Editor's Note Implementing the Perioperative Surgical Home (PSH) model resulted in improved patient outcomes, patient satisfaction, and shorter hospital stays in this study presented October 22 at the Anesthesiology 2016 annual meeting. The study included 1,356 patients who had total knee, hip, or shoulder replacements. Half received care under the…

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Editor's Note Identifying frailty in older patients could increase their chances of surviving surgery and improve their overall outcomes, this study finds. Researchers conducted frailty screening using five characteristics: weight loss, weakness (grip strength), exhaustion, low activity level, and slow gait. Of 125 patients screened in a thoracic surgery clinic,…

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Editor's Note The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) has developed a pediatric surgical risk calculator based on 181,353 cases covering 382 CPT codes across all specialties. It was found to have excellent discrimination for mortality, morbidity, and seven additional complications. The calculator can be…

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Editor's Note Postoperative readmissions are difficult to predict when the patient is discharged, and of the information available at that time, preoperative factors are the most important, this study finds. Of nearly 240,000 surgical patients included in the analysis, 43% were orthopedic, 39% were general, and 18% were vascular. The…

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Editor's Note The implementation of Lean system redesigns was associated with a significant and sustained wait list reduction from 33.4 days to 12.0 days for patients waiting for elective general surgery in a Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital, this study finds. Along with the three-fold decrease in wait times from 2014…

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Editor's Note The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) on September 8 announced the launch of its new patient website that offers resources for individuals facing heart, lung, and esophageal surgery. The site allows patients and their families to research their conditions and gather information on treatment options and recovery.  …

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Editor's Note In this study, preoperative frailty was associated with a high risk for delirium after cardiac surgery. Of 55 patients included in the analysis, the prevalence of frailty was 30.9%. Frail patient had a higher incidence of delirium (47.1%) compared with nonfrail patients (2.6%). Frailty may be used to…

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Editor's Note On July 27, PinnacleHealth (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) announced the opening of its Surgery Optimization Clinic to support orthopedic patients at high risk for surgical complications. Other high-risk surgical patient service lines will be added by the end of the year. The aim of the program is to improve patient…

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Editor's Note These guidelines were developed to provide a more efficient and cost-effective preoperative workup of patients with diagnosed or suspected obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). They examine the existing evidence-base for preoperative screening and preparation of patients with OSA, as well as the perioperative use of CPAP in patients with…

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Editor's Note In this study, researchers developed a question prompt list for older adults considering high-risk surgery. Three decision-making needs were addressed, including clarification of treatment options, setting postoperative expectations, and advance care planning. The list included 11 questions within 3 domains: Should I have surgery? What should I expect…

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