Patient-Directed Home Drain Removal in Head and Neck Surgery

Drainless, day-case lateral neck dissection with Artiss™ fibrin sealant: A prospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE

Lateral neck dissection (LND) is performed for staging/treatment of head and neck lesions. This traditionally includes placement of a drain and inpatient admission. Drainless, day-case head and neck surgery is attractive due to cost-effectiveness and reduced length of stay, but evidence is lacking in LND. We aim to investigate Artiss™ as an alternative to drain placement, facilitating day-case LND.

METHODS

A prospective review was conducted of patients who underwent LND in a UK hospital over a 22-month period.

RESULTS

Thirty-nine patients were identified (27 Artiss™ only; 12 Artiss™ with a drain). Eight Artiss™ only patients were day-case. All drains were removed by post-operative day 2. There was no statistically significant difference in the number of complications between the two groups.

CONCLUSION

This observational study demonstrates that for selected patients, Artiss™ could facilitate drainless, day-case LND. Further controlled studies with matched groups and larger numbers are required to validate this.

Optimizing Surgical Care Amidst COVID-19: A Scoping Review of Practices and Policies

BACKGROUND

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic significantly disrupted surgical care worldwide, affecting different specialties in various ways. Lockdowns, surges in COVID-19 cases, and changes in hospital policies notably impacted patient attendance, management practices, and access to surgical services. This scoping review examines the adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on surgical services and the policies adopted to address these care barriers.

METHODS

We conducted a comprehensive literature review using the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. Our search, spanning 31 December 2019, to 29 January 2023, focused on understanding the multifaceted impacts of COVID-19 on surgical services, particularly across different specialties.

RESULTS

An analysis of 75 articles indicated that the pandemic challenged surgeons worldwide to maintain a balance between delivering emergency and elective surgical care, and implementing safety measures against viral transmission. There was a marked decline in the surgical volume, leading to extended waitlists and decreased operating theater usage. Strategies such as prioritizing medically necessary and time-sensitive surgeries and integrating telemedicine have emerged as pivotal for ensuring the continuity of urgent care. Despite the reduced rates, essential surgeries such as appendectomies and cancer-related operations continued, yet faced hurdles, including reduced staffing, limited operating theater capacity, and complications in patient transfers.

CONCLUSIONS

This review emphasizes the steep reduction in surgical service utilization at the beginning of the pandemic and emergence of new compounded barriers. Policies that designated surgeries as essential, and focused on equitable and timely access, were effective. Incorporating these findings into post-pandemic assessments and future planning is crucial to sustain adequate surgical care during similar health emergencies.

The safety and efficacy of fibrin sealant for thyroidectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Fibrin sealants have recently been thoroughly studied in several surgical specialties; however, results are conflicting. We aimed to examine the safety and efficacy of fibrin sealant patients having thyroidectomies. A thorough, systematic literature search was carried out using the terms thyroidectomy and fibrin sealant using PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Clinicaltrials.gov on December 25, 2022. The primary outcome of interest in this review was the amount of drainage, whereas hospitalization, the length of drain retention, and temporary dysphonia were secondary outcomes. Our meta-analysis (n = 249) showed that application of fibrin sealant is associated with lesser total drainage [SMD -2.76 (-4.83, -0.69); P = 0.009; I2 97%], but not with retention time of drainage [SMD -2.35 (-4.71, 0.01); P = 0.05; I2 98%], hospitalization time [SMD -1.65 (-3.70, 0.41); P = 0.12; I2 97%], and transient dysphonia [RR 1.01 (0.27, 3.82); P = 0.99; I2 0%]. The systematic review found that the use of fibrin sealant in thyroid surgery is positive in total volume drainage but not with the retention time of drainage, hospitalization time, and transient dysphonia. It is notable to remember that this interpretation is complicated by uneven, occasionally subpar technique and trial reporting, according to this systematic review's findings.

Erwägungen zur Durchführung und Qualitätssicherung ambulanter Operationen im HNO-Bereich in Deutschland

Hintergrund Die deutsche Gesundheitspolitik hat eine Ausweitung ambulanter Operationen und Verfahren propagiert und die Diskussion darüber eingeleitet. Die HNO-Heilkunde bietet Möglichkeiten, derzeit stationär durchgeführte Eingriffe ambulant zu erbringen.

Methoden Die Deutsche Gesellschaft für HNO-Heilkunde, Kopf- und Hals-Chirurgie und der Deutsche Berufsverband der HNO-Ärzte haben Arbeitsgruppen ins Leben gerufen, die die HNO-fachlichen Aspekte der Leistungsverlagerungen in den ambulanten Bereich beurteilen und bewerten sollen. Die Arbeitsgruppen bekamen den Auftrag dabei organisatorische, strukturelle und personelle Definitionen der Qualitätssicherung zu erarbeiten und zu berücksichtigen.

Empfehlung Es wurden ausführlich Tatbestände bestimmt, die eine ambulante Operation im HNO-Fachgebiet ausschließen. Grundlage bildeten hierbei sowohl operationsbedingte als auch patientenbedingte Tatbestände. Schließlich wurden Operationen benannt, die als ambulante Operationen durchgeführt werden können.

Diskussion Es erfolgte eine HNO-fachliche Bewertung. Voraussetzung für eine Ambulantisierung ist eine Neuordnung der Vergütung. Das bisherige DRG- und EBM-System bieten hierzu keinen befriedigenden Rahmen, der EBM ermöglicht keine wirtschaftliche Erbringung operativer Eingriffe im HNO-Bereich. Die Entwicklung eines adäquaten Finanzierungsmodells ist für einen Erfolg der Umsetzung genauso zwingend erforderlich wie die Integration und Finanzierung der HNO-ärztlichen Weiterbildung.