Multimodal Pain Control Utilizing Buprenorphine for Robotic-assisted Laparoscopic Prostatectomy: A Quality Improvement Comparison to Conventional Opioid Management.

INTRODUCTION: This study investigated the effectiveness of buprenorphine as an alternative to the use of conventional opioids perioperatively in an effort to help mitigate the impact of the use of perioperative conventional opioids for patients undergoing robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy. METHODS: Outcomes of patients with localized prostate cancer undergoing robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy were examined before and after implementation of novel quality improvement study that included receiving buprenorphine compared to conventional opioids for pain control intraoperatively and postoperatively. The primary end point was adequate pain control with secondary end points being analgesic consumption at home, opioid-related side effects, and patient satisfaction. RESULTS: When analyzing the secondary end point of oral morphine milligram equivalents, the buprenorphine group received significantly less morphine milligram equivalent compared to the conventional opioid group (15.19 vs 47.91, P = .006). The buprenorphine group also had lower reported pain scores at discharge (4.3; scale 1-10) compared to the conventional opioid group (5.4), though this did not reach significance (P = .069). In the buprenorphine group, 76.9% strongly agreed that their pain was adequately controlled in the hospital compared to 57.5% of the conventional opioid group (P = .223). There was no difference in overall satisfaction at postoperative day 5 (P = .358). CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates buprenorphine's analgesic capabilities to maintain adequate pain control and patient satisfaction compared to conventional opioids during robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy, while decreasing perioperative opioid use.

Anesthesiologists as perioperative hospitalists and outcomes in patients undergoing major urologic surgery: a historical prospective, comparative effectiveness study.

BACKGROUND: Perioperative care has been identified as an area of wide variability in quality, with conflicting models, and involving multiple specialties. In 2014, the Loma Linda University Departments of Anesthesiology and Urology implemented a perioperative hospitalist service (PHS), consisting of anesthesiology-trained physicians, to co-manage patients for the entirety of their perioperative period. We hypothesized that implementation of this PHS model would result in an improvement in patient recovery. METHODS: As a quality improvement (QI) initiative, the PHS service was formed of selected anesthesiologists who received training on the core competencies for hospitalist medicine. The service was implemented following a co-management agreement to medically manage patients undergoing major urologic procedures (prostatectomy, cystectomy, and nephrectomy). Impact was assessed by comparisons to data from the year prior to PHS service implementation. Data was compared with and without propensity matching. Primary outcome marker was a reduction in length of stay. Secondary outcome markers included complication rate, return of bowel function, number of consultations, reduction in total direct patient costs, and bed days saved. RESULTS: Significant reductions in length of stay (p <  0.05) were demonstrated for all surgical procedures with propensity matching and were demonstrated for cystectomy and nephrectomy cases without. Significant reductions in complication rates and ileus were also observed for all surgical procedures post-PHS implementation. Additionally, reductions in total direct patient costs and frequency of consultations were also observed. CONCLUSIONS: Anesthesiologists can safely function as perioperative hospitalists, providing appropriate medical management, and significantly improving both patient recovery and throughput.

Pharmacological Management Options to Prevent and Reduce Ischemic Hemorrhagic Transformation.

BACKGROUND: Hemorrhagic transformation (HT) is a common and natural complication after acute ischemic stroke. The only FDA-approved treatment so far for acute ischemic stroke is rapid reperfusion with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA). Although it has been shown to exaggerate the risk and severity of HT and to be associated with increased morbidity and mortality. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this review is to discuss the multifactorial pathophysiology of hemorrhagic transformation, promising interventional targets, and pharmacological treatment options. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Understanding HT is essential to restore cerebral blood flow to ischemic brain by reperfusion therapy without causing this complication and additional brain injury. Therefore methods for the prevention and treatment of HT are needed. Although experimental studies showed promising results, clinical translation remains unsatisfactory to date.

Telemedicine pre-anesthesia evaluation: a randomized pilot trial.

