Safety and Efficacy of Office-Based Surgery with Monitored Anesthesia Care/Sedation in 4778 Consecutive Plastic Surgery Procedures:

Pain control for interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome patients undergoing pelvic reconstructive surgery

Introduction:

Scant research exists on pain control for interstitial cystitis patients undergoing pelvic reconstructive surgery. Our aim was to compare the perioperative courses in patients with and without interstitial cystitis undergoing pelvic reconstructive surgery performed using primarily monitored anesthesia care with local anesthesia.

Methods:

A retrospective chart review of surgical cases performed at a single site from November 2015 to July 2018 was performed. Joint non-gynecologic cases were excluded. Data including demographics, intraoperative variables, medication requirements, and postoperative courses were abstracted. Chi-square, independent t, and Mann–Whitney U tests were used to compare interstitial cystitis with non-interstitial cystitis patients.

Results:

In total, 65 separate cases met inclusion criteria and were analyzed, with 57 individual subjects. Out of the 65 cases, 33 cases were performed on interstitial cystitis patients. Only 2 of the 33 interstitial cystitis patient cases required general anesthesia. Interstitial cystitis patients did not require higher concentrations of 1% lidocaine with epinephrine (average of 3.8 mg/kg) compared to patients without (2.8 mg/kg). There was no difference between groups in perioperative complications, length of recovery, or postoperative narcotic consumption.

Conclusion:

Perioperative outcomes and pain control do not differ in those with and without interstitial cystitis undergoing pelvic reconstructive surgery. Prolapse surgery can be safely performed on a patient population with a high proportion of chronic pelvic pain using monitored anesthesia care with local anesthesia, without increased morbidity or difficultly with perioperative pain control.

An Update on the Safety and Efficacy of Outpatient Plastic Surgery: A Review of 26,032 Consecutive Cases

BACKGROUND

Outpatient surgery offers many advantages, including cost-containment, privacy, and convenience. However, patient safety must take precedence over these benefits. Limited well-designed studies exist in the plastic surgery literature on patient safety in the outpatient setting, particularly those that identify risk factors for adverse outcomes.

METHODS

A retrospective review was performed on 26,032 consecutive cases completed by board-certified plastic surgeons at an accredited outpatient surgical center between 1995 and 2017. All cases were reviewed for potential morbidity and mortality events, and variables were analyzed to determine potential risk factors for postoperative complications and inpatient admission.

RESULTS

A total of 26,032 cases were performed over a 23-year period. There were a total of 203 complications (0.78 percent). Compared with the control population, the 12 patients (0.05 percent) that sustained venous thromboembolic events demonstrated higher body mass indexes (p < 0.01), greater lipoaspirate amounts (p = 0.04), longer operative times (p < 0.01), and were more likely to have undergone a combined procedure (p < 0.01). In addition, the 22 patients (0.08 percent) that were transferred to inpatient facilities demonstrated greater body mass index (p < 0.01) and longer operative times (p = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Plastic surgery is safe to perform in an accredited outpatient facility for a majority of patients. According to the authors' data, postoperative monitoring in a nursing facility should be considered for the following high-risk patients: those with a body mass index greater than 30 kg/m, operative times greater than 4 hours, lipoaspirate volumes greater than 3 liters, and those undergoing combined procedures.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Risk, III.

Incidence and Predictors of Venous Thromboembolism in Abdominoplasty

BACKGROUND

The prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a high priority in aesthetic surgery. Abdominoplasty is the aesthetic procedure most commonly associated with VTE, yet the mechanisms for the development of VTE associated with this procedure are unclear.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to analyze the incidence and predictors of VTE in patients undergoing abdominoplasty procedures in outpatient surgery centers using data from the Internet Based Quality Assurance Program (IBQAP).

METHODS

IBQAP data from 2001 to 2011 were queried retrospectively to identify abdominoplasty cases and VTE cases. Patient- and procedure-specific variables were analyzed to identify potential predictors of VTE in abdominoplasty.

RESULTS

Among all outpatient aesthetic surgery cases entered from 2001 to 2011, 414 resulted in VTE, representing a VTE incidence of 0.02%. Of these, 240 (58%) occurred in abdominoplasty cases. Predictors of VTE were age greater than 40 years and BMI greater than 25 kg/m2. Patient sex, duration of anesthesia and surgery, type of anesthesia, type of additional procedure, and number of procedures did not appear to influence the risk of VTE. Importantly, 95.5% of the VTEs identified for this study occurred in patients whose Caprini risk assessment model score was between 2 and 8, which would not be an indication for chemoprophylaxis according to current recommendations.

