Effect of large volume paracentesis performed just prior to transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt on the anesthetic management during the procedure.

Background And Aims: Patients often undergo paracentesis prior to a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) procedure to improve respiratory mechanics. However, the effect of large volume paracentesis (LVP) on intraoperative hemodynamics and anesthetic management when it is performed immediately before the TIPS procedure is not well documented.

Material And Methods: This is a retrospective study in patients undergoing the TIPS procedure between 2004 and 2017.

Successful management of hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass in a malignant hyperthermia susceptible patient.

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a potentially lethal reaction in those that are genetically predisposed, frequently triggered by inhaled anesthetics. MH is often difficult to diagnose because it is accompanied by signs and symptoms that are shared with other disorders. The diagnosis is further obscured in cardiac surgical patients, as the signs of MH can be masked by the cardiopulmonary bypass circuit (CPB) and the use of induced hypothermia.

Use of Intracardiac Echocardiography to Differentiate Post-Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Valve Insufficiency Masquerading as Paravalvular Leak.

• TAVR has become a prevalent procedure. • PVL is a complication of TAVR with increased risk for mortality. • TEE, TTE, and angiography may misrepresent TAVR eccentric regurgitation for PVL.

Perioperative takotsubo cardiomyopathy: Implications for anesthesiologist.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM) is characterized by transient ventricular dysfunction in the absence of obstructive coronary artery disease that may be triggered by an acute medical illness or intense physical or emotional stress. TCM is often confused with acute myocardial infarction given the similar electrocardiographic changes, cardiac enzymes, hemodynamic perturbations, and myocardial wall motion abnormalities. In the perioperative setting, the clinical picture may be more confusing because of the effect of anesthesia as well as hemodynamic changes related to the surgery itself.

Intraoperative Monitoring of Heparin: Comparison of Activated Coagulation Time and Whole Blood Heparin Measurements by Different Point-of-Care Devices with Heparin Concentration by Laboratory-Performed Plasma Anti-Xa Assay.

Background: Cardiac surgical interventions, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, transcutaneous coronary-artery angioplasty, and stenting are carried out while patients are being treated with the anticoagulation drug heparin. Monitoring the level and reversal of heparinization during and at the conclusion of medical and surgical procedures is a critical issue in patient care.

Methods: We performed parallel testing of the ACCRIVA Hemochron Signature Elite ACT+ and Hemochron Response analyzer, iSTAT platform, and 2 Hepcon Hemostasis Management System (HMS) Plus analyzers for monitoring intraoperative heparin treatment.

The value of institutional protocols and focused cardiac ultrasound during a case of ultramassive transfusion.

A 53-year-old female was admitted to the emergency department with an exsanguinating bleed from the rectum which was of unclear origin. In what could be considered an ultramassive transfusion, 60 units packed red blood cells, 23 units fresh frozen plasma, 20 units platelets, 6 units cryoprecipitate, 30 L of crystalloids, 2 L of colloids, and 4 g of tranexamic acid were transfused over the course of 7 h. An arterio-enteric fistula was diagnosed and treated by an interventional radiologist.

Management of cardiac tamponade during catheter-directed thrombolysis of saddle pulmonary embolism: A clinical dilemma.

Catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) for the treatment of acute pulmonary embolism (PE) has gained popularity in recent years, but potential complications during the procedure and their management are not frequently discussed in the literature. In this case report, we describe the clinical dilemma regarding the postoperative anticoagulation management of a 60-year-old male who developed cardiac perforation during a CDT of an acute saddle PE. Early resumption of systemic heparin in such cases may help in clot resolution; however, it can worsen the hemopericardium.

Iatrogenic atrio-esophageal fistula following a video-assisted thoracoscopic maze procedure: Is esophageal instrumentation justified even when the diagnosis is equivocal?

A 74-year-old female underwent an uneventful bilateral thoracoscopic maze procedure for persistent atrial fibrillation with continuous transesophageal echocardiographic (TEE) guidance. She presented six weeks later with persistent fever and focal neurological signs. Computed tomography of the thorax revealed air in the posterior LA, raising suspicion for an abscess versus an atrioesophageal fistula (AEF).

Safety and efficacy of a modified HeRO dialysis device in achieving early graft cannulation: A single-institution experience.

Hemodialysis Reliable Outflow (HeRO) grafts (Merit Medical Systems, Inc, South Jordan, Utah) provide a means for access in catheter-dependent hemodialysis patients but typically require several weeks for tissue incorporation. Modifying the HeRO graft with an ACUSEAL graft (W. L.

Perioperative Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy: A Systematic Review of Published Cases.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM) is a condition that is characterized as a transient ventricular dysfunction in the absence of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) and is usually triggered by an acute medical illness or intense physical or emotional stress. Multiple cases of perioperative TCM (pTCM) have been reported from around the world, but a qualitative analysis of these cases has not yet been done. For this systematic review, we searched PubMed for case reports and case series of pTCM published from 1966 to April 2015 with the objective being to evaluate whether differences in demographics, clinical features and outcomes exist between pTCM and nonperioperative (npTCM), as well as to attempt to identify any predictors of the severe form of pTCM, which requires mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices or leads to death.

AngioVac Suction Thrombectomy Complicated by Thrombus Fragmentation and Distal Embolization Leading to Hemodynamic Collapse: A Case Report.

A 35-year-old morbidly obese woman with a history of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism presented for right atrial thrombectomy via AngioVac suction system. A portion of the thrombus could not be suctioned into the AngioVac cannula, leading to fragmentation and distal embolization with hemodynamic collapse. This sequence, observed in real time under transesophageal echocardiography, also demonstrated that the clot had echocardiographic features of chronicity.

Incidental finding of tracheal bronchus complicating the anesthetic management of a left video-assisted thoracoscopic procedure.

Congenital abnormalities of the large airways are uncommon, but may occasionally pose significant difficulties for anesthesiologists. The tracheal bronchus is an anatomical variant in which an accessory bronchus originates directly from the trachea rather than distal to the carina, as a takeoff from the right mainstem bronchus. Anesthesiologists should be aware of this uncommon anomaly, its different variants, and its management in order to successfully establish one lung ventilation (OLV) for surgical isolation.

Management of a Jehovah's Witness Patient with Sepsis and Profuse Bleeding After Emergency Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: Rethinking the Critical Threshold of Oxygen Delivery.

The duration and extent of acute hemodilution that the human body can withstand remains unclear. Many consider 184 mL/m/min to be the oxygen delivery (DO2) threshold below which oxygen consumption (VO2) begins to decrease. We describe a critically ill Jehovah's Witness patient who tolerated a much lower level of DO2, coupled with severe acute anemia that persisted for >10 days without any sequelae.

Anticoagulation dilemma in a high-risk patient with On-X valves.

Thromboembolism continues to be a major concern in patients with mechanical heart valves, especially in those with unsatisfactory anticoagulation levels. The new On-X valve (On-X Life Technologies, Austin, TX, USA) has been reported as having unique structural characteristics that offer lower thrombogenicity to the valve. We report a case where the patient received no or minimal systemic anticoagulation after placement of On-X mitral and aortic valves due to development of severe mucosal arterio-venous malformations yet did not show any evidence of thromboembolism.