Respiratory mechanics in morbid obese patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and hypertension during pneumoperitoneum

Fuzzy Logic Preanesthetic Risk Evaluation of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Operations

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Pre-operative risk classification of patients undergoing anesthesia is an essential interest and has been the focus of many research and categorizations. On the other hand, the ideal categorization system, based on medical doctors' clinical experience and cooperation with other disciplines, has not been developed yet.

METHODS

In this study, 218 consecutive patient undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy operations were included. A novel fuzzy logic evaluation model consisting of 270 rules was constructed. Five major (pulmonary, cardiac, diabetes mellitus and renal or liver disease) and three minor criteria (patients' age, cigarette smoking and body mass index) were chosen to be used during high-risk groups determination.

RESULTS

The verification of the success of risk value decision with the proposed novel fuzzy logic algorithm is the main goal of this study. On the other hand, though not essential aim, a statistical consistency check was also included to have a deeper understanding and evaluation of the graphical results. During the statistical analysis the 0-30%, 30-60% and 60-90% risk ranges were found to be in a very strong positive relationship with complication occurrence. In this study, 172, 31, 15 patients were in 0-30, 30-60 and 60-90% risk ranges, respectively. Complication rates were 7/172 (4.07%) in 0-30% range, 3/31 (9.68%) in 30-60% range; and 2/15 (13.33%) in 60-90% range.

CONCLUSIONS

Fuzzy based risk classification model was successfully used to predict medical results for patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy operations and reliable deductions were reached.

Effect of the "Recruitment" Maneuver on Respiratory Mechanics in Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy Surgery

Purpose

LSG surgery is used for surgical treatment of morbid obesity. Obesity, anesthesia, and pneumoperitoneum cause reduced pulmoner functions and a tendency for atelectasis. The alveolar “recruitment” maneuver (RM) keeps airway pressure high, opening alveoli, and increasing arterial oxygenation. The aim of our study is to research the effect on respiratory mechanics and arterial blood gases of performing the RM in LSG surgery.

Materials and Methods

Sixty patients undergoing LSG surgery were divided into two groups (n = 30) Patients in group R had the RM performed 5 min after desufflation with 100% oxygen, 40 cmH₂O pressure for 40 s. Group C had standard mechanical ventilation. Assessments of respiratory mechanics and arterial blood gases were made in the 10th min after induction (T1), 10th min after insufflation (T2), 5th min after desufflation (T3), and 15th min after desufflation (T4). Arterial blood gases were assessed in the 30th min (T5) in the postoperative recovery unit.

Results

In group R, values at T5, PaO₂ were significantly high, while PaCO₂ were significantly low compared with group C. Compliance in both groups reduced with pneumoperitoneum. At T4, the compliance in the recruitment group was higher. In both groups, there was an increase in PIP with pneumoperitoneum and after desufflation this was identified to reduce to levels before pneumoperitoneum.

Conclusion

Adding the RM to PEEP administration for morbidly obese patients undergoing LSG surgery is considered to be effective in improving respiratory mechanics and arterial blood gas values and can be used safely.

Laparoscopic management of complicated foreign body ingestion: a case series

This study aims to demonstrate the safety and feasibility of laparoscopic management of complicated foreign body (FB) ingestion in a series of 5 patients. We present the merits of a minimally-invasive approach in this clinical setting from our series as well as published case reports. FB ingestion is occasionally complicated by abscess formation or perforation, requiring surgical intervention. Anecdotal reports of such cases managed by laparoscopic surgery have alluded to its merits over the conventional approach of open surgery. Over an 18-month period, 5 of 256 patients with FB ingestion at our unit were managed by laparoscopic surgery. Clinical and operative data were collected for this study. In all 5 cases, patients could not recall their FB ingestion and had normal plain radiographs. The diagnosis was made on a computed tomography (CT) scan. Laparoscopy was successfully employed to retrieve all FBs (fish bones), deroof abscesses, and primarily repair gastrointestinal perforations. The mean operative time was 69 minutes (55-85), utilizing 2 to 4 noncamera ports. There was no operative mortality and patients were discharged on average postoperative day (POD) 5 (2-8). Laparoscopic surgery is safe and feasible in small-diameter, complicated FB ingestion requiring surgical intervention and should be considered in similar patients.

Anaesthesia for laparoscopic surgery: General vs regional anaesthesia

The use of laparoscopy has revolutionised the surgical field with its advantages of reduced morbidity with early recovery. Laparoscopic procedures have been traditionally performed under general anaesthesia (GA) due to the respiratory changes caused by pneumoperitoneum, which is an integral part of laparoscopy. The precise control of ventilation under controlled conditions in GA has proven it to be ideal for such procedures. However, recently the use of regional anaesthesia (RA) has emerged as an alternative choice for laparoscopy. Various reports in the literature suggest the safety of the use of spinal, epidural and combined spinal-epidural anaesthesia in laparoscopic procedures. The advantages of RA can include: Prevention of airway manipulation, an awake and spontaneously breathing patient intraoperatively, minimal nausea and vomiting, effective post-operative analgesia, and early ambulation and recovery. However, RA may be associated with a few side effects such as the requirement of a higher sensory level, more severe hypotension, shoulder discomfort due to diaphragmatic irritation, and respiratory embarrassment caused by pneumoperitoneum. Further studies may be required to establish the advantage of RA over GA for its eventual global use in different patient populations.

Feasibility of laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

BACKGROUND

Laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy (LG) is an established treatment for early gastric cancer. However, carbon dioxide pneumoperitoneum during laparoscopic surgery can adversely affect the pulmonary function of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This retrospective cohort study was performed to assess the feasibility of LG for patients with COPD.

METHODS

Among 1,053 patients who underwent radical gastrectomy with lymph node dissection between 1999 and 2011 at the authors' hospital, 220 patients with COPD were studied retrospectively. The clinical outcomes for the patients with COPD who underwent LG (LG group) were compared with those of COPD patients who underwent open gastrectomy (OG group), as well as those of patients with no operative risk and normal pulmonary function who underwent LG (NOR group). Postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) were defined as pneumonia, atelectasis, pneumothorax, prolonged mechanical ventilation (>24 h), and adult respiratory distress syndrome within 30 days after operation.

RESULTS

Pulmonary function variables were similar in the LG and OG groups. The findings showed PPCs to be slightly but not significantly less frequent in the LG group (1.7 %) than in the OG group (6.3 %) (p = 0.09). No difference in PPCs was found between the LG group and the NOR group (p > 0.99). For patients with COPD, advanced stage (stage 2 or 3 vs stage 1) was significantly associated with PPCs (p = 0.03), but was not an independent risk factor for PPCs (p = 0.12).

CONCLUSION

The LG procedure is tolerated in patients with gastric cancer who have mild or moderate COPD, similar to OG.