Influence of Pre- and Intraoperative Local Anaesthetic in Strabismus Surgery under General Anaesthesia in Adults.

BACKGROUND: As studies have shown a reduction in the occurrence of the oculocardiac reflex with the addition of local anaesthesia, we changed our care regime accordingly a few years ago. To promote and establish better patient care, we retrospectively analysed the files of our patients who underwent strabismus surgery from 2013 to 2021 in order to compare strabismus surgery under general anaesthesia with and without local anaesthetics in a routine clinical setting. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data from 238 adult patients who had undergone strabismus surgery could be extracted from the files: G1: n = 102, only general anaesthesia; G2: n = 136, preoperative application of tetracaine eye drops and intraoperative subtenon lidocaine/levobupivacaine in addition to general anaesthesia. We compared the two groups in regard to the frequency of oculocardiac reflex, the amount of atropine needed to treat, as well as the amount of antiemetic and analgesic medication given, and time spent in the recovery room. RESULTS: Mean age of G1 was 50 years and 52 years in G2. There was no significant difference between the kind of surgeries (recessions/resections), the number of patients who had undergone a reoperation, or the duration of the operations. Adding local anaesthetics resulted in significantly less occurrence of oculocardiac reflex (p = 0.009), a reduction in the need for atropine, analgesic, or antiemetic medication, as well as reduced time in the recovery room. CONCLUSION: As this increases patient safety and comfort and is cost-effective (less time in the recovery room), we recommend adding perioperative local anaesthesia to strabismus surgery performed under general anaesthesia.

Intraoperative Radiation Therapy as a Safe Alternative to Whole Breast Radiation for Treatment of Minimally Invasive Breast Cancers: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) in select populations is a viable alternative to whole breast radiation therapy (WBRT) in the treatment of biopsy-proven localized invasive and non-invasive breast cancer. We aim to assess recurrence and complication rates following IORT in lumpectomy patients at a community hospital in Baltimore City. METHODS: An IRB-approved retrospective cohort study was conducted on consecutive cases of lumpectomy with IORT from 2013 through 2020 by a single surgeon. Patient demographics, tumor and operative characteristics, and complications were retrieved from electronic medical records. Primary outcomes were postoperative complications and local recurrence rates. RESULTS: The final cohort included 117 patients with mean follow-up time of 2.60 + 1.78 years. Mean age was 69.84 + 8.77 years. Thirty-three (28.21%) of patients developed a seroma. Odds of seroma formation were mildly significant for skin spacing [OR: 1.18, 95% CI: (1.02-1.37)] and balloon fill volume [1.04 (1.00-1.08)], but not for age, BMI, diabetes, former or current smoking status, history of WBRT, tumor size, or balloon size. Three (2.6%) patients had local recurrence. Odds of local recurrence were mildly significant for increased tumor size [1.14 (1.04-1.24)] and not significant for any other covariates. CONCLUSIONS: IORT exposure did not confer higher rates of complications and the local recurrence rate mirrored that of the general population undergoing lumpectomy and WBRT. This study demonstrates the need for equitable treatment options based on individual needs: IORT is a safe alternative to WBRT in certain subpopulations, especially those with physical, social, or personal limitations preventing participation in a 3- to 7-week time commitment of WBRT.

Endoscopic transcanal facial nerve decompression in Bell's palsy: A pilot study.

PURPOSE: To explore the surgical effects of endoscopic facial nerve decompression in Bell's palsy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included 15 patients with Bell's palsy. All had grade VI (House-Brackmann grading system) complete unilateral facial paralysis before surgery and a >95% reduction in amplitude on electroneurography testing compared to the unaffected side. Their MRI results indicated perineural edema in the geniculate ganglion area. Endoscopic decompression surgery was performed soon after they presented at our hospital. The time between onset of facial paralysis and surgery ranged from 25 to 93 days. All patients had no relevant surgical history or ear diseases. RESULTS: At 1-year follow-up, 13 of the 15 (87%) patients had recovered to normal or near-normal facial function (House-Brackmann grade I-II), and all patients had reached House-Brackmann grade III or lower facial function. No obvious air-bone gap or sensorineural hearing loss occurred after surgery, and there were no severe complications or synkinesis. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic transcanal facial nerve decompression provides a less traumatic and improved exposure of the geniculate ganglion, and may also help prevent permanent severe facial sequela. Results of intraoperative facial nerve stimulation may be related to the length of time required for recovery. The optimal time of surgery after onset of paralysis needs to be investigated further, to identify a post-drug surgical therapy which may be more acceptable for patients. Patients' response to conservative treatments should be assessed as soon as possible so as not to delay surgery.

