The Postdural Puncture Headache and Back Pain: The Comparison of 26-gauge Atraucan and 26-gauge Quincke Spinal Needles in Obstetric Patients.

BACKGROUND: The postdural puncture headache (PDPH) and postdural puncture backache (PDPB) are well-known complications of spinal anesthesia. There are some attempts to reduce the frequency of complication such as different design of the spinal needles. AIMS: The primary outcome of this study is to compare the incidence of PDPH between 26-gauge Atraucan and 26-gauge Quincke spinal needles in elective cesarean operations. The severity of symptoms, the incidence of backache, technical issues, and comparison of cost of needles are secondary outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After Investigational Review Board approval, a randomized, prospective, double-blinded study was designed in 682 American Society of Anesthesiologists I-II women having elective cesarean operations under spinal anesthesia. Patients were divided into two groups as 26-gauge Atraucan Group A (n = 323) and 26-gauge Quincke spinal needles Group Q (n = 342). All patients were questioned about backache 1 week later. Differences between categorical variables were evaluated with Chi-square test. Continuous variables were compared by Student's t-test for two independent groups. A two-sided P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant for all analyses. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between groups in all demographic data. The one attempt success rate of the dural puncture in Group A (70,58%) and in Group Q (69.3%) was similar (P > 0.05). The incidence of PDPH was 6.5% in Group A and 4.9% in Group Q (P > 0.05). The epidural blood patch was performed to the three patients in Group A and five patients in Group Q who had severe headache (P > 0.05). The incidence of PDPB was 4.33% versus 2.04% in Group A and Group Q (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of complication rates and technical handling characteristics did not differ between two groups. Quincke needle is cheaper than Atracaun needle, so it can be a cost-effective choice in obstetric patients.

Opioids Inhibit Angiogenesis in a Chorioallantoic Membrane Model.

BACKGROUND: Angiogenesis is an important characteristic of cancer. Switching from the avascular phase to the vascular phase is a necessary process for tumor growth. Therefore, research in cancer treatment has focused on angiogenesis as a drug target. Despite the widespread use of opioids to treat pain in patients with cancer, little is known about the effect of these drugs on vascular endothelium and angiogenesis. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to investigate the efficacies of morphine, codeine, and tramadol in 3 different concentrations on angiogenesis in hens' eggs. STUDY DESIGN: This is a prospective, observational, controlled, in-vivo animal study. SETTING: Single academic medical center. METHODS: This study was conducted on the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) of fertilized hens' eggs. The efficacies of morphine, codeine, and tramadol in 3 different concentrations were evaluated on angiogenesis in a total of 165 hens' eggs. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were found between drug-free agarose used as a negative control and concentrations of morphine of 10 µM and 1 µM, a concentration of tramadol of 10 µM, and concentrations of codeine of 10 µM and 1 µM. Concentrations of morphine of 10 µM and 1 µM showed strong antiangiogenic effects. While codeine had strong antiangiogenic effects at high concentrations, at 0.1 µM it was shown to have weak antiangiogenic effects. However, tramadol at a concentration of 10 µM had only weak antiangiogenic effects. LIMITATIONS: This is just a CAM model study. CONCLUSION: In this study, we tested the effects of 3 different opioid drugs on angiogenesis in 3 different concentrations, and we observed that morphine was a good anti-angiogenic agent, but tramadol and codeine only had anti-angiogenic effects at high doses.Key Words: Morphine, codeine, tramadol, opioid, bevacizumab, chorioallantoic membrane (CAM), angiogenesis.

Therapeutic effects of thymoquinone in a model of neuropathic pain.