OBJECTIVE: Pre-anesthesia evaluation allows discovery of conditions affecting perioperative planning, but when inadequate it may be associated with delays, cancellations, and preventable adverse events. Not all patients who could benefit will keep appointments. Telemedicine pre-anesthesia evaluation may provide for safe patient care while reducing patient inconvenience and cost. Herein we investigate the impact of telemedicine pre-anesthesia evaluation on perioperative processes. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This was a single-center prospective randomized trial in 200 adults scheduled for head and neck surgery at Loma Linda University Medical Center, Loma Linda, CA. Consenting patients not meeting criteria for telephone pre-anesthesia evaluation were randomly assigned to the in-person or telemedicine group. The primary outcome measure was inadequate evaluation caused surgical delay or cancellation. Secondary measures included prediction of difficult airway management and concordance of physical examination. RESULTS: After consent, 40 patients met criteria for telephone screening. Five patients canceled surgery, none for inadequate pre-anesthesia evaluation; thus 155 were randomized. Delay occurred in 1 telemedicine patient awaiting results performed outside our system. Missing documentation at the time of the visit was less common for telemedicine. Difficult airway management was predicted equally but had low positive predictive value. Heart and lung examinations were highly concordant with day of surgery documentation. Patients and providers were highly satisfied with both evaluation modalities. CONCLUSIONS: Telemedicine and in-person evaluations were equivalent, with high patient and provider satisfaction. Telemedicine provides potential patient time and cost saving benefits without more day of surgery delay in our system. A prospective trial of patients from multiple surgical specialty clinics is warranted.

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor treatment provides neuroprotection in surgically induced brain injured mice.

Surgically induced brain injury (SBI) is a common concern after a neurosurgical procedure. Current treatments aimed at reducing the postoperative sequela are limited. Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), a hematopoietic growth factor involved in the inflammatory process, has been shown in various animal models to be neuroprotective. Consequently, in this study, we investigated the use of G-CSF as a treatment modality to reduce cell death and brain edema, while improving neurobehavioral deficits following an SBI in mice. Eleven-week-old C57 black mice (n=76) were randomly placed into four groups: sham (n=19), SBI (n=21), SBI with G-CSF pre-treatment (n=15) and SBI with G-CSF pre/post-treatment (n=21). Treated groups received a single dose of G-CSF intraperitoneally at 24, 12 and 1 h pre-surgery and/or 6 and 12 h post-surgery. Postoperative assessment occurred at 24 h and included neurobehavioral testing and measurement for both cell death and brain edema. Results indicated that pre-treatment with G-CSF reduced both cell death and brain edema, while post-treatment reduced neurobehavioral deficits. This study implies that the morphological changes in the brain are effected by pre-treatment; however, in order to activate and/or amplify targets involved in the recovery process, more dosing regimens may be needed.

Isoflurane posttreatment reduces brain injury after an intracerebral hemorrhagic stroke in mice.

BACKGROUND: Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a devastating stroke subtype affecting 120,000 Americans annually. Of those affected, 40%to 50% will die within the first 30 days, whereas the survivors are left with a lifetime of neurobehavioral disabilities. Recently, it has been shown that volatile anesthetics such as isoflurane can reduce brain injury after an ischemic stroke. As a result, in this study, we investigated the effects of isoflurane as a posttreatment therapeutic modality in ICH-injured mice. Specifically, we investigated whether isoflurane posttreatment can preserve the structural integrity of the brain by reducing apoptotic damage and, in turn, improve functional outcome by amelioration of brain edema and neurobehavioral deficits. METHODS: Male CD1 mice (n = 53) were divided into the following groups: sham (n = 14), ICH (n = 14), ICH treated with 1.5% isoflurane posttreatment for 1 hour (n = 15), and ICH treated with 1.5% isoflurane posttreatment for 2 hours (n = 10). The blood injection ICH model was adapted; this involved extracting autologous blood from the mouse tail and injecting it directly into the right basal ganglia. One hour after surgery, treated mice were placed in a glass chamber maintained at 37°C and infused with 1.5% isoflurane for 1 or 2 hours. At 24 hours postinjury, mice were assessed for neurobehavioral deficits using the Modified Garcia Score and then killed and assessed for brain water content. Double immunofluorescent staining was performed using neuronal marker MAP-2 and TUNEL under a fluorescent microscope to assess for apoptosis. RESULTS: Our results indicated that after 1-hour 1.5% isoflurane posttreatment, there was a significant reduction in brain edema, a decrease in apoptotic cell death, and a significant improvement in neurobehavioral deficits. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that isoflurane may be an effective posttreatment therapeutic option for ICH because of its ability to reduce structural damage and subsequently preserve functional integrity.

