BACKGROUND: Coronary artery bypass graft with cardiopulmonary bypass is the standard surgical coronary revascularization procedure; however, there are many adverse effects such as air embolism, and high rate of neurologic and coagulation complications. In this article, we describe hemodynamic alterations during coronary bypass grafting (CABG) without cardiopulmonary bypass but using a medical tissue stabilizer. METHODS: Thirty patients were included in our study who underwent an off-pump CABG (OPCAB) between 1/1999 and 12/1999. RESULTS: We created 73 anastomoses. Movement of the heart to reach the target site of anastomosis caused hemodynamic alterations. These could be corrected by anesthetic interventions such as fluid load and low dose inotropics. Complications included postoperative panperitonitis (one patient), and delirium tremens (one patient). On the other hand, major complications, such as intraoperative myocardial infarction and stroke did not occur. The median postoperative length of hospital stay was 14 days. Overall operative mortality was 3.3% (one patient). CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of the present data, off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting appeared to be a safe and effective technique in selected patients with appropriate coronary lesions. Off-pump CABG surgery requires anesthetic interventions because hemodynamic alterations are caused by the presentation of the heart to the surgeon.
Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Coronary Artery Bypass ; Coronary Artery Bypass, Off-Pump* ; Embolism, Air ; Hand ; Heart ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Mortality ; Myocardial Infarction ; Stroke ; Transplants*

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of postural change on hemodynamics using thoracic eletrical bioimpedance (TEB) device during general anesthesia with enflurane-N2O-O2 and lumbar epidural anesthesia. The TEB device is safe, reliable and non-invasive way to measure hemodynmic values continuously. METHODS: General anesthesia (twenty patients) was induced by administration of pentotal sodium 5 mg/kg and succinylcholine 1 mg/kg intravenously, and was maintained with 1 vol% of enflurane, N2O-O2 (2 l/min-2 l/min) and vecuronium 0.1 mg/kg. Epidural anesthesia (twenty patients) was performed at the level of L3-4 epidural space using 20 ml of 2% xylocaine mixed with epinephrine (5 microgram/ml). Hemodynamic changes were measured before induction, 1 and 5 minutes after intubation or epidural injection, 1, 5, 10, 20, 30 minutes after head- down tilt and 1, 5, 10 minutes after returning to the supine position. RESULTS: HR and LVSWI were minimaly affected in group E with epidural anesthesia compared to group G with general anesthesia. BP (SBP, DBP, MAP) and SVRI were remarkably increased in group G compared to group E. BP and SVRI showed rapid increse 1 minutes after head-down tilt in group G (p<0.01) and decreased gradually thereafter. SI and CI were decreased significantly in group G compared to group E (p<0.001). SI was unchanged but CI was decreasd significantly after head-down tilt in group E (p<0.05). EDI and ACI showed lower values decreased in general significantly in group G compared to group E (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: All hemodynamic changes were more predictable, gradual, less variable, and stable in the group with epidural anesthesia compared to the group with general anesthesia for hysterectomy.
Anesthesia, Epidural* ; Anesthesia, General ; Enflurane ; Epidural Space ; Epinephrine ; Head-Down Tilt ; Hemodynamics* ; Humans ; Hysterectomy* ; Injections, Epidural ; Intubation ; Lidocaine ; Mortuary Practice* ; Sodium ; Succinylcholine ; Supine Position ; Vecuronium Bromide

Currently-available imaging techniques provide accurate localization of a tumor in patients with pheochromocytoma. The precision of this information allows the use of a more selective surgical approach to the tumor, such as by laparoscopy. We describe a case of a 54-year-old female who underwent resection of pheochromocytoma by a laparoscopic approach. Two events resulted in significant hemodynamic changes; the creation of the pneumoperitoneum and adrenal gland manupulation. Preoperative preparation with alpha-adrenergic blocking agents and adequate fluid loading before insufflation attenuated intraoperative cardiovascular changes, while titration of sodium nitroprusside and phentolamine allowed easy and quick control of the hemodynamic aberrances related to these processes. As a result, the operation was carried out safely, and the postoperative course was unremarkable.
Adrenal Glands ; Adrenalectomy* ; Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists ; Female ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Insufflation ; Laparoscopy ; Middle Aged ; Nitroprusside ; Phentolamine ; Pheochromocytoma* ; Pneumoperitoneum

