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H Kehlet

Publications and source records attributed to H Kehlet.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2007

A protocol is not enough to implement an enhanced recovery programme for colorectal resection.

BACKGROUND: Single-centre studies have suggested that enhanced recovery can be achieved with multimodal perioperative care protocols. This international observational study evaluated the implementation of an enhanced recovery programme in five European centres and examined the determinants affecting recovery and length of hospital stay. METHODS: Four hundred and twenty-five consecutive patients undergoing elective open colorectal resection above the peritoneal reflection between January 2001 and January 2004 were enrolled in a protocol that defined multiple perioperative care elements. One centre had been developing multimodal perioperative care for 10 years, whereas the other four had previously undertaken traditional care. RESULTS: The case mix was similar between centres. Protocol compliance before and during the surgical procedure was high, but it was low in the immediate postoperative phase. Patients fulfilled predetermined recovery criteria a median of 3 days after operation but were actually discharged a median of 5 days after surgery. Delay in discharge and the development of major complications prolonged length of stay. Previous experience with fast-track surgery was associated with a shorter hospital stay. CONCLUSION: Functional recovery in 3 days after colorectal resection could be achieved in daily practice. A protocol is not enough to enable discharge of patients on the day of functional recovery; more experience and better organization of care may be required.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Flow-related techniques for preoperative goal-directed fluid optimization.

BACKGROUND: Improved postoperative outcome has been demonstrated by perioperative maximization of cardiac stroke volume (SV) with fluid challenges, so-called goal-directed therapy. Oesophageal Doppler (OD) has been the most common technique for goal-directed therapy, but other flow-related techniques and parameters are available and they are potentially easier to apply in clinical practice. The objective of this investigation was therefore to use OD for preoperative SV maximization and compare the findings with a Modelflow determined SV, with an OD estimated corrected flow time (FTc), with central venous oxygenation ( Svo2 ) and with muscle and brain oxygenation assessed with near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). METHODS: Twelve patients scheduled for radical prostatectomy were anaesthetized before optimization of SV estimated by OD. A fluid challenge of 200 ml colloid was provided and repeated if at least a 10% increment in OD SV was obtained. Values were compared with simultaneously measured values of Modelflow SV, FTc, Svo2 and muscle and cerebral oxygenation estimated by NIRS. RESULTS: Based upon OD assessment, optimization of SV was achieved after the administration of 400-800 ml (mean 483 ml) of colloid. The hypothetical volumes administered for optimization based upon Modelflow and Svo2 differed from OD in 10 and 11 patients, respectively. Changes in FTc and NIRS were inconsistent with OD guided optimization. CONCLUSION: Preoperative SV optimization guided by OD for goal-directed therapy is preferable compared with Modelflow SV, FTc, NIRS and Svo2 until outcome studies for the latter are available.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Pain and functional impairment 6 years after inguinal herniorrhaphy.

Pain impairing daily activities following inguinal herniorrhaphy is reported by about 10% of patients, when asked 1-2 years postoperatively. However, the time course and consequences of postherniorrhaphy pain is not known in detail. A nationwide follow-up questionnaire study was undertaken 6.5 years postoperatively in 335 well-described patients reporting pain 1 year after inguinal herniorrhaphy in a previous questionnaire study. Three hundred and three patients, who were alive and could be contacted, received a questionnaire 6.5 years after the herniorrhaphy. Response rate was 88%. Of 267 patients responding, 57 were analyzed separately due to subsequent inguinal herniorrhaphy or other major surgery in the observation period, leaving 210 patients (69.3%) for primary analysis. Pain from the previous hernia site was reported by 72 patients (34.3%), and 52 patients (24.8%) reported that pain affected daily activities. Less pain, compared to the 1-year follow-up, was reported by 75.8%, while 16.7% had the same intensity level and 7.5% reported increased pain severity. In the subgroup of patients operated for a recurrence during the observation period and not included in primary analysis, 22 of 44 (50%) still experienced pain at 6.5 years, and 17 (38.6%) reported that pain affected daily activities (mean observation period 4.5 years). Pain after inguinal herniorrhaphy decreased from about 11% 1 year after surgery, but still affects daily activities in about 6% after 6.5 years. Patients operated for a recurrence are at higher risk for persistent pain.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2006

Short-term mortality in hip fracture patients admitted during weekends and holidays.

