BACKGROUND: Intravenous anesthetics such as propofol and ketamine have been known to have neuroprotective effects. However, the combination of these drug is not known. This study was conducted to determine the neuroprotective effects of propofol, ketamine or both after transient forebrain ischemia. METHODS: Twenty Sprague-Dawley rats (250-300 gm) were used. Anesthesia was induced with 4% isoflurane in oxygen and then maintained with 1 - 2% isoflurane in oxygen. Ischemic injury was induced by 10 minutes of both common carotid artery ligation and hypotension (MAP < 50 mmHg). All rats were randomly divided into four groups: group I; control group; group II; ketamine 10 mg/kg was administered 10 minutes before injury; group III; propofol (1 mg/kg/min) was administered until EEG isoelectricity; and group IV; ketamine 10 mg/kg and propofol 1 mg/kg/min was administered. The Rectal temperature was maintained at 38oC. After forebrain ischemia, neurologic scores were estimated at 1 hr, 2 hrs, 1 day and 2 days after recovery. The brain was removed 3 days after and stained with H-E stain. RESULTS: Neurologic and histologic scores of group II, III, IV were significantly lower than that of group I. However, there were no significant difference between group II, III and IV. CONCLUSIONS: Ketamine and propofol have neuroprotective effects in transient forebrain ischemia in rats. However, the combination of propofol and ketamine did not show any synergistic or additive effects.
Anesthesia ; Anesthetics, Intravenous ; Animals ; Brain ; Carotid Artery, Common ; Electroencephalography ; Hypotension ; Ischemia* ; Isoflurane ; Ketamine* ; Ligation ; Neuroprotective Agents* ; Oxygen ; Propofol* ; Prosencephalon* ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

BACKGROUND: Spinal cord ischemic injury occurring after surgical repair of thoracoabdominal aortic disease leaves a devastating complication. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of anesthetic preconditioning on neurologic outcome and Bcl-2 family protein gene expression in transient spinal ischemia. METHODS: In first experiment rats were divided by 4 groups and anesthetized with intraperitoneal propofol, enflurane, sevoflurane, or isoflurane. In second experiment, all rats were anesthetized with intraperitoneal propofol and enflurane, sevoflurane, isoflurane were given during 30 minutes and 14 minutes of spinal ischemia was induced 30 minutes later. Spinal ischemia was produced by both induced hypotension and thoracic aortic cross clamping. Neurologic scores were assessed 1, 3, 24, 48 hours after transient spinal ischemia. After 48 hours, rats were killed under anesthesia and spinal cords were removed for the assay of Bcl-2 family protein mRNA expression. RESULTS: The neurologic injury of S and I group were significantly lesser than P group. 30 minutes of anesthetic preconditioning with enflurane, sevoflurane, and isoflurane showed significantly better neurologic outcome compared to propofol, enflurane, sevoflurane, or isoflurane anesthetized rats. Bcl-2 family protein mRNA expression of I group and IP group were lesser than the other groups. CONCLUSIONS: Anesthetic preconditioning with volatile anesthetics for 30 minutes could reduce ischemic injury during transient spinal ischemia. The degree of neurologic injury may not be related to the expression of pro-apoptotic protein Bax. Isoflurane may have different influence on apoptosis after spinal ischemia compared to enflurane or sevoflurane.
Anesthesia ; Anesthetics ; Anesthetics, Inhalation ; Animals ; Aortic Diseases ; Apoptosis ; Constriction ; Enflurane ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Ischemia* ; Isoflurane ; Propofol ; Rats* ; RNA, Messenger* ; Spinal Cord ; Spinal Cord Ischemia

BACKGROUND: Spinal cord ischemic injury occurring after surgical repair of thoracoabdominal aortic disease leaves a devastating complication. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of anesthetic preconditioning on neurologic outcome and Bcl-2 family protein gene expression in transient spinal ischemia. METHODS: In first experiment rats were divided by 4 groups and anesthetized with intraperitoneal propofol, enflurane, sevoflurane, or isoflurane. In second experiment, all rats were anesthetized with intraperitoneal propofol and enflurane, sevoflurane, isoflurane were given during 30 minutes and 14 minutes of spinal ischemia was induced 30 minutes later. Spinal ischemia was produced by both induced hypotension and thoracic aortic cross clamping. Neurologic scores were assessed 1, 3, 24, 48 hours after transient spinal ischemia. After 48 hours, rats were killed under anesthesia and spinal cords were removed for the assay of Bcl-2 family protein mRNA expression. RESULTS: The neurologic injury of S and I group were significantly lesser than P group. 30 minutes of anesthetic preconditioning with enflurane, sevoflurane, and isoflurane showed significantly better neurologic outcome compared to propofol, enflurane, sevoflurane, or isoflurane anesthetized rats. Bcl-2 family protein mRNA expression of I group and IP group were lesser than the other groups. CONCLUSIONS: Anesthetic preconditioning with volatile anesthetics for 30 minutes could reduce ischemic injury during transient spinal ischemia. The degree of neurologic injury may not be related to the expression of pro-apoptotic protein Bax. Isoflurane may have different influence on apoptosis after spinal ischemia compared to enflurane or sevoflurane.
Anesthesia ; Anesthetics ; Anesthetics, Inhalation ; Animals ; Aortic Diseases ; Apoptosis ; Constriction ; Enflurane ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Ischemia* ; Isoflurane ; Propofol ; Rats* ; RNA, Messenger* ; Spinal Cord ; Spinal Cord Ischemia

Congenital arachnoid cysts are commonly located at sylvian cistern or middle cranial fossa which are usually asymptomatic and incidentally found. Posterior fossa cysts, however, are usually large when diagnosed, and symptomatic. Three cases of large posterior fossa cysts were recognized on the diagnostic MRI investigation for infantile spasm, developmental delay, and the precocious puberty. Surgical decompression of the cysts by craniectomy, cyst excision and fenestration were performed successfully in two patients with arachnoid cysts in the cerebellopontine cistern and the suprasellar, right cerebellopontine, and prepontine cisterns, but an additional cystoperitoneal shunt was needed in a case with the cyst in the quadrigemial cistern with obstructive hydrocephalus. Infantile spasm was treated with vigabatrin and pyridoxine, and the true precocious puberty was managed with LHRH analogue(Decapeptyl ).
Arachnoid Cysts* ; Arachnoid* ; Cranial Fossa, Middle ; Decompression, Surgical ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Puberty, Precocious ; Pyridoxine ; Spasms, Infantile ; Vigabatrin

No abstract available.
Myocardial Infarction

BACKGROUND: Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) is widely used for postoperative pain control. Theoretical advantages in maintaining an effective blood concentration of the analgesic medication using a basal infusion regimen is controversal. Therefore in this study, we compared the analgesic effect between PCA and PCA with a basal infusion and assessed whether the use of a basal infusion improves the analgesic effect in intravenous PCA or not. METHODS: Twenty six ASA physical status 1 or 2 female patients undergoing mastectomy were assigned randomly to the PCA group (group 1) or the PCA with basal infusion group (group 2). Group 1 was programmed to deliver 0.02 ml/Kg of bolus infusion with a 5 minute locKout interval. In group 2, 0.02 ml/Kg of basal infusion was added to the PCA regimen. The PCA analgesic solution contained 50 mg of nalbuphine and 150 mg of Ketorolac in a total volume of 200 ml. At sKin closure, 0.2 ml/Kg of a loading dose was given to all patients and a PCA was started according to the experimental group. A visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain, analgesic consumption, side effects and degree of satisfaction was assessed at postoperative 1 hour, 2 hours, 4 hours, 8 hours, 24 hours and 48 hours. RESULTS: Group 2 did not show any improvement in the VAS compared with group 1. Degree of satisfaction and incidence of complications were not different between two groups. Total infused amount of analgesics increased in group 2 (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The addition of basal infusion in a PCA after mastectomy did not show any improvement of postoperative pain control compared to the regimen of a PCA with only bolus infusion.
Analgesia, Patient-Controlled* ; Analgesics ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Ketorolac ; Mastectomy* ; Nalbuphine ; Pain, Postoperative ; Passive Cutaneous Anaphylaxis ; Skin

BACKGROUND: Hypoplastic left heart syndrome is uniformly fatal if this condition is not properly treated. We reviewed the surgical results of treating hypoplastic left heart syndrome, and we evaluated the hemodynamics and functional status of these patients after they underwent a Fontan operation. MATERIAL AND METHOD: To assess the surgical results, we retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 6 (M/F=4/2) patients who underwent a staged operation, including a Norwood procedure, a bidirectional Glenn procedure and a Fontan procedure between October 1997 to May 2005. The mean age of the patients was 17.3+/-10.8 days (range: 9~36 days) at the 1st staged operation, 8.9+/-7.1 months (4.6~23.3 months) at the 2nd staged operation (the Bidirectional Glenn procedure) and 32.4+/-9.8 months at the final staged operation (the Fontan procedure). During the 2nd staged operation, one of the patients received tricuspid valve repair due to regurgitation. All the patients underwent an extracardiac Fontan procedure using Gore-Tex conduit (20 mm: 2 patients, 18 mm: 4 patients) and one of them required fenestration. RESULT: 21 patients underwented a Norwood procedure. There were 7 early deaths and 4 interstage deaths. Bidirectional cavopulmonary shunt was performed in 10 patients and the Fontan procedure was done in 6 (mortality: 1 patient, Flow up loss: 1 patient, Awaiting a Fontan procedure: 2 patients). After the Fontan procedure, there was no complication except for one case of post operative bleedings. All the patients had good ventricular function and 2 had grade I tricuspid regurgitation, as noted on their echocardiography. The average follow up period after the Fontan procedure was 19.6+/-14.9 months (range: 1.5~39.1 month). All the patients had normal sinus rhythm and they were put on aspirin and cardiac medication. During follow up period, all the patients had a good functional status (NYHA functional class I). CONCLUSION: All the patients who suffered with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and who underwent a Fontan procedure achieved a good hemodynamic and functional status, even though there was a relatively high operative mortality rate after stage I Norwood palliation. Therefore, thise staged operation should be strongly recommended as an important surgical strategy for treating hypoplastic left heart syndrome.
Aspirin ; Echocardiography ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fontan Procedure ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome ; Medical Records ; Norwood Procedures ; Polytetrafluoroethylene ; Retrospective Studies ; Tricuspid Valve ; Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency ; Ventricular Function

Anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA) has rarely been reported on in adults because 90% of the untreated infants die in the first year of life. We report here on a case of ALCAPA that was detected in a 41-year-old woman and she was successfully treated by direct re-implantation of the anomalous coronary artery into the aorta.
Adult* ; Aorta ; Bland White Garland Syndrome ; Coronary Vessel Anomalies ; Coronary Vessels* ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency ; Pulmonary Artery*

BACKGROUND: This study was performed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of performing additional tetracycline pleurodesis during the thoracoscopic treatment of primary spontaneous pneumothorax. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Between March 2004 and December 2007, 91 cases of primary spontaneous pneumothorax were treated by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. The thoracoscopic procedures included resection of the blebs and mechanical pleurodesis by scrubbing the parietal pleura. For 27 cases (Tetracycline group, group I), 20 mg/kg tetracycline was instilled into the pleural space through a trocar before closing the chest. The control group (group II) consisted of 64 cases of primary spontaneous pneumothorax for which the same thoracoscopic procedures alone were performed during the same study period. RESULT: There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of the demographic data, the operative findings and the operation time. The percentage of cases that needed intravenous analgesics and the duration of intravenous analgesics were comparable in both groups. There was no significant difference in the duration of air leaks and complications between the two groups. The patients treated with tetracycline pleurodesis had a longer period of postoperative chest drainage (4.2 days vs 3.5 days, respectively, p=0.03) and hospitalization (5.0 days vs 4.0 days, respectively, p=0.006). During the follow up period, the ipsilateral recurrence rate was much lower for the patients who were treated with tetracycline pleurodesis (0% vs 10.9%, respectively, p=0.099), and freedom from recurrence tended to be more favorable for group I (p=0.077), although this was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Additional tetracycline pleurodesis during thoracoscopic treatment for primary spontaneous pneumothorax caused prolongation of chest drainage and a prolonged hospital stay. However, further investigations are needed because tetracycline pleurodesis can be performed safely without serious complications and it showed a distinct tendency to reduce the rate of recurrence.
Analgesics ; Blister ; Drainage ; Follow-Up Studies ; Freedom ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Pleura ; Pleurodesis ; Pneumothorax ; Recurrence ; Surgical Instruments ; Tetracycline ; Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted ; Thoracoscopy ; Thorax

BACKGROUND: Previous series have suggested that younger patients with primary lung cancer exhibit a more aggressive disease course with a worse prognosis, as compared to older patients, although this issue is still debatable. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We reviewed the medical records of 79 patients (32 patients 50 years and younger (Group I) and 47 patients 70 years and older (Group II)) who underwent curative resection for primary lung cancer between July 2000 and June 2008. RESULT: The median age of the patients was 46.5 years in Group I and this was 73 years in Group II. The older patients were more likely to have major comorbidities (44% versus 77%, respectively; p=0.003). Histological examinations identified that the minor histological types (excluding non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)) were predominantly found in the Group I patients (16% versus 2%, respectively; p=0.037). For the TNM staging of the NSCLC, with excluding the minor histologic types, a higher proportion of patients had stage III disease in Group I (33% versus 13%, respectively; p=0.038). There was no significant difference in major morbidity (16% versus 30%, respectively; p=0.148) and operative mortality (0% versus 4.3%; p=0.512) between the groups. The mean follow-up interval was 33 months (range: 1~98 months) for patients in both groups. For the patients with NSCLC, the five-year overall survival rate was 52.3% for Group I and 53.7% for Group II (p=0.955). The rate of freedom from recurrence at five years was significantly lower for the Group I patients than for the Group II patients (39.4% versus 70.4%, respectively; p=0.027), and only being a member of Group I impacted recurrence, based on the Cox proportional hazard analysis (p=0.034). Of the patients who had recurrence, four patients in Group I underwent aggressive surgical treatment. All of these patients exhibited long-term survival (range: 46~87 months). CONCLUSION: In our study, the early outcome and long-term survival were similar for the younger and older patients after curative resection of primary lung cancer. However, we think that younger patients require meticulous follow-up as they had a tendency to proceed to surgery with advanced stage disease, a higher recurrence rate than did the older patients and the survival rates were improved, even for the recurred cases, with early aggressive treatment.
Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; Comorbidity ; Follow-Up Studies ; Freedom ; Humans ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Medical Records ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Survival Rate