Rejected

Pseudoaneurysms of the descending aorta after open graft replacement usually occur in patients with connective tissue disorders and form at anastomotic or cannulation sites. We present a case of an iatrogenic pseudoaneurysm in the descending thoracic aortic graft body caused by intercostal nerve block. The patient had undergone repair for thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm four years prior and underwent a series of intercostal nerve blocks after experiencing persistent post-thoracotomy pain. A pseudoaneurysm in the descending thoracic graft, contiguous with the chest wall was encountered. He underwent successful pseudoaneurysm resection with redo graft replacement, resulting in significant pain relief.

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) is an evident advance in the management of patients. Its feasibility and its effectiveness have been little analyzed in elderly's orthopedics. The aim of this systematic review of the literature was to analyze the feasibility (realization of classic ERAS items) and the efficiency (length of stay, morbidity and mortality) of ERAS in the elderly during total arthroplasty hip.

A 72-year-old man presented with pain and swelling in the penis, indicating penile infection or abscess. An ultrasound was performed but unable to lead to a diagnosis of abscess. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) was strongly suggestive of penile abscess. The puncture of the abscess was unsuccessful. However, pus was drained spontaneously via the urethra, and the symptoms disappeared eventually. Although ultrasound can be useful, sometimes it might be difficult to distinguish between inflammatory tissue and abscess containing necrotic tissue. MRI, especially DWI, can be a powerful tool for diagnosing abscess in the penis.

The growing number of laparoscopic surgical procedures performed in obese patients has increased the need to explore suitable analgesic techniques for a prone population to postoperative complications. The morbidly obese population may particularly benefit from the opioid-sparing or the opioid-free anaesthesia/analgesia, which maximize the use of loco-regional techniques. Transversus abdominal plane (TAP) block has been widely used as part of multimodal analgesia for abdominal and gynecological surgeries, but evidence in obese patients is still poor. The efficacy of TAP block in morbidly obese patients undergoing laparoscopic bariatric surgery is still under discussion, because ultrasound visualization of the abdominal wall muscles can be challenging due to the excessive subcutaneous fat. Inadequate needle positioning, failed regional analgesia, and possible related risks must be counterbalanced by adequate evidence of effectiveness. The present article will discuss the pros and cons of TAP block in the treatment of obese patients.

This comprehensive review of pain in paraneoplastic neurological syndromes focuses on current mechanisms that lead to pain, including autoimmune processes as well as the systemic secretion of factors that sensitize nociceptive nerves. Systemic secretion of functional molecules is a well-recognized phenomenon in endocrine paraneoplastic syndromes; however, cancer pain research has predominantly focused on cytokine-nerve interactions in the tumor microenvironment, and few groups have applied the molecular mechanisms of local pain to study widespread neuropathic pain resulting from systemic secretion. We present a novel perspective in the field of pain research by converging data from clinical oncology with recent molecular pain research on cytokine-mediated sensitization of nociceptive nerves.

Intracranial aneurysms are not common in young age patients. We sought to find the characteristics of the intracranial aneurysms in patients under 20 years of age.

Low back pain becomes a common orthopaedic disease today. It is mainly induced by the degeneration of the intervertebral disc. In this study, we tried to reveal the pathogenesis of the degeneration and the relative therapeutic strategy, which are still elusive.

Innovations in surgical techniques and technologies have enabled spine surgeons to offer patients less morbid alternatives to traditional spine procedures. This review will explore the development of the endoscopic transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) without general endotracheal anesthesia (GETA) and discuss the technical refinements and innovations learned from experiences with this technique. The Awake TLIF employs several key technological innovations: (I) conscious sedation; (II) endoscopic visualization; (III) an expandable interbody device; (IV) recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein; (V) long-acting local analgesia; and (VI) percutaneous instrumentation. Technical refinements, including premedication for prophylaxis against nausea, vomiting, and epistaxis, were made as a result of early experiences with this technique. Results from the first 100 patients to undergo the Awake TLIF demonstrated durable clinical benefit beyond one year postoperatively. Operating time, blood loss, and hospital length of stay averages well below those generally seen with conventional MIS TLIF. Patients achieved a significant reduction in Oswestry Disability Index from baseline of -12.3 points (P<0.0001). In this initial 100 patient cohort, four conversions to GETA were required and four complications resulted, three of which occurred during the first 50 cases. To date, over 200 Awake TLIF cases and the first three-level procedure have been performed. Endoscopic TLIF without the use of general anesthesia is a novel but promising approach for short-segment lumbar fusion. Continued technical innovations will likely afford greater improvements in outcomes, both in the acute and long-term recovery periods.