BACKGROUND: The goal of our study was to determine the therapeutic effects of thymoquinone in a dose-dependent manner in a model of neuropathic pain following an experimentally applied spinal cord injury (SCI). METHODS: Fifty female adult Wistar albino rats weighing between 220 and 260 g were included in the study and were divided into 5 groups as follows: Group S (sham), Group C (control), Group T100 (100 mg/kg thymoquinone), Group T200 (200 mg/kg thymoquinone), and Group T400 (400 mg/kg thymoquinone). To begin the experiment, SCI was applied to all groups (with the exception of the sham group) following a mechanical and heat-cold test. Two weeks later, the mechanical and heat-cold tests were repeated, and a single normal saline dose was given to the sham and control groups, whereas 3 varying doses of thymoquinone were given to the other groups. The mechanical and heat-cold tests were repeated at 30, 60, 120, and 180 minutes after receiving thymoquinone. Finally, the animals were put to death via the removal of intracardiac blood. The levels of nitric oxide, total oxidant status, total antioxidant status, paraoxonase, malondialdehyde, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-1ß were determined in all of the blood samples. RESULTS: The withdrawal threshold and withdrawal latency values recorded from the mechanical and heat-cold allodynia measurements for all 3 thymoquinone groups were higher than that of the control group at all time points (ie, 30, 60, 120, and 180 minutes). There were no differences in these results between the 3 thymoquinone groups. The paraoxonase and total antioxidant status serum levels of all 3 thymoquinone groups were higher than those of the control group, whereas total oxidant status, nitric oxide, malondialdehyde, interleuken-1ß, and tumor necrosis factor-α levels were lower in the 3 thymoquinone groups than in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Thymoquinone is beneficial for decreasing experimental neuropathic pain following SCI. However, increasing the dose does not change the effect.

The protective effect of dexmedetomidine on bupivacaine-induced sciatic nerve inflammation is mediated by mast cells.

PURPOSE: This study was designed to assess the correlation between the neuroprotective effect of dexmedetomidine and oxidative stress, neural inflammation and mast cell stability in rats with bupivacaine-induced sciatic nerve toxicity. METHODS: Forty adult Wistar Albino rats, eight rats per group, were used. Saline (0.3 ml of 0.9%), dexmedetomidine (20 µg/kg), 0.5% bupivacaine or 0.5% bupivacaine+dexmedetomidine (20 µg/kg) was injected into the sciatic nerve. A control group of rats received no injection. Fourteen days after injection, the sciatic nerves were harvested and total oxidant status, total anti-oxidant status, paraoxonase-1, galectin-3 and matrix metalloproteinase 2 and 9 levels were measured in the sciatic nerves. In addition, the presence and status of inflammation, edema, and mast cells were evaluated histopathologically. RESULTS: The combination of dexmedetomidine and bupivacaine alleviated oxidative stress. In addition, it decreased matrix metalloproteinase 9 and galectin-3 levels and increased matrix metalloproteinase 2 levels. Moreover, it stabilized recruited mast cells at the injury site; however, it did not significantly decrease inflammation or edema. CONCLUSION: Dexmedetomidine may ameliorate bupivacaine-induced neurotoxicity by modulating mast cell degranulation. The neuroprotective effect of dexmedetomidine may make it a suitable adjuvant agent to local anesthetics in peripheral nerve blocks.

[Efficacy of transforaminal lumbar epidural steroid injections in patients with lumbar radiculopathy]. / Lumbar radikülopatili hastalarda transforaminal lumbar epidural steroid enjeksiyonlarinin etkinligi.

OBJECTIVES: This study looks into the efficacy and safety of the transforaminal lumbar epidural steroid injection (TLESI) applied to patients with radiculopathy due to lumbar disk herniation. METHODS: The patients' files which were applied TLESI, were retrospectively scanned. Patients who did not respond to one-month conservative treatment and who were detected to have bulging or protruding lumbar disk herniation as a result of imaging methods were included in the study. All applications were performed with C-arm fluoroscopy under local anesthesia by outpatient method. In all cases, a mix of 80 mg triamsinolone and 0.25% bupivacaine, was transforaminally injected to the anterior epidural area. Initial VAS pain scores were compared with the values of the 1, 3 and 6th months after the application. Patient satisfaction was determined through scoring. Furthermore, early and late term complications were collected for evaluation. RESULTS: A total of 222 patients were administered TLESI 460 times (average: 2.1, repeat interval: 1-6 times). The applications were carried out most frequently at the levels of L4-L5 and L5-S1. While the initial VAS score average was 8.2±0.7, after TLESI, it was 5.0±1.6, 4.8±1.5 and 5.1±1.5 in the 1, 3 and 6th months, respectively. 63.9% of the patients (n=142) defined the treatment as 'good and excellent'. No major complications were experienced and the overall minor complication rate was 11.1%. CONCLUSION: It was seen that TLESI was an efficient and safe method in the short and medium term.

