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Biomedical subjects

William R Burfeind

Publications and source records attributed to William R Burfeind.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

Improved survival with pulmonary metastasectomy: an analysis of 1720 patients with pulmonary metastatic melanoma.

OBJECTIVES: The outcomes of patients with metastatic melanoma are poor. Although prognostic models have been developed to predict the occurrence of pulmonary metastasis from cutaneous melanoma, few data exist to define the outcomes of these patients once metastasis has occurred. The objective of this study was to discriminate predictors of survival for patients with pulmonary metastatic melanoma. METHODS: We found 1720 patients with pulmonary metastasis listed in a prospective comprehensive cancer center database of 14,057 consecutive patients with melanoma (Jan 1, 1970-June 1, 2004). Demographic and histopathologic data, time and location of recurrences, number of pulmonary nodules, and subsequent therapies were collected. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were used to identify predictors of survival for patients with pulmonary metastatic melanoma. RESULTS: The median survival was 7.3 months after development of pulmonary metastasis. Significant predictors of survival from the multivariate model included nodular histologic type (P = .033), disease-free interval (P < .001), number of pulmonary metastases (P = .012), presence of extrathoracic metastasis (P < .001), and performance of pulmonary metastasectomy (P < .001). Interactions were identified between metastasectomy and disease-free interval and presence of extrathoracic metastasis. Surgery was associated with a survival advantage of 12 months for patients with a disease-free interval longer than 5 years (19 vs 7 months, P < .01) and of 10 months for patients without extrathoracic metastasis (18 vs 8 months, P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: When all other identified risk factors were controlled for mathematically, metastasectomy maintained a significant survival advantage for patients with pulmonary metastatic melanoma. These data support the role of surgery for a select subset of patients with pulmonary metastasis.

Disease-Free Survival↗

Thoracoscopic lobectomy: a safe and effective strategy for patients receiving induction therapy for non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Thoracoscopic lobectomy is an accepted oncologic approach for early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We conducted a retrospective study of patients who underwent lobectomy after induction therapy to determine the feasibility of thoracoscopic lobectomy compared with conventional thoracotomy lobectomy. METHODS: The outcomes of 97 consecutive patients with NSCLC who received induction therapy followed by lobectomy from 1996 to 2005 were reviewed. Outcome variables analyzed included complete resection, chest tube duration, length of hospitalization, 30-day mortality, hemorrhage, pneumonia, respiratory failure, and other major complications. The Student t test and chi2 or RxC contingency tables were used to compare continuous and categoric variables, respectively. RESULTS: Lobectomy was performed by thoracotomy in 85 patients and thoracoscopically in 12 patients (1 conversion), with complete resection in all patients. All patients received induction chemotherapy, and 74 (76%) received induction radiotherapy as well: 66 of 85 (78%) in the thoracotomy group and 8 of 12 (67%) in the thoracoscopy group. The overall median survival was 2.3 years, with no difference between the groups. Patients undergoing a thoracoscopic lobectomy had a shorter median hospital stay (3.5 vs 5 days, p = 0.0024) and chest tube duration (2 vs 4 days, p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in 30-day mortality, hemorrhage, pneumonia, or respiratory failure. CONCLUSIONS: Thoracoscopic lobectomy is a feasible approach for selected patients undergoing resection after induction therapy, and is associated with shorter hospital stay and chest tube duration. Long-term follow-up of survival will determine the role of thoracoscopic lobectomy in the management of patients after induction therapy.

Adult↗

Nine-year single center experience with cervical mediastinoscopy: complications and false negative rate.

BACKGROUND: Mediastinoscopy is a valuable tool for evaluating mediastinal pathology and is essential for establishing treatment strategies in most patients with lung cancer. We sought to determine the complication and false negative rate for mediastinoscopy in an institution that routinely performs this procedure. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of 2,145 consecutive mediastinoscopies at a single institution between April 1996 and April 2005. Demographics and complications were analyzed. In patients with lung cancer who underwent subsequent resection, the false negative rate was calculated. RESULTS: Mean patient age was 61 +/- 0.4 years, and 58% (n = 1,253) were male. Pathology included lung cancer (n = 1,459), metastatic disease (n = 78), lymphoma (n = 51), and other benign disease (n = 557). Twenty-three patients (1.07%) experienced complications including hemorrhage (n = 7, 0.33%), vocal cord dysfunction (n = 12, 0.55%), tracheal injury (n = 2, 0.09%), and pneumothorax (n = 2, 0.09%). There was 1 death (0.05%) after pulmonary artery injury. Five of the 7 vascular injuries occurred during biopsy of level 4R. Three hundred and forty-three patients (23.5%) with lung cancer had positive mediastinoscopies. The false negative rate was 56 of 1,019 (5.5%) among lung cancer patients undergoing resection. Thirty-two (57%) of the false negatives were due to metastatic disease in lymph nodes not normally biopsied during cervical mediastinoscopy (levels 5, 6, 8, or 9). CONCLUSIONS: Although invasive, mediastinoscopy identified locally advanced disease in a significant percentage of this lung cancer population and was associated with a low false negative rate. Complications after mediastinoscopy were uncommon. These results support the continued routine use of mediastinoscopy.

Adolescent↗

Thoracoscopic lobectomy is a safe and versatile procedure: experience with 500 consecutive patients.

OBJECTIVE: Advantages of thoracoscopic lobectomy for early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), as compared with lobectomy by conventional thoracotomy, include less postoperative pain and shorter length of hospitalization. The outcomes after thoracoscopic lobectomy in patients with more complex pulmonary conditions are analyzed to determine safety, efficacy, and versatility. METHODS: A prospective database of 500 consecutive patients who underwent thoracoscopic lobectomy between June 1999 and January 2006 was queried. Demographic, histopathologic, perioperative, and outcome variables were assessed using standard descriptive statistics and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses. RESULTS: Thoracoscopic lobectomy was successfully performed in 492 patients (conversion rate, 1.6%). Pathologic analysis included primary NSCLC in 416 patients (83.2%), centrally located secondary pulmonary malignancy in 37 patients (7.4%), and a variety of benign conditions in 45 patients (9%). Among the 416 patients with NSCLC, pathologic analysis demonstrated stage I in 330 patients (55.3%), stage II in 40 patients (9.6%), and stage III or greater NSCLC in 44 patients (10.6%). The operative and perioperative (30-day) mortality was 0% and 1%, respectively. The overall 2-year survival rate for the entire cohort was 80%, and the 2-year overall survival rates for stage I NSCLC, stage II or greater NSCLC, secondary pulmonary malignancy, and granulomatous disease patients were 85%, 77%, 73%, and 89%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Thoracoscopic lobectomy is applicable to a spectrum of malignant and benign pulmonary disease and is associated with a low perioperative morbidity and mortality rate. Survival rates are comparable to those for lobectomy with thoracotomy.

Adult↗

Thymoma: benign appearance, malignant potential.

Thymoma is a rare tumor with a largely indolent growth pattern. It does, however, have malignant potential as a result of its ability to invade locally and metastasize regionally. Often associated with a number of immune- and nonimmune-mediated paraneoplastic syndromes, patient outcomes are directly related to stage of disease and the ability to achieve a complete surgical resection. Surgery is the mainstay of treatment, with adjuvant radiation recommended for invasive thymoma. Sensitive to both chemotherapy and radiation, durable responses are achievable in incompletely resected and inoperable patients. We present two cases of thymoma followed by a general discussion with an emphasis on treatment for both early and advanced-stage disease.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

Low morbidity and mortality for bronchoplastic procedures with and without induction therapy.

