The clinical impact of pectoral nerve block in an 'enhanced recovery after surgery' program in breast surgery.

Pectoral nerve block (PECS) is increasingly performed in breast surgery. The study evaluated the clinical impact of these blocks in the postoperative course. In this case-control study, patients undergoing breast surgery with 'enhanced recovery after surgery' pathways were divided into group 1 (57 patients) in whom PECS was performed before general anesthesia, and group 2 (57 patients) in whom only general anesthesia was effected.

The new SUMPOT to predict postoperative complications using an Artificial Neural Network.

An accurate assessment of preoperative risk may improve use of hospital resources and reduce morbidity and mortality in high-risk surgical patients. This study aims at implementing an automated surgical risk calculator based on Artificial Neural Network technology to identify patients at risk for postoperative complications. We developed the new SUMPOT based on risk factors previously used in other scoring systems and tested it in a cohort of 560 surgical patients undergoing elective or emergency procedures and subsequently admitted to intensive care units, high-dependency units or standard wards.