[Pheochromocytoma: review of the preoperative treatment and anesthesiologic technic in 14 patients]. / Feocromocitoma: revisión del tratamiento preoperatorio y técnica anestésica en 14 pacientes.

ABSTRACT

Fourteen patients operated for pheochromocytoma from 1978 to 1988 are reviewed. The preoperative treatment with adrenergic blockers is analyzed phenoxybenzamine with final doses of 10-140 mg/day (mean 55.4 mg/day) and propranolol with doses of 40-80 mg/day (mean 50 mg/day). The premedications and anesthetic techniques are compared, the use of droperidol being discouraged because of the development of hypertensive paroxysms both preoperatively and postoperatively. The new benzodiazepines are offered as an alternative. The treatment of hypertensive paroxysms with phentolamine with total doses of 2.5-35 mg and that of peroperative arrhythmias with propranolol with total doses of 1-6 mg are reported. The recently described therapeutic approaches are also discussed.