Extended Esophagectomy in Elderly Patients with Esophageal Cancer: Minor Effect of Age Alone in Determining the Postoperative Course and Survival

Elderly patients who undergo esophagectomy for cancer often have a high prevalence of coexisting diseases, which may adversely affect their postoperative course. We determined the relationship of advanced age (i.e., a parts per thousand yen70 years) with outcome and evaluated age as a selection criterion for surgery. Between January 1991 and January 2007, we performed a curative-intent extended transthoracic esophagectomy in 234 patients with cancer of the esophagus. Patients were divided into two age groups: <70 years (group I; 170 patients) and a parts per thousand yen70 years (group II; 64 patients). Both groups were comparable regarding comorbidity (American Society of Anesthesiologists classification), and tumor and surgical characteristics. The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 6.2% (group I, 5%, vs. group II, 11%, P = 0.09). Advanced age was not a prognostic factor for developing postoperative complications (odds ratio, 1.578; 95% confidence interval, 0.857-2.904; P = 0.143). The overall number of complications was equal with 58% in group I vs. 69% in group II (P = 0.142). Moreover, the occurrence of complications in elderly patients did not influence survival (P = 0.174). Recurrences developed more in patients <70 years (58% vs. 42%, P = 0.028). The overall 5-year survival was 35%, and, when included, postoperative mortality was 33% in both groups (P = 0.676).The presence of comorbidity was an independent prognostic factor for survival (P = 0.002). Advanced age (a parts per thousand yen70 years) has minor influence on postoperative course, recurrent disease, and survival in patients who underwent an extended esophagectomy. Age alone is not a prognostic indicator for survival. We propose that a radical resection should not be withheld in elderly patients with limited frailty and comorbidity

Efeito da continuidade da fisioterapia respiratória até a alta hospitalar na incidência de complicações pulmonares após esofagectomia por câncer

O presente estudo avaliou os efeitos na incidência de complicações pulmonares do cuidado contínuo de fisioterapia respiratória no pós-operatório de esofagectomia, até a alta hospitalar. Examinaram-se retrospectivamente 40 prontuários de pacientes de esofagectomia consecutivos (nenhuma exclusão), que foram divididos em dois grupos: um dos que receberam fisioterapia respiratória apenas na unidade de tratamento intensivo (gUTI, n=20) e outro dos que a receberam até a alta hospitalar (gALTA, n=20). Foram coletadas informações referentes ao pré, intra e pós-operatório. Os resultados mostram que gUTI e gALTA, respectivamente, apresentaram-se similares (média±dp) quanto a idade (55,5±9,9 e 57,1±10,8 anos), IMC (22,5±3,3 e 18±4 kg/m²), tempo de cirurgia (400±103,8 e 408,5±142 min), tempo de anestesia (498,3±107,3 e 516±148,9 min) e número de atendimentos de fisioterapia na UTI (9,6±14,9 e 8,3±7,6). Apesar de o gALTA apresentar história de tabagismo superior (35,7±17,6 vs 26,1±18,4 maços-ano, pThis study assessed the effects of chest physical therapy all through hospital stay until discharge onto the incidence of pulmonary complications in patients having undergone esophagectomy for cancer. Medical records of esophagectomy patients were examined and 40 subsequent ones selected (none excluded), and divided into two groups: one having received chest physiotherapy only in the intensive care unit (ICUg, n=20) and the other having received it during full hospital stay (DISg, n=20). Information concerning pre-, peri- and postoperative periods were drawn from patients' records. Results show that ICUg and DISg were similar (mean±sd) concerning age (55.5±9.9 vs 57.1±10.8 years old), BMI (22.5±3.3 vs 18±4 kg/m²), operating time (400±103.8 vs 408.5±142 min), anesthesia time (498.3±107.3 vs 516±148.9 min) and number of chest physical therapy sessions in the ICU (9.6±14.9 vs 8.3±7.6 sessions). Despite the fact that DISg patients had higher tobacco consumption than ICUg ones (35.7±17.6 vs 26.1±18.4 packs-year, p<0.05), there were 20% less pulmonary complications in this group when compared to the ICU group (10% vs 30%, p<0.05): lesser incidence (75%) of pleural effusion and 50% less of bronchopneumonia. DISg also had undergone a shorter time (less 4.5 days) with pleural drain on (p<0.05). These findings suggest chest physical therapy care all along hospital stay until discharge may reduce pulmonary complications after esophagectomy for cancer

Forced Expiratory Volume in One Second Predicts Length of Stay and In-Hospital Mortality in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Objective: An aging population and increasing use of percutaneous therapies have resulted in older patients with more co-morbidity being referred for cardiac surgery. Objective measurements of physiological reserve and severity of co-morbid disease are required to improve risk stratification. We hypothesised that FEV1 would predict mortality and length of stay following cardiac surgery. Methods: We assessed clinical outcomes in 2,241 consecutive patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting and/or valve surgery from 2001 to 2007 in a regional cardiac centre. Generalized linear models of the association between FEV1 and length of hospital stay and mortality were adjusted for age, sex, height, body mass index, socioeconomic status, smoking, cardiovascular risk factors, long-term use of bronchodilators or steroids for lung disease, and type and urgency of surgery. FEV1 was compared to an established risk prediction model, the EuroSCORE. Results: Spirometry was performed in 2,082 patients (93%) whose mean (SD) age was 67 (10) years. Median hospital stay was 3 days longer in patients in the lowest compared to the highest quintile for FEV1, 1.35-fold higher (95% CI 1.20–1.52; p&#60;0.001). The adjusted odds ratio for mortality was increased 2.11-fold (95% CI 1.45–3.08; p&#60;0.001) per standard deviation decrement in FEV1 (800 ml). FEV1 improved discrimination of the EuroSCORE for mortality. Similar associations were found after excluding people with known pulmonary disease and/or airflow limitation on spirometry. Conclusions: Reduced FEV1 strongly predicted increased length of stay and in-hospital mortality following cardiac surgery. FEV1 is a widely available measure of physiological health that may improve risk stratification of complex patients undergoing cardiac surgery and should be evaluated for inclusion in new prediction tools

White-Out from a Wii: Traumatic Haemothorax Sustained Playing Nintendo™ Wii

A case is reported of a patient who sustained a significant haemothorax while playing with a Nintendo™ Wii console