Surgery (Austin & Northern Health) - Research Publications
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ItemQuality of handwritten surgical operative notes from surgical trainees: a noteworthy issue(WILEY, 2019-03)BACKGROUND: Surgical operation notes are crucial for medical record keeping and information flow in continued patient care. In addition to inherent medical implications, the quality of operative notes also has important economic and medico-legal ramifications. Further, well-documented records can also be useful for audit purposes and propagation of research, facilitating the improvement of delivery of care to patients. We aimed to assess the quality of surgical operation notes written by junior doctors and trainees against a set standard, to ascertain whether these standards were met. METHOD: We undertook an audit of Urology and General Surgery operation notes handwritten by junior doctors and surgical trainees in a tertiary teaching hospital over a month period both in 2014 and 2015. Individual operative notes were assessed for quality based on parameters described by the Royal College of Surgeons of England guidelines. RESULTS: Based on the Royal College of Surgeons of England guidelines, a significant proportion of analysed surgical operative notes were incomplete, with information pertaining to the time of surgery, name of anaesthetist and deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis in particular being recorded less than 50% of the time (22.42, 36.36 and 43.03%, respectively).Overall, 80% compliance was achieved in 14/20 standards and 100% compliance was attained in only one standard. CONCLUSIONS: The quality of surgical operation notes written by junior doctors and trainees demonstrated significant deficiencies when compared against a set standard. There is a clear need to educate junior medical staff and to provide systems and ongoing education to improve quality. This would involve leadership from senior staff, ongoing audit and the development of systems that are part of the normal workflow to improve quality and compliance.
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ItemTransperineal prostate biopsy - tips for analgesia(WILEY, 2017-08)
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ItemTrends in the surgical treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia in a tertiary hospital(WILEY, 2018-01)BACKGROUND: To assess current treatment trends and perioperative outcomes of transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) and photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP) in a tertiary institution. METHODS: We prospectively collected a database of all patients undergoing TURP and PVP for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) at a tertiary hospital between January 2011 and December 2013. Patient characteristics such as length of stay, readmission, anticoagulation status, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score and need for blood transfusion were recorded and analysed. RESULTS: In total, 560 cases were included: 204 (36.4%) underwent TURP and 356 (63.6%) PVP. Patients undergoing PVP had higher ASA scores (P < 0.001) and were more frequently on continuing anticoagulant therapy (P < 0.001). With regards to non-aspirin/asasantin coagulation therapy, 61 (17.1%) patients underwent PVP with their anticoagulants continued while no patients who received TURP continued anticoagulation. Blood transfusion percentages were similar at 1.0% for TURP and 1.7% for PVP but readmission proportions were higher after PVP (32 patients, 9.0%) compared to TURP (10 patients, 4.9%). These differences were attenuated when excluding patients continuing anticoagulation during the procedure. CONCLUSION: At our institution, the use of PVP has been increasing on a year-by-year basis. The results of the current study demonstrated that PVP is safe in patients with increased anaesthetic risk or on active anticoagulation when compared to traditional TURP. While this makes PVP an attractive alternative to TURP in high-risk anticoagulated patients, these patients may have complex post-discharge issues that should be addressed during the informed consent process.
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ItemIncidental prostate cancer in transurethral resection of prostate specimens in men aged up to 65 years(ELSEVIER INC, 2016-03)BACKGROUND: The identification of prostate cancer (PC) is important in men aged ≤ 65 years. We examined complete transurethral resection of prostate (TURP) specimens to quantify the incidence and nature of PC in men aged ≤ 65 years. METHODS: A prospective multi-institutional database included TURP specimens. The cohort was stratified into two groups according to age. For men aged ≤ 65 years, the entire specimen was submitted for histological analysis, while the TURP specimens from men aged > 65 years were sampled following standard guidelines. RESULTS: A total of 923 men were included, with 224 in the younger group. PC was identified in 13.4% in men aged ≤ 65 years, compared with 28.7% the older group. The younger group had a lower proportion of Gleason score ≥ 7 (30% compared with 40%) and higher rates of pT1a (57% compared with 43%). In men aged ≤ 65 years with cancer, tumor was identified in one block in 15 of 30 cases (50%). Following diagnosis, 4/30 underwent radical prostatectomy, 5/30 underwent curative radiotherapy, 10/30 androgen deprivation, and 1/30 received palliative radiotherapy. CONCLUSION: Incidental PC in men aged ≤ 65 years is not uncommon. Our results suggest that TURP specimens in men aged ≤ 65 years should be completely assessed. Underidentification of cancer may occur as a result of increasing use of laser prostatectomy and the consequent loss of tissue for pathological examination.