Effects of Intraoperative Auditory Stimulation on Pain and Agitation on Awakening After Pediatric Adenotonsillectomy: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Severe pain on awakening (POA) and emergence delirium (ED) are common following pediatric adenotonsillectomy. Effective preventive interventions are lacking. Objective: To determine the effects of intraoperative auditory stimulation on reduction of POA and ED after pediatric adenotonsillectomy. Design, Setting, and Participants: Single-center, double-blinded, 4-armed, randomized clinical trial of children undergoing adenotonsillectomy from March 2018 to May 2019 at a tertiary care pediatric referral center. Interventions: Children were randomized to 1 of the following groups: auditory stimulation with music, auditory stimulation with noise, ambient noise insulation with masking earplugs, and a control group receiving no intervention. Ear inserts were placed in the operating room once general anesthesia was administered. Stimulation parameters were based on the preoperative audiological evaluation and the appropriate fitting of the transduction system, including ambient noise level monitoring. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was POA levels measured on 10-point scales according to age-appropriate validated tools. The secondary outcome was ED levels assessed according to the Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium 20-point scale. Results: A total of 104 consecutive healthy children (median [interquartile range] age at surgery, 5.0 [3.8-6.4] years) were included in the analysis. Music had a large effect size on POA (0.63; 98% CI, 0.43-0.84) and a medium effect size on ED (0.47; 98% CI, 0.21-0.75), while noise had a medium effect size on POA (0.47; 98% CI, 0.22-0.73) and a large effect size on ED (0.63; 98% CI, 0.44-0.85) compared with controls. The earplugs group showed a small effect size on POA and ED. Considering a clinically meaningful threshold of greater than 4 for POA and 10 or greater for ED at dichotomized analysis, a large effect size was achieved by music (1.39; odds ratio [OR], 0.08; 98% CI, 0.02-0.29; and 0.84; OR, 0.22; 98% CI, 0.06-0.75, respectively) and noise (0.97; OR, 0.17; 98% CI, 0.05-0.6; and 1.48; OR, 0.07; 98% CI, 0.02-0.26, respectively), while earplugs resulted in a small effect size. Conclusions and Relevance: In this randomized clinical trial, children undergoing adenotonsillectomy who received intraoperative auditory stimulation demonstrated a clinically meaningful decrease in POA and ED in the immediate postoperative period. Further research is needed to assess whether intraoperative auditory stimulation may decrease POA and ED in children undergoing other types of surgical procedures. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04112979.

Increasing use of intraoperative cholangiogram in Australia: is it evidence-based?

BACKGROUND: The role of routine intraoperative cholangiograms (IOCs) for prevention of bile duct injury (BDI) is contentious. There are recent reports of limited utility of IOC in preventing BDI. In Australia, IOCs are used more frequently than internationally. This study aimed to evaluate the rate of IOC use in Australia and explore potential changes in practice in light of evolving evidence for the utility of IOC. METHODS: Data were collated using service item numbers in Medicare Benefits Scheme records on the Australian Government Medicare website, for services claimed between 1 January 2001 and 31 December 2019. These data were used to analyse trends in rates of IOC, cholecystectomy and BDI repair. Data were age-standardized to account for changes in the population over time. RESULTS: The number of IOCs claimed increased by 31.8% and cholecystectomies by 7.0% over the study period. Age-standardized service rates per 100 000 persons increased by 5.5 and 32.6, respectively. Rates of IOC per 100 000 cholecystectomies steadily increased across the study period, while BDI repair rates remained low and erratic. CONCLUSION: Increasing use of IOC over the last 20 years reflects a trend towards routine rather than selective IOC; however, there is little discernible change in the number of BDIs requiring repair procedures. This suggests that routine IOC use to prevent or minimize BDI is unwarranted. Further investigation is required into the selective IOC use in high-risk patients rather than mandatory use in all patients.

Intra-operative autologous blood donation for cardiovascular surgeries in Japan: A retrospective cohort study.

