The Year in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia: Selected Highlights From 2023.

This special article is the 16th in an annual series for the Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia. The authors thank the editor-in-chief, Dr. Kaplan, and the editorial board for the opportunity to continue this series, namely the research highlights of the past year in the specialty of cardiothoracic and vascular anesthesiology. The major themes selected for 2023 are outlined in this introduction, and each highlight is reviewed in detail in the main article. The literature highlights in the specialty for 2023 begin with an update on perioperative rehabilitation in cardiothoracic surgery, with a focus on novel methods to best assess patients in the preoperative and postoperative periods, and the impact of rehabilitation on outcomes. The second major theme is focused on cardiac surgery, with the authors discussing new insights into inhaled pulmonary vasodilators, coronary revascularization surgery, and discussion of causes of coronary graft failure after surgery. The third theme is focused on cardiothoracic transplantation, with discussions focusing on bridge-to-transplantation strategies. The fourth theme is focused on mechanical circulatory support, with discussions focusing on both temporary and durable support. The fifth and final theme is an update on medical cardiology, with a focus on outcomes of invasive approaches to heart disease. The themes selected for this article are only a few of the diverse advances in the specialty during 2023. These highlights will inform the reader of key updates on various topics, leading to improved perioperative outcomes for patients with cardiothoracic and vascular disease.

Tacrolimus-Induced Akinetic Mutism or Epidural Catheter Migration: A Case Report.

Differential diagnosis of the underlying cause of new-onset total body paralysis can be challenging and unsatisfying. In akinetic mutism, a rare side effect of tacrolimus, patients become apathetic, mute, and lose voluntary muscle movement. Epidural subarachnoid migration can present with similar symptoms. Delayed emergence/paralysis after anesthesia can include the common culprits of residual operative medications, stroke, as well as tacrolimus-induced akinetic mutism and thoracic epidural migration. We present a case of new-onset total body paralysis, presenting on postoperative day 1 following a double-lung transplant in a patient started on tacrolimus with a thoracic epidural catheter in place.

A Case Report of Spinal Anesthesia for Cerclage Placement in the Setting of Severe Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy.

Neuraxial anesthesia is preferred over general anesthesia in obstetric patients to avoid airway manipulation, aspiration, and maternal-fetal transfer of medications; however, a sudden sympathetic block is generally avoided in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM). The case of a 31-year-old G2P0010 with HOCM with severe resting left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction and systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve undergoing a cerclage under choroprocaine spinal anesthesia is presented. Risks and benefits of general versus neuraxial anesthesia, and epidural versus spinal anesthesia, in this specific setting are reviewed.

Diagnostic Performance of Airway Ultrasound for the Assessment of Difficult Laryngoscopy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to review and appraise the evidence regarding airway ultrasound assessment in predicting difficult laryngoscopy in adult patients. DESIGN: A systematic review of the literature was conducted according to the Cochrane collaboration guidelines and the recommendations for the systematic review and meta-analysis of diagnostic studies. Observational studies that evaluated the diagnostic performance of airway ultrasound for the prediction of difficult laryngoscopy were included for consideration. SETTING: Literature searches were performed in 4 databases (PubMed [Medline], Embase, Clinical Trials, and Google Scholar) to identify all observational studies using any ultrasound technique to assess difficult laryngoscopy. The search terms included "sonography," "ultrasound," "airway," "difficult airway," "difficult laryngoscopy," "Cormack," "risk factors," "ultrasound at the point of care," "difficult ventilation," "difficult intubation" and others, combined with sensitive filters. The search was done for studies performed in the last 20 years in English or Spanish. PARTICIPANTS: Adult patients older than 18 years old under general anesthesia for an elective procedure. Evident anatomic airway abnormalities, obstetric populations, those using an alternative imaging method besides ultrasound, and animal studies were excluded. INTERVENTIONS: Preoperative bedside ultrasound measuring distances and ratios from the skin to different reference points, such as the ratio of the hyomental distance in a neutral position (HMDN) and hyomental distance in extension (HMDR), HMDN, and the skin-to-epiglottis distance (SED), the preepiglottic area, and tongue thickness, among others. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: A total of 24 studies evaluated the prediction of a difficult laryngoscopy using airway ultrasound. The diagnostic performance and the number of ultrasound parameters reported in the studies were variable. Meta-analysis was performed for 3 measurements consistently included in most studies. The SED and the HMDR ratio presented a sensitivity of 75% and 61%, respectively, and a specificity of 86% and 88%, respectively. The ratio of the preepiglottic distance to the epiglottic distance at the midpoint of the vocal cords (pre-E/E-VC) presented the best performance for predicting a difficult laryngoscopy (sensitivity: 82%, specificity: 83%, diagnostic odds ratio: 22.2). CONCLUSION: With the currently available evidence, the 3 commonly used point-of-care ultrasound measures used to identify difficult laryngoscopy, (SED, HMDR, and pre-E/E-VC), showed better sensitivity and similar specificity to clinical measures. Future studies and more data may change the authors' confidence in these conclusions, given the wide variability of measurements noted in studies.

