Surgical palliative care

Surgical management of a metastatic vertebral tumour originating from a mammary adenocarcinoma in a dog

An 11-year-old spayed female Toy Poodle presented with acute tetraparesis. A small subcutaneous mass was found in the right trunk region, and the magnetic resonance revealed a compressive spinal cord lesion due to an irregular bone proliferation at the third cervical vertebra. After surgical resection of the vertebral lesion, the neurological symptoms improved, and the patient could walk on her own. The excised vertebral and subcutaneous masses were diagnosed as a mammary adenocarcinoma on the histopathological examination, with Ki-67 and HER-2 immunohistochemistry staining. This case report highlights the importance of defining the primary tumours of metastatic vertebral tumours and the necessity of palliative surgery to improve the patient's quality of life.

Spiritual dimensions of surgical palliative care

The spiritual dimensions of surgical palliative care encompass recognition of mortality (physician and patient); knowledge of moral and ethical dilemmas of medical decision making; respect for each individual and for all belief systems; responsibility to remain physically and psychologically present for the patient and family; and knowledge of when chaplains, palliative care professionals, or social workers should be consulted. Certain aspects of surgical palliative care distinguish it from palliative care in other medical disciplines such as the 2 definitions (palliative procedure and palliative care), treating a disproportionate share of patients who suffer unforeseen tragic events, and the surgical system.

Differential medical and surgical house staff involvement in end-of-life decisions: A retrospective chart review

To quantify the house officer's role in end-of-life decisions, the authors abstracted charts for documentation of end-of-life discussions for 100 patients withdrawn from life-sustaining treatment. They assessed the proportion of end-of-life care notes written by house officers, controlling for service, length of stay, outpatient physician involvement, race, and diagnostic category. Patients on the medical service were 22 times more likely to have house officer end-of-life notes than patients on the surgical service (P < 0.00001). Sixty-one percent of medical patients and 10% of surgical patients had a do-not-resuscitate note written by a house officer (P < 0.00001). House officers on the medical service wrote a significantly greater proportion of notes regarding withdrawal of care than surgical house officers (41% vs. 10%, P < 0.00001). This study reveals extensive involvement of medical house officers in primary end-of-life discussions with a complex patient population undergoing withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy. Team structure and professional culture may account for some of the observed differences between the medical and surgical services. These findings have significant implications for the education of house officers on end-of-life communication.