Intra-operative autologous blood donation is a blood conservation technique with limited evidence. We evaluated the association between intra-operative autologous blood donation and decrease in peri-operative transfusion in cardiovascular surgery based on evidence from a Japanese administrative database. We extracted the data of patients who had undergone cardiovascular surgery from the Diagnosis Procedure Combination database in Japan (2016-2019). Based on the surgery type, we examined the association of intra-operative autologous blood donation with the transfusion rate and amount of blood used in cardiac and aortic surgeries using multilevel propensity score matching. We enrolled 32,433 and 4,267 patients who underwent cardiac and aortic surgeries and received 5.0% and 6.7% intra-operative autologous blood donation with mean volumes of 557.68 mL and 616.96 mL, respectively. The red blood cell transfusion rates of the control and intra-operative autologous blood donation groups were 60.6% and 38.4%, respectively, in the cardiac surgery cohort (p < .001) and 91.4%, and 83.8%, respectively, in the aortic surgery cohort (p = .037). The transfusion amounts for the control and intra-operative autologous blood donation groups were 5.9 and 3.5 units of red blood cells, respectively, for cardiac surgery patients (p < .001) and 11.9 and 7.9 units, respectively, for aortic surgery patients (p < .001). Intra-operative autologous blood donation could reduce the transfusion rate or amount of red blood cells and fresh frozen plasma for patients undergoing index cardiovascular surgery and could be an effective blood transfusion strategy in cardiovascular surgery for Japanese patients.

Patients Older 65 Years With Early Breast Cancer Prefer Intraoperative Radiation as a Locoregional Treatment Choice.

BACKGROUND: Patients 65 years old or older with early endocrine-responsive breast cancer have many treatment options, including no radiation. This study aimed to evaluate treatment preference when intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) is offered in this population. METHODS: The study reviewed patients 65 years old or older with a diagnosis of early-stage endocrine-responsive breast cancer in 2016-2019 at a single hospital in a large integrated health care system. Electronic medical records of multidisciplinary breast tumor board discussion, treatment options documented by the treatment team, and final treatment offered were reviewed. Variables including age at biopsy, language, endocrine treatment, and comorbidities were collected. Regression analysis was used to evaluate for variables associated with patients' choice regarding radiation treatment. RESULTS: The institutional IORT guidelines were met by 63 patients in the described age group who had a documented offer of all radiation treatment options. The median age of the patients was 70 years (interquartile range 63-77 years). Overall, 74.6% of the patients chose IORT, and 14.3% opted for whole-breast irradiation. Only 4.8% chose to omit radiation after breast-conserving surgery, and 6.3% chose mastectomy. The patients who chose IORT were more likely to receive endocrine treatment (odds ratio 3.70; p = 0.03). Age, race, language, and comorbidities were not associated with preference for IORT (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Patients 65 years old or older with early-stage endocrine-responsive breast cancer preferred to have IORT despite counsel about the lack of survival benefit. This study suggests that local cancer control with the convenient radiation delivery method is important to the described patient population.

Excellent Prognosis of Patients With Invasive Lung Adenocarcinomas During Surgery Misdiagnosed as Atypical Adenomatous Hyperplasia, Adenocarcinoma In Situ, or Minimally Invasive Adenocarcinoma by Frozen Section.

BACKGROUND: Our previous study revealed that intraoperative frozen section (FS) analysis could differentiate invasive lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) accurately from preinvasive lesions. However, few articles have analyzed the clinical impact of FS errors such as underestimation of invasive adenocarcinomas (IACs), and whether complementary therapy is needed remains controversial. RESEARCH QUESTION: What is the prognosis of patients undergoing limited resection for invasive LUAD misdiagnosed as atypical adenomatous hyperplasia (AAH), adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS), or minimally invasive adenocarcinoma (MIA) by intraoperative FS analysis? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: From 2012 through 2018, data on 3031 patients undergoing sublobar resection of AAH, AIS, or MIA diagnosed by FS analysis were collected. The concordance rate between FS analysis and final pathologic results was evaluated. To assess the clinical significance of a discrepancy between FS and final pathologic results, patients with final pathologic results of IAC were identified for prognostic evaluation. RESULTS: When AAH, AIS, and MIA were classified together as a group, the overall concordance rate between FS and final pathologic results was 93.7%, and 192 patients (6.3%) received an upgraded diagnosis from the final pathologic results. Misdiagnosed IACs consisted of 94 patients (48.9%) with lepidic-predominant adenocarcinoma, 77 patients (40.1%) with acinar predominant adenocarcinoma, 19 patients (9.9%) with papillary predominant adenocarcinoma, one patient with solid predominant adenocarcinoma, and one patient with invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma. Among these patients, no positive N1 or N2 lymph node findings were observed. Moreover, the 5-year recurrence-free survival was still 100%, although the final pathologic results turned out to be IAC. INTERPRETATION: Patients undergoing limited resection of invasive LUAD misdiagnosed as AAH, AIS, or MIA by FS analysis showed excellent prognoses. Sublobar resection guided by FS diagnosis would be adequate for these underestimated cases of invasive LUAD.

