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Background: Non-intubated video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery combines a minimally invasive technique with multimodal locoregional analgesia to enhance recovery. The mainstay sedation protocol involves propofol and fentanyl. Dexmedetomidine, given its opioid-sparing effect with minimal respiratory depression, facilitates sedation in non-intubated patients. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of dexmedetomidine during non-intubated video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. Methods: A total of 114 patients who underwent non-intubated video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery between June 2015 and September 2017 were retrospectively evaluated. Of these, 34 were maintained with dexmedetomidine, propofol, and fentanyl, and 80 were maintained with propofol and fentanyl. After a 1:1 propensity score-matched analysis incorporating sex, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists classification, pulmonary disease and hypertension, the clinical outcomes of 34 pairs of patients were assessed. Results: The dexmedetomidine group showed a significantly lower opioid consumption [10.3 (5.7–15.1) vs. 18.8 (10.0–31.0) mg, median (interquartile range); P = 0.001] on postoperative day 0 and a significantly shorter postoperative length of stay [3 (2–4) vs. 4 (3–5) days, median (interquartile range), P = 0.006] than the control group. During operation, the proportion of vasopressor administration was significantly higher in the dexmedetomidine group [18 (53) vs. 7 (21), patient number (%), P = 0.01]. On the other hand, the difference of the hypotension and bradycardia incidence, short-term morbidity and mortality rates between each group were nonsignificant. Conclusion: Adding adjuvant dexmedetomidine to propofol and fentanyl is safe and feasible for non-intubated video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. With its opioid-sparing effect and shorter postoperative length of stay, dexmedetomidine may enhance recovery after surgery.

Abstract Background Intraoperative hypotension is a common side effect of general anesthesia. Here we examined whether the Hypotension Prediction Index (HPI), a novel warning system, reduces the severity and duration of intraoperative hypotension during general anesthesia. Methods This randomized controlled trial was conducted in a tertiary referral hospital. We enrolled patients undergoing general anesthesia with invasive arterial monitoring. Patients were randomized 1:1 either to receive hemodynamic management with HPI guidance (intervention) or standard of care (control) treatment. Intraoperative hypotension treatment was initiated at HPI > 85 (intervention) or mean arterial pressure (MAP)

Abstract Autonomic nervous dysfunction is a known cardiac sequalae in patients with end-stage liver disease and is associated with a poor prognosis. Heart rate analysis using nonlinear models such as multiscale entropy (MSE) or complexity may identify marked changes in these patients where conventional heart rate variability (HRV) measurements do not. To investigate the application of heart rate complexity (HRC) based on MSE in liver transplantation settings. Thirty adult recipients of elective living donor liver transplantation were enrolled. HRV parameters using conventional HRV analysis and HRC analysis were obtained at the following time points: (1) 1 day before surgery, (2) postoperative day (POD) 7, (3) POD 14, (4) POD 90, and (5) POD 180. Preoperatively, patients with MELD score ≥ 25 had significantly lower HRC compared to patients with lower MELD scores. This difference in HRC disappeared by POD 7 following liver transplantation and subsequent analyses at POD 90 and 180 continued to show no significant difference. Our results indicated a significant negative correlation between HRC based on MSE analysis and liver disease severity preoperatively, which may be more sensitive than conventional linear HRV analysis. HRC in patients with MELD score ≧ 25 improved over time and became comparable to those with MELD

Background: Few studies have compared intraoperative oxygenation and perioperative outcomes between non-intubated video-assisted thoracic surgery (NIVATS) with supraglottic airway devices (SADs) and NIVATS with high flow nasal oxygenation (HFNO). The aim of this retrospective study was to compare the intraoperative desaturation rate and postoperative outcomes between NIVATS with SADs and NIVATS with HFNO. Methods: Data regarding NIVATS performed for lung cancer from January 2020 to December 2021 were collected. Intraoperative anesthetic results, post-anesthetic adverse effects, and surgical outcomes for patients who received SAD or HFNO were analyzed using propensity score-matched and unmatched analysis. Results: In total, 199 patients with i-gel™ and 95 patients with HFNO were included. Significantly more female patients (91.6 vs. 82.4%, p = 0.0378) and fewer wedge resections (78.9 vs. 85.4%, p = 0.0258) were observed in the HFNO group. Among 250 patients who underwent NIVATS wedge resections under total intravenous anesthesia, those who received HFNO had a significantly higher desaturation event rate (19.8% vs. 7.9% in i-gel™ group; p = 0.0063), lower nadir SPO2 (94.0% vs. 96.1% in i-gel™ group; p = 0.0012), and longer hospitalization (4.0 ± 0.8 vs. 3.6 ± 0.6 in i-gel™ group; p

Background: For uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), which is greatly dependent on satisfactory lung collapse without lung compression from another port, few reports have elucidated the intraoperative efficacy of bronchial blockers (BBs). We hypothesized that operation time would be prolonged if BBs required more intraoperative repositioning during surgical manipulation. We compared the operation times of different surgical procedures performed using BBs with double-lumen tubes (DLTs) in uniportal VATS. Materials and Methods: Patients who underwent intubated uniportal VATS were enrolled retrospectively from March to May 2019. Data on the patient, anesthetic, and surgical factors were collected. Regression analyses were performed to determine the effect of various factors on operation time. Results: 317 patients who underwent uniportal VATS were included. Wedge resection constituted 70.7%, and anatomic resection constituted 29.3% of procedures. BBs were applied for left- and right-side wedge resection (85.6% and 78.7%, respectively) and left- and right-side anatomic resection (74.1% and 56.4%, respectively). The surgical factors significantly affecting operation time were operation procedures (P < .01), number of lymph nodes sampled (P < .001), and size of tumors (P < .01). Conclusions: The efficacy of BBs was comparable to that of DLTs for uniportal VATS wedge resection. With significantly less preference for right-side anatomic resection, the efficacy of DLTs was comparable with that of BBs, which were applied in more than half of right-side uniportal anatomic VATS. We conclude that even in uniportal VATSs, rigid-angled BBs demonstrate comparable efficacy with feasible alternatives.

Background/Purpose: This study aimed to compare our experiences of nonintubated video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for pneumothorax and lung tumor resections with that of intubated VATS in pediatric patients. Methods: In total, 17 nonintubated and 64 intubated pediatric VATS were performed between January 2012 and December 2018. Patient characteristics, operation period, comorbidities, precedent lung surgery, diagnosis, type of anesthesia, side and type of procedure, and perioperative outcomes were collected from medical records. Perioperative outcome data included induction time, operation time, postoperative chest tube drainage duration, and length of stay. Simple linear regression and multiple linear regression analyses were used to determine the influence of selected variables on perioperative outcomes. Results: The mean age was 16.2 years in the intubated group and 15.2 years in the nonintubated group. Comorbidities including malignancy and asthma were noted in 9 intubated patients and 6 nonintubated patients. Nonintubated VATS was performed in 9 pneumothorax surgeries and 8 lung tumor resections. Five patients breathed oxygen through a face mask, 3 patients through a high-flow nasal cannula, and 9 patients through a laryngeal mask airway. No patient required tracheal intubation or thoracotomy. No major operative complications were noted in either group. After adjustments for statistically relevant confounders, the multiple regression analysis showed that the nonintubated technique influenced the length of stay, leading to a reduction of 0.75 days. Conclusion: Nonintubated VATS is feasible and safe in selected children undergoing bullectomy or wedge resections for lung tumors. The nonintubated approach might enhance postoperative recovery.

