Unrealistic Postsurgical Expectation of Independence Predicts Complex Hospital Discharge

Assessment of Preoperative Functional Status Prior to Major Head and Neck Surgery: A Pilot Study

OBJECTIVE

To demonstrate feasibility of a recently developed preoperative assessment tool, the Vulnerable Elders Surgical Pathways and Outcomes Analysis (VESPA), to characterize the baseline functional status of patients undergoing major head and neck surgery and to examine the relationship between preoperative functional status and postoperative outcomes.

STUDY DESIGN

Case series with planned data collection.

SETTING

Two tertiary care academic hospitals.

METHODS

The VESPA was administered prospectively in the preoperative setting. Data on patient demographics, ablative and reconstructive procedures, and outcomes including total length of stay, discharge disposition, delay in discharge, or complex discharge planning (delay or change in disposition) were collected via retrospective chart review. VESPA scores were calculated and risk categories were used to estimate risk of adverse postoperative outcomes using multivariate logistic regression for categorical outcomes and linear regression for continuous variables.

RESULTS

Fifty-eight patients met study inclusion criteria. The mean (SD) age was 66.4 (11.9) years, and 58.4% of patients were male. Nearly one-fourth described preoperative difficulty in either a basic or instrumental activity of daily living, and 17% were classified as low functional status (ie, high risk) according to the VESPA. Low functional status did not independently predict length of stay but was associated with delayed discharge (odds ratio [OR], 5.0; 95% CI, 1.2-21.3; P = .030) and complex discharge planning (OR, 5.7; 95% CI, 1.34-24.2; P = .018).

CONCLUSION

The VESPA can identify major head and neck surgical patients with low preoperative functional status who may be at risk for delayed or complex discharge planning. These patients may benefit from enhanced preoperative counseling and more comprehensive discharge preparation.

A novel geriatric assessment tool that predicts postoperative complications in older adults with cancer

INTRODUCTION

Comprehensive geriatric assessment prior to oncologic surgery can help predict surgical outcomes. We tested whether an abbreviated geriatric assessment tool, the Vulnerable Elderly Surgical Pathways and outcomes Assessment (VESPA), would predict post-operative complications among older adults undergoing oncologic surgery.

METHOD

From 2008 to 2011, geriatric assessments were completed using the VESPA tool for patients age ≥ 70 seen in a pre-operative clinic. The VESPA assessed functional status, mood, cognition, and mobility, and can be completed in <10 min. We selected the subset of patients who underwent oncologic surgery and evaluated the VESPA's ability to predict post-operative surgical complications, geriatric complications (e.g., delirium), length of stay, and geriatric post-discharge needs (e.g., new functional dependence).

RESULTS

A total of 476 patients who underwent oncologic surgery received the assessment using VESPA. Compared to patients with low VESPA scores (<9), patients with high VESPA scores (≥9) had longer length of stay (mean 6.6 vs. 2.0 days; p < .001), more geriatric complications (39.5% vs. 5.7%; p < .001), more surgical complications (29.5% vs. 11.8%; p < .001), and more likely to have post discharge needs (76.0% vs. 31.7%; p < .001). Using logistic regression, each additional point on the VESPA scale was also associated with increased probability of geriatric complications (OR = 1.3; 95% CI = 1.2-1.4), surgical complications (OR = 1.2; 95% CI = 1.1-1.2), and geriatric post-discharge needs (OR = 1.3; 95% CI = 1.2-1.3).

CONCLUSION

The VESPA identifies older patients with cancer who are at risk for postoperative surgical and geriatric complications as well as functional needs at hospital discharge.