Hypoparathyroidism is one of the most common complications after total or completion thyroidectomy. The reported incidence rate of hypoparathyroidism in the literature is highly variable. Data that ...provide a better understanding of the magnitude of this postoperative complication are warranted and can provide a stepping stone for further collaborations that aim to reduce complication rates and establish uniform treatment protocols.
To evaluate the incidence of postoperative, persistent hypoparathyroidism after total or completion thyroidectomy in patients who were referred to university hospital centers and assess the association of different definitions with the incidence of hypoparathyroidism.
This retrospective multicenter cohort study conducted throughout 2016 in 7 Dutch university hospital centers included 200 patients who were undergoing a total or completion thyroidectomy. Data analysis was conducted in January 2021.
We report on the incidence of persistent hypoparathyroidism, defined as the need for active vitamin D with or without calcium supplementation longer than 1 year after surgery.
A total of 200 patients (143 women 71.5%; mean IQR age, 49.0 37.0-62.0 years) were included and 30 patients (15.0%) developed persistent hypoparathyroidism. The incidence of persistent hypoparathyroidism varied between 14.5% (calcium and active vitamin D 1 year postsurgery) to 28.5% (calcium and/or active vitamin D 6 months postsurgery) depending on the definition used.
In this cohort study, the risk of persistent hypoparathyroidism after total or completion thyroidectomy was 15% in patients who were referred to university hospital centers. The high rate of persistent hypoparathyroidism warrants efforts to reduce this complication rate. There is discrepancy in the definition and treatment of persistent hypoparathyroidism, and use of uniform evidence-based treatment guidelines enables comparison of interventions.
Intraoperative hemodynamic instability is a major challenge during adrenalectomy for pheochromocytoma. Typically, pheochromocytoma is performed laparoscopically either through the retroperitoneal or ...transperitoneal approach. We aimed to determine if the operative approach affects intraoperative hemodynamic instability during surgery for pheochromocytoma in a large multicenter multicenter cohort.
Retrospective, multicenter analysis of consecutive patients with pheochromocytoma who underwent total unilateral laparoscopic adrenalectomy without conversion were included. Statistical analysis was performed using established intraoperative criteria for intraoperative hemodynamic instability: 1) systolic blood pressure >160 mm Hg; 2) systolic blood pressure > 200 mm Hg; 3) mean arterial pressure <60 mm Hg; 4) systolic blood pressure >160 mm Hg + mean arterial pressure <60 mm Hg; and 5) systolic blood pressure >200 mm Hg + mean arterial pressure <60 mm Hg; and 6) intravenous vasopressor + vasodilator.
In total, 341 patients met the inclusion criteria, 101 (29.6%) underwent retroperitoneal adrenalectomy and 240 (70.4%) transperitoneal adrenalectomy. Multivariate analysis showed that retroperitoneal adrenalectomy carries greater risk for mean arterial pressure <60 mm Hg (odds ratio 6.255, confidence interval 1.134–34.235, P = .035) compared with transperitoneal adrenalectomy. Overall and cardiovascular morbidity rates were comparable between the 2 approaches. The medical center was a significant independent influencing factor for all 6 intraoperative hemodynamic instability definitions.
Variability in institutional management of pheochromocytoma intraoperatively has significant impact on all 6 intraoperative hemodynamic instability definitions. Standardization of anesthesia should be considered to reduce this variability.
The long-term health-related quality-of-life implications of treating low-risk differentiated thyroid cancer with total thyroidectomy or hemithyroidectomy is important to patients but remains poorly ...understood.
Using a cross-sectional mailed survey, we compared long-term health-related quality-of-life in low-risk differentiated thyroid cancer survivors treated with hemithyroidectomy to those treated with total thyroidectomy between 2005 and 2016 at a university hospital. European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life core Questionnaire version 3.0, the supplementary Thyroid Cancer specific questionnaire module version 2.0, and the Assessment of Survivor Concerns (ASC) questionnaires were used. Our primary outcome was the global scale of quality of life. Exploratory outcomes included differences among other health-related quality-of-life items corrected for potential confounders in multivariable regression analyses.
