Intraoperative Thrombolysis of Massive Pulmonary Embolus During Spine Surgery: Case Report of Survival Complicated by Massive Bleeding and Review of the Literature.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a known risk of lumbar spinal fusion surgery that can lead to sudden and unexpected death. Treatment often involves systemic anticoagulation when the risk of potentially fatal hemodynamic deterioration is judged to outweigh the risk of epidural hematoma and paralysis. Acute massive PE with obstruction of more than 50% of the pulmonary arterial tree causes right heart failure, hypotension, and often rapid death, and may require aggressive medical intervention with thrombolytic agents, such as alteplase, although in the postoperative period this entails an extremely high risk of bleeding and the associated potential neurologic morbidity. CASE DESCRIPTION: We report the first case, to our knowledge, of intraoperative thrombolytic therapy during spine surgery in a 68-year-old woman who developed a massive PE with cardiac arrest while undergoing lumbar instrumented fusion surgery in the prone position and detail the postoperative course that was complicated by severe bleeding. CONCLUSIONS: Our experience is that chemical thrombolysis can be a lifesaving option to address pending circulatory arrest, but that severe bleeding is a likely consequence. If used to treat an intraoperative emergency, a smaller than standard dose of thrombolytic should be considered.

Perioperative Efficiency vs. Quality of Care - Do We Always Have to Choose?

Introduction: ATTEMPTS to enforce optimization practices for operating room (OR) efficiency are often interpreted as a "pressure for production" which threatens patient safety. The aim of this study is to assess if and how improvements in OR efficiency affect patient safety and thus the quality of care. Methods: In an attempt to optimize OR efficiency, a new OR management approach "Integrated Practice Improvement Solutions" (IPIS) was developed at the Weiler Division of Montefiore Medical Center in 2011. IPIS is a flexible managerial system based on elements of multiple practice improvement methodologies incorporated into an open source framework. It was implemented in 2012. The data presented covers the period from 2012 through 2014 when the system was temporarily discontinued due to administrative restructuring. Data from 2011 was used as a baseline. The impact of IPIS on patient safety and quality of care was assessed based on quality improvement and patient safety (QIPS) Committee reports covering the same period of time. Results: IPIS implementation resulted in an increase in surgical workload by an average of 10.7%, an increase in OR and anesthesia revenues by 18.5% and 6.9%, respectively, and decreases in turnover time by 15% and overtime for the anesthesia staff by 26%. Based on QIPS reports, the total number of complications potentially attributable to "production pressure" was 0.25%, 0.2% and 0.16% in 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively compared to 0.21% in 2011 (p = 0.56). Conclusions: Gradual implementation of a methodologically structured improvement in OR efficiency has no negative impact on patient safety and quality of care.

Hybrid Coronary Revascularization - Current State of the Art.

Hybrid coronary revascularization (HCR) seeks to combine the benefit of surgical and nonsurgical techniques for optimum management for selective patients with multivessel obstructive coronary artery disease. The goal of HCR is to combine the benefit of surgical anastomosis of the left internal mammary artery to the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) graft along with stenting of non-LAD lesions with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). HCR usually involves the use of minimally invasive surgical techniques like robotically assisted coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), with the objective to produce a rapid recovery in the postoperative period, lower complications, and decreased length of stay in the hospital. In this review the authors seek to define the role of HCR in current practice including patient selection, techniques, logistics, outcome data and the challenges it faces in comparison to conventional CABG and PCI.

Patient Demographics and Extracorporeal Membranous Oxygenation (ECMO)-Related Complications Associated With Survival to Discharge or 30-Day Survival in Adult Patients Receiving Venoarterial (VA) and Venovenous (VV) ECMO in a Quaternary Care Urban Center.

OBJECTIVE: Investigate how a multitude of patient demographics and extracorporeal membranous oxygenation (ECMO)-related complications affect 30-day survival or survival to discharge. DESIGN: Retrospective observational study. SETTING: Urban university hospital, quaternary care center. PARTICIPANTS: Patients who underwent ECMO circulatory support from January 2012 to May 2016. INTERVENTIONS: Date-based data extraction, univariate and multivariate regression analysis. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The hospital database contained complete data for 235 adult patients who received venoarterial ECMO (74.04 %) and venovenous ECMO (25.96 %); 106 patients (45.11%) survived. The independent predictors significant in the odds of in-hospital mortality in a multiregression model were age (odds ratio [OR] = 1.028, p = 0.008), extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) after unsuccessful high-quality CPR (OR = 7.93, p =0.002), cardiogenic shock as the primary indication for circulatory support (OR = 2.58, p = 0.02), acute kidney injury (AKI) before ECMO initiation (OR = 7.53, p < 0.001), time spent on ECMO in days (OR = 1.08, p = 0.03), and limb ischemia (OR = 3.18, p = 0.047). CONCLUSION: The most significant findings of advancing age, time spent on ECMO, AKI, ECMO use in the setting of cardiogenic shock, ECPR, and limb ischemia as a complication of ECMO all independently increase the odds of in-hospital and 30-day mortality. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is the first to demonstrate a significant relationship between limb ischemia and mortality.

A Comparison of Inflammatory Responses Between Robotically Enhanced Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting and Conventional Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: Implications for Hybrid Revascularization.

OBJECTIVE: The inflammatory response elicited by robotically enhanced coronary artery bypass grafting (r-CABG) has not been well described. When r-CABG is performed as part of hybrid coronary revascularization, the inflammatory milieu and the timing of percutaneous coronary intervention may affect the stent patency negatively in the short and long term. The goal of this study was to describe the extent and time course of cytokine release after r-CABG compared with conventional CABG (c-CABG) and to elucidate the optimal timing for r-CABG in the setting of hybrid coronary revascularization for a future study. DESIGN: Prospective, observational study. SETTING: Tertiary-care center in a university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: The study comprised patients scheduled to undergo r-CABG or c-CABG from October 2012 to November 2014. INTERVENTIONS: Cytokine levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, IL-10; tumor necrosis factor-α; and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured at the following time points: preprocedure; at the end of the procedure; and at 4, 8, 12, 24, and 48 hours after the procedure. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Twenty-eight patients undergoing r-CABG and 10 patients undergoing c-CABG were enrolled. The levels of cytokines after r-CABG and c-CABG were compared using the mixed-effect linear regression model for longitudinal data. Cytokine release in the r-CABG group was comparatively less for IL-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor, and CRP levels. They all trended toward the baseline by the 48th hour in both groups, except CRP levels, which reached their peak at 48 hours in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: The inflammatory response to r-CABG was blunted compared with that of c-CABG. The high CRP levels on the second postoperative day after r-CABG were a cause for concern in regard to percutaneous coronary intervention performed at that time period, but additional studies are necessary.

Integrated Practice Improvement Solutions-Practical Steps to Operating Room Management.

UNLABELLED: Perioperative productivity is a vital concern for surgeons, anesthesiologists, and administrators as the OR is a major source of hospital elective admissions and revenue. Based on elements of existing Practice Improvement Methodologies (PIMs), "Integrated Practice Improvement Solutions" (IPIS) is a practical and simple solution incorporating aspects of multiple management approaches into a single open source framework to increase OR efficiency and productivity by better utilization of existing resources. MATERIALS AND METHODS: OR efficiency was measured both before and after IPIS implementation using the total number of cases versus room utilization, OR/anesthesia revenue and staff overtime (OT) costs. Other parameters of efficiency, such as the first case on-time start and the turnover time (TOT) were measured in parallel. RESULTS: IPIS implementation resulted in increased numbers of surgical procedures performed by an average of 10.7%, and OR and anesthesia revenue increases of 18.5% and 6.9%, respectively, with a simultaneous decrease in TOT (15%) and OT for anesthesia staff (26%). The number of perioperative adverse events was stable during the two-year study period which involved a total of 20,378 patients. CONCLUSION: IPIS, an effective and flexible practice improvement model, was designed to quickly, significantly, and sustainably improve OR efficiency by better utilization of existing resources. Success of its implementation directly correlates with the involvement of and acceptance by the entire OR team and hospital administration.

Comparison of Index Hospitalization Costs Between Robotic CABG and Conventional CABG: Implications for Hybrid Coronary Revascularization.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the direct costs of the index hospitalization and 30-day morbidity and mortality incurred during robotic and conventional coronary artery bypass grafting at a single institution based on hospital clinical and financial records. DESIGN: Retrospective study, propensity-matched groups with one-to-one nearest neighbor matching. SETTING: University hospital, a tertiary care center. PARTICIPANTS: Two thousand eighty-eight consecutive patients who underwent primary coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) from January 2007 to March 2012. INTERVENTIONS: One hundred forty-one matched pairs were created and analyzed. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Robotic CABG was associated with a decrease in operative time (5.61±1.1 v 6.6±1.15 hours, p<0.001), a lower need for blood transfusion (12.8% v 22.6%, p = 0.04), a shorter length of stay (6 [4-9]) v 7 [5-11] days, p = 0.001), a shorter ICU stay (31 [24-49] hours v 52 [32-96.5] hours, p<0.001) and lower NY state complications composite rate (4.26% v 13.48%, p = 0.01). In spite of that, the cost of robotic procedures was not significantly different from matched conventional cases ($18,717.35 [11,316.1-34,550.6] versus $18,601 [13,137-50,194.75], p = 0.13), except 26 hybrid coronary revascularizations in which angioplasty was performed on the same admission (hybrid 25,311.1 [18,537.1-41,167.85] versus conventional 18,966.13 [13,337.75-56,021.75], p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Robotically assisted CABG does not increase the cost of the index hospitalization when compared to conventional CABG unless hybrid revascularization is performed on the same admission.

Robotic coronary artery bypass grafting decreases 30-day complication rate, length of stay, and acute care facility discharge rate compared with conventional surgery.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to compare the short-term outcomes of robotic with conventional on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). METHODS: The study population included 2091 consecutive patients who underwent either conventional or robotic CABG from January 2007 to March 2012. Preoperative, intraoperative, and 30-day postoperative variables were collected for each group. To compare the incidence of rapid recovery between conventional and robotic CABG, the surrogate variables of early discharge and discharge to home (vs rehabilitation or acute care facility) were evaluated. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used. RESULTS: One hundred fifty robotic and 1619 conventional CABG cases were analyzed. Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that robotic surgery was a strong predictor of lower 30-day complications [odds ratio (OR), 0.24; P = 0.005], short length of stay (OR, 3.31; P < 0.001), and decreased need for an acute care facility (OR, 0.55; P = 0.032). In the presence of complications (New York State Complication Composite), the robotic technique was not associated with a change in discharge status. CONCLUSIONS: In this retrospective review, robotic CABG was associated with a lower 30-day complication rate, a shorter length of stay, and a lower incidence of acute care facility discharge than conventional on-pump CABG. It may suggest a more rapid recovery to preoperative status after robotic surgery; however, only a randomized prospective study could confirm the advantages of a robotic approach.

Thromboelastograph with Platelet Mapping(TM) predicts postoperative chest tube drainage in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to evaluate the ability of Thromboelastograph with Platelet Mapping (TEG-PM(TM)) to predict postoperative bleeding tendency in patients with a history of recent anti-platelet therapy undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). DESIGN: A retrospective analysis. Association between predictor variables (MAADP [maximum amplitude produced by adenosine diphosphate], MAAA [maximum amplitude produced by arachidonic acid], percent of platelets inhibited by clopidogrel, percent of platelets inhibited by aspirin) and the outcomes as elevated chest tube drainage (CTD) and blood transfusion were investigated by logistic regression model. CTD was considered elevated if it was ≥ 600 mL within 12 hours after surgery. SETTING: A university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Patients on antiplatelet therapy scheduled to undergo CABG that had TEG-PM(TM) done as a point-of-care test. INTERVENTIONS: None. RESULTS: A total of 78 patients had preoperative TEG-PM(TM) test and on-pump CABG surgeries performed on the same day. Among them, 20 patients (25.6%) had elevated CTD. Decreased MAADP (odds ratio [OR] 0.94), increased percent inhibition of platelets by clopidogrel (OR 1.03), and lower body mass index (BMI) (OR 0.78) were significantly associated with elevated CTD. The same parameters were also associated with platelets transfusion: MAADP (OR 0.94), percent of inhibition of platelets by clopidogrel (OR 1.03) and BMI (OR 0.77). CONCLUSIONS: TEG-PM(TM) parameters and BMI are predictive of elevated CTD and platelets transfusion. A 1 mm decrease in MAADP increases the likelihood of elevated CTD and the likelihood of platelets transfusion by 6% whereas 1 unit decrease in BMI is associated with an increased likelihood of elevated CTD and platelets transfusion by 22% and 23% respectively.

A comparison of the effect of aprotinin and ε-aminocaproic acid on renal function in children undergoing cardiac surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the incidence of renal injury among pediatric patients who received aprotinin while undergoing cardiac surgery compared with those who received ε-aminocaproic acid (EACA). DESIGN: A retrospective observational study. SETTING: A single academic center. PARTICIPANTS: Pediatric cardiac patients who had cardiopulmonary bypass and received aprotinin or EACA. INTERVENTION: Patients undergoing pediatric cardiac surgery received aprotinin from 2005 to 2007 and EACA from 2008 to 2009. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The primary outcome was acute kidney injury (AKI) defined as serum Cr elevation at discharge more than 1.5 times the baseline value. Secondary outcomes included bleeding, blood transfusion, and the volume of chest tube drainage in the first 24 hours postoperatively. One hundred seventy-eight patients met inclusion criteria; 120 patients received aprotinin, and 58 patients received EACA. These 2 groups did not differ significantly in age, weight, or duration of cardiac bypass. Logistic regression analysis, adjusted for confounding variables (ie, baseline Cr, sex, age, CPB time, inotropic support and vasopressors), showed a higher odds of suffering AKI at discharge with the usage of aprotinin (odds ratio = 4.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-19.5; p = 0.03). The volume of the first 24 hours of chest tube drainage was not significantly different between groups, as well as packed red blood cells and cryoprecipitate units. However, fresh frozen plasma and platelets showed statistically significant differences with more transfusion in the EACA group. CONCLUSION: In this retrospective study, the authors observed a higher odds of AKI for aprotinin usage compared with EACA, suggesting that the known concern for adults with adverse kidney effects with aprotinin is also appropriate for pediatric patients.

Congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries and concomitant coronary artery and valvular disease in the adult patient.

Congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (ccTGA) accounts for less that 1% of cardiac anomalies, and is defined as ventriculoarterial and atrioventricular (AV) discordance. The double discordant connection allows for survival with the right ventricle performing as the systemic ventricle, and the left ventricle as the pulmonary ventricle. We report a case of ccTGA in a 35-year-old male with situs inversus totalis status post repair of a ventricular septal defect (VSD) with a residual VSD, severe systemic AV valve regurgitation, and coronary artery disease who presented with chest pain. He subsequently underwent tricuspid valve replacement and VSD repair, followed by percutaneous coronary revascularization. This case highlights many important issues of adults with congenital cardiac disease, as well as the specific surgical management of anomalies associated with ccTGA. We review the literature and discuss the management of these complicated patients.

Pulmonary artery flow patterns after the Fontan procedure are predictive of postoperative complications.

OBJECTIVE: Pulmonary artery (PA) flow reversal has been associated with poor outcome in patients with atriopulmonary (APC) and total cavopulmonary connection (TCPC) lateral tunnel (LT) Fontan modification. The authors studied PA flow after TCPC in relation to the incidence of early Fontan outcome and complications. DESIGN: A prospective observational study. SETTING: A university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Pediatric patients undergoing a Fontan procedure. INTERVENTION: Nineteen patients were studied. PA flow was measured by pulse-wave Doppler during the surgery after chest closure. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to patterns of PA flow: group 1, positive (biphasic or continuous flow), and group 2, negative (with flow reversal component). The postoperative complications were recorded. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: There were no deaths or reoperations for Fontan takedown. Ten patients had positive and 9 had negative flow. There were no differences between groups regarding age, weight, length of procedure, and cardiopulmonary bypass. The chest tube drainage in patients with negative flow was significantly longer than those in the positive-flow group (8.3 +/- 7.0 days in the negative-flow group v 2.8 +/- 1.7 days in the positive-flow group, p = 0.03). The total number of complications was higher in the negative-flow group compared with the positive-flow group (3.0 +/- 1.3 v 1.2 +/- 0.6, p = 0.003). The differences between groups in terms of pediatric intensive care unit and/or hospital length of stay did not reach statistical significance, possibly because of the low number of patients. CONCLUSION: PA flow pattern appears to be predictive of the length of postoperative chest tube drainage and the number of postoperative complications.

Assessment of cerebral oxygen balance during deep hypothermic circulatory arrest by continuous jugular bulb venous saturation and near-infrared spectroscopy.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare jugular venous bulb saturation (SjvO(2)) and regional cerebral oximetry (rSO(2)) by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) during procedures with deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA). DESIGN: Prospective observational study. SETTING: Academic hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Patients undergoing aortic reconstructive surgery with DHCA from July 2001 to January 2005. INTERVENTION: The authors examined cerebral oxygenation by continuous NIRS monitoring and by blood gas analysis of intermittently sampled jugular bulb blood (SjvO(2)). Data were obtained during various stages of the procedure in 29 patients. NIRS measurements were compared with SjvO(2). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: NIRS and SjvO(2) trends were similar. Overall, cerebral venous oxygen saturation obtained from NIRS was lower compared with SjvO(2) (p < 0.05), especially during periods of low temperature. The mean correlation between NIRS and SjvO(2) was 0.363, and the individual correlations varied from -0.11 to 0.91. The low mean correlation was because of a high degree of variability in the NIRS data between patients. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that NIRS does not closely correlate with SjvO(2) in this patient population. Cerebral oximetry measured by NIRS could not replace jugular bulb saturation as an intraoperative marker of adequate metabolic suppression.

Caudal anesthesia in pediatric cardiac surgery: does it affect outcome?

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of caudal anesthesia on outcomes (pediatric intensive care unit [PICU] length of stay, hospital length of stay, ventilatory time, early extubation rate) in pediatric patients undergoing congenital heart disease repair requiring cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). DESIGN: Retrospective. SETTING: University teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Pediatric patients undergoing surgery to treat congenital heart disease between 1999 and 2002. INTERVENTION: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Thirty-four patients with atrial septal defect (ASD), 37 with ventricular septal defect, and 46 with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) were included in the analysis. No differences were found in preoperative and intraoperative data between caudal and noncaudal group for each disorder. There was no difference between caudal and noncaudal groups in PICU and hospital stay. A statistically significant difference was found in the postoperative ventilatory time in patients with ASD and TOF between caudal and noncaudal groups. The early extubation rate was higher in the TOF caudal group compared with the noncaudal group. CONCLUSIONS: This retrospective study demonstrated that postinduction placement of caudal anesthesia does not affect PICU or hospital length of stay. A well-controlled prospective study is needed to confirm these findings.

Utility of ultrasound-guided central venous cannulation in pediatric surgical patients: a clinical series.

BACKGROUND: Central venous cannulation can be particularly difficult in pediatric patients. Central line placement is associated with many well-known complications. While ultrasound-guided techniques are well established, the majority of central venous catheters are placed using landmark guidance. This retrospective study compares the safety and efficacy of ultrasound guidance vs landmark guidance in central venous cannulation of pediatric cardiac surgery patients. METHODS: The medical records of 149 pediatric patients undergoing cardiac surgery over 3-year period were reviewed. Patients were classified into two cohorts based on whether central venous cannulation of the internal jugular vein was performed by ultrasound or landmark guidance. Overall success and traumatic complication rates were compared between the two groups. Additionally, comparisons between the groups were made to determine if patient size or age affected the success rate of either approach in different manner. RESULTS: Patients in the ultrasound-guided (n = 47) and the landmark-guided (n = 102) groups were similar with respect to age, weight, and surgical procedure for which central venous access was indicated. The overall success rate for cannulation of the internal jugular vein was 91.5% in the ultrasound-guided group and 72.5% in the landmark-guided group (P = 0.010). But in the subgroup of children under 1 year of age, success rate was 77.8% in ultrasound group and 60.9% in landmark group (P = 0.44); in children under 10 kg in weight, success rate was 80% in ultrasound group and 56.7% in landmark group (P = 0.19). There were no significant differences in the rate of traumatic complications between the two methods. CONCLUSIONS: The overall success of internal jugular vein cannulation for pediatric cardiac surgery is significantly improved with the use of ultrasound guidance, without a significant difference in traumatic complications. However, mostly children above 1 year of age or 10 kg of weight experience advantages of ultrasound technique.