Feasibility of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Protocols Implemented Perioperatively in Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection for Early Gastric Cancer: A Single-Center Retrospective Study

Addition of Dexmedetomidine to the Anesthesia Regimen Attenuates Pain and Improves Early Recovery After Esophageal Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective

Postoperative pain is a common yet often underestimated complication following esophageal endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), with limited strategies for effective management. This prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled trial assessed the effects of adding dexmedetomidine (DEX) to the anesthesia regimen on postoperative pain and early recovery in patients undergoing esophageal ESD.

Methods

In total, 60 patients scheduled for elective esophageal ESD under general anesthesia were randomly assigned to the DEX or control group. The DEX group received an intravenous loading dose of DEX at 1 μg/kg for 10 min, followed by a continuous intravenous infusion of 0.6 µg/kg/h, which was stopped 30 min before the end of the procedure. The control group received normal saline as a placebo. The study's primary outcome was the incidence of moderate-to-severe postoperative pain. Secondary outcomes included postoperative pain scores, hemodynamic parameters, the occurrence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), patient satisfaction, and lengths of stay in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) and hospital.

Results

The incidence of moderate-to-severe postoperative pain in the DEX group was significantly lower than that in the control group (absolute difference: -33.4%; OR: 0.250; 95% CI: 0.085-0.731, P = 0.01). Pain scores at 1 h postoperatively (0.5[2.0] vs 3.0[1.3], P = 0.003) were significantly lower in the DEX group. Additionally, morphine dosage in the PACU (0[0] vs 1.0[2.0] P = 0.004) was significantly reduced in the DEX group compared with the control group. In the DEX group, the incidence and severity of PONV were significantly decreased and the length of PACU stay was shorter than in the control group (P < 0.01). However, the rates of intraoperative hypotension, tachycardia, and bradycardia were similar between the two groups. Patient satisfaction and length of hospital stay were also comparable.

Conclusion

Adding DEX to the anesthesia regimen for esophageal ESD significantly attenuates postoperative pain and improves early recovery outcomes.

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) in advanced therapeutic flexible endoscopy: Introducing the concept of enhanced recovery after therapeutic endoscopy (ERATE)

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) guidelines are evidence-based recommendations designed to improve patient outcomes and reduce complications after surgery. Although the ERAS guidelines focus primarily on surgical procedures, many of the principles could be applied also to therapeutic endoscopy as well. An extensive literature research on Embase and PubMed was thus made to reviewed articles regarding ERAS protocols applied to therapeutic endoscopy, organized by specific endoscopic field. Out of 214 papers, only 6 were relevant to the topic. Few studies explored in real life and in trial setting the hypothesized significance of ERAS principles applied to endoscopic procedures, mostly retrospective, not even covering the entire field of therapeutic endoscopy. This field of knowledge appears neglected so far by scientific community and endoscopic organizations. We believe that endoscopy units could benefit anyway from developing and implementing structured enhanced recovery pathways for their patients, therefore we subsequently created and suggested a simply and easily applicable, Enhanced Recovery protocol After Therapeutic Endoscopy which include preoperative preparation, anesthesia and sedation, nausea and vomiting (PONV) prophylaxis, and postoperative care.

Effects of integrated management on surgical outcomes and mental health of patients following endoscopic submucosal dissection

BACKGROUND

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is a less invasive local treatment for diseases throughout the gastrointestinal tract.

AIM

To develop an integrated management protocol and analyze its effects on surgical outcomes and mental health of patients after ESD.

METHODS

The study population consisted of patients undergoing ESD before implementation of integrated management and those undergoing ESD by the same pool of surgeons after implementation of integrated management.

RESULTS

The management group exhibited shortened fasting time and length of hospital stay compared to the control group (P < 0.05). The management group exhibited a higher incidence rate of postoperative complications than the control group (3 cases vs 11 cases; P = 0.043). The management group exhibited a lower uncertainty score for disease knowledge compared to the control group 12 h after surgery (P < 0.05). The management group gave more scores on the domains of patient familiarity to the responsible nurses, professional skills of responsible nurses, and general evaluation compared to the control group. The management group had a higher total score of patient satisfaction towards the responsible nurses in term of health care than the control group (P < 0.01). The management group exhibited lower Self-Rating Anxiety Scale and Self-Rating Depression Scale scores compared to the control group 12 h after surgery (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

The study demonstrates that integrated management could improve surgical outcomes and mental health of patients undergoing ESD.

Effect of propofol combined with different anesthetic drugs on respiratory circulation function and erythrocyte immunity in patients undergoing intestinal endoscopic submucosal dissection

BACKGROUND

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is a difficult procedure with disadvantages of long operating time, intraoperative stimulation of sympathetic nerve excitation and postoperative pain, and suppression of immune function.

AIM

To investigate the effect of propofol combined with different anesthesia drugs in patients undergoing intestinal ESD.

METHODS

One hundred and fifty patients who planned to undergo intestinal ESD at our hospital from January 2019 to August 2022 were selected and randomly divided into three groups: A, B, and C, with 50 patients in each group. Group A was given propofol + sufentanil + nalbuphine, group B was given propofol + sufentanil, and group C was given propofol. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) and respiratory and circulatory function (pressure airway, Paw), partial pressure of end-expiratory carbon dioxide (P_ETCO₂), bispectral index (BIS), red blood cell immunity [RBC immunocomplex rosette rate (RBC-ICR), erythrocyte cell membrane C3b receptor rosette rate (RBC-C3bR), and cooperative tumor erythrocyte rosette rate (ATER)], intraoperative and post-operative conditions, and adverse reactions were compared among the groups.

RESULTS

Paw and P_ETCO₂ in group A were significantly lower than those in group B and group C from T1 to T3 (P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in BIS values among the three groups from T0 to T3 (P < 0.05). The amount of propofol used, the number of analgesic pump compressions within 48 h after surgery, and the consumption of analgesic pump drugs were significantly lower in group A than in group B and group C (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions among the three groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Propofol combined with sufentanil and nalbuphine can better alleviate respiratory and circulatory function inhibition, improve red cell immunity, and reduce the dosage of analgesic drugs in patients with intestinal ESD, with high safety.