Background: Nonintubated thoracoscopic lobectomy has been described as a feasible surgical treatment for early-stage lung cancer since 2011. Despite promising perioperative results, studies on tumor recurrence and long-term survival are very limited. This study was aimed to compare outcomes after thoracoscopic lobectomy with versus without intubation for stage I non-small cell lung cancer. Methods: A retrospective data set including 115 and 155 patients who underwent nonintubated and intubated thoracoscopic lobectomy, respectively, between January 2011 and December 2013 was used to identify matched nonintubated and intubated cohorts (n = 97 per group) using a propensity score matching algorithm that accounted for confounding effects of preoperative patient variables. Primary outcome variables included freedom from recurrence and overall survival. Factors affecting survival were assessed using Cox regression analysis and Kaplan–Meier survival estimates. Results: No perioperative mortality occurred in both groups. At an average follow-up of 74 months, comparing nonintubated thoracoscopic lobectomy with intubated procedure, no differences were observed in recurrence rates (14.4% vs. 25.8%, respectively; p = .057). Furthermore, no significant differences were noted in overall survival (97.9% vs. 93.8%, respectively; p = .144). Nonintubated thoracoscopic lobectomy was not found to be an independent predictor of recurrence (hazard ratio, .53; 95% confidence interval [CI], .28–1.02) or overall survival (hazard ratio, .33; 95% CI, .07–1.61). Conclusion: In this propensity-matched comparison, nonintubated thoracoscopic lobectomy was not associated with an increased risk for recurrence and overall survival during the 5-year follow-up. However, more randomized trials should be conducted for further validation of these results.

Abstract Numerous supraglottic airway device (SADs) have been designed for adults; however, their relative efficacy, indicated by parameters such as adequacy of sealing, ease of application, and postinsertion complications, remains unclear. We conducted a systematic review and network meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of various SADs. We searched electronic databases for randomized controlled trials comparing at least two types of SADs published before December 2019. The primary outcomes were oropharyngeal leak pressure (OLP), risk of first-attempt insertion failure, and postoperative sore throat rate (POST). We included 108 studies (n = 10,645) comparing 17 types of SAD. The Proseal laryngeal mask airway (LMA), the I-gel supraglottic airway, the Supreme LMA, the Streamlined Liner of the Pharynx Airway, the SoftSeal, the Cobra Perilaryngeal Airway, the Air-Q, the Laryngeal Tube, the Laryngeal Tube Suction II, the Laryngeal Tube Suction Disposable, AuraGain, and Protector had significantly higher OLP (mean difference ranging from 3.98 to 9.18 cmH2O) compared with that of a classic LMA (C-LMA). The Protector exhibited the highest OLP and was ranked first. All SADs had a similar likelihood of first-attempt insertion failure and POST compared with the C-LMA. Our findings indicate that the Protector may be the best SAD because it has the highest OLP. Systematic review registration PROSPERO: CRD42017065273.

Bronchoscopic interventions (BIs) and airway management for bronchoscopy are exceptionally high-risk procedures not only for anesthesiologists, pulmonologists, but also for nursing staff because they expose nurses to COVID-19-containing droplets. However, perioperative changes can be made to the anesthetic management for nonintubated BIs to minimize the spread of COVID-19.

Abstract. To determine the feasibility on maintaining oxygenation of high-flow nasal oxygenation (HFNO) with bispectral index-guided intravenous anesthesia for nonintubated interventional bronchoscopy (NIIB). If desaturation happens, the factors influencing intraprocedural desaturation were also analyzed. This is a single-center retrospective study on patients receiving NIIB with HFNO and intravenous anesthesia guided by bispectral index levels to the depth of general anesthesia, which were between 40 and 60. Intraprocedural desaturation (SPO2