The Year in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia: Selected Highlights from 2022.

This special article is the 15th in an annual series for the Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia. The authors thank the editor-in-chief Dr. Kaplan and the editorial board for the opportunity to continue this series, namely the research highlights of the past year in the specialties of cardiothoracic and vascular anesthesiology. The major themes selected for 2022 are outlined in this introduction, and each highlight is reviewed in detail in the main body of the article. The literature highlights, in the specialties for 2022, begin with an update on COVID-19 therapies, with a focus on the temporal updates in a wide range of therapies, progressing from medical to the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and, ultimately, with lung transplantation in this high-risk group. The second major theme is focused on medical cardiology, with the authors discussing new insights into the life cycle of coronary disease, heart failure treatments, and outcomes related to novel statin therapy. The third theme is focused on mechanical circulatory support, with discussions focusing on both right-sided and left-sided temporary support outcomes and the optimal timing of deployment. The fourth and final theme is an update on cardiac surgery, with a discussion of the diverse aspects of concomitant valvular surgery and the optimal approach to procedural treatment for coronary artery disease. The themes selected for this 15th special article are only a few of the diverse advances in the specialties during 2022. These highlights will inform the reader of key updates on a variety of topics, leading to the improvement of perioperative outcomes for patients with cardiothoracic and vascular disease.

The Year in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia: Selected Highlights from 2021.

This special article is the fourteenth in an annual series for the Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia. The authors thank the Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Kaplan, and the editorial board for the opportunity to continue this series; namely, the research highlights of the past year in the specialty of cardiothoracic and vascular anesthesiology. The major themes selected for 2021 are outlined in this introduction, and each highlight is reviewed in detail in the main body of the article. The literature highlights in the specialty for 2021 begin with an update on structural heart disease, with a focus on updates in arrhythmia and aortic valve disorders. The second major theme is an update on coronary artery disease, with discussion of both medical and procedural management. The third major theme is focused on the perioperative management of patients with COVID-19, with the authors highlighting literature discussing the impact of the disease on the right ventricle and thromboembolic events. The fourth and final theme is an update in heart failure, with discussion of diverse aspects of this area. The themes selected for this fourteenth special article are only a few of the diverse advances in the specialty during 2021. These highlights will inform the reader of key updates on a variety of topics, leading to improvement of perioperative outcomes for patients with cardiothoracic and vascular disease.

Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) for the Cardiothoracic Anesthesiologist.

Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) is a valuable bedside diagnostic tool for a variety of expeditious clinical assessments or as guidance for a multitude of acute care procedures. Varying aspects of nearly all organ systems can be evaluated using POCUS and, with the increasing availability of affordable ultrasound systems over the past decade, many now refer to POCUS as the 21st-century stethoscope. With the current available and growing evidence for the clinical value of POCUS, its utility across the perioperative arena adds enormous benefit to clinical decision-making. Cardiothoracic anesthesiologists routinely have used portable ultrasound systems for nearly as long as the technology has been available, making POCUS applications a natural extension of existing cardiothoracic anesthesia practice. This narrative review presents a broad discussion of the utility of POCUS for the cardiothoracic anesthesiologist in varying perioperative contexts, including the preoperative clinic, the operating room (OR), intensive care unit (ICU), and others. Furthermore, POCUS-related education, competence, and certification are addressed.

Perioperative Implications of the 2020 American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Patients with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: A Focused Review.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a complex disease with significant implications for patients and the physicians called upon to care for them during the perioperative period. In this article, the 2020 American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology clinical practice guidelines for the evaluation and management of pediatric and adult patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy are reviewed, with a particular focus on perioperative considerations for the anesthesiologist.

The Year in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia: Selected Highlights from 2020.

THIS SPECIAL article is the 13th in an annual series for the Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia. The authors thank the editor-in-chief, Dr Kaplan, and the editorial board for the opportunity to continue this series; namely, the research highlights of the past year in the specialty of cardiothoracic and vascular anesthesiology.1 The major themes selected for 2020 are outlined in this introduction, and each highlight is reviewed in detail in the main body of the article. The literature highlights in the specialty for 2020 begin with an update on valvular disease, with a focus on updates in management of aortic and mitral valve disorders. The second major theme is an update on coronary artery disease, with discussion of both medical and surgical management. The third major theme is focused on the perioperative management of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), with the authors highlighting literature discussing medical, surgical, and anesthetic considerations for their cardiac care. The fourth major theme is an update in heart failure, with discussion of medical, psychosocial, and procedural aspects of this complicated disease process. The fifth and final theme focuses on the latest analyses regarding survival in heart transplantation. The themes selected for this 13th special article are only a few of the diverse advances in the specialty during 2020. These highlights will inform the reader of key updates on a variety of topics, leading to improvement of perioperative outcomes for patients with cardiothoracic and vascular disease.