The response rate was 51.0% (270 of 529), of which 59 patients (21.9%) were treated with hemithyroidectomy. Main outcome score global quality of life did not differ between groups (76.9 hemithyroidectomy vs 77.7 total thyroidectomy, P = .450). Exploratory analyses showed hemithyroidectomy to be associated with more worry about recurrence on the Assessment of Survivor Concerns questionnaire (2.4 hemithyroidectomy vs 2.1 total thyroidectomy, P = .021).
Long-term quality of life was not significantly different between low-risk differentiated thyroid cancer patients treated with total thyroidectomy compared with hemithyroidectomy. In secondary analyses, worry about recurrence appeared to be higher in individuals treated with hemithyroidectomy. These data highlight previously unreported impact of surgical regimen to the health-related quality-of-life for low-risk differentiated thyroid cancer patients.
The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic led to major changes in health care and education options for all health care employees. The aim of this study is to achieve insight into coronavirus ...disease-care participation of surgical residents in the Netherlands, the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 on the experienced quality of surgical training, and the influence on Burn-out and Work Engagement compared with the non-coronavirus disease 2019 period in January 2020.
In this study, we have conducted 2 digital surveys immediately before and 2 months after the start of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. We surveyed a validated Dutch questionnaire ‘Utrecht Burn-out Scale,’ derived from the Maslach Burn-out Inventory, and also collected the ‘Utrecht Work Engagement Scale’ measuring work engagement. Additionally, we describe the coronavirus disease-care participation of surgical residents, the impact on how they experienced the quality of their surgical training, and the influence on ‘Burn-out and Work Engagement’ compared with the pre-coronavirus disease 2019 period for surgical residents in the Netherlands.
In January 2020, a total of 317 residents completed the online survey, and in April 2020, a total of 313 residents completed the online survey. Of the responders, 48.6%, in April, participated in coronavirus disease-care in both the coronavirus disease ward as well as the coronavirus disease intensive care unit. Residents experienced that the coronavirus disease 2019 influenced their surgical training in 85.2% of responders. In only 5% of the residents did the pandemic not affect the exposure to surgical training in the operating theater. More burn-out symptoms were noted amongst coronavirus disease ward deployed residents versus no coronavirus disease ward deployment, (16.0% vs 7.6%, P = .06). The Work-Engagement questionnaire showed a significantly lower work engagement score of 4.2 for residents who were deployed in a coronavirus disease-care intensive care unit versus a score of 4.6 for residents scheduled in a coronavirus disease ward (P = .02).
This study shows a significant impact of the first months of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on the Dutch surgical trainee program, with a major redistribution of residents with a decrease of surgical exposure and education. We emphasize the need for adequate guidance of all surgical residents and potentially lengthening the surgical training program.
Patients with pathological nipple discharge (PND) often undergo local surgical procedures because standard radiologic imaging fails to identify the underlying cause. MicroRNA (MiRNA) expression ...analysis of nipple fluid holds potential for distinguishing between breast diseases. This study aimed to compare miRNA expression levels between nipple fluids from patients with PND to identify possible relevant miRNAs that could differentiate between intraductal papillomas and no abnormalities in the breast tissue. Nipple fluid samples from patients with PND without radiological and pathological suspicion for malignancy who underwent a ductoscopy procedure were analyzed. We used univariate and multivariate regression analyses to identify nipple fluid miRNAs differing between pathologically confirmed papillomas and breast tissue without abnormalities. A total of 27 nipple fluid samples from patients with PND were included for miRNA expression analysis. Out of the 22 miRNAs examined, only miR-145-5p was significantly differentially expressed (upregulated) in nipple fluid from patients with an intraductal papilloma compared to patients showing no breast abnormalities (OR 4.76,
= 0.046), with a diagnostic accuracy of 92%. miR-145-5p expression in nipple fluid differs for intraductal papillomas and breast tissue without abnormalities and, therefore, has potential as a diagnostic marker to signal presence of papillomas in PND patients. However, further refinement and validation in clinical trials are necessary to establish its clinical applicability.