[Our percutaneous vertebroplasty applications in vertebral compression fractures]. / Vertebra kompresyon kiriklarinda perkütan vertebroplasti uygulamalarimiz.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to investigate the effectiveness and complications of the percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) applications in vertebral compression fractures. METHODS: Our study was carried out as a retrospective study in which PVP was conducted on patients with vertebral compression fractures due to benign or malignant causes between October 2006 and December 2009. The patients' pain was evaluated on a visual analog scale (VAS). In addition, the amount of cement injected, whether or not any leakage from the vertebrae corpus was seen, and any complications resulting from the application during or after the operation were recorded. The age and gender of the patients, duration of pain, number and location of fractured vertebrae, and the duration of follow-up were also collected for evaluation. RESULTS: A total of 15 patients were included in the assessment. Of the patients, 13 were female, and the mean age was 69.5±8.5 years. A total of 19 PVPs were applied to the 15 patients. While initial VAS scores were 7.9±1.6, at the end of an average of 10.3±3.8 (range: 4-18) months of follow-up, VAS scores had fallen to 2.6±2.7. 80% of the patients reported at least a 50% reduction in pain scores compared to initial scores, and 86.7% of them reported at least a 2-point decrease in VAS scores. In three patients, leakage of cement into the intervertebral disc occurred. CONCLUSION: PVP may be used successfully in symptomatic vertebral compression fractures not responding to medical treatment, with a low rate of complications.

Immediate cardiac arrest after neostigmine administration.

Many drugs used in anaesthesia have some potential fatal consequences; for example complete heart block and Q-Tc interval prolongation. Since the parasympathetic system in children is not fully developed, electrical transmission of the heart is not stable. Neostigmine is used in order to reverse neuromuscular block but it may also lead to prolongation of Q-Tc interval. We present a case of an 18-month-old male patient weighing 12kg subjected to a surgical operation because of congenital glaucoma. In order to reverse neuromuscular block at the end of operation, atropine and neostigmine were injected intravenously. However, cardiac arrest developed immediately after administration.

Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy: Mortality and Risk Factors for Survival.

BACKGROUND: The present study evaluated long-term risk factors for survival in patients who have undergone Percutaneous endoscopic Gastrostomy, as well as morbidity and mortality rates. METHODS: The retrospective study included 44 patients who underwent placement of a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube at various departments at Dicle University Medical Faculty between April 2008-September 2010. RESULTS: The study evaluated 23 women (52.3%) and 21 men (47.7%), with a median age of 50 ± 20 (17 - 87) years. Median time for Percutaneous endoscopic Gastrostomy placement was 23 ± 8.3 (5 - 45) minutes per patient. Total morbidity was 15.9%, including wound infection (4), tube occlusion (1), peristomal leakage (1), and abdominal wall bleeding (1). Short-term complications were not associated with albumin level (P = 0.312).The median hospital stay was 49.34 ± 60.99 (1 - 314) days. The mean follow-up period was 13.07 ± 13.12 (1 - 41) months. The above-normal level of albumin was found to be effective on survival (P = 0.024). Mortality occurred in 18 (40.9%) patients during the follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous endoscopic Gastrostomy is both safe and effective in that it does not require surgical operation and it can be performed under surface anesthesia. The serum albumin level with patients who have undergone percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomyis an effective factor for survival.

