We prospectively collected data on perioperative complications of CBR from February 2000 to February 2003; in this period we performed 128 percutaneous dilating tracheostomies with the CBR technique. The complication rate was extremely low (Table 1). Although we must mention that we considered bleeding to have taken place only when blood loss was ‘guesstimated’ to be more than 20 ml, lifethreat...

Extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) is an established surgical treatment for malignant mesothelioma; this operation is, however, burdened by a high rate of perioperative morbidity, mostly related to the surgical procedure. Diaphragmatic patch dehiscence is a potentially serious complication often related to the difficulty in placement of the fixing stitches, especially in the costo-phrenic angle. ...

Background Advances in surgical and anesthetic techniques combined with sophisticated perioperative monitoring are factors that have contributed to an expanding number of older adults undergoing surgery. Older persons often have multiple comorbid conditions that limit their functional capacity and increase the risk of death. An initial complication is much more likely to lead to other complicat...

Spinal epidural hematoma is a rare but serious neurological complication of neuraxial anesthesia. Enoxaparin sodium is a low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) for use in preventing deep venous thrombosis in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty and total knee arthroplasty. Hemorrhage is an uncommon but documented adverse reaction when using LMWH. We report a case of epidural hematoma after l...

Diagnosis of a pneumothorax in the perioperative area can be difficult. Traditional gold-standard modalities may not be available or feasible to institute. Ultrasound guidance allows the anesthesia provider a method of quickly ruling out this potentially life-threatening complication. In this article we detail the use of sonography for fast and accurate diagnosis of pneumothorax. The essential ...

Paraplegia is a tragic complication of surgery of the descending aorta. It is unpredictable and occurs with a similar incidence with or without distal circulatory support. Hypotension, prolonged aortic cross clamp time, and ligation of intercostal arteries have been considered causative factors. Recent experience with ten consecutive patients undergoing descending aortic surgery without shunts ...

Neurogenic bradycardia which can lead to cardiac arrest is a rare, but well-recognized complication of anesthesia. we report the cases two patients admitted for craniotomy who presented intraoperative due TrigeminoCardiac Reflex and Hypothalamic stimulation immediately reversible after cessation stimulation. The importance having knowledge, vigilance, equipment skills quickly deal with such cas...