BACKGROUND: Carcinoid tumors are rare neuroendocrine malignancies presenting in an increasing number in our center. The incidence of carcinoid tumors is approximatively between 2.5 and 5 cases per 100,000 people of whom about 50% develop carcinoid syndrome. Once the carcinoid syndrome has developed, a carcinoid cardiomyopathy can occur. Carcinoid heart disease (CaHD) remains a serious and rare complication associated with a significant increase in morbidity and mortality. Although carcinoid tumors have been known and studied for several years, there are still scarce data on the anesthetic management and the peri operative period.
METHODS: We describe a case of a Caucasian 44-year-old woman with an unusual presentation of left CaHD with an ileal neuroendocrine tumor and liver metastases. Our preoperative somatostatin administration protocol, limit the cardiac damage. The maintenance of stable hemodynamics, the use of balanced anesthetic technique, all along with a good understanding of the pathology, played a major role in the successful management of anesthesia. This case report allows us to introduce our decision algorithm for the management of this type of pathology in our tertiary hospital, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc.
CONCLUSIONS: Despite the paucity of data, anesthetic management of patients with carcinoid tumor can be safely performed with effective hemodynamic monitoring and a good understanding of the pathophysiology. Knowledge and application of a clear institutional algorithm for octreotide administration and multidisciplinary consultation at a referral center are essential for the management of these patients.

We report the successful anesthetic management of laparoscopic surgery in a 21-year-old female patient with Fontan circulation. A preoperative careful review of cardiac catheterization results helped assess the risk of the surgery and implement anesthetic management. Intraoperative management focused on minimizing the impact on pulmonary vascular resistance and venous return by optimizing ventilation and applying lower pneumoperitoneum pressure without tilting the position. Milrinone was administered to reduce pulmonary vascular resistance and provide inotropic support with minimally invasive monitoring. The patient remained stable throughout the procedure without complications. This case highlights the importance of thorough preoperative assessment, individualized intraoperative management, and collaboration with the surgical team when caring for adult Fontan patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery.

The perioperative management of patients undergoing mediastinal mass operations presents a persistent challenge across multiple clinical specialties. General anesthesia administration further increases the risk of perioperative cardiorespiratory decompensation. The interdisciplinary team plays a crucial role in ensuring a safe perioperative period. However, due to the rarity and variability of mediastinal mass syndromes, specific management protocols are lacking. This review aims to outline the multitude of challenges and pitfalls encountered during perioperative management in patients with the mediastinal mass syndrome. We describe diagnostic evaluation, preoperative optimization, intraoperative considerations, and postoperative care strategies, emphasizing the paramount significance of a multidisciplinary approach and personalized treatment plans. Preoperative multidisciplinary discussions, meticulous anesthetic management, and well-established protocols for emergency situations are pivotal to ensuring patient safety. Healthcare providers involved in the care of patients with mediastinal mass syndrome must grasp these challenges and pitfalls, enabling them to deliver safe and effective perioperative management.

As to huge solid mediastinal tumor which direct compression or invasion of the superior/inferior vena cava (SVC/IVC), surgical resection remains the main lifesaving treatment. However, it would present formidable anesthetic challenges due to the extremely high risks of cardiorespiratory compromise, drastic hemodynamic fluctuations and death at all perioperative stages. Here, we report a case of huge anterior mediastinal tumor resection combined with SVC replacement under the assistance of venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA ECMO), and stable hemodynamics were maintained as well as high internal jugular vein pressure being avoided during the operation procedure. He was weaned off ECMO successfully just after surgery and eventually discharged. No signs of postoperatively neurological complications occurred. Therefore, the use of ECMO assistance in huge mediastinal tumor resection combined with SVC replacement is feasible and safe, which may provide the possibility of surgical treatment for such patients and improve outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Given the advances in medicine, women with Fontan circulation are now reaching childbearing age. However, data on the mode of delivery and anesthetic management of these patients are limited. We report the cases of five pregnant women with Fontan circulation.
METHODS: The mean age at delivery was 28 ± 3 years, and the mean gestational period was 34 weeks and 3 days. Anticoagulation therapy was switched from warfarin and aspirin to continuous intravenous heparin. The modes of delivery were scheduled cesarean section (C/S) in one, emergency C/S in three, and vaginal delivery with epidural labor analgesia in one patient. Three patients underwent C/S under regional anesthesia; one received general anesthesia. The perinatal complications were heart failure, worsening valve regurgitation, and postoperative hematoma in three, four, and two patients, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: For C/S in women with Fontan circulation, regional anesthesia should be considered. Epidural labor analgesia can help prevent the decrease in pulmonary blood flow due to straining. We initiated labor analgesia or C/S with regional anesthesia at the appropriate time in four patients.

BACKGROUND: The procedure of hip fracture repair poses a risk for postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) in elