Truncal Blocks for Emergency Laparotomy in a High-Risk Patient: A Case Report and Literature Review.

In critically ill patients undergoing laparotomy, both general anesthesia (GA) and central neuraxial block (CNB) may pose significant risks. Peripheral truncal blocks have been reported to provide effective postoperative analgesia following laparotomy. However, there are a limited number of reports describing this technique as surgical anesthesia for laparotomy. An 86-year-old man with non-specific interstitial pneumonia under home oxygen therapy and aortic valve stenosis was diagnosed with an incarcerated inguinal hernia. Because of these comorbidities, both GA and CNB were considered relatively contraindicated. Thus, we chose an ultrasound-guided transverse abdominis plane block and ilioinguinal/iliohypogastric block supplemented with neuroleptanesthesia as surgical anesthesia for emergency laparotomy. The surgery was uneventful using this technique. Truncal blocks supplemented with titrated intravenous sedatives/analgesics could be an alternative in high-risk patients undergoing laparotomy in whom both GA and CNB are considered relatively contraindicated.

Cardiovascular monitoring in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy in a prone position: A report of 2 cases.

Supine positioning in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) can affect their preload, afterload, and heart rate, potentially leading to cardiovascular collapse. Here, we report the successful anesthetic management of two patients with HOCM who underwent spinal surgery in a prone position. The approximate values of the systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI) were continuously calculated without measuring the central venous pressure. Intraoperative monitoring of the SVRI estimates may be helpful in patients with HOCM so as to avoid cardiovascular collapse when monitoring with both transesophageal echocardiography and a central venous catheter is clinically inappropriate.

[A Case of Esophageal Polyp Regurgitated into the Pharynx at the Induction of General Anesthesia].

We report the case of a mass in the pharynx found at the induction of general anesthesia that vanished postoperatively. A 46-year-old man underwent abdominal surgery. After the induction of general anesthesia, there was a mass occupying his pharynx and we could see neither the vocal cords nor the epiglottis using a Macintosh laryngoscope. Airwayscope (AWS) enabled us to successfully intubate the trachea. On postoperative examination, there was no mass on his pharynx. Imaging studies of the esophagus revealed a polyp suspected as being a fibrovascular polyp (FVP) arising from the upper esophagus. Three months later, excision of the polyp was planned. Awake intubation with AWS was planned so that if the polyp was regurgitated, he could swallow it Intubation was uneventful without regurgitation of the polyp. At the beginning of surgery, the polyp was not found in the pharynx, but was easily regurgitated by air supplied by the endoscope. FVPs are rare benign esophageal tumors and most originate from the cervical esophagus. If a polyp is regurgitated, obstruction of the airway may occur, and asphyxiation and sudden death have been reported. The fatal complication of airway obstruction requires anesthesiologists to be aware of FVP.

[Postoperative pulmonary thromboembolism in a patient with essential thrombocythemia].

A 75-year-old woman with thrombocythemia underwent distal gastrectomy. Preoperative platelet count was 103 x 10(4) x mm(-1). General anesthesia was given and heparin 20 units x kg(-1) was administered intravenously for prevention of deep vein thrombosis. Operation was finished uneventfully. On the next day, she complained chest pain and was diagnosed as pulmonary thromboembolism. Later, she was diagnosed as essential thrombocythemia.

[Relationship between postoperative neurological complications and regional cerebral oxygen saturation during retrograde cerebral perfusion].

BACKGROUND: Transient postoperative neurological disorders are common in patients undergoing aortic surgery with retrograde cerebral perfusion (RCP). We evaluated the relationship between transient postoperative neurological disorders and regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO2) during RCP. METHODS: Thirty-seven patients with aortic aneurysm dissection were enrolled in the study. They underwent the ascending aorta or hemi-arch replacement. The postoperative neurological complications occurred in 17 patients, including 2 strokes, 1 hypoxic encephalopathy, 6 delay of awareness, and 8 disorientations. Strokes and a hypoxic encephalopathy were excluded because they could result from embolic episodes. Changes in rSO2 during RCP in 14 patients with transient neurological disorders were compared with changes in 20 patients without disorders. RESULTS: The rSO2 values significantly decreased after the beginning of RCP in both groups. There was no difference in the lowest rSO2 value during RCP and in the rate of decrease from pre-RCP to the lowest rSO2 between two groups. However, the difference more than 10% between left and right was significantly associated with neurological disorders. CONCLUSIONS: The rSO2 monitor could detect the decrease of cerebral perfusion during RCP. The wide asymmetry of rSO2 was associated with transient neurological disorders, although the lowest rSO2 value and the rate of decline did not relate.

[Anesthetic case report of a patient with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy].

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) is an autoimmune disease characterized by progressive neurological distress and motor weakness in the legs and arms. We report a patient with CIDP who underwent thoracoscopic surgery under general anesthesia. A 43-year-old man was hospitalized for examination of unidentified fever, and PET detected accumulations in the inguinal and mediastinal lymph nodes. The inguinal lymph node biopsy could not reveal the cause, and he was scheduled for thoracoscopic mediastinal lymph node biopsy. He had been diagnosed CIDP by lower motor weakness and sensory disorder for five months, and underwent peritoneal dialysis for chronic renal failure over the past nine months. Anesthesia was induced with propofol, remifentanil, and high-dose sevoflurane. He could be intubated easily with a left-sided Broncho-Cath double-lumen tube with no muscle relaxants. Anesthesia was maintained by sevoflurane (1.5-1.7%) and remifentanil (0.10-0.15 microg x kg(-1) x min(-1)). After the operation, spontaneous respiration appeared immediately after discontinuing anesthetics. Endotracheal tube was removed because of the following data; Sp(O2), 99%; tidal volume, about 600 ml; respiratory rate, 12-15 min(-1); level of consciousness was good. Arterial blood gas determination at this time revealed pH, 7.418: Pa(CO2), 36.0 mmHg : Pa(O2), 329.3 mmHg under 8 l x min(-1) oxygen. The patient showed an uncomplicated postoperative course.