Isolated limb perfusion with cytostatic drug leakage. / Perfusión aislada de extremidad inferior con fuga de quimioterapéutico.

Isolated limb perfusion is the treatment of stage III melanoma with in-transit metastasis. This technique allows the administration of cytostatics at an effective concentration and temperature, which could not be administered systemically because of their toxicity. The toxicity due to leakage of the chemotherapy agent from the limb into the systemic circulation is the most serious short-term complication, and is manifested by a systemic inflammatory response syndrome in the immediate post-intervention period. Early detection of this complication and its peri-operative management requires a multidisciplinary approach, in which the anaesthesiologist plays a key role. A case of isolated lower limb perfusion is reported in which the procedure had to be interrupted due to the passage of tumour necrosis factor into the systemic circulation, with severe intra-operative haemodynamic repercussions.

The effect of preoperative administration of morphine in alleviating intraoperative pain of percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic discectomy under local anesthesia: A STROBE compliant study.

Local anesthesia is routinely recommended for percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic discectomy (PTED). However, the intense intraoperative pain remains a serious problem. The purpose of the current study is to find a safe and effective method to alleviate the intense pain during PTED for lumbar disc herniation (LDH) under local anesthesia.This study retrospectively analyzed 63 LDH patients who accepted PTED under local anesthesia. Thirty-one patients received intramuscular injection of morphine before PTED, while the other 32 were not. The 10 points visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to assess the patients' maximum leg and back pain. Patients were asked to grade their experiences of surgery and anesthesia on a 5-point Likert-type scale after the surgery. Modified Mac Nab Criteria were used to evaluate the surgical outcomes after 3-month follow-up.The intraoperative VAS scores of patients who accepted preoperative intervention decreased significantly. The postoperative VAS scores of both groups showed no significance. Patients who received preoperative intervention reported a higher subjective satisfaction rate with the surgery experience. According to the Modified Mac Nab criteria, the surgical outcomes of both groups were similar through the 3-month follow-up. After injection of morphine, 4 patients complained nausea and 2 patients experienced vomiting.Preoperative intramuscular injection of morphine could reduce the patients' pain during the PTED surgery and improve the patients' satisfaction without affecting the surgical outcome. Except for a higher incidence of nausea and vomiting, this method is relatively safe and convenient.

Naja sputatrix Venom Preconditioning Attenuates Neuroinflammation in a Rat Model of Surgical Brain Injury via PLA2/5-LOX/LTB4 Cascade Activation.

Inflammatory preconditioning is a mechanism in which exposure to small doses of inflammatory stimuli prepares the body against future massive insult by activating endogenous protective responses. Phospholipase A2/5-lipoxygenase/leukotriene-B4 (PLA2/5-LOX/LTB4) axis is an important inflammatory signaling pathway. Naja sputatrix (Malayan spitting cobra) venom contains 15% secretory PLA2 of its dry weight. We investigated if Naja sputatrix venom preconditioning (VPC) reduces surgical brain injury (SBI)-induced neuroinflammation via activating PLA2/5-LOX/LTB4 cascade using a partial frontal lobe resection SBI rat model. Naja sputatrix venom sublethal dose was injected subcutaneously for 3 consecutive days prior to SBI. We observed that VPC reduced brain edema and improved neurological function 24 h and 72 h after SBI. The expression of pro-inflammatory mediators in peri-resection brain tissue was reduced with VPC. Administration of Manoalide, a PLA2 inhibitor or Zileuton, a 5-LOX inhibitor with VPC reversed the protective effects of VPC against neuroinflammation. The current VPC regime induced local skin inflammatory reaction limited to subcutaneous injection site and elicited no other toxic effects. Our findings suggest that VPC reduces neuroinflammation and improves outcomes after SBI by activating PLA2/5-LOX/LTB4 cascade. VPC may be beneficial to reduce post-operative neuroinflammatory complications after brain surgeries.

Ammonia encephalopathy and awake craniotomy for brain language mapping: cause of failed awake craniotomy.

We report the case of an aborted awake craniotomy for a left frontotemporoinsular glioma due to ammonia encephalopathy on a patient taking Levetiracetam, valproic acid and clobazam. This awake mapping surgery was scheduled as a second-stage procedure following partial resection eight days earlier under general anesthesia. We planned to perform the surgery with local anesthesia and sedation with remifentanil and propofol. After removal of the bone flap all sedation was stopped and we noticed slow mentation and excessive drowsiness prompting us to stop and control the airway and proceed with general anesthesia. There were no post-operative complications but the patient continued to exhibit bradypsychia and hand tremor. His ammonia level was found to be elevated and was treated with an infusion of l-carnitine after discontinuation of the valproic acid with vast improvement. Ammonia encephalopathy should be considered in patients treated with valproic acid and mental status changes who require an awake craniotomy with patient collaboration.

The use of high-dose hydroxocobalamin for vasoplegic syndrome.

We describe a case of hypotension on cardiopulmonary bypass for coronary artery bypass grafting, double valve repairs, and patent foramen ovale closure. The patient experienced vasoplegic syndrome while on cardiopulmonary bypass. He was treated with high-dose hydroxocobalamin (vitamin B12). His blood pressure responded rapidly, obviating any further vasopressor requirements.

Analgesic effect of supplemental intracameral lidocaine during phacoemulsification under topical anaesthesia: a randomised controlled trial.

AIMS: To determine the analgesic effect of supplemental intracameral lidocaine 1% during phacoemulsification under topical anaesthesia, and to assess the risk factors associated with pain. METHODS: In a double-masked, randomised, clinical trial, 506 patients undergoing phacoemulsification under topical anaesthesia were randomised to receive a supplemental intracameral injection of either 0.5 cc of 1% lidocaine (277 patients, 54.7%) or balanced salt solution (BSS) (229 patients, 45.3%). Patients were interviewed by a trained interviewer using a standardised questionnaire. The main outcome measure was intraoperative pain, scored on a visual analogue scale of 0-10. Logistic regression was performed to assess ORs. RESULTS: 125 of 277 patients (45.1%) experienced pain in the lidocaine group, compared with 123 of 229 patients (53.7%) in the BSS group. The proportion of patients who experienced pain was significantly lower in the intracameral lidocaine group compared with the BSS group (multivariate OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.47 to 0.97; p=0.034). The median pain score (range) was 0.0 for intracameral lidocaine group compared with 1.0 for BSS group (p=0.039). Pain was more common in females (54.3% vs 43.6%; OR 1.56), non-Chinese (62.3% vs 46.9%; OR 2.13) and those who had previous cataract surgery to the fellow eye (55.3% vs 44.7%; OR 1.61). CONCLUSION: The use of 0.5 cc of 1% intracameral lidocaine during phacoemulsification under topical anaesthesia significantly reduces pain experienced by patients. Risk factors for pain include females, non-Chinese and previous cataract surgery.

Bleeding due to slippage of elastic band during variceal ligation: successful use of Ankaferd blood stopper.

Ankaferd blood stopper (ABS) is a hemostatic agent that induces clot formation by a special protein network which mainly causes powerful erythrocyte aggregation. The use of topical ABS as a hemostatic agent has been approved in Turkey for the management of dermal, external post-surgical and post-dental surgery bleeding. ABS has been successfully used in Dieulafoy lesion and bleeding from gastrointestinal neoplasms. We present a patient with alcoholic cirrhosis who developed severe bleeding during an elective endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL) session due to immediate band slippage, in whom endoscopic topical application of ABS was associated with cessation of bleeding. The major advantages of ABS appear to be ease of use and lack of side effect.

[Excessive shivering after remifentanil infusion in a muscular karate player for tracheal resection and construction surgery].

A 22-year-old muscular karate player was diagnosed to have a tracheal tumor with a diameter of 2.8 cm that existed 2 cm under the glottis and occupied 60% of his trachea. He was scheduled for trachea resection and construction surgery. After awake-fiber intubation, anesthesia was maintained by continuous infusion of propofol and remifentanil, together with thoracic epidural anesthesia (T4-5). After 431 minutes of surgery, 50 mm of trachea was rejected. To prevent him from extending his neck, the surgeon placed stay-sutures between the patient's chin and chest wall. Twenty minutes after the termination of propofol and remifentanil infusion, the patient became awake and was extubated. Subsequently, although the body temperature was 37.6 degrees C, excessive shivering occurred and his neck was nearly extended. We immediately injected 0.8 mEq of magnesium sulfate and 70 mg of pethidine. It took almost 10 minutes to stop shivering completely, and the patient became too sedated and required noninvasive positive pressure ventilation overnight. We speculate that intraoperative remifentanil infusion induced severe shivering in this case. Shivering after remifentanil infusion can be a fatal complication in tracheal resection and construction surgery, especially in muscular patients.

