Christopher C. DeStephano

ANESTHESIA FOR COMBINED CARDIAC SURGERY AND LIVER TRANSPLANT

OBJECTIVE To describe aspects of anesthesia for combined cardiac surgery and orthotopic liver transplant (OLT). DESIGN Retrospective case series. SETTING Hospital with cardiac surgery and liver transplant programs. PARTICIPANTS Nine patients between September 1998 and July 2006. INTERVENTION Combined cardiac surgery and OLT. MEASUREMENT AND MAIN RESULTS Demographic and outcome data were recorded for each patient. Multiple intraoperative parameters were collected at baseline, after induction of anesthesia, after cardiac surgery, and after OLT. Five patients underwent combined OLT and coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Four patients underwent combined OLT and aortic valve replacement (AVR) to relieve aortic stenosis. One of these 4 patients also had a saphenous vein graft to the left anterior descending artery. The CABG/OLT patients had hypertension, diabetes, or both, and multiple coronary arteries were affected although ejection fraction was preserved. The 1 death in this group was unrelated to a coronary event. The AVR/OLT patients had aortic stenosis that met American Heart Association guidelines for AVR. One death, within 24 hours of surgery, was associated with severe pulmonary artery hypertension. The median transfusion volumes were 12 units of packed red blood cells, 22 units of fresh frozen plasma, and 30 units of platelets. Three of the 9 patients required renal replacement therapy postoperatively. The median duration of intubation was 2 days, and length of stay in the intensive care unit was 5.5 days. CONCLUSION Combined cardiac and OLT surgery is complex and serious morbidity occurs, but successful outcomes are attainable.

Sonographic diagnosis of conjoined diamniotic monochorionic twins

According to traditional theories for the pathogenesis of conjoined twins, diamniotic placentation should not occur. We present an unusual case with diamniotic/monochorionic conjoined twins and discuss possible etiologic hypotheses. The diagnosis of this improbable case was made in the first trimester using ultrasound, which assisted in making an early decision regarding further management.

Using the cloud to enhance clinical teaching

Improvements in computing have provided new opportunities for educating health professional students and faculty members from all disciplines. 1 The National Institute of Standards and Technology defi nes the cloud as ‘A model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, ondemand network access to a shared pool of confi gurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction.’ 2 Through shared network resources, cloudbased applications allow for the remote storage of documents, software, and data. Local storage on the other hand requires storing data on personal hard drives. 3 The cloud allows for ease of accessibility and synchronisation across devices, a method of data collection and sharing, and remote and realtime collaboration for education. 4 Previous literature The cloud allows for ease of accessibility and synchronisation across devices Using the cloud to enhance clinical teaching

Shrinking lung syndrome in pregnancy complicated by antiphospholipid antibody syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Shrinking lung syndrome is characterized by pulmonary compromise secondary to unilateral or bilateral paralysis of the diaphragm. CASE: Shrinking lung syndrome was diagnosed in a patient with antiphospholipid syndrome after a cesarean delivery at 28 4/7 weeks of gestation. Signs and symptoms included unexplained right-side chest pain, dyspnea, tachypnea, and absent breath sounds at the right base of the lungs. After initiation of corticosteroids, her symptoms resolved. CONCLUSION: Although seen in association with systemic lupus erythematosus, shrinking lung syndrome has not been described with antiphospholipid syndrome or during pregnancy. Diagnosis and awareness are important because treatment with moderate- to high-dose corticosteroids appears to improve the clinical outcome.

Discharge readiness following robotic and laparoscopic hysterectomy

STUDY OBJECTIVE To evaluate which factors may be predictive of patient readiness of discharge after robotic and laparoscopic hysterectomy. DESIGN A prospective cohort study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2). SETTING A single tertiary care center in the United States. PATIENTS All 230 patients undergoing robotic and laparoscopic hysterectomy between November 2015 and April 2017. INTERVENTIONS The primary outcome measure was whether or not the patient felt ready for discharge when she was sent home, and this was assessed using a survey 4 to 6 weeks after surgery. Secondary outcomes included the number of postoperative phone calls, 30-day readmission, and also whether the patient felt knowledgeable about postoperative symptoms and restrictions (both assessed via a 4- to 6-week survey). Associations of baseline, operative, and postoperative characteristics with outcomes were evaluated using regression models appropriate for the nature of the given outcome measure. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Of the 230 patients, 207 (90%) reported they felt ready for discharge on the postoperative survey. The majority of patients strongly agreed that they felt knowledgeable about what symptoms to expect postoperatively (60%) and about postoperative restrictions (71%). The median number of postoperative phone calls was 1 (range, 0-11), with 104 patients (45%) having more than 1 postoperative call. The only factor that was significantly associated with a lack of readiness for discharge was a longer total operating room time (p = .011). Factors associated with more postoperative phone calls were a urogynecologic indication (p = .005), a cancer indication (p = .024), a longer total operative room time (p = .014), a postoperative complication (p <.001), and not seeing a patient education video (p = .018). Knowledge of postoperative restrictions was significantly worse for older patients (p = .004) and varied significantly according to surgeon (p = .038). No significant predictors of knowledge of postoperative symptoms were identified. CONCLUSIONS Discharge readiness and knowledge of postoperative restrictions and symptoms were high in patients who underwent laparoscopic and robotic hysterectomies. The risk factors for outcomes that were identified highlight groups of patients who can be targeted for preemptive interventions both preoperatively and postoperatively.

