Renal resistive index as a predictor of postoperative complications in liver resection surgery. Observational study.

Mortality after liver surgery reduced during the last three decades to less than 2%, but post-operative morbidity occurs in 20-50% of cases. Patients are often considered eligible for post-operative intensive-care unit (ICU) admission. Predicting which patients that are at higher risk could lead to a more precise perioperative management. We investigated whether renal resistive index (RRI), alone or along with other items, can predict post-operative complication after hepatic resection. All consecutive patients undergoing hepatectomy for primary or metastatic neoplasm at our Institution between February 2015 and March 2017 were enrolled. They received RRI measurement before entering in operative room and after awakening from general anesthesia. 183 Patients were enrolled. High surgical invasiveness, surgery time > 360 min, pre-operative RRI and postoperative serum lactate clearance < - 6%, showed to be associated with postoperative complications. Pre-operative RRI, complex liver resection, long-lasting surgery and poor lactate clearance (cLac) close to awakening from general anesthesia, all together may permit to classify the risk of post-operative adverse outcome after hepatic resection surgery.

Impact of the FloTrac/VigileoTM Monitoring on Intraoperative Fluid Management and Outcome after Liver Resection.

BACKGROUNDS: Perioperative fluid-therapy is a still a debated issue. In hepatic surgery, volume load must be strictly monitored to assure both a safe hemodynamics and low central venous pressure (CVP) to limit the backflow bleeding. Retrospectively, we compared intraoperative fluid management before and after the adoption of a semi-invasive hemodynamic monitoring. METHODS: We compared patients submitted to liver resection monitored by FloTrac/VigileoTM (group A) vs. patients who did not (group B). We searched for differences about hemodynamics, fluid therapy and outcome. RESULTS: Three hundred fifty-five patients underwent hepatic resection due to neoplasm: group A - n = 179 and group B - n = 176. At the end of the resection, patients of group A showed a higher mean arterial pressure (MAP) than group B (74 ± 12 vs. 49.4 ± 8 mm Hg, respectively; p < 0.001). Cardiac index and stroke volume variation in group A were within a normal range. Fluid input was higher in group B than in group A (12.0 ± 3.4 vs. 7.6 ± 3.1 mL/kg/h, respectively; p < 0.001) and fluid balance was significantly different: group A -400 ± 1,527 vs. group B 326 ± 1,527 mL (p < 0.001). Group B showed a greater number of cases complicated outcomes (36 vs. 20; p = 0.014). Considering only those subjects who were able to reach their hemodynamic targets (MAP ≥65 mm Hg and CVP ≤7 mm Hg), we found similar data. CONCLUSIONS: Patients who received a monitored fluid therapy experienced a safer outcome.

The anesthesiologist's perspective on emergency aortic surgery: Preoperative optimization, intraoperative management, and postoperative surveillance.

The management of emergencies related to the aorta requires a multidisciplinary approach involving various health care professionals. Despite technological advancements in treatment methods, the risks and mortality rates associated with surgery remain high. In the emergency department, definitive diagnosis is usually obtained through computed tomography angiography, and management focuses on controlling blood pressure and treating symptoms to prevent further deterioration. Preoperative resuscitation is the main focus, followed by intraoperative management aimed at stabilizing the patient's hemodynamics, controlling bleeding, and protecting vital organs. After the operation, factors such as organ protection, transfusion management, pain control, and overall patient care must be taken into account. Endovascular techniques are becoming more common in surgical treatment, but they also present new challenges in terms of complications and outcomes. It is recommended that patients with suspected ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms be transferred to facilities with both open and endovascular treatment options and a track record of successful outcomes to ensure the best patient care and long-term results. To achieve optimal patient outcomes, close collaboration and regular case discussions between health care professionals are necessary, as well as participation in educational programs to promote a culture of teamwork and continuous improvement.

Early Hospital Discharge on Day Two Post Robotic Lobectomy with Telehealth Home Monitoring: A Pilot Study.

Despite the adoption of enhanced recovery programs, the reported postoperative length of stay after robotic surgery is 4 days even in highly specialized centers. We report preliminary results of a pilot study for a new protocol of early discharge (on day 2) with telehealth home monitoring after robotic lobectomy for lung cancer. All patients with a caregiver were discharged on postoperative day 2 with a telemonitoring device if they satisfied specific discharge criteria. Teleconsultations were scheduled once in the afternoon of post-operative day 2, twice on postoperative day 3, and then once a day until the chest tube removal. Post-discharge vital signs were recorded by patients at least four times daily through the device and were available for consultation by two surgeons through phone application. In case of sudden variation of vital signs or occurrence of adverse events, a direct telephone line was available for patients as well as a protected re-hospitalization path. Primary outcome was the safety evaluated by the occurrence of post-discharge complications and readmissions. Secondary outcome was the evaluation of resources optimization (hospitalization days) maintaining the standard of care. During the study period, twelve patients satisfied all preoperative clinical criteria to be enrolled in our protocol. Two of twelve enrolled patients were successively excluded because they did not satisfy discharge criteria on postoperative day 2. During telehealth home monitoring a total of 27/427 vital-sign measurements violated the threshold in seven patients. Among the threshold violations, only 1 out of 27 was a critical violation and was managed at home. No postoperative complication occurred neither readmission was needed. A mean number of three hospitalization days was avoided and an estimated economic benefit of about EUR 500 for a single patient was obtained if compared with patients submitted to VATS lobectomy in the same period. These preliminary results confirm that adoption of telemonitoring allows, in selected patients, a safe discharge on postoperative day 2 after robotic surgery for early-stage NSCLC. A potential economic benefit could derive from this protocol if this data will be confirmed in larger sample.

Value of renal resistive index in covid-19 ARDS patients: an early inflammation alert for the lung-kidney cross-talk?

We analysed RRI and other hemodynamic, re-spiratory and inflammation parameters in critically ill pa-tients affected by severe covid-19 with acute distress respi-ratory syndrome (ARDS) aiming at verifying their modifica-tions during supine and prone positioning and any mutual correlation or interplay with RRI.

Perioperative Management of Complex Hepatectomy for Colorectal Liver Metastases: The Alliance between the Surgeon and the Anesthetist.

Hepatic resection has been widely accepted as the first choice for the treatment of colorectal metastases. Liver surgery has been recognized as a major abdominal procedure; it exposes patients to a high risk of perioperative adverse events. Decision sharing and the multimodal approach to the patients' management are the two key items for a safe outcome, even in such a high-risk surgery. This review aims at addressing the main perioperative issues (preoperative evaluation; general anesthesia and intraoperative fluid management and hemodynamic monitoring; intraoperative metabolism; administration policy for blood-derivative products; postoperative pain control; postoperative complications), in particular, from the anesthetist's point of view; however, only an alliance with the surgery team may be successful in case of adverse events to accomplish a good final outcome.

Serum lactate in liver resection with intermittent Pringle maneuver: the "square-root- shape.

BACKGROUND: Serum lactate (sLac) concentration during liver resection with intermittent hepatic hilum clamping (i.e. Pringle maneuver, PM) was retrospectively investigated. METHODS: A total of 133 patients who underwent liver resection were enrolled. We analyzed the sLac peri-operatively. Correlations were searched between the PM and lactatemia and its variations (i.e. lactate clearance, cLac) and other factors which it might be related to. Lactatemia in triplicate intraoperatively was recorded, just after the awakening, and 1 and 2 h later. The cLac between two consecutive measurements [(sLac1 - sLac2 )/sLac1 ] was computed. RESULTS: A reliable dependence of sLac was found from the cumulative PM. More than 76 min of cumulative Pringle Time (cPT) exposed patients to a worse cLac at the end of the resection phase (P < 0.0001). We found cPT >76 min, global operation time >365 min and bleeding >225 ml to be predictors of hyperlactatemia (sLac >4 mmol/L). Normal liver resulted as a risk factor for hyperlactatemia and steatosis was not (P = 0.030 vs. P = 0.325). Finally, cLac showed a "square-root- shape, just like the mathematical operation sign. CONCLUSIONS: Lactatemia during liver resection depends on the duration of PM, bleeding and the duration of the operation. Normal liver may expose the patient to the risk of hyperlactatemia.

May Renal Resistive Index be an early predictive tool of postoperative complications in major surgery? Preliminary results.

BACKGROUND: Patients who undergo high-risk surgery represent a large amount of post-operative ICU-admissions. These patients are at high risk of experiencing postoperative complications. Renal Resistive Index was found to be related with renal dysfunction, hypertension, and posttraumatic hemorrhagic shock, probably due to vasoconstriction. We explored whether Renal Resistive Index (RRI), measured after awakening from general anesthesia, could have any relationship with postoperative complications. METHODS: In our observational, stratified dual-center trial, we enrolled patients who underwent general anesthesia for high-risk major surgery. After awakening in recovery room (or during awakening period in subjects submitted to cardiac surgery) we measured RRI by echo-color-Doppler method. Primary endpoint was the association of altered RRI (>0.70) and outcome during the first postoperative week. RESULTS: 205 patients were enrolled: 60 (29.3%) showed RRI > 0.70. The total rate of adverse event was 27 (18.6%) in RRI ≤ 0.7 group and 19 (31.7%) in RRI > 0.7 group (P = 0.042). Significant correlation between RRI > 0.70 and complications resulted in pneumonia (P = 0.016), septic shock (P = 0.003), and acute renal failure (P = 0.001) subgroups. Patients with RRI > 0.7 showed longer ICU stay (P = 0.001) and lasting of mechanical ventilation (P = 0.004). These results were confirmed in cardiothoracic surgery subgroup. RRI > 0.7 duplicates triplicates the risk of complications, both in general (OR 2.03 93 95% CI 1.02-4.02, P = 0.044) and in cardiothoracic (OR 2.62 95% CI 1.11-6.16, P = 0.027) population. Furthermore, we found RRI > 0.70 was associated with a triplicate risk of postoperative septic shock (OR 3.04, CI 95% 1.5-7.01; P = 0.002).

Cardiac output by Flotrac/VigileoTM validation trials: are there reliable conclusions?

We reviewed the comparative trials of the Flotrac/VigileoTM versus the thermodilution method, published in the last five years. The results about the agreement between the two methods measuring cardiac output are contrasting. We also noticed that almost the whole pertinent literature include studies conducted without a correct statistical design, particularly about the sample size. For this reason we consider that results of the published studies about the agreement between pulse contour analysis for cardiac output measurement and thermodilution method may be not reliable.

Association of a wide invasive malignant thymoma with myastenia gravis and primary hyperparathyroidism due to parathyroid adenoma: case report and review of the literature.

There are few cases described in the world literature reporting an association of thymoma (with myasthenia gravis or not) with hyperparathyroidism. In these cases the hyperparathyroidism was due to the presence of an adenoma or hyperplasic parathyroid tissue either in the cervical region or in an ectopic intrathymic location.(12345) In other cases the syndrome of hypercalcemia was due to the secretion of parathyroid-related protein (PTHRP) (6) or parathyroid hormone (PTH) (7) by the thymoma itself. We report the first case, at the best of our knowledge, of a wide invasive malignant thymoma (type B3), associated with myasthenia gravis and hyperparathyroidism caused by parathyroid adenoma.