CONCLUSIONS

Many factors must be considered when determining the true incidence of VTE in abdominoplasty. Research is needed to discover the reason abdominoplasty carries a greater risk compared with other aesthetic surgery procedures so that appropriate steps can be taken to prevent its occurrence and improve the safety of the procedure.

Safety and Efficacy of Facial Fat Grafting Under Local Anesthesia

BACKGROUND

Facial fat grafting under local anesthesia has been widely performed in outpatient departments and private settings in China. The present study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of facial fat grafting under local anesthesia.

METHOD

A retrospective study was conducted on 155 patients who underwent facial fat grafting. The clinical data were recorded. Preoperative and postoperative two-dimensional images were acquired to evaluate the effect of facial fat grafting on refining facial contouring, rejuvenation as well as deformity reconstruction. The complications were recorded to assess the safety of the approach.

RESULT

All the facial fat grafting procedures were performed successfully under local anesthesia. A majority of the patients who underwent one or more sessions of facial fat grafting under local anesthesia were satisfied with the cosmetic results. No severe complications occurred in these patients.

CONCLUSIONS

In the present study, remarkable and natural improvements of facial contouring, rejuvenation as well as deformity reconstruction were achieved with facial fat grafting in most patients. Thus, the procedures performed under local anesthesia by experienced surgeons are safe.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV

This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Using continuous quantitative capnography for emergency department procedural sedation: a systematic review and cost-effectiveness analysis

End-tidal CO₂ has been advocated to improve safety of emergency department (ED) procedural sedation by decreasing hypoxia and catastrophic outcomes. This study aimed to estimate the cost-effectiveness of routine use of continuous waveform quantitative end-tidal CO₂ monitoring for ED procedural sedation in prevention of catastrophic events. Markov modeling was used to perform cost-effectiveness analysis to estimate societal costs per prevented catastrophic event (death or hypoxic brain injury) during routine ED procedural sedation. Estimates for efficacy of capnography and safety of sedation were derived from the literature. This model was then applied to all procedural sedations performed in US EDs with assumptions selected to maximize efficacy and minimize cost of implementation. Assuming that capnography decreases the catastrophic adverse event rate by 40.7% (proportional to efficacy in preventing hypoxia), routine use of capnography would decrease the 5-year estimated catastrophic event rate in all US EDs from 15.5 events to 9.2 events (difference 6.3 prevented events per 5 years). Over a 5-year period, implementing routine end-tidal CO₂ monitoring would cost an estimated $2,830,326 per prevented catastrophic event, which translates into $114,007 per quality-adjusted life-year. Sensitivity analyses suggest that reasonable assumptions continue to estimate high costs of prevented catastrophic events. Continuous waveform quantitative end-tidal CO₂ monitoring is a very costly strategy to prevent catastrophic complications of procedural sedation when applied routinely in ED procedural sedations.

Evidence-Based Medicine: Liposuction

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After studying this article, the participant should be able to: 1. Review the appropriate indications and techniques for suction-assisted lipectomy body contouring surgery. 2. Accurately calculate the patient limits of lidocaine for safe dosing during the tumescent infiltration phase of liposuction. 3. Determine preoperatively possible "red flags" or symptoms and signs in the patient history and physical examination that may indicate a heightened risk profile for a liposuction procedure. 4. Provide an introduction to adjunctive techniques to liposuction such as energy-assisted liposuction and to determine whether or not the reader may decide to add them to his or her practice.

SUMMARY

With increased focus on one's aesthetic appearance, liposuction has become the most popular cosmetic procedure in the world since its introduction in the 1980s. As it has become more refined with experience, safety, patient selection, preoperative assessment, fluid management, proper technique, and overall care of the patient have been emphasized and improved. For the present article, a systematic review of the relevant literature regarding patient workup, tumescent fluid techniques, medication overview, and operative technique was conducted with a practical approach that the reader will possibly find clinically applicable. Recent trends regarding energy-assisted liposuction and body contouring local anesthesia use are addressed. Deep venous thromboembolism prophylaxis is mentioned, as are other common and less common possible complications. The article provides a literature-supported overview on liposuction techniques with an emphasis on preoperative assessment, medicines used, operative technique, and outcomes.

Is Office-Based Surgery Safe? Comparing Outcomes of 183,914 Aesthetic Surgical Procedures Across Different Types of Accredited Facilities

BACKGROUND

There has been a dramatic rise in office-based surgery. However, due to wide variations in regulatory standards, the safety of office-based aesthetic surgery has been questioned.

OBJECTIVES

This study compares complication rates of cosmetic surgery performed at office-based surgical suites (OBSS) to ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and hospitals.