A 25-year-old female came in for an explo-laparotomy. The operation was performed under epidural anesthesia. Potassium chloride (40 mEq20 ml) instead of 2% lidocaine mixed with 1:200,000 epinephrine was accidently injected via a Tuohy needle into the epidural space. The patient showed an unexpected prolonged motor and sensory paralysis below the T, cord level for about 8 hours after the epidural injection. The patient recovered without a permanent neurologic sequale after 8 hours. However, the patient developed pulmonary edema resulting from rapid fluid therapy for unusual hypotension which developed 12 hours after the potassium chloride injection. The pulmonary edema was treated by oxygen therapy using a nonrebreathing oxygen mask, a dopamine drip and an intravenous injection of lasix 20 mg. The patient completely recovered from the pulmonary edema on the 3rd postoperative day and went home with no complaints.
Adult ; Anesthesia, Epidural ; Dopamine ; Epidural Space ; Epinephrine ; Female ; Fluid Therapy ; Furosemide ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Injections, Epidural ; Injections, Intravenous ; Lidocaine ; Masks ; Needles ; Oxygen ; Paralysis ; Paraplegia* ; Potassium Chloride* ; Potassium* ; Pulmonary Edema

OBJECTIVE: Investigation of initial 51 cases of single port access (SPA) laparoscopic surgery for large adnexal tumors and evaluation of safety and feasibility of the surgical technique. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of the first 51 patients who received SPA laparoscopic surgery for large adnexal tumors greater than 10 cm, from July 2010 to February 2015. RESULTS: SPA adnexal surgeries were successfully completed in 51 patients (100%). The mean age, body mass index of the patients were 43.1 years and 22.83 kg/m², respectively. The median operative time, median blood loss were 73.5 (range, 20 to 185) minutes, 54 (range, 5 to 500) mL, and the median tumor diameter was 13.6 (range, 10 to 30) cm. The procedures included bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (n=18, 36.0%), unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (n=14, 27.45%), and paratubal cystectomy (n=1, 1.96%). There were no cases of malignancy and none were insertion of additional ports or conversion to laparotomy. The cases with intraoperative spillage were 3 (5.88%) and benign cystic tumors. No other intraoperative and postoperative complications were observed during hospital days and 6-weeks follow-up period after discharge. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that SPA laparoscopic surgery for large adnexal tumors may be a safe and feasible alternative to conventional laparoscopic surgery.
Body Mass Index ; Cystectomy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Laparoscopy* ; Laparotomy ; Medical Records ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures ; Operative Time ; Ovary ; Postoperative Complications ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVE: It is well known that fresh blastocyst transfer results in better pregnancy outcomes with a smaller number of transferred embryos compared with cleavage stage embryo transfer. However, in terms of frozen-thawed blastocyst transfer, only a few studies are available. We aimed to evaluate clinical outcomes of frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) with blastocysts. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of FET cycles with blastocysts (B-FET) between Jan 2007 and June 2009 was performed. Age-matched FET cycles with cleavage stage embryos (C-FET) during the same period were collected as controls. A total of 58 B-FET cycles were compared with 172 C-FET cycles and also compared with those of post-thaw extended culture blastocysts from frozen pronuclear stage embryos (22 cycles). RESULTS: There was no difference in the patient characteristics of each group. The embryos' survival rates after thawing were comparable (>90%) and there was no difference in the implantation rate or clinical and ongoing pregnancy rate among the three groups. CONCLUSION: In FET, blastocyst transfers may not present better pregnancy outcomes than cleavage stage embryo transfers. A further large-scale prospective study is needed.
Blastocyst ; Embryo Transfer ; Embryonic Structures ; Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Pregnancy Rate ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

Chikungunya infection is caused by an arbovirus transmitted by the Aedes mosquito. A 19-year-old man who had traveled to the Republic of Surinam to perform volunteer work complained of a fever, arthralgia, articular stiffness, and a skin rash on both the arm and trunk. Chikungunya fever was diagnosed using a Chikungunya virus specific IgM antibody in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using blood samples obtained during follow-up visits. In this report, we describe a case of imported Chikungunya fever that presented with arthralgia and a skin rash, with islands of normal skin, that occurred following travel to Surinam, South America.
Aedes ; Arboviruses ; Arm ; Arthralgia ; Chikungunya virus* ; Culicidae ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Exanthema ; Fever ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin M ; Islands ; Skin ; South America* ; Suriname* ; Volunteers ; Young Adult

