Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography using a quantitative dynamic loading test for the evaluation of ischemic mitral regurgitation.

Background: Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography may underestimate ischemic mitral regurgitation (MR) as a result of the unloading effect of general anesthesia on the left ventricle (LV). An intraoperative loading test could prove useful to avoid underestimation of ischemic MR.

Methods: We prospectively studied 30 patients with ischemic MR referred for coronary artery bypass, mitral valve surgery, or both.

The implementation of an anesthesia information management system.

Background And Objective: Anaesthesia information management systems, though still not used widely, will inevitably replace handwritten records and may eventually serve as a core for the development of computerized decision support. We investigated staff expectations and the accuracy of data entry in a recently implemented commercially available anaesthesia information management system.

Methods: A structured questionnaire was administered to the staff before and 1 week and 3 months after implementation in order to assess their opinion.

The efficacy of intraoperative internal intercostal nerve block during video-assisted thoracic surgery on postoperative pain.

Background: Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) is widely used for many thoracic surgical procedures. Post-operative pain is less after VATS than after conventional thoracic surgery, but is still significant. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of thoracoscopic, internal intercostal nerve block in alleviating immediate postoperative pain.