Skin surgery under local anesthesia leads to stress-induced alterations of psychological, physical, and immune functions.

BACKGROUND: Although excision of nevi under local anesthesia is a frequent and harmless operation, it apparently causes increased stress in many patients. However, thus far no studies have focused on the question of whether there are measurable effects on psychological, physiological, and immunological parameters. OBJECTIVE: To assess the perioperative stress reactions of patients undergoing skin surgery under local anesthesia for nevocellular nevi. METHODS: Fifty consecutive patients with pigmented nevi were examined at five points of measurement: 1 week and 30 minutes before the operation, during the operation, 30 minutes and 1 week after the operation. Somatic parameters included blood pressure, pulse, respiratory rate, and the level of pain. Lymphocyte subpopulations, white blood cell count, and cortisol in saliva were determined. Anxiety and general psychological distress were evaluated with validated questionnaires. RESULTS: There was a significant increase in anxiety at the time of surgery. In parallel, the physiological parameters as well as the CD56+ lymphocytes changed significantly. Preoperation anxiety and intraoperation pain were significantly higher in women (P <.001), but did not depend on age. CONCLUSION: There appears to be an interaction between physiological and emotional components in the operative stress reaction under local anesthesia. In patients with skin cancer, the perioperative stress may lead to transient impairment of immune function.

[Chronic venous insufficiency--from pathophysiology to therapy. 3: Physical therapy of venous diseases]. / Chronisch venöse Insuffizienz--von der Pathophysiologie zur Therapie. Folge 3: Physiotherapie bei Venenerkrankungen.

In patients with chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), stage-oriented physiotherapy can be employed in addition to surgery, drug treatment and sclerotherapy, with both prophylactic and curative intent. Apart from improving the hemodynamic situation, physiotherapy aims in particular to preserve or reactivate the active and passive pump mechanisms of the lower limbs, for example, the calf muscle pump and the ankle pump. Consequently the wide spectrum of physiotherapeutic measures includes such measures as compression therapy, anticongestion positioning, massage and exercise, all of which can be supplemented or replaced, as didacted by the condition prevailing, by hydrotherapy, electrotherapy, balneotherapy or climatic therapy.