The Efficacy of Liposomal Bupivacaine in Regional Nerve Blocks for Below Knee Amputations.

Postamputation pain is highly prevalent. Opioids are often utilized postoperatively; however, they have significant side effects. Liposomal bupivacaine (LB) was introduced to extend nerve blocks from hours into days. Regional nerve blocks with LB for below knee amputation (BKA) is a novel approach which may reduce opioid use after surgery. A retrospective review was conducted for patients who had received LB nerve blocks compared to none for postoperative pain control in BKAs. Daily average opioid consumption was evaluated from the time in postoperative acute care unit until day of discharge in oral morphine equivalents (OME). 69 patients who underwent below knee amputations were reviewed. The mean average daily OME was lower in the LB group compared to control group(25.0 vs 50.5 OME, respectively; P = .002) A higher percentage of patients in the study group were categorized in the minimal opioid use when compared to the control group LB regional nerve blocks for the BKA population are considered a novel approach in pain control. Our exploratory study shows that patients who received LB nerve blocks may have decreased opioid consumption after surgery.

Safety of one-stage conversion surgery after failed gastric band: our experience and review of the literature.

The laparoscopic adjustable gastric band (AGB) has fallen out of favor due to poor long-term weight loss and frequent complications. Many patients stand to benefit from elective conversion of AGB to more durable procedures such as sleeve gastrectomy (SG) or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). Whether it is safer to perform this conversion in one or two stages, however, remains controversial. We performed an IRB-approved review of prospectively collected data from all one-stage band conversions performed at our institution from January 2012 to December 2017. Patients were separated into two groups: those who underwent conversion to either a RYGB or SG. Demographics, indications, and outcomes of each group were compared using Fisher's exact test, Mann-Whitney rank sums, and chi-squared tests. Outcomes were recorded within a 1-year follow-up period and compared to published outcomes for one-stage band conversions. Thirty-eight patients were included for analysis. Average age and BMI were was 50.8 years and 41.1 kg/m2, respectively. The average operative time (164 min, 105-258 min) and length of stay (2.2 days, 1-5 days) did not differ between indication and procedure performed. Overall, early (< 30 day) and late (> 30 day) major complication rates were 7.9% and 5.3%, respectively. There were no leaks and no deaths. Within a 1-year postoperative period, seven re-interventions were performed. Elective one-stage band conversion to RYGB or SG can be performed safely.