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Postoperative complications of abdominal trauma.

Postoperative complications following laparotomy for patients with abdominal trauma may be difficult to detect, particularly in those patients with multiple injuries. Such complications may lead to multiple organ system failure and death. Consequently, techniques for prevention of these postoperative complications, from resuscitation through operation, are emphasized. These techniques include means for detecting all abdominal injuries, management of the complicated wound, and evaluation and treatment of abdominal abscesses.

Abdominal Injuries↗

Selected postoperative complications of cranial surgery.

Selected postoperative complications following a craniotomy are discussed in relation to assessment and nursing care. Clinical differentiation between structural and metabolic postoperative complications is emphasized. The signs, symptoms, diagnostic aids and nursing implications related to each of these two major classifications of complications are presented. The specific postoperative complications discussed include: cerebral edema, intracranial bleeding, hydrocephalus, cerebral infarction, tension pneumocephalus, hypoxia, water and electrolyte imbalances, hypoglycemia, endocrine disturbances, hyperthermia, and seizures.

Brain Edema↗

Effect of postoperative complications on health and employment following liver transplantation.

The influence of postoperative complications on employment and health status following orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) remains elusive. Postoperative complications were scored prospectively using a standardized medical outcome classification in each patient transplanted at Duke University from October 1992 to January 1995. Functional status was evaluated by using the Karnofsky score. Between 12 and 18 months following transplantation, patients were asked to complete mailed questionnaires to assess employment and health status (SF-36). The response rate was 86% (42 of 49 eligible patients). The mean patient age was 48 yr. Sixteen of 42 patients (38%) exhibited minimal or no postoperative complications, and 62% exhibited moderate to severe postoperative complications. Age, gender, education, UNOS status for severity of disease, insurance status, and Karnofsky score did not correlate with postoperative complications. Postoperative complications did not predict employment post-transplantation. Paradoxically, patients with minimal or no postoperative complications perceived that their health status was significantly impaired post-transplantation, as evidenced by a median score of 0 in the role-physical subscale of the SF-36, in contrast to those patients with moderate or severe postoperative complications who exhibited a median score of 25 (p < 0.01). Similarly, patients with minimal or no postoperative complications had significantly lower scores on the mental health subscale than those with moderate or severe complications, with median score of 60 vs. 78 (p < 0.03). The physical functioning subscale was not affected by postoperative complications. Thirteen of 42 (31%) respondents returned to full employment post-transplantation. Health perceptions differed with respect to employment status post-transplantation. Patients unemployed post-transplantation exhibited a median score of 55 in the physical functioning subscale, a value much lower than the median score of 80 in the patients who were employed post-transplantation (p < 0.02). No differences in the role physical or mental health subscales were noted with respect to employment status post-transplantation. Employment status was unaffected by Karnofsky status, indicating that functional status does not predict employment. In conclusion, patients exhibited very poor health perceptions post-transplantation, irrespective of postoperative complications. Prospective evaluation of patients undergoing liver transplantation revealed that medical complications did not affect employment post-transplantation.

Employment↗

Leukocyte removal therapy for ulcerative colitis does not affect postoperative complications.

BACKGROUND: We investigated the incidence of postoperative complications in patients treated with or without preoperative leukocyte removal therapy (LRT). METHODS: The case notes of 387 patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) who underwent surgical intervention were retrospectively reviewed. One hundred nine patients were treated with LRT within 8 weeks before surgery (LRT group), and 278 had not received LRT since at least 8 weeks before surgery (without LRT group). We reviewed the postoperative complications according to type of initial operation. RESULTS: Of the patients who underwent an ileal J-pouch anal anastomosis (IPAA) without an ileostomy, 3 (6.5%) in the LRT group developed pouch-related complications (PRC), while 11 (7.5%) in the without LRT group developed PRC. The overall postoperative complication rates were 28.3% in the LRT group and 21.8% in the without LRT group. For patients who underwent an IPAA with an ileostomy, the overall rates of postoperative complications were 39.1% in the LRT group and 31.8% in the without LRT group. Among those undergoing a total colectomy, 33.3% in the LRT group and 18.2% in the without LRT group had postoperative complications. No statistically significant differences were demonstrated between the two groups with respect to postoperative complications. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that preoperative LRT does not influence the rate of postoperative complications in UC patients.

