A safe, reliable, inexpensive and novel technique to localize in the mid thoracic spine in the prone position: Proof of concept and technical illustration.

Intraoperative localization within the thoracic spine in the prone position may be particularly difficult on account of absence of common landmarks such as the sacrum or the C2 vertebra, thus increasing the potential for wrong-level surgery that may lead to patient morbidity and potential litigation. Some current localization methods involve implantation of markers that are invasive and serve to add to procedural expense while yet still failing to entirely eliminate errors. We describe a novel, non-invasive, and inexpensive technique for intraoperative localization of the thoracic spine in the prone position using an esophageal temperature probe. Following patient positioning, anteroposterior fluoroscopy is used to localize the radiopaque tip of the esophageal probe relative to the thoracic spine. After determining the probe tip's location, it becomes the counting reference for all subsequent intraoperative fluoroscopic localizations during surgery. As the probe tip is generally visible in the same fluoroscopic image as the surgical level, error from parallax created when moving the fluoroscopy machine from an anatomic landmark either above or below is avoided and a shorter fluoroscopy time is needed. Use of an esophageal temperature probe as a landmark in localizing spinal level may serve as a reliable and It offers a safe, reliable, and inexpensive technique for proper localization of thoracic spine levels.

Atheroemboli to superior mesenteric artery following cardiopulmonary bypass.

Intestinal ischemia after open heart surgery is an uncommon but often fatal complication. The ischemia is generally seen in the context of a low-flow state, and less frequently is associated with an occlusion in the mesenteric circulation. We report a case of intestinal ischemia caused by an atheroemboli in a patient who had an intraaortic balloon pump (IABP) placed during a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG).