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Laparoscopy is the gold standard in gynecological surgery. Single-port laparoscopic surgery, has been developed in order to improve minimally invasive surgery. We analyzed single-port approach in benign gynecologic pathology and made a bibliographic research on Pubmed and Medline from January 2000 to January 2015. From what emerges from the papers taken into consideration, single-port laparoscopy can be used for salpingostomy or salpingectomy to treat tubal ectopic pregnancy, benign adnexal disease (ovarian cystectomy, salpingo-oophorectomy), and for hysterectomy. We do not have enough data for complex procedures like myomectomy or hysteropexy. Robotic single-port laparoscopy seems to be a very attractive perspective and its use in benign gynecology surgery is expanding. More and more ergonomic limitations of single-port laparoscopy are corrected by development of articulated or flexible instruments and camera. Beyond these preliminary results, more ample prospective studies with an adapted and standardized instrumentation are thus essential to highlight real profits.

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INTRODUCTION: The American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) guidelines stratify perioperative cardiac risk according to clinical markers, functional capacity, and type of surgery. They help determining which patients are candidates for preoperative cardiac testing and optimizing the cost-effectiveness of the evaluation strategy. Auditing our preoperative anaesthetic screening practice revealed an exceedingly high rate of referrals to the cardiologists. A small pocket-size reminder was created in order to improve the adhesion of the anaesthesiologists to the recommendations of the ACC/AHA, and confirm or obviate the need for a formal preoperative specialized cardiology consultation. Another audit was conducted 1 year later in order to evaluate the effectiveness of this reminder. METHODS: The second audit was conducted over a period of 1 month. Recorded data included demographic characteristics, clinical predictors of cardiovascular risk, surgical risk, and the reasons for the cardiac evaluation by a cardiologist (as reported by the senior or junior anaesthesiologist). Results of this second audit were compared to those of the audit conducted a year earlier. RESULTS: During the first audit, a total of 654 patients were seen in the preoperative unit. Fifty-two patients were referred to a cardiologist during the study period (7.9%). Guidelines for cardiac assessment were respected in 7/52 patients (13.5%). During the second audit, 30 out of 787 patients (3.8%) screened in preoperative anaesthetic consultation unit were referred to the cardiologist. According to the ACC/AHA guidelines, 27/30 patients (90%) objectively needed a cardiology consultation due to the existence of a known previous heart disease. DISCUSSION: The use of the pocket reminder concerning the ACC/AHA recommendations significantly reduced both the total number of cardiology referrals, and the number of unjustified referrals. The use of a pocket guide may help in reducing both the cost and the postponement of scheduled surgery.

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BACKGROUND: The rationale for using central venous oxygen saturation (ScvO(2)) in various clinical scenarios is that it reflects the balance between oxygen delivery (DO(2)) and demands. In this study, we evaluated the correlation between ScvO(2) and DO(2) changes (Delta Do(2), DeltaScvO(2)) in patients receiving fluid therapy following coronary surgery. We also correlated the changes of mean arterial pressure (Delta MAP) and central venous pressure (Delta CVP), with Delta DO(2). METHODS: Sixty consecutive sedated and mechanically ventilated adult patients, with cardiac index

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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Controlled hypotension is frequently used for obtaining better exposure during tympanoplasty. The aim of this study was to compare dexmedetomidine, a selective, short-acting, central alpha2-adrenergic agonist with remifentanil, an ultra-short-acting opioid with properties similar to other mu-specific agonists, regarding their effects in achieving controlled hypotension and improving surgical field exposure and surgeon's satisfaction during tympanoplasty. METHODS: In this prospective, double-blind pilot study, 24 consecutive patients scheduled for elective tympanoplasty were randomly assigned to receive either dexmedetomidine 1 microg kg(-1) over 10 min at anaesthesia induction followed by 0.4-0.8 microg kg(-1) h(-1) infusion during maintenance or remifentanil 1 microg kg(-1) over 1 min at anaesthesia induction followed by 0.2-0.4 microg kg(-1) min(-1) infusion during maintenance. Mean arterial pressure and heart rate were recorded before induction, at incision, 30, 60, 90 and 120 min after incision and 10 min after stopping the infusion. Surgical field exposure condition and satisfaction scores were assessed by the surgeon, blinded to the study drugs. RESULTS: Mean arterial pressure and heart rate were significantly lower in the remifentanil group compared with the dexmedetomidine group at all times (P = 0.03 and 0.036, respectively). Surgical field exposure condition (3 +/- 0.01 vs. 2.3 +/- 0.7; P = 0.039) and surgeons' satisfaction (3 +/- 0.01 vs. 2.25 +/- 0.87; P = 0.039) scores were significant after remifentanil compared with dexmedetomidine. CONCLUSIONS: Infusion of dexmedetomidine, at the doses used in this study, was less effective than remifentanil in achieving controlled hypotension, good surgical field exposure condition and surgeons' satisfaction during tympanoplasty.