A C6 beta-chemokine, CKbeta8-1, suppressed the colony formation of CD34 + cells of human cord blood (CB). Molecular mechanisms involved in CKbeta8-1-medicated suppression of colony formation of CD34 + cells are not known. To address this issue, the level of various G1/S cell cycle regulating proteins in CKbeta8-1-treated CD34 + cells were compared with those in untreated CD34 + cells. CKbeta8-1 did not significantly alter the expression of the G1/S cycle regulation proteins (cyclin D1, D3, and E), CDK inhibitor (p27and Rb), and other cell proliferation regulation protein (p53) in CB CD34 + cells. Here we describe an in vitro system in which CB CD34 + cells were committed to a multipotent progenitor lineage of colony forming units-granulocyte/macrophage (CFU-GM) by a simple combination of recombinant human (rh) GM-CSF and rhIL-3. In this culture system, we found that cyclin E protein appeared later and disappeared faster in the CKbeta8-1-treated cells than in the control cells during CFU-GM lineage development. These findings suggested that cyclin E may play a role in suppressing the colony formation of CFU-GM by CKbeta8-1.
Antigens, CD34/metabolism ; Cell Cycle Proteins/metabolism ; Cell Lineage ; Cells, Cultured ; Chemokines, CC/*pharmacology ; Cyclin E/*metabolism ; Fetal Blood/*cytology ; G1 Phase/drug effects ; Gene Expression Regulation/*drug effects ; Granulocytes/cytology/*drug effects/metabolism ; Growth Substances/pharmacology ; Humans ; Macrophages/cytology/*drug effects/metabolism ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Stem Cells/cytology/*drug effects/metabolism

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to determine whether the injection rate affects the spread of spinal anesthesia in cesarean sections. METHODS: Spinal anesthesia was performed on 45 parturients in a cesaren section. Dural puncture was performed in the sitting position with a 27-gauge Whitacre needle. All patients received a mixture of 10 mg hyperbaric bupivacaine and 15 microgram fentanyl. Twenty five (Group I) patients received rapid injections (about 0.2-0.3 ml/sec) and twenty (Group II) received slow injections (about 0.1 ml/sec). Anesthetic levels, time to T4 sensory block, maximal height sensory block and incidence of hypotension were measured. RESULTS: There was significantly rapid T4 sensory block in group I but no differences in maximal height of sensory block and incidence of hypotension between the two groups. CONCLSIONS: We conclude that injection rate (about 0.1-0.3 ml/sec) has a statistically insignificant influence on the maximal height sensory block and incidence of hypotension.
Anesthesia, Spinal* ; Bupivacaine* ; Cesarean Section* ; Female ; Fentanyl ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Incidence ; Needles ; Pregnancy ; Punctures

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism and hyperhomocysteinemia in women with unexplained recurrent miscarriages (RM) and to investigate the association between MTHFR genotype variants and alloimmune activation, proportion of peripheral blood natural killer (pbNK) cells. METHODS: A total of 39 patients with a history of two or more unexplained miscarriages were recruited to this study. The controls were women who had a live birth without a history of RM (n=50). The proportion of pbNK cells was measured by flow cytometry. Plasma homocysteine levels and the incidence of the MTHFR variant of the RM and control groups were compared. The proportion of pbNK cells was compared to the MTHFR variants in the RM group. RESULTS: No differences were found between the two groups' mean plasma homocysteine levels (7.6+/-1.5 micromol/L vs. 7.1+/-2.1 micromol/L) or incidence of the MTHFR genotype variant (CC, 35% vs. 33%; CT, 40% vs. 53%; and TT, 25% vs. 14%). In the RM group, individuals with the TT variant (7.7+/-1.1 micromol/L) had higher homocysteine levels than those with the CC and CT variants (7.4+/-1.9 micromol/L and 7.4+/-1.2 micromol/L) and those with the CT variant (19.2+/-8.1%) had a higher proportion of CD3-/CD56+ pbNK cells than those with the CC and TT variants (17.7+/-6.6% and 17.9+/-7. 0%), but the results of both comparisons were statistically insignificant. CONCLUSION: These preliminary results show no difference in plasma homocysteine levels between the RM and control groups or among MTHFR genotype variants in the RM group, which may suggest that the plasma homocysteine level is difficult to use as a predictive marker of RM in the Korean population. A study of a larger number of patients is needed.
Abortion, Habitual ; Abortion, Spontaneous ; Female ; Flow Cytometry ; Genotype ; Homocysteine ; Humans ; Hyperhomocysteinemia ; Incidence ; Killer Cells, Natural ; Live Birth ; Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2) ; Plasma ; Pregnancy