Anesthetic management of a child with Cornelia de Lange Syndrome undergoing open heart surgery: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS) is a congenital multisystemic genetic disorder. The expected lifespan of children with this disorder has been prolonged in parallel with the advances in medicine in recent years. However, they still more frequently undergo cardiac surgery. There are some challenges for clinicians when faced with CdLS patients. We present the perioperative management of a child with CdLS undergoing open-heart surgery. CASE SUMMARY: Severe pulmonic and subpulmonic valvular stenosis, enlargement of the right side of the heart, mild tricuspid regurgitation, atrial septal defect, and patent ductus arteriosus were diagnosed in a 14-month-old boy with manifested cyanosis, developmental delay, and malnutrition. Attempted balloon valvuloplasty was unsuccessful due to a severe stenotic pulmonary valve, therefore it was decided to perform an open surgical repair. Following a successful and uncomplicated intraoperative course, the patient was extubated on postoperative day 5, and adrenalin and dopamine infusions were gradually decreased and stopped on postoperative days 6 and 10, respectively. Moderate laryngomalacia and suboptimal vocal cord movements were diagnosed, and tracheotomy and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy were performed under general anesthesia in the same session at postoperative day 32. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 85 after a challenging postoperative period with additional airway and nutritional problems. CONCLUSION: This is the first report of the perioperative anesthetic and clinical management of a CdLS patient undergoing open-heart surgery.

Effects of Sevoflurane and Propofol Anesthesia on Cerebral Oxygenation in Patients Undergoing Carotid Endarterectomy.

AIM: To compare the effects of sevoflurane and propofol anesthesia on perioperative cerebral oxygenation in patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy (CEA) under general anesthesia by using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) monitoring. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Institutional approval was obtained, and the perioperative data of 33 patients undergoing CEA were retrospectively evaluated. The study groups were organized according to the anesthesia drugs used for maintenance: sevoflurane (n=17) and propofol (n=16). The regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rScO < sub > 2 < /sub > ) of the ipsilateral and contralateral hemispheres was monitored continuously using a NIRS instrument and analyzed at specific time points starting from induction to the 12th hour postoperation. The data were analyzed using the appropriate tests, and a p value of < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Compared with those of groups with non-clamped hemispheres, the rScO < sub > 2 < /sub > values of the sevoflurane and propofol groups decreased significantly during clamping (p < 0.05) and increased to above-preoperative values after declamping (p < 0.05). When the sevoflurane and propofol groups were compared, a significant decrease in rScO < sub > 2 < /sub > was noted during extubation in the sevoflurane group (p < 0.05). In the propofol group, female patients had significantly lower rScO < sub > 2 < /sub > values compared with male patients during clamping of the carotid artery (p < 0.05). None of the observed decreases was greater than 20%, which is considered an indication for shunting. CONCLUSION: Our NIRS monitoring results indicate that sevoflurane or propofol anesthesia does not generally cause significant differences in cerebral oxygenation during and after cross-clamping in patients undergoing CEA. The finding of sex-related differences in cerebral oxygenation in patients receiving propofol and decreased oxygenation during extubation in patients receiving sevoflurane warrants further studies.

The effects of intra-articular injection of ibuprofen on knee joint cartilage and synovium in rats.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this animal study was to investigate the short and long-term local histomorphologic effects and the utility of intra-articular application of ibuprofen. METHODS: Forty-six Wistar Albino rats were used in the study. The rats were randomized into 5 groups of 8 and a sham group of 6. The 40 rats in the study groups were anaesthetised with 60 mg/kg of ketamine, then 0.25 ml ibuprofen (25 mg) was injected to the right knee joint of each rat (ibuprofen group) and 0.25 ml 0.9% saline to the left knee joint as the control group. To the 6 rats in the sham group, only puncture was applied to both knee joints. The rats in each of the 5 study groups were sacrificed on days 1, 2, 7, 14 and 21 respectively. The histomorphologic changes were graded on a 6-point scale regarding inflammation of the synovia, cartilage tissue, and subchondral bone. Inflammation scores were compared using the Mann Whitney U-test and comparisons of the sacrifice day and drug used were evaluated with the Kruskal Wallis test. The p values below 0.05 were considered as significant. RESULTS: Statistically significant difference was found between the ibuprofen injected knees (10/40) and the saline injected (0/40) and sham knees (0/12) in respect of hematoma positivity (p = 0.002). Significantly higher inflammation scores were found in ibuprofen injected knees on the 1st, 2nd, 7th and 14th days compared to controls and sham (p < 0.05). Inflammation scores were similar in ibuprofen injected knees with and without hematoma (p > 0.05). Inflammation of the ibuprofen injected group was most severe on day one and the severity of inflammation reduced gradually throughout the 3 weeks. CONCLUSION: Our results show that intra-articular injection of ibuprofen can cause intra-articular hematoma. It also leads to transient inflammation of the synovia that is more severe in the early period, which gradually recovers.