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ItemMinimally invasive surgical therapies for benign prostatic hypertrophy: The rise in minimally invasive surgical therapies(ELSEVIER INC, 2017-06)The prevalence of benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) causing bothersome lower urinary tract symptoms increases with our ageing population. Treatment of BPH traditionally begins with medical therapy and surgical intervention is then considered for those whose symptoms progress despite treatment. Minimally invasive surgical therapies have been developed as an intermediary in the treatment of BPH with the aim of decreasing the invasiveness of interventions. These therapies also aim to reduce morbidity and dysfunction related to invasive surgical procedures. Multiple treatment options exist in this group including mechanical and thermo-ablative strategies. Emerging therapies utilizing differing technologies range from the established to the experimental. We review the current literature related to these minimally invasive therapies and the evidence of their effectiveness in treating BPH. The role of minimally invasive surgical therapies in the treatment of BPH is still yet to be strongly defined. Given the experimental nature of many of the modalities, further study is required prior to their recommendation as alternatives to invasive surgical therapy. More mature evidence is required for the analysis of durability of effect of these therapies to make robust conclusions of their effectiveness.
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ItemLymph node yield in node-negative patients predicts cancer specific survival following radical cystectomy for transitional cell carcinoma(KOREAN UROLOGICAL ASSOC, 2017-11)PURPOSE: To determine the oncological implications of increased nodal dissection in node-negative bladder cancer during radical cystectomy in a contemporary Australian series. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a multicenter retrospective study, including more than 40 surgeons across 5 sites over a 10-year period. We identified 353 patients with primary bladder cancer undergoing radical cystectomy. Extent of lymphadenectomy was defined as follows; limited pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) (perivesical, pelvic, and obturator), standard PLND (internal and external iliac) and extended PLND (common iliac). Multivariable cox proportional hazards and logistic regression models were used to determine LNY effect on cancer-specific survival. RESULTS: Over the study period, the extent of dissection and lymph node yield increased considerably. In node-negative patients, lymph node yield (LNY) conferred a significantly improved cancer-specific survival. Compared to cases where LNY of 1 to 5 nodes were taken, the hazard ratio (HR) for 6 to 15 nodes harvested was 0.78 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.43-1.39) and for greater than 15 nodes the HR was 0.31 (95% CI, 0.17-0.57), adjusted for age, sex, T stage, margin status, and year of surgery. The predicted probability of cancer-specific death within 2 years of cystectomy was 16% (95% CI, 13%-19%) with 10 nodes harvested, falling to 5.5% (95% CI, 0%-12%) with 30 nodes taken. Increasing harvest in all PLND templates conferred a survival benefit. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the current study highlight the improved oncological outcomes with increased LNY, irrespective of the dissection template. Further prospective research is needed to aid LND data interpretation.
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ItemReporting and ideal testosterone levels in men undergoing androgen deprivation for prostate cancer-time for a rethink?(ELSEVIER INC, 2018-03)BACKGROUND: This study aims to review current laboratory reporting strategies across Australia and New Zealand with a view to propose a more useful template for reporting serum testosterone in the context of prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Registered pathology laboratories in Australia and New Zealand were enrolled into the current study. An electronic or a phone survey was utilized to collect data from each participating laboratory. Obtained information included assay utilized, units reported, reference intervals, lowest reported value, and lowest detectable value. To identify recommendations for testosterone testing, a systematic search was performed across Web of Science (including MEDLINE), EMBASE, and Cochrane libraries. RESULTS: Assessment of national pathology laboratories identified significant heterogeneity in the reporting methods. Reports typically used a "normal healthy male of 35 years of age" as a comparator but did not refer to optimal castrate levels, the lowest level that their assay was able to detect, nor did they include appended clinical guidelines relating to the prostate cancer patient cohort. CONCLUSIONS: Across Australia and New Zealand, various methods for testing and reporting serum testosterone exist, while international guidelines remain vague. The fashion in which serum testosterone levels are displayed should be re-evaluated to address the relevant clinical population and reflect an agreed-upon castrate threshold in patients undergoing androgen deprivation therapy.
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ItemCurrent role of salvage robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy(SPRINGER, 2013-06)OBJECTIVES: Salvage Robotic-Assisted Laparoscopic Prostatectomy (sRALP) is a treatment option for biochemical recurrence (BCR) in prostate cancer. It is a new and presently uncommonly performed procedure, which may be technically challenging. We aim to summarise the current literature regarding sRALP with specific reference to patient selection, complications and peri-operative functional and oncological outcomes. METHODS: A comprehensive and critical review of all peer-reviewed publications regarding sRALP. RESULTS: Within the body of literature, we identified six low-volume case-series studies analysing outcomes of sRALP. Overall, peri-operative outcomes were encouraging with low complication rates and estimated blood loss (EBL) equivocal to open and laparoscopic salvage radical prostatectomy (sRP). Long-term follow-up for functional and oncological outcomes was limited. From the limited follow-up data, the current sRALP studies show similar BCR compared to large-volume open sRP series. Potency outcomes were poor post-sRALP. CONCLUSIONS: Salvage Robotic-Assisted Laparoscopic Prostatectomy is a technically feasible operation with a low risk of significant associated complications. Robotic technology can aid the surgeon in salvage prostatectomy. Data on functional and oncological outcomes lack long-term information but initial results are encouraging. Larger series with longer follow-up periods are necessary to draw significant conclusions about the efficacy of sRALP.