[Postoperative pain management: epidural analgesia].

Background: Epidural analgesia is one of the most effective regimens for postoperative pain relief after abdominal surgery. The use of epidural analgesia in high risk patients has been associated with significant decrease in surgical stress response, in cardiac and pulmonary morbidity, in recovery of gastrointestinal function and in thromboembolic events. The aim of this paper is to describe pain relief, side effects and recovery of gastrointestinal function during epidural analgesia.

[Sufentanil vs morphine combined with ropivacaine for thoracic epidural analgesia in major abdominal surgery].

Background: Pain, postoperative ileus, nausea, vomiting are the universal complications after major abdominal surgery. The aim of this study was to assess pain relief, side effects and recovery of gastrointestinal function during epidural analgesia with ropivacaine plus sufentanil and ropivacaine plus morphine after major abdominal surgery.

Methods: In this prospective study, sixty patients (median age 62+/-12 years) undergoing major abdominal surgery, after informed consent, were randomized into two groups, during a period of 3 months.

CVVH in postoperative care of liver transplantation.

Objective: To evaluate CVVH (Continuous Veno-Venous Hemofiltration) as acute renal replacement treatment in postoperative care of liver transplantation.

Design: Retrospective study.

Setting: Intensive Care Unit, year 1995.

[Post-traumatic pseudoaneurysm of the common carotid artery].

The authors report their experience of one single case of carotid pseudo-aneurysm consequent on cervical trauma. The treatment required the substitution of the interested carotid segment by PTFE no. 6.

[Carotid-subclavian bypass. Our experience with locoregional anesthesia].

Carotid-subclavian bypass has been adopted since 1956. The commonest indication is to abolish arterial occlusion or stenosis in patients with subclavian steal syndrome. Ten patients were submitted to carotid-subclavian bypass under regional anaesthesia: block of anterior rami of spinal nerves C3-C4 and block of cervico-brachial plexus by injection into the continuous perineural connective tissue space at the level of C6.