Adolescent↗

Laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty: postoperative complications.

Laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP) has become a widely used procedure for the treatment of snoring and mild sleep apnea in the United States. Between July 1993 and December 1994, the authors of this study prospectively evaluated 541 consecutive patients referred to their hospital for possible LAUP to treat loud disruptive snoring. Of the 541 patients, 275 patients had a total of 754 LAUP procedures. There were 26 complications (3.45%). These complications included postoperative hemorrhage in 16 patients (2.12%), local infection in 4 patients (0.53%), temporary palatal incompetence in 4 patients (0.53% , and temporary loss of taste in 2 patients (0.27%). None of the 16 patients with postoperative hemorrhage required a blood transfusion. Only 10 patients (1.3%) had hemorrhage that required medical attention; in the other patients, the bleeding stopped spontaneously. There were no cases of hypernasal speech, permanent palatal incompetence, nasopharyngeal stenosis, airway compromise, or death.

Adult↗

[Risk profiling of postoperative complications in 17,644 total knee replacements].

AIM: Postoperative complications following primary total knee replacement performed between 2000 and 2002 were assessed to determine perioperative patient- and procedure-related risks associated with the procedure. METHODS: For this analysis, the data collected during postoperative hospitalization for 17,644 total knee arthroplasties were assessed. The analysis included two steps. First, using logistic regression, we identified and quantified significant risk factors for the occurrence of general postoperative complications. Second, univariate analysis was utilized to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze the influence of these significant risk factors on the occurrence of major complications (hematoma, cardiovascular complication, deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, joint infection, and pneumonia). RESULTS: General postoperative complications were reported in 11.3%. Major postoperative complications occurred in 7.2% with hematoma in 2.9%, cardiovascular complications in 1.8%, deep venous thrombosis in 1.2%, pulmonary embolism in 0.2%, joint infection in 0.8%, and pneumonia in 0.3%. Patient-related risk factors such as age, surgery time, gender, high ASA classification as well as procedure-related risk factors such as allogeneic blood transfusions and lateral release significantly increased the rate of postoperative complications. Males were more prone to hematoma, joint infection, and pneumonia in the immediate postoperative course than females, who were more in danger of developing deep venous thrombosis. Allogeneic blood transfusions increased the risk for postoperative hematoma, infection, and cardiovascular complication. Regional anesthesia was shown to decrease the risk for the occurrence of postoperative deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative complications in total knee replacement are increased in males and elder patients. Increased time of surgery and allogeneic blood transfusions also represent important risk factors for postoperative complications following primary total knee replacement.

Age Factors↗

Poor prognosis in esophageal cancer patients with postoperative complications.

We investigated the relationship between postoperative complications and prognosis in esophageal cancer patients. Two hundred five patients with esophageal cancer were divided into three case groups. Group A (n = 100) consisted of cases without postoperative complications. Groups B (n = 58) and C (n = 47) consisted of cases with minor and major postoperative complications. The 5-year survival rates were 41.8%, 21.3%, and 20.2% in groups A, B, and C, respectively. There was a significant difference in the prognosis between groups A and B, and also between groups A and C. Any patients who died within 5 years without a relapse their cases were excluded from the study; the 5-year survival rates were 46.7%, 32.3%, and 22.5% in groups A, B, and C, respectively, with a significant difference between groups A and B. There were no significant differences between the three groups regarding the patient characteristics. These results therefore indicate that postoperative complications might contribute to a poor prognosis in cancer patients.

Esophageal Neoplasms↗

Postoperative complications of elective surgeries in dogs and cats determined by examining electronic and paper medical records.

