Fibroadenomas are benign breast tumors, typically affecting middle-aged women, with rapid growth in some cases leading to compression of surrounding structures and presenting a clinical challenge. This case illustrates the successful use of thoracic spinal anesthesia (TSA) for excising a large fibroadenoma with characteristics suggestive of a phyllodes tumor, a procedure traditionally conducted under general anesthesia (GA). The anesthesia was administered using 1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPeripheral nerve blocks (PNBs) provide analgesia and anesthesia in diverse surgical procedures. Despite their recognized benefits, the occurrence of complications, particularly peripheral nerve injuries (PNIs), is a noteworthy concern. Prompt identification and intervention for perioperative nerve injuries are crucial to prevent permanent neurological impairment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSelander emphatically said, "," and those words still echo, conveying a loud and clear message that, however rare, peripheral nerve injury (PNI) remains a perturbing possibility that cannot be ignored. The unprecedented nerve injuries associated with peripheral nerve blocks (PNBs) can be most tormenting for the unfortunate patient and a nightmare for the anesthetist. Possible justifications for the seemingly infrequent occurrences of PNB-related PNIs include a lack of documentation/reporting, improper aftercare, or associated legal implications.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF"A clever person solves the problem. A wise person avoids it" (Albert Einstein). There is no convincing evidence that any modality 100% effectively prevents nerve injury.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRegional anesthesia (RA) is an interplay between the local anesthetic (LA) solution and the neural structures, resulting in nerve conduction blockade. For that, it is necessary to understand which hurdles the LA has to overcome and which components of the nerves are involved. Background knowledge of the neural and non-neural components of the nerve helps locate the safest area for LA deposition.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF"Prevention is always better than cure." However, despite all precautions or preventive measures, sometimes patients develop neurodeficits due to suspected nerve injury in the perioperative period. Assessment and evaluation of the patient's symptoms can provide clues to the causative factors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPain management in trauma or surgery with a high risk of developing compartment syndrome (CS) is always challenging due to fears of masking symptoms that could delay diagnosis and treatment. Regional anesthesia/analgesia (RA) can facilitate enhanced postoperative recovery and improve patient satisfaction by providing excellent postoperative analgesia. However, its consideration in surgeries with a high risk of developing CS remains controversial and contentious.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe consideration of regional analgesia (RA) in below-knee surgeries is always a controversial topic due to the fear of masking symptoms of developing compartment syndrome (CS) in the postoperative period. Compartment syndrome (CS) has been found frequently in below-knee surgeries, particularly among tibial diaphyseal fractures. Like any other surgery, below-knee surgeries have significant postoperative pain that requires effective postoperative analgesia protocol.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSacral surgeries are a relatively rare type of spine surgery associated with a significant amount of perioperative pain. The paraspinal interfascial or erector spinae plane block is currently being practiced with promising results in cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine surgeries. It provides not only effective analgesia but also helps in reducing perioperative opioid consumption.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAcetabular fractures are uncommon types of pelvic fractures associated with restricted mobility due to severe pain. The high analgesic demands can be fulfilled by using multimodal analgesia incorporating regional analgesia. The choice of regional analgesia technique depends on the type of acetabular fracture and innervation of the affected components.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBelow-knee surgeries are among the most commonly performed orthopedic or plastic and reconstructive procedures. They are associated with significant postoperative pain despite the use of systemic analgesics. The regional analgesia (RA) technique has been proven beneficial for better patient outcomes when used as an adjunct to multimodal analgesia in the early postoperative period.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe sciatic nerve block in the popliteal fossa is a popular lower extremity block for below-knee surgeries. Here the sciatic nerve is targated at or just above the point of its divergence into the tibial and common peroneal nerves. Amongst the described techniques, the supine approach of popliteal fossa block offers greatest patient comfort but has a few challenges accessing the nerve.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe clavicle is a frequently fractured bone with an infrequent bilateral occurrence. Regional anesthesia (RA) for clavicle surgeries is always challenging due to its complex innervation arising from the two plexuses (cervical and brachial). Various RA techniques described for clavicle surgeries include plexus blocks, fascial plane blocks, and truncal blocks.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a life-changing joint surgery that improves health-related quality of life and functional status. Patients in need of this surgery mostly belong to the geriatric age group with limited functional reserves and multiple co-morbidities requiring utmost perioperative care with the most suitable analgesic modalities. Regional analgesia (RA) should provide effective analgesia while allowing early mobility, reduced opioid consumption, and early discharge.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Erector spinae plane block (ESPB) has gained popularity over recent years and is being increasingly used in spine surgery for pain management. To date, no major neurological complications have been reported. We present here two patients who developed transient postoperative paraplegia and discuss the possible causes of this phenomenon.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage causing a pseudomeningocele is a well-recognized complication after spine surgery. It presents as a recurrence of low-back pain, radiculopathy, subcutaneous swelling, symptoms of intracranial hypotension, and delayed myelopathy. Definitive surgical repair is needed if not resolved spontaneously or with minimally invasive measures like lumbar subarachnoid drainage and an epidural blood patch (EBP).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Clin Anesth
October 2021