Renal effects of coronary artery bypass graft surgery in diabetic and non-diabetic patients: a study with urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin and serum cystatin C.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Cardiac surgery and diabetes are major causes of acute kidney injury (AKI). We aimed to investigate the value of urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and serum cystatin C, as early biomarkers for prediction of AKI in diabetic and non-diabetic adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery. METHODS: 15 non-diabetic and 15 diabetic adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery were enrolled. Peri-operative clinical and laboratory variables were recorded. Urinary NGAL, serum cystatin C, serum creatinine (Cre) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were evaluated. RESULTS: AKI was detected in 4 patients in non-diabetic group and 12 patients in diabetic group. Urinary NGAL levels of diabetic and non-diabetic patients and serum cystatin C levels of diabetic patients exceed upper normal limits or cutoff values much earlier than BUN and Cre. cystatin C levels of non-diabetic patients remain unchanged. Cystatin C and NGAL levels of patients meeting AKI criteria and NGAL levels of patients not meeting AKI criteria exceeded upper normal limits or cut off values much earlier in than BUN and Cre. CONCLUSIONS: Measurement of cystatin C level in both diabetic and non-diabetic patients may reveal AKI earlier than NGAL and BUN. In diabetic patients, measurement of urinary NGAL and serum cystatin C levels may indicate AKI signs earlier than BUN and Cre.

Effects of propofol and sevoflurane on isolated human umbilical arteries pre-contracted with dopamine, adrenaline and noradrenaline.

AIM: To assess the effects of propofol and sevoflurane on the contraction elicited by dopamine, adrenaline and noradrenaline on isolated human umbilical arteries. METHODS: Umbilical arteries were cut into endothelium-denuded spiral strips and suspended in organ baths containing Krebs-Henseleit solution bubbled with O2 +CO2 mixture. Control contraction to phenylephrine (10(-5) M) was recorded. Response curves were obtained to 10(-5) M dopamine, 10(-5) M adrenaline or 10(-5) M noradrenaline. Afterwards, either cumulative propofol (10(-6) M, 10(-5) M and 10(-4) M) or cumulative sevoflurane (1.2%, 2.4% and 3.6%) was added to the organ bath, and the responses were recorded. Responses are expressed percentage of phenylephrine-induced contraction (mean ± standard deviation) (P < 0.05 = significance). RESULTS: Propofol and sevoflurane elicited concentration-dependent relaxations in strips pre-contracted with dopamine, adrenaline and noradrenaline (P < 0.05). Highest (10(-4) M) concentration of propofol caused significantly higher relaxation compared with the highest (3.6%) concentration of sevoflurane in the contraction elicited by dopamine. High (10(-5) M) and highest concentrations of propofol caused significantly higher relaxation compared with the high (2.4%) and highest concentrations of sevoflurane on the contraction elicited by adrenaline. High and highest concentrations of sevoflurane caused significantly higher relaxation compared with the high and highest concentrations of propofol on the contraction elicited by noradrenaline. CONCLUSION: Dopamine, adrenaline and noradrenaline elicit contractions in human umbilical arteries, and noradrenaline causes the highest contraction. Both propofol and sevoflurane inhibit these contractions in a dose-dependent manner. Propofol caused greater relaxation in the contractions elicited by dopamine and adrenaline while sevoflurane caused greater relaxation in the contraction elicited by noradrenaline.