BACKGROUND: Acute surgical admission during weekends, with reduced staffing levels, has been associated with increased risk of mortality, but the effect of longer vacation/holiday periods has not been studied. We therefore examined early postoperative mortality in hip fracture patients admitted during weekends and holiday periods, compared with normal weekdays. METHODS: Prospective, descriptive study in 600 consecutive hip fracture patients treated with a well-defined multimodal care plan, in a specialized hip fracture unit between September 2002 and July 2004. Patients were stratified according to admission on a weekday or during weekends/holiday periods. RESULTS: were analysed with univariate and multivariate analyses. Results. Three hundred and thirty-two patients were admitted during weekdays, 118 during weekends and 150 during holiday periods. Both 5- and 30-day postoperative mortality were significantly higher in patients admitted during holiday periods than during weekends and weekdays, 8.0% vs 2.5% and 1.8%, respectively (P=0.01) and 19.3% vs 12.7% and 11.1%, respectively (P=0.05). In a multivariate analysis, admission during holiday periods was still a significant independent risk factor for both 5-day (4.34, 95% CI 1.74-10.8) and 30-day mortality (1.84, 95% CI 1.08-3.12). CONCLUSION: Staff reduction during holiday periods in units that care for acute surgical patients may adversely influence postoperative outcome. This may have important consequences both for outcome analysis of interventions and the planning of resource management in surgical units.

After-Hours Care↗
PubMed2006

Acute cognitive dysfunction after hip fracture: frequency and risk factors in an optimized, multimodal, rehabilitation program.

BACKGROUND: Patients undergoing hip fracture surgery often experience acute post-operative cognitive dysfunction (APOCD). The pathogenesis of APOCD is probably multifactorial, and no single intervention has been successful in its prevention. No studies have investigated the incidence of APOCD after hip fracture surgery in an optimized, multimodal, peri-operative rehabilitation regimen. METHODS: One hundred unselected hip fracture patients treated in a well-defined, optimized, multimodal, peri-operative rehabilitation regimen were included. Patients were tested upon admission and on the second, fourth and seventh post-operative days with the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) score. RESULTS: Thirty-two per cent of patients developed a significant post-operative cognitive decline, which was associated with several pre-fracture patient characteristics, including age and cognitive function, but also the number of peri-operative transfusions. The development of APOCD was also associated with impaired post-operative rehabilitation and an increased length of stay. APOCD was associated with the development of a major medical complication in 35% of all patients. In 65% of patients developing APOCD without a concomitant medical complication, the only risk factors were cognitive level and regular anti-psychotic treatment. CONCLUSION: On the basis of current evidence, APOCD is prevalent amongst hip fracture patients despite multimodal intervention; future research should therefore focus on defining subgroups of hip fracture patients amenable to specific prophylactic or interventional measures against APOCD.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2006

Post-operative rounds by anaesthesiologists after hip fracture surgery: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Efforts to optimize the peri-operative care of hip fracture patients through multidisciplinary intervention have focused on orthopaedic-geriatric liaisons, which have not resulted in significant outcome changes. The early phase of rehabilitation could potentially be optimized through a multidisciplinary effort between anaesthesiologists and orthopaedic surgeons. METHODS: During the first 25 weeks of 2004, 98 consecutive community-residing patients admitted to a hip fracture unit received daily rounds by anaesthesiologists during the first four post-operative days, on weekdays only, focusing on all facets of peri-operative care. Two hours were allotted to rounds in the 14-bed unit. One hundred and twenty-six consecutive patients admitted to the unit in 2003, receiving the same well-defined care programme, were chosen as a control group. Outcome measures were morbidity and the need for visits by external specialists. RESULTS: The intervention group received 291 rounds by anaesthesiologists. Active therapeutic interventions were prescribed in 76% of all patient confrontations. The control group received 128 requested visits from internal medicine specialists, which was reduced to 50 in the intervention group (P = 0.02). There was no significant difference between post-operative morbidity and hospital stay in the control and intervention groups; in-hospital mortality was 12% in the control group and 7% in the intervention group (P = 0.24). The rounds by anaesthesiologists improved nursing care conditions. CONCLUSION: This pilot study, with insufficient power to show significant differences in outcome, supports further evaluation of the concept of intensified orthopaedic-anaesthesiological co-operation after hip fracture surgery. Such a randomized trial should evaluate economic and clinical outcome aspects, providing anaesthesiological rounds 7 days per week.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Chronic pain following total hip arthroplasty: a nationwide questionnaire study.

BACKGROUND: Chronic post-operative pain is a well-recognized problem after various types of surgery, but little is known about chronic pain after orthopedic surgery. Severe pre-operative pain is the primary indication for total hip arthroplasty (THA). Therefore, we examined the prevalence of chronic pain after THA in relation to pre-operative pain and early post-operative pain. METHODS: A questionnaire was sent to 1231 consecutive patients who had undergone THA 12-18 months previously, and whose operations had been reported to the Danish Hip Arthroplasty Registry. RESULTS: The response rate was 93.6%. Two hundred and ninety-four patients (28.1%) had chronic ipsilateral hip pain at the time of completion of the questionnaire, and pain limited daily activities to a moderate, severe or very severe degree in 12.1%. The chronic pain state was related to the recalled intensity of early post-operative pain [95% confidence interval (CI), 20.4-33.4%] and pain complaints from other sites of the body (95% CI, 20.7-32.1%), but not to the pre-operative intensity of pain. CONCLUSION: Chronic pain after THA seems to be a significant problem in at least 12.1% of patients. Our results suggest that genetic and psychosocial factors are important for the development of chronic post-THA pain.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Laparoscopic colonic surgery--mission accomplished or work in progress?

Laparoscopic colonic resection may facilitate early postoperative recovery due to reduced surgical stress, pain and ileus. However, large randomised studies have only shown marginal improvements in outcome compared with open surgery, reporting a median hospital stay of about 5-7 days. Concomitant with these developments multimodal rehabilitation, which involves a revision of general postoperative care principles, improved pain relief with epidural analgesia and early oral nutrition and mobilization, has demonstrated greater improvements in recovery after open surgery, resulting in a median hospital stay of about 2-4 days. Recent single centre, randomised studies where laparoscopic and open colonic resection are combined with multimodal rehabilitation have not resolved the debate regarding which is the optimal operative technique. Therefore, new strategies are required to integrate laparoscopy with multimodal rehabilitation in order to establish its advantages, cost effectiveness and indications in specific groups of patients or colorectal procedures, thus justifying widespread application of the laparoscopic technique.

Colectomy↗
PubMed2006

Convalescence after colonic surgery with fast-track vs conventional care.

OBJECTIVE: To compare convalescence after colonic surgery with a fast-track rehabilitation programme vs conventional care. BACKGROUND: Introduction of a multimodal rehabilitation programme (fast-track) with focus on epidural anaesthesia, minimal invasive surgical techniques, optimal pain control, and early nutrition and mobilization together with detailed patient information have led to a shorter hospital stay after colonic surgery. There are not much data on convalescence after discharge. METHODS: A prospective, controlled, non-randomized interview-based assessment in 160 patients undergoing an elective, uncomplicated, open colonic resection or the Hartmann reversal procedure with a fast-track or a conventional care programme in two university hospitals. A structured interview-based assessment was performed preoperatively, and day 14 and 30 postoperatively. RESULTS: Patients undergoing colonic surgery with a fast-track programme regained functional capabilities earlier with less fatigue and need for sleep compared with patients having conventional care. Despite early discharge of the fast-track patients (mean 3.4 days vs 7.5 days), no differences were found according to the need for home care, social care and visit to general practitioners, although the fast-track group had an increased number of visits at the outpatient clinic for wound care. More patients in the fast-track group were re-admitted, but the overall mean total hospital stay was 4.2 days vs 8.3 days in the conventional group. CONCLUSION: A fast-track rehabillitation programme led to a shorter hospital stay, less fatigue and earlier resumption of normal activities, without the increased need for support after discharge compared with conventionally treated patients after uncomplicated colonic resection.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Hidden blood loss after surgery for hip fracture.

Our aim was to determine the total blood loss associated with surgery for fracture of the hip and to identify risk factors for increased blood loss. We prospectively studied 546 patients with hip fracture. The total blood loss was calculated on the basis of the haemoglobin difference, the number of transfusions and the estimated blood volume. The hidden blood loss, in excess of that observed during surgery, varied from 547 ml (screws/ pins) to 1473 ml (intramedullary hip nail and screw) and was significantly associated with medical complications and increased hospital stay. The type of surgery, treatment with aspirin, intra-operative hypotension and gastro-intestinal bleeding or ulceration were all independent predictors of blood loss. We conclude that total blood loss after surgery for hip fracture is much greater than that observed intra-operatively. Frequent post-operative measurements of haemoglobin are necessary to avoid anaemia.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

A procedure-specific systematic review and consensus recommendations for postoperative analgesia following laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy has advantages over the open procedure for postoperative pain. However, a systematic review of postoperative pain management in this procedure has not been conducted. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted according to the guidelines of the Cochrane Collaboration. Randomized studies examining the effect of medical or surgical interventions on linear pain scores in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy were included. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed. Recommendations for patient care were derived from review of these data, evidence from other relevant procedures, and clinical practice observations collated by the Delphi method among the authors. RESULTS: Sixty-nine randomized trials were included and 77 reports were excluded. Recommendations are provided for preoperative analgesia, anesthetic and operative techniques, and intraoperative and postoperative analgesia. CONCLUSIONS: A step-up approach to the management of postoperative pain following laparoscopic cholecystectomy is recommended. This approach has been designed to provide adequate analgesia while minimizing exposure to adverse events.

