Ak Bisoi

Extra corporeal membrane oxygenation after pediatric cardiac surgery: a 10 year experience.

Indications for extra corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) after pediatric cardiac surgery have been increasing despite the absence of encouraging survival statistics. Modification of ECMO circuit led to the development of integrated ECMO cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) circuit at the authors institute, for children undergoing repair of transposition of great arteries among other congenital heart diseases (CHD). In this report, they analyzed the outcome of children with CHD, undergoing surgical repair and administered ECMO support in the last 10 years. The outcome was analyzed with reference to the timing of intervention, use of integrated ECMO-CPB circuit, indication for ECMO support, duration of ECMO run and the underlying CHD. The results reveal a significantly improved survival rate with the use of integrated ECMO-CPB circuit and early time of intervention rather than using ECMO as a last resort in the management. The patients with reactive pulmonary artery hypertension respond favorably to ECMO support. In all scenarios, early intervention is the key to survival.

Comparison of analgesic efficacy of fentanyl and sufentanil for chest tube removal after cardiac surgery

Chest tube removal in the postcardiac surgical patients is a painful and distressful event. Fentanyl and sufentanil have not been used for pain control during chest tube removal in the postoperative period. We compared efficacy offentanyl and sufentanil in controlling pain due to chest tube removal. One hundred and forty one adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery were recruited in a prospective, randomized, double blind, placebo controlled study. Patients were randomized to receive either 2 microg/Kg fentanyl IV or 0.2 microg/Kg sufentanil IV or 2 ml isotonic normal saline, 10 min before removing chest tubes. Pain intensity was assessed by measuring visual analog scale pain score 10 minutes before removing chest tubes and 5 min and 20 min after removing chest tubes. Level of sedation, heart rate, arterial pressure, oxygen saturation, and respiratory rate were recorded by a blinded observer at the same time intervals. Mean pain intensity scores 10 minutes before removal of chest tubes infentanyl, sufentanil and control groups were 23.88+/-5.2, 25.10+/-5.39 and 23.64+/-6.10 respectively. The pain scores 5 minutes after chest tube removal were reduced to 20.11+/-6.9 (p<0.05) in the fentanyl group and 13.60+/-6.60 (p<0.05) in the sufentanil group, whereas in control group pain scores increased to 27.97+/-8.39 (p<O.05). The pain scores in sufentanil group were significantly lower compared with fentanyl or control group. Sedation scores remained low in all groups and patients remained alert and none of the patients showed any adverse effects of opioids. Heart rate, arterial pressure and respiratory rate had least variations in sufentanil group than fentanyl or control group.

Pediatric clear cell sarcoma of the kidney with cavoatrial thrombus

Clear cell sarcoma of the kidney (CCSK) is a rare renal tumor. Only 4 cases of CCSK with vascular thrombus have been reported, and 2 of these were pediatric cases. One of the children had an intraatrial thrombus as well. We describe a 3-year-old boy who was diagnosed as having a Wilms tumor but did not respond to preresection chemotherapy. He underwent complete resection of the tumor under cardiopulmonary bypass. Histologic examination indicated that the tumor was a CCSK. The patient was then managed with appropriate chemotherapy and radiation therapy and is well 16 months after diagnosis.

Prevalence of carotid artery stenosis in neurologically asymptomatic patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting for coronary artery disease: Role of anesthesiologist in preoperative assessment and intraoperative management

Objective(s): This study aimed to determine the prevalence of carotid artery stenosis (CAS) due to atherosclerosis in neurologically asymptomatic patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for coronary artery disease (CAD). It contemplated a greater role for the cardiac anesthesiologist in the perioperative management of such patients with either previously undiagnosed carotid artery disease or towards re-assessment of severity of CAS. Design: Prospective, observational clinical study. Setting: Operation room of a cardiac surgery centre of a tertiary teaching hospital. Participants: A hundred adult patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification I to III presenting electively for CABG. Interventions: All patients included in this study were subjected to ultrasonic examination by means of acarotid doppler scan to access for presence of CAS just prior to induction of general anesthesia. Measurements and Main Results: Based on parameters measured using carotid doppler, the presence of CAS was defined using standard criteria. The prevalence of CAS was found to be as high as 38% amongst the patients included in our study. The risk factors for CAS were identified to be advanced age, history of smoking, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidaemia and presence of a carotid bruit. Conclusion: This study points towards the relatively wide prevalence of carotid artery disease in neurologically asymptomatic patients undergoing CABG for CAD in the elective setting. It highlights the need to routinely incorporate carotid ultrasonography in the armamentarium of the cardiac anesthesiologist as standard of care for all patients presenting for CABG.