BACKGROUND: The safety of bronchoplastic procedures after induction chemoradiotherapy is uncertain. This study examines short- and long-term outcomes after bronchoplastic procedures with and without induction therapy. METHODS: Between January 1997 and September 2004, more than 1,300 anatomic pulmonary resections for cancer were performed at a single institution. Of these, 73 patients required either sleeve lobectomy (57) or bronchoplasty (16), and were retrospectively analyzed. Nineteen patients (26%) received induction therapy; 15 received chemotherapy and radiation therapy and 4 received chemotherapy alone. Fifty-four patients underwent the bronchoplastic procedure without induction therapy. Mortality and early and late morbidity were analyzed. RESULTS: Mean follow-up was 25 months. Histology was nonsmall cell cancer in 62 (85%), carcinoid in 8 (11%), and renal cell cancer, schwannoma, and mucoepidermoid cancer in 1 patient each. There were 2 (2.7%) 30-day deaths, both in the group not receiving induction therapy. Of the surviving 71 patients, 70 had functional reconstructions at last follow-up. The overall 30-day complication rate was 30% (19 of 54) in patients not receiving induction therapy (no bronchopleural fistulas) and 42% (8 of 19) occurring in those receiving induction therapy (1 bronchopleural fistula). The long-term complication rate was 20% (11 of 54) among patients not receiving induction therapy and 5% (1 of 19) among those receiving induction therapy (completion pneumonectomy). There were no bronchovascular complications. Interventional bronchoscopy was required in 7 patients not receiving induction therapy, and was required in none of the patients receiving induction therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Anatomic pulmonary resections utilizing bronchoplastic techniques can be performed with low morbidity and mortality rates even after induction therapy.

Adolescent↗

Outcomes of tracheobronchial stents in patients with malignant airway disease.

BACKGROUND: Malignant central airway obstruction is difficult to manage and is associated with poor outcome. We sought to identify the short (< 30 days) and intermediate (> 30 days) benefits and risks of tracheobronchial stents in patients with malignant airway disease. METHODS: Two hundred and twenty-five tracheobronchial stents were placed in 172 patients for benign (n = 32) and malignant (n = 140) disease from January 1, 1997, to May 31, 2003. The records of the patients with malignant disease were retrospectively analyzed to determine complication rate, reintervention rate, and survival. The malignant diagnoses included nonsmall cell cancer, small cell cancer, esophageal cancer, and metastatic disease. RESULTS: There were 172 stents placed in 140 patients with malignant disease, with no intraoperative mortality. The mean follow-up period was 142 +/- 12 days. There were 23 complications, including tumor ingrowth (n = 9), excessive granulation tissue (n = 7), stent migration (n = 5), and restenosis (n = 2). Five of the complications occurred during the short-term period (< 30 days) with the remaining complications (n = 18) occurring after 30 days. The complications required interventions including laser debridement (n = 14), dilation (n = 4), and stent removal (n = 5). CONCLUSIONS: Tracheobronchial stents offer minimally invasive palliative therapy for patients with unresectable malignant central airway obstruction. The benefit of airway stents is particularly seen in the short-term period where they provide symptomatic improvement and have low complication risk. The major impediment is excessive granulation tissue and tumor ingrowth, which occur primarily after 30 days.

Airway Obstruction↗

Surgical strategies and outcomes after induction therapy for non-small cell lung cancer.

Surgery as the sole therapy for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is usually not curative. Adjuvant chemotherapy has been evaluated by several randomized Phase III trials and found to confer a survival benefit over surgery alone for stage IB-IIIA NSCLC. Induction therapy applies a cytoreductive and systemic therapy before definitive locoregional therapy. Theoretical advantages include improved diffusion of chemotherapy agents into the tumor, improved compliance, and a higher complete resection rate. Results from multiple Phase II and III studies have been encouraging, but the role of surgery after induction therapy remains inconclusively defined. Randomized trials are underway to better define the role of induction therapy, and enrollment of patients into such trials should be encouraged.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

Single versus multiple internal mammary artery grafting for coronary artery bypass: 15-year follow-up of a clinical practice trial.

