Clinical Efficacy of 10 Min of Active Prewarming for Preserving Patient Body Temperature during Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL) poses a risk of hypothermia. Additionally, general anesthesia lowers the thresholds for shivering and vasoconstriction, which leads to dysfunction of central thermoregulation. Perioperative hypothermia is associated with adverse outcomes after surgery. In this study, we aimed to demonstrate that prewarming for 10 min can effectively prevent early hypothermia during PNL. Methods: A total of 68 patients scheduled for elective PNL were recruited to this study from January to June 2022, but two patients were excluded because of a change in the surgical plan. After randomization, patients in the prewarming group (n = 32) received warming using a forced-air warming device for 10 min in the preoperative area before being transferred to the operating room, while the controls (n = 34) did not. The incidence of hypothermia within the first hour after inducing general anesthesia was the primary outcome. Perioperative body temperatures and postoperative recovery findings were also evaluated. Results: Early intraoperative hypothermia decreased significantly more in the prewarming group than in the control group (9.4% vs. 41.2%, p = 0.003). Moreover, the net decrease in core body temperature during surgery was smaller in the prewarming group than in the control group (0.2 °C, vs. 0.5 °C, p = 0.003). In addition, the prewarmed patients had a lower incidence of postoperative shivering and a shorter post-anesthesia-care unit (PACU) stay (12.5% vs. 35.3%, p = 0.031; and 46 vs. 50 min, p = 0.038, respectively). Conclusions: Prewarming for 10 min decreased early hypothermia, preserved intraoperative body temperature, and improved postoperative recovery in the PACU.

The Effects of an Order-Assist Mobile Application on Pediatric Anesthesia Safety: An Observational Study.

Pediatric anesthesia requires the rapid creation, communication, and execution of anesthesia orders, and there is a risk of human error. The authors developed an order-assisted mobile application (app) to reduce human error during pediatric anesthesia preparation. The authors conducted an observational study that compared the effects of the application by comparing anesthesiologists' errors, nurses' errors, nurses leaving the operating room, and delays in surgery, between the Conventional group (n = 101) and the App group (n = 101). The app was associated with reduced human error by anesthesiologists and nurses, and it lowered the frequency and duration of nurses leaving the operating room during anesthesia. In addition, the authors surveyed anesthesia nurses regarding the effectiveness of the app. The nurses confirmed that the app was convenient and reduced human error. This study revealed that the order-assisted mobile app developed by a pediatric anesthesiologist could reduce human errors by anesthesiologists and nurses during pediatric anesthesia preparation.

Effects of Intraoperative Magnesium and Ketorolac on Catheter-Related Bladder Discomfort after Transurethral Bladder Tumor Resection: A Prospective Randomized Study.

Transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) is a standard treatment for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. However, catheter-related bladder discomfort (CRBD) often occurs due to bladder irritation caused by indwelling large-diameter urinary catheters and delays patient recovery. We investigated the efficacy of the intraoperative administration of magnesium and ketorolac in preventing early CRBD after TURBT. One hundred patients scheduled for TURBT were enrolled in this prospective, randomized, double-blind study from December 2021 to June 2022. During surgery, the experimental group (n = 48) received intravenous magnesium and ketorolac, and the control group (n = 50) received only intravenous ketorolac. The primary outcome was CRBD incidence immediately after surgery. CRBD severity and the postoperative recovery profiles were also evaluated. Compared to the control group, the experimental group had significantly less CRBD until 1 h after surgery (0 h: 31.3% vs. 52.0%, p = 0.037; 1 h: 54.2% vs. 74.0%, p = 0.041). However, the two groups did not differ in other postoperative findings, including CRBD severity. Co-administration of magnesium and ketorolac during surgery significantly decreased the incidence of early CRBD after TURBT compared to the single use of ketorolac.

Clinical Application of Pectoralis Nerve Block II for Flap Dissection-Related Pain Control after Robot-Assisted Transaxillary Thyroidectomy: A Preliminary Retrospective Cohort Study.

