Reduction of the incidence of development of venous thromboembolism by ultrasound-guided femoral nerve block in total knee arthroplasty / 대한마취과학회지

BACKGROUND: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) and the subsequent development of pulmonary embolism (PE) is a major cause of post-operative mortality in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). We evaluated whether the addition of an ultrasound-guided femoral nerve block with general anesthesia affected the incidence in the development of VTE following TKA. METHODS: This was a retrospective non-randomized comparative study with patients assigned to groups based on the surgery date (pre-femoral nerve block versus post-femoral nerve block periods). All anesthesia and medical records of the patients who had undergone computer-navigated TKA in our facility between January 2009 and March 2010 were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Forty patients were identified; 15 patients underwent computer-navigated TKA under general anesthesia alone (Group G) and 25 patients underwent surgery under general anesthesia combined with ultrasound-guided femoral nerve block (Group F). The incidence of development of VTE post-operatively was significantly lower in Group F (P = 0.037). Logistic regression analysis identified the use of a femoral nerve block as the most significant variable correlating with the incidence of post-operative development of VTE, and the odds ratio for VTE development in Group G was 3.12 (95% CI, 0.57-20.56). CONCLUSIONS: We suggest the possibility that the addition of a femoral nerve block on general anesthesia may reduce the incidence of the development of VTE following TKA.

A Case of Aneurysm of the Deep Femoral Artery Treated by Transcatheter Embolization / 日本心臓血管外科学会雑誌

A 56-year-old man felt something abnormal in his right upper leg and 2 weeks later, sudden severe pain occurred. He was admitted to our department, on the suspicion of peripheral artery aneurysm. Arteriography showed a right deep femoral artery aneurysm. We successfully treated him with transcatheter embolization. Selective angiography of the deep femoral artery after the embolization disclosed complete occlusion of the aneurysm. We concluded that this minimally invasive treatment by transcatheter embolization for aneurysm of the deep femoral artery may be the first treatment of choice rather than operative resection.

A Case of Thoracoabdominal Aneurysm with Retroperitoneal Fibrosis / 日本心臓血管外科学会雑誌

We describe our surgical experience of localized thoracoabdominal aneurysm in a 60-year-old woman with hypertension and hyperlipidemia. She was admitted for severe nausea associated with uremia. The initial CT scan revealed bilateral hydronephrosis, retroperitoneal fibrosis, inflammatory abdominal aneurysm, and localized thoracoabdominal aneurysm. To resolve the bilateral urinary tract obstruction, bilateral ureteral stents were inserted. After the renal function improved, the thoracoabdominal aneurysm was removed and replaced with an 18-mm woven-Dacron graft under partial cardiopulmonary bypass. The inflammation and fibrosis along the abdominal aorta did not extend to the thoracoabdominal aneurysm. Following the case presentation, we discussed the pathophysiologic aspects of this patient.

Clinical Experience in Hyperbaric Oxygenation for Paralytic Lower Extremities after Abdominal Aortic Surgery / 日本心臓血管外科学会雑誌

Three patients, who received infrarenal aorto-iliac bifurcation grafts, complained of flaccid and insensible feeling on lower extremities immediatedly after surgery. These symptoms were supposed due, in two cases, to spinal cord ischemia or, in remaining one case, to ischemic change of the peripheral nerve, In former cases, spinal cord hypoxia might be caused by interrupted blood supply through spinal artery as it was intercepted temporarily but for about three and a half hours during surgical procedures. In the latter case, cramping of the left iliac artery lasted for five and a half hours, which might result in anoxic damage of the peripheral nerve. Hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO) at two atmospheric absolute (ATA) pressure for 75min and 3 ATA for 90min were repeated everyday for them. In all cases, almost complete sensorimotor recovery was obtained after 15 to 30 instances of HBO, which was combined with physical therapy. HBO seemed to have improved early hypoxic and edematous damages of the spinal cord or peripheral nerve. As an unfavorable complication of abdominal aortic surgery, incidence of sensorimotor disturbance of the extremities is infrequent and/or unpredictable, however, once it occurs, no effective therapeutic maneuvers were developed yet. Through these clinical data, HBO should be introduced more actively for such disorders. One of the key issues to enhance the effect of HBO is that, HBO should be introduced as soon as possible once postoperative nuerologic disorders were diagnosed.

Thrombo-embolic complications in aortic surgery / 日本心臓血管外科学会雑誌

In vascular surgery, thrombo-embolism and hemorrhage are major noisome complications. We report a case of cholesterol emboli which came from atheromatous aortic wall during the thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm operation. Micro-emboli were migrated into the capillary in the liver, kidney and small bowels, and the patient died of multiple organ failure. The histological examination showed the cholesterol emboli in micro-circulations. The other is a case of <i>in situ</i> thrombus formation in the posterior tibial artery during aortic surgery. The patient with combined (iliac and femoral) lesion had aorto-bifemoral bypass to get better proximal inflow. Just after the operation, we noticed his right lower extremity was pale and cold. Angiography revealed the thrombus distal to the occluded superficial femoral artery. Since the thrombus was too large to pass through any collateral vessels, it should be formed <i>in situ</i>. Femoro-popliteal bypass was added to the primary procedure with success.