High Volume Liposuction in Tumescence Anesthesia in Lipedema Patients: A Retrospective Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Lipedema is a chronic, progressive disease that occurs almost exclusively in women and leads to pathological, painful fat growths at the extremities. Only symptomatic therapy can be offered since the etiology of the disease has not yet been clarified. Liposuction in tumescent anesthesia has established itself as a surgical treatment method of choice. The complication rate associated with the procedure and the pharmacological course and safety of treatment in patients with lipedema has not yet been sufficiently studied. The aim of the study was to broaden the evidence on the safety of ambulatory high-volume liposuction in tumescent anesthesia in lipedema patients. Influencing factors of patients (weight, fat content, comorbidities) or the process technique (drug administration, volume of aspirates) should be investigated on the safety and risks of tumescent anesthesia. This was a retrospective data analysis in which data from 27 patients (40 liposuction procedures) treated at the Sandhofer and Barsch lipedema center between 2016 and 2018 were evaluated. The liposuctions were carried out in tumescent anesthesia and using a Power-Assisted Liposuction system. Clinical examinations and regular blood samples were carried out before the procedure, intra- and postoperatively. The procedures lasted an average of 118 minutes and an average of 6111 ml of aspirate was removed. For tumescent anesthesia, patients were given an average lidocaine dose of 34.23 mg/kg body weight and an epinephrine dose of 0.11 mg/kg body weight. No relevant complications associated with drug side effects, hypovolemia or hypervolemia or blood loss were detected. Liposuction under high volume tumescent anesthesia for the treatment of lipedema patients is, even for major intervention, a safe procedure. J Drugs Dermatol. 2021;20(3):326-334. doi:10.36849/JDD.5828.

Prevention of Progression of Lipedema With Liposuction Using Tumescent Local Anesthesia: Results of an International Consensus Conference.

BACKGROUND: Lipedema is a chronic, progressive disorder of subcutaneous adipose tissue that usually affects the lower extremities of women. Also known as "two-body syndrome," the fat accumulations in lipedema are unsightly and painful. The disorder is well-known in Europe but is largely unrecognized and underdiagnosed in the United States. OBJECTIVE: To hold the First International Consensus Conference on Lipedema with the purpose of reviewing current European guidelines and the literature regarding the long-term benefits that have been reported to occur after lymph-sparing liposuction for lipedema using tumescent local anesthesia. METHODS: International experts on liposuction for lipedema were convened as part of the First International Congress on Lipedema in Vienna, Austria, June 9 to 10, 2017. RESULTS: Multiple studies from Germany have reported long-term benefits for as long as 8 years after liposuction for lipedema using tumescent local anesthesia. CONCLUSION: Lymph-sparing liposuction using tumescent local anesthesia is currently the only effective treatment for lipedema.

Use of levosimendan, a new inodilator, for postoperative myocardial stunning in a premature neonate.

OBJECTIVE: To first report the successful use of the new inodilator levosimendan in a premature infant with congestive heart failure (CHF) following cardiac surgery. Although the calcium sensitizer levosimendan improves hemodynamics in adults with CHF, no data are available on the use of levosimendan in premature infants with CHF. DESIGN: Single case report. SETTING: Twenty-bed postoperative adult and pediatric cardiac intensive care unit. PATIENT: A 32 wks gestational age, 1525-g premature male twin with transposition of the great arteries. INTERVENTIONS: The patient underwent arterial switch operation. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Immediately after operation, the patient developed signs of low cardiac output syndrome. Mixed venous saturation was 56%, serum lactate increased to 14.8 mmol/L, systolic arterial pressure was 40 mm Hg, left atrial pressure was 24 mm Hg, and echocardiography showed reduced left ventricular function with a fractional shortening of 10%. There were no signs of reduced coronary perfusion. Milrinone, dobutamine, and epinephrine did not improve hemodynamics. Levosimendan was initiated at a dose of 0.05 mug.kg.min, increased to 0.1 mug.kg.min, and continuously infused for 24 hrs. Within 6 hrs after starting the levosimendan infusion, left atrial pressure decreased to 7 mm Hg and systolic arterial pressure increased to 60 mm Hg; within 24 hrs after initiation serum lactate level normalized to 1.7 mmol/L and mixed venous saturation increased to 81%. Echocardiography revealed improvement of left ventricular function with a fractional shortening of 25%. No side effects were recognized during administration of levosimendan. CONCLUSIONS: In this premature neonate with postoperative low cardiac output syndrome due to failing myocardial function, levosimendan was a potent inotropic agent.

Arginine-vasopressin in neonates with vasodilatory shock after cardiopulmonary bypass.

UNLABELLED: Successful therapy of vasodilatory shock in adults and children with arginine-vasopressin (AVP) has been reported previously. Data on the use of vasopressin in neonates is limited. This retrospective study reports the effects of AVP-treatment in neonates with catecholamine-resistant systemic vasodilatation after cardiopulmonary bypass. From March 2003 through December 2005, 172 neonates underwent open-heart surgery, 17 developed vasopressor-resistant hypotension and were treated with AVP. Thirteen patients had a stage I palliation of single ventricle, two had a Ross-operation and two had an arterial switch operation. All patients received multiple traditional inotropes and vasopressors prior to administration of AVP. AVP was started at median 0.0001 U x kg(-1) x min(-1) (range 0.00005-0.0002) and titrated up to a maximum of median 0.0003 U x kg(-1) x min(-1) (range 0.0001-0.001). AVP led to a significant increase in blood pressure (from 49+/-8 mmHg to 69+/-7 mmHg) and the requirement of traditional vasopressors decreased significantly. No peripheral vasoconstriction or ischemia was observed. Four of 13 patients, all with single ventricle palliation, died. In two patients death occurred due to additional complications 6 days after AVP was discontinued. One patient, who was still on AVP, died 42 hours postoperatively after prolonged hypoxemia not responding to inhaled nitric oxide. One patient arrested on the third postoperative day when AVP was almost weaned. CONCLUSION: In neonates with vasodilatory shock after cardiopulmonary bypass AVP is a potent agent to increase blood pressure when traditional vasopressors are failing.