Visuospatial Aptitude Testing Differentially Predicts Simulated Surgical Skill

OBJECTIVE To determine whether visuospatial perception (VSP) testing is correlated to simulated or intraoperative surgical performance as rated by the American College of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) milestones. DESIGN (Canadian Task Force classification II-2). SETTING Two academic training institutions. PARTICIPANTS Forty-one residents, including 19 from Brigham and Womens Hospital and 22 from the Mayo Clinic, from 3 different specialties: obstetrics and gynecology, general surgery, and urology. INTERVENTION Participants underwent 3 different tests: visuospatial perception testing (VSP), Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) peg transfer, and da Vinci robotic simulation peg transfer. Surgical grading from the ACGME milestones tool was obtained for each participant. Demographic and background information was also collected, including specialty, year of training, previous experience with simulated skills, and surgical interest. Standard statistical analyses were performed using Students t test, and correlations were determined using adjusted linear regression models. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS In univariate analysis, Brigham and Womens Hospital and Mayo Clinic training programs differed in times and overall scores for both the FLS peg transfer and da Vinci robotic simulation peg transfer tests (p < .05 for all). In addition, type of residency training affected time and overall score on the robotic peg transfer test. Familiarity with tasks correlated with higher score and faster task completion (p = .05 for all except VSP score). There were no differences in VSP scores by program, specialty, or year of training. In adjusted linear regression modeling, VSP testing was correlated only to robotic peg transfer skills (average time, p = .006; overall score, p = .001). Milestones did not correlate to either VSP or surgical simulation testing. CONCLUSION VSP score was correlated with robotic simulation skills, but not with FLS skills or ACGME milestones. This suggests that the ability of VSP score to predict competence differs between tasks. Therefore, further investigation of aptitude testing is needed, especially before its integration as an entry examination into a surgical subspecialty.

The uterus as venous overflow reservoir: one result of chronic iliac vein occlusion

412 American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology OCTOBER 2018 The patient sought a second opinion. Magnetic resonance imaging (Figure 1) showed chronic caval and iliac vein occlusion with partial recanalization and numerous pelvic venous collaterals (red arrows). The uterine muscle was noted to be nearly completely replaced with massive parametrial veins (green arrows). Computed tomography (Figure 2) demonstrated a diminutive infrarenal inferior vena cava (star) with extensive pelvic collateral vein formation (red arrows) that drained into enlarged gonadal/ovarian veins (blue arrows). Axial computed tomography images of the pelvis demonstrated contrast opacification of the venous collateralization (red arrows) and massive parametrial veins (green arrows).

Development of a low-cost, reusable laparoscopic entry and emergency model:

Although studies on simulation of rare complications have become more common in the trauma and obstetric literature, there is a paucity of studies on simulation of rare laparoscopic emergencies. High-fidelity models, virtual reality systems, and porcine labs are available; however, their cost limits wider use and repetition of skills. A low-cost, laparoscopic entry and emergency model was created using on-hand base parts. A convenience sample of obstetrics/gynecology and general surgery residents and attending surgeons completed a laparoscopic entry and emergency scenario using an innovative model in the multidisciplinary simulation center. A total of 29 gynecology, urology, and general surgery residents, fellows, and attending surgeons participated in the laparoscopic emergency simulation drill. Of the 29 participants of the laparoscopic emergency simulation drill using the model, 27 (93.1%) agreed or strongly agreed that the simulated drill approximates the stress of a vascular injury during laparoscopy and 27 (93.1%) agreed or strongly agreed that the model set up appears appropriate for approximating a retroperitoneal hematoma. The reusable, laparoscopic simulation model and emergency drill were rated favorably by participants. The model and drill have the potential to be used for multidisciplinary drills that include anesthesiologists, surgical nurses, surgical technologists, and surgeons.

Robotic Placement of the FENIX Continence Restoration System in a Patient with Previous Radiation to the Pelvis: A Case Report

Fecal incontinence (FI) is a disabling problem affecting women. Conservative treatment includes dietary modification, antimotility agents, and pelvic floor physical therapy. If conservative medical management is unsuccessful, surgical intervention may be required. Surgical options include rectal sphincteroplasty, bulking agent injection, radiofrequency anal sphincter remodeling, and sacral nerve stimulation therapy. Recently, a new therapy for FI, the FENIX Continence Restoration System (Torax Medical, Inc., Shoreview, MN), has become available. The FENIX device is placed through a perineal incision; however, pelvic radiation and previous anal carcinoma are both contraindications. We report the case of a 62-year-old woman with FI after anal carcinoma. Treatment included surgery, chemotherapy, and pelvic radiation. Initially, she was treated with conservative therapy and sacral nerve stimulation, which were only partially effective. A physical examination showed perineal skin changes consistent with previous radiation, which increased the patients risk of infection and a nonhealing wound. Therefore, a robotic approach was used to place the FENIX device and improve the patients quality of life. Our case sets a precedent for expanding the treatment options of FI in patients with previous pelvic radiation and using a robotic approach for the placement of the FENIX device.

Nonoperative management of an anastomotic leak following rectosigmoid resection and anastomosis for Stage IV endometriosis

Anastomotic leakage is a dreaded complication of gastrointestinal surgery. The complication is difficult to manage and is associated with prolonged hospitalizations and increased morbidity and mortality. We present the nonsurgical management and the use of a fibrin sealant for an anastomotic leak that followed rectosigmoid resection and anastomosis for Stage IV endometriosis. This approach requires a clinically stable patient who is willing to follow-up over a prolonged period of time until the leak is completely sealed. Tissue sealants can be considered when an air leak or fistulous tract persists despite drainage and antibiotics.