Few studies have examined the clinical utility of ultrasonography-guided pectoralis nerve block II (PECS II) during wide flap dissection of a robot-assisted transaxillary thyroidectomy (RATT). We assessed the ability of PECS II to reduce postoperative pain. We retrospectively reviewed 62 patients who underwent elective RATT from December 2021 to April 2022 at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital (Seoul, Korea). The patients were divided into a block group (n = 28, 50.9%) and no-block group (n = 27, 49.1%). Pain was measured using a visual analog scale (VAS) at 4, 10, 20, 25, 35, and 45 h after surgery, and the requirements for rescue painkillers in the post-anesthesia care unit and ward were recorded. The VAS scores did not differ significantly between the two groups at 4 h postoperatively. The block group had significantly lower VAS scores at 10 and 25 h (p = 0.017 and p = 0.034, respectively). The block group required fewer painkillers in the post-anesthesia care unit than the no-block group, although the difference was not statistically significant in the ward. PECS II may serve as a new pain relief modality and valuable addition to the current multimodal analgesic strategy for patients undergoing RATT.

Comparison of the UEscope Video Laryngoscope with the Traditional Direct Laryngoscope in Neonates and Infants: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

The role of video laryngoscopy in adults is well established, but its role in children is still inconclusive. Previous studies on the UEscope in pediatric patients with difficult airways showed that it could reduce the time to intubation (TTI) compared to a conventional direct laryngoscope. The main objective of the current study was to investigate if the use of the UEscope could reduce the TTI in neonates and infants. Forty patients under 12 months old were recruited from a single tertiary hospital from March 2020 to September 2021 and were randomly assigned to the direct laryngoscope group (n = 19, neonates = 4, infants = 15) or UEscope group (n = 21, neonates = 6, infants = 15). Although the quality of glottic view was comparable in both groups, the TTI was significantly lower in the UEscope group in both the "intention-to-treat" (-19.34 s, 95% confidence interval = -28.82 to -1.75, p = 0.0144) and "as treated" (-11.24 s, 95% confidence interval: -21.73 to 0, p = 0.0488) analyses. The UEscope may be a better choice for tracheal intubation than conventional direct laryngoscope in neonates and infants.

Effects of Multimodal Bundle with Remote Ischemic Preconditioning and Intrathecal Analgesia on Early Recovery of Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate after Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Partial Nephrectomy for Renal Cell Carcinoma.

We investigated the effects of multimodal combined bundle therapy, consisting of remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) and intrathecal morphine block (ITMB), on the early recovery of kidney function after robot-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (RALPN) in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). In addition, we compared the surgical and analgesic outcomes between patients with and without bundle treatment. This prospective randomized double-blind controlled trial was performed in a cohort of 80 patients with RCC, who were divided into two groups: a bundle group (n = 40) and non-bundle group (n = 40). The primary outcome was postoperative kidney function, defined as the lowest estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) on postoperative day (POD) 2. Surgical complications, pain, and length of hospital stay were assessed as secondary outcomes. The eGFR immediately after surgery was significantly lower in the bundle group compared to the preoperative baseline, but serial levels on PODs 1 and 2 and at three and six months after surgery were comparable to the preoperative baseline. The eGFR level immediately after surgery was lower in the non-bundle than bundle group, and serial levels on PODs 1 and 2 and at three months after surgery remained below the baseline. The eGFR level immediately after surgery was higher in the bundle group than in the non-bundle group. The eGFR changes immediately after surgery, and on POD 1, were smaller in the bundle than in the non-bundle group. The non-bundle group had longer hospital stays and more severe pain than the bundle group, but there were no severe surgical complications in either group. The combined RIPC and ITMB bundle may relieve ischemia-reperfusion- and pain-induced stress, as a safe and efficient means of improving renal outcomes following RALPN in patients with RCC.