Most pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs) do not produce excess hormones and are therefore considered 'non-functional'
. As clinical behaviors vary widely and distant metastases are eventually ...lethal
, biological classifications might guide treatment. Using enhancer maps to infer gene regulatory programs, we find that non-functional PNETs fall into two major subtypes, with epigenomes and transcriptomes that partially resemble islet α- and β-cells. Transcription factors ARX and PDX1 specify these normal cells, respectively
, and 84% of 142 non-functional PNETs expressed one or the other factor, occasionally both. Among 103 cases, distant relapses occurred almost exclusively in patients with ARX
PDX1
tumors and, within this subtype, in cases with alternative lengthening of telomeres. These markedly different outcomes belied similar clinical presentations and histology and, in one cohort, occurred irrespective of MEN1 mutation. This robust molecular stratification provides insight into cell lineage correlates of non-functional PNETs, accurately predicts disease course and can inform postoperative clinical decisions.
Conventional thyroidectomy has been standard of care for surgical thyroid nodules. For cosmetic purposes different minimally invasive and remote-access surgical approaches have been developed. At ...present, the most used robotic and endoscopic thyroidectomy approaches are minimally invasive video assisted thyroidectomy (MIVAT), bilateral axillo-breast approach endoscopic thyroidectomy (BABA-ET), bilateral axillo-breast approach robotic thyroidectomy (BABA-RT), transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy
vestibular approach (TOETVA), retro-auricular endoscopic thyroidectomy (RA-ET), retro-auricular robotic thyroidectomy (RA-RT), gasless transaxillary endoscopic thyroidectomy (GTET) and robot assisted transaxillary surgery (RATS). The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate whether minimally invasive techniques are not inferior to conventional thyroidectomy.
A systematic search was conducted in Medline, Embase and Web of Science to identify original articles investigating operating time, length of hospital stay and complication rates regarding recurrent laryngeal nerve injury and hypocalcemia, of the different minimally invasive techniques.
Out of 569 identified manuscripts, 98 studies met the inclusion criteria. Most studies were retrospective in nature. The results of the systematic review varied. Thirty-one articles were included in the meta-analysis. Compared to the standard of care, the meta-analysis showed no significant difference in length of hospital stay, except a longer stay after BABA-ET. No significant difference in incidence of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury and hypocalcemia was seen. As expected, operating time was significantly longer for most minimally invasive techniques.
This is the first comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis comparing the eight most commonly used minimally invasive thyroid surgeries individually with standard of care. It can be concluded that minimally invasive techniques do not lead to more complications or longer hospital stay and are, therefore, not inferior to conventional thyroidectomy.
Abstract
Background
Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs) are highly prevalent in patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1), and metastatic disease is an important cause of ...MEN1-related mortality. Especially small nonfunctional (NF) pNETs pose a challenge to the treating physician and more information is needed regarding their natural course. We assessed long-term natural history of small NF-pNETs and its modifiers in the Dutch MEN1 population.
Patients and Methods
Retrospective longitudinal observational cohort study of patients with small (<2 cm) NF-pNETs from the Dutch national MEN1 database, which includes >90% of the Dutch MEN1 population. Modifiers of long-term natural course were analyzed using linear mixed-models analysis.
Results
Growth rate of the 115 included small NF-pNETs from 99 patients was slow (0.4 mm/y; 95% confidence interval, 0.15 to 0.59). Seventy percent of the tumors was stable and a subgroup of 30% of the tumors was growing (1.6 mm/y; 95% confidence interval, 1.1 to 2.0). No differences in clinical characteristics were identified between growing and stable tumors. Within the subgroup of growing tumors, germline missense mutations were significantly associated with accelerated growth compared with nonsense and frameshift mutations.
Conclusion
The majority of small NF-pNETs are stable at long-term follow-up, irrespective of the underlying MEN1 genotype. A subgroup of tumors is slowly growing but cannot be identified on clinical grounds. In this subgroup, tumors with missense mutations exhibited faster growth. Additional events appear necessary for pNETs to progress. Future studies should be aimed at identifying these molecular driving events, which could be used as potential biomarkers.
The size of 115 small NF-pNETs from 99 MEN1 patients was followed over time. Most tumors were stable. In the subgroup of growing tumors a genotype-phenotype correlation was seen.