Application of a Meshed Skin Graft in the Surgical Bed Immediately after Resection of Neurofibrosarcoma in the Distal Limb Region of a Dog

Background: Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors are neurogenic neoplasms that originate from cells that surround the axons of peripheral nerves. Surgery is the treatment of choice for peripheral nerve sheath tumors. They have a better prognosis when the lesion is in the extremity of a limb and the surgeon leaves wide peripheral margins after resection. However, this procedure makes local treatment a challenge due to difficult wound healing in this region. This report describes a successful case involving the use of a meshed skin graft immediately after resection of a neurofibrosarcoma in the distal region of the radius bone of a dog.Case: A 6-year-old Boxer bitch weighing 40 kg was admitted with a history of a round, firm, non-ulcerated skin nodule attached to the lateral side of the distal region of the right radius bone, which had been present for about 40 days. Fine needle aspiration cytology of the lesion showed the presence of mesenchymal cells, suggesting a sarcoma. Thus, the decision was made for an incisional biopsy to confirm the diagnosis and for the preparation of a subdermal pattern tubular flap for subsequent rotation and transposition to close the wound that would be formed after the complete removal of the lesion. After the 7th postoperative day, the diagnosis of low-grade neurofibrosarcoma was confirmed and due to the presence of necrotic onset in the middle portion of the tubular flap, further surgical intervention was scheduled for the resection of the tube flap, en bloc removal of the neoplastic lesion with peripheral margins of 2 cm, and wound closure with a free skin graft. A mesh skin graft was made with a portion of the right flank skin. The mesh graft was carefully implanted on the recipient bed using simple interrupted sutures with a 3-0 non-absorbable monofilament suture material. A dressing made with water-based sterile lubricating solution and gauze and a modified Robert Jones bandage were applied. The patient was treated with analgesic medication, antimicrobial therapy, and gastric protectors. The first bandage and dressing were changed after 48 h, and only warm physiological solution was used. Histopathological analysis confirmed the diagnosis of low-grade neurofibrosarcoma with free surgical margins. The dressing was changed every 72 h for up to 12 postoperative days, when the immobilization was removed, and wound cleaning could be completed at home using physiological solution and a dressing with nitrofurazone ointment. Granulation tissue was first seen at day 12, and at day 30 the wound was completely closed.Discussion: The primary closure of skin defects after the resection of tumors located in the distal portion of limbs is often not possible due to a lack of adjacent skin. Thus, grafts are commonly used to repair the skin in these areas using the technique presented in this report. In order to survive, skin grafts need a vascular bed capable of allowing new blood vessel connections with the implanted skin portion. There is no consensus in the literature on the best bed for graft implantations. In the case described in this study, a free mesh graft was implanted on a fresh wound without granulation tissue, which resulted in excellent clinical evolution and total survival of the graft. Excellent clinical results were achieved with the graft, since its survival and adherence to the recipient bed occurred without complications. The clinical result of this case suggests that the application of full-thickness mesh grafts to fresh wounds in distal limbs immediately after tumor resection is a good alternative when the surgical wound is too large (which prevents primary closure). Good preoperative planning associated with good surgical techniques and adequate postoperative management are essential for the success of the technique under these conditions

