Administration of epidural bupivacaine combined with epidural morphine after esophageal surgery

Evaluating analgesia strategies in patients who have undergone oesophagectomy-a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials

Optimal pain control following esophagectomy remains a topic of contention. The aim was to perform a systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA) of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) evaluating the analgesia strategies post-esophagectomy. A NMA was performed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA)-NMA guidelines. Statistical analysis was performed using Shiny and R. Fourteen RCTs which included 565 patients and assessed nine analgesia techniques were included. Relative to systemic opioids, thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) significantly reduced static pain scores at 24 hours post-operatively (mean difference (MD): -13.73, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): -27.01-0.45) (n = 424, 12 RCTs). Intrapleural analgesia (IPA) demonstrated the best efficacy for static (MD: -36.2, 95% CI: -61.44-10.96) (n = 569, 15 RCTs) and dynamic (MD: -42.90, 95% CI: -68.42-17.38) (n = 444, 11 RCTs) pain scores at 48 hours. TEA also significantly reduced static (MD: -13.05, 95% CI: -22.74-3.36) and dynamic (MD: -18.08, 95% CI: -31.70-4.40) pain scores at 48 hours post-operatively, as well as reducing opioid consumption at 24 hours (MD: -33.20, 95% CI: -60.57-5.83) and 48 hours (MD: -42.66, 95% CI: -59.45-25.88). Moreover, TEA significantly shortened intensive care unit (ICU) stays (MD: -5.00, 95% CI: -6.82-3.18) and time to extubation (MD: -4.40, 95% CI: -5.91-2.89) while increased post-operative forced vital capacity (MD: 9.89, 95% CI: 0.91-18.87) and forced expiratory volume (MD: 13.87, 95% CI: 0.87-26.87). TEA provides optimal pain control and improved post-operative respiratory function in patients post-esophagectomy, reducing ICU stays, one of the benchmarks of improved post-operative recovery. IPA demonstrates promising results for potential implementation in the future following esophagectomy.

Perioperative benefit and outcome of thoracic epidural in esophageal surgery: a clinical review

Surgery for esophageal cancer is a highly stressful and painful procedure, and a significant amount of analgesics may be required to eliminate perioperative pain and blunt the stress response to surgery. Proper management of postoperative pain has invariably been shown to reduce the incidence of postoperative complications and accelerate recovery. Neuraxial analgesic techniques after major thoracic and upper abdominal surgery have long been established to reduce respiratory, cardiovascular, metabolic, inflammatory, and neurohormonal complications.The aim of this review is to evaluate and discuss the relevant clinical benefits and outcome, as well as the possibilities and limits of thoracic epidural anesthesia/analgesia (TEA) in the setting of esophageal resections. A comprehensive search of original articles was conducted investigating relevant literature on MEDLINE, Cochrane reviews, Google Scholar, PubMed, and EMBASE from 1985 to July2017. The relationship between TEA and important endpoints such as the quality of postoperative pain control, postoperative respiratory complications, surgical stress-induced immunosuppression, the overall postoperative morbidity, length of hospital stay, and major outcomes has been explored and reported. TEA has proven to enable patients to mobilize faster, cooperate comfortably with respiratory physiotherapists and achieve satisfactory postoperative lung functions more rapidly. The superior analgesia provided by thoracic epidurals compared to that from parenteral opioids may decrease the incidence of ineffective cough, atelectasis and pulmonary infections, while the associated sympathetic block has been shown to enhance bowel blood flow, prevent reductions in gastric conduit perfusion, and reduce the duration of ileus. Epidural anesthesia/analgesia is still commonly used for major 'open' esophageal surgery, and the recognized advantages in this setting are soundly established, in particular as regards the early recovery from anesthesia, the quality of postoperative pain control, and the significantly shorter duration of postoperative mechanical ventilation. However, this technique requires specific technical skills for an optimal conduction and is not devoid of risks, complications, and failures.