Background: Unstable hemodynamics are not uncommon during hemodialysis (HD), which involves a rapid volume depletion, taking the patient from hypervolemia toward euvolemia. Since uremic patients commonly have cardiovascular comorbidities, hemodynamic changes during HD may reflect interactions among the volemic, cardiac, and autonomic responses to gradual volume depletion during ultrafiltration. Accurate identification of inappropriate responses helps with precisely managing intradialytic hypotension. Recently, the non-invasive ClearSight was reported to be able to detect causes of intraoperative hypotension. In this prospective observational study, we aimed to determine whether ClearSight could be used to detect patterns in stroke volemic, cardiac, and vasoreactive responses during HD.Methods: ClearSight was used to monitor chronic stable patients receiving maintenance HD. Data of mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), stroke volume index (SVI), cardiac index (CI), and calculated systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI) were obtained and analyzed to examine patterns in volemic, cardiac, and vasoreactive changes from T0 (before HD) until T8 in 30-min intervals (total 4 h).Results: A total of 56 patients with a mean age of 60.5 years were recruited, of which 40 of them were men. The average ultrafiltration volume at T8 was 2.1 ± 0.8 L. The changes in MAP and HR from T0 to T8 were non-significant. SVI at T7 was significantly lower than that at T1, T2, and T3. CI at T4 to T8 was significantly lower than that at T0. SVRI was significantly higher at T3 to T8 than at T0. Pearson’s correlation coefficients between SVI and CI and between SVRI and MAP were positive at all time points. The correlation coefficients between SVRI and SVI and between CI and SVRI were significant and negative for all time points.Conclusion: ClearSight was able to detect patterns in hypervolemia during HD and was well tolerated for 4 h. CI decreased significantly after T4, with slightly decreased SVI. Ultrafiltration volume was not correlated with changes in SVI or CI. The vascular tone increased significantly, and this counteracted the reduced cardiac output after T4. With simultaneous monitoring on SVI, CI, and SVRI during HD, therefore, hypotension could be detected and managed by reducing the filtration rate or administering inotrope or vasopressors.Trial Registration:clinicaltrials.gov, ID: NCT03901794.

BackgroundObjectively detecting perioperative swallowing changes is essential for differentiating the reporting of subjective trouble sensations in patients undergoing anterior cervical spine surgery (ACSS). Swallowing indicates the transmission of fluid boluses from the pharynx (velopharynx, oropharynx, and hypopharynx) through the upper esophageal sphincter (UES). Abnormal swallowing can reveal fluid accumulation at the pharynx, which increased the aspiration risk. However, objective evidence is limited. High-resolution impedance manometry (HRIM) was applied for an objective swallowing evaluation for a more detailed analysis. We aimed to elucidate whether HRIM can be used to detect perioperative swallowing changes in patients undergoing ACSS.MethodsFourteen patients undergoing elective ACSS underwent HRIM with the Dysphagia Short Questionnaire (DSQ, score: 0–18) preoperatively (PreOP), on postoperative at day 1 (POD1), and postoperative at day seven (POD7). We calculated hypopharyngeal and UES variables, including hypopharyngeal mean peak pressure (PeakP) and UES peak pressure, representing their contractility (normal range of PeakP, 69–280 mmHg; peak pressure, 149–548 mmHg). The velopharynx-to-tongue base contractile (VTI) was also calculated (normal range, 300–700 mmHg.s.cm), indicating contractility. The swallowing risk index (SRI) from HRIM combined with four hypopharyngeal parameters, including PeakP, represents the global swallowing function (normal range, 0–11). A higher SRI value indicated higher aspiration.ResultsSRI was significantly higher on POD1 (10.88 ± 5.69) than PreOP (6.06 ± 3.71) and POD7 (8.99 ± 4.64). In all patients, PeakP was significantly lower on POD1 (61.8 ± 18.0 mmHg) than PreOP (84.9 ±34.7 mmHg) and on POD7 (75.3 ± 23.4 mmHg). The UES peak pressure was significantly lower on POD1 (80.4 ± 30.0 mmHg) than PreOP (112.9 ± 49.3 mmHg) and on POD7 (105.6 ± 59.1 mmHg). Other variables, including VTI, did not change significantly among the three time points. DSQ scores were 1.36, 3.43, and 2.36 at PreOP, POD1, and POD7 respectively.ConclusionsWith similar trends in DSQ and SRI, swallowing was significantly decreased on POD1 because of decreased hypopharyngeal and UES contractility but recovered to the preoperative state on POD7 after ACSS. Applying HRIM is superior to DSQ in detecting mechanisms and monitoring the recovery from swallowing dysfunction.Clinical Trial RegistrationThe study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03891940).

