Factors influencing choice of procedure in transposition of the great arteries: a decision analysis approach

Decision analysis in surgery

BACKGROUND

The technique of decision analysis is often applied to clinical policy and economic issues in surgery. Because surgeons may be unfamiliar with such work, this article catalogues decision analysis studies in the surgical specialties.

METHODS

We reviewed the medical literature (1966 to 1994) to identify surgical decision analysis studies and to assess trends over time. Each article was categorized according to the type of journal (surgical, other clinical, or technical) in which it was published and content, including surgical specialty, clinical topic, article focus (individual patient decision making, clinical policy, or cost-effectiveness), and primary findings.

RESULTS

Publication rates of surgical decision analysis have increased dramatically over time. Of the 86 total studies only six were published before 1980. In contrast, 44 studies appeared between 1990 and 1994. Although 77% were published in nonsurgical journals, decision analyses have begun to appear more regularly in surgical forums. Studies addressing all of the surgical specialties were found, although more than one half addressed topics in general surgery (34%) or cardiothoracic surgery (22%). The most frequent topics were gallstones (11 articles), head and neck cancer (five articles), coronary artery disease (four articles), and cerebral arteriovenous malformations (four articles). Articles focusing on clinical policy (i.e., those assessing surgical efficacy for broad groups of patients) now account for large majority of published decision analyses.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of decision analysis in surgery is growing steadily. Because decision analysis is being used to influence clinical policy, it is important for surgeons to be aware of these studies and to be able to review them critically.

New trends in the management of congenital heart disease

Considerable improvements have been made in the diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart disease during the last decade. Many congenital heart lesions are now treated successfully during the neonatal period that previously were associated with high mortality. Improved echocardiographic imaging, catheterization techniques, and earlier surgical repair are factors that have resulted in greater success in the treatment of congenital cardiac disease. Diagnosis has been improved greatly with advancements in echocardiography and angiography. Better ultrasound technology combined with doppler techniques and transesophageal echocardiography allow more accurate preoperative assessment and therefore more successful surgical repair. Cardiac catheterization techniques have also improved and, when combined with treatment such as balloon angioplasty, have changed the treatment of certain cardiac anomalies such as pulmonary stenosis or coarctation of the aorta. Operative treatment of congenital heart disease has improved the short- and long-term survival of most infants with congenital cardiac anomalies. Improved cardiopulmonary bypass techniques, better suture material, and the ability to perform cardiac transplantation are examples of technology that allows earlier, more complete repair of these complex cardiac defects. Reviewed here are improvements in the treatment of four complex cardiac anomalies that occur in newborns and are associated with high mortality when left untreated. All four anomalies have undergone significant changes in the approach to their treatment with dramatic improvements in survival.

Quantitative assessment of dyspnea during exercise before and after bullectomy for giant bulla

Incremental exercise testing using a cycle ergometer was performed in eight patients with giant bulla before and after bullectomy to assess dyspnea. There was a significant positive linear relationship between dyspnea expressed in the Borg scale (BS) and oxygen consumption (VO2) during exercise in all subjects. From these correlations, we introduced the following three new parameters for quantitative assessment of dyspnea: the Borg scale slope (BSS); the threshold load of dyspnea (TLD); and the breakpoint load of dyspnea (BLD), representing the slope of the regression line, onset of dyspnea on the regression line, and the maximum oxygen consumption before the subjects interrupted exercise, respectively. After surgery, the BSS showed marked decrease, and the TLD and BLD showed significant increase. Therefore, the reduction in the dyspnea with peak exercise after surgery was thought to be, at least in part, based on the delay of dyspnea onset, the decrease in dyspnea sensitivity, and the improvement in exercise capacity. The improvement in dyspnea during exercise in patients with giant bulla after surgery was extensively evaluated by newly introduced parameters based on BS-VO2 regression line.