Choanal atresia (CA) is a relatively uncommon but well-recognized condition characterized by the anatomical closure of the posterior choanae in the nasal cavity. Since the original description back in the early eighteenth century, there have been controversies regarding its exact pathogenesis, the optimal surgical approach, and the use of adjunct treatments such as post-surgical stenting and anti-neoplastic agents, despite of abundant literature available. The emergence and development of new technologies play a significant role in the management of this condition. This review provides a comprehensive clinical update on CA and identifies areas for future study based on the existing available literature.
Objective To examine the potential effectiveness and efficiency of different guidelines for statin treatment to reduce deaths from coronary heart disease in the Canadian population.
Objective/Hypothesis
Frailty has emerged as a powerful risk stratification tool across surgical specialties; however, an analysis of the impact of frailty on outcomes following skull base surgery has not been published. The aim of this study was to assess the validity of the 5‐factor modified frailty index (mFI‐5) as a predictor of perioperative morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing skull base surgery.
Methods
A mFI‐5 score was calculated for patients undergoing skull base surgeries using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database from 2005 to 2018. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association of increasing frailty with complications in the 30‐day postoperative period, with a subanalysis by operative location.
Results
A total of 17,912 patients who underwent skull base procedures were identified, with 45.5% of patients having a frailty score of one or greater; 44.9% were male and the mean age was 52.0 (±16.1 SD) years. Multivariable regression analysis revealed frailty to be an independent predictor of overall complications (odds ratio [OR]: 1.325, P < .001), life‐threatening complications (OR: 1.428, P < .001), and mortality (OR: 1.453, P < .001). Higher frailty also correlated with increased length of stay. When procedures were stratified by operative location, frailty correlated significantly with overall complications for middle, posterior, and multiple‐fossae operations but not the anterior fossa.
Conclusions
Frailty demonstrates a significant and stepwise association with life‐threatening postoperative morbidity, mortality, and length of stay following skull base surgeries. mFI‐5 is an objective and easily calculable measure of preoperative risk, which may facilitate perioperative planning and counseling regarding outcomes prior to surgery.
Level of Evidence
3 Laryngoscope, 131:1977–1984, 2021
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.