Effect of preoperative statin therapy on early postoperative memory impairment after off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery

Context: Frequent incidence of early postoperative memory impairment (POMI) after cardiac surgery remains a concern because of associated morbidity, impaired quality of life, and increased health care cost. Aim: To assess the effect of preoperative statin therapy on POMI in patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) surgery. Setting and Design: Prospective observational study in a tertiary level hospital. Methods: Sixty patients aged 45-65 years undergoing OPCAB surgery were allocated into two groups of 30 each. Group A patients were receiving statin and Group B patients were not receiving statins. All patients underwent memory function assessment preoperatively after admission to hospital and on the 6 th postoperative day using postgraduate institute memory scale. Statistical Analysis: Appropriate tests were applied with SPSS 20 to compare both groups. The value P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Multiple regression analysis was performed with confounding factors to determine the effect on memory impairment. Results: Patients in Group A showed significant postoperative deterioration in 6 of the 10 functions and in Group B showed deterioration in 9 of 10 functions tested compared to preoperative scores. Intergroup comparison detected less POMI in Group A compared to Group B and was statistically significant in 8 memory functions. Multiple regression analysis detected statin as an independent factor in preventing memory impairment. Conclusions: Preoperative statin therapy attenuates the early POMI in patients undergoing OPCAB. Future long-term studies will define the efficacy of statin on POMI.

Use of dexmedetomidine as an adjunct in the treatment of paradoxical hypertension after surgical repair of coarctation of the aorta in infants.

Severe persistent hypertension is seen infrequently in newborns and infants, but we came across two infants who developed severe paradoxical hypertension after successful coarctation repair. Treatment of systemic hypertension following repair of coarctation of the aorta is always challenging particularly in infants. Dexmedetomidine was used successfully as an adjunct to the established anti-hypertensive drugs in the immediate postoperative period in our cases to treat postoperative paradoxical hypertension.

Benevolent Renal Angiomyolipoma with Intra-cardiac Extension—A Challenge in Diagnosis and Management

While intra-caval and intra-cardiac extension of retroperitoneal tumors is extremely rare, it is almost unheard-of in benign tumors. We report the challenges in diagnosis and management of the first case of a renal angiomyolipoma (AML) with intra-ventricular extension in a young man who presented with pain and a lump in the abdomen.

Perioperative pentoxifylline therapy attenuates early postoperative neuro-cognitive decline in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass

Background: Postoperative cognitive decline (POCD) after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is a common problem. Studies show that pentoxifylline administration reduces inflammation induced by cardiopulmonary bypass and brain injury after ischaemia. Hence the perioperative use of pentoxifylline in attenuating POCD was evaluated in the study. Materials and Methods: Eighty patients were divided randomly into two groups from 106 patients scheduled for CABG surgery. The study group was administered pentoxifylline 400 mg twice daily orally from day of admission to 7th day after surgery, whereas the control group patients received placebo. Neurocognitive assessment was assessed by an independent clinical psychologist one day after admission to hospital and again on 7th postoperative day. The data was analyzed and a P Results: Pentoxifylline-treated group showed no statistically significant difference in animal naming test scores (10.3 ± 2.2 versus 9.4 ± 2.5, P = 0.07), digit symbol substitution test (26.1 ± 7.47 vs 22.2 ± 6.07, P = 0.09) and 8 subtests of Post Graduate Institute-memory scale. The control group had significant POCD as detected by animal naming test (10.5 ± 3.7 versus 8.6 ± 3.9, P = 0.008), digit symbol substitution test (20.2 ± 8.2 versus 14.7 ± 8.9, P = 0.008) and five subtests of memory scale ( P = 0.01, 0.04, 0.003, 0.005 and 0.02). The incidence of POCD was 50% in placebo-treated group compared to 22.5% in pentoxifylline group. Conclusions: The perioperative use of pentoxifylline attenuates the early postoperative neurocognitive decline after CABG using cardiopulmonary bypass.