Publicaties
Quality indicators for ambulatory colectomy: literature search and expert consensus KU Leuven
BACKGROUND: Care for patients undergoing elective colectomy has become increasingly standardized using Enhanced Recovery Programs (ERP). ERP, encorporating minimally invasive surgery (MIS), decreased postoperative morbidity and length of stay (LOS). However, disruptive changes are needed to safely introduce colectomy in an ambulatory or same-day discharge (SDD) setting. Few research groups showed the feasibility of ambulatory colectomy. So far, ...
The FlaQuM-Quickscan: A starting point to include primary care professionals’ perspectives in the evaluation of hospital quality priorities KU Leuven
INTRODUCTION: Today, primary care professionals' (PCPs) perspectives on hospital quality are unknown when evaluating hospital quality priorities. The aims of the present study were to identify key healthcare quality attributes from PCPs' perspective, to validate an instrument that measures PCPs' experiences of healthcare quality multidimensionally and to define hospital quality priorities based on PCPs' experiences. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Focus ...
The effect of anterior quadratus lumborum block on morphine consumption in minimally invasive colorectal surgery: a multicentre, double-blind, prospective randomised placebo-controlled trial KU Leuven
We investigated the efficacy and safety of a bilateral anterior quadratus lumborum block in patients undergoing minimally invasive colorectal surgery. This was a two-centre, double-blind, prospective, randomised, placebo-controlled trial including 150 patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal surgery (left- or right hemicolectomy, sigmoidectomy) who were enrolled in the institutional abdominal enhanced recovery programme. Before induction of ...
Digital postoperative follow-up after colorectal resection: a multi-center preliminary qualitative study on a patient reporting and monitoring application KU Leuven
The development of minimally invasive colorectal surgery in the last decades led to a decrease in length of hospital stay. However, readmission and postoperative complications were still observed. Several studies have shown that close postoperative follow-up is required to decrease postoperative morbidity through patient education and by detecting early signs of complications. To help in this task, multiple monitoring programs have been set up ...
Uterine retroversion and gluteal transposition flap for postoperative perineal evisceration after extralevator abdominoperineal resection KU Leuven
Anal squamous cell carcinoma (ASCC) is the most common histological subtype of malignant tumor affecting the anal canal. Chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is the first-line treatment in nearly all cases, ensuring complete clinical response in up to 80% of patients. Abdominoperineal resection (APR) is typically reserved as salvage therapy in those patients with persistent or recurrent tumor after CRT. In locally advanced tumors, an extralevator ...
Message to junior and less junior clinicians: let the core values of care guide your leadership! KU Leuven
Recently, I experienced what care is all about. I became a patient and noticed that my field of expertise, quality of care and patient safety, is not that easy in daily practice. In this Leadership in the Mirror, I reflect on my own experience and describe how four core values of care can hopefully guide the leadership of junior and less junior clinicians. The essay is adapted from the commencement speech I gave in June 2022 at the Faculty of ...
Sustainable quality management in hospitals: The experiences of healthcare quality managers KU Leuven
BACKGROUND: Quality management systems are essential in hospitals, but evidence shows a real literature gap on the sustainable implementation of quality. PURPOSE: This study aimed to explore and identify enablers towards sustainable quality management in hospitals. Research design and Study Sample: Interviews were conducted with 23 healthcare quality managers from 20 hospitals. Data collection and/or Analysis: Data collection and analysis were ...
Single cell dynamics of tumor specificity vs bystander activity in CD8+ T cells define the diverse immune landscapes in colorectal cancer KU Leuven
CD8+ T cell activation via immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) is successful in microsatellite instable (MSI) colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. By comparison, the success of immunotherapy against microsatellite stable (MSS) CRC is limited. Little is known about the most critical features of CRC CD8+ T cells that together determine the diverse immune landscapes and contrasting ICB responses. Hence, we pursued a deep single cell mapping of CRC CD8+ T ...