The effects of music on anxiety and pain in patients during carotid endarterectomy under regional anesthesia: A randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: Music can be used as an alternative method to decrease anxiety in awake patients during surgical procedures. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that listening to music during carotid endarterectomy (CEA) under regional anesthesia decreases the patient's anxiety and pain. DESIGN: A multicenter, prospective, randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy under cervical plexus block. INTERVENTIONS: Patients scheduled for carotid endarterectomy under cervical plexus block were randomized into two groups: Music Group and Control Group. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary endpoint of this study was the difference in intraoperative anxiety in patients with or without music during CEA under regional anesthesia, and the secondary endpoints were intraoperative and postoperative pain, use of additional local anesthetics, use of intravenous analgesics, patient and surgeon satisfaction and complications. Anxiety was assessed using State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and numeric rating scale (NRS). Visual analog scale (VAS) was used for pain assessment. RESULTS: The postoperative STAI scores were similar in both groups (p = 0.839). The NRS scores measured immediately after the end of the surgery were statistically higher in Music Group (p = 0.001). The intraoperative anxiety statistically increased in Music Group, when the scores of the intraoperative responses to the questions of "are you relaxed?" and "are you calm?" were compared. (p = 0.0001 and p = 0.0001, respectively). There were no statistical differences in terms of the amount of intraoperative and postoperative analgesic used (p = 0.801, p = 0.773, respectively). The intraoperative VAS scores, postoperative VAS scores, patient and surgeon satisfaction scores were similar in both groups (p = 0.586, p = 0.185, p = 0.302 and p = 0.599, respectively). Systolic, diastolic and mean arterial blood pressure and heart rate were no different between Music Group and Control Group at any of all time points during the intraoperative period. Surgical side and contralateral side cerebral rSO2 values are similar in both groups (p = 0.438, p = 0.397, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Music use in CEA under regional anesthesia increased intraoperative patient anxiety, and had no effect on intraoperative and postoperative pain or patient satisfaction.

Anesthetic Management of Transapical Off-Pump Mitral Valve Repair With NeoChord Implantation.

OBJECTIVES: Various minimally invasive surgical approaches have been used in mitral valve (MV) surgery. The transapical off-pump mitral valve intervention with NeoChord implantation (TOP-MINI) is a minimally invasive, alternative procedure for the treatment of degenerative mitral regurgitation. There are several special considerations for the anesthesiologist during the TOP-MINI procedure. The main purpose of this study was to present the anesthetic management of the TOP-MINI procedure. DESIGN: An observational study. SETTING: Training and research hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Adult patients who underwent MV repair with the NeoChord DS1000 system (NeoChord Inc, St Louis Park, MN). INTERVENTIONS: The study included 12 consecutive patients who underwent MV repair with the NeoChord DS1000 system at the Antalya Training and Research Hospital, Antalya, Turkey, between June 2014 and December 2015. A record was made of preoperative demographic details, comorbidities, preoperative and postoperative mitral regurgitation severity, preoperative and postoperative forced expiratory volume in 1 second values, use of blood products and vasoactive drugs, surgical times, mechanical ventilation times, intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital length of stay, visual analog scale scores, analgesic requirement in ICU and perioperative complications. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: TOP-MINI was performed completely off-pump in 12 patients. Intraoperative salvaged blood via cell-saver was 660±196 mL. Patients required 0.8±0.7 U of red blood cells and 2.0±0.9 U of fresh frozen plasma in the ICU. Inotropic support was used in 5 patients. There was a significant decline in mean arterial pressure from before surgery to during implantation (70.9±4.5 mmHg v 51.7±5.8 mmHg, respectively). A statistically significant increase was demonstrated in mean arterial pressure from during implantation to postimplantation (51.7±5.8 mmHg v 67.0±6.8 mmHg, respectively). There were no significant differences in preoperative and postoperative forced expiratory volume in 1 second values. Defibrillation was required in 1 patient, and temporary atrial fibrillation was observed in 1 patient during the procedure. Atelectasis occurred in the postoperative period in 1 patient. The mean visual analog scale score was 3.6±1.4, and the mean tramadol consumption was 77±39 mg in the ICU. Extubation time and the mean length of stay in the ICU and hospital were 2.6±0.5 hours, 19.8±2.7 hours, 5±1 days, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The TOP-MINI procedure requires complex anesthetic management. Transesophageal echocardiographic guidance is essential for this procedure. One-lung ventilation, fluid administration, avoidance of hypothermia, and pain management are the bases for anesthetic management.

Mitral valve repair facilitated with transapical beating heart NeoChord implantation in a non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patient.

Elderly patients with severe hematological malignancies may require cardiac surgery. The combined impact of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and surgical trauma is a potent inflammatory activator and is increased by intraoperative and postoperative complications. To avoid the adverse effects of CPB, minimally invasive off-pump techniques may be used in these patients. The transapical off-pump mitral valve intervention with NeoChord implantation (TOP-MINI) is a minimally invasive technique for mitral valve repair, which makes it possible to avoid the risks of CPB in selected patients, such as elderly, cancer or immunosuppressive patients. We report here the case of a 78-year-old male with B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, who presented with severe mitral regurgitation. The patient was successfully treated with the TOP-MINI procedure.