METHODS

A prospective cohort of patients undergoing cosmetic surgery between 2008 and 2013 were identified from the CosmetAssure database (Birmingham, AL). Patients were grouped by type of accredited facility where the surgery was performed: OBSS, ASC, or hospital. The primary outcome was the incidence of major complication(s) requiring emergency room visit, hospital admission, or reoperation within 30 days postoperatively. Potential risk factors including age, gender, body mass index (BMI), smoking, diabetes, type of procedure, and combined procedures were reviewed.

RESULTS

Of the 129,007 patients (183,914 procedures) in the dataset, the majority underwent the procedure at ASCs (57.4%), followed by hospitals (26.7%) and OBSS (15.9%). Patients operated in OBSS were less likely to undergo combined procedures (30.3%) compared to ASCs (31.8%) and hospitals (35.3%, P < .01). Complication rates in OBSS, ASCs, and hospitals were 1.3%, 1.9%, and 2.4%, respectively. On multivariate analysis, there was a lower risk of developing a complication in an OBSS compared to an ASC (RR 0.67, 95% CI 0.59-0.77, P < .01) or a hospital (RR 0.59, 95% CI 0.52-0.68, P < .01).

CONCLUSIONS

Accredited OBSS appear to be a safe alternative to ASCs and hospitals for cosmetic procedures. Plastic surgeons should continue to triage their patients carefully based on other significant comorbidities that were not measured in this present study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 3.

Caprini Scores, Risk Stratification, and Rivaroxaban in Plastic Surgery: Time to Reconsider Our Strategy

Limited data are available regarding the pathophysiology of venous thromboembolism in plastic surgery patients. In an effort to identify patients at greater risk, some investigators promote individual risk assessment using Caprini scores. However, these scores do not correlate with relative risk values. Affected patients cannot be reliably predicted (97% false positive rate). Caprini scores make many body contouring patients candidates for chemoprophylaxis, an intervention that introduces risks related to anticoagulation. Caprini has financial conflicts with several companies that manufacture products such as enoxaparin, commonly used for chemoprophylaxis. Rivaroxaban, taken orally, has been used by some plastic surgeons as an alternative to enoxaparin injections. However, this medication is not United States Food and Drug Administration approved for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in plastic surgery patients, and a reversal agent is unavailable. This article challenges the prevailing wisdom regarding individual risk stratification and chemoprophylaxis. Alternative methods to reduce risk for all patients include safer anesthesia methods and Doppler ultrasound surveillance. Clinical findings alone are unreliable in diagnosing deep venous thromboses. Only by using a reliable diagnostic tool such as Doppler ultrasound are we able to learn more about the natural history of this problem in our patients. Such knowledge is likely to better inform our treatment recommendations.

Facial Aesthetic Surgery: The Safe Use of Oral Sedation in an Office-Based Facility

BACKGROUND

The desire for efficient and safe office-based facial plastic surgery procedures has continued to rise. Oral sedation is a safe and effective method to provide anesthesia for facial aesthetic surgery.

OBJECTIVES

This study reviewed private practice anesthesia-related outcomes using oral sedation combined with local anesthesia for office-based facial aesthetic surgery procedures.

METHODS

A retrospective chart review was performed on all patients who underwent office-based facial plastic surgery procedures from July 2008 to July 2014. Patient demographic data including age, gender, body mass index (BMI), past medical history, social history, surgical history, allergies, and medications were collected. Anesthesia-related data were also collected including: American Society of Anesthesia (ASA) class, type of procedure, medications administered, and major complications related to sedation were assessed.

RESULTS

There were 199 patients (23 males and 176 females) who underwent 283 facial aesthetic surgical procedures. Mean age was 49.8 years (range, 29 to 80 years). There were 195 patients in ASA class I and 4 patients were in ASA class II. Patients underwent 44 upper blepharoplasty procedures, 35 lower blepharoplasty procedures, 5 browlifts, 43 upper blepharoplasty-browpexy, 46 facelifts, 38 neck lifts/lower facelifts, 54 fat grafting, 3 tip rhinoplasties, and 15 minor revision cases. During the study period, there were no major complications and no sedation issues.

CONCLUSIONS

Facial aesthetic surgical procedures can be performed safely and comfortably in the office-based setting under oral sedation in appropriately selected patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 4: Therapeutic.

Doppler ultrasound imaging for detection of deep vein thrombosis in plastic surgery outpatients: a prospective controlled study

BACKGROUND

Venous thromboembolism is a serious surgical complication. Risk stratification does not reliably predict which patients will be affected, and anticoagulants introduce additional risks. The Doppler ultrasound scan is the definitive test for the detection of deep vein thrombosis.

OBJECTIVES

This prospective, controlled study was undertaken to determine the feasibility of Doppler ultrasound imaging as a screening tool for deep vein thromboses in plastic surgery outpatients.

