Comparison of perioperative outcomes between colorectal operations performed on weekends vs those performed on weekdays.

Background: Weekend surgical time is an underused asset. Concerns over a possible weekend effect (substandard care) may be a barrier.

Methods: This study examined whether a weekend effect applies to elective colorectal surgery via a single-center retrospective analysis comparing outcomes between patients who underwent elective colorectal surgery on a weekend vs a weekday.

Patient outcomes following implementation of an enhanced recovery after surgery pathway for patients with metastatic spine tumors.

Background: Metastatic spine tumor surgery consists of palliative operations performed on frail patients with multiple medical comorbidities. Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programs involve an evidence-based, multidisciplinary approach to improve perioperative outcomes. This study presents clinical outcomes of a metastatic spine tumor ERAS pathway implemented at a tertiary cancer center.

Patient-Reported Outcomes and Opioid Use by Outpatient Cancer Patients.

Unlabelled: The Memorial Sloan Kettering Pain Registry contains patient characteristics, treatments, and outcomes for a prospective cohort of 1,534 chronic pain cancer patients who were seen at outpatient pain service clinics. Average pain intensity (Brief Pain Inventory) was reported as mild by 24.6% of patients, moderate by 41.

The Tri-Institutional Pain Registry-Analysis of Outpatient Pain Management at a Specialized Cancer Center.

Objectives: The Outpatient Pain Clinics at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center participated in developing a pain registry to gain insight on the referral and management of cancer pain as related to demographic information, cancer history, prescription records, and interventional pain procedures stored in the institutional database.

Methods: Five cohorts (subsets of one another) were defined and compared to describe demographics and differences in management and outcomes by age, race, sex, and cancer type. Clinic patients were compared with the entire institution to determine factors associated with better pain relief and reduced side effects.

Intrathecal pain pump infusions for intractable cancer pain: an algorithm for dosing without a neuraxial trial.

Background: Patients with pain from advanced cancer often have limited life expectancy. Undergoing an epidural trial for placement of an intrathecal pump in these selected patients can exhaust limited days of life. We sought to analyze historical data at our cancer center to develop an algorithm to predict initial intrathecal pump dosing based on the starting preimplant systemic opioid regimen, thus averting an epidural trial and minimizing hospital stay.

Acupuncture is a feasible treatment for post-thoracotomy pain: results of a prospective pilot trial.

Background: Thoracotomy is associated with severe pain that may persist for years. Acupuncture is a complementary therapy with a proven role in pain control. A randomized trial showed that acupuncture was effective in controlling pain after abdominal surgery, but the efficacy of this technique for the treatment of thoracotomy pain has not been established.