Airway management for occipital encephalocele in neonatal patients: A review of 17 cases.

INTRODUCTION: Encephalocele, midline defect of cranial bone fusion, occurs most frequently in the occipital region. Airway management in pediatric patients with craniofacial disorders poses many challenges to the anesthesiologist. The purpose of this study is to describe the airway problems encountered for such cases, and describe how these problems were managed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed the charts of occipital encephalocele newborn that were treated by surgical correction in Harran University Hospital during 2006-2008. The collected data were categorized into preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative data. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 5.17 days. Of these 17 patients, eight patients (47.1%) had hydrocephaly, one patient (5.8%) with Dandy Walker syndrome. Micrognathia, macroglossia, restriction in neck movements were recorded as the reasons in six cases each. No major anesthetic complication was found. CONCLUSIONS: We reported perioperative management in 17 occipital encephalocele infant. Comprehensive care during peroperative period is essential for successful outcome.

Intra-articularly applied pulsed radiofrequency can reduce chronic knee pain in patients with osteoarthritis.

BACKGROUND: Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most widespread chronic joint disease worldwide. Symptomatic knee OA is observed in approximately 12% of individuals more than 60 years of age. Conservative treatments models may not be effective always, and that some of them have serious adverse effects that prompted the researchers to research different treatment methods. In this study, we investigated short- and mid-term effectiveness of intra-articular pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) applied in patients with chronic knee pain due to OA. METHODS: This study was carried out in the pain management center of a university hospital between January 2009 and June 2009. The patient record files of 31 patients who received intra-articular PRF were retrospectively reviewed. The antero-lateral area of the knee, where the intervention would be applied, was anesthetized with 1% lidocaine. An introducer needle was placed intra-articularly. PRF was started as 42°C at 2 Hz for 15 minutes. The pain of the patients was evaluated by 10 cm Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Furthermore, the ages, the gender, the symptom duration of the patients, the side of the knee on which the intervention was applied, and the complications were collected for statistical evaluation. RESULTS: Although the mean initial VAS scores of the patients were 6.1 ± 0.9 cm, it was found, respectively, to be 3.9 ± 1.9 cm and 4.1 ± 1.9 cm at the first- and sixth-month follow-ups. In general, a decrease of 32.8% in mean in the VAS scores was achieved in the last follow-up; whereas the rate of patients reporting a minimum decrease of 2 points in the VAS scores was 64.5% and the rate of patients reporting a decrease of ≥50% in their pain was calculated as 35.5%. CONCLUSION: PRF applied to the knee joint appears to be an effective and safe method.

Effectiveness of nucleoplasty applied for chronic radicular pain.

BACKGROUND: Over the last several decades there has been a general trend toward reduction and minimalization in surgical treatment of chronic back pain, since open surgery brings complications in small and contained disc herniations instead of achieving expected success. Attention has been focussed on percutaneous nucleoplasty due to the limited success of other minimally invasive methods, as well due to their associated complications. However, there have been few studies in the English literature with a follow-up period of more than 1 year. MATERIAL/METHODS: Patients with chronic disc herniations having more significant radicular leg pain, who did not respond to non-invasive treatment methods and for whom open surgery was not an option were selected for percutaneous nucleoplasty application. Upon intervention, patients were prospectively questioned by an independent physician regarding pain, physical improvement, and operation satisfaction at 1, 6, 12 and 24 months. Pain was evaluated with VAS, and physical improvement was evaluated based on the Oswestry Disability Index. RESULTS: Mean VAS that was 8.7±1.1 before the procedure was determined to be 3.4±1.9 at 24 months follow-up. At the latest follow-up, 87.5% of the patients reported a 30% or higher decrease in their pain. While Oswestry scores were 76.1±10.2 in the beginning, they went down to 33.9±14.9 at the end of 2 years. The percent of those stating "good" and "excellent" satisfaction was 66% (23 persons) on the last follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: While it is once more shown that nucleoplasty is a safe method, it is also shown that its effectiveness continues at the end of 2 years.

