Comparison of the effectiveness of circumferential versus non-circumferential spread in median and ulnar nerve blocks. A double-blind randomized clinical trial.

Background And Objectives: Circumferential (C) spread of local anesthetic around the nerve is recommended for a successful nerve block. We tested the hypothesis that C spread produces a more complete block than non-circumferential (NC) spread.

Methods: We randomized 124 patients undergoing open carpal tunnel syndrome surgery to receive C or NC spread ultrasound-guided median and ulnar nerve blocks.

Postoperative Plasma Mitochondrial DNA and Cytokine Profiles of Elderly Patients Undergoing Minimally Invasive Aortic Valve Replacement.

Introduction: Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is gaining increasing interest as a marker of cellular damage and could also act as an inflammatory mediator in cardiopulmonary bypass induced postoperative inflammatory response. Although minimally invasive heart valve surgery reportedly reduces inflammation, the mtDNA and cytokine profile in this context remains unclear.

Materials And Methods: Here, we report a prospective series of 40 elderly patients with aortic stenosis who underwent bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement (AVR) through upper ministernotomy with either a sutureless ( = 20) or a conventional ( = 20) valve.

[Axillary local anesthetic spread after the thoracic interfacial ultrasound block - a cadaveric and radiological evaluation].

Background: Oral opioid analgesics have been used for management of peri- and postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing axillary dissection. The axillary region is a difficult zone to block and does not have a specific regional anesthesia technique published that offers its adequate blockade.

Methods: After institutional review board approval, anatomic and radiological studies were conducted to determine the deposition and spread of methylene blue and local anesthetic injected respectively into the axilla via the thoracic inter-fascial plane.