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Report on the rare case of a ruptured pericallosal aneurysm originating from an atypic communicating segment between both distal A2 arteries, called the 'supreme anterior communicating artery'. The neurosurgeon should be aware of this rare vascular anomaly that might be angiographically occult and raise unexpected intraoperative difficulties.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the incidence of awareness with recall during general anesthesia in elective operation with modern anesthetic methods and to analyze the risk factors thereof. METHODS: 2025 patients, 1001 males and 1024 females, aged 53 +/- 16, underwent general anesthesia during different kinds of elective operation. Interview was conducted 1 - 3 days postoperatively to survey the incidence of awareness during operation. Two weeks later follow-up was conducted again to know if sequelae existed. RESULTS: Twenty-eight patients (1.4%) were identified as with awareness. Multiple regression analysis showed that awareness during operation was associated with being female (OR = 2.836, 95% CI = 1.81 - 6.810), use of laryngeal mask airway (LMA, OR = 19.609, 95% CI = 3.918 - 98.740), not use volatile anesthetics at a time or continuously during maintenance of anesthesia (OR = 3.084, 95% CI = 1.246 - 7.629), and intra-operative blood pressure fluctuation (OR = 10.430, 95% CI = 3.918 - 27.763), Premedicated patients had lower incidence of awareness during operation (OR = 0.326, 95% CI = 0.110 - 0.965). Twenty-three of the 28 patients with awareness during operation (82%) had auditory perception, 2 (7%) had both auditory and visual perception, 7 felt pain at different degrees, and 10 (36%) felt anxiety during operation. After effects appeared in 6 of the 28 patients (21%). CONCLUSION: Awareness occurs in some patients undergoing elective operation. Being female, use of LMA, not using volatile anesthetics at a time or continuously during maintenance of anesthesia, and intra-operative blood pressure fluctuation are risk factors. Premedication may help prevent awareness during operation.
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The possibility of awareness during general anesthesia causes apprehension for the patient and the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). The goals of general anesthesia are to prevent the sensation of pain and produce a state of sedation, hypnosis, and unconsciousness so the patient will not remember the surgical procedure. An inadequate level of anesthesia can result in patient awareness during surgery. The current practice of anesthesia relies on indirect hemodynamic measurements such as blood pressure and heart rate to monitor the sedative hypnotic state of the patient's brain during general anesthesia. Hemodynamic responses are not reliable for predicting awareness just as blood pressure and heart rate are not indicative of consciousness. Electroencephalogram (EEG) waveforms are known to be affected by anesthetics. Characteristic EEG waveforms are a direct indication of the patient's level of consciousness. Unprocessed and computer-processed EEG recordings have been used in an attempt to monitor the patient's level of consciousness during general anesthesia. A raw or unprocessed EEG recording to monitor the level of consciousness during general anesthesia is problematic. The EEG signal is complex, affected by artifact, and it requires a dedicated interpreter. Conventional processed EEG monitoring systems are problematic because of the complexity of the equipment and technical difficulty of reading the EEG recording. The purpose of this article is to describe the history of awareness during anesthesia and introduce a new processed EEG monitor, the Bispectral Index (BIS) (Aspect Medical Systems, Inc., Natick, MA) with implications for future clinical use and research.
BACKGROUND: Implantable electrical devices are becoming increasingly common in the patient population presenting for Mohs micrographic surgery. In addition to understanding the potential intraoperative complications with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators and pacemakers, the Mohs surgeon needs to be aware of the relatively new treatment of movement disorders using implanted deep brain stimulators. OBJECTIVE: We present only the second reported case of Mohs surgery in a patient with a deep brain stimulator. In an attempt to help minimize adverse events during a procedure, we review the more commonly encountered electrical devices as well as the newer deep brain stimulators. We provide guidelines for the avoidance of electromagnetic interference during an electrosurgical procedure. METHODS: This 76-year-old patient with Parkinson's disease and an implanted deep brain stimulator underwent Mohs surgery for excision of a squamous cell carcinoma on the ear. In an attempt to minimize electromagnetic interference with his implanted device, hemostasis was obtained with the aid of a battery-operated heat-generating handheld electrocautery device. RESULTS: The patient tolerated the procedure well without complications or reports of discomfort. CONCLUSION: Patients with implanted electrical devices are subject to electromagnetic interference during an electrosurgical procedure. Care must be taken in this expanding patient population during a Mohs surgical procedure.
