Sudden, new-onset aortic regurgitation during off pump coronary bypass surgery.

During off pump coronary artery bypass grafting surgery, it is common to observe mitral or tricuspid regurgitation due to heart displacement. But it's very unusual to notice new onset aortic regurgitation in OPCABG.

Perioperative implications of Coronary-cameral fistula.

Coronary-cameral fistulas (CCFs) are mostly congenital in origin and rarely acquired. Clinical symptoms are decided by the hemodynamic significance of the coronary fistula. Even in asymptomatic patients, it is essential to know about coronary CCF particularly if the patient is to undergo cardiac surgery with cardioplegic cardiac arrest. Incidental finding of coronary CCF should never be ignored. Intraoperative myocardial protection and methods used are significantly influenced by such fistula.

Ipsilateral foot drop after aortobifemoral bypass.

Peripheral nerves can be injured by a direct result of the anesthetic technique of regional anesthesia or it can be contributed/compounded by poor perioperative positioning and padding, tourniquets, and the nature of surgery and diseases affecting the microvasculature of nerves. We present a case of perioperative peripheral nerve injuries which could not be explained by anesthesia technique nor surgery per se.

Perioperative management in a patient with panhypopituitarism - evidence based approach: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Hypopituitarism is characterized by partial or complete deficiency of vital endocrinological hormones such as steroid and thyroid hormones. Generally, normal individual can exhibit 2- to 10-folds rise in serum cortisol levels during stressful period. But patients with panhypopituitarism are more prone to develop metabolic and haemodynamic instability particularly during stressful perioperative period. This can potentially increase significant morbidity and mortality. CASE SUMMARY: A 62-year-old female patient presented with breathlessness on exertion. Her coronary angiography revealed critical triple vessel coronary artery disease, and she was scheduled for coronary artery bypass grafting surgery. She had been diagnosed with Sheehan's syndrome (postpartum hypopituitarism) since 20 years. She was taking steroid and thyroxine regularly. After uneventful off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting surgery, patient had severe haemodynamic compromise with Addisonian crisis in the post-operative phase. Left ventricular dysfunction was refractory to maximal inotropic therapy. Addisonian crisis was treated with higher 'Stress doses' of intravenous hydrocortisone and routine oral thyroxin. DISCUSSION: Acute Addisonian crisis after stressful surgery is a life-threatening complication. Evidence-based approach plays an important role in appropriate biochemical assessments and specific therapeutic decisions regarding hormonal over-replacement or under-replacement in the perioperative period.

Massive subcutaneous emphysema after off-pump coronary bypass surgery.

Subcutaneous emphysema is a condition when air gets accumulated into the tissues under the skin and in the soft tissues of the chest wall or neck but can also spread to other parts of the body. It generally causes minimal symptoms and nonlethal; sometimes, it may be severe and life-threatening if deeper tissues of the thoracic outlet and chest are involved. It is essential to know the mechanisms of subcutaneous emphysema after cardiac surgery.

Guillain-Barré syndrome after cardiac surgery: diagnostic dilemma.

Guillain-Barré Syndrome after cardiac surgery is very uncommon. Mechanism remains elusive although immunological reaction post surgery has been postulated. This disease can potentially increase the morbidity of the postoperative patients and generally cannot be explained by the cardiac disease or interventions. It is very much essential to diagnose the condition as appropriate management can substantially and profoundly change the course of treatment.

Aortic regurgitation after chemoport catheter insertion: Diagnostic dilemma.

Catheter insertion in central vein can potentially cause accidental arterial injury. However it is very unusual to see such catheter in aorta causing aortic regurgitation. Pressure monitoring and Ultrasound guidance can reliably prevent accidental arterial puncture.

Superior vena cava clamping during thoracic surgery: Implications for the anesthesiologist.

Resection and reconstruction of the SVC is a challenging Intraoperative situation owing to the potential complications after clamping a patent vessel. Hemodynamic imbalance and neurological effects of SVC clamping can be life threatening. These complications can be prevented by careful intraoperative monitoring and management. Anaesthesiologist must be aware of different options to manage such challenging situations.

Inadequate venous drainage-transesophageal echocardiography as rescue.

Malposition of venous cannula can cause inadequate venous drainage during cardiopulmonary bypass. It would be good clinical practice to use TEE to check the position of inferior venous cannula to avoid this problem at the earliest.

Perioperative management of combined coronary bypass surgery and thyroidectomy.

Significant swelling of the thyroid compromising the airway can be a challenging situation when combined thyroidectomy and cardiac surgery is planned. Induction, intubation, intraoperative management, and extubation require special attention in such cases.

Left atrial myxoma with biventricular dysfunction.

Occurrence of left atrial myxoma with severe ventricular dysfunction without any obstructive coronary artery disease, as presented in our case, is very rare. It may be due to undiagnosed concomitant dilated cardiomyopathy or unknown cardiodepressant effect of myxoma which warrants further research.