BACKGROUND: The long-term clinical advantages of using routine multiple internal mammary artery (IMA) grafts for coronary artery bypass (CAB) are not clear. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that multiple IMA grafts would provide better 15-year outcomes when compared with single IMA and vein grafts. METHODS AND RESULTS: Between 1984 and 1987, 1067 consecutive patients undergoing isolated CAB were referred to 1 surgeon practicing primarily single and another surgeon maximizing multiple IMA grafts (clinical practice trial). A 207-patient subset with multiple IMAs underwent postoperative graft angiography at 1 to 32 weeks to define initial IMA patency. Patients were followed-up yearly, and the groups were analyzed as (I) surgical strategy (surgeon operating) (single=413 versus multiple=654), (II) ultimate operation performed (single=418 versus multiple=449), or (III) single versus multiple coronary systems revascularized with IMAs (single=490 versus multiple=377). Advantages of this study design were that an entire referral population was examined, multiple IMAs were applied to the entire spectrum of baseline patient risk, 15-year follow-up provided a complete prognostic picture, and the subgroups were potentially comparable at baseline. In all 3 analyses, single and multiple groups were statistically similar with respect to baseline, operative, and immediate postoperative variables. Early IMA patency was 98.5% (333/338 grafts patent), validating the quality of IMA procedures. Unadjusted and adjusted 15-year outcome analyses for I, II, and III for death, myocardial infarction, percutaneous coronary intervention, redo coronary bypass, and the composite of all events identified multiple versus single as a significant predictor of outcome for the composite end point in adjusted analysis III (hazard ratio=0.808; 95% CI, 0.689 to 0.948; P=0.009), because of a 5% to 10% absolute reduction in each of the outcome variables at 15 years. Moreover, >50% reduction in reoperation rate was observed at 15 years in every analysis. CONCLUSIONS: At 15-year follow-up, multiple IMA grafting was associated with a 19.2% adjusted risk reduction in death and cardiac events, caused by decreases in all adverse end points and fewer reoperations. These data indicate that the clinical advantages of maximizing IMA conduits are significant. Based on this information, it is suggested that multiple IMA grafting to 2 coronary systems should be applied liberally to patients with noncardiac risk profiles predictive of long-term survival.

Aged↗

Intraoperative evaluation of coronary anastomosis by transit-time ultrasonic flow measurement.

BACKGROUND: Intraoperative assessment of the anastomosis is important during coronary bypass on a beating heart. The purpose of this study is to predict the quality of anastomosis using transit-time flow measurement and to find out the most accurate indicator. METHODS: Eight swine underwent internal thoracic-anterior descending coronary artery bypass grafting on a beating heart. Flow measurement and angiography were performed at various degrees of stenosis created on the graft. As flow parameters, total flow, systolic flow, diastolic flow, diastolic/total flow ratio, systolic peak flow, diastolic peak flow, systolic/diastolic peak flow index, and pulsatility index were used. Mixed procedure and probability test (negative means successful anastomosis) were used to analyze the diagnostic ability. RESULTS: Diastolic flow, diastolic/total flow ratio, diastolic peak flow, systolic/diastolic peak flow index, and pulsatility index showed significant variance with increased stenosis. Among these measures, diastolic/total flow ratio showed the highest value of area under the curve (0.91) and the highest specificity (82%) at 90% sensitivity with actual value of 42%. CONCLUSIONS: Diastolic/total flow ratio was the most reliable indicator to predict critical stenosis in coronary artery bypass grafting.

Anastomosis, Surgical↗

Mitral surgery after prior cardiac operation: port-access versus sternotomy or thoracotomy.

BACKGROUND: In reoperation for mitral valve disease, minimally invasive Port-Access (PORT) is a new alternative to standard median sternotomy (STER) or right thoracotomy (THOR); yet, the results of PORT in this setting have not been defined. The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of minimally invasive thoracotomy in reoperation for mitral valve disease. METHODS: Retrospective results are reported for three consecutive series of patients undergoing reoperation for mitral disease using either PORT (n = 60, 1996 to 2001), THOR (n = 37, 1985 to 1997), or STER (n = 155, 1985 to 1997). RESULTS: Red cell transfusion was 3 +/- 4, 14 +/- 13, and 12 +/- 12 units for PORT, THOR, and STER, respectively. Chest tube output was 352 +/- 361, 2048 +/- 3166, and 1683 +/- 3939 mL, respectively. Cardiopulmonary bypass times for these groups were 208 +/- 76 vs. 158 +/- 56 vs. 157 +/- 53 minutes. Thirty-day mortality was 0/60 (0%), 8/37 (22%), and 21/155 (14%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This early clinical experience suggests that PORT is an acceptable alternative to THOR or STERN in reoperation for mitral valve disease, with potential advantages of avoiding redo sternotomy and reducing the surgical incision. However, these benefits may come at the expense of longer cardiopulmonary bypass times.

Cardiac Surgical Procedures↗