A Tenon's capsule/bulbar conjunctiva interface biomimetic to model fibrosis and local drug delivery.

Glaucoma filtration surgery is one of the most effective methods for lowering intraocular pressure in glaucoma. The surgery efficiently reduces intra-ocular pressure but the most common cause of failure is scarring at the incision site. This occurs in the conjunctiva/Tenon's capsule layer overlying the scleral coat of the eye. Currently used antimetabolite treatments to prevent post-surgical scarring are non-selective and are associated with potentially blinding side effects. Developing new treatments to target scarring requires both a better understanding of wound healing and scarring in the conjunctiva, and new means of delivering anti-scarring drugs locally and sustainably. By combining plastic compression of collagen gels with a soft collagen-based layer, we have developed a physiologically relevant model of the sub-epithelial bulbar conjunctiva/Tenon's capsule interface, which allows a more holistic approach to the understanding of subconjunctival tissue behaviour and local drug delivery. The biomimetic tissue hosts both primary human conjunctival fibroblasts and an immune component in the form of macrophages, morphologically and structurally mimicking the mechanical proprieties and contraction kinetics of ex vivo porcine conjunctiva. We show that our model is suitable for the screening of drugs targeting scarring and/or inflammation, and amenable to the study of local drug delivery devices that can be inserted in between the two layers of the biomimetic. We propose that this multicellular-bilayer engineered tissue will be useful to study complex biological aspects of scarring and fibrosis, including the role of inflammation, with potentially significant implications for the management of scarring following glaucoma filtration surgery and other anterior ocular segment scarring conditions. Crucially, it uniquely allows the evaluation of new means of local drug delivery within a physiologically relevant tissue mimetic, mimicking intraoperative drug delivery in vivo.

Effect of magnesium supplementation on emergence delirium and postoperative pain in children undergoing strabismus surgery: a prospective randomised controlled study.

BACKGROUND: The benefits of intraoperative magnesium supplementation have been reported. In this prospective, randomized study, the effects of magnesium supplementation during general anaesthesia on emergence delirium and postoperative pain in children were evaluated. METHODS: A total of 66 children aged 2 to 5 years who underwent strabismus surgery were assigned to the magnesium or to the control group. Preoperative anxiety was assessed using the modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale. After anaesthesia induction, the magnesium group received an initial loading dose of 30 mg/kg magnesium sulphate over 10 min and, then, continuous infusion of 10 mg/kg per h until 10 min before the end of the surgery. The control group received an equal volume of normal saline via the same regimen. The Paediatric Anaesthesia Emergence Delirium (PAED) score, pain score, and respiratory events were assessed at the postanaesthetic care unit. RESULTS: Data obtained from 65 children were analyzed. The PAED and pain scores of the two groups did not differ significantly. There were 26 of 33 (78.8%) and 27 of 32 (84.4%) children with emergence delirium in the control and the magnesium groups, respectively (odds ratio 0.69, 95% CI 0.19-2.44; p = 0.561). The preoperative anxiety score was not significantly correlated with the PAED score. The incidence of respiratory events during the emergence period did not differ significantly between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Magnesium supplementation during anaesthesia had no significant effects on the incidence of emergence delirium or postoperative pain in children undergoing strabismus surgery. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT03132701 ). Prospectively registered May 8, 2017.