Anesthetic management of a newborn with trisomy 18 undergoing closure of patent ductus arteriosus and pulmonary artery banding.

BACKGROUND: Peri-operative management of infants with trisomy 18 syndrome is challenging due to various congenital cardiac and facial anomalies. CASE REPORT: We report the anaesthetic management of a 13-day-old neonate with 1 540 g body weight, undergoing closure of patent ductus arteriosus and pulmonary artery banding. Anaesthesia was induced with sevoflurane, fentanyl and rocuronium. Despite dysmorphic facial features, ventilation and endotracheal intubation were achieved uneventfully. Anaesthesia was maintained with sevoflurane and fentanyl and was uneventful. The patient was transferred to the neonatal ICU intubated and with ventilatory support. The baby was extubated on the second day postoperatively. CONCLUSION: Our knowledge of the proper anaesthetic technique for children undergoing palliative or corrective surgery is limited. Further case reports will increase our experience in peri-operative management of children with trisomy 18.

Endovenous laser ablation under general anesthesia for day surgery: feasibility and outcomes of the 300 patients.

PURPOSE: Endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) for superficial venous insufficiency is traditionally performed under tumescent local anesthesia as day case surgery. The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of general anesthesia in addition to tumescent anesthesia in patients undergoing EVLA. METHODS: The anesthesia and clinical registration records of 341 extremities of 300 adult patients were reviewed and analyzed retrospectively. Demographic and clinical data, preoperative anesthetic evaluation data (ASA physical status, preoperative airway assessment, Mallampati score), type of supraglottic device, duration of anesthesia and surgery, any surgical and/or anesthetic complication, timing of mobilization and discharge, and postoperative course were evaluated. RESULTS: Mean duration of operation and anesthesia was 28 (12-55) and 40 (20-65) minutes, respectively. Mobilization and discharge timing was 25 (11-45) and 139 (110-200) minutes, respectively. All patients were discharged the same day of surgery. CONCLUSION: The combination technique of administering general anesthesia with supraglottic device and tumescent anesthesia is a safe and effective method to reduce the patients' pain and discomfort during the EVLT procedure within the scope of day case surgery.

Cardiac angiosarcoma: A case with bilateral pleural and pericardial effusion.

Cardiac sarcomas are rare malignant tumors. Angiosarcoma is the most common cardiac sarcoma and is present in up to 33% of cases. Angiosarcomas have a poor prognosis, with a short survival expectancy. We report a case of a right atrial angiosarcoma treated by partial tumor resection followed by chemotherapy.

Extremely low birth weight infants with patent ductus arteriosus: searching for the least invasiveness.

Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is an important problem in premature infants. Extremely low birth weight infants (ELBWI) are so fragile with respect to surgical stress that minimally invasive procedures are required. We report 26 ELBWI cases with PDA who underwent surgical closure. All had failed indomethacin treatment, or it had been contraindicated. The mean gestational age at birth was 27 weeks (range, 24-38 weeks), and the mean birth weight was 960.96 g (range, 710-1440 g). The mean age at operation was 18.06 days (range, 7-34 days), and the mean body weight at operation was 989.42 g (range, 680-1460 g). There was no surgery-related mortality or morbidity. Our surgical procedures consisted of posterior muscle-sparing thoracotomy, clipping the PDA and no ligation, and closing the thorax without a tube thoracostomy. Muscle-sparing thoracotomy reduces the likelihood of long-term physical impairment and deformity, the clipping technique minimizes the dissection of surrounding PDA tissue, and the thorax is closed without a tube. Nursing care is simplified, costs are reduced, and the number of chest x-rays needed postoperatively is reduced. We believe that surgical closure of PDA without chest tube drainage can be accomplished safely in premature infants.

Spontaneous coronary artery dissections: three case reports and review of literature.

Primary spontaneous coronary artery dissection is one of the rare causes of acute myocardial infarction and is mostly fatal. Previous studies report that it is mostly seen in middle-aged women in the last trimester of pregnancy and early postpartum period. Clinical presentation of the disease is variable in pattern, and its severity is related to extent and development rate of dissection. Herein we present three cases of primary spontaneous left main coronary artery dissection. Two of the patients are men and the third patient is a non-pregnant 69-year-old woman. The cases were presented and discussed with review of the pertinent literature.