Postoperative complications (POC) that developed in dogs and cats that underwent elective ovariohysterectomy, castration, and declaw at a veterinary teaching hospital were determined by examining the computerized abstracts of the medical records and by examining a random sample of the paper medical records. When the computerized abstracts were examined, POC were found to have occurred in 62 (6.1%) of 1,016 dogs. One dog died and 6 others developed major complications. Postoperative complications were found to have occurred in 38 (2.6%) of 1,459 cats. Two cats died and 1 was euthanatized. Four other cats developed major complications. Complete paper medical records for 218 dogs and cats were examined. When the paper medical records were examined, the proportions of dogs and cats with POC were 19.4% and 12.2%, respectively. These proportions were 4 to 7 times higher than when the computerized abstracts were the data source. Results of this study indicate that the frequency of clinically relevant POC of elective surgeries in dogs and cats is substantial. Examination of the computerized abstracts of medical records at this hospital allowed us to rapidly identify cases that could be included in the study but the frequency of POC would be significantly underestimated if paper records were not also assessed.

Animals↗

Postoperative complications in obese and nonobese patients.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative complications are undesirable and potentially common in the increasing obese population of surgical patients. There is a scarcity of recent and reliable studies comparing postoperative morbidity and mortality in obese and nonobese patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence, pattern, and severity of postoperative complications in obese and nonobese surgical patients. METHODS: A retrospective review and analysis of adult postoperative complications recorded on an electronic database was conducted. The database covered a period of 4 years and consisted of 7,271 cases of postoperative complications that occurred within 30 days of noncardiac moderate or major surgery. Appropriate data and variables were compared between obese and nonobese patients using the SPSS program. RESULTS: The rate of postoperative complications was 7.7%. Obese patients had a higher prevalence of myocardial infarction (P = 0.001), peripheral nerve injury (P = 0.039), wound infection (P = 0.001), and urinary tract infection (P = 0.004). ). Morbidly obese patients had a higher mortality rate of 2.2% compared with 1.2%; for all other patients (P = 0.034) and a higher prevalence of tracheal reintubation (P = 0.009) and cardiac arrest (P = 0.015). Obese patients had higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status scores than other patients (P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Obese patients have a significantly higher risk of postoperative myocardial infarction, wound infection, nerve injury, and urinary infection. Obesity is an independent risk factor for perioperative morbidity, and morbid obesity is a risk factor for mortality.

Adult↗

Effects of preoperative smoking cessation on the incidence and risk of intraoperative and postoperative complications in adult smokers: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVES: To establish the effect of preoperative smoking cessation on the risk of postoperative complications, and to identify the effect of the timing of preoperative cessation. DATA SOURCES: The Cochrane Library Database, PsycINFO, EMBASE, Medline, and CINAHL databases were searched, using the terms: "smoking", "smoking-cessation", "tobacco-use", "tobacco-abstinence", "cigarett$", "complication$", "postoperative-complication$", "preoperative", "perioperative" and "surg$". Further articles were obtained from reference lists. The search was limited to articles on adults, written in English and published up to November 2005. STUDY SELECTION: Prospective cohort designs exploring the effects of preoperative smoking cessation on postoperative complications were included. Two reviewers independently scanned abstracts of relevant articles to determine eligibility. Lack of agreement was resolved through discussion and consensus. Twelve studies met the inclusion criteria. DATA EXTRACTION: Methodological quality was assessed by both reviewers, exploring validation of smoking status, clear definition of the period of smoking cessation, control for confounding variables and length of follow-up. DATA SYNTHESIS: Only four of the studies specified the exact period of smoking cessation, with six studies specifying the length of the follow-up period. Five studies revealed a lower risk or incidence of postoperative complications in past smokers than current smokers or reported that there was no significant difference between past smokers and non-smokers. CONCLUSIONS: Longer periods of smoking cessation appear to be more effective in reducing the incidence/risk of postoperative complications; there was no increased risk in postoperative complications from short term cessation. An optimal period of preoperative smoking cessation could not be identified from the available evidence.