Comparison of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation and Parasternal Block for Postoperative Pain Management after Cardiac Surgery.

Background. Parasternal block and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) have been demonstrated to produce effective analgesia and reduce postoperative opioid requirements in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Objectives. To compare the effectiveness of TENS and parasternal block on early postoperative pain after cardiac surgery. Methods. One hundred twenty patients undergoing cardiac surgery were enrolled in the present randomized, controlled prospective study. Patients were assigned to three treatment groups: parasternal block, intermittent TENS application, or a control group. Results. Pain scores recorded 4 h, 5 h, 6 h, 7 h, and 8 h postoperatively were lower in the parasternal block group than in the TENS and control groups. Total morphine consumption was also lower in the parasternal block group than in the TENS and control groups. It was also significantly lower in the TENS group than in the control group. There were no statistical differences among the groups regarding the extubation time, rescue analgesic medication, length of intensive care unit stay, or length of hospital stay. Conclusions. Parasternal block was more effective than TENS in the management of early postoperative pain and the reduction of opioid requirements in patients who underwent cardiac surgery through median sternotomy. This trial is registered with Clinicaltrials.gov number NCT02725229.

The importance of electrocardiographic findings in the diagnosis of atrial septal defect.

BACKGROUND: Atrial septal defect (ASD) is the most frequent heart defect observed in adulthood. Although it is usually non-symptomatic, it may result in heart failure, arrhythmic complications, and paradoxical embolism-related morbidity or mortality if the diagnosis is late. AIM: This study was planned in order to investigate the importance of electrocardiographic findings in the diagnosis of ASD. METHODS: Sixty-one patients with a diagnosis of ASD and 66 healthy volunteers without cardiac disease were enrolled in the study. Electrocardiographs (ECG) were performed on all patients to investigate the presence of right bundle branch block (RBBB), incomplete RBBB, defective T wave (DTW), and notch finding in the R wave of inferior derivations (crochetage R wave). ASD types and diameters were determined via transthoracic and transoesophageal echocardiography. RESULTS: It was determined that incomplete RBBB (56% vs. 5%), DTW (48% vs. 3%), and R wave crochetage (57% vs. 8%) in inferior derivations were more frequent in ASD patients compared to the control group patients. The specificity of the defined ECG findings in the diagnosis of ASD were 95%, 97%, and 92%, respectively. No correlation was detected between the ASD diameter and incomplete RBBB, whereas significant correlation was observed between the ASD diameter and the presence of crochetage R wave (17.5 ± 4.0 mm in patients with crochetage R wave, and 20.9 ± 8.2 mm in patients without crochetage R wave, p = 0.057). CONCLUSIONS: Detection of RBBB, DTW, and crochetage R wave in superficial ECG may contribute to early detection in patients with ASD.

Simultaneous Bilateral Carotid Endarterectomy under Cervical Plexus Blockade.

In patients with severe carotid artery stenosis who developed transient ischemic attack, carotid endarterectomy is one of the most effective treatments. In particular, in patients with contralateral carotid artery lesions, there is a risk of serious neurologic complications during the intra-operative period. Experienced staff can perform simultaneous bilateral carotid endarterectomy safely in carefully selected patients. The advantages of regional anaesthesia in carotid endarterectomy are evaluation of intra-operative neurological condition and defining correct indications for shunt usage. It is a cheap, reliable and easy method that reduces the length of stay in the intensive care unit and in the hospital and may influence the overall cost of care. However, it is important to make dose adjustments to avoid potential complications of nerve involvement during bilateral procedure. In this case report, we share our experiences regarding bilateral carotid endarterectomy under cervical plexus blockade.

Heart valve disease: the role of calcidiol deficiency, elevated parathyroid hormone levels and oxidative stress in mitral and aortic valve insufficiency.

OBJECTIVES: Endothelia, intima, and connective tissues comprise the heart valves, but the relationship between heart valve damage, the pathogenesis of valve degeneration, and vitamin D, oxidative stress remains unclear. Here, we assessed serum 25(OH) vitamin D (calcidiol), parathormone (PTH), and redox balance in patients with mitral valve regurgitation (MR) and aortic valve regurgitation (AR). METHODS: This study includes 56 chronic heart valve disease (HVD) patients. Patients were diagnosed with MR or AR depending on the echocardiographic findings. Also, 40 sex-matched healthy control participants were enrolled for comparison. Serum calcidiol, PTH, total oxidative status (TOS), and total antioxidative capacity were measured, and the oxidative stress index (OSI) was calculated. RESULTS: Patients with HVD demonstrated significantly higher PTH, increased TOS and OSI, and a higher frequency of calcidiol deficiency than the control participants. Calcidiol and TOS were negatively correlated (r = -0.29; P <0.005), as were calcidiol and OSI (r = -0.413; P = 0.001). PTH and OSI were positively correlated (r = 0.22; P = 0.02). DISCUSSION: We demonstrate that vitamin D deficiency and secondary increases in PTH are highly prevalent. Heart valve regurgitation (AR and MR) is correlated to oxidative stress and hypovitaminosis D.