Impact of intraoperative allogenic and autologous transfusion on immune function and prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

The effect of intraoperative blood transfusion on the immune function and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not been fully investigated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of intraoperative autologous blood transfusion and allogeneic blood transfusion on immune function and prognosis in surgically treated HCC patients. One hundred fourteen primary hepatic carcinoma patients who would undergo selective operations were divided into two groups, 35 patients in the experimental group received intraoperative autologous blood transfusion and 79 patients in the control group received allogeneic blood transfusion. The amount of serum T lymphocyte subsets, natural killer (NK) cells and immunoglobulin before and after operation, as well as the recurrence-free survival (RFS) were compared. Results shown that, there was no significant difference in the level of immunocytes and immunoglobulin between the two groups before treatment (P > .05). At 1 day after surgery, there were significant differences in T lymphocyte, NK cells and immunoglobulin levels before and after transfusion. CD3+, CD4+, CD4+/CD8+, and NK cells in autologous transfusion group were significantly higher than those in allogeneic transfusion group (P < .05); the level of IgG, IgM, and IgA in allogeneic transfusion group were significantly lower than those before operation (P < .05), the level of IgG, IgM, and IgA in autologous transfusion group did not significantly fluctuate, and significantly higher than those of allogeneic transfusion group (P < .05). At 5 days after surgery, all indexes of autologous transfusion group recovered to the preoperative level, the levels of CD3+, CD4+, CD4+/CD8+, NK cells, IgG, IgM, and IgA were significantly higher than those of allogeneic transfusion group (P < .05). The follow-up results showed that the RFS of autologous transfusion group was significantly higher than that of allogeneic transfusion group (P < .05). In conclusion, compared with allogeneic blood transfusion, intraoperative autologous blood transfusion possessed less impact on immune function, it may even improve immune function and RFS in HCC patients after surgery. Therefore, HCC patients should be recommended to receive autologous blood transfusion instead of allogeneic blood transfusion when they need blood transfusion during the perioperative period.

A Last Resort When There is No Blood: Experiences and Perceptions of Intraoperative Autotransfusion Among Medical Doctors Deployed to Resource-Limited Settings.

BACKGROUND: Four and a half million people die globally every year due to traumatic injuries. One major cause of preventable death is bleeding. Blood for transfusion is often unavailable in resource-limited settings, where a majority of trauma deaths occur. Intraoperative autotransfusion (IAT) has been proposed as a safe and feasible lifesaving alternative to allogeneic blood transfusion. However, there is limited knowledge regarding its use among doctors working for international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) in resource-limited settings. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences and perceptions of IAT among INGO-affiliated medical doctors with clinical experience in resource-limited settings. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured interviews via telephone or Skype with 12 purposefully sampled surgeons and anaesthesiologists. The interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed using content analysis. RESULTS: We identified three main themes relating to IAT and bottlenecks preventing the scale-up of its use: variation in techniques and systems, contextual factors, and individual medical doctor factors. The participants gave detailed reports of missed opportunities for usage of IAT in resource-limited settings. Bottlenecks included the lack of simple and cost-effective products, limited availability of protocols in the field, and insufficient knowledge and experience of IAT. CONCLUSIONS: The participants found that simple IAT is under-utilised in resource-limited settings. Missed opportunities to use IAT were mainly associated with armed conflict settings and obstetrical emergencies. In order to meet the need for IAT in resource-limited settings, we suggest further consideration of the identified bottlenecks.

INTRABEAM intraoperative radiotherapy combined with portal vein infusion chemotherapy for treating hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein tumor thrombus.

BACKGROUND: Portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) is common in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Recent studies indicate that more aggressive treatments, including surgical resection or locoregional treatment, may benefit selected HCC patients with PVTT. External radiation therapy and infusion chemotherapy were found to achieve good outcomes; however, the use of low-energy x-ray radiation system (INTRABEAM), intraoperative radiation therapy, and portal vein infusion chemotherapy for PVTT has not been reported. We present a case of HCC with PVTT. The patient underwent hemihepatectomy and thrombectomy along with intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) using a portable INTRABEAM radiation system. Subsequently, to treat PVTT, portal vein infusion chemotherapy with FOLFOX (leucovorin [Folinic acid], fluorouracil, and oxaliplatin) regimen was administered. There were no obvious post-operative complications. After 20 months follow-up period, no obvious tumor recurrence had been observed, and PVTT gradually disappeared completely. CONCLUSIONS: IORT using the INTRABEAM radiation system combined with portal vein infusion chemotherapy is promising for select patients with PVTT.

