James R. Wallace’s research while affiliated with Medical College of Wisconsin and other places

Etiology, pathology, physiology, and treatment of a rare infectious affection epifacial to skin tissue.

Inguinal hernia repair, laparoscopic or open, is one of the most frequently performed operations in general surgery. Postoperative urinary retention (POUR) can occur in 0.2-35 % of patients after inguinal hernia repair. The primary objective of this study was to determine the incidence of POUR after inguinal hernia repair. As a secondary goal, we sought to determine whether perioperative and patient factors predicted urinary retention. This study is a retrospective review of patients who underwent inguinal hernia repair with synthetic mesh at the Medical College of Wisconsin from January 2007 to June 2012. Procedures were performed by four surgeons. Clinical information and perioperative outcomes were collected up to hospital discharge. Urinary retention was defined as need for urinary catheterization postoperatively. A total of 192 patients were included in the study (88 bilateral, 46 %) and (104 unilateral, 54 %). The majority of subjects (76 %) underwent laparoscopic repair. The overall POUR rate was 13 %, with 25 of 192 patients requiring a Foley catheter prior to discharge. POUR was significantly associated with bilateral hernia repairs (p = 0.04), BMI ≥ 35 kg/m(2) (p = 0.05) and longer operative times (p = 0.03). Based on odds ratio (OR) estimates, for every 10-min increase in operative time, an 11 % increase in the odds of urinary retention is expected (OR 1.11, CI 1.004-1.223; p = 0.04). For every 10-min increase in operative time, an 11 % increase in POUR is expected. Bilateral hernia repairs, BMI ≥ 35 kg/m(2), and operative time are significant predictors of POUR. These factors are important to determine potential risk to patients and interventions such as strict fluid administration, use of catheters, and potential premedication.

Various surgical techniques exist to create the gastrojejunostomy during laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypasses (LRYGB). A hand-sewn anastomosis (HSA) and circular-stapled anastomosis (CSA) are both common techniques. We hypothesized that the CSA was associated with a greater incidence of anastomotic complications. As a secondary aim, we sought to determine if weight loss varied by technique. This study is a retrospective review of patients who underwent primary LRYGB at the Medical College of Wisconsin from January 2010 to December 2011. Procedures were performed by one of 2 surgeons, each with a preferred gastrojejunostomy technique. Clinical information and patient outcomes were followed up to one year. A total of 190 patients underwent LRYGB during the study interval. The majority of patients underwent HSA. Forty-one of 190 (21.6%) patients experienced one or more complications. Most complications were Clavien Classification Grade III and were experienced within 30 days of surgery in 3 (2.2%) HSA patients and 6 (10.9%) CSA patients (P = .02). Anastomotic complications occurred more frequently with the CSA technique (marginal ulcer 5.5% CSA versus .7% HSA; P = .04 and stenosis 16.4% CSA versus 3% HSA; P = .01). There were no gastrojejunostomy leaks in this series. Operative time was significantly longer in HSA patients (204 minutes HSA versus 166 minutes CSA; P<.01), but length of hospital stay did not differ. Weight loss at 12 months was similar between techniques (69.4% percent excess BMI lost (EBMIL) HSA versus 76.6% EBMIL CSA; P = .11). No patients were lost to follow-up at 30 days. Thirty-five patients (19%) were lost to follow-up by one year. The CSA technique of gastrojejunostomy in gastric bypass is associated with a higher rate of nonlife threatening anastomotic complications than the HSA technique. Operative times are significantly longer for HSA, but length of hospital stay (LOS) and long-term weight loss are equivalent. Copyright © 2015 American Society for Bariatric Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Introduction: Peripheral adiposity is associated with better metabolic health and higher plasma adiponectin (ADPN) levels. Since ADPN is secreted mainly by adipose tissue (AT), it is intriguing that higher visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is associated with lower ADPN levels and poor metabolic health. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that various AT depots differ in their ability to secrete ADPN. Methods: Paired AT samples (VAT and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT)) were collected from 19 subjects (10 women, 15 obese) undergoing elective abdominal surgery. The samples were cultured and the supernatant was collected after 24 hours. ADPN levels released into the supernatant from VAT and SAT were measured using multiplex methods. Subjects were defined as obese or non-obese (NO) based on BMI > or ≤ 30kg/m2 respectively. Obese subjects were further classified as metabolically unhealthy obese (MUO) or metabolically healthy obese (MHO) based on presence or absence of type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, or cardiovascular disease at the time of surgery. Results: Mean ADPN secretion levels from SAT and VAT were similar in NO subjects (17.3 ± 3.4 vs. 9.8 ± 13.0 ng/mL/mg, p=0.5) whereas the mean ADPN secretion was lower from VAT among obese subjects (15.9 ± 0.8 vs. 4.5 ± 0.2 ng/mL/mg, p=0.0002). ADPN secretion decreased from VAT (r=-0.16) and increased from SAT (r=0.33) with increased BMI (Fig.1). When MHO and MUO were compared, ADPN secretion from VAT in MHO was reduced only slightly (16.1 ± 8.2 vs. 4.0 ± 2.0 ng/mL/mg, p=0.07) whereas ADPN secretion was significantly reduced in MUO (15.9 ± 5.3 vs. 4.7 ± 4.6 ng/mL/mg, p=0.003). Conclusions: Reduced ADPN secretion from VAT in subjects with increasing BMI may explain lower circulating ADPN levels in obese individuals. Higher ADPN production from SAT and the relatively preserved secretion of ADPN from VAT may explain metabolic health in some obese individuals. Futures studies will help identify factors that control ADPN secretion from AT.

