The Use of Unilateral Erector Spinae Plane Block in Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the efficacy of continuous unilateral erector spinae plane (ESP) blocks in minimally invasive cardiac surgery patients. DESIGN: A retrospective nonrandomized study. SETTING: At a single-center, tertiary academic institution. PARTICIPANTS: The study comprised 129 adult patients undergoing minimally invasive cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. INTERVENTIONS: Patient data were retrospectively collected and compared. Group 1 patients received ultrasound-guided ESP blocks, and group 2 patients underwent conventional intraoperative management without ESP blocks. After intubation in the group 1 cohort, 20-to- 25 mL of 0.25% ropivacaine were deposited beneath the erector spinae plane, along with catheter placement for continuous postoperative infusion. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Patient characteristics (ie, age, sex, and comorbidities) were well-matched between both cohorts. The total 48-hour opioid consumption, as measured in morphine equivalents (mg), was significantly decreased in patients receiving erector spinae plane blocks compared to patients receiving conventional therapy (30.24 mg ± 23.8 v 47.82 mg ± 53.6, p = 0.04). The length of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) also was reduced in the treatment group in comparison to the control group (1.99 days ± 1.7 v 2.65 days ± 2.4, p = 0.03). Lastly, patients receiving the blocks benefitted from a decrease in overall hospital length of stay when compared to the control group (5.93 days ± 2.4 v 7.35 days ± 5.8, p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: Erector spinae plane catheter use may safely improve postoperative measures, including decreased opioid consumption and improved pain relief, as well as reductions in ICU and hospital lengths of stay in patients undergoing minimally invasive cardiac surgery.

Spinal cord injury after thoracic endovascular aortic aneurysm repair.

PURPOSE: Thoracic endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (TEVAR) has become a mainstay of therapy for aneurysms and other disorders of the thoracic aorta. The purpose of this narrative review article is to summarize the current literature on the risk factors for and pathophysiology of spinal cord injury (SCI) following TEVAR, and to discuss various intraoperative monitoring and treatment strategies. SOURCE: The articles considered in this review were identified through PubMed using the following search terms: thoracic aortic aneurysm, TEVAR, paralysis+TEVAR, risk factors+TEVAR, spinal cord ischemia+TEVAR, neuromonitoring+thoracic aortic aneurysm, spinal drain, cerebrospinal fluid drainage, treatment of spinal cord ischemia. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Spinal cord injury continues to be a challenging complication after TEVAR. Its incidence after TEVAR is not significantly reduced when compared with open thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair. Nevertheless, compared with open procedures, delayed paralysis/paresis is the predominant presentation of SCI after TEVAR. The pathophysiology of SCI is complex and not fully understood, though the evolving concept of the importance of the spinal cord's collateral blood supply network and its imbalance after TEVAR is emerging as a leading factor in the development of SCI. Cerebrospinal fluid drainage, optimal blood pressure management, and newer surgical techniques are important components of the most up-to-date strategies for spinal cord protection. CONCLUSION: Further experimental and clinical research is needed to aid in the discovery of novel neuroprotective strategies for the protection and treatment of SCI following TEVAR.

Anesthetic Management of Laser Lead Extraction for Cardiovascular Implantable Electronic Devices.

Cardiovascular implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) play a significant role in the modern management of cardiovascular disease. CIEDs include implantable pacemakers (PMs), implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) devices. These devices improve the quality of life of their recipients and help reduce the incidence of sudden cardiac death. Traditionally, CIEDs have been reliant on the use of transvenous endocardial leads to directly connect with the heart. Over time, these endovascular leads may become endothelialized rendering removal extremely difficult. As the indications for CIEDs expands and with the continuing evolution of these devices, the number of patients requiring explantation for device recall, malfunction, and infection continues to increase. In this manuscript, we review the most common CIEDs, the indications and process of lead removal/device explantation, potential complications associated with the procedure and the anesthetic management of these patients.

Anesthetic Management of Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Endocardial and Epicardial Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia in adults affecting almost 6 million adults in the United States. The 2 most common comorbidities associated with atrial fibrillation are heart failure and thromboembolic events. Heart failure symptoms may be treated with rate control, antiarrhythmic medications or by catheter ablation. Unfortunately, despite optimal medical management, thromboembolic events still occur. Recently, there has been a great deal of interest and innovation in finding an alternative to chronic anticoagulation. Several percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion devices have been developed over recent years, some of which have proven to be noninferior to anticoagulation in preventing strokes in atrial fibrillation patients. The 2 most widely used left atrial appendage occlusion devices are the WATCHMAN (Atritech Inc, Plymouth, MN, USA) and the LARIAT (SentreHEART, Palo Alto, CA, USA) devices. After a detailed description of the procedures, the anesthetic considerations of each procedure and management of specific adverse events are discussed within this review.

Resection of Celiac Artery Aneurysm with Bypass Grafting to the Splenic and Common Hepatic Arteries.

Celiac artery aneurysms are rare and typically warrant surgical treatment. Atherosclerosis is their chief cause. Symptomatic patients usually present with abdominal pain. Surgical resection of celiac artery aneurysms is associated with low morbidity and mortality rates. We report the case of a patient whose 2.2-cm celiac artery aneurysm we resected, with subsequent saphenous vein bypass grafting from the celiac trunk to the splenic and common hepatic arteries. In addition, we briefly discuss other treatment options.

Anesthetic Management in Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation of Ventricular Tachycardia.

Radiofrequency catheter ablation is increasingly being used to treat patients who have ventricular tachycardia, and anesthesiologists frequently manage their perioperative care. This narrative review is intended to familiarize anesthesiologists with preprocedural, intraprocedural, and postprocedural implications of this ablation. Ventricular tachycardia typically arises from structural heart disease, most often from scar tissue after myocardial infarction. Many patients thus affected will benefit from radiofrequency catheter ablation in the electrophysiology laboratory to ablate the foci of arrhythmogenesis. The pathophysiology of ventricular tachycardia is complex, as are the technical aspects of mapping and ablating these arrhythmias. Patients often have substantial comorbidities and tenuous hemodynamic status, necessitating pharmacologic and mechanical cardiopulmonary support. General anesthesia and monitored anesthesia care, when used for sedation during ablation, can lead to drug interactions and side effects in the presence of ventricular tachycardia, so anesthesiologists should also be aware of potential perioperative complications. We discuss variables that can help anesthesiologists safely guide patients through the challenges of radiofrequency catheter ablation of ventricular tachycardia.

Electromyography as a new means of navigation during endotracheal intubation.

This study tested a method of using rapid analysis of electromyographic response patterns to electrical stimulation to enable real-time navigation during endotracheal intubation. An electromyographic response detection device was constructed and integrated into a standard endotracheal tube. The rebound rates of the response voltages were measured in the trachea and oesophagus after stimulation in an acute study performed in three freshly euthanized male Suffolk sheep. In a blind study, a physician attempted to identify the tissue type solely from the electrical response signals. In the acute study, the observed rebound rate was found to be significantly faster in tracheal tissue (2.21 × 10(-3) V s(-1)) than in oesophageal tissue (3.45 × 10(-2) V s(-1); p = 0.000 05). In the blind study, the physician correctly determined the oesophagus response rate seven out of eight times and the tracheal rate eight out of nine times. These results suggest that electromyographic responses can be used to accurately differentiate tracheal from oesophageal tissue during ETT insertion, thus offering a valuable new means of enhancing patient safety.

Preoperative patient education: can we improve satisfaction and reduce anxiety? / Informação pré-operatória ao paciente: podemos melhorar a satisfação e reduzir a ansiedade? / Información preoperatoria al paciente: ¿podemos mejorar la satisfacción y reducir la ansiedad?

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Patients' knowledge deficits concerning anesthesia and the anesthesiologist's role in their care may contribute to anxiety. The objective of this study was to develop anesthesia patient education materials that would help improve patient's satisfaction regarding their knowledge of the perioperative process and decrease anxiety in a community hospital with a large Spanish-speaking population. METHODS: A survey (Survey A) in English and Spanish was administered to all adult anesthesiology preoperative clinic patients during a 4-week period. The data were analyzed and then a patient education handout was developed in both English and Spanish to assist with our patients' major concerns. A second survey (Survey B) was administered that was completed after the education handout had been put into use at the clinic. The survey asked for basic demographic information and included questions on satisfaction with regard to understanding of anesthesia as well as worries regarding surgery and pain. RESULTS: In the patients who received the handout, statistically significant improvement was found in the questions that asked about satisfaction with regard to understanding of type of anesthesia, options for pain control, what patients are supposed to do on the day of surgery, and the amount of information given with regard to anesthetic plan. There was no difference in anxiety related to surgery in patients who received the educational handout compared to those patients who did not. CONCLUSIONS: Patient education handouts improved patient's satisfaction regarding their knowledge of the perioperative process but did not reduce anxiety related to surgery. .

JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: A falta de conhecimento dos pacientes em relação à anestesia e ao papel do anestesiologista em sua assistência pode contribuir para a ansiedade. O objetivo deste estudo foi desenvolver materiais explicativos para o paciente sobre a anestesia que poderiam ajudar a melhorar a satisfação do paciente em relação ao seu conhecimento do processo perioperatório e a diminuir a ansiedade em hospital comunitário com uma grande população de língua espanhola. MÉTODOS: Durante quatro semanas, uma pesquisa (Pesquisa A) em inglês e espanhol foi feita no período pré-operatório com todos os pacientes adultos que seriam submetidos à anestesia. Os dados foram analisados e, posteriormente, um folheto explicativo foi desenvolvido em inglês e espanhol para esclarecer as principais preocupações dos pacientes. Uma segunda pesquisa (Pesquisa B) foi feita após a colocação do folheto explicativo em uso na clínica. A pesquisa investigou as informações demográficas básicas e incluiu perguntas sobre a satisfação relacionada à compreensão da anestesia, bem como as preocupações com a cirurgia e a dor. RESULTADOS: Nos pacientes que receberam o folheto houve melhoria estatisticamente significativa em relação às perguntas sobre a satisfação com a compreensão do tipo de anestesia, as opções para o controle da dor, o que os pacientes deveriam fazer no dia da cirurgia, bem como a quantidade de informações prestadas sobre o plano anestésico. Não houve diferença na ansiedade relacionada à cirurgia entre os pacientes que receberam e os que não receberam o folheto educativo. CONCLUSÕES: Os folhetos explicativos melhoraram a satisfação do paciente em relação ao conhecimento do processo perioperatório, mas não reduziram a ansiedade relacionada à cirurgia. .

JUSTIFICACIÓN Y OBJETIVOS: La falta de conocimiento de los pacientes con relación a la anestesia y al papel del anestesista en su asistencia puede contribuir a la ansiedad. El objetivo de este estudio fue desarrollar materiales explicativos para el paciente sobre la anestesia que podrían ayudar a mejorar la satisfacción del paciente respecto a su conocimiento del proceso perioperatorio y a disminuir la ansiedad en un hospital comunitario con una gran población de hablantes de lengua española. MÉTODOS: Durante un período de 4 semanas, se llevó a cabo una investigación (investigación A) en inglés y en español en el período preoperatorio con todos los pacientes adultos que se iban a someter a la anestesia. Se analizaron los datos analizaron y posteriormente se confeccionó un folleto explicativo en inglés y en español para aclarar las principales preocupaciones de los pacientes. Una segunda investigación (investigación B) fue realizada después de que se completó el folleto explicativo que se estaba usando en la clínica. La encuesta solicitó información demográfica básica e incluyó preguntas sobre la satisfacción relacionada con la comprensión de la anestesia y también sobre las preocupaciones relacionadas con la cirugía y el dolor. RESULTADOS: En los pacientes que recibieron el folleto hubo una mejoría estadísticamente significativa con relación a las preguntas sobre la satisfacción con la comprensión del tipo de anestesia, las opciones para el control del dolor, lo que los pacientes deberían hacer el día de la cirugía, como también la cantidad de informaciones prestadas sobre el plan de anestesia. No hubo diferencia en la ansiedad relacionada con la cirugía entre los pacientes que recibieron y los que no recibieron el folleto educativo. CONCLUSIONES: Los folletos explicativos mejoraron la satisfacción del paciente respecto al conocimiento del proceso perioperatorio, pero no redujeron la ansiedad relacionada con la cirugía. .

Association Between Preoperative Aspirin-dosing Strategy and Mortality After Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether preoperative aspirin-acetylsalicylic acid (ASA)-timing or dose independently affects 30-day all-cause mortality. BACKGROUND: Preoperative ASA administration is associated with reduced morbidity and mortality after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). However, data are lacking regarding optimal timing and dosing of ASA. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed data from 3018 consecutive patients who underwent CABG surgery between July 2005 and May 2011. Patients were assigned to 3 groups according to the time of the last preoperative ASA dose: (1) 24 hours or less preoperatively (n = 1173), (2) between 24 and 72 hours (n = 876), and (3) more than 72 hours or none (n = 969). In a separate analysis, patients were grouped according to ASA dose: 81 mg (n = 1285), 325 mg (n = 1004), and none (n = 543). The primary outcome was 30-day all-cause mortality. RESULTS: The 30-day mortality rate was significantly lower in patients who took ASA 24 hours or less preoperatively (1.5%) than in those who took it between 24 and 72 hours (3.2%) or more than 72 hours or none (2.9%). Multivariate analysis showed that ASA within 24 hours preoperatively was associated with reduced mortality (odds ratio [OR], 0.41; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.20-0.82; P = 0.01). Moreover, mortality was significantly reduced for patients taking 81 mg of ASA (1.4%) compared with 325 mg (2.9%) or none (3.9%). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that 81 mg of ASA decreased mortality risk by 66% (OR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.18-0.66; P < 0.01), whereas 325 mg of ASA had no mortality benefit (OR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.41-1.35; P = 0.33) compared with no ASA. CONCLUSIONS: Low-dose ASA use within 24 hours of CABG is independently associated with decreased early postoperative mortality.

[Preoperative patient education: can we improve satisfaction and reduce anxiety?]. / Informação pré-operatória ao paciente: podemos melhorar a satisfação e reduzir a ansiedade?

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Patients' knowledge deficits concerning anesthesia and the anesthesiologist's role in their care may contribute to anxiety. The objective of this study was to develop anesthesia patient education materials that would help improve patient's satisfaction regarding their knowledge of the perioperative process and decrease anxiety in a community hospital with a large Spanish-speaking population. METHODS: A survey (Survey A) in English and Spanish was administered to all adult anesthesiology preoperative clinic patients during a 4-week period. The data were analyzed and then a patient education handout was developed in both English and Spanish to assist with our patients' major concerns. A second survey (Survey B) was administered that was completed after the education handout had been put into use at the clinic. The survey asked for basic demographic information and included questions on satisfaction with regard to understanding of anesthesia as well as worries regarding surgery and pain. RESULTS: In the patients who received the handout, statistically significant improvement was found in the questions that asked about satisfaction with regard to understanding of type of anesthesia, options for pain control, what patients are supposed to do on the day of surgery, and the amount of information given with regard to anesthetic plan. There was no difference in anxiety related to surgery in patients who received the educational handout compared to those patients who did not. CONCLUSIONS: Patient education handouts improved patient's satisfaction regarding their knowledge of the perioperative process but did not reduce anxiety related to surgery.