Intraoperative somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP's) are being used with increasing frequency to monitor neurological function during spinal surgery. The authors report a case of postoperative paraplegia that occurred despite preserved intraoperative SSEP's in an achondroplastic dwarf who underwent correction of a congenital kyphoscoliosis. Surgeons and anesthesiologists involved with SSEP monitoring should be aware that false-negative results may occur with this technique.
1. Less experienced surgeons and assistants exhibit more stress during microsurgery. 2. This stress cannot be reduced easily, but can be overcome with experience. 3. Experienced surgeons should be aware of this stress when they train inexperienced surgeons and assistants.
OBJECTIVE: The role of intraoperative sonography is to detect and prompt revision of technical defects that may adversely affect results. Our objective is to describe the technique and illustrate normal and abnormal findings in intraoperative sonography of mesenteric revascularization. CONCLUSION: An abnormality on a gray-scale image associated with hemodynamic changes is a significant finding. Awareness and recognition of major abnormalities should prompt immediate surgical revision and improved outcome.
Reports of severe life-threatening anaphylaxis to latex are increasing. A case of latex anaphylaxis occurring during surgery is reported. Sudden cardiorespiratory collapse 25 min after the start of surgery was treated with oxygen, fluid, epinephrine, hydrocortisone, and benadryl. Two months later, skin testing to latex was positive but intradermal testing to the drugs used during anaesthesia was negative. Anaesthetists should be aware of this clinical entity. Latex allergy should be considered in the differential diagnosis of intraoperative anaphylaxis. Fortunately, it is usually preventable by obtaining a positive history, recognising that it occurs in particular subsets of patients and by avoiding latex products. Skin testing to latex is available and may assist in the recognition of latex sensitivity.
BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the Navibase navigation system for ear, nose, and throat (ENT) surgery. A new methodology for evaluating surgical and human factors is developed. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The evaluation is based on 102 ENT surgical applications, including 89 cases of functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS). The evaluation of surgical and human factors was performed by seven ENT surgeons. To evaluate surgical performance, level of quality (LOQ) in the 89 cases of FESS was determined, comparing the surgeon's own impressions with those of the navigation system on a scale from 0 to 100 and further comparing them with clinical results. Intraoperative changes in surgical strategy were documented. The human factors of total confidence (trust), situation awareness, skill set requirement and workload shift were recorded as level of reliance (LOR). RESULTS: The maximum deviation amounted to 1.93 mm. Averaging the quality of information resulted in an LOQ of 63.59. Every second application of the navigation system (47.9%) led to a change in surgical strategy. Total confidence showed a positive evaluation of 3.35 points in LOR. CONCLUSION: Application-relevant information relevant to the application beyond only technical details permits comparison with other assisting systems.
STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the anesthetic cardiac arrest rate decreased following the introduction of enhanced respiratory monitoring and increased safety awareness during the past decade. DESIGN: Epidemiologic study of surgical anesthetic morbidity as represented by intraoperative cardiac arrests. SETTING: Operating room suite of a large university hospital. PATIENTS: 241,934 patients undergoing surgery over a period of 20 years. INTERVENTIONS: Anesthetic cardiac arrest rates from two decades were compared. The first decade (1969 to 1978) predated safety initiatives, while the second (1979 to 1988) included them. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Anesthetic cardiac arrests were identified, and their causes (respiratory vs nonrespiratory) and preventability (identifiable error) were determined shortly after their occurrence, as part of an ongoing study initiated in 1969. They provided numerators for rate calculations; total surgical anesthetics provided the denominators. The anesthetic cardiac arrest rate decreased by one-half from the first decade (2.1 arrests/10,000 anesthetics) to the second (1.0/10,000), a significant difference (p = 0.032, Fisher's Exact Test). The rate for preventable arrests due to respiratory causes declined significantly from 0.8/10,000 to 0.1/10,000 (p = 0.013) and accounted for most of the observed decrease in the overall anesthetic cardiac arrest rate. The rates for preventable nonrespiratory arrests and nonpreventable arrests did not change significantly. CONCLUSIONS: The results support the hypothesis that improved respiratory monitoring was effective in decreasing anesthetic morbidity.
