Usefulness of artificial endocrine pancreas during resection of insulinoma.

A 71-year-old woman had an episode of syncope due to hypoglycemia of 27 mg/dl. She was diagnosed with insulinoma and scheduled for laparoscopic enucleation along with the use of an artificial endocrine pancreas (STG-22, Nikkiso Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan). Anesthesia was maintained with sevoflurane and remifentanil. Her blood glucose level was controlled using the artificial endocrine pancreas, which enabled continuous blood glucose monitoring and computer-operated glucose and insulin infusion to maintain the blood glucose level at a steady state. The target concentration of blood glucose was set at 80-120 mg/dl during surgery. Until removal of the tumor, the blood glucose level was kept at around 80-100 mg/dl. After removal of the tumor, the blood glucose level gradually increased, but it was kept in the normal range by the artificial endocrine pancreas. The artificial endocrine pancreas was useful to monitor and maintain blood glucose levels during and after the removal of insulinoma, without any hyper- or hypoglycemia.

Trends in electrocardiographic R-wave amplitude during intraoperative pneumothorax.

Tension pneumothorax is a rare but potentially life-threating complication of laparoscopic fundoplication. Electrocardiogram (ECG) changes may be used in the diagnosis of intraoperative tension pneumothorax. This case study examines a pediatric patient who underwent laparoscopic fundoplication. Sudden decreases in oxygen saturation were observed during dissection, although the patient's decrease in blood pressure was less marked. Manual ventilation with high inspiratory pressure and inspiratory pause improved oxygenation. The amplitude of the R-wave decreased from 0.8 mV to 0.3 mV in 5 seconds. Twenty minutes later, oxygen saturation decreased again, the R-wave amplitude decreased from 0.3 mV to 0.1 mV in 1 second, and the decrease in blood pressure was marked. Manual ventilation with high inspiratory pressure improved oxygenation, blood pressure, and R-wave amplitude within two minutes. After conversion to open surgery, the cardiorespiratory condition gradually improved, but the R-wave amplitude did not fully recover, even at the end of surgery. Right-side pneumothorax was subsequently confirmed by postoperative chest X-ray. Chest drains were inserted after surgery. This case suggests that trends in R-wave amplitude are potential indicators of intraoperative tension pneumothorax.

A case of placenta percreta with massive hemorrhage during cesarean section.

We describe a case of a 39-year-old woman diagnosed with placenta percreta complicated by massive hemorrhage during a cesarean section. At 27 weeks of gestation, she underwent an emergency cesarean section under general anesthesia for vaginal bleeding and an intrauterine infection. Soon after delivery, a massive hemorrhage was encountered while attempting to separate the placenta percreta from the bladder wall. Although total abdominal hysterectomy and partial cystectomy were performed, massive hemorrhaging persisted. Bleeding was finally controlled following bilateral internal iliac artery embolization. We used a cell salvage device and a rapid infuser for hemodynamics stabilization. Total blood loss was 47,000 mL, and anesthesia time was 12 h and 47 min. The patient was discharged on the 32(nd) postoperative day without major complications. Placenta accreta can be associated with life-threatening hemorrhage and it is vital to plan accordingly preoperatively.

[Anesthesia for laser surgery of a tracheal tumor involving the carina: preservation of spontaneous breathing using remifentanil].

We describe anesthetic management of a patient with airway stenosis due to a tracheal tumor involving the carina. A 68-year-old man developed dyspnea and was scheduled for YAG laser surgery under general anesthesia. Awake fiberoptic intubation was selected for anesthesia induction, and percutaneous cardiopulmonary support (PCPS) was ready to be established prior to induction of anesthesia. Anesthesia was maintained with remifentanil (0.05 microg x kg(-1) x min(-1)) and propofol (2 mg x kg(-1) x hr(-1)), and spontaneous breathing was preserved throughout the surgical procedure. The operation was completed successfully without any adverse events, and PCPS was not used. In this patient, preservation of spontaneous breathing using remifentanil was found to be useful for airway management.