Increased abdominal pressure is common in obese patients and predisposes them to gastroesophageal regurgitation (GER). To drain GER and prevent aspiration, nasogastric (NG) tubes are frequently inserted in obese patients undergoing general anesthesia. However, whether gastric drainage actually decreases the occurrence of GER remains to be elucidated. In this study, increased abdominal pressure was simulated with laparoscopic pneumoperitoneum and Trendelenburg (LPT) positioning, while the retained NG tube was replaced by a pre-inserted esophageal multichannel intraluminal and pH (MII-pH) monitoring. Fifteen patients undergoing elective gynecologic laparoscopy were enrolled in this study. Thirteen patients (86%) developed GER while in the LPT position. With the high occurrence of GER, pre-inserted NG tubes under general anesthesia are not likely to be protective in obese patients.

Background and objectives: Uniportal thoracoscopic segmentectomy under intubated general anesthesia with one-lung ventilation has recently been introduced for the management of lung cancer patients with small tumors or compromised cardiopulmonary function. However, uniportal thoracoscopic segmentectomy without endotracheal intubation had rarely been performed. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of this novel technique. Methods: From January 2014 to November 2018, 32 lung cancer patients were treated using nonintubated uniportal thoracoscopic segmentectomy under a combination of target-controlled infusion of propofol, nasal high-flow oxygen therapy, intrathoracic intercostal nerve blockade, and vagal nerve blockade. Sixty-two other lung cancer patients who underwent initial planning nonintubated multiportal thoracoscopic segmentectomy during the same period were included as the control group. Results: Preoperative dye localization was required in 18 (56.3%) patients of uniportal group. No patients required conversion to tracheal intubation or thoracotomy. Two patients were converted from the one-port to the two-port approach due to severe adhesions in the pleural cavity. The mean durations of anesthetic induction and surgery were 12.7 min and 101.1 min, respectively. Postoperative complications were noted in two patients (2/32, 6.3%) of uniportal group: one had subcutaneous emphysema and the other had prolonged air leaks over 3 days. The median durations of postoperative chest drainage and hospital stay were 1 and 3 days in uniportal group, respectively. Conclusion: Nonintubated uniportal thoracoscopic segmentectomy is technically feasible and safe for selected patients. It can be an attractive alternative to intubated thoracoscopic segmentectomy for patients with early lung cancer.

Background: Double-lumen endotracheal tubes and bronchial blockers are the two lung separation devices most commonly used for lung resection. The preference and outcomes of choosing different lung separation devices have not been discussed in the literature. Methods: This study was conducted using the data of 2 million patients randomly chosen from the National Health Insurance Research Database between 2011 and 2016. We selected patients who underwent lung resection surgery and surveyed their demographic data and trends of double-lumen endotracheal tube and bronchial blocker use. To determine the influence of endotracheal tubes on clinical outcomes, we computed multiple linear regressions of the number of deaths within 30 days after surgery, intensive care unit stay, hospital stay, and medical cost. Results: The use of bronchial blockers in Taiwan has steadily increased from 6.13% to 11.33% from 2011 to 2016. Anaesthesiologists working in regions with higher thoracic surgery volumes preferred bronchial blockers over double-lumen endotracheal tubes. Bronchial blockers were the preferred choice in women, elderly individuals, patients with more comorbidities, and those undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic surgeries. After adjustment for sex, age, Charlson Comorbidity Index, and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgeries, we found that patients in whom bronchial blockers were applied had shorter hospital stays. Conclusion: The use of bronchial blockers is increasing as the experience of anaesthesiologists increases. Although double-lumen endotracheal tubes remain the principal choice for lung separation in Taiwan, clinical outcomes of the bronchial blocker group were not inferior to those of the double-lumen endotracheal tube group. Keywords: Bronchial blocker, Double-lumen endotracheal tube, Lung separation, Thoracic surgery