Intraoperative imaging findings in transcranial MR imaging-guided focused ultrasound treatment at 1.5T may accurately detect typical lesional findings correlated with sonication parameters.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the intraoperative neuroimaging findings in patients treated with transcranial MR-guided focused ultrasound (tcMRgFUS) thalamotomy using 1.5T equipment in comparison with the 48-h follow-up. METHODS: Fifty prospectively enrolled patients undergoing unilateral tcMRgFUS thalamotomy for either medication-refractory essential tremor (n = 39) or Parkinson tremor (n = 11) were included. Two radiologists evaluated the presence and size of concentric lesional zones (zone I, zone II, and zone III) on 2D T2-weighted sequences acquired intraoperatively after the last high-energy sonication and at 48 h. Sonication parameters including number of sonications, delivered energy, and treatment temperatures were also recorded. Differences in lesion pattern and size were assessed using the McNemar test and paired t test, respectively. RESULTS: Zones I, II, and III were visualized in 34 (68%), 50 (100%), and 44 (88%) patients, and 31 (62%), 50 (100%), and 45 (90%) patients after the last high-energy sonication for R1 and R2, respectively. All three concentric zones were visualized intraoperatively in 56-58% of cases. Zone I was significantly more commonly visualized at 48 h (p < 0.001). Diameter of zones I and II and the thickness of zone III significantly increased at 48 h (p < 0.001). Diameters of zones I and II measured intraoperatively demonstrated significant correlation with thermal map temperatures (p ≤ 0.001). Maximum temperature significantly correlated with zone III thickness at 48 h. A threshold of 60.5° had a sensitivity of 56.5-66.7% and a specificity of 70.5-75.5% for thickness > 6 mm at 48 h. CONCLUSIONS: Intraoperative imaging may accurately detect typical lesional findings, before completing the treatment. These imaging characteristics significantly correlate with sonication parameters and 48-h follow-up. KEY POINTS: • Intraoperative T2-weighted images allow the visualization of the zone I (coagulation necrosis) in most of the treated patients, while zone II (cytotoxic edema) is always detected. • Lesion size depicted with intraoperative transcranial MRgFUS imaging correlates well with procedure parameters. • Intraoperative transcranial MRgFUS imaging may have a significant added value for treating physicians.

Ultra-Mini-Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy for the Treatment of Upper Urinary Tract Stones Sized between 10-20 mm in Children Younger Than 8 Years Old.

PURPOSE: With the invention of miniature devices, it has been advised to apply less aggressive methods for the management of upper urinary tract stones, especially in children. In the recent years, ultra-mini percutaneous nephrolithotomy (UMP) has been used for the treatment of upper urinary tract stones in order to perform surgeries with less complications and more acceptable outcomes. Results reported from different medical centers have been promising. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-two children aged less than 8 years old with upper urinary stones sized between 10-20 mm underwent UMP. Inclusion criteria was solitary unilateral kidney stone, stone size between 10-20 mm, normal renal function tests, absence of any congenital malformations, and history of previous ESWL failure. Data including age, sex, side of kidney involvement, size of stone, location of stone, duration of surgery, duration of hospitalization, stone composition, need for blood transfusion, damage to adjacent organs, postoperative fever, septicemia after surgery, need for narcotics, further need for a complementary method, stone-free rate, pre and post-operative hemoglobin levels, and urinary leakage from the access tract were extracted from patients' medical files and were recorded. RESULTS: The mean age (± standard deviation) of children was 5.22 (±1.57) years. Fourteen (63.6%) patients were male. Fifteen (68.2%) renal stones were located in the right kidney, and 82% of patients had pelvis stones. 13 (59%) patients' stones were composed of calcium oxalate. Stone-free rate was 95.5%. In none of the cases urinary leakage, septicemia after surgery, injury to adjacent organs, and need for blood transfusions was reported. CONCLUSION: Ultra-mini percutaneous nephrolithotomy is an efficient and safe method for treating urinary stones sized between 10-20 mm in children.

Intravitreal Conbercept Injection as an Adjuvant in Vitrectomy with Silicone Oil Infusion for Severe Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy.