Background As the life expectancy in the United States continues to increase, more elderly, sometimes frail patients present with sub-acute surgical conditions such as a symptomatic paraesophageal hernia (PEH). While the outcomes of PEH repair have improved largely due to the proliferation of laparoscopic surgery, there is still a defined rate of morbidity and mortality. We sought to characterize the outcomes of both elective and emergent PEH repair using a large population-based data set. Methods The Nationwide Inpatient Sample was queried for primary ICD-9 codes associated with PEH repair (years 2006–2008). Outcomes were in-hospital mortality and the occurrence of a pre-identified complication. Multivariate analysis was performed to determine the risk factors for complications and mortality following both elective and emergent PEH repair. Results A total of 8,462 records in the data, representing 41,723 patients in the US undergoing PEH repair in the study interval, were identified. Of these procedures, 74.2 % was elective and 42.4 % was laparoscopic. The overall complication and mortality rates were 20.8 and 1.1 %, respectively. Emergent repair was associated with a higher rate of morbidity (33.4 vs. 16.5 %, p

Obesity is a recognized risk factor for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Traditional antireflux surgery (fundoplication) may not be appropriate in the morbidly obese, especially when other effective alternatives exist (bariatric surgery). A 13-item survey was designed to elicit professional opinions regarding the treatment of medically refractory GERD in obese patients. Members of the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) were randomly selected and emailed a link to an online survey. A total of 550 surgeons were contacted via email, and 92 (17 %) completed the survey. Of the respondents, 88 % perform laparoscopic antireflux surgery, 63 % perform bariatric surgery, and 59 % perform both. Overall, 77 % completed a minimally invasive surgery fellowship. In response to the question "Would you perform a laparoscopic fundoplication in a patient with medically refractory GERD and a BMI of 'X'?" surgeons were less likely to offer fundoplication at a higher body mass index (BMI). The majority of respondents felt that laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass was the best option (91 %), followed by laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (6 %). Many had a morbidly obese patient with a primary surgical indication of GERD denied a bariatric procedure by their insurance company (57 %), and 35 % of those surgeons chose to do nothing rather than subject the patient to a fundoplication. Respondents uniformly felt that bariatric surgery should be recognized as a standard surgical option for treating GERD in the obese (96 %). When surgical treatment of GERD is indicated in an obese patient, bariatric surgery is the optimal approach, in the opinion of surgeons responding to our survey. Unfortunately, third-party payers often decline to provide benefits for a bariatric procedure for this indication. Additional data is necessary to confirm our belief that the opinions elicited through this survey are consistent with the standard of care as defined by the medical community.

We sought to identify the frequency and mechanisms of anemia after bariatric surgery in a bariatric surgery program at the Medical College of Wisconsin, (Milwaukee, WI). Anemia after bariatric surgery has often been attributed to iron deficiency, although an inflammatory component might be present, making the anemia after surgery mechanistically complex. The body mass index and hemoglobin (Hb), vitamin B(12), folate, iron, and ferritin levels were extracted from the records of 1125 patients for ≤4 years after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Anemia was defined using the World Health Organization criteria. The mean body mass index, Hb, and ferritin decreased after surgery. The body mass index decreased from 50.1 kg/m(2) (95% confidence interval [CI] 49.6-50.6) at baseline to 33.0 kg/m(2) (95% CI 32.3-33.6) at 12 months and remained unchanged thereafter. The Hb level decreased from 13.4 g/dL (95% CI 13.3-13.5) to 12.8 (95% CI 12.6-13.1) and ferritin from 87.5 ng/mL (95% CI 75.2-99.7) to 55.4 (95% CI 42.9-68.0) at 24-48 months, and serum iron increased from 68.4 μg/dL (95% CI 66.8-70.0) to 82.8 (95% CI 76.4-88.7); all P values were <.01. Anemia was present in 12% (95% CI 10-14%) of patients at baseline and had increased to 23% (95% CI 16-30%) at 24-48 months. The changes in ferritin, Hb, and the percentage of patients with anemia were most pronounced in premenopausal women. Vitamin B(12) and folate levels were unaffected. The baseline incidence of anemia was greater than expected and increased significantly after surgery. The percentage of those with anemia and low ferritin was most significant in premenopausal women; however, the overall iron bioavailability improved significantly with pronounced weight loss, suggesting a reduction in inflammation. These findings indicate that anemia after bariatric surgery cannot be explained on the basis of iron availability and suggest that other mechanisms, currently undefined, contribute to the development of anemia in these patients.