Mustafa Kemal Demirag

Anaesthetic Management and Multidisciplinary Approach in a Case of Aortic Foreign Body Impalement Following Thoracolumbar Instrumentation - Turkish Journal of Anaesthesiology and Reanimation

Background The effects of the erector spinae plane (ESP) block on chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) after cardiac surgery remain unclear. This study evaluated the efficacy of bilateral ESP block in reducing the incidence and severity of CPSP after cardiac surgery. Methods This prospective, randomized, controlled, single-blind trial included 63 patients aged 18–80 years with American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status II–III, scheduled for elective cardiac surgery via median sternotomy. Participants received a bilateral ultrasound-guided ESP block or standard care without regional anesthesia. The primary outcome was the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) score at 3 months postoperatively. Secondary outcomes included morphine consumption in the first 24 hours; Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) scores during rest/activity at 0, 3, 6, 12, and 24 hours; BPI scores at 6 months postoperatively; and Douleur Neuropathique 4 (DN4) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) scores at 3 and 6 months postoperatively. Results The BPI scores of the two groups did not differ significantly at 3 months postoperatively (median (IQR): 0(26) vs 12 (31), p=0.166). However, 24 hours postoperative morphine consumption (8 mg vs 10.5 mg, pConclusions The ESP block effectively reduced acute pain and opioid consumption; however, it had no significant effect on the incidence or severity of CPSP at 3 and 6 months.

Background: Acute Type A Aortic Dissection (ATAAD) is a life-threatening condition requiring emergency surgical intervention. This retrospective study evaluates the impact of femoral and axillary arterial cannulation techniques on ischemic neurological damage and mortality.Materials and Method: A total of 60 patients who underwent emergency surgery for ATAAD between 2016 and 2021 were analyzed. Patients were divided into two groups based on the arterial cannulation technique: Group A (axillary cannulation) and Group F (femoral cannulation). Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative variables were compared between the groups. The primary outcome was incidence of ischemic cerebral injury and secondary outcomes included 30-day all-cause mortality, intensive care unit and hospital length of stay and postoperative complications.Results: There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of ischemic cerebral injury (p=0.13). There was no significant difference in 30-day mortality between the groups (p= 0.27). Logistic regression analysis revealed that the cannulation type was a risk factor for ischemic cerebral injury development (OR [95% CI]; 119.034 [1.612–8791.314], p=0.029).Conclusions: Our findings indicate that the type of cannulation may be a risk factor for the development of ischemic cerebral injury. Further studies are needed to determine the optimal arterial cannulation technique for improving outcomes in ATAAD surgery.