Clinical effect of rectus sheath block compared to intrathecal morphine injection for minimally invasive colorectal cancer surgery: a propensity score-matched study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the postoperative outcomes of a multimodal perioperative pain management protocol with rectus sheath blocks (RSBs) or intrathecal morphine (ITM) injection for minimally invasive colorectal cancer surgery. METHODS: A total of 112 patients underwent minimally invasive colorectal surgery. Forty-one patients underwent RSB (group 1), whereas 71 patients underwent ITM (group 2) in addition to multimodal pain management using enhanced recovery after the surgery protocol. To adjust for the baseline differences and selection bias, baseline characteristics and postoperative outcomes were compared using propensity score matching. RESULTS: Forty patients were evaluated in each group. There was no significant difference in the length of hospital stay between the two groups. According to the Comprehensive Complication Index (CCI) score, the postoperative complication rate was significantly lower in the RSB group (3.0 ± 7.8) than in the ITM group (8.1 ± 10.9; p = 0.016). During the first 24 h after surgery, the median postoperative visual analog scale score was significantly higher in the RSB group than in the ITM group (2.0 ± 1.1 vs. 1.5 ± 1.2; p = 0.048). Postoperative morphine use was also significantly higher in the RSB group than in the ITM group in the first 24 h (23.7 ± 19.8 vs 11.6 ± 15.6%; p = 0.003) and 48 h (16.9 ± 24.8 vs. 7.5 ± 11.9; p = 0.036) after surgery. Significant urinary retention occurred after the in the RSB and ITM groups (5% vs. 45%; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Although the RSB group had higher morphine use during the first 48 h after surgery, the length of hospital stay remained the same and the complications were less in terms of the CCI score. Thus, transperitoneal RSB is a safe and feasible approach for postoperative pain management following minimally invasive procedures.

Clinical application of intraoperative somatic tissue oxygen saturation for detecting postoperative early kidney dysfunction patients undergoing living donor liver transplantation: A propensity score matching analysis.

BACKGROUND: Somatic tissue oxygen saturation (SstO2) is associated with systemic hypoperfusion. Kidney dysfunction may lead to increased mortality and morbidity in patients who undergo living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). We investigated the clinical utility of SstO2 during LDLT for identifying postoperative kidney dysfunction. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data from 304 adults undergoing elective LDLT between January 2015 and February 2020 at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital were retrospectively collected. Thirty-six patients were excluded based on the exclusion criteria. In total, 268 adults were analyzed, and 200 patients were 1:1 propensity score (PS)-matched. RESULTS: Patients with early kidney dysfunction had significantly lower intraoperative SstO2 values than those with normal kidney function. Low SstO2 (< 66%) 1 h after graft reperfusion was more highly predictive of early kidney dysfunction than the values measured in other intraoperative phases. A decline in the SstO2 was also related to kidney dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: Kidney dysfunction after LDLT is associated with patient morbidity and mortality. Our results may assist in the detection of early kidney dysfunction by providing a basis for analyzing SstO2 in patients undergoing LDLT. A low SstO2 (< 66%), particularly 1 h after graft reperfusion, was significantly associated with early kidney dysfunction after surgery. SstO2 monitoring may facilitate the identification of early kidney dysfunction and enable early management of patients.

Intraoperative multimodal analgesic bundle containing dexmedetomidine and ketorolac may improve analgesia after robot-assisted prostatectomy in patients receiving rectus sheath blocks.

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP) has replaced open prostatectomy. However, RALP does not reduce postoperative pain compared to the open approach. We explored whether bundled intraoperative intravenous infusion of dexmedetomidine and ketorolac reduced opioid requirements during the 24 h after RALP. METHODS: Eighty patients (two parallel groups) were enrolled in this prospective non-randomized study from September 2020 to November 2020. All received preoperative rectus sheath blocks for analgesia after RALP. A multimodal analgesic bundle (dexmedetomidine and ketorolac) was administered intraoperatively in the study group (n = 39) but not in the control group (n = 40). The total postoperative opioid requirements (expressed in milligrams of intravenous morphine) and pain scores (derived using a visual analog scale) were compared between the two groups up to 24 h after surgery. RESULTS: The two groups were demographically similar. During surgery, patients in the study group received less remifentanil and more ephedrine than controls. The study group required significantly less opioids during the 24 h after surgery (28.3 vs. 40.0 mg, p = 0.006). The between-group pain scores differed significantly at 1 and 6 h after surgery. All other postoperative characteristics were comparable between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The intraoperative multimodal analgesic bundle (intravenous dexmedetomidine and ketorolac) improved postoperative analgesia after RALP in patients with rectus sheath blocks, as evidenced by the opioid-sparing effect after surgery.

Pre-emptive multimodal analgesic bundle with transversus abdominis plane block enhances early recovery after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

BACKGROUND: As postoperative pain after laparoscopic cholecystectomy may delay recovery and discharge, a multimodal and pre-emptive analgesic approach is necessary. This study demonstrated that a multimodal analgesic bundle improves postoperative recovery, using the Quality of Recovery-40K (QoR-40K) questionnaire during the first 24 h after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. METHODS: In this prospective non-randomized study with two parallel groups, 80 patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy were allocated into either the multimodal analgesia group or the conventional analgesia group. The multimodal analgesia group received a pre-emptive analgesic bundle (preoperative intravenous administration of paracetamol, ketorolac, and dexamethasone, and a posterior approach to the transversus abdominis plane block), while the conventional analgesia group did not. The primary outcome was the QoR-40K score during the first 24 h after surgery. Secondary outcomes were the peak visual analog scale pain score at rest and the incidence rates of rescue analgesic use and nausea/vomiting during the first 24 h after surgery. RESULTS: The QoR-40K score was higher in the multimodal analgesia group than in the conventional analgesia group (196 [190-199] vs. 182 [172-187], p < 0.001). The peak visual analog scale pain score was significantly lower in the multimodal analgesia group than in the conventional analgesia group. Multimodal analgesia also reduced the incidence rates of rescue analgesic use and postoperative nausea/vomiting (22.5% [95% CI, 9.6-35.4%] vs. 55.0% [39.6-70.4%], p = 0.003), compared to conventional analgesia. CONCLUSIONS: Multimodal analgesia significantly improves the quality of early postoperative recovery after laparoscopic cholecystectomy, as shown by the QoR-40K score.

Rectus sheath block for acute pain management after robot-assisted prostatectomy.

BACKGROUND: Robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP) is a favored surgical approach for treating prostate cancer. However, RALP does not decrease postoperative pain significantly despite its minimal invasiveness. The pain associated with robot-assisted surgery is most severe during the immediate postoperative period. We aimed to demonstrate that preoperative rectus sheath block (RSB) can reduce acute pain after RALP. METHODS: A prospective non-randomized study with two parallel groups was performed from June 2020 to August 2020. A total of 100 patients undergoing RALP were divided into two groups: the RSB group (n = 50) and the non-RSB group (n = 50). Ultrasound-guided RSB was performed preoperatively only in the RSB group. The primary outcome of the study was the visual analog scale (VAS) pain score during coughing (VAS-C) 1 h after surgery. In addition, the VAS pain score at rest (VAS-R) and the VAS-C were assessed up to 24 h after surgery. The doses of postoperative opioids consumed were also recorded. RESULTS: The RSB group had a significantly lower VAS-C 1 h after RALP (58 [47-73] vs. 74 [63-83] mm, p = 0.001). In addition, the RSB group had significantly lower VAS-R and VAS-C scores, and postoperative opioid requirement, up to 6 h after surgery compared to the non-RSB group. Moreover, the VAS-R was significantly lower in the RSB group than in the non-RSB group 24 h after surgery. CONCLUSION: Preoperative RSB significantly improved analgesia during the early period after RALP. The long-term analgesic efficacy of RSB needs further study.

The additional analgesic effects of transverse abdominis plane block in patients receiving low-dose intrathecal morphine for minimally invasive colorectal surgery: a randomized, single-blinded study.

PURPOSE: Intrathecal analgesia (ITA) and transverse abdominis plane block (TAPB) are effective pain control methods in abdominal surgery. However, there is still no gold standard for postoperative pain control in minimally invasive colorectal surgery. This study aimed to investigate whether the analgesic effect could be increased when TAPB, which can further reduce wound somatic pain, was administered in low-dose morphine ITA patients. METHODS: Patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery were randomized into an ITA with TAPB group or an ITA group. Patients were evaluated for pain 0, 8, 16, 24, and 48 hours after surgery. The primary outcome was the total morphine milligram equivalents administered 24 hours after surgery. The secondary outcomes were pain scores, ambulatory variables, inflammation markers, hospital stay duration, and complications within 48 hours after surgery. RESULTS: A total of 64 patients were recruited, and 55 were compared. There was no significant difference in morphine use over the 24 hours after surgery in the 2 groups (ITA with TAPB, 15.3 mg vs. ITA, 10.2 mg; P = 0.270). Also, there was no significant difference in pain scores. In both groups, the average pain score at 24 and 48 hours was 2 points or less, showing effective pain control. CONCLUSION: ITA for pain control in patients with colorectal surgery is an effective pain method, and additional TAPB was not effective.

Male Patients may be More Vulnerable to Acute Kidney Injury After Colorectal Surgery in an Enhanced Recovery Program: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Although many reports have shown that enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programs improve the perioperative outcomes of patients undergoing colorectal surgery, the prevalence of early acute kidney injury (AKI) after surgery in such patients requires attention. Protective roles of the female sex in terms of chronic kidney disease and progression of ischemic renal injury have been described in many studies. We thus explored whether a sex difference was evident in terms of postoperative AKI in a colorectal ERAS setting. METHODS: From January 2017 to August 2019, 453 patients underwent laparoscopic colorectal cancer resection in an enhanced recovery program. Of these, 217 female patients were propensity score (PS)-matched with 236 male patients. Then, 215 patients of either sex were compared in terms of postoperative renal function and complications. RESULTS: Among the PS-matched patients, the incidence of AKI was significantly higher in male than female patients (24.2% vs. 9.8%, P < 0.001). Male patients also exhibited a greater reduction in the postoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate, compared with female patients. The male sex was associated with an approximately threefold increase in the risk of AKI. The rate of surgical complications was significantly higher in male than female patients. CONCLUSIONS: Caution must be taken to prevent postoperative AKI in patients (particularly males) participating in colorectal ERAS programs. The mechanism underlying the sex difference remains unclear. Additional studies are required to determine whether male patients require perioperative management that differs from that of females, to prevent postoperative AKI.

Analgesic efficacy of intrathecal morphine and bupivacaine during the early postoperative period in patients who underwent robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy: a prospective randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND: The present study was performed to investigate the analgesic efficacy of intrathecal morphine and bupivacaine (ITMB) in terms of treating early postoperative pain in adult patients who underwent robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP). METHODS: Fifty patients were prospectively enrolled and randomly classified into the non-ITMB (n = 25) and ITMB (n = 25) groups. The ITMB therapeutic regimen consisted of 0.2 mg morphine and 7.5 mg bupivacaine (total 1.7 mL). All patients were routinely administered the intravenous patient-controlled analgesia and appropriately treated with rescue intravenous (IV) opioid drugs, based on the discretion of the attending physicians who were blinded to the group assignments. Cumulative IV opioid consumption and the numeric rating scale (NRS) score were assessed at 1, 6, and 24 h postoperatively, and opioid-related complications were measured during the day after surgery. RESULTS: Demographic findings were comparable between patients who did and did not receive ITMB. The intraoperative dose of remifentanil was lower in the ITMB group than in the non-ITMB group. Pain scores (i.e., NRS) at rest and during coughing as well as cumulative IV opioid consumption were significantly lower in patients who received ITMB than in those who did not in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU; i.e., at 1 h after surgery) and the ward (i.e., at 6 and 24 h after surgery). ITMB was significantly associated with postoperative NRS scores of ≤ 3 at rest and during coughing in the PACU (i.e., at 1 h after surgery) before and after adjusting for cumulative IV opioid consumption. In the ward (i.e., at 6 and 24 h after surgery), ITMB was associated with postoperative NRS scores of ≤ 3 at rest and during coughing before adjusting for cumulative IV opioid consumption but not after. No significant differences in complications were observed, such as post-dural puncture headache, respiratory depression, nausea, vomiting, pruritus, or neurologic sequelae, during or after surgery. CONCLUSION: A single spinal injection of morphine and bupivacaine provided proper early postoperative analgesia and decreased additional requirements for IV opioids in patients who underwent RALP. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Research Information Service, Republic of Korea; approval number: KCT0004350 on October 17, 2019. https://cris.nih.go.kr/cris/en/search/search_result_st01.jsp?seq=15637.

Better timing of ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane block for early recovery after open inguinal herniorrhaphy: A prospective randomised controlled study.

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the optimal timing of analgesic transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block in the operating room for better recovery quality using the Korean version of the Quality of Recovery-40 (QoR-40K) questionnaire in patients who had undergone open inguinal herniorrhaphy. METHODS: This single-centre, prospective randomised controlled study included adult male patients who had an ASA physical status of I-II. A total of 80 patients were analysed. The patients were randomly assigned and classified into pre-incisional TAP (pre-TAP) block (n = 40) and post-incisional TAP (post-TAP) block (n = 40) groups. The quality of postoperative functional recovery and complications were compared between the two groups during 24 h postoperatively. RESULTS: Preoperative findings of the two groups were comparable. The global QoR-40K score was higher in the pre-TAP group than in the post-TAP group. Among sub-dimensions, scores of physical comfort and pain were higher in the pre-TAP group than in the post-TAP group. In the post-anaesthesia care unit, the pre-TAP group showed lower pain scores than the post-TAP block group. There was no severe pain in the pre-TAP group, but two patients (5.0%) in the post-TAP block group suffered severe pain. The pre-TAP group required lower doses of IV rescue opioid in the PACU than the post-TAP group. All patients were discharged from hospital on postoperative day 1 without surgical complications. CONCLUSIONS: The timing of analgesic TAP block may be of clinical importance to prevent postoperative pain and to improve the quality of early patient recovery following open inguinal herniorrhaphy.

Role of thrombocytopenia in risk stratification for acute kidney injury after living donor liver transplantation.

The aim of our study was to investigate pre and intraoperative clinical factors, including platelet count, which could inform risk stratification of early acute kidney injury (AKI) after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). Additionally, the impact of severe thrombocytopenia on AKI risk was assessed using a propensity score (PS)-matched analysis. In total, 591 adult patients who underwent LDLT between January 2009 and December 2018 at our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Early postoperative AKI was determined based on the KDIGO criteria, and 149 patients (25.2%) developed AKI immediately after surgery. In a multivariate analysis, a lower preoperative platelet count was significantly associated with early postoperative AKI, together with diabetes mellitus, lower hourly urine output, and longer graft ischemic time; furthermore, a decrease in platelet count was correlated with AKI severity. After adjusting for the PS, the probability of AKI was significantly (1.9-fold) higher in patients with severe thrombocytopenia than in those without severe thrombocytopenia. Patients with thrombocytopenia showed a higher postoperative incidence of AKI and a higher requirement for dialysis than those without thrombocytopenia. The platelet count can easily be obtained via regular blood analysis of patients scheduled for LDLT and can be used to identify patients at risk for AKI.

Clinical effect of multimodal perioperative pain management protocol for minimally invasive colorectal cancer surgery: Propensity score matching study.

BACKGROUND: Reducing postoperative pain with less opioid is critical in postoperative care. Author developed our multimodal perioperative pain management protocol and it consists of preoperative medication, intraoperative ultrasound-guided laparoscopic transverse abdominis plane (LTAP) block and postoperative medication. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical effect of the multimodal perioperative pain management protocol for minimally invasive colorectal cancer surgery. METHODS: Of 596 colorectal surgery cases for colorectal cancer, 133 patients managed with multimodal perioperative pain protocol (group 1) and 463 patients managed without multimodal perioperative pain protocol (group 2) were enrolled in this study. To adjust for baseline differences and selection bias, operative outcomes and complications were compared after propensity score matching (PSM). RESULTS: After 1:1 propensity score matching, well-matched 133 patients in each group were evaluated. The median VAS scores on post-operative day 1 (2.1 ± 1.1 vs. 3.9 ± 1.8, p < 0.001) and day 2 (2.0 ± 1.2 vs. 3.8 ± 1.7, p < 0.001) was significantly reduced in group 1. The length of postoperative hospital stays was also significantly shorter in Group 1 (4.4 ± 3.0 vs. 5.8 ± 5.6; p = 0.014). CONCLUSION: Implementing multimodal perioperative pain protocols reduced postoperative pain and hospital stay of minimally invasive colorectal surgery.