A case of pneumothorax after phrenic nerve block with guidance of a nerve stimulator.

Hiccups have more than 100 etiologies. The most common etiology has gastrointestinal origins, related mainly to gastric distention and gastroesophageal reflux disease. Intractable hiccups are rare but may present as a severe symptom of various diseases. Hiccups are mostly treated with non-invasive or pharmacological therapies. If these therapies fail, invasive methods should be used. Here, we present a patient on whom we performed a blockage of the phrenic nerve with the guidance of a nerve stimulator. The patient also had pneumothorax as a complication. Three hours after intervention, a tube thoracostomy was performed. One week later, the patient was cured and discharged from the hospital. In conclusion, a stimulator provides the benefit of localizing the phrenic nerve, which leads to diaphragmatic contractions. Patients with thin necks have more risk of pneumothorax during phrenic nerve location.

Cooled radiofrequency application for treatment of sacroiliac joint pain.

BACKGROUND: The unavailability of an effective and long-lasting treatment for sacroiliac-based pain has led researchers to study the efficacy of radiofrequency in denervation. In this study, we aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of novel cooled radiofrequency application for sacral lateral-branch denervation. METHODS: Patients experiencing chronic sacroiliac pain were selected for our observational study. Fluoroscopy guidance cooled radiofrequency denervation was applied on the L5 dorsal ramus and the S1-3 lateral branches on patients who had twice undergone consecutive joint blockages to confirm the diagnosis and obtained at least 75% pain relief. At the 1st, 3rd and 6th month postoperatively, the patients' pain was evaluated using a visual analog scale (VAS), and their physical function was evaluated with the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). RESULTS: Cooled radiofrequency was applied on a total of 15 patients. Prior to the procedures, the median VAS score (interquartile range) was 8 (7-9), but at the 1st, 3rd and 6th month, this had fallen to 3 (1-4), 2 (1-3) and 3 (2-4). The baseline median ODI score (interquartile range) was 36 (32-38), while at the 1st, 3rd and 6th month, it was 16 (8-20), 12 (9-18) and 14 (10-20), respectively. At the final control, while 80% of the patients reported at least a 50% decline in pain scores, 86.7% of those reported at least a ten-point reduction in ODI scores. CONCLUSION: It was seen that the cooled radiofrequency used for sacroiliac denervation was an effective and safe method in the short to intermediate term.

The complications of transforaminal lumbar epidural steroid injections.

STUDY DESIGN: A prospective observational study. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to investigate the major and minor complications of transforaminal lumbar epidural steroid injections guided by fluoroscopy and the incidence of vascular penetration encountered during this procedure. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Epidural steroid administration is one of the treatment options for lumbar disc hernia accompanied by radiculopathy. This method, initially applied by blind interlaminar technique, has generally been performed by fluoroscopically guided transforaminal method now. The complications of this method cause to a serious concern. The complications of this intervention have been reported by either mostly retrospective studies or case reports until now. Prospective studies with large patient series are needed to determine the types and incidences of the complications. METHODS: In this study carried out for more than 5 years, major and minor complications of transforaminal lumbar epidural steroid injections were investigated prospectively. All of the interventions were performed under fluoroscopic guidance by the same physician using a standardized method. A follow-up was made once in the third week. The complications encountered during the procedure and in the third week were prospectively recorded. In addition, the incidence of vascular penetration that is potentially hazardous is included in the study. RESULTS: A total of 562 patients were performed 1305 times transforaminal lumbar epidural steroid. The overall incidence of vascular penetration encountered was 7.4%. Although major complications were not seen, the total rate of all minor complications was 11.5%. Whereas all of the minor complications were transient, the most frequent minor complication was vasovagal reaction (8.7%). CONCLUSION: On the basis of the results of this study in which only minor complications were encountered, it can be said that the frequency of major complications is pretty rare in transforaminal lumbar epidural steroid injections in expert hands and in the conditions in which safety precautions are taken.

