Aortic aneurysms occur mainly due to atherosclerotic disease, and their conventional surgical repair is reserved for patients with anatomy unfavorable to endovascular repair. In this context, one of the challenges for the anesthesiologist is perioperative anesthetic-analgesic control. Continue reading
Nitrous oxide, also known as “laughing gas”, has been used for more than 150 years in medical practice, autonomously or in combination with other inhalation anesthetics, for pain relief, in various surgical interventions. In modern medicine, its use has declined, due to its side effects and also because of the advent of newer, shorter-acting agents and newer inhaled anesthetics. Continue reading
Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) has become a relatively safe procedure over the last decades, with reported 5-year survival rate of over 80%. Increasing numbers of patients will be transplated at a younger age and they will seek obstetric anaesthesia services, as their fertility is restored after succesful transplantation. In 1978, the first succesful pregnancy was reported. Continue reading
Graft-versus-host obstructive bronchiolitis, in pediatric patients, is a relatively common respiratory complication of chronic graft-versus-host disease, after allogeneic bone marrow transplant. It is irreversible, chronic and potentially life-threatening condition. Continue reading
During the last decade, Europe became known as a major climatic hotspot1, due to the world’s highest increase in average temperature; thus, associated with an increase in the frequency and intensity of heat waves and hot summers2. Continue reading
Despite the vast progress in contemporary medicine, the burden of spinal cord injury has increased over the last decades. Thus, more and more often patients with paraplegia appear for an emergency or elective surgery below the level of the injury. Anesthetic management of those patients can be turn out to be a challenge. Continue reading
Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory arthritis characterized by progressive ossification of the spinal column with resultant stiffness. Patients, with AS, have a suppressed immune function due to proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines which are responsible for the inflammation of the joint. Continue reading
Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by various abnormalities, such as hypotonia, high body mass index (BMI), craniofacial anomalies, and obstructive sleep apnea. Anesthetic management of these patients requires special perioperative planning and care due to multisystem involvement. Continue reading
Alport syndrome (AS) is a rare hereditary disease, in which there is a defect in type IV collagen, an essential constituent of basal membrane in kidney, ear and eye. This can cause progressive renal damage and eventually renal failure, as well as hearing loss and visual impairment. Definitive treatment, when end stage renal disease (ESRD) has ensued, is renal transplantation. Continue reading
Glycogen storage disease type Ia (GSD-Ia; Von Gierke disease) is an inherited disease caused by glucose-6-phosphatase deficiency. Perioperative management of patients with GSD has important implications for anaesthesiologists due to different system involvements. Continue reading