Comparison of the effects of intravenous propofol and inhalational desflurane on the quality of early recovery after hand-assisted laparoscopic donor nephrectomy: a prospective, randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: We compared early recovery outcomes between living kidney donors who received total intravenous (IV) propofol versus inhalational desflurane during hand-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy. DESIGN: A single-centre, prospective randomised controlled trial. SETTING: University hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Study participants were enrolled between October 2019 and February 2020. A total of 80 living donors were randomly assigned to an intravenous propofol group (n=40) or a desflurane group (n=40). INTERVENTION: Propofol group received intravenous propofol and desflurane group received desflurane, as a maintenance anaesthetic. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The quality of postoperative functional recovery was primarily assessed using the Korean version of the Quality of Recovery-40 (QoR-40K) questionnaire on postoperative day 1. Secondarily, ambulation, pain score, rescue analgesics, complications and total hospital stay were assessed postoperatively. RESULTS: Our study population included 35 males and 45 females. The mean age was 46±13 years. The global QoR-40K score (161 (154-173) vs 152 (136-161) points, respectively, p=0.001) and all five subdimension scores (physical comfort, 49 (45-53) vs 45 (42-48) points, respectively, p=0.003; emotional state, 39 (37-41) vs 37 (33-41) points, respectively, p=0.005; psychological support, 30 (26-34) vs 28 (26-32) points, respectively, p=0.04; physical independence, 16 (11-18) vs 12 (8-14) points, respectively, p=0.004; and pain, 31 (28-33) vs 29 (25-31) points, respectively, p=0.021) were significantly higher in the intravenous propofol group than the desflurane group. The early ambulation success rate and numbers of early and total steps were higher, but the incidence of nausea/vomiting was lower, in the intravenous propofol group than the desflurane group. The total hospital stay after surgery was shorter in the intravenous propofol group than the desflurane group. CONCLUSIONS: Intravenous propofol may enhance the quality of postoperative recovery in comparison to desflurane in living kidney donors. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: KCT0004365.

Comparison of analgesic efficacy between rectus sheath blockade, intrathecal morphine with bupivacaine, and intravenous patient-controlled analgesia in patients undergoing robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy: a prospective, observational clinical study.

BACKGROUND: We explored the analgesic outcomes on postoperative day (POD) 1 in patients undergoing robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP) who received intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV-PCA), rectus sheath bupivacaine block (RSB), or intrathecal morphine with bupivacaine block (ITMB). METHODS: This was a prospective, observational clinical trial. Patients were divided into three groups: IV-PCA (n = 30), RSB (n = 30), and ITMB (n = 30). Peak pain scores at rest and with coughing, cumulative IV-PCA drug consumption, the need for IV rescue opioids, and Quality of Recovery-15 (QoR-15) questionnaire scores collected on POD 1 were compared among the groups. RESULTS: The preoperative and intraoperative findings were comparable among the groups; the ITMB group required the least remifentanil of all groups. During POD 1, the ITMB group reported lower levels of pain at rest and with coughing, compared with the other two groups. During POD 1, incidences of severe pain at rest (10.0% vs. 23.3% vs. 40.0%) and with coughing (16.7% vs. 36.7% vs. 66.7%) were the lowest in the ITMB group compared with the RSB and IV-PCA groups, respectively. After adjustment for age, body mass index, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and intraoperative remifentanil infusion, severe pain at rest was 0.167-fold less common in the ITMB group than in the IV-PCA group, while pain with coughing was 0.1-fold lower in the ITMB group and 0.306-fold lower in the RSB group, compared with the IV-PCA group. The ITMB group required lower cumulative IV-PCA drug infusions and less IV rescue opioids, while exhibiting a better QoR-15 global score, compared with the other two groups. Complications (nausea and pruritus) were significantly more common in the ITMB group than in the other two groups; however, we noted no ITMB- or RSB-related anesthetic complications (respiratory depression, post-dural headache, nerve injury, or puncture site hematoma or infection), and all patients were assessed as Clavien-Dindo grade I or II during the hospital stay. CONCLUSION: Although ITMB induced complications of nausea and pruritus, this analgesic technique provided appropriate pain relief that enhanced patient perception related to early postoperative recovery. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Research Information Service, Republic of Korea, (approval number: KCT0005040 ) on May 20, 2020.