METHODS

Doppler ultrasound screening was offered to 100 consecutive outpatients undergoing a variety of cosmetic plastic surgeries. Total intravenous anesthesia was administered by propofol infusion, and a laryngeal mask airway was inserted. SAFE (spontaneous breathing, avoid gas, face up, and extremities mobile) principles were observed. No patient received anticoagulants. Ultrasound scans were performed before surgery, 1 day after surgery, and approximately 1 week after surgery. Deep veins of the lower extremities, including the calf veins, were analyzed by compression, color Doppler imaging, and Doppler waveform analyses. Twenty-five control participants who did not undergo surgery were evaluated with ultrasonography. A survey was administered to all participants after the scans.

RESULTS

No thromboses were detected in the outpatient or control group. Few survey respondents reported discomfort during the scan, and most indicated that ultrasound scans are a valuable screening tool for blood clots.

CONCLUSIONS

Doppler ultrasound imaging of the lower extremities is a valuable, noninvasive method for detecting deep venous thromboses in plastic surgery outpatients. Additional study of this modality is warranted. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 2: Diagnostic.

Initial results from the National Anesthesia Clinical Outcomes Registry and overview of office-based anesthesia

Safe office-based anesthesia practices dictate proper patient and procedure selection, appropriate provider qualifications, adequately equipped facilities, and effective administrative infrastructure. Analysis of patient outcomes can help reduce mortality and morbidity by identifying high-risk patients and procedures. We analyzed data from the Anesthesia Quality Institute National Anesthesia Clinical Outcomes Registry. Analysis included patient demographics and outcomes, procedure and anesthesia type and duration, and case coverage by provider. Increased regulation and standardization of care, such as the use of checklists and professional guidelines, can advance safe practices. There is increasing emphasis on continuous quality improvement, electronic health records, and outcomes data reporting.

Deep venous thrombosis: prevention and management

This article summarizes current information on the risk and the assessment of risks for deep venous thrombosis (DVT) resulting from plastic surgery procedures. Risk assessment is the foundation for recommended methods of prevention of DVT and, in turn, possible pulmonary emboli. If prevention fails, treatment of DVT is required to avoid the major complication of pulmonary emboli. The significant risk of DVT and pulmonary emboli after an abdominoplasty is confirmed in this article.

Prevention of perioperative and anesthesia-related complications in facial cosmetic surgery

Although office-based anesthesia for facial cosmetic surgery remains remarkably safe, no anesthesia or sedation performed outside the operating room should be considered minor. Proper organization, preparation, and patient selection, close collaboration with the surgeon, and expert and effective anesthesia care will increase patient safety and improve perioperative outcomes and patient satisfaction. This article presents a comprehensive overview of anesthesia in terms of facial plastic surgery procedures, beginning with a broad review of essentials and pitfalls of anesthesia, followed by details of specific anesthetic agents, their administration, mechanism of action, and complications.

Airway management in the outpatient setting

Most outpatient cosmetic procedures are now performed in surgeons' offices, with patients under local anesthesia and minimal intravenous sedation. Sedation at any level beyond minimal creates the risk of airway obstruction and ventilatory depression, which can result in irreversible brain injury or death within minutes. This article discusses appropriate patient and procedure selection, and outlines the personnel, equipment, and techniques necessary to avoid such outcomes.

The role of systematic reviews in pharmacovigilance planning and Clinical Trials Authorisation application: example from the SLEEPS trial

BACKGROUND

Adequate sedation is crucial to the management of children requiring assisted ventilation on Paediatric Intensive Care Units (PICU). The evidence-base of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in this area is small and a trial was planned to compare midazolam and clonidine, two sedatives widely used within PICUs neither of which being licensed for that use. The application to obtain a Clinical Trials Authorisation from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) required a dossier summarising the safety profiles of each drug and the pharmacovigilance plan for the trial needed to be determined by this information. A systematic review was undertaken to identify reports relating to the safety of each drug.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

The Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) were obtained for each sedative. The MHRA were requested to provide reports relating to the use of each drug as a sedative in children under the age of 16. Medline was searched to identify RCTs, controlled clinical trials, observational studies, case reports and series. 288 abstracts were identified for midazolam and 16 for clonidine with full texts obtained for 80 and 6 articles respectively. Thirty-three studies provided data for midazolam and two for clonidine. The majority of data has come from observational studies and case reports. The MHRA provided details of 10 and 3 reports of suspected adverse drug reactions.

CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE

No adverse reactions were identified in addition to those specified within the SmPC for the licensed use of the drugs. Based on this information and the wide spread use of both sedatives in routine practice the pharmacovigilance plan was restricted to adverse reactions. The Clinical Trials Authorisation was granted based on the data presented in the SmPC and the pharmacovigilance plan within the clinical trial protocol restricting collection and reporting to adverse reactions.

Asystole in young athletic women during breast augmentation: a report of three cases

Reported herein are three cases of spontaneous bradycardia progressing to asystole during routine breast augmentation in healthy, adult female patients with a history of endurance training and resting bradycardia (heart rate <60 beats per minute). The incidence of this phenomenon is minimally reported and virtually unexplained in literature. Our goal is to alert the plastic surgery community of the possibility of these events occurring without warning in athletic patients, attempt to explain these findings, and provide a plan of action to minimize morbidity and mortality in these patients. The most severe case was that of a 38-year-old female who became severely bradycardic progressing to asystole during routine breast augmentation. She had no history of any medical problems, but did have a resting heart rate of <60. Glycopyrrolate, an antimuscarinic agent, was given and chest compressions started. After 10-20 s of chest compressions the patient's normal sinus rhythm resumed. Two other cases are also reported, although these patients responded to antimuscarinic agents without requiring chest compressions. Both were endurance athletes with a resting heart rate of <60. Bradycardia caused by a vagal response during surgery is not uncommon and routinely treated successfully with administration of atropine-like agents. Bradycardia progressing to frank asystole is rare and has not been reported in young, otherwise healthy, aesthetic surgery patients. This report should serve to alert the plastic surgeon to the possibility of this situation occurring and how to treat it successfully, especially in the outpatient or office-based surgery setting. Level of Evidence V This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article.

Types of office-based anesthetics

Over the past several decades, there have been evolutionary changes in both surgery and anesthesia. Newer anesthetics have excellent safety profiles and are associated with fewer hemodynamic side effects and rapid elimination from the body. Innovative surgical techniques are less invasive and cause less perioperative patient pain. These developments have fueled the growth of office-based surgery and anesthesia. All types of anesthesia, including local, monitored anesthesia care, general, and regional anesthesia, have been used safely within the private practitioner's office. Because of the remote nature of the private surgeon's office, the proper selection of both patient and procedure to be performed is of utmost importance. It is likewise imperative that the practitioner assures that the patient does not experience excessive postoperative pain and/or nausea and vomiting. It is of the utmost importance that the practicing anesthesiologist assure that every location in which procedures and surgeries are performed is a safe anesthetizing location.

Adverse events of conscious sedation in ambulatory spine procedures

BACKGROUND CONTEXT

Interventional spine procedures are commonly performed in the ambulatory surgical setting, often using conscious sedation. The rate of adverse events with conscious sedation has not been previously assessed in the interventional spine procedure setting.

PURPOSE

The goal of this study was to determine the rate of adverse events when using conscious sedation in the ambulatory interventional spine setting.

STUDY DESIGN

A retrospective cohort chart review analysis was performed on all interventional spine procedures performed during one calendar year at a university-affiliated ambulatory surgery center by six nonanesthesia-trained spine interventionalists.

PATIENT SAMPLE

Of the 3,342 procedures performed that year, 2,494 charts (74.6%) were available for review.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Adverse events were documented immediately after the procedure and at a maximum 3-day follow-up phone call.

METHODS

The rate and type of adverse events were analyzed and compared between those who received conscious sedation with local anesthesia and those who received local anesthesia alone.

RESULTS

Of the 2,494 cases reviewed, 1,228 spine procedures were performed with local anesthesia and conscious sedation, and 1,266 procedures were performed with local anesthesia alone. Of these cases, 66 immediate adverse events (5.12%) were documented in the conscious sedation group, and 61 immediate adverse events (4.82%) were documented in the local anesthesia alone group. At maximum 3-day follow-up, 670 patients of the conscious sedation group were available for contact, and 699 patients were available from the local anesthesia group. Thirty-two adverse events (4.77%) were noted in the conscious sedation group, and 28 adverse events (4.00%) were noted in the local anesthesia group. Comparison of these rates found no significant statistical difference. However, patients in the local anesthesia group had a significantly higher rate of postoperative hypertension. Adverse events reported both immediately and at follow-up were determined to be mild, with no serious adverse events reported.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study suggest that mild to moderate conscious sedation in interventional spine procedures is associated with low rates of adverse events when established protocols are followed.

Alfentanil sedation for oculoplastic surgery: the patient experience

PURPOSE

A number of agents have previously been reported to be safe and effective for sedation and analgesia in ophthalmic surgery under local anaesthesia, but there has been no previous patient-focused assessment of this form of conscious sedation. We present a patient satisfaction survey, including a validated pain score, for patients undergoing oculoplastic procedures under local anaesthesia with alfentanil sedation.

