Endovascular Repair of a Complex Isolated Dissecting Aneurysm of the Superior Mesenteric Artery.

INTRODUCTION: Isolated dissection of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) is rare and remains the most common reason for aneurysmal degeneration of the vessel. The treatment is challenging and not standardised. The purpose of this report is to demonstrate that coiling of the false lumen is a good alternative for dissecting SMA aneurysms. REPORT: A 50 year old male presented with a 3.3 cm dissecting aneurysm of the SMA and epigastric pain of moderate severity. More than 50% of the ileal arteries arose from the collapsed true lumen. Via transfemoral access the true lumen was catheterised. An open cell balloon expandable stent was deployed at the proximal and a closed cell self expandable stent at the distal end of the dissection flap. Through the cells of the first stent a microcatheter was advanced into the false lumen and 33 coils were deployed into the aneurysm sac. A stent graft was deployed within the first stent leading to the total exclusion of the aneurysm. Follow up at three months was uneventful and the patency was assessed by contrast enhanced ultrasound. DISCUSSION: Coiling of the false aneurysm is a good alternative for dissecting SMA aneurysms, where no other open surgical or endovascular options are applicable.

Periarticular infiltration for pain relief after total hip arthroplasty: a comparison with epidural and PCA analgesia.

PURPOSE: Epidural and intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) are established methods for pain relief after total hip arthroplasty (THA). Periarticular infiltration is an alternative method that is gaining ground due to its simplicity and safety. Our study aims to assess the efficacy of periarticular infiltration in pain relief after THA. METHODS: Sixty-three patients undergoing THA under spinal anaesthesia were randomly assigned to receive postoperative analgesia with continuous epidural infusion with ropivacaine (epidural group), intraoperative periarticular infiltration with ropivacaine, clonidine, morphine, epinephrine and corticosteroids (infiltration group) or PCA with morphine (PCA group). PCA morphine provided rescue analgesia in all groups. We recorded morphine consumption, visual analog scale (VAS) scores at rest and movement, blood loss from wound drainage, mean arterial pressure (MAP) and adverse effects at 1, 6, 12, 24 h postoperatively. RESULTS: Morphine consumption at all time points, VAS scores at rest, 6, 12 and 24 h and at movement, 6 and 12 h postoperatively were lower in infiltration group compared to PCA group (p < 0.05), but did not differ between infiltration and epidural group. There was no difference in adverse events in all groups. At 24 h, MAP was higher in the PCA group (p < 0.05) and blood loss was lower in the infiltration group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In our study periarticular infiltration was clearly superior to PCA with morphine after THA, providing better pain relief and lower opioid consumption postoperatively. Infiltration seems to be equally effective to epidural analgesia without having the potential side effects of the latter.

Music's use for anesthesia and analgesia.

This review article provides an overview of published data regarding the involvement of music in anesthesia practice. Music is an important topic for research in different fields of anesthesiology. The use of music preoperatively is aimed at reducing anxiety, stress, and fear. However, the effect of music on perception of pain intraoperatively is controversial, according to studies of both adults and children undergoing various surgical procedures under general and/or regional anesthesia. In postoperative pain management, postanesthesia care, and neonatal intensive care, music can be a complementary method for reducing pain, anxiety, and stress. Music is a mild anxiolytic, but it is relatively ineffective when a pain stimulus is severe. However, music is inexpensive, easily administered, and free of adverse effects, and as such, can serve as complementary method for treating perioperative stress and for acute and chronic pain management, even though music's effectiveness depends on each individual patient's disposition and severity of pain stimulus.

Ultrasound anatomy of the cervical paravertebral space: a preliminary study.

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to examine the ultrasound anatomy of the cervical paravertebral space in order to facilitate the implementation of sonographically guided regional anesthesia techniques for this region. METHODS: Twenty volunteers were recruited, and the anatomic components of the cervical paravertebral space were sonographically examined. The transducer was positioned in the axial and coronal plane at the posterior cervical triangle. The cervical transverse processes with their respective nerve roots, the deep cervical fascia and the paravertebral muscles were identified. RESULTS: There was excellent visualization of the C-3, C-4, C-5, C-6 and C-7 transverse processes in all cases. Excellent visualization of the scalene muscles, vertebral artery and deep cervical fascia was also achieved in all cases. Visualization of the levator of scapula muscle was difficult in 9 and excellent in 11 out of the 20 cases. In all cases, visualization of the C-1, C-2 and C-3 nerve roots was unfeasible. The identification of the C-4 nerve root was excellent in 3, difficult in 6 and unfeasible in 11 out of the 20 cases. The C-5, C-6 and C-7 nerve roots were excellently identified in all cases. The C-8 nerve root was identified only in 8 of the 20 cases. The cervical nerve roots also showed high variation, dividing into more than one branch as they exited the cervical transverse processes. CONCLUSION: Cervical paravertebral anatomy can be depicted with ultrasound imaging techniques. This could be highly clinically significant for the implementation of regional anesthesia techniques.