Adult↗

Equine surgical colic: risk factors for postoperative complications.

The reason for undertaking this study was that postoperative complications of colic surgery lead to patient discomfort, prolonged hospitalisation and increased cost. Potential risk factors for the 6 most common postoperative complications (jugular thrombosis, ileus, re-laparotomy, wound suppuration, incisional herniation and colic) were evaluated using multivariable models. Jugular thrombosis was associated significantly with heart rate greater than 60 beats/min and with increased packed cell volume (PCV) at admission. The risk of postoperative ileus also increased with increasing PCV at admission and was higher in horses recovering from pedunculated lipoma obstruction. Incisional herniation was strongly associated with wound suppuration and with increasing heart rate at admission. The emergence of cardiovascular parameters as risk factors for several postoperative complications is consistent with the hypothesis that endotoxaemia is important in the development of these complications. Early referral of colic cases, prior to the development of severe endotoxaemic shock, may minimise the risk of some postoperative complications. Horses that have suffered epiploic foramen entrapment, are more than 4 times as likely to undergo re-laparotomy than other horses. Horses that have suffered postoperative ileus have a similarly increased risk of undergoing re-laparotomy. The risk of postoperative colic is significantly associated with horses recovering from large colon torsion (>360 degrees) and with having undergone re-laparotomy. Hazard ratios (with 95% confidence intervals) for these last two effects are 3.1 (1.7, 5.7) and 3.4 (1.9, 6.2), respectively. Knowledge of the risk factors for postoperative complications allows more accurate prognostication postoperatively and suggests ways in which the risk of postoperative complications can be minimised.

Animal Welfare↗

Postoperative complications of salvage total laryngectomy.

BACKGROUND: The objectives of the current study were to report the incidence of postoperative complications for salvage total laryngectomy (STL) compared with primary total laryngectomy (PTL) and to identify patient and tumor-related factors predictive of postoperative complications. METHODS: A sample of 183 patients who had received a total laryngectomy were identified from an existing database of 662 patients treated for squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx. PTL and STL were performed in 113 and 70 patients, respectively. Initial therapy in the patients who required salvage surgery included radiotherapy (RT) in 32 (46%) and chemoradiotherapy (CTRT) in 38 (54%). Postoperative complications were recorded for each group and categorized into local, swallowing, airway, and systemic complications. Postoperative complication rates for STL after RT and CTRT were compared with those after PTL by univariate analysis. Patient and tumor-related predictors of complications were identified by univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: The overall mortality rate was 0.5%. Forty percent of all patients developed a postoperative complication after total laryngectomy. Local complications, which were the most frequent, occurred in 52 (28%) patients. Pharyngocutaneous fistula occurred in 31 (17%) patients. Statistical analysis showed that there was a greater number of patients with local wound (45% vs. 25%, P = 0.02) and fistula complications (32% vs. 12%, P = 0.012) in the STL-CTRT group compared with the primary laryngectomy group. Multivariate analysis showed that primary CTRT was an independent predictor of local complications and pharyngocutaneous fistula. CONCLUSIONS: Salvage laryngectomy was more frequently associated with postoperative complications after CTRT compared with PTL. Problems related to local wound healing, especially the development of pharyngocutaneous fistula, constituted the most common postoperative complication in these patients. Multivariate analysis showed that primary CTRT was an independent predictor of local wound complications and pharyngocutaneous fistula.

Adult↗

[Postoperative complications and treatments after Bentall operation].