METHODS

A prospective, non-randomized, questionnaire-based study of the experience, satisfaction and pain scores of consecutive patients undergoing oculoplastic procedures under local anaesthesia with alfentanil sedation at University Hospital, Coventry, UK, under the care of one Consultant Oculoplastic Surgeon between 2006 and 2009.

RESULTS

Three hundred and sixty-seven patients were surveyed over the 3-year period. Overall, 52% were female and 89% of Caucasian ethnic origin. Mean duration of surgical procedures was 34 minutes (range 2-120 minutes). Over 90% of patients described a low pain score, both during the local anaesthetic injection and per-operatively, and 98% stated that they were happy to have this sedation technique for further oculoplastic surgery in future. Side effects related to sedation were reported in 5% of patients. There were no conversions to general anaesthesia and no day-case patients required an overnight in-patient stay.

CONCLUSION

Conscious sedation with alfentanil for oculoplastic procedures under local anaesthesia results in low pain scores and high patient satisfaction with minimal complications.

Surgical treatment of nasal obstruction in rhinoplasty

Often, rhinoplasty patients present not just for aesthetic correction, but for improvement of their nasal breathing due to functional abnormalities or problems. Because the aesthetic and functional problems must be addressed together, an understanding of both the internal and external anatomy is essential. In this article, the authors review the differential diagnosis of nasal obstruction and the important components of a thorough examination. In this article, medical treatment options are not discussed, but just as an exacting aesthetic analysis leads to an appropriate cosmetic rhinoplasty plan, a thorough functional analysis will dictate the appropriate medical or surgical treatment.

Anesthesia for cosmetic surgery

Increasing numbers of plastic surgery procedures are performed in diverse environments, including traditional hospital operating rooms, outpatient surgery centers, and private offices. Just as plastic surgeons develop areas of specialization to better care for their patients, anesthesiologists have specialized in outpatient plastic surgery, both cosmetic and reconstructive. The methods they utilize are similar to those for other procedures but incorporate specific techniques that aim to better relieve preoperative anxiety, induce and awaken patients more smoothly, and minimize postoperative sequelae of anesthesia such as nausea and vomiting. It is important for plastic surgeons to understand these techniques since they are the ones who are ultimately responsible for their patients' care and are frequently called on to employ anesthesiologists for their practices, surgery centers, and hospitals. The following is a review of the specific considerations that should be given to ambulatory plastic surgery patients and the techniques used to safely administer agreeable and effective anesthesia.

Patient safety: Part I. Patient safety and the dermatologist

Congress is grappling with ways to fund health care in the future. Much of the focus rests on paying physicians for their patients' outcomes, rather than the current system of payment for services provided during each visit. The years ahead will be years of change for American health care, with an increasing emphasis on the comparison of patient outcomes and measures of quality. Patient safety initiatives will be an integral part of the overall strategy to improve American health care. Part one of this two-part series on patient safety examines what we know about patient safety in dermatology, including data from medicolegal claims and published data on patient safety in the setting of office-based surgery. The article also focuses on how medical societies, payers, the US government, and the Board of Medical Specialties are responding to calls for accountability and improvements in patient safety.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After completing this learning activity, participants should be able to identify risks to patient safety based on an understanding of the major causes of legal claims against dermatologists, use published patient safety data to improve the practice of office surgery, and be able to improve patient safety through an understanding of requirements for maintenance of certification.

Anesthesia morbidity and mortality experience among Massachusetts oral and maxillofacial surgeons

PURPOSE

To document the incidence of specific complications and the mortality rate for office anesthesia administered by fully qualified oral and maxillofacial surgeons in the state of Massachusetts.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A survey questionnaire was mailed to the 169 active members of the Massachusetts Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Using a specific method for follow-up, a 100% response was obtained.

RESULTS

The frequency of office anesthetic complications occurring in 2004 were consistent with our previous studies. There was 1 office death, for a mortality rate of 1/1,733,055. The incidence of other specific anesthetic-related complications is documented.

CONCLUSION

From the data presented here, we conclude that outpatient anesthesia in the oral and maxillofacial surgery office continues to be a safe therapeutic modality.

Preoperative Assessment of the Surgical Patient

Nurses play an important role in the preassessment of surgical patients. With the rise in free-standing surgical clinics and the move of many surgical procedures to office-based surgical clinics, quality patient care could be compromised. Preassessment of surgical patients in office-based and hospital clinics ensures quality patient care from the moment patients enter the office to when they are discharged from care. The process of preoperative evaluation is essential in assessing the medical condition of patients, evaluating their overall health status, determining risk factors, and educating them. Surgical preassessment benefits patients, physicians, and nurses by not only improving surgical outcomes and patient satisfaction but also ensuring patient safety. Nurses employed in office-based surgical suites require specialized knowledge and clinical skills to offer continued, well-informed care to their patients.