Effects of Heated Tumescence Solution in Bitches after Unilateral Mastectomy

Background: Mammary tumors, for which mastectomy is the main treatment, are the most common neoplasms in bitches. Mastectomy is painful and, in order to reduce the pain stimulus in the transoperative period, tumescent local anesthesia is associated with general inhalation anesthesia. However, despite the numerous benefits of tumescence, intraoperative hypothermia is the most common complication. In Medicine, especially in plastic and dermatological surgery, it is common to use a heated tumescence solution to prevent intraoperative hypothermia; however, in Veterinary medicine, no previous study has examined the advantages and disadvantages of using heated tumescence solution. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the transanesthetic cardiorespiratory effects of heated tumescence solution in bitches submitted to radical unilateral mastectomy.Materials, Methods & Results: Eight animals were treated with 0.1% lidocaine solution, warmed to 37-42°C, using a Klein’s cannula for administration. Chlorpromazine (0.3 mg/kg) and meperidine (3 mg/kg) were used as pre-anesthetic medication intramuscularly, and induction was performed with intravenous propofol and maintenance with isoflurane. The data collection times were as follows: 15 min after starting isoflurane administration (M1), 5 min after tumescence (M2), after beginning of surgical incision (M3), during breast pullout (M4), after clamping of the superficial caudal epigastric vein, and artery (M5), after the beginning of the approximation of the subcutaneous tissue (M6), after the beginning of the intradermal suture (M7), and at the end of the surgical procedure (Mfinal). The heart (HR) and respiratory (ƒ) rates, mean arterial pressure (MAP), end-tidal CO2 concentration (EtCO2), expired isoflurane concentration (EtISO), and rectal temperature (RT) were measured. The HR, ƒ, and EtCO2levels did not differ statistically. The mean EtISO presented in M2 (1.16 ± 0.41) was significantly lower than that in M3 (1.39 ± 0.40) and M4 (1.49 ± 0.49).Discussion: In the HR analysis, it was found that during all evaluation moments, the means remained within the reference range for the species. Moreover, the values during the breast pullout (M4) did not exceed 20% of those presented minutes before the beginning of the surgery (M2), which was indicative of analgesic rescue, suggesting that the animals did not experience pain. Hypoventilation resulted in an increase in EtCO2 values. Thus, it can be said that in this study, there was no respiratory depression during the transoperative period, as the values of the variables ƒ and EtCO2 were within the reference for the species. With regard to the EtISO variable, there was no reduction in the MAC of isoflurane with the use of heated tumescence solution, as reported by some authors (EtISO 0.8%). However, the EtISO values presented here are close to those found in the literature during breast pullout (EtISO between 1.3% and 1.52%), with the use of refrigerated tumescence solution. In addition, the values shown in M4 are within the equivalent of 1 MAC (1.41%) of isoflurane, proving that heated tumescent local anesthesia is a safe technique and an excellent adjunct to inhalation anesthesia, as it provides intraoperative analgesia. Therefore, heated tumescence solution is safe and an excellent adjuvant in general inhalational anesthesia for radical unilateral mastectomy as it did not increase inhaled anesthetic consumption during surgery.Keywords: tumescent local anesthesia, lidocaine, dogs, inhalation anesthesia, mammary tumors

Postoperative pain behaviours in rabbits following orthopaedic surgery and effect of observer presence.

Rabbits are widely used in studies focusing on pain. However, pain is undertreated in this species and one possible factor to explain this is the lack of evaluation methods. The objective of this study was to identify behaviours related to orthopaedic pain in rabbits and to evaluate the influence of the presence of an observer on these behaviours. Twenty-eight rabbits undergoing orthopaedic surgery and filmed 24 hours before surgery, and 1 hour (before rescue analgesia), 4 hours (3 hours after rescue analgesia), and 24 hours post-recovery were observed in the presence and absence of an observer. The frequency and/or duration of behaviours were compared over time and between the presence and absence of the observer using the Friedman and Wilcoxon tests respectively. Data are expressed as median and interquartile range and a significant difference was considered when p<0.05. At 1 hour post-recovery, the rabbits showed reduced activity, hopping, change posture, position in the cage, explore, and open eyes in both the presence and absence of the observer. In the absence of the observer, quadrupedal posture, interact with pinecone, and eat carrot also decreased, while wince behaviour increased. In the presence of the observer, before surgery, the rabbits were less active (Presence-280; 162-300, Absence-300; 300-300) and presented a lower duration of explore (Presence-3; 0-32, Absence-40; 4-63). Post-recovery the rabbits flinched less (Presence-0; 0-0, Absence-0; 0-1) and suspended the affected limb less (Presence-0; 0-0, Absence-0; 0-65). After rescue analgesia the rabbits put weight on and raised the affected limb less (Presence-0; 0-0, Absence-0; 0-2) and licked the affected area less (Presence-0; 0-0, Absence-0; 0-2). These findings demonstrate that the presence of the observer inhibited pain-free behaviours in the rabbits, leading to a false impression of pain, and after the surgery the rabbits masked some pain signs related to the affected area

Application of a Meshed Skin Graft in the Surgical Bed Immediately after Resection of Neurofibrosarcoma in the Distal Limb Region of a Dog

