[Perioperative management of adult patients with obstructive sleep apnea]. / Erwachsene Patienten mit obstruktiver Schlafapnoe (OSA) - Perioperatives Management.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common sleep related breathing disorder with an increasing prevalence. Most surgical patients with OSA have not been diagnosed prior to surgery and are at an increased risk of developing perioperative complications. Preoperative identification of these patients is important in order to take appropriate measures concerning a safe perioperative management. While the level of scientific evidence for single measures is still low, several steps seem prudent: Preoperatively, sedating medications should only be applied with extreme caution. Anesthetic management should focus on regional anesthetic techniques and reduction of systemic opioids. In the case of general anesthesia, an increased risk of a patient presenting with a difficult airway should be appreciated. The extent and duration of postoperative continuous monitoring has to be determined on an individual basis. A preoperatively existing therapy with continuous positive airway pressure should be continued postoperatively as soon as possible. Patients with OSA may be managed on an outpatient basis if certain requirements are met.

Retrospective investigation of >400 patients undergoing thoracic endovascular aortic repair with or without cerebrospinal fluid drainage.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to analyse the risks and benefits of cerebrospinal fluid drainage (CSFD) placement in patients undergoing thoracic endovascular aortic repair. METHODS: Between 2009 and 2020, 411 patients underwent thoracic endovascular aortic repair in 1 institution where 236 patients (57%) received a preoperative CSFD. Patient and outcome characteristics were retrospectively analysed and compared between patients with and without preoperative CSFD placement. RESULTS: Preoperative CSFD was performed significantly more frequently in elective patients, especially those undergoing distal stent graft extension following frozen elephant trunk-stent placement (P < 0.001). Significantly fewer CSFD was placed in patients with acute aortic injury (P < 0.001). The incidence of permanent spinal cord ischaemia (SCI) was higher in patients without preoperative CSFD [10 patients (2%) vs 1 patient (0.2%), P = 0.001]. Postoperative CSFD was placed in 3 patients (0.7%). Severe CSFD-associated complications affected 2 patients (0.5%) namely, a subdural spinal haematoma causing permanent paraplegia in one of those 2 patients. CONCLUSIONS: CSFS placement is associated with low procedural risk and can potentially help to prevent SCI. However, the SCI incidence is most likely also associated with other preoperative factors including the patient's haemodynamics. Hence, a general recommendation for placing a preoperative CSFD cannot be made when relying on the present evidence.