The antioxidant effects of melatonin in surgical brain injury in rats.

BACKGROUND: Surgical brain injury (SBI) to normal brain tissue can occur as inevitable sequelae of neurosurgical operations. SBI can contribute to post-operative complications such as brain edema following blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption leading to neurological deficits. Melatonin is a commonly used drug with known antioxidant properties and neuroprotective effects in experimental animal studies (Chen et al., J Pineal Res 41:175-182, 2006; Chen et al., J Pineal Res 40(3):242-250, 2006; Cheung, J Pineal Res 34:153-160, 2003; Lee et al., J Pineal Res 42(3):297-309, 2007; Reiter et al., Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 230(2):104-117, 2005). METHODS: We tested different concentrations of melatonin (5 mg/kg, 15 mg/kg and 150 mg/kg) administered 1 hour before surgery for neuroprotection against SBI using a rodent model. Post-operative assessment included brain water content (brain edema), lipid peroxidation assays (oxidative stress), and neurological assessment. FINDINGS: The results showed a trend in decreasing brain edema with lower doses of melatonin (5 mg/kg and 15 mg/ kg), however, high concentration of melatonin (150 mg/kg) significantly increased brain edema compared to all other groups. This deleterious effect of high-dose melatonin was also observed in lipid-peroxidation assay wherein lower-dose melatonin (15 mg/kg) attenuated oxidative stress, but high-dose melatonin (150 mg/kg) increased oxidative stress as compared to vehicle-treated group. Furthermore, high-dose melatonin also worsened neurological outcomes compared to other groups whereas; the low-dose melatonin group (15 mg/kg) showed some improved neurological parameters. CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests that low-dose melatonin may provide neuroprotective effects against SBI. Further studies are needed to confirm this. More importantly, the findings of the study stress the need to carefully reassess safety issues with high doses of melatonin, which is considered to be a practically non-toxic drug.

The postoperative care of adult patients exposed to deep hypothermic circulatory arrest.

Deep hypothermic circulatory arrest with cardiopulmonary bypass is indicated for complex surgical operations in adult patients involving the aortic arch, thoracoabdominal aorta, cerebral vasculature, and tumors extending into the vena cava and heart. Understanding the principles of ischemic-reperfusion injury and the effects of hypothermia in attenuating this process is fundamental to the delivery of effective postoperative care. Neurologic injury is the most troublesome adverse effect after the use of deep hypothermic circulatory arrest and cardiopulmonary bypass, presenting as either a transient neurologic deficit (5.9% to 28.1%) or an irreversible neurologic injury (1.8% to 13.6%). In patients with neurological injury, early postoperative mortality is markedly increased (18.2%), and for those patients that survive, long-term cognitive disability is still evident 6 months later. Early postoperative support of organ function, along with timely diagnosis and treatment of organ injury, is essential in minimizing perioperative morbidity, particularly neurologic morbidity. Meticulous management of fluids, maintaining stable cardiovascular hemodynamics with particular attention to systolic blood pressure, optimizing oxygen delivery, limiting ventilator-associated lung injury, intensive insulin therapy for control of blood glucose levels, and avoidance of hyperthermia are essential in limiting organ injury and reducing perioperative morbidity and mortality.