1/8. Anaesthesia for bilateral mastectomy in a Jehovah's Witness patient with epilepsy and review of alternatives to homologous blood transfusion.The anaesthetic management of a Jehovah's Witness patient for bilateral mastectomy for carcinoma of the breast is described. The patient is also a known epileptic patient who developed fits the night before surgery. Surgery was re-scheduled for one week later to allow control of the epilepsy. Surgery was carried out under general anaesthesia. The patient refused blood transfusion. Modified normovolaemic haemodilution was the alternative to homologous blood transfusion used in the patient. This was safe except for the post-operative morbidity due to severe anaemia in the patient. The surgical outcome was good. The safety of not transfusing blood in Jehovah's Witness patient for surgical procedures for which blood transfusion is needed is well illustrated by this case. A review of alternatives to homologous blood transfusion is done.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = anaesthesia (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/8. The ProSeal laryngeal mask in myasthenia gravis.This case describes the anaesthesia management of a patient with myasthenia gravis who required mastectomy with axillary lymph node clearance. After withholding medical therapy for the myasthenia preoperatively on the day of surgery, anaesthesia was maintained with halothane, nitrous oxide and a remifentanil infusion. Muscle relaxants were avoided, facilitated by the use of a ProSeal (Intravent, Orthofix, Maidenhead, United Kingdom) laryngeal mask airway for positive pressure ventilation. The ProSeal laryngeal mask airway is a new laryngeal mask device with a modified cuff and a drainage tube which has been shown to have advantages over older designs for use during positive pressure ventilation. The rationale for the management of this patient with myasthenia is discussed.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = anaesthesia (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/8. Acute acalculous cholecystitis after breast reconstruction.Postoperative acute acalculous cholecystitis (AAC) is a potentially lethal complication that presents with a high morbidity and mortality. Some elective plastic surgery patients are at risk to developing this complication, although it has not been previously reported in the plastic surgery population. patients at risk are those affected of ischaemic diseases, artheroschlerotic factors, smoking, diabetes, and patients requiring postoperative intensive care monitoring. The clinical presentation is non-specific and it is usually masked by postoperative pain and by the signs and symptoms of the primary disease. Significant delays in diagnosis result in a high incidence of gangrene, perforation, abscess, and death. Although difficult to prevent, a good preoperative planning, with correction of all physiologic abnormalities prior to surgery may help in minimising the incidence of AAC. Cessation of smoking is essential, and careful monitoring of patients during anaesthesia is crucial to avoid low cardiac output and ischaemic insults to the enteric circulation.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = anaesthesia (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/8. Thyroid storm prior to induction of anaesthesia.A 53- year-old woman without a previous history of thyroid disease was scheduled for mastectomy. On arrival in the operating theatre unpremedicated she appeared restless and tachycardic. midazolam and fentanyl was administered intravenously. Concomitantly, sinus tachycardia developed and a flush reaction was observed in the skin of the thoracic region and neck. The blood pressure increased to 265/160 mmHg and the patient lost consciousness and became apnoeic. unconsciousness and apnoea lasted for approximately 25 min and the operation was postponed. Further investigations revealed an elevated serum free thyroxine level and suppressed serum thyrotropin diagnostic of hyperthyroidism. The serum TSH receptor antibody concentration was elevated, indicating that the patient was suffering from Graves' disease. We present a case of a previously unknown hyperthyroid patient, with breast cancer, presenting as a thyroid crisis on induction of anaesthesia. Although being quite a rare occurrence, unsuspected thyroid disease should be borne in mind when an agitated patient enters the operating theatre.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 5keywords = anaesthesia (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/8. Metachronous breast carcinoma (second malignancy), following "cure" from colorectal carcinoma.Metachronous or synchronous breast carcinoma following or co-existing with colorectal carcinoma are well recognised clinicopathological entities, and the risk of developing both possibly underlines the similarities in carcinogenesis pathways for these carcinomas. We present a 60-year-old housewife with a history of a treated primary colon carcinoma (Duke's C) 15 years previously. Six months ago, during the follow-up care a small sub-areolar lesion was determined in a mammogram. A lumpectomy was performed under local anaesthesia, which revealed an infiltrating ductal carcinoma (6 mm in greatest diameter). Immuno-histochemical assays for oestrogen and progesterone receptors and c-erb B2 ongoprotein were performed. Axillary lymphadenectomy showed 1/11 positive node. She received adjuvant radiotherapy and hormone manipulation. To date, seven months later she is disease free. The aim of this report is to emphasise the risk of metachronous second malignancy of breast or colorectal carcinoma following colorectal carcinomas. A second primary colonic malignancy following breast primary carcinoma is more frequent than inverse clinical form.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = anaesthesia (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/8. Hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies and anaesthesia: peri-operative nerve injury.A 43-year-old female with carcinoma of the left breast underwent wide local excision of the tumour and sentinel lymph node biopsy under general anaesthesia. Three lymph nodes were removed uneventfully during the operation. Postoperatively, the patient complained of weakness and decreased sensation of her left arm. A diagnosis of peri-operative neuropraxia was made. This resolved completely over the following 4 weeks. genetic testing confirmed a diagnosis of hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 5keywords = anaesthesia (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/8. Metastatic breast carcinoma discovered in a dentigerous cyst - a case report.This paper reports a patient with a history of breast cancer, who presented with altered sensation to the right lower lip and chin. An orthopantomogram showed a probable dentigerous cyst associated with an unerupted lower wisdom tooth, which was closely related to the inferior dental canal. The tooth and cyst were enucleated under general anaesthesia. The subsequent histopathology report concluded that the cyst contained metastatic adenocarcinoma from a primary breast tumour.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = anaesthesia (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/8. Percutaneous balloon pericardiotomy as a therapeutic alternative for cardiac tamponade and recurrent pericardial effusion.A terminally ill patient with cardiac tamponade secondary to metastatic breast cancer was successfully treated by percutaneous balloon pericardiotomy. The procedure was performed through subxiphoid approach under local anaesthesia and its beneficial effect was maintained until the patient's death from her primary disease. A second, 86-year-old, debilitated patient and a third 52-year-old patient were managed likewise and both left hospital relieved from recurrent severe pericardial effusions. The later two patients have shown no signs of recurrence for fifteen and twelve months respectively.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = anaesthesia (Clic here for more details about this article) |