Surgical treatment of right ventricular hydatid cyst.

Hydatid cyst is a serious endemic parasitic disease found in cattle-raising areas of the world. Cardiac hydatid cysts are rare and appear in 0.5% to 2% of hydatid cyst cases. A 24-year-old male patient was admitted to the hospital because of chest pain. A cystic mass (4 4 3 cm) was demonstrated with transthoracic echocardiography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging. A hydatid cyst was located in the right ventricular wall near the inferior branch of the acute marginal branch of the right coronary artery and was located such that it pushed the tricuspid valve inward. The cystic materials were removed with the patient on cardiopulmonary bypass. The surgery for cardiac hydatid disease is safe, and the results are satisfactory.

The effects of sevoflurane anesthesia and cardiopulmonary bypass on renal function in cyanotic and acyanotic children undergoing cardiac surgery.

BACKGROUND: There are few data on the effects of anesthesia and cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) on perioperative renal function in children with cyanotic congenital heart disease undergoing open heart surgery. This study aims to investigate the perioperative renal function in cyanotic versus acyanotic children undergoing sevoflurane anesthesia for open heart surgery. METHODS: After receiving ethical committee approval, 12 acyanotic patients (preoperative oxygen saturation: SaO(2) > 85%) and 12 cyanotic children (SaO(2) < 85%) were included. Sevoflurane was administered at concentration levels of 2% before CPB and 1-2% during CPB after standard anesthesia induction. Inorganic fluoride, electrolytes, creatinine, urea nitrogen in serum and urine samples, and N-acetyl-ß-d-glucosaminidase (NAG) in urine samples were measured before induction, before CPB, during CPB, after CPB, at the end of surgery, and at 24th h postoperatively. RESULTS: The levels of serum uric acid levels were higher in the cyanotic group (p < 0.05). There were no differences in the levels of serum creatinine and urine creatinine, urea nitrogen, and electrolytes between the two groups. Serum inorganic fluoride levels were always higher in the acyanotic group than in the cyanotic group, but these differences between the groups reached statistical significance at two measurement times (before CPB and end of surgery) (p < 0.05). Urinary inorganic fluoride levels increased with time in both groups. Although urinary NAG increased significantly after the CPB in the cyanotic group, the differences between the two groups did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: We have concluded that renal function was not affected during open heart surgery with sevoflurane anesthesia, in both cyanotic and acyanotic children.

Comparison of nutritional parameters among adult and elderly hemodialysis patients.

AIM: The aim of this study was to compare the nutritional biochemical parameters, prealbumin levels, and bioimpedance analysis parameters of adult and elderly hemodialysis (HD) patients. METHODS: This prospective cross-sectional study included 50 adult HD patients (42.0 % female). Nutritional status was assessed by post-dialysis multifrequency bioimpedance analysis (BIA), serum prealbumin and other nutritional biochemical parameters. RESULTS: Mean age of patients was 57.4±15.1 years (range: 30-83 years) and mean dialysis duration was 68.3 ± 54.5 months (range: 3-240 months). When the patients were divided into two groups according to age of patients (<65 and ≥65), prealbumin (p=0.003), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) (p=0.000), serum creatinine (p=0.013), albumin (p=0.016), protein catabolic rate per normalized body weight (nPCR) (p=0.001), intracellular water (ICW)/total body weight (0.003) , body fat mass (p00.000), lean body mass (p=0.031), lean dry mass (p=0.001), illness marker (p=0.005), basal metabolism (p=0.007), body mass index (BMI) (p=0.028), body fat mass index (BFMI) (p=0.000), fat free mass index (FFMI) (p=0.040) values were significantly different between the groups. In the elderly patients (age ≥65), body fat mass, illness marker, BMI, BFMI were higher compared to adult patients (age <65). Additionally, in the elderly patients, prealbumin, BUN, creatinine, albumin, nPCR, ICW/ total body weight, lean body weight, lean dry weight, basal metabolism and FFMI were lower than adult patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that BFMI were higher, albumin, prealbumin, nPCR and lean body mass and FFMI were lower in elderly patients compared to adults. These results imply that elderly HD patients may be prone sarcopenic obesity and may require special nutritional support.