BackgroundGeneral anesthesia and tracheal intubation potentially pose a high risk to health care workers (HCWs) managing surgical patients during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Non-intubated anesthesia is a rational way of managing patients undergoing thoracoscopic surgery that avoids tracheal intubation and minimizes the aerosols generated during airway instrumentation. The purpose of this study was to determine whether non-intubated anesthesia in combination with a face mask is safe and feasible in patients undergoing thoracoscopic surgery.MethodsA total of 18 patients who underwent non-intubated thoracoscopic surgery with a face mask during the perioperative period between March 9, 2020 and April 6, 2020 were included. The main outcomes were anesthetic management and postoperative results.ResultsThe 18 patients had a mean age of 64 years and a body mass index of 22.9 kg/m2. All patients wore a mask during induction of anesthesia and throughout surgery. Three patients underwent lobectomy, four segmentectomy, ten wedge resection, and one underwent anterior mediastinal tumor resection. No patient developed cough or vomiting during the perioperative period. All patients were transferred to the postoperative recovery unit within 15 min of the end of surgery (average 7.2 min). No patient required conversion to tracheal intubation or conversion to thoracotomy.ConclusionNon-intubated anesthesia with a mask was safe and feasible in patients undergoing thoracoscopic surgery. Avoidance of intubated general anesthesia and use of a lung separation device may reduce the risk to HCWs of contamination by airway secretions, thereby conserving personal protective equipment, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Nonintubation anaesthesia for laryngomicrosurgery (LMS) provides both excellent visualization of the surgical field and complete examination on vocal cord. However, adequate oxygenation remains challenging during nonintubated LMS. Recently, transnasal humidified rapid-insufflation ventilator exchange (THRIVE) has been reported effectively maintaining apneic oxygenation in patient with difficult airways. The feasibility and safety of nonintubated LMS with THRIVE was evaluated in this case series. Methods: From September 2016 to February 2017, a total of 23 patients receiving nonintubated LMS were included. Anaesthesia was induced and maintained through target-controlled propofol infusion and muscle relaxation with THRIVE oxygen support. Perioperative data were collected from medical records and analysed. Results: The mean (±SD) duration of the operation was 12.4 (±4.4) min. The mean (±SD) total anaesthesia time (from induction to emergence) was 24.1 (±6.4) min. 22 patients received nonintubated LMS with surgical satisfaction without intraoperative desaturation. One patient who underwent laryngeal tumour biopsy experienced a single episode of desaturation. A 5.5-mm tracheal tube was needed for short-term mechanical ventilation to regain SpO2 to 100%. No significant complication was noted in all patients. All patients discharged as per schedule on the next day after surgery as intubated LMS patients in our hospital. Conclusion: Nonintubated LMS with THRIVE is a feasible and safe alternative to intubated LMS with a small size tracheal tube to provide a better surgical field. However, for patients with easy-bleeding tumor, intubated LMS remains suggestive for better airway protection. Keywords: Laryngomicrosurgery, Nonintubated, Transnasal humidified rapid-insufflation ventilatory exchange, Optiflow

Abstract Background Microcirculatory dysfunction develops in both septic and cardiogenic shock patients, and it is associated with poor prognosis in patients with septic shock. Information on the association between microcirculatory dysfunction and prognosis in cardiogenic shock patients with venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) support is limited. Methods Sublingual microcirculation images were recorded using an incident dark-field video microscope at the following time points: within 12 h (T1), 24 h (T2), 48 h (T3), 72 h (T4), and 96 h (T5) after VA-ECMO placement. If a patient could be weaned off VA-ECMO, sublingual microcirculation images were recorded before and after VA-ECMO removal. Microcirculatory parameters were compared between 28-day nonsurvivors and survivors with VA-ECMO support. In addition, the microcirculation and clinical parameters were assessed as prognostic tests of 28-day mortality, and patients were divided into three subgroups according to microcirculation parameters for survival analysis. Results Forty-eight patients were enrolled in this study. At T1, the observed heart rate, mean arterial pressure, inotropic score and lactate level of 28-day nonsurvivors and survivors did not differ significantly, but the perfused small vessel density (PSVD) and proportion of perfused vessels (PPV) were lower in the 28-day nonsurvivors than in the survivors. The PSVD and PPV were slightly superior to lactate levels in predicting 28-day mortality (area under curve of 0.68, 0.70, and 0.62, respectively). The subgroup with the lowest PSVD (