Postoperative pain management after esophagectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Effective pain management after esophagectomy is essential for patient comfort, early recovery, low surgical morbidity, and short hospitalization. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to determine the best pain management modality focusing on the balance between benefits and risks. Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane library were systematically searched to identify all studies investigating different pain management modalities after esophagectomy in relation to primary outcomes (postoperative pain scores at 24 and 48 hours, technical failure, and opioid consumption), and secondary outcomes (pulmonary complications, nausea and vomiting, hypotension, urinary retention, and length of hospital stay). Ten studies investigating systemic, epidural, intrathecal, intrapleural and paravertebral analgesia involving 891 patients following esophagectomy were included. No significant differences were found in postoperative pain scores between systemic and epidural analgesia at 24 (mean difference (MD) 0.89; 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.47-2.24) and 48 hours (MD 0.15; 95%CI -0.60-0.91), nor described for systemic and other regional analgesia. Also, no significant differences in pulmonary complication rates were identified between systemic and epidural analgesia (relative risk (RR) 1.69; 95%CI 0.86-3.29), or between systemic and paravertebral analgesia (RR 1.49; 95%CI 0.31-7.12). Technical failure ranged from 17% to 22% for epidural analgesia. Sample sizes were too small to draw inferences on opioid consumption, the risk of nausea and vomiting, hypotension, urinary retention, and length of hospital stay when comparing the different pain management modalities including systemic, epidural, intrathecal, intrapleural, and paravertebral analgesia. This systematic review and meta-analysis shows no differences in postoperative pain scores or pulmonary complications after esophagectomy between systemic and epidural analgesia, and between systemic and paravertebral analgesia. Further randomized controlled trails are warranted to determine the optimal pain management modality after esophagectomy.

Anesthesia for Esophageal Surgery

Esophageal surgery comprises a variety of procedures of differing complexity to treat functional and structural disorders of the esophagus. Local disease extension, surgical repair technique, and physical status of the patient primarily dictate anesthetic management of patients with esophageal pathology. Because the esophagus is in close proximity to vital organs and structures, a specific knowledge of the anatomy is essential to realize how esophageal pathology can compromise elemental physiological functions. A com prehensive anesthetic plan requires a detailed under standing of the surgical procedure in terms of approach, the extent of the operation, and associated complica tions. Consideration of comorbid conditions is equally important, as esophageal surgery is frequently per formed in debilitated and polytraumatized patients. The following article will review clinical manifestation, surgi cal therapy, and perioperative anesthetic management of the most commonly encountered esophageal disor ders. Specifically, anesthetic considerations in gastro esophageal reflux disease, esophageal carcinoma, esophageal perforation, and a variety of other esopha geal disorders will be discussed.

Anaesthesia for oesophagectomy

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To review the current anaesthetic management of patients undergoing transthoracic oesophagectomy.

RECENT FINDINGS

Oesophageal adenocarcinoma is increasing rapidly in the West. The perioperative mortality for oesophagectomy remains high. A relationship has been established between volume and outcome for oesophageal surgery. There is little evidence from randomized clinical studies to guide the management of patients undergoing oesophagectomy. The profile of patients presenting for oesophagectomy is changing. There is emerging evidence that anaesthetic management influences outcome. At present there are no clear advantages for minimal access surgery.

SUMMARY

Although nonsurgical treatments are being developed, at present surgery remains the mainstay of potentially curative treatment. Accurate risk stratification would greatly facilitate the assessment of strategies to reduce operative mortality. Anaesthetic research has the potential to further improve the safety of patients undergoing oesophageal surgery.

Immediate extubation and epidural analgesia allow safe management in a high-dependency unit after two-stage oesophagectomy. Results of eight years of experience in a specialized upper gastrointestinal unit in a district general hospital

BACKGROUND

The perioperative management of two-stage oesophagectomy has not been standardized and the prevailing practice regarding the timing of extubation after the procedure varies. This audit has evaluated the outcome, in particular the respiratory morbidity and mortality, after immediate extubation in patients who have had thoracic epidural analgesia.

METHODS

All the patients who underwent two-stage oesophagectomy by a single specialist upper gastrointestinal surgeon were recorded both retrospectively (1993-1999) and prospectively (1999-2001). Physical characteristics, comorbid factors, anaesthetic management and postoperative events were recorded on a computer database. Analysis was undertaken to evaluate the morbidity and mortality, in particular the need for reventilation and transfer to the ITU.