Purpose: To assess the clinical effects of preoperative, intraoperative, or preoperative combined with intraoperative intravitreal conbercept (IVC) injection in vitrectomy with silicone oil tamponade for severe proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Methods: Ninety-eight eyes of 98 severe PDR patients undergoing vitrectomy with silicone oil tamponade were randomly assigned to 3 groups: Group 1 (34 eyes) received IVC injections 3 to 5 days before surgery; Group 2 (35 eyes) received IVC injections at the end of surgery; and Group 3 (29 eyes) received IVC injections 3 to 5 days before and at the end of operation. Follow-up examinations were performed for 6 months. Results: The incidence and severity of intraoperative bleeding were not significantly different (P = 0.233). However, the duration of surgery was significantly shorter in Group 1 and Group 3 compared with Group 2 (P < 0.001). The incidences of early and late recurrent vitreous hemorrhage (VH) were 32.35%, 28.57%, and 13.80%, respectively. At 6-month follow-up, mean best-corrected visual acuity had significantly increased to 1.25 ± 0.45 logMAR in Group 1, 1.29 ± 0.46 logMAR in Group 2, 1.16 ± 0.44 logMAR in Group 3 (all P < 0.001). The incidence of postoperative VH, neovascular glaucoma, and retinal detachment in Group 3 was slightly lower, however, no significant differences were observed (all P > 0.05). In young patients, similar results were observed and Group 3 had better visual improvements (P = 0.037). Conclusions: Preoperative IVC injection could be a safe and effective adjunct in pars plana vitrectomy with silicone oil tamponade for severe PDR. Preoperative combined with intraoperative IVC are promising, especially in young patients.

Blood and fluid management during scoliosis surgery: a single-center retrospective analysis.

AIM: In the present retrospective study in scoliosis surgery, we hypothesized that application of a protocol for blood and fluid management, based on goal-directed fluid therapy, cell salvage and tranexamic acid, could lead to reduced allogeneic red blood cells transfusion. METHODS AND MATERIAL: Thirty-five patients, with American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I/III, between 14 and 18 years scheduled for elective orthopedic surgery of scoliosis, with a planned intensive care unit admission, were enrolled in a retrospective observational study. Patients were divided in two groups. Patients in no-protocol group (Group noPro, n = 18) received a liberal intraoperative fluid therapy and patients in protocol group (Group Pro, n = 17) received fluid therapy managed according to a stroke volume variation-based protocol. The protocol included fluid therapy according to SVV monitor, permissive hypotension, tranexamic acid infusion, restrictive RBC trigger and use of perioperative cell savage. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Student's t test (2-tailed), Mann-Whitney test, Chi square test were used for statistical analysis of the data. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the two groups in demographic data and clinical characteristics. Infused crystalloids (p = .003) and transfused allogeneic red blood cells (p = .015) were lesser in Group Pro compared to Group noPro. On the other hand, diuresis (p < .001) and vasopressors administration (p = .042) were higher in Group Pro than in Group noPro. CONCLUSION: The application of a protocol for blood and fluid management, based on goal-directed fluid therapy, cell salvage and tranexamic acid, was associated with less crystalloid fluid administration, less perioperative RBC transfusions and significantly better diuresis than patients in the no-protocol group in scoliosis surgery. REGISTRATION NUMBER: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03814239.

Comparison of the Wide-Awake Approach and Conventional Approach in Extensor Indicis Proprius-to-Extensor Pollicis Longus Tendon Transfer for Chronic Extensor Pollicis Longus Rupture.

BACKGROUND: The wide-awake approach enables surgeons to perform optimal tensioning of a transferred tendon intraoperatively. The authors hypothesized that the extensor indicis proprius-to-extensor pollicis longus tendon transfer using the wide-awake approach would yield better results than conventional surgery. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed of the prospectively collected data of 29 consecutive patients who underwent extensor indicis proprius-to-extensor pollicis longus tendon transfer. Patients were treated with the wide-awake approach (group A, n = 11) and conventional surgery under general anesthesia (group B, n = 18). The groups were compared retrospectively for thumb interphalangeal and metacarpophalangeal joint motion, grip and pinch strength, specific extensor indicis proprius-to-extensor pollicis longus evaluation method (SEEM), and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire score at 6 weeks and 2, 4, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. RESULTS: Group A showed significantly better interphalangeal joint flexion and total arc of motion at 6 weeks and 2, 4, and 6 months, and significantly better metacarpophalangeal joint flexion and total arc of motion at all time points. Interphalangeal and metacarpophalangeal joint extension showed no difference at all time points. Group A showed significantly better specific extensor indicis proprius-to-extensor pollicis longus evaluation method scores at 2 and 4 months, and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire scores at 4, 6, and 12 months. Grip and pinch strength showed no difference at all time points. The complication rate and duration until return to work were not different between groups. CONCLUSION: Compared with the conventional approach, the wide-awake approach showed significantly better results in the thumb's range of motion and functional outcomes, especially in the early postoperative periods. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, III.