Immediate postoperative pain does not predict pain at home after ambulatory single-port sleeve gastrectomy.

PURPOSE: Single-port sleeve gastrectomy (SPSG) is increasingly performed in an ambulatory setting. Pain intensity when returning home remains a problem. The challenge is to be able to predict the evolution of postoperative pain (POP) at home by using parameters collected during the hospital stay. This study aimed to investigate whether immediate POP in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) can predict pain intensity 24 h after surgery. METHODS: Single-center retrospective study in patients with obesity who underwent ambulatory SPSG. POP and opiate requirements during PACU stay were registered. Patients were followed up at home during the first 4 postoperative days. The primary outcome was the correlation between opiate requirements in the PACU and Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) at home 24 h after surgery. Secondly, logistic regression was used to identify risk factors for moderate/intense pain 24 h after surgery. RESULTS: Ninety-four patients were included during the study period. Twenty-two patients had NRS > 3/10 24 h after surgery. No correlation was found between the total dose of morphine in the PACU and pain intensity 24 h after surgery (r2 = - 0.07; P = 0.49). No predictive factor for moderate/intense pain 24 h after surgery was found. CONCLUSION: No correlation was found between opiate requirements in the PACU and pain at home 24 h after SPSG. Based on these results, it does not seem possible to predict intense pain at home from pain profile and morphine requirement during the immediate postoperative period.

Ultrasound-Guided Intermediate Cervical Plexus Block for Transcarotid Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

OBJECTIVE: To report the authors' initial experience of transcarotid transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) managed with ultrasound-guided intermediate cervical plexus block. DESIGN: A single-center prospective study. SETTING: A teaching hospital in Paris, France. PARTICIPANTS: All consecutive patients undergoing a transcarotid TAVR were included. INTERVENTIONS: The ultrasound-guided intermediate cervical plexus block was performed in 28 of 31 patients. In 3 patients, the procedure was scheduled under general anesthesia: 2 because of failure of previous transfemoral procedures under local anesthesia, and 1 for an emergency procedure in a pulmonary edema context. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Anesthesia and all perioperative parameters were recorded, as well as any complications after the procedure. Twenty-eight patients were managed with intermediate cervical plexus block and light sedation without any anesthesia-related complication. No conversion to general anesthesia was required. The use of vasopressor was only required in 11% of the patients. In 2 patients, a loss of consciousness after the common carotid artery cross-clamping test occurred, leading to the use of a temporary femoral-carotid shunt; no other change in consciousness was recorded during the procedure. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasound-guided intermediate cervical plexus block appeared to be an alternative anesthetic technique for carotid TAVR, providing adequate surgical conditions, continuous neurologic monitoring, and arterial pressure stability.

Laparoscopic Rectopexy in a Patient With Pulmonary Hypertension Associated With Scleroderma: A Case Report.

We report the perioperative management of a patient with pulmonary hypertension under new-generation treatments who underwent laparoscopic surgery. Preoperatively, arterial catheter, central venous line, and transesophageal echocardiography probe were inserted in addition to standard monitoring. Intraoperatively, inhaled nitric oxide was used because of increasing pressure in the right heart chambers related to the Trendelenburg position and the pneumoperitoneum. The operation finally lasted <2 hours without complication. The prognosis of patients with pulmonary hypertension has evolved since the advent of new management strategies. Thorough preoperative assessment and multidisciplinary discussion in a referral center are essential for medical optimization.