This study describes our experience with an unusual type of acromial spur. In the last 7 years, we have treated 20 patients with a previously undescribed "keeled" acromion. The keel refers to a central, longitudinal, downward sloping spur on the acromial undersurface. Patients with a keeled acromion are at significant risk of bursal-sided as well as full-thickness rotator cuff tears. All patients in this series had significant bursal-sided tears, and 12 of 20 patients (60%) had full-thickness rotator cuff tears associated with an acromial "keel." In addition, patients with a keeled acromion are younger (average age, 52.7 years) than would be expected for patients with rotator cuff disease. Often these patients are misdiagnosed, and effective treatment is delayed. Diagnosis of a keeled acromion relies on a high level of suspicion, as well as knowledge of clinical and radiographic signs consistent with an acromial keel. We discuss the clinical presentation, radiographic findings, associated rotator cuff pathology, as well as methods to avoid intraoperative technical errors when treating patients with an acromial keel. The goal is to raise awareness of this relatively uncommon but clinically important entity and to help guide the treating surgeon's therapeutic measures.
Further studies need to be done to determine the impact preoperative visits have on the perioperative nurse's empathy level. The results of this study could be confirmed, or refuted, if a study with more subjects was conducted over a longer period of time. Also, subjects in both the control and experimental groups should be chosen randomly and should be from the same institution. To measure the long-term effect of preoperative visits on empathy levels, a study could be conducted that measures the levels at various times (eg, six months to a year following the first study). Other evaluations of empathy levels, such as observer rating and patient rating, could be used to supplement nurses self-rating scores to avoid using one standard instrument and rating scale. Few conclusions can be drawn from this limited study, but it does help nurses realize that preoperative interviews can help the nurse become more aware of the surgical patient as a human being. This increased awareness may help the nurse function more effectively and efficiently in helping the patient during intraoperative care.
PURPOSE: Posterior chamber foldable silicone intraocular lenses (IOLs) are becoming increasingly prevalent in patients undergoing a pars plana vitrectomy with fluid-air exchange. The authors report an important limitation of foldable silicone IOLs during fluid-air exchanges in pars plana vitrectomies. METHODS: The charts of 18 pseudophakic patients with foldable silicone IOLs who underwent vitrectomy with fluid-air exchange by the authors were reviewed. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference in the occurrence of condensation during fluid-air exchange between the group of patients with a capsulotomy versus those that did not have a capsulotomy (P = 0.003). Condensation limiting the view of the retina occurred during fluid-air exchange in 11 of 11 of the patients with foldable silicone lenses and a capsulotomy. Attempts to remove the condensation with a soft-tipped aspiration cannula resulted in limited view of the retina for 1 to 2 minutes in 6 of 11 patients. Use of a thin film of silicone oil restored the view in one patient. In the presence of an intact posterior capsule, condensation did not occur on identical foldable silicone IOLs in seven of seven patients. CONCLUSION: Recognition of the presence of a foldable silicone lens is important when an air-fluid exchange is anticipated. If a capsulotomy is present, the surgeon must be aware that condensation may limit the view of the retina severely during and after surgery. Intraoperatively, the view of the retina usually can be restored in short surgeries by wiping the posterior lens surface with a soft-tipped cannula, and in more complex surgeries by applying a thin film of silicone oil on the posterior surface of the lens.
Sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) is a condition of repeated episodes of apnea and hypopnea during sleep. It can cause life-threatening morbidities, including cardiac arrhythmia and ischemia, hypertension, and respiratory arrest, and even death. In a retrospective study at our institution of patients who underwent hip or knee total joint arthroplasty (TJA) with a diagnosis of SAS, we hypothesized that avoiding factors that exacerbate SAS in the perioperative period would minimize adverse outcomes. There were 19 patients with a preoperative diagnosis of moderate or severe SAS; 15 patients received continuous positive airway pressure or bilevel positive airway pressure noninvasive ventilation, 1 patient experienced respiratory arrest secondary to intraoperative propafol, and 2 patients developed postoperative respiratory depression. Avoidance of opioids and sedative drugs, awareness of the possibility of acute airway obstruction, and close monitoring during and after surgery are vital in patients with SAS.
PURPOSE: All physicians who use heparin should be aware of immune heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT), including anesthesiologists who may need to provide intraoperative anticoagulation for a patient who urgently requires cardiac or vascular surgery but who has acute HIT or a history of recent HIT. SOURCE: The literature dealing with HIT of relevance to anesthesiologists was reviewed, including studies of HIT antibody formation following intraoperative use of heparin; acute respiratory or cardiac arrest following i.v. bolus heparin indicating rapid-onset HIT; acute thrombocytopenia and thrombosis complicating intraoperative heparin use; circumstances in which it might be acceptable to administer heparin despite a previous history of immune HIT; and alternative anticoagulant approaches that can be used to manage cardiac or vascular surgery in a patient with acute or recent HIT. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Intraoperative exposure to heparin can trigger formation of HIT antibodies, and occasionally even lead to "delayed-onset" HIT. Acute respiratory or cardiac arrest following i.v. bolus heparin, or the abrupt occurrence of intraoperative "white clots," suggests a diagnosis of rapid-onset HIT, particularly if the patient recently received heparin. Several approaches are available to manage cardiac or vascular surgery in a patient with acute or recent HIT, so the treatment chosen depends upon local experience and monitoring capabilities. Several months after acute HIT, and particularly when HIT antibodies are no longer detectable, it may be acceptable to use heparin for intraoperative anticoagulation. CONCLUSION: HIT is an infrequent but important topic for anesthesiologists because of the urgency and complexity of the various associated management issues.
The localization of functional areas obtained from functional MRI (fMRI) is useful for patients suffering from tumors contiguous to eloquent brain areas. fRMI is an efficient tool in the strategy of treatment of low grade oligodendroglioamas in the rolandic area in intact or slightly impaired patients. It can be used preoperatively to assess motor functional areas. Indeed there is a good correlation for motor cortex lesions when using comparison between fMRI and intraoperative findings. Direct integration of fMRI data into neuronavigation enables to better visualize and preserve eloquent brain areas. One must be aware of fMRI limits. It is still often used with the control of direct cortical stimulations.
We wished to identify patients able to recall intraoperative events after general anaesthesia involving cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). A balanced anaesthetic technique consisting of benzodiazepines, low dose fentanyl (15.9 +/- 8.5 micrograms.kg-1) and a volatile agent was employed. Perioperative recall was sought utilizing a structured interview on the fourth or fifth postoperative day. During 20 mo 837 patients underwent CPB. Seven hundred patients (84%) were able to respond to a structured postoperative interview. A detailed chart review was performed in patients with recall and in 60 randomly selected patients without recall. Eight patients (1.14%) reported recall of intraoperative events. We were unable to identify any differences between the two groups with respect to narcotic, benzodiazepine dosage or usage of inhalational agents. The incidence of recall in patients undergoing cardiac surgery was less in our group than previously reported. It is, however, higher than the 0.2% incidence recently reported in patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery. This is probably due to patient characteristics and intraoperative factors which make it difficult to avoid periods of relatively light anaesthesia during cardiac surgery.