Practice Advisory for Preoperative and Intraoperative Pain Management of Cardiac Surgical Patients: Part 2.

Pain after cardiac surgery is of moderate to severe intensity, which increases postoperative distress and health care costs, and affects functional recovery. Opioids have been central agents in treating pain after cardiac surgery for decades. The use of multimodal analgesic strategies can promote effective postoperative pain control and help mitigate opioid exposure. This Practice Advisory is part of a series developed by the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists (SCA) Quality, Safety, and Leadership (QSL) Committee's Opioid Working Group. It is a systematic review of existing literature for various interventions related to the preoperative and intraoperative pain management of cardiac surgical patients. This Practice Advisory provides recommendations for providers caring for patients undergoing cardiac surgery. This entails developing customized pain management strategies for patients, including preoperative patient evaluation, pain management, and opioid use-focused education as well as perioperative use of multimodal analgesics and regional techniques for various cardiac surgical procedures. The literature related to this field is emerging, and future studies will provide additional guidance on ways to improve clinically meaningful patient outcomes.

Considerations on the Management of Acute Postoperative Ischemia After Cardiac Surgery: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.

Acute postoperative myocardial ischemia (PMI) after cardiac surgery is an infrequent event that can evolve rapidly and become a potentially life-threatening complication. Multiple factors are associated with acute PMI after cardiac surgery and may vary by the type of surgical procedure performed. Although the criteria defining nonprocedural myocardial ischemia are well established, there are no universally accepted criteria for the diagnosis of acute PMI. In addition, current evidence on the management of acute PMI after cardiac surgery is sparse and generally of low methodological quality. Once acute PMI is suspected, prompt diagnosis and treatment are imperative, and options range from conservative strategies to percutaneous coronary intervention and redo coronary artery bypass grafting. In this document, a multidisciplinary group including experts in cardiac surgery, cardiology, anesthesiology, and postoperative care summarizes the existing evidence on diagnosis and treatment of acute PMI and provides clinical guidance.

Practice Advisory for Preoperative and Intraoperative Pain Management of Thoracic Surgical Patients: Part 1.

Pain after thoracic surgery is of moderate-to-severe intensity and can cause increased postoperative distress and affect functional recovery. Opioids have been central agents in treating pain after thoracic surgery for decades. The use of multimodal analgesic strategies can promote effective postoperative pain control and help mitigate opioid exposure, thus preventing the risk of developing persistent postoperative pain. This practice advisory is part of a series developed by the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists (SCA) Quality, Safety, and Leadership (QSL) Committee's Opioid Working Group. It is a systematic review of existing literature for various interventions related to the preoperative and intraoperative pain management of thoracic surgical patients and provides recommendations for providers caring for patients undergoing thoracic surgery. This entails developing customized pain management strategies for patients, which include preoperative patient evaluation, pain management, and opioid use-focused education as well as perioperative use of multimodal analgesics and regional techniques for various thoracic surgical procedures. The literature related to this field is emerging and will hopefully provide more information on ways to improve clinically relevant patient outcomes and promote recovery in the future.

Pain management and opioid stewardship in adult cardiac surgery: Joint consensus report of the PeriOperative Quality Initiative and the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Cardiac Society.

BACKGROUND: Opioid-based anesthesia and analgesia is a traditional component of perioperative care for the cardiac surgery patient. Growing enthusiasm for Enhanced Recovery Programs (ERPs) coupled with evidence of potential harm associated with high-dose opioids suggests that we reconsider the role of opioids in cardiac surgery. METHODS: An interdisciplinary North American panel of experts, using a structured appraisal of the literature and a modified Delphi method, derived consensus recommendations for optimal pain management and opioid stewardship for cardiac surgery patients. Individual recommendations are graded based on the strength and level of evidence. RESULTS: The panel addressed 4 main topics: the harms associated with historical opioid use, the benefits of more targeted opioid administration, the use of nonopioid medications and techniques, and patient and provider education. A key principle that emerged is that opioid stewardship should apply to all cardiac surgery patients, entailing judicious and targeted use of opioids to achieve optimal analgesia with the fewest potential side effects. The process resulted in the promulgation of 6 recommendations regarding pain management and opioid stewardship in cardiac surgery, focused on avoiding the use of high-dose opioids, as well as encouraging more widespread application of foundational aspects of ERPs, such as the use of multimodal nonopioid medications and regional anesthesia techniques, formal patient and provider education, and structured system-level opioid prescription practices. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the available literature and expert consensus, there is an opportunity to optimize anesthesia and analgesia for cardiac surgery patients. Although additional research is needed to establish specific strategies, core principles of pain management and opioid stewardship apply to the cardiac surgery population.

An Expert Review of Chest Wall Fascial Plane Blocks for Cardiac Surgery.