Sedation Analgesia during Office-Based Plastic Surgery Procedures: Comparison of Two Opioid Regimens

BACKGROUND

The combination of sedative and analgesic drugs is increasingly being used during minimally invasive surgery. The authors compared the clinical efficacy of two different fentanyl regimens, in combination with midazolam, for sedation analgesia in patients undergoing office-based plastic surgery procedures under local anesthesia.

METHODS

One-hundred patients were randomized into two groups of 50 subjects each. Group F1 received a fentanyl bolus of 0.7 microg/kg before infiltration with local anaesthetics; group F2 received the same bolus plus 0.6 microg/kg fentanyl every 45 minutes. All patients received a midazolam bolus of 0.05 mg/kg plus continuous infusion 0.08 mg/kg per hour.

RESULTS

High-quality analgesia was obtained in every group, without significant differences between the two fentanyl regimens. Group F2 was associated with lower intraoperative mean blood pressure and SpO2 values compared with group F1. No differences were detected between the two groups in perioperative side effects or postoperative pain.

CONCLUSION

Higher doses of opioid did not improve the quality of perioperative patient comfort but acted synergistically with the sedative drugs, amplifying the hemodynamic and respiratory side effects.

Decision making in abdominoplasty

BACKGROUND

Improvements and variations in abdominoplasty techniques have complicated patient and procedure selection. The authors describe their guidelines for selecting the ideal procedure to be used with patients by stratifying them into treatment groups according to the presence and location of excess skin and subcutaneous tissue, lipodystrophy, and abdominal wall laxity.

METHODS

A prospective study analyzed 151 female patients treated for abdominal contour deformities from January 2004 to July 2005. The patients were systematically classified into five treatment groups: mini-abdominoplasty (5%), standard abdominoplasty (42%), abdominoplasty with liposuction and minimal midline undermining (10%), standard abdominoplasty with removal of deep fat (13%), and circumferential abdominoplasty (30%).

RESULTS

The patients had a mean age of 42 years and a mean body mass index (BMI) of 26 kg/m(2). The prevalence of overweight (BMI, 25.0-29.9) was 37%, and that of obesity (BMI > 30.0) was 19%. Comparison of pre- and postoperative photographs included improved tension of the entire abdominal wall, enhancement of the waistline, and increased uniformity of the contour of the abdomen. There was a significant difference in mean BMI between preabdominoplasty (26 kg/m(2)) and postabdominoplasty (24 kg/m(2)) (p = 0.01). The prevalence of overweight and obesity decreased by 8% and 9%, respectively (p = 0.01), and a decrease in BMI occurred within each abdominoplasty subgroup (p = 0.01). The prevalence of complications was 11%. Seroma (4%) and delayed wound healing (4%) were the most common. One case of pulmonary embolus was encountered. Although there was a positive trend in complications with higher BMI, no statistically significant difference was found (p = 0.74). Half of the patients had additional procedures performed without a significant increase in complications (p = 0.5).

CONCLUSIONS

The described algorithm for abdominoplasty selection is safe, effective, and flexible, with long-term improvement in abdominal contour and BMI.

Colonoscopy in the office setting is safe, and financially sound ... for now

PURPOSE

In 2000, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced a plan to allow for enhanced reimbursement for office endoscopy. This change in reimbursement was phased in during three years. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the fiscal outcomes and quality measures in the first two and a one-half years of performing endoscopy in an office setting under the new Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services guidelines.

METHODS

The following financial parameters were gathered: number of endoscopies, expenses (divided into salaries and operational), net revenue, and margin for endoscopies performed in the office compared with the hospital. All endoscopies were performed by endoscopists with advanced training (gastroenterology fellowship or colon and rectal surgery residency). Monitoring equipment included continuous SaO2 and automated blood pressure in all patients and continuous electrocardiographic monitors in selected patients. Quality/safety data have been tracked in a prospective manner and include number of transfers to the hospital, perforations, bleeding requiring transfusion or hospitalization, and cardiorespiratory arrest.

RESULTS

The financial outcomes are as follows: 13,285 endoscopies performed from the opening of the unit through December 2003; net revenue per case $504 per case; expense per case has dropped from $205 per case to $145 per case; the overall financial benefit of performing endoscopy in the office compared with the hospital was an additional $28 to $143 per case depending on the insurance carrier. The quality outcomes since inception of the unit include the following: 13,285 endoscopies; 0 hospital transfers, 0 cardiorespiratory arrests; 0 perforations; and 1 bleeding episode that required hospitalization.