Postoperative complications of Bentall operation for the annuloaortic ectasia have frequently occurred, although the mortality has been reduced. To reduce complications after Bentall operation we have taken three major treatments since 1987. The first was reimplantation technique of coronary ostia in replacing the ascending aorta and the aortic valve with a tube graft. The second was the infusion technique of cardioplegic solution such as retrograde cardioplegia infusion. The third method was to save blood and reduce the blood transfusion by preserving autoblood preoperatively and using cell saving machine. The purpose of this study was to analyse 20 patients who underwent the Bentall procedure and to investigate the effect of our treatments in Bentall operation on the operative results. We divided our patients into two groups. Fourteen patients in the group 1 were operated before 1987, when our principles were not performed. Six patients in group II were operated under the principles mentioned above. There were no differences in cardiopulmonary bypass time and ischemic time between group I and II. Transfused blood volume in group II was remarkably less than that of group I. Postoperative complications occurred in all patients in group I (100%), while three patients in group II (50%) had complications (p less than 0.05). We, hence, conclude that our method could be useful for reducing postoperative complication rate in Bentall operation.

Adolescent↗

Relation of anthropometric and dynamometric variables to serious postoperative complications.

Prediction of serious postoperative complications by using standard anthropometric and biochemical nutritional variables was attempted in 225 patients admitted for major abdominal surgery. In 102 of the patients hand-grip dynamometry was also measured, and this proved the most sensitive test, predicting complications in 48 of the 55 patients (87%) who developed them (p < 0.001). Arm muscle circumference and forearm muscle circumference below 85% of the standard value were also of predictive value (p < 0.02 and p < 0.01 respectively); weight for height and serum albumin concentrations were less satisfactory, while weight loss of more than 10% was not significantly related to complications. Dynamometry is a useful, rapid, and inexpensive screening test for detecting malnutrition that is likely to predispose to serious postoperative morbidity.

Abdomen↗

[Follow-up of patients who underwent reduction mammoplasty according to Strombeck between 1972 and 1975. Postoperative complications and results. Modification of the technique. Postoperative mammographic results (author's transl)].

Follow-up examinations were carried out in 60 women who underwent a reduction mammoplasty. Their review concentrated on the questions of the frequency of postoperative complications, the possibility to avoid complications by a modification of the technique and the question of mammographic evaluation of the breast in the face of scars from the mammoplasty. There were 12 severe complications. There were 6 necroses of the nipples, there were 3 abscesses, there were 2 suture fistulas and there was one case of massive hematoma. The complications depend on the amount of tissue resected. Especially necroses of the nipples depend upon the amount of tissue resected. With increasing experience of the surgeon, the nipple is moved without tension by lateral division of tissues and omission of resection of tissue above the nipple. This reduces the risk of necrosis of the nipple. Ugly scars are avoided by additional subcutaneous dexon double O sutures and additional subcuticular structures. Prolonged immobilization and later removal of the sutures help to obtain fine scars. A comparison of the preoperative and postoperative mammographies showed that 78% of the X-rays could be evaluated for carcinoma more readily postoperatively than before. For the differential diagnosis to scars from the operative, a preoperative and postoperative mammogram is necessary for comparison.

Adolescent↗

Postoperative complications after thoracic surgery for lung cancer.

Postoperative complications and related risk factors after lung reduction surgery are analyzed based on a review of the literature. In particular the pathogenesis of some of postoperative respiratory disorders is carefully assessed. Most commonly cardiac arrhythmias, respiratory failure, bronchopleural fistula are observed. Main risk factors for postoperative complications are old age, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, coronary disease, poor nutritional state, neoadjuvant therapy. Attention should be paid to all these factors, both in preoperative assessment and postoperative care, to prevent and promptly treat postoperative complications.

Humans↗

[Does a one-time colonic or rectal resection without protective colostomy increase the rate of postoperative complications?].

The rate of postoperative complications is the decisive criterion in evaluating the preoperative preparation of the large intestine, the operative methods, and the technique of anastomosis. Preparations for colorectal surgery include administration of antibiotics and the use of a three-row suture method of anastomosis without the protection of an intestinal fistula. The results of 1054 colorectal resections are promising: The rate of anastomotic insufficiency was 3.9% after resection of tumors and 4.9% after resection of inflamed diverticula. Lethality from local causes was 1.2% and 1.9%, respectively. Disturbance of wound healing occurred in 10.7% of the cases.

Colon↗