Anesthesiologic Management of Patients Undergoing Cardiac Transapical Procedures: Which Challenges in the Modern Era?

Objective: Patients undergoing transapical cardiac procedure are a minority of cardiac surgery patients but represent a challenge for cardiac anesthesiologists because they generally are older and have more comorbidities than do open heart cardiac surgery patients. The aims of this study were to describe the anesthetic experience with transapical procedures in a single high-volume center and to analyze the most critical aspects for anesthetic management.

Design: Retrospective study.

Undiagnosed vertebral hemangioma causing a lumbar compression fracture and epidural hematoma in a parturient undergoing vaginal delivery under epidural analgesia: a case report.

Introduction: Vertebral hemangiomas are benign vascular tumours of the bony spine which are usually asymptomatic. Pregnancy-related anatomical and hormonal changes may lead to expansion of hemangiomas and development of neurological symptoms. We present an unusual case of vertebral fracture due to an undiagnosed hemangioma presenting as postpartum back pain following epidural analgesia.