The recent integration of regional anesthesia techniques into the cardiac surgical patient population has become a component of enhanced recovery after cardiac surgery pathways. Fascial planes of the chest wall enable single-injection or catheter-based infusions to spread local anesthetic over multiple levels of innervation. Although median sternotomy remains a common approach to cardiac surgery, minimally invasive techniques have integrated additional methods of performing cardiac surgery. Understanding the surgical approach and chest wall innervation is crucial to success in choosing the appropriate chest wall block. Parasternal intercostal plane techniques (previously termed "pectointercostal fascial plane" and "transversus thoracic muscle plane") provide anterior chest and ipsilateral sternal coverage. Anterolateral chest wall coverage is feasible with the interpectoral plane and pectoserratus plane blocks (previously termed "pectoralis") and superficial and deep serratus anterior plane blocks. The erector spinae plane block provides extensive coverage of the ipsilateral chest wall. Any of these techniques has the potential to provide bilateral chest wall analgesia. The relative novelty of these techniques requires ongoing research to be strategic, thoughtful, and focused on clinically meaningful outcomes to enable widespread evidence-based implementation. This review article discusses the key perspectives for performing and assessing chest wall blocks in a cardiac surgical population.

Cerebral Oximetry Fails as a Monitor of Brain Perfusion in Cardiac Surgery: A Case Report.

Cerebral oximetry is commonly being advocated as a monitor for regional cerebral tissue oxygenation during cardiac surgery. We have increasing concern about the accuracy of this monitor, including the current systems entering the market, with new probes and algorithms. We present 2 cases where cerebral oximetry failed to accurately portray cerebral oxygenation. In the current form, cerebral oximetry may at best be an expensive tool without any benefit on outcomes. In addition, it may contribute to misleading and confusing clinical data.

Case Report of an Awake Craniotomy in a Patient With Eisenmenger Syndrome.

We present a detailed report of an awake craniotomy for recurrent third ventricular colloid cyst in a patient with severe pulmonary arterial hypertension in the setting of Eisenmenger syndrome, performed 6 weeks after we managed the same patient for a more conservative procedure. This patient has a high risk of perioperative mortality and may be particularly susceptible to perioperative hemodynamic changes or fluid shifts. The risks of general anesthesia induction and emergence must be balanced against the risks inherent in an awake craniotomy on a per case basis.

Perioperative management of patients with left ventricular assist devices undergoing noncardiac surgery.

AIM: The aim of this study was to describe our institutional experience, primarily with general anesthesiologists consulting with cardiac anesthesiologists, caring for left ventricular assist device (LVAD) patients undergoing noncardiac surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective review of the population of patients with LVADs at a single institution undergoing noncardiac procedures between 2009 and 2014. Demographic, perioperative, and procedural data collected included the type of procedure performed, anesthetic technique, vasopressor requirements, invasive monitors used, anesthesia provider type, blood product management, need for postoperative intubation, postoperative disposition and length of stay, and perioperative complications including mortality. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Descriptive statistics for categorical variables are presented as frequency distributions and percentages. Continuous variables are expressed as mean ± standard deviation and range when applicable. RESULTS: During the study, 31 patients with LVADs underwent a total of 74 procedures. Each patient underwent an average of 2.4 procedures. Of the total number of procedures, 48 (65%) were upper or lower endoscopies. Considering all procedures, 81% were performed under monitored anesthesia care (MAC). Perioperative care was provided by faculty outside of the division of cardiac anesthesia in 62% of procedures. Invasive blood pressure monitoring was used in 27 (36%) procedures, and a central line, peripherally inserted central catheter or midline was in place preoperatively and used intraoperatively for 38 (51%) procedures. Vasopressors were not required in the majority (65; 88%) of procedures. There was one inhospital mortality secondary to multiorgan failure; 97% of patients survived to discharge after their procedure. CONCLUSION: At our institution, LVAD patients undergoing noncardiac procedures most frequently require endoscopy. These procedures can frequently be done safely under MAC, with or without consultation by a cardiac anesthesiologist.

Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Insertion Under Monitored Anesthesia Care in a Patient With Severe Pulmonary Hypertension.

A 32-year-old man with severe pulmonary arterial hypertension and Eisenmenger syndrome secondary to congenital ventricular septal defects presented for ventriculoperitoneal shunt insertion. Consultation between surgical and anesthesia teams acknowledged the extreme risk of performing this case, but given ongoing symptoms related to increased intracranial pressure from a large third ventricle colloid cyst, the case was deemed urgent. After a full discussion with the patient, including an explanation of anesthetic expectations and perioperative risks, the case was performed under monitored anesthesia care. Anesthetic management included high-flow nasal cannula oxygen with capnography and arterial blood pressure monitoring, dexmedetomidine infusion, boluses of midazolam and ketamine, and local anesthetic infiltration of the cranial and abdominal incisions as well as the catheter track. Hemodynamic support was provided with an epinephrine infusion, small vasopressin boluses, and inhaled nitric oxide. The patient recovered without any significant problems and was discharged home on postoperative day 3.

Orbital compartment syndrome following extracorporeal support.

Orbital compartment syndrome (OCS) is a rare, catastrophic, but potentially treatable complication. It requires prompt diagnosis and immediate intervention, as critical period for possible functional recovery is very short. This report adds to our understanding of potential mechanisms of perioperative blindness, and suggests extracorporeal circulatory support, systemic inflammatory response, and massive blood and fluid resuscitation as potential risk factors for perioperative OCS.