CONCLUSIONS

Endoscopy performed in the office setting is safe when done with appropriate monitoring and in the proper patient population. At the time of this study, office endoscopy also is financially rewarding but changes in Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reimbursement threaten the ability to retain any financial benefit.

The pitfalls of regulating office-based surgery by state legislatures and boards of medical examiners

Many surgical specialties currently provide their patients with cost-effective surgical procedures that are performed safely in an office-based setting. However, the growing number of procedures performed in this setting has lead many state legislatures and boards of medical examiners to the belief that these procedures must somehow be regulated to ensure patient safety. The first pitfall is demonstrating that a problem with safety exists, in spite of the fact that numerous published, peer-reviewed articles have proven that there is no problem. While it is relatively easy to develop a set of criteria to meet in order to certify a facility in which office surgery is to be performed, it is exceedingly difficult to determine similar criteria or scope of practice definitions that can be used fairly and accurately to determine which physicians are qualified to use those facilities. The use of hospital privileges, board certification, transfer agreements or extramural certification of facilities all have been recommended at one time or another as methods to determine physician qualifications, but no single standard has been developed that accurately reflects a fair and impartial method of determine physician qualifications.

Moderate Intravenous Sedation for Office-Based Full Face Laser Resurfacing Using a Continuous Infusion Propofol Pump

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to compare the anesthetic requirements and hemodynamic and oxygenation variables involved between the bolus midazolam/fentanyl intravenous sedation-analgesia technique, and the same technique combined with continuous-infusion propofol.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This was a retrospective chart analysis of 41 consecutive patients undergoing full-face carbon dioxide laser resurfacing with either bolus midazolam/fentanyl (n = 15) or midazolam/fentanyl with continuous propofol infusion anesthesia (n = 26) techniques. Data recorded were noninvasive baseline and intraoperative hemodynamic measurements at 5-minute intervals for systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), pulse pressure (PP), pulse (P), and rate-pressure product (RPP), respiratory rate (RR), and oxygen saturation (SpO2). Data collected were reported as mean values with standard deviation. Statistical analyses were performed with the Student's t test and found statistically significant for P < .05.

RESULTS

Statistically significant decreases in averages were seen in SBP (P < .001), DBP (P = .02), MAP (P = .004), P (P < .00l), RPP (P < .00l), and RR (P < .001), but not PP (P = .4) and SpO2 (P = .08) in the midazolam/fentanyl/continuous propofol infusion group compared with the midazolam/fentanyl only group. Changes from baseline were statistically significant only for MAP (P = .04), but statistically insignificant for all other measurements, SBP (P = .7), DBP (P = .4), P (P = .95), PP (P = .97), RPP (P = .6), RR (P = .6), and SpO2 (P = .4). Statistically significant smaller amounts of midazolam (P = .01) and fentanyl (P < .001) were used in the midazolam/fentanyl/continuous propofol infusion pump group. Length of procedure was statistically insignificant between groups (P = .4). Conclusion The addition of a continuous propofol pump maintained hemodynamic and oxygenation values close to baseline, while decreasing the amount of respiratory depressing opiates administered and without affecting the length of the procedure.

Hemodynamics and oxygen saturation during intravenous sedation for office-based laser-assisted uvuloplasty

PURPOSE

Patients undergoing office-based laser-assisted uvuloplasty (LAUP) for snoring or mild obstructive sleep apnea are generally obese and have a high Mallampati score. Because avoidance of supplemental oxygen during laser procedures is generally mandated, the potential for intraoperative desaturation is high. This study was designed to look at intraoperative hemodynamic changes, respiration patterns, and oxygen saturations during intravenous sedation with midazolam and fentanyl during LAUP procedures.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was a retrospective anesthesia chart review of 15 consecutive patients undergoing midazolam/fentanyl intravenous sedation for office-based LAUP treatment for snoring and/or mild obstructive sleep apnea. Data recorded were noninvasive baseline and intraoperative hemodynamic measurements at 5-minute intervals for systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), pulse pressure (PP), pulse (P), and rate-pressure product (RPP). Data collected were reported as mean values with standard deviation. Statistical analysis using the Student's t test was performed and found significant for P<.05.

RESULTS

All changes from baseline were statistically insignificant, SBP (P=.4), DBP (P=.2), MAP (P=.2), P (P=.1), PP (P=.9), RPP (P=.5), RR (P=.9), and SpO2 (P=.4), and all within +/-20% of baseline (range, -5.0% to +7.5%).

CONCLUSION

Midazolam and fentanyl intravenous sedation with local anesthesia maintained intraoperative hemodynamic and oxygenation variables close to baseline for office-based LAUP procedures.