Background: Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors are neurogenic neoplasms that originate from cells that surround the axons of peripheral nerves. Surgery is the treatment of choice for peripheral nerve sheath tumors. They have a better prognosis when the lesion is in the extremity of a limb and the surgeon leaves wide peripheral margins after resection. However, this procedure makes local treatment a challenge due to difficult wound healing in this region. This report describes a successful case involving the use of a meshed skin graft immediately after resection of a neurofibrosarcoma in the distal region of the radius bone of a dog.Case: A 6-year-old Boxer bitch weighing 40 kg was admitted with a history of a round, firm, non-ulcerated skin nodule attached to the lateral side of the distal region of the right radius bone, which had been present for about 40 days. Fine needle aspiration cytology of the lesion showed the presence of mesenchymal cells, suggesting a sarcoma. Thus, the decision was made for an incisional biopsy to confirm the diagnosis and for the preparation of a subdermal pattern tubular flap for subsequent rotation and transposition to close the wound that would be formed after the complete removal of the lesion. After the 7th postoperative day, the diagnosis of low-grade neurofibrosarcoma was confirmed and due to the presence of necrotic onset in the middle portion of the tubular flap, further surgical intervention was scheduled for the resection of the tube flap, en bloc removal of the neoplastic lesion with peripheral margins of 2 cm, and wound closure with a free skin graft. A mesh skin graft was made with a portion of the right flank skin. The mesh graft was carefully implanted on the recipient bed using simple interrupted sutures with a 3-0 non-absorbable monofilament suture material. A dressing made with water-based sterile lubricating solution and gauze and a modified Robert Jones bandage were applied. The patient was treated with analgesic medication, antimicrobial therapy, and gastric protectors. The first bandage and dressing were changed after 48 h, and only warm physiological solution was used. Histopathological analysis confirmed the diagnosis of low-grade neurofibrosarcoma with free surgical margins. The dressing was changed every 72 h for up to 12 postoperative days, when the immobilization was removed, and wound cleaning could be completed at home using physiological solution and a dressing with nitrofurazone ointment. Granulation tissue was first seen at day 12, and at day 30 the wound was completely closed.Discussion: The primary closure of skin defects after the resection of tumors located in the distal portion of limbs is often not possible due to a lack of adjacent skin. Thus, grafts are commonly used to repair the skin in these areas using the technique presented in this report. In order to survive, skin grafts need a vascular bed capable of allowing new blood vessel connections with the implanted skin portion. There is no consensus in the literature on the best bed for graft implantations. In the case described in this study, a free mesh graft was implanted on a fresh wound without granulation tissue, which resulted in excellent clinical evolution and total survival of the graft. Excellent clinical results were achieved with the graft, since its survival and adherence to the recipient bed occurred without complications. The clinical result of this case suggests that the application of full-thickness mesh grafts to fresh wounds in distal limbs immediately after tumor resection is a good alternative when the surgical wound is too large (which prevents primary closure). Good preoperative planning associated with good surgical techniques and adequate postoperative management are essential for the success of the technique under these conditions