Lung transplantation in Taiwan began in 1991, but the experience was limited and diverse in the early years. We examined the cumulative institutional experience of the largest lung transplant cohort in Taiwan. Methods: A retrospective review of lung transplantations performed at a single institution from December 1995 through August 2016 was conducted. For comparative purposes, the cohort was divided into halves, with an early group (undergoing lung transplantation in the first decade) vs a late group (undergoing lung transplantation in the second decade). Standardized donor selection, organ procurement, and preservation protocols for brain-dead donors were applied. The outcomes measured were 30-day mortality and actuarial survival using the Kaplan–Meier method. Results: The cohort included 50 recipients in the early group and 42 recipients in the late group. Compared with the early group, recipients in the late group were significantly older (38.8 ± 11.6 vs 44.8 ± 13.4 years, p = 0.024) and more of them required mechanical ventilation before transplant (26.0% vs 66.7%, p

Postoperative acute lung injury (ALI) after liver transplantation is clinically relevant and common. The perioperative thoracic fluid indices changes as well as the association with ALI in liver transplantation have not been thoroughly investigated. Methods: A total of 52 consecutive adult recipients for elective living donor liver transplantation were enrolled. Each recipient received the same perioperative care plan. Thoracic fluid indices, including the cardiac index, intrathoracic blood volume index (ITBVI), extravascular lung water index (EVLWI), and pulmonary vascular permeability index (PVPI), were obtained at seven time points (pretransplantation, anhepatic phase, 30 minutes after reperfusion, 2 hours after reperfusion, and postoperative days 1–3) using the pulse contour cardiac output system. The indices of those who developed ALI (PaO2/FiO2

Background: End-stage renal disease is an independent risk factor for postoperative mortality and cardiovascular events, but dialysis vintage and its relationship with perioperative complication is not well studied. We did a population-based study to investigate this issue. Materials and methods: We identified patients who had total knee arthroplasty (TKA) or total hip arthroplasty (THA) surgeries during 1999–2010 from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan. Patients who had regular dialysis before surgery were recruited in our analysis. The outcome of interest was mortality, morbidities, intensive care unit admission rate, hospitalization duration, readmission rate, and medical costs. We did multivariate regression to adjust for age, sex, and Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) and to analyze the relationship of dialysis vintage and clinical outcomes. Results: A total of 518 patients were enrolled for analysis. A total of 286 patients had TKA surgeries and 232 patients had THA surgeries. Patients who had TKA surgery were older and had more medical comorbidities than patients who had THA. After adjustment for age, sex, and CCI, TKA patients who had dialysis vintage

Postoperative swallowing, affected by general anesthesia and intubation, plays an important part in airway and oral intake safety regarding effective oropharyngeal and esophageal emptying. However, objective evidence is limited. This study aimed to determine the time required from emergence to effective oropharyngeal and esophageal emptying in patients undergoing non-intubated (N) or tracheal-intubated (I) video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). Hyoid bone displacement (HBD) by submental ultrasonography and high-resolution impedance manometry (HRIM) measurements were used to assess oropharyngeal and esophageal emptying. HRIM was performed every 10 min after emergence, up to 10 times. The primary outcome was to determine whether intubation affects the time required from effective oropharyngeal to esophageal emptying. The secondary outcome was to verify if HBD is comparable to preoperative data indicating effective oropharyngeal emptying. Thirty-two patients suitable for non-intubated VATS were recruited. Our results showed that comparable HBDs were achieved in all patients after emergence. Effective esophageal emptying was achieved at the first HRIM measurement in 11 N group patients and 2 I group patients (p = 0.002) and was achieved in all N (100%) and 13 I group patients (81%) within 100 min (p = 0.23). HBD and HRIM are warranted for detecting postoperative oropharyngeal and esophageal emptying.