Would pulsed radiofrequency applied to different anatomical regions have effective results for chronic pain treatment?

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of Pulsed radiofrequency on patients presenting with complaints of chronic pain. METHODS: It was a retrospective cross sectional study which included patients with chronic pain who did not respond to conventional treatment.The study was conducted at the Pain Management Centre, Dicle University, Diyarbakir, Turkey from October 2008 to September 2010. The applications of Pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) were made under the guidance of C-arm fluoroscopy, local anaesthesia, and sedoanalgesia. The intervention types applied consisted of sacroiliac intraarticular, heel, sciatic nerve and impar ganglion Pulsed radiofrequency. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was used for pain assessment.Sacroiliac intraarticular PRF was applied to nine patients, impar ganglion PRF to eight patients, heel PRF to four patients and sciatic nerve PRF was applied to three patients. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 41.3 +/- 16.9 (range 15-77) years, 15 (62.5%) were females. The mean follow-up period was 8.5 +/- 5.4 months. A minimum 50% decrease was determined in the VAS scores of 16 (66.7%) patients compared to the initial values. The patients who had > or = 50% decrease in their VAS scores in the sacroiliac group was 55.6. This value was 75.0, 75.0 and 66.7 in the impar, heel and sciatic nerve groups respectively. No early- or late-term complications were observed in any of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: P Pulsed Radiofrequency implementation was found to be an effective and safe method for chronic pain treatment in our centre.

6-month results of TransDiscal Biacuplasty on patients with discogenic low back pain: preliminary findings.

STUDY DESIGN: Prospective observational study. OBJECTIVE: Our aim is to investigate the efficacy and safety of TransDiscal Biacuplasty. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Chronic discogenic pain is one of the leading causes of low back pain; however, the condition is not helped by most non-invasive methods. The results of major surgical operations for these patients are unsatisfactory. Recently, attention has shifted to disk heating methods for treatment. TransDiscal Biacuplasty is one of the minimally invasive treatment methods. The method was developed as an alternative to spinal surgical practices and Intradiscal Electrothermal Therapy for treatment of patients with chronic discogenic pain. METHODS: The candidates for this study were patients with chronic discogenic pain that did not respond to conservative treatment. The main criteria for inclusion were: the existence of axial low back pain present for 6 months; disc degeneration or internal disc disruption at a minimum of one level, and maximum of two levels, in MR imaging; and positive discography. Physical function was assessed using the Oswestry Disability Index when measuring the pain with VAS. Patient satisfaction was evaluated using a 4-grade scale. Follow-ups were made 1, 3, and 6 months after treatment. RESULTS: 15 patients were treated at one or two levels. The mean patient age was 43.1 ± 9.2 years. We found the mean symptom duration to be 40.5 ± 45.7 months. At the sixth month, 57.1% of patients reported a 50% or more reduction in pain, while 78.6% of patients reported a reduction of at least two points in their VAS values. In the final check, 78.6% of patients reported a 10-point improvement in their Oswestry Disability scores compared to the initial values. No complications were observed in any of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: TransDiscal Biacuplasty is an effective and safe method.

Lidocaine for prevention of propofol injection-induced pain: A prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled study of the effect of duration of venous occlusion with a tourniquet in adults.

