Anesthetic management of percutaneous balloon compression of the trigeminal ganglion for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia: Two cases report / 대한마취과학회지

Trigeminal neuralgia is sudden, usually unilateral, severe brief stabbing recurrent pain in the distribution of one or more branches of the 5th cranial nerve. Treatments of trigeminal neuralgia include systemic trials of medications and surgical procedures such as microvascular decompression, stereotactic radiosurgery, percutaneous glycerol or alcohol rhizolysis, percutaneous radiofrequency rhizotomy, and percutaneous balloon compression (PBC). PBC of the trigeminal ganglion using a balloon catheter was introduced by Mullan and Lichtor in 1983. Since then, many papers have been published describing results of this technique. Typically, this procedure is performed under general anesthesia. However, little is known about the use of PBC for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia in Korea. We report here our anesthetic management of percutaneous balloon compression of trigeminal ganglion for the treatment of the trigeminal neuralgia by total intravenous anesthesia.

Acute pulmonary edema due to phenylephrine injection in patient receiving long-term beta-blocker therapy: A case report / 대한마취과학회지

During administration of anesthesia, intraoperative blood pressure control is very important. Sometimes a hypertensive or anti-hypertensive agent is used in order to maintain blood pressure at an adequate level; alpha-agonist and beta-blocker are drugs frequently used. Alpha-agonists are used in various ways including their application together with local anesthetics during an operation for the purpose of vasoconstriction, to control systemic absorption of local anesthetics, to extend the duration of action, or to reduce bleeding from the surgical site. In addition, alpha-agonists are used in cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Beta-blockers are used widely as a therapeutic agent for hypertension, angina, and arrhythmia, and to lower portal pressure in liver cirrhosis. Here, we are reporting the case of acute pulmonary edema that occurred after the administration of phenylephrine, in order to maintain blood pressure in a 52-year-old female patient with liver cirrhosis. The patient was underwent emergent decompressive craniectomy for intracranial hemorrhage without acknowledging her long-term use of a beta-blocker medication.

Pulmonary thromboembolism occurred immediately after leg elevation under induction of general anesthesia in a patient with femur fracture : A case report

Pulmonary embolism is a fatal complication of major operation. But early detection of pulmonary thromboembolism during general anesthesia is not easy because clinical manifestations of pulmonary thromboembolism are nonspecific during general anesthesia. So the prevention of pulmonary thromboembolism is important for the high risk patients. We experienced a case of pulmonary thromboembolism which occurred in an old female patient with femur fracture immediately after leg elevation following induction of general anesthesia.