Current Practice Issues in Thoracic Anesthesia.

This review discusses the present strategies in lung separation, the various types of double-lumen tubes (DLTs), and the use of bronchial blockers (BBs). Methods of selecting the correct DLT size and the role of videolaryngoscopy in placing a DLT are reviewed. Mechanisms whereby inhaled anesthetics may be protective during one-lung ventilation (OLV) are highlighted.

Thoracic Anesthesia during the COVID-19 Pandemic: 2021 Updated Recommendations by the European Association of Cardiothoracic Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (EACTAIC) Thoracic Subspecialty Committee.

The novel coronavirus pandemic has radically changed the landscape of normal surgical practice. Lifesaving cancer surgery, however, remains a clinical priority, and there is an increasing need to fully define the optimal oncologic management of patients with varying stages of lung cancer, allowing prioritization of which thoracic procedures should be performed in the current era. Healthcare providers and managers should not ignore the risk of a bimodal peak of mortality in patients with lung cancer; an imminent spike due to mortality from acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection, and a secondary peak reflecting an excess of cancer-related mortality among patients whose treatments were deemed less urgent, delayed, or cancelled.

PEEP in thoracic anesthesia: pros and cons.

Protective ventilation includes a strategy with low tidal volume, Plateau pressure, driving pressure, positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP), and recruitment maneuvers on the ventilated lung. The rationale for the application of PEEP during one-lung ventilation (OLV) is that PEEP may contribute to minimize atelectrauma, preventing airway closure and alveolar collapse and improving the ventilation/perfusion to the ventilated lung. However, in case of high partial pressure of oxygen the application of PEEP may cause increased pulmonary vascular resistance, thus diverting blood flow to the non-ventilated lung, and worsening ventilation/perfusion.

The Association of Cerebral Desaturation During One-Lung Ventilation and Postoperative Recovery: A Prospective Observational Cohort Study.

Objectives: This study was designed to investigate whether cerebral oxygen desaturations during thoracic surgery are predictive of patients' quality of recovery. As a secondary aim, the authors investigated the relationship among cerebral desaturations and postoperative delirium and hospital length of stay.

Design: This study was a prospective observational cohort study.

Thoracic Anesthesia of Patients With Suspected or Confirmed 2019 Novel Coronavirus Infection: Preliminary Recommendations for Airway Management by the European Association of Cardiothoracic Anaesthesiology Thoracic Subspecialty Committee.

The novel coronavirus has caused a pandemic around the world. Management of patients with suspected or confirmed coronavirus infection who have to undergo thoracic surgery will be a challenge for the anesthesiologists. The thoracic subspecialty committee of European Association of Cardiothoracic Anaesthesiology (EACTA) has conducted a survey of opinion in order to create recommendations for the anesthetic approach to these challenging patients.

Robotic-assisted thoracoscopic lung surgery: anesthetic impact and perioperative experience.

Anesthesiologists and the perioperative team have a tremendous impact upon clinical outcomes in robotic-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. As anesthesiology is developing its role outside the operating room, the patient population benefits from an expanded focus on perioperative critical care and pain management. This article focuses upon the preoperative optimization, unique intraoperative considerations for surgeons and anesthesiologists, and postoperative management of patients undergoing robotic-assisted thoracoscopic surgery.

Prolonged Intraoperative Cardiac Resuscitation Complicated by Intracardiac Thrombus in a Patient Undergoing Orthotopic Liver Transplantation.

We report the case of successful resuscitation after prolonged cardiac arrest during orthotopic liver transplantation. After reperfusion, the patient developed ventricular tachycardia, complicated by intracardiac clot formation and massive hemorrhage. Transesophageal echocardiography demonstrated stunned and nonfunctioning right and left ventricles, with developing intracardiac clots.

Intraoperative mechanical ventilation strategies for one-lung ventilation.

One-lung ventilation (OLV) has two major challenges: oxygenation and lung protection. The former is mainly because the ventilation of one lung is stopped while the perfusion continues; the latter is mainly because the whole ventilation is applied to only one lung. Recommendations for maintaining the oxygenation and methods of lung protection can contradict each other (such as high vs.

Bronchoscopic treatment of end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Purpose Of Review: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive, debilitating disease that in its final stages cripples the patient. The disappointing results of the National Emphysema Treatment Trial study led to a decrease in the acceptance of lung volume reduction surgery as a therapy. Thus, it became clear that debilitated COPD patients would need innovative alternative nonsurgical procedures to potentially alleviate their symptoms.

An update on anesthesia for thoracoscopic surgery.

Purpose Of Review: The surgical management of patients partly determines the anesthetic management. A shift has taken place in thoracic surgery, with a large portion of procedures now being performed through a video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) approach. This review is intended to provide the anesthesiologist with an update on the management of thoracic surgical patients presenting for VATS.

Double-lumen tube position should be confirmed by fiberoptic bronchoscopy.

Purpose Of Review: This review is part of Pro and Contra use of fiberoptic bronchoscopy to confirm the position of a double lumen tube. The purpose of this review is to highlight the circumstances where fiberoptic bronchoscopy should be used in conjunction with lung separation, right sided double-lumen tube positioning, and to identify fine malposition for generally missed by clinical signs.

Recent Findings: Until several years ago, confirmation of a double-lumen tube (DLT) position was limited to inspection and auscultation.