing asymmetrical motions in conjunction with EMG activity.

Background Intra-articular corticosteroid (IACS) injection and peri-articular corticosteroid injection are commonly used to treat musculoskeletal conditions. Results vary by musculoskeletal region, but most studies report short-term benefit with mixed results on long-term relief. Publications showed adverse events from single corticosteroid injections. Recommended effective doses were lower than those currently used by clinicians. Methods Development of the practice guideline for joint injections was approved by the Board of Directors of the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine and the participating societies. A Corticosteroid Safety Work Group coordinated the development of three guidelines: peripheral nerve blocks and trigger points; joints; and neuraxial, facet, and sacroiliac joint injections. The topics included safety of the technique in relation to landmark-guided, ultrasound-guided, or radiology-aided injections; effect of the addition of the corticosteroid on the efficacy of the injectate; and adverse events related to the injection. Experts on the topics were assigned to extensively review the literature and initially develop consensus statements and recommendations. A modified version of the US Preventive Services Task Force grading of evidence and strength of recommendation was followed. A modified Delphi process was adhered to in arriving at a consensus. Results This guideline focuses on the safety and efficacy of corticosteroid joint injections for managing joint chronic pain in adults. The joints that were addressed included the shoulder, elbow, hand, wrist, hip, knee, and small joints of the hands and feet. All the statements and recommendations were approved by all participants and the Board of Directors of the participating societies after four rounds of discussion. There is little evidence to guide the selection of one corticosteroid over another. Ultrasound guidance increases the accuracy of injections and reduces procedural pain. A dose of 20 mg triamcinolone is as effective as 40 mg for both shoulder IACS and subacromial subdeltoid bursa corticosteroid injections. The commonly used dose for hip IACS is 40 mg triamcinolone or methylprednisolone. Triamcinolone 40 mg is as effective as 80 mg for knee IACS. Overall, IACS injections result in short-term pain relief from a few weeks to a few months. The adverse events include an increase in blood glucose, adrenal suppression, detrimental effect on cartilage lining the joint, reduction of bone mineral density, and postoperative joint infection. Conclusions In this practice guideline, we provided specific recommendations on the role of corticosteroids in joint, bursa, and peritendon injections for musculoskeletal pain.

The infrapatellar branch of the saphenous nerve (IPBSN) is implicated in nerve injury from different knee surgeries because of its intimate course relative to the knee joint capsule. Pain physicians encounter patients in their practice for the management of neuralgia of this nerve or in the context of advanced management of knee osteoarthritis. This article aims to provide a comprehensive review of the anatomy, sonoanatomy, and the intervention of the IPBSN in pain management of infrapatellar neuralgia and chronic knee pain.

Telesurgery has the potential to overcome geographical barriers in surgical care, encouraging its deployment in areas with sparse surgical expertise. Despite successful in-human experiments and substantial technological progress, the adoption of telesurgery remains slow. In this Review, we analyze the reasons for this slow adoption. First, we identify various contexts for telesurgery and highlight the vastly different requirements for their realization. We then discuss why procedures with high urgency and skill sparsity are particularly suitable for telesurgery. Last, we summarize key research areas essential for further progress. The goal of this Review is to provide the reader with a comprehensive analysis of the current state of telesurgery research and to provide guidance for faster adoption of this exciting technology.

Objective: This study aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis of the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index in relation to cardiovascular disorders. Methods: Data for the analysis were extracted from the Web of Science Core Collection database on 13 July 2024. We utilized VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and Biblioshiny tools for the analysis. Results: The study revealed a marked increase in research outputs on the TyG index in recent years, peaking with 137 publications in 2023. China emerged as the leading contributor, followed by the USA. The Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College were among the top contributing institutions. Shouling Wu and Shuohua Chen emerged as the leading authors, with the journal Cardiovascular Diabetology publishing the most articles on this topic. Keyword analysis identified “insulin-resistance” as the most frequently occurring term, followed by “risk.” Cluster analysis identified eleven key research areas, including “percutaneous coronary intervention,” “obesity indicators,” “arterial stiffness,” and “heart failure.” Conclusion: This bibliometric analysis highlights the expanding role of the TyG index in metabolic and cardiovascular research. Key clusters such as percutaneous coronary intervention, obesity indicators, arterial stiffness, heart failure, new-onset hypertension, predicting outcomes, and subclinical coronary artery disease emphasize its wide applicability across diverse clinical settings. The keyword “risk” was the most frequently occurring term, underscoring the importance of the TyG index in cardiovascular risk assessment, alongside its growing use in prognostic applications. These findings reflect the increasing recognition of the TyG index as a pivotal biomarker in cardiovascular medicine and encourage further exploration of its clinical integration.