Influences of Age and Comorbidities on Indication for Partial Nephrectomy: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND: The influence of age and comorbidities during decision-making for patients with renal cell carcinoma remains controversial. OBJECTIVE: To comprehensively review the available evidence regarding the impacts of age and comorbidities on the decision to perform partial nephrectomy (PN). EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: A systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA and registered with PROSPERO (CRD42022344759). Only randomized control trials, prospective cohort studies, registry-based studies, or single/multi-institutional retrospective cohort studies comparing PN to other therapeutic options for cT1N0M0 renal masses were considered. The primary outcome was to assess differences in patients' baseline characteristics between different treatments in order to investigate how those aspects have influenced clinical decision-making. Finally, perioperative outcomes were compared across the different options. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Overall, patients who underwent PN were 3 to 11 years younger than those who underwent other treatments. Baseline renal function was slightly better in patients who underwent PN than in those who underwent radical nephrectomy (RN), active surveillance (AS), or tumor ablation. Patients undergoing PN had an average pre-treatment eGFR 4 to 6 points (mL/min/1.73 m2) higher than patients undergoing RN or tumor ablation. Likewise, the proportion of baseline chronic kidney disease (CKD) before treatment was higher in patients undergoing other treatments, with a rate of CKD between 6% and 56% higher compared with that for PN. A slightly higher proportion of baseline diabetes mellitus (DM) and cardiovascular comorbidities (CVD) were found in patients who underwent PN than in those who underwent RN (20% vs. 21% for DM and 37% vs. 41% for CVD). On average, patients who underwent AS and tumor ablation had more comorbidities, in terms of Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), DM, and CVD (50% vs. 38% for CCI ≥2; 25% vs. 20% for DM; and 43% vs. 37% for CVD). In terms of Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification, no major differences were found between PN and other treatments, but a trend emerged whereby more fit patients underwent PN compared with RN (16% of ECOG >1 for PN vs. 18% for RN and 15% of ASA grade ≥3 for PN vs. 26% for RN). Again, tumor ablation was preferred for less fit patients (31% of ASA grade ≥3). No study included in our systematic review reported the baseline frailty status of patients treated for cT1 renal masses. The rates of perioperative complications and length of hospital stay (LOS) were similar between different techniques. CONCLUSIONS: Patients who underwent PN tended to be younger and fitter than those who underwent other available treatments for cT1 renal masses. Since this technique aims at reducing renal function impairment after surgery, a greater effort should be made to optimize patient selection to include more comorbid patients for whom PN might be useful

Discrimination, Reliability, Sensitivity, and Specificity of Robotic Surgical Proficiency Assessment With Global Evaluative Assessment of Robotic Skills and Binary Scoring Metrics: Results From a Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective: To compare binary metrics and Global Evaluative Assessment of Robotic Skills (GEARS) evaluations of training outcome assessments for reliability, sensitivity, and specificity. Background: GEARS–Likert-scale skills assessment are a widely accepted tool for robotic surgical training outcome evaluations. Proficiency-based progression (PBP) training is another methodology but uses binary performance metrics for evaluations. Methods: In a prospective, randomized, and blinded study, we compared conventional with PBP training for a robotic suturing, knot-tying anastomosis task. Thirty-six surgical residents from 16 Belgium residency programs were randomized. In the skills laboratory, the PBP group trained until they demonstrated a quantitatively defined proficiency benchmark. The conventional group were yoked to the same training time but without the proficiency requirement. The final trial was video recorded and assessed with binary metrics and GEARS by robotic surgeons blinded to individual, group, and residency program. Sensitivity and specificity of the two assessment methods were evaluated with area under the curve (AUC) and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves. Results: The PBP group made 42% fewer objectively assessed performance errors than the conventional group (P &lt; 0.001) and scored 15% better on the GEARS assessment (P = 0.033). The mean interrater reliability for binary metrics and GEARS was 0.87 and 0.38, respectively. Binary total error metrics AUC was 97% and for GEARS 85%. With a sensitivity threshold of 0.8, false positives rates were 3% and 25% for, respectively, the binary and GEARS assessments. Conclusions: Binary metrics for scoring a robotic VUA task demonstrated better psychometric properties than the GEARS assessment. </jats:sec

How future surgery will benefit from SARS-COV-2-related measures: a SPIGC survey conveying the perspective of Italian surgeons

COVID-19 negatively affected surgical activity, but the potential benefits resulting from adopted measures remain unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the change in surgical activity and potential benefit from COVID-19 measures in perspective of Italian surgeons on behalf of SPIGC. A nationwide online survey on surgical practice before, during, and after COVID-19 pandemic was conducted in March-April 2022 (NCT:05323851). Effects of COVID-19 hospital-related measures on surgical patients' management and personal professional development across surgical specialties were explored. Data on demographics, pre-operative/peri-operative/post-operative management, and professional development were collected. Outcomes were matched with the corresponding volume. Four hundred and seventy-three respondents were included in final analysis across 14 surgical specialties. Since SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, application of telematic consultations (4.1% vs. 21.6%; p &lt; 0.0001) and diagnostic evaluations (16.4% vs. 42.2%; p &lt; 0.0001) increased. Elective surgical activities significantly reduced and surgeons opted more frequently for conservative management with a possible indication for elective (26.3% vs. 35.7%; p &lt; 0.0001) or urgent (20.4% vs. 38.5%; p &lt; 0.0001) surgery. All new COVID-related measures are perceived to be maintained in the future. Surgeons' personal education online increased from 12.6% (pre-COVID) to 86.6% (post-COVID; p &lt; 0.0001). Online educational activities are considered a beneficial effect from COVID pandemic (56.4%). COVID-19 had a great impact on surgical specialties, with significant reduction of operation volume. However, some forced changes turned out to be benefits. Isolation measures pushed the use of telemedicine and telemetric devices for outpatient practice and favored communication for educational purposes and surgeon-patient/family communication. From the Italian surgeons' perspective, COVID-related measures will continue to influence future surgical clinical practice

The Sustainable Material Culture (SMC): A Review

Abstract: We confidently approach current issues in Green Finance (GF) from the perspective of an international organization, where the first author has previous experience as a support assistant. In fact, the economy of the EU (European Union) is deeply involved in the changing needs related to the dramatic consequences of climate change and environmental degradation, which has placed the needs of a more sustainable economy at the top of the international agenda. The environmental, social and governance (ESG) aspects are marginally addressed to arouse a major interest in questions raised by green financial products which require long-term profit expectations, and which above all contain a margin of risk that is difficult to calculate in the landscape of traditional financial instruments. Through a careful approach akin to artificial intelligence research methods, we attempt to “materialize” at least the most visible clues of this fashionable economic shift through what we call SMC (sustainable material culture) objects. The presented SMC objects serve as tangible representations of sustainable practices and can promote awareness and action incorporating into everyday life and business practices a powerful reminder and catalyst for a shift towards more sustainable investment and consumption patterns

Beta blockers and left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertension.

It is now generally accepted that hypertension-induced left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) represents a phenomenon of multifactorial origin. Antihypertensive therapy with beta-blocking drugs influences most of the factors involved in the control of left ventricular mass. Therefore, although initial animal experiments yielded conflicting results, it is not surprising that a great deal of evidence has been accumulated in clinical studies showing that successful long-term antihypertensive treatment with beta blockers induces regression of LVH in hypertensive subjects. Differences in molecular structure among various beta-blocking agents do not seem to influence this property. On the contrary, the question of whether reversal of LVH represents a beneficial or harmful byproduct of antihypertensive treatment with beta blockers is still unanswered. Animal and clinical studies suggest that left ventricular systolic function is unchanged or even improved after regression of LVH, whereas the ability of the heart to withstand recurrence of hypertension is slightly reduced. Furthermore, development of LVH in hypertensive subjects is associated with abnormalities in diastolic function which are not reduced by reversal of LVH induced by antihypertensive treatment with beta blockers

Influence of atrial natriuretic factor on forearm reflex vasoconstriction induced by cardiopulmonary or arterial receptor unloading.

We studied the influence of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) infusion on the reflex increase in forearm vascular resistance in normotensive subjects. Reflex vasoconstriction was induced by cardiopulmonary receptor unloading [lower body negative pressure (LBNP), -20 mmHg for 15 min] or by carotid baroreceptor deactivation (+60 mmHg increase in external neck pressure by a pneumatic neck-chamber). Atrial natriuretic factor induced a significant increase in the reflex forearm vasoconstriction to LBNP, but did not modify systemic and regional reflex haemodynamic responses to carotid baroreceptor deactivation. These results suggest that ANF has important interactions with the neural control of peripheral circulation. In addition, the study shows that the peptide causes a selective potentiation of the reflex vasoconstrictor response evoked by cardiopulmonary receptor unloading