BACKGROUND: Many patients experience pain on injection of propofol. The use of lidocaine to prevent propofol injection pain is common. The analgesic effect of pre-injected lidocaine has been found to increase when a tourniquet is used. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of various venous occlusion times with lidocaine analgesia to prevent pain during propofol injection. METHODS: In this prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled study, women aged 18 to 45 years, classifed as American Society of Anesthesiologists physical sta- tus I or II, who were scheduled to undergo elective surgery under general anesthesia induced with propofol, were randomly assigned to 1 of 5 groups: group 1, 2% lidocaine 20 mg in saline in a total volume of 10 mL and no venous occlusion; group 2, 2% lidocaine 20 mg in saline in a total volume of 10 mL plus venous occlusion for 15 seconds; group 3, 2% lidocaine plus venous occlusion for 30 seconds; group 4, 2% lidocaine plus venous occlusion for 60 seconds; and group 5, saline 10 mL and no venous occlusion. When the first 25% of the calculated propofol dose was administered, patients were asked about propofol-induced pain using a verbal pain scale (0 = no pain; 1 = mild pain; 2 = moderate pain; and 3 = severe pain). All patients and the anesthesiologist who evaluated pain severity were blinded to the study preparation being used. RESULTS: The study comprised 100 women who were randomly divided into 5 groups of 20 patients each. Significantly more patients in group 5 (18 [90%] patients; P < 0.05) reported pain compared with the other treatment groups. In groups 2, 3, and 4, in which venous occlusion was applied, pain was reported during propofol injection in 6 (30%), 7 (35%), and 2 (10%) patients, respectively. The incidence of reported pain was significantly greater in group 1 (lidocaine without venous occlusion) than in group 4 (P < 0.05); however, the incidence of pain was similar in group 1 compared with groups 2 and 3. CONCLUSIONS: The present study found that pretreatment with lidocaine 20 mg with or without venous occlusion significantly reduced the incidence and the severity of pain during the injection of propofol when compared with the group with no venous occlusion administered saline. In addition, pretreatment with lidocaine 20 mg plus venous occlusion for 60 seconds significantly reduced the incidence of propofol-induced pain compared with lidocaine without venous occlusion.

[Broken Racz catheter during application (case report)]. / Uygulama esnasinda kopan Racz kateter (olgu sunumu).

The most important complication of lumber disc hernia operations is Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (FBSS), which goes with fibrotic adhesions at the surgical site. The primary treatment applied to the cases that develop FBSS is the placement of Racz catheter under floroscopy and application of epidural neuroplasty which is a three-day procedure. However, this intervention, from which patients benefit a great deal, has some important complications during and after the application. One of these complications is that some pieces of Racz catheter may be broken out and retain at some levels of epidural space and subcutaneous tissue during placement and removal. General approach is to remove the retaining piece surgically. However, there is a less common view that, instead of removing the retaining piece, the patient should be followed up strictly and regularly in terms of neurologic complications. In our case, we decided to perform epidural neuroplasty to the patient diagnosed as FBSS. However, during the placement of the catheter, it was trapped in the left side of L5-S1 foramen by accident due to dense fibrotic tissues, and the subcutaneus part retained in the epidural space. Monthly follow-ups for 12 month were proposed to the patient, while surgery was not recommended. At the end of this period, no sign of infection was observed and neurologic and radiologic findings of the patient did not worsen. It is also interesting that a remarkable recovery was observed in the patient's clinical situation.

[Beneficial effects of single dose multimodal epidural analgesia on relief of postoperative microdiscectomy pain]. / Multimodal epidural analjezinin lomber diskektomi sonrasi agrida etkinligi.

We aimed to assess the efficacy of multimodal epidural analgesia in decreasing postoperative pain after microdiscectomy. Fourty patients, ASA physical status I or II, undergoing microsurgical lumbar discectomy were enrolled in this prospective, randomised, controlled, double-blinded study. 10 ml study solution consisting of 2 mg of morphine, 15 mg of bupivacaine, 80 mg of methylprednisolone, and 0.05 mg of adrenaline was prepared for epidural administration. At the end of the procedure but prior to wound closure, the surgeon inserted an 18-gauge epidural catheter into the epidural space. After closure of incision, patients were assigned to receive either study solution (Group E) or saline (Group C). The epidural catheter was then removed. Patient controlled analgesia with morphine was used for postoperative analgesia. Visual Anologue Scale (VAS) pain scores and morphine consumptions were lower in Group E. Time to first ambulation was shorter in Group E. Patients in Group E were more satisfied with their analgesic regimen. Single dose multimodal epidural analgesia administered after wound closure provided better postoperative analgesia after lumbar microdiscectomy.