Effects of Heated Tumescence Solution in Bitches after Unilateral Mastectomy

Background: Mammary tumors, for which mastectomy is the main treatment, are the most common neoplasms in bitches. Mastectomy is painful and, in order to reduce the pain stimulus in the transoperative period, tumescent local anesthesia is associated with general inhalation anesthesia. However, despite the numerous benefits of tumescence, intraoperative hypothermia is the most common complication. In Medicine, especially in plastic and dermatological surgery, it is common to use a heated tumescence solution to prevent intraoperative hypothermia; however, in Veterinary medicine, no previous study has examined the advantages and disadvantages of using heated tumescence solution. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the transanesthetic cardiorespiratory effects of heated tumescence solution in bitches submitted to radical unilateral mastectomy.Materials, Methods &amp; Results: Eight animals were treated with 0.1% lidocaine solution, warmed to 37-42°C, using a Klein’s cannula for administration. Chlorpromazine (0.3 mg/kg) and meperidine (3 mg/kg) were used as pre-anesthetic medication intramuscularly, and induction was performed with intravenous propofol and maintenance with isoflurane. The data collection times were as follows: 15 min after starting isoflurane administration (M1), 5 min after tumescence (M2), after beginning of surgical incision (M3), during breast pullout (M4), after clamping of the superficial caudal epigastric vein, and artery (M5), after the beginning of the approximation of the subcutaneous tissue (M6), after the beginning of the intradermal suture (M7), and at the end of the surgical procedure (Mfinal). The heart (HR) and respiratory (ƒ) rates, mean arterial pressure (MAP), end-tidal CO2 concentration (EtCO2), expired isoflurane concentration (EtISO), and rectal temperature (RT) were measured. The HR, ƒ, and EtCO2levels did not differ statistically. The mean EtISO presented in M2 (1.16 ± 0.41) was significantly lower than that in M3 (1.39 ± 0.40) and M4 (1.49 ± 0.49).Discussion: In the HR analysis, it was found that during all evaluation moments, the means remained within the reference range for the species. Moreover, the values during the breast pullout (M4) did not exceed 20% of those presented minutes before the beginning of the surgery (M2), which was indicative of analgesic rescue, suggesting that the animals did not experience pain. Hypoventilation resulted in an increase in EtCO2 values. Thus, it can be said that in this study, there was no respiratory depression during the transoperative period, as the values of the variables ƒ and EtCO2 were within the reference for the species. With regard to the EtISO variable, there was no reduction in the MAC of isoflurane with the use of heated tumescence solution, as reported by some authors (EtISO 0.8%). However, the EtISO values presented here are close to those found in the literature during breast pullout (EtISO between 1.3% and 1.52%), with the use of refrigerated tumescence solution. In addition, the values shown in M4 are within the equivalent of 1 MAC (1.41%) of isoflurane, proving that heated tumescent local anesthesia is a safe technique and an excellent adjunct to inhalation anesthesia, as it provides intraoperative analgesia. Therefore, heated tumescence solution is safe and an excellent adjuvant in general inhalational anesthesia for radical unilateral mastectomy as it did not increase inhaled anesthetic consumption during surgery.Keywords: tumescent local anesthesia, lidocaine, dogs, inhalation anesthesia, mammary tumors

Postoperative Analgesia Time in Dogs Submitted to Mastectomy and Anesthetized with Tumescent Solutions of Lidocaine or Ropivacaine

Background: Mastectomy, a procedure with high pain stimulation, is the treatment of choice for bitches with breast cancer. Tumescent anaesthesia is widely used for transoperative and postoperative analgesia in bitches submitted to mastectomy, because facilitates tissue divulsion, also contributing significantly for the rapid recovery of patients. Although, there is no consensus as to which local anesthetic to use and at what concentration it should be used. Herein was investigated which local anesthetics, lidocaine or ropivacaine, when used in tumescent solutions, could provide a more lasting analgesic effect in the postoperative period in bitches submitted to radical unilateral mastectomy.Materials, Methods & Results: Sixteen bitches were sedated with chlorpromazine (0.3 mg/kg) and meperidine (3 mg/kg) followed by anesthesia with propofol and isofluorane. Then, bitches were randomly assigned to two groups (n= 8 each): LG group, infused with 15 mL/kg of tumescence solution containing 0.1% lidocaine; and RG group, infused with 15 mL/kg of tumescence solution with 0.1% ropivacaine. The study was conducted in a double-blind fashion. Control group did not include, because the patients would be submitted to severe or unbearable pain, according to the short-form of the Glasgow pain Scale (CMPS-SF). The heart (HR) and respiratory (ƒ) rates, and systolic blood pressure (SBP) were measured in the pre-operative period and immediately after extubation (Mextub) and at 0.5 h, 1 h, 2 h, 4 h, 8 h, and 12 h after the extubation. Analgesic efficacy was assessed using the CMPS-SF and von Frey filaments. Both groups showed higher means for HR at 0.5 h (167 ± 7 in LG; 170 ± 7 in RG) than at 4 h (117 ± 7 in LG; 120 ± 7 in RG). CMPS-SF revealed higher medians (P= 0.038) at the Mextub and 12 h time points for the LG [5 (3-6) and 1 (0-2)] than for the RG [5 (2-5) and 0 (0-1)].Discussion: Pain was excluded as a possible explanation for the difference presented for HR in both groups because, moderate pain is considered when more than two cardiorespiratory parameters show an increase of at least 20% in relation to baseline values, which did not occur in this study. Indeed, most animals were walking at 0.5 h after extubation and, in many cases, this occurred before the collection of data for the postoperative period. This may have influenced the results since exercise releases catecholamines and increases HR. Moreover at 4 h after extubation, most animals were asleep. As metabolism decreases during sleep, expected that HR would also decrease and that was indeed the case. Regarding CMPS-SF, the way the patients walks was the item that most contributed to the high score found for the Mextub time point because it's impossible to be performed seconds after extubation. As the reluctance to move occurred only immediately after extubation, the values obtained at the Mextub time point are more likely to be due to an anesthetic residual effect and not to the pain stimulus itself. When the groups were compared, the median values obtained at the LG were greater than RG at the Mextub and 12 h postoperative time points.  There was no need for analgesic rescue differing from those in literature that reported the need for analgesic rescue in 50% of the animals. Those study established a CMPS-SF score of 3.3 as indicative for analgesic rescue whereas our research established a score of 7. Tumescence solutions with lidocaine or ropivacaine provide equivalent postoperative analgesia for at least 12 h