RESULTS

Seventy-six patients underwent two-stage oesophagectomy between 1993 and 2001. Seventy-three (96%) patients were extubated in theatre and transferred to a high-dependency bed. Three were ventilated electively and extubated within 36 h and made an uncomplicated recovery. Seven (10%) of the immediately extubated patients subsequently needed admission to the ICU and reventilation. Sixty-seven patients had effective epidural analgesia and nine needed i.v. morphine by patient-controlled analgesia. The 30-day or in-hospital mortality was 2.6% (2 of 76). A further two patients died within 90 days, but after discharge. Respiratory complications were responsible for half of the overall morbidity (44.7%). Respiratory failure occurred in 6.5% (5 of 76) and acute respiratory distress syndrome in 2.6% (2 of 76). Both the in-hospital deaths occurred in patients requiring reventilation and resulted from respiratory complications. The following factors were found to be significant in the reventilated patients: duration of one-lung ventilation; forced expiratory volume in the first second; and ratio of forced expiratory volume in the first second/forced vital capacity.

CONCLUSIONS

Immediate extubation after two-stage oesophagectomy in patients with thoracic epidural analgesia is safe and associated with low morbidity and mortality. Patients can be managed in a high-dependency unit, thus avoiding the need for intensive care. This has cost-saving and logistical implications.

Randomized clinical study of the prevention of pulmonary complications after thoracoabdominal resection by two different breathing techniques

BACKGROUND

Pulmonary complications are frequently seen after thoracoabdominal resection of the oesophagus. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of two different breathing exercise regimens applied in the immediate postoperative period on the risk of pulmonary insufficiency after thoracoabdominal resection.

METHODS

Seventy patients undergoing thoracoabdominal resection for cancer of the oesophagus and cardia were randomized after operation to breathing exercises by inspiratory resistance-positive expiratory pressure (IR-PEP) (n = 36) or continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) (n = 34). The study groups were well matched for all relevant clinical and demographic data.

RESULTS

Respiratory function deteriorated significantly immediately after operation; the lowest values of forced vital capacity and peak expiratory flow were measured during the first postoperative day and oxygen saturation was lowest on days 4-6. Significantly fewer patients in the CPAP group required reintubation and prolonged artificial ventilation (P < 0.05). There were minor non-significant differences between the study groups with respect to respiratory and other postoperative variables, usually in favour of CPAP.

CONCLUSION

Provision of CPAP in the immediate postoperative period decreased the risk of respiratory distress requiring reintubation and the need for artificial ventilation compared with breathing exercises by IR-PEP.

Fluid management and postoperative respiratory disturbances in patients with transthoracic esophagectomy for carcinoma

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether intraoperative fluid management contributes to postoperative respiratory disturbances in esophagectomy for carcinoma.

DESIGN

Retrospective study.

SETTING

Operating room and postanesthetic care unit of the cancer center.

PATIENTS

From 1997 to 2000, 112 ASA physical status I, II, and III patients with primary carcinoma of the esophagus undergoing transthoracic esophagectomy.

INTERVENTIONS AND MEASUREMENTS

As of 1998, we altered fluid management during esophagectomy to save intraoperative fluid administration. Then, we investigated postoperative respiratory disturbances after esophagectomy in the period from 1998 to 2000 (late period) compared with the period from 1997 to 1998 (early period). We also investigated the relationship between perioperative risk factors and postoperative respiratory disturbances. The need for frequent (>10) bronchoscopic suctioning of sputum during postoperative period, the need for tracheostomy, and failure in the removal of endotracheal tube (ETT) (extubation) on the first postoperative day (1 POD) were investigated for respiratory disturbances after surgery.

MAIN RESULTS

Intraoperative volume balance decreased more so in the late period compared with early period (p < 0.0,001). The need for tracheostomy, bronchoscopic suctioning, and extubation failure on 1 POD were more frequent in the early period than in the late period (p = 0.0083, p = 0.0319, and p = 0.0024, respectively). The hospital recovery period after surgery was shortened during the late period (p = 0.032). Intraoperative volume balance affected the need for tracheostomy and frequent bronchoscopy postoperatively.

CONCLUSIONS

Careful intraoperative fluid administration may decrease postoperative respiratory disturbances.