Effects of Intraoperative Low-Dose Ketamine on Persistent Postsurgical Pain after Breast Cancer Surgery: A Prospective, Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Study.

Background: Compared to acute postsurgical pain, studies regarding the role of ketamine in persistent postsurgical pain (PPSP) are limited.

Objectives: The aim of this clinical trial was to test if intraoperative low-dose ketamine without postoperative infusion would reduce PPSP development after breast cancer surgery.

Study Design: We used a randomized, double-blinded, placebo study design.

Combined spinal-epidural anesthesia for radical hysterectomy in a patient with Sjȍgren syndrome with progressive interstitial lung disease.

Introduction: Interstitial lung disease (ILD), which is the most common form of respiratory involvement of Sjȍgren syndrome (SS), is highly associated with postoperative pulmonary complications after surgery. We report the successful anesthetic management of a cervical cancer patient with SS and ILD under combined spinal-epidural anesthesia (CSE) to avoid postoperative pulmonary complications.

Case Description: A 41-year-old woman with SS complicated by recently progressive ILD was scheduled for an elective radical hysterectomy under the diagnosis of cervical cancer.

Pretreatmet with 5% lidocaine patch reduces cannula-induced and propofol-induced pain: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of 5% lidocaine patch in reducing propofol-induced pain and cannula-induced pain.

Methods: In a randomized, double-blind study, 126 patients were divided into one of three groups: pretreatment with a 5% lidocaine patch (Lidotop®) and premixed 2 ml of normal saline with 1.5 mg/kg of 1% propofol (Group A); pretreatment with a placebo patch and premixed 2 ml of normal saline with 1.

Dexmedetomidine Injection during Strabismus Surgery Reduces Emergence Agitation without Increasing the Oculocardiac Reflex in Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: Dexmedetomidine is known to reduce the incidence of emergence agitation, which is a common complication after inhalational anesthesia like sevoflurane or desflurane in children. However, the dose of dexmedetomidine used for this purpose is reported variously and the most effective dose is not known. In this study, we tried to find the most effective dose of dexmedetomidine to reduce the incidence of emergence agitation in children undergoing strabismus surgery without the complications like oculocardiac reflex (OCR) or postoperative vomiting.

Continuous Ilioinguinal-iliohypogastric Nerve Block for Groin Pain in a Breast-feeding Patient after Cesarean Delivery.

Ilioinguinal and iliohypogastric (II/IH) nerve injury is one of the most common nerve injuries following pelvic surgery, especially with the Pfannenstiel incision. We present a case of intractable groin pain, successfully treated with a continuous II/IH nerve block. A 33-year-old woman, following emergency cesarean section due to cephalopelvic disproportion, presented numbness in left inguinal area and severe pain on the labia on the second postoperative day.

Thoracic paravertebral block for nephrectomy: a randomized, controlled, observer-blinded study.

Objective: This study evaluated whether adding a preoperative single thoracic paravertebral block (TPVB) to intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV PCA) would improve postoperative analgesia compared with using IV PCA alone in patients undergoing nephrectomy.

Design: Prospective, randomized, controlled, observer-blinded trial.

Setting: University hospital.

Unilateral, single needle approach using an epidural catheter for bilateral superior hypogastric plexus block.

The superior hypogastric plexus block (SHPB) is used for treating pelvic pain, especially in patients with gynecological malignancies. Various approaches to this procedure have been reported due to the anatomic obstacles of a high iliac crest or large transverse process of the 5(th) lumbar vertebra. Here, we report a new technique of superior hypogastric plexus block using a unilateral single-needle approach to block the bilateral superior hypogastric plexus with a Tuohy needle and epidural catheter.

Levobupivacaine-induced contraction of isolated rat aorta is calcium dependent.

Levobupivacaine is a long-acting local anesthetic that intrinsically produces vasoconstriction in isolated vessels. The goals of this study were to investigate the calcium-dependent mechanism underlying levobupivacaine-induced contraction of isolated rat aorta in vitro and to elucidate the pathway responsible for the endothelium-dependent attenuation of levobupivacaine-induced contraction. Isolated rat aortic rings were suspended to record isometric tension.

Lipid emulsion reverses Levobupivacaine-induced responses in isolated rat aortic vessels.

Background: The goal of this in vitro study was to investigate the effects of lipid emulsion (LE) on local anesthetic levobupivacaine-induced responses in isolated rat aorta and to determine whether the effect of LE is related to the lipid solubility of local anesthetics.

Methods: Isolated rat aortic rings were suspended for isometric tension recording. The effects of LE were determined during levobupivacaine-, ropivacaine-, and mepivacaine-induced responses.

Propofol has delayed myocardial protective effects after a regional ischemia/reperfusion injury in an in vivo rat heart model.

Background: It is well known that propofol protects myocardium against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury in the rat heart model. The aim of this study was to investigate whether propofol provides a protective effect against a regional myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury in an in vivo rat heart model after 48 h of reperfusion.

Methods: Rats were subjected to 25 min of left coronary artery occlusion followed by 48 h of reperfusion.

Direct effect of ropivacaine involves lipoxygenase pathway activation in rat aortic smooth muscle.

Purpose: Ropivacaine is a long-acting amino-amide local anesthetic that induces vasoconstriction in vitro and in vivo. The aim of this study was to investigate the pathways involved in arachidonic acid metabolism associated with S-ropivacaine-induced contraction of rat aortic smooth muscle in vitro.

Methods: Rat thoracic aortic rings without endothelium were isolated and suspended for isometric tension recording.