Objective The study aimed to (1) quantify readmission rates and common causes of readmission following endoscopic transsphenoidal pituitary surgery (ETPS); (2) identify risk factors that may predict readmission within 30 days; (3) assess postoperative care coordination with endocrinology follow-up; and (4) identify patients for whom targeted interventions may reduce 30-day readmissions. Methods Retrospective quality improvement review of patients with pituitary adenoma who underwent ETPS from December 2010 to 2018 at a single tertiary care center. Results A total of 409 patients were included in the study, of which 57 (13.9%) were readmitted within 30 days. Hyponatremia was the most common cause of readmission (4.2%) followed by pain/headache (3.9%), cerebrospinal fluid leak (3.4%), epistaxis (2.7%), hypernatremia (1.2%), and adrenal insufficiency (1.2%). Patients with hyponatremia were readmitted significantly earlier than other causes (4.3 ± 2.2 vs. 10.6 ± 10.9 days from discharge, p = 0.032). Readmitted patients had significantly less frequent outpatient follow-up with an endocrinologist than the nonreadmitted cohort (56.1 vs. 70.5%, p = 0.031). Patients who had outpatient follow-up with an endocrinologist were at lower risk of readmission compared with those without (odds ratio: 0.46; 95% confidence interval: 0.24–0.88). Conclusion Delayed hyponatremia is one of the most common causes of 30-day readmission following ETPS. Postoperative follow-up with an endocrinologist may reduce risk of 30-day readmission following ETPS. Implications for Clinical Practice A multidisciplinary team incorporating otolaryngologist, neurosurgeons, and endocrinologist may identify patients at risk of 30-day readmissions. Protocols checking serum sodium within 1 week of surgery in conjunction with endocrinologist to tailor fluid restriction may reduce readmissions from delayed hyponatremia.

Objective Perineural invasion (PNI) negatively affects disease-specific survival in patients with head and neck cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (HNcSCC). We aim to analyze the prognostic implications of PNI-related features. Study Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Academic tertiary care hospital. Methods Retrospective chart review was performed on 104 patients diagnosed with HNcSCC between January 2011 and October 2019 who underwent resection, parotidectomy, and neck dissection with more than 1 year of follow-up. PNI was classified as incidental (identified on histopathology alone) or clinical (present on radiography and/or physical exam). Primary outcome measures were overall survival and disease-free survival (DFS). Kaplan-Meier analysis, logistic regression, and Cox regression were performed. Results The overall 5-year DFS was 57.9%. Sixty-one patients had PNI. On histopathology, 28 lesions showed complete nerve encirclement, 10 involved >5 nerves, and 12 involved named nerves. Patients with facial weakness ( P = .026) and positive margins ( P = .0029) had a higher likelihood of histopathologic PNI, and positive margins retained significance on multivariable analysis ( P = .0079). Worse DFS was seen in patients with PNI ( P = .004), advanced tumor stage ( P = .049), positive margins ( P = .014), and >5 nerves involved ( P = .0061). Furthermore, histopathologic PNI was a predictor of DFS (hazard ratio [HR], 3.07; 95% CI, 0.33-1.38; P = .0061) overall and in the clinical PNI cohort (HR, 3.43; 95% CI, 1.65-7.10; P = .00091). Conclusion DFS was significantly worse in patients with PNI, facial nerve weakness, advanced T stage, positive margins, and multiple nerve involvement. Further characterization of PNI features may help improve prognostic predictions and identify patients who may benefit from more aggressive treatment.

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Introduction Iatrogenic bilateral vocal fold immobility (BVFI) often arises from posterior glottic stenosis (PGS) after endotracheal intubation, whereby posterior commissure mucosal disruption leads to fibrosis and ankylosis of the cricoarytenoid joints. Sequelae can be devastating, resulting in dyspnea, stridor, and death due to asphyxiation. Objectives We sought to review features associated with PGS to better understand how to prevent this condition. A secondary aim is to analyze factors correlating to tracheostomy dependence. Methods Charts from January 2010 to November 2020 were retrospectively reviewed, and adult patients with the diagnosis of BVFI after intubation were included. Data on comorbidities, duration of intubation, laryngoscopy, and decannulation status was analyzed. Results Out of the 68 patients included in the present study, 60.3% were male, and the mean duration of intubation 14.3 ± 8.5 days. A total of 94% of the patients were intubated for at least 7 days, diabetic, and/or obese. Although association with prolonged intubation >7 days was not significant (p = 0.064), complete BVFI on fiberoptic exam (n = 47) was significantly associated with tracheostomy dependence both in the entire cohort (p = 0.036) and in the 56 patients with tracheostomy (p = 0.0086). Patients without cardiovascular disease (CVD) were less likely to be tracheostomy dependent compared with those with CVD (odds ratio [OR]: 0.23 [0.053–0.79]; p = 0.028). Conclusions We identified duration of intubation, DM, and obesity as potential risk factors for PGS. Complete immobility and CVD were significantly associated with tracheostomy dependence. Our findings may have important implications for earlier tracheostomy in high-risk intubated patients, as well as for closer monitoring of disease progression and earlier intervention in those predisposed to tracheostomy dependence.

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