[Use of high-dose dexmedetomidine infusion for anesthesia and sedation in a patient for microlaryngeal surgery maintained with spontaneous breathing].

We experienced the anesthetic management using high-dose dexmedetomidine for microlaryngeal surgery maintaining spontaneous breathing. The anesthesia was maintained with dexmedetomidine infusion (initial dose 6 microg x kg(-1) x hr(-1) over 10 min followed by continuous infusion of 0.5 microg x kg(-1) x hr(-1)), intermittent small doses of fentanyl and topical application of lidocaine on the tongue, pharynx and larynx. The infusion of dexmedetomidine was increased over 30 min to 3 microg x kg(-1) x hr(-1) to reach the adequate sedation level and maintained at this rate for a further 15 min during the operation. During the whole perioperative period, there was no respiratory depression as measured by arterial blood gas analysis that recorded normal PaCO2 in the patient breathing supplemental oxygen. Hypotension (systemic arterial blood pressure less than 100 mmHg) occurred twice during dexmedetomidine administration, but was normolized by ephedrine administration. The preservation of respiratory drive offers the possibility that this anesthetic technique may be another method for providing anesthesia for the patient with a difficult airway. Moreover, there is one consensus on the importance of the basic principle that adequate topical or intravenous anesthesia is also essential during high-dose dexmedetomidine infusion.

[Anesthetic management for scheduled peritonectomy and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy in 20 patients]. / Manejo anestésico de 20 pacientes programados para peritonectomía y quimioterapia intraperitoneal caliente.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe our protocol for the anesthetic management for peritonectomy and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy and to report the results from a series of 20 patients. METHODS: The patients were diagnosed with peritoneal carcinomatosis and classified ASA 1-3. A thoracic epidural catheter was inserted for invasive monitoring. We recorded duration of surgery, hemodynamic changes and the use of vasoconstrictors, requirement for intraoperative fluid replacement or blood product transfusion, diuresis, and use of diuretics. RESULTS: Twenty patients were studied. Peritonectomy could not be performed in 3 patients and their data was excluded in order to avoid skewing. The mean (SD) duration of the intervention was 543 (98) minutes. Vasoconstrictors were used in 7 out of 17 patients (41%). Diuretics were used in 10 out of 17 patients (58%). Fluids infused during surgery were a mean of 7.9 (2) L of crystalloid solution and 2.3 (0.6) L of colloid solution. Packed red blood cells were transfused in 9 cases and only 1 patient required fresh frozen plasma. The temperature rose from 1-1.5 degrees C during administration of the hyperthermic chemotherapy and was controlled without complications with the infusion of cold liquids and a heating blanket set at 32-34 degrees C. Extubation inside the operating room was possible in 41% of the cases. Two patients developed postoperative respiratory problems and 1 patient, renal failure. One patient was reoperated for bleeding. CONCLUSIONS: The described anesthetic management protocol allowed the intervention to be carried out without complications other than hypotension, which responded to vasoconstrictor therapy.

"Urological cold shower"--a novel treatment for intraoperative erection.

Intraoperative penile tumescence during endoscopic surgery is a troublesome complication and a challenge to the urologist. We describe a novel, convenient, safe, and readily available technique. We used an intracavernosal injection of epinephrine using a standard dental syringe and a cartridge of lidocaine 2% and epinephrine 1:80,000 to induce detumescence reliably.

Anesthesia for one-stage bilateral pheochromocytoma resection in a patient with MEN type IIa: attenuation of hypertensive crisis by magnesium sulfate.

Multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) type IIa, manifesting as an autosomal dominant trait, consists of medullary thyroid carcinoma, parathyroid adenoma or hyperplasia, and pheochromocytoma. We report our experience of a 42-year-old woman, MEN type IIa with a large bilateral pheochromocytoma, who underwent one-stage bilateral tumor resection under a combined continuous epidural technique with 0.25 per cent bupivacaine and general anesthesia using vecuronium, fentanyl, nitrous oxide, and isoflurane. An initial intra-operative hypertensive response was acceptably controlled by nitroprusside and a beta-blocker but during tumor handling the hypertensive crisis worsened and she developed acute pulmonary edema despite a continuing high dose of nitroprusside infusion. After receiving intermittent i.v. MgSO4 up to 3 g in 15 min, her condition gradually improved and the cardiovascular response was under control throughout the period of tumor handling. Hypotension encountered post-pheochromocytoma resection was treated by volume replacement, metaraminol, CaCl2, and dopamine infusion. The patient's post-operative course was uneventful.

Octreotide in the treatment of thoracic duct injuries.

Anecdotal reports support the use of octreotide in the treatment of traumatic thoracic duct injuries and chylothorax, but no prospective studies have proved its efficacy. We evaluated the effects of octreotide in treating thoracic duct transection in a canine model. Eight mongrel dogs (27.8+/-5.1 kg) were fed one pint of 10.5 per cent milkfat 2 hours before operation. Through a left supraclavicular neck incision, the thoracic duct was identified and transected, producing free flow of chyle. A quarter-inch drain was tunneled subcutaneously from the wound and attached to closed suction. After wound closure dogs were randomized to a control group (n = 4) receiving sham injections of saline subcutaneously three times per day, or a treatment group (n = 4) given 3 microg/kg octreotide three times per day. Postoperatively all dogs were fed a standard low-fat (5-7%) crude fat diet. Drain output was measured each day, and on odd-numbered postoperative days the drainage was analyzed for cholesterol, triglycerides, albumin, and total protein. Fistula closure was defined as drainage <10 ml/24-hour period. Treated dogs achieved fistula closure significantly faster than controls: 3.5+/-1.3 days versus 7.8+/-1.0 days (P = 0.0037). Whereas equivalent amounts of drainage occurred on the day of surgery and on postoperative day one in both groups, by postoperative day 2 the treatment group had significantly less drainage over 24 hours: 63+/-69 ml versus 195+/-79 ml (P = 0.046); this significant difference persisted through postoperative day 5 when drainage began to decrease in the control group. No significant differences between groups were seen in levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, albumin, or protein in the drainage at any time point. We conclude that octreotide is effective in treating thoracic duct injury, leading to an early decrease in drainage and early fistula closure. The mechanism for this effect remains to be clarified.

[Monitored anesthesia care for a patient with malignant pheochromocytoma].

Monitored anesthesia care (MAC) is being increasingly used in the 1990s for a wide variety of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. The primary objective in providing MAC is to ensure patients' comfort and safety, whether in the operating room or in other places. We experienced MAC for a patient with pheochromocytoma. A 63-year-old man with hepatic metastasis of malignant pheochromocytoma, received transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) in the angiographic room. Hypertension and ventricular arrhythmia occurred during the hepatic arterial embolization. However, we successfully controlled the hemodynamic changes using phentolamine and propranolol under the close monitoring. He showed an uneventful recovery during postoperative period except for mild hypotension on the third day which needed temporary norepinephrine infusion.

[Transfusion needs during intraoperative and immediate postoperative periods in arthroplasty of the hip and knee]. / Necesidades transfusionales durante el intra y postoperatorio inmediato de la artroplastia de cadera y rodilla. Incidencia y factores asociados.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the factors associated with immediate perioperative transfusion requirements of hip or knee arthroplasty patients who have not been enrolled in a blood salvage program. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This prospective study collected demographic (age, sex, weight, height, etc.), physiological (hemoglobin levels, coagulation times, preoperative platelet counts, etc.), clinical history and anesthetic and surgical data (type of anesthesia, surgical diagnosis, duration of procedure) in 112 patients undergoing orthopedic surgery: 19 cases of primary knee arthroplasty, 77 cases of hip arthroplasty and 16 replacements of hip arthroplasty. Logistic regression analysis of the aforementioned variables was performed to search for factors related to transfusional needs during and after hip arthroplasty or after knee arthroplasty, which was performed with a tourniquet applied to render intraoperative transfusion unnecessary. RESULTS: The variables that increased the risk of transfusion during surgery were duration of procedure exceeding 120 min (OR 15.24; p = 0.01) and loss of over 500 ml of blood during surgery (OR 11.4; p = 0.02). The variables associated with perioperative transfusion were loss of over 500 ml in the postanesthetic recovery room (OR 12.6; p < 0.0001), hypotensive episodes during recovery (OR 11.7; p = 0.0001), prosthetic replacement (OR 6.33; p = 0.005), height < 160 cm (OR 5.03; p = 0.02), preoperative hemoglobin level < 13.5 g/dl (OR 4.97; p = 0.02), and surgery for reasons other than osteoarthritis (arthritis, pathological fractures, etc.) (OR 4.60; p = 0.04). Variables associated with transfusion of over two units of packed red cells were a history of neoplastic disease unrelated to arthroplasty (OR 378.67; p = 0.005), prosthetic replacement (OR 49.71; p = 0.009), diabetes (OR 36.49; p = 0.02) and a hypotensive event while in the postanesthetic recovery room (OR 29.12; p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that certain modifiable factors increase the risk of blood transfusion in knee and hip arthroplasty. Specifically, they are duration of surgery, intra- and postoperative bleeding, preoperative hemoglobin level and instances of perioperative hypotension. Other factors outside our control are height or patient clinical history.

Esmolol resistance during anesthesia for thoracoscopically assisted coronary artery bypass grafting.

The anesthetic technique for two patients who underwent thoracoscopic harvesting of the LIMA followed by a mini-thoracotomy for surgical myocardial revascularization of isolated LAD artery stenosis is reported. Both patients unexpectedly showed esmolol resistance during anastomosis of the LIMA to the LAD artery. However, excellent graft patency, early extubation, and rapid recoveries were achieved.

[Successful treatment of intraoperative myocardial ischemia with nicorandil].

We report five patients who developed intraoperative myocardial ischemia but were treated successfully with nicorandil. Case 1; An 84 year-old male underwent emergent laparotomy and ileolysis under inhalational plus thoracic epidural anesthesia. During his emergence from anesthesia, arterial pressure and heart rate increased abruptly due to excitement, leading to ST-T depression on V5 lead. Bradycardia and hypotension developed subsequently. Immediately after i.v. injections of nicorandil 4 mg and atropine 0.3 mg, ST-T change and hemodynamics improved dramatically. Case 2; A 67 year-old male underwent esophagectomy under inhalational plus thoracic epidural anesthesia. Following the completion of surgery, elevation of ST-T developed suddenly on lead II, though hemodynamics were not compromised. ST-T elevation disappeared immediately after nicorandil 6 mg and continuous infusion of nitroglycerin (TNG) was initiated. Case 3; A 71 year-old female underwent aortic valve replacement under high-dose fentanyl anesthesia. Shortly after starting cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), ST-T segment on leads II and V5 was elevated suddenly. This was accompanied by severe pulmonary hypertension suggestive of severe left ventricular failure. Shortly after nicorandil 4 mg via a pulmonary artery (PA) catheter, ST-T segment returned to the baseline and pulmonary arterial pressure was normalized. Case 4; A 61 year-old male underwent coronary revascularization under high-dose fentanyl anesthesia. During weaning from CPB, elevation of ST-T segment occurred on leads II and V5. ST change improved, responding to nicorandil 6 mg en bolus via a PA catheter. Case 5; A 67 year-old male underwent coronary revascularization under high-dose fentanyl anesthesia. He was unable to be weaned from CPB for several hours because of frequent and repeated attacks of ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation. The arrhythmia did not respond to various kinds of treatments including intra-aortic balloon pumping and continuous infusions of inotropes, anti-arrhythmic drugs and anti-anginal drugs. In spite of repeated intracoronary injections of TNG, graft flow to the left anterior descending branch remained low at 40 ml.min-1. After an intracoronary injection of nicorandil 1 mg, however, blood flow increased to 100 ml.min-1, resulting in a marked reduction in frequency of ventricular arrhythmia. The patient came off bypass successfully. In each case, intraoperative myocardial ischemia was treated successfully with nicorandil. Neither hypotension nor arrhythmia resulted from its bolus injection. Nicorandil might be a useful therapeutic tool for myocardial ischemia during anesthesia.