One-lung ventilation in thoracic surgery provokes profound systemic inflammatory responses and injury related to lung tidal volume changes. We hypothesized that the highly selective a2-adrenergic agonist dexmedetomidine attenuates these injurious responses. Sixty patients were randomly assigned to receive dexmedetomidine or saline during thoracoscopic surgery. There is a trend of less postoperative medical complication including that no patients in the dexmedetomidine group developed postoperative medical complications, whereas four patients in the saline group did (0% versus 13.3%, p=0.1124). Plasma inflammatory and injurious biomarkers between the baseline and after resumption of two-lung ventilation were particularly notable. The plasma high-mobility group box 1 level decreased significantly from 51.7 (58.1) to 33.9 (45.0) ng.ml−1 (p

Background/purpose: Dental patients with mental, psychiatric, or neurological disorders may need general anesthesia during dental treatments. This study analyzed the dental treatments and postoperative complications of 200 dental patients in a special needs dental clinic in northern Taiwan. Materials and methods: The dental treatments and postoperative complications of 200 dental patients who needed general anesthesia for performing the dental treatments in a special needs dental clinic were analyzed statistically. Results: The mean age of 200 dental patients (97 pediatric and 103 adult patients; 130 males and 70 females) was 20.2 ± 15.2 years. Of the 200 patients, 145 had tooth extractions, 118 tooth fillings, 46 root canal treatments, 56 either pulpotomy or pulpectomy, 45 stainless steel crown placement, and seven panoramic radiographic examinations. In pediatric patients, psychiatric problems were the most commonly encountered disorders (61.9%), followed by mental retardation (44.3%). In adult patients, mental retardation was the most common disorder (81.6%), followed by psychiatric disorders (34.0%). Of the 200 patients, 66 needed intubation general anesthesia (IGA) and 134 nonintubation general anesthesia (NIGA). IGA patients needed a significantly longer operation duration than NIGA patients (P

Changes in vascular mechanics due to aging include elevated vascular impedance, diminished aorta distensibility, and an accelerated return of pulse wave reflection, which may increase the systolic workload on the heart. Classically, the accurate measurement of vascular mechanics requires the simultaneous recording of aortic pressure and flow signals. In practice, it is feasible to estimate arterial wave properties in terms of wave transit time (τw) and wave reflection index (RI) by using aortic pressure signal alone. In this study, we determined the τw and magnitudes of the forward (∣Pf∣) and backward (∣Pb∣) pressure waves in Long–Evans male rats aged 4 (n = 14), 6 (n = 17), 12 (n = 17), and 18 (n = 24) months, based on the measured aortic pressure and an assumed triangular flow (Qtri). The pulsatile pressure wave was the only signal recorded in the ascending aorta by using a high-fidelity pressure sensor. The base of the unknown Qtri was constructed using a duration, which equals to the ejection time. The timing at the peak of the triangle was derived using the fourth-order derivative of the aortic pressure waveform. In the 18-month-old rats, the ratio of τw to left ventricular ejection time (LVET) decreased, indicating a decline in the distensibility of the aorta. The increased ∣Pb∣ associated with unaltered ∣Pf∣ enhanced the RI in the older rats. The augmentation index (AI) also increased significantly with age. A significant negative correlation between the AI and τw/LVET was observed: AI = −0.7424 − 0.9026 × (τw/LVET) (r = 0.4901; P < 0.0001). By contrast, RI was positively linearly correlated with the AI as follows: AI = −0.4844 + 2.3634 × RI (r = 0.8423; P < 0.0001). Both the decreased τw/LVET and increased RI suggested that the aging process may increase the AI, thereby increasing the systolic hydraulic load on the heart. The novelty of the study is that Qtri is constructed using the measured aortic pressure wave to approximate its corresponding flow signal, and that calibration of Qtri is not essential in the analysis.

There is some safety concern about transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) when it is used routinely during cardiac operations. The purpose of this investigation was to study the incidence of intraoperative TEE-associated complications in adult cardiac surgical patients. The study population comprised 6255 consecutive adult cardiac surgical patients with intraoperative TEE examinations. TEE-associated complications occurred in 25 patients (0.4%). Most of these complications consisted of oropharyngeal mucosal bleeding (15/25, 60%). Esophageal perforation occurred in one patient. Two patients experienced upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Seven patients experienced dental injuries, and TEE probe insertion failed in 10 patients. We conclude that intraoperative TEE-associated complications in cardiac operations is very low; the complication rate we found was comparable to previously reported values. [J Formos Med Assoc 2007; 106(1):92-95]