Analgesia↗
PubMed2005

Enhanced recovery after surgery: a consensus review of clinical care for patients undergoing colonic resection.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Clinical care of patients undergoing colonic surgery differs between hospitals and countries. In addition, there is considerable variation in rates of recovery and length of hospital stay following major abdominal surgery. There is a need to develop a consensus on key elements of perioperative care for inclusion in enhanced recovery programmes so that these can be widely adopted and refined further in future clinical trials. METHODS: Medline database was searched for all clinical studies/trials relating to enhanced recovery after colorectal resection. Relevant papers from the reference lists of these articles and from the authors' personal collections were also reviewed. A combination of evidence-based and consensus methodology was used to develop the resulting enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) clinical care protocol. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Within traditional perioperative practice there is considerable evidence supporting a range of manoeuvres which, in isolation, may improve individual aspects of recovery after colonic surgery. The present manuscript reviews these issues in detail. There is also growing evidence that an integrated multimodal approach to perioperative care can result in an overall enhancement of recovery. However, effects on major morbidity and mortality remain to be determined. A protocol is presented which is in current use by the ERAS Group and may provide a standard of care against which either current or future novel elements of an enhanced recovery approach can be tested for their effect on outcome.

Colon↗
PubMed2005

Predicting postoperative analgesia outcomes: NNT league tables or procedure-specific evidence?

Number needed to treat (NNT) values have been recommended and used to assess efficacy of analgesics for acute pain management. However, the data analysed come from a variety of procedures, which may potentially hinder the interpretation of the NNT value for specific procedures. We reanalysed available NNT data with acetaminophen in relation to the magnitude of surgical injury. Acetaminophen was less effective for pain relief after orthopaedic procedures than after dental procedures. The relative risk ratio for more than 50% pain relief, compared with placebo, was only 1.87 compared with 3.77 (P<0.05). Although NNT can give a valuable overview of efficacy, this concept is not necessarily applicable to all types of surgery. We suggest that estimates of NNT should be related to specific surgical procedures.

Acetaminophen↗
PubMed2005

Combined ilioinguinal blockade and local infiltration anaesthesia for groin hernia repair--a double-blind randomized study.

BACKGROUND: Local infiltration anaesthesia for inguinal hernia repair is cost-effective, but fear of intra-operative pain may hinder its widespread use. It is unknown whether a combined ilioinguinal blockade and local infiltration anaesthesia improves intra-operative analgesia. METHODS: We performed a double-blind randomized study in 160 patients undergoing inguinal hernia mesh repair under local infiltration anaesthesia with or without additional ilioinguinal blockade. Intra-operative pain and pain at 24 and 48 h postoperatively and analgesic requirements (acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and tramadol) were assessed. RESULTS: Median intra-operative pain scores were reduced (P=0.02) from 13 to 9 with additional ilioinguinal blockade, with no differences in requirement for sedation. There were significantly (P<0.05) more patients with intra-operative visual analogue pain scale >/=30 in the placebo group vs the ilioinguinal blockade group. Postoperative pain scores and analgesic requirements were similar. CONCLUSION: Combined ilioinguinal blockade and local infiltration anaesthesia is recommended for groin hernia repair to reduce intra-operative pain.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Prospective nationwide analysis of laparoscopic versus Lichtenstein repair of inguinal hernia.

BACKGROUND: According to a Cochrane review, laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair compares favourably with open mesh repair, but few data exist from surgical practice outside departments with a special interest in hernia surgery. This study compared nationwide reoperation rates after laparoscopic and Lichtenstein repair, adjusting for factors predisposing to recurrence. METHODS: Some 3606 consecutive laparoscopic repairs were compared with 39 537 Lichtenstein repairs that were prospectively recorded in a nationwide registry between 1998 and 2003. Patients were subgrouped according to type of hernia: primary or recurrent and unilateral or bilateral. Overall reoperation rates and 95 per cent confidence intervals were calculated. Long-term reoperation rates were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: The overall reoperation rates after laparoscopic and Lichtenstein repair of unilateral primary indirect hernia (0 versus 1.0 per cent), primary direct hernia (1.1 versus 3.1 per cent), unilateral recurrent hernia (4.6 versus 4.8 per cent) and bilateral recurrent hernia (2.6 versus 7.6 per cent) did not differ. However, laparoscopic repair of a bilateral primary hernia was associated with a higher reoperation rate than Lichtenstein repair (4.8 versus 3.0 per cent) (P = 0.017). CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic repair compared favourably with Lichtenstein repair for primary indirect and direct hernias, and unilateral and bilateral recurrent hernias, but was inferior for primary bilateral hernias.

Adolescent↗