[Obturator nerve block in transurethral surgery]. / Bloqueo del nervio obturador en la cirugía transuretral.

The obturator nerve passes in close proximity to the bladder as it courses through the pelvis. During transurethral operations, resection may result in stimulation of the obturator nerve, causing violent adductor contraction. Bladder perforation and incomplete tumor resection are the most important complications. All techniques proposed since transurethral surgery began, until nowadays are reviewed: neuromuscular blockade, electric circuit modifications, transparietal endoscopic blockade, periprostatic and subvesical infiltration, obturator nerve blockade and the "3 in 1 block" described by Winnie. Practical advices are proposed finally.

[Pulmonary atelectasis in bent lateral decubital position (nephrectomy). Apropos of a case]. / Atelectasia pulmonar en la posición de decúbito lateral flexionado (nefrectomía). A propósito de un caso.

Here we have the case of a right nephrectomy ureterectomy for urothelial neoformations in the upper urinary apparatus, in the position of a left flexed lateral decubitus (nephrectomy) practised to a patient, in which a small right pleural aperture was unnoticed until the end of the operation when the closing was being carried out. In the immediate postoperative, the patient developed hypoxia and hypercapnia, as well as an atelectasis of the lower lobus in the left lung, that appeared in the radiological test. We comment now the causes that could have originated this picture, such as overweight, the position of the patient during the operation, its length and the pleural aperture throughout the surgical act, focusing the study in this latter point.

[Acute pulmonary edema following airway obstruction and cardiac tamponade related to mediastinal tumor]. / Oedème aigu du poumon par obstruction des voies aériennes et tamponnade cardiaque en relation avec une tumeur médiastinale.

A case is reported of acute airway obstruction and pulmonary oedema of mixed origin (cardiogenic and non cardiogenic), occurring in a patient after surgical treatment for pericardial tamponade due to a mediastinal tumour. This 45 year old female patient had a non-Hodgkin lymphoma, mostly located within the anterior and middle mediastinum. When she developed cardiac tamponade, emergency cardiac decompression was carried out. The surgical procedure went well, despite an episode of severe hypotension. Immediately after extubation, she developed paradoxical breathing with retraction and cyanosis. She was reintubated and ventilated. The chest X-ray showed bilateral alveolar infiltrates, mostly around the hilar. Two hours later, she was again extubated and developed again the same respiratory failure. This time, she was intubated and ventilated for 48 h. She was then extubated with no problem. It seemed most probable that transmission to the interstitial space of a negative intrapleural pressure due to the inspiratory efforts made against an occluded airway was the principal mechanism responsible for the accumulation of fluid to this space.