Peroperative effects of fresh frozen plasma and antithrombin III on heparin sensitivity and coagulation during nitroglycerine infusion in coronary artery bypass surgery.

Nitroglycerin (NTG) reduces the anticoagulant effects of heparin and may lead to heparin resistance. Fresh frozen plasma (FFP) and antithrombin III (ATIII) may be used for the treatment of heparin resistance. We aimed to compare the effects of FFP and ATIII on heparin requirement, coagulation parameters, and bleeding in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABGS) with moderate dose of intraoperative NTG infusion. Forty-eight patients undergoing CABGS with NTG infusion were randomly allocated to three groups. Group C served as control, whereas the patients in group P received FFP and those in group A received ATIII after anesthesia induction. ATIII activity and coagulation parameters were measured at five different times intraoperatively. Total heparin requirement, heparin consumption, and heparin sensitivity were calculated. ATIII activity and ACT were significantly higher and activated partial thromboplastin time and fibrinogen level were significantly lower during cardiopulmonary bypass in group A than in groups P and C. Heparin sensitivity was significantly higher and total heparin requirement and consumption were significantly lower in ATIII group than in other groups. ATIII administration increases heparin sensitivity and decreases heparin requirements compared with FFP in patients undergoing CABGS with peroperative NTG infusion. ATIII may be preferred to FFP in patients with heparin resistance due to NTG infusion undergoing CABGS.

Lateral foldplasty with or without partial matricectomy for the management of ingrown toenails.

BACKGROUND: Ingrown toenails are common and lead to significant morbidity. OBJECTIVE: This retrospective study was aimed at evaluation of our new surgical technique of lateral foldplasty with limited lateral matrix resection in some cases for the management of ingrown toenails with regard to recurrence rates, spicule formation, local infection, partial flap necrosis, and cosmetic outcome. METHODS & MATERIALS: Thirty-two patients with 52 ingrown nails were included in this study. Lateral foldplasty procedure alone was preferred for the surgical treatment of 18 ingrown toenails of mild to moderate severity. Lateral foldplasty with limited lateral matrix resection was performed in 34 ingrown nails in patients with broad nail plates or for moderate to severe cases with significant granulation tissue formation. RESULTS: Relapse rate, local infection rate, and partial flap necrosis rate were very low. Spicule formation was not observed. The cosmetic appearance of the nail did not disturb any patient treated with this procedure. CONCLUSION: The lateral foldplasty procedure alone or combined with limited lateral matrix resection is a cheap, simple, and satisfactory technique for the treatment of ingrown toenails with a low risk of relapse. This technique also has good cosmetic results.

Heat shock protein70: a new marker for subsequent atrial fibrillation development?

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia, after cardiac surgery, and it is associated with a twofold increase in cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. Reperfusion injury and inflammation associated with cardiac surgery are thought to be involved in its pathogenesis. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are a family of chaperone proteins which assist in preservation of cellular integrity by maintaining proteins in their correctly folded state. The aim of this study was to investigate pre-postoperative heat shock protein70 (HSP70) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in serum from patients in preoperative sinus rhythm. We prospectively screened 45 consecutive patients admitted to the hospital for elective coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG). Electrocardiogram characteristics and cardiovascular risk profile were documented. Pre- and postoperative blood samples were collected. HSP70 value was 8.9 +/- 4.8 ng/mL in Group A (study group) preoperatively and decreased to 7.7 +/- 7.0 ng/mL postoperatively. In contrast, preoperative value of HSP70 was 4.2 +/- 2.2 ng/mL and decreased to 2.7 +/- 2.6 ng/mL postoperatively in Group B (control group). Statistical analysis showed significant difference regarding preoperative HSP70 levels in Group A compared to Group B. To our knowledge, with this study, the association of pre- and postoperative circulating HSP70 with postoperative AF was demonstrated for the first time.