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In the light of recent studies in humans and rodents, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a phylogenetically conserved serine/threonine protein kinase, has been described as an integrator of regulatory signals monitoring systemic and cellular energy status. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) has been proposed to function as a 'fuel gauge' to monitor cellular energy status in response to nutritional environmental variations. Recently, it has been proposed that AMPK could provide a link in metabolic defects underlying progression to the metabolic syndrome. AMPK is a heterotrimeric enzyme complex consisting of a catalytic subunit alpha and two regulatory subunits beta and gamma. AMPK is activated by rising AMP and falling ATP. AMP activates the system by binding to the gamma subunit that triggers phosphorylation of the catalytic alpha subunit by the upstream kinases LKB1 and CaMKKbeta (calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase). AMPK system is a regulator of energy balance that, once activated by low energy status, switches on ATP-producing catabolic pathways (such as fatty acid oxidation and glycolysis), and switches off ATP-consuming anabolic pathways (such as lipogenesis), both by short-term effect on phosphorylation of regulatory proteins and by long-term effect on gene expression. As well as acting at the level of the individual cell, the system also regulates food intake and energy expenditure at the whole body level, in particular by mediating the effects of insulin sensitizing adipokines leptin and adiponectin. AMPK is robustly activated during skeletal muscle contraction and myocardial ischaemia playing a role in glucose transport and fatty acid oxidation. In liver, activation of AMPK results in enhanced fatty acid oxidation as well as decreased glucose production. Moreover, the AMPK system is one of the probable targets for the anti-diabetic drugs biguanides and thiazolidinediones. Thus, the relationship between AMPK activation and beneficial metabolic effects provide the rationale for the development of new therapeutic strategies in metabolic disorders.

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We report the case of a 60-year-old woman who underwent mitral valve replacement and tricuspid valve repair. Following surgery she developed rapid onset of ascitis and secondary abdominal compartmental syndrome with low cardiac output and oliguria. Following drainage of the ascitis, the abdominal pressure dropped with a spectacular improvement of both the cardiac ant the urine output.

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OBJECTIVES: Blood pressure is one of the most critical haemodynamic parameter in the intensive care unit (ICU). The measurement relies mainly on invasive methods (arterial lines) but also on noninvasive methods (Oscillometric and Manual). It is crucial to be instantaneous and accurate to adapt any decision making plan. The aim of this study is to evaluate the reliability of this measure given by an arterial catheter over time. This can determine the maintenance of catheter patency before clinical total occlusion. STUDY DESIGN: Observational prospective study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Damping coefficient (xi) and natural frequency (Fn) of the arterial catheter system are studied in vivo each 12 hours by a fast flush test (FFT) in 61 patients. The measurements of the arterial blood pressure invasively (arterial catheter method) and non invasively (oscillometric method) are compared each 12 hours until the catheter is removed. RESULTS: All over the study period for each catheter (till 240 hours), the mean arterial blood pressure measurements given by either the catheter method or the oscillometric method were very concordant (coefficient > 0.7). Only 3.39% of the catheters had their physical characteristics (xi and Fn) in the optimal zone at T0; reaching 66.67% at T19. The maximal inserted time was highly correlated with a good operating catheter (R = 0.739; P < 10(-4)). CONCLUSION: The measure of the arterial blood pressure invasively can still be reliable for a long period of time (10 days), as long as the catheter is inserted, especially when the mean arterial pressure is considered. Each time the distance of the catheter insertion site moves away 1 cm from the radiocarpal joint or the groin, the risk of troubleshooting is doubled; on each blood sample from the catheter, this risk is reduced by 20%.

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BACKGROUND: Arterial oxygenation may be compromised in morbidly obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a vital capacity manoeuvre (VCM), followed by ventilation with positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP), on arterial oxygenation in morbidly obese patients undergoing open bariatric surgery. METHODS: Fifty-two morbidly obese patients (body mass index >40 kg m-2) undergoing open bariatric surgery were enrolled in this prospective and randomized study. Anaesthesia and surgical techniques were standardized. Patients were ventilated with a tidal volume of 10 mL kg-1 of ideal body weight, a mixture of oxygen and nitrous oxide (FiO2 = 40%) and respiratory rate was adjusted to maintain end-tidal carbon dioxide at a level of 30-35 mmHg. After abdominal opening, patients in Group 1 had a PEEP of 8 cm H2O applied and patients in Group 2 had a VCM followed by PEEP of 8 cm H2O. This manoeuvre was defined as lung inflation by a positive inspiratory pressure of 40 cm H2O maintained for 15 s. PEEP was maintained until extubation in the two groups. Haemodynamics, ventilatory and arterial oxygenation parameters were measured at the following times: T0 = before application of VCM and/or PEEP, T1 = 5 min after VCM and/or PEEP and T2 = before abdominal closure. RESULTS: Patients in the two groups were comparable regarding patient characteristics, surgical, haemodynamic and ventilatory parameters. In Group 1, arterial oxygen partial pressure (PaO2) and arterial haemoglobin oxygen saturation (SaO2) were significantly increased and alveolar-arterial oxygen pressure gradient (A-aDO2) decreased at T2 when compared with T0 and T1. In Group 2, PaO2 and SaO2 were significantly increased and A-aDO2 decreased at T1 and T2 when compared with T0. Arterial oxygenation parameters at T1 and T2 were significantly improved in Group 2 when compared with Group 1. CONCLUSION: The addition of VCM to PEEP improves intraoperative arterial oxygenation in morbidly obese patients undergoing open bariatric surgery.

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HELLP syndrome is a severe complication of pre-eclampsia characterised by hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and a low platelet count. It is associated with an increased risk of adverse outcome for both the mother and the fetus. Patients with HELLP syndrome are also at greater risk of pulmonary edema, adult respiratory distress syndrome, abruptio placentae, intracerebral hemorrhage, eclamptic convulsions, disseminated intravascular coagulation, ruptured liver hematomas and acute renal failure. Perinatal mortality is equally high. Before delivery, aggressive obstetric management is directed toward stabilization of the affected organ systems, if possible, and interruption of the pregnancy in the early phase of the accelerated disease progression. Definitive therapy is delivery. Parturients HELLP syndrome often require general anesthesia for Cesarean section delivery. The anesthetic technique is critical for these patients with a high risk of uncontrollable hypertension, bleeding and multiple organ failure. Remifentanil is increasingly used as a very short analgesic agent providing cardiovascular stability in high-risk patients. We report the management of a patient presenting in labor with HELLP syndrome, and describe the successful use of remifentanil as part of the anesthetic technique for her subsequent Cesarean section.

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OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of bilateral ilioinguinal-iliohypogastric nerve blocks for pain relief following ambulatory bilateral varicocelectomy. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective and randomised. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixty adult men scheduled for bilateral varicocelectomy were included in this prospective study. All patients had a standardised general anesthesia. After surgical procedures, patients were randomized into two groups: patients in group I received a bilateral ilioinguinal nerve block with 15 ml x 2 of 0.25% bupivacaine; patients in group II received subcutaneously 1 mg kg-1 of tramadol. Visual analogue pain scores at rest and during mobilisation were recorded at 5 min and 1, 3, 5 postoperative hours. The side effects of analgesia and amounts of rescue analgesics were recorded. RESULTS: Pain scores at rest and during mobilisation, the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting and additional analgesics requirement were significantly reduced in group I. There was no complication. CONCLUSION: Ilioinguinal nerve block is effective in controlling pain after bilateral varicocelectomy in ambulatory surgery.

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