Comparative evaluation of three laparoscopic cholecystectomy techniques in rabbit’s model

ABSTRACT Purpose: The aim of this randomized study was to compare the complications and perioperative outcome of three different techniques of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). Changes in the liver function test after LC techniques were investigated. Also, we compared the degree of postoperative adhesions and histopathological changes of the liver bed. Methods: Thirty rabbits were divided into three groups: group A) Fundus-first technique by Hook dissecting instrument and Roeder Slipknot applied for cystic duct (CD) ligation; group B) conventional technique by Maryland dissecting forceps and electrothermal bipolar vessel sealing (EBVS) for CD seal; group C) conventional technique by EBVS for gallbladder (GB) dissection and CD seal. Results: Group A presented a longer GB dissection time than groups B and C. GB perforation and bleeding from tissues adjacent to GB were similar among tested groups. Gamma-glutamyl transferase and alkaline phosphatase levels increased (p ≤ 0.05) on day 3 postoperatively in group A. By the 15th postoperative day, the enzymes returned to the preoperative values. Transient elevation of hepatic transaminases occurred after LC in all groups. Group A had a higher adherence score than groups B and C and was associated with the least predictable technique. Conclusions: LC can be performed using different techniques, although the use of EBVS is highly recommended

Evaluation of a quality improvement intervention to reduce anastomotic leak following right colectomy (EAGLE): pragmatic, batched stepped-wedge, cluster-randomized trial in 64 countries

Background Anastomotic leak affects 8 per cent of patients after right colectomy with a 10-fold increased risk of postoperative death. The EAGLE study aimed to develop and test whether an international, standardized quality improvement intervention could reduce anastomotic leaks. Methods The internationally intended protocol, iteratively co-developed by a multistage Delphi process, comprised an online educational module introducing risk stratification, an intraoperative checklist, and harmonized surgical techniques. Clusters (hospital teams) were randomized to one of three arms with varied sequences of intervention/data collection by a derived stepped-wedge batch design (at least 18 hospital teams per batch). Patients were blinded to the study allocation. Low- and middle-income country enrolment was encouraged. The primary outcome (assessed by intention to treat) was anastomotic leak rate, and subgroup analyses by module completion (at least 80 per cent of surgeons, high engagement; less than 50 per cent, low engagement) were preplanned. Results A total 355 hospital teams registered, with 332 from 64 countries (39.2 per cent low and middle income) included in the final analysis. The online modules were completed by half of the surgeons (2143 of 4411). The primary analysis included 3039 of the 3268 patients recruited (206 patients had no anastomosis and 23 were lost to follow-up), with anastomotic leaks arising before and after the intervention in 10.1 and 9.6 per cent respectively (adjusted OR 0.87, 95 per cent c.i. 0.59 to 1.30; P = 0.498). The proportion of surgeons completing the educational modules was an influence: the leak rate decreased from 12.2 per cent (61 of 500) before intervention to 5.1 per cent (24 of 473) after intervention in high-engagement centres (adjusted OR 0.36, 0.20 to 0.64; P &lt; 0.001), but this was not observed in low-engagement hospitals (8.3 per cent (59 of 714) and 13.8 per cent (61 of 443) respectively; adjusted OR 2.09, 1.31 to 3.31). Conclusion Completion of globally available digital training by engaged teams can alter anastomotic leak rates. Registration number: NCT04270721 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov)

Global variation in postoperative mortality and complications after cancer surgery: a multicentre, prospective cohort study in 82 countries

© 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licenseBackground: 80% of individuals with cancer will require a surgical procedure, yet little comparative data exist on early outcomes in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared postoperative outcomes in breast, colorectal, and gastric cancer surgery in hospitals worldwide, focusing on the effect of disease stage and complications on postoperative mortality. Methods: This was a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of consecutive adult patients undergoing surgery for primary breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer requiring a skin incision done under general or neuraxial anaesthesia. The primary outcome was death or major complication within 30 days of surgery. Multilevel logistic regression determined relationships within three-level nested models of patients within hospitals and countries. Hospital-level infrastructure effects were explored with three-way mediation analyses. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03471494. Findings: Between April 1, 2018, and Jan 31, 2019, we enrolled 15 958 patients from 428 hospitals in 82 countries (high income 9106 patients, 31 countries; upper-middle income 2721 patients, 23 countries; or lower-middle income 4131 patients, 28 countries). Patients in LMICs presented with more advanced disease compared with patients in high-income countries. 30-day mortality was higher for gastric cancer in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (adjusted odds ratio 3·72, 95% CI 1·70–8·16) and for colorectal cancer in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (4·59, 2·39–8·80) and upper-middle-income countries (2·06, 1·11–3·83). No difference in 30-day mortality was seen in breast cancer. The proportion of patients who died after a major complication was greatest in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (6·15, 3·26–11·59) and upper-middle-income countries (3·89, 2·08–7·29). Postoperative death after complications was partly explained by patient factors (60%) and partly by hospital or country (40%). The absence of consistently available postoperative care facilities was associated with seven to 10 more deaths per 100 major complications in LMICs. Cancer stage alone explained little of the early variation in mortality or postoperative complications. Interpretation: Higher levels of mortality after cancer surgery in LMICs was not fully explained by later presentation of disease. The capacity to rescue patients from surgical complications is a tangible opportunity for meaningful intervention. Early death after cancer surgery might be reduced by policies focusing on strengthening perioperative care systems to detect and intervene in common complications. Funding: National Institute for Health Research Global Health Research Unit

Effects of hospital facilities on patient outcomes after cancer surgery: an international, prospective, observational study

© 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 licenseBackground: Early death after cancer surgery is higher in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with in high-income countries, yet the impact of facility characteristics on early postoperative outcomes is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hospital infrastructure, resource availability, and processes on early outcomes after cancer surgery worldwide. Methods: A multimethods analysis was performed as part of the GlobalSurg 3 study—a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study of patients who had surgery for breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer. The primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and 30-day major complication rates. Potentially beneficial hospital facilities were identified by variable selection to select those associated with 30-day mortality. Adjusted outcomes were determined using generalised estimating equations to account for patient characteristics and country-income group, with population stratification by hospital. Findings: Between April 1, 2018, and April 23, 2019, facility-level data were collected for 9685 patients across 238 hospitals in 66 countries (91 hospitals in 20 high-income countries; 57 hospitals in 19 upper-middle-income countries; and 90 hospitals in 27 low-income to lower-middle-income countries). The availability of five hospital facilities was inversely associated with mortality: ultrasound, CT scanner, critical care unit, opioid analgesia, and oncologist. After adjustment for case-mix and country income group, hospitals with three or fewer of these facilities (62 hospitals, 1294 patients) had higher mortality compared with those with four or five (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3·85 [95% CI 2·58–5·75]; p<0·0001), with excess mortality predominantly explained by a limited capacity to rescue following the development of major complications (63·0% vs 82·7%; OR 0·35 [0·23–0·53]; p<0·0001). Across LMICs, improvements in hospital facilities would prevent one to three deaths for every 100 patients undergoing surgery for cancer. Interpretation: Hospitals with higher levels of infrastructure and resources have better outcomes after cancer surgery, independent of country income. Without urgent strengthening of hospital infrastructure and resources, the reductions in cancer-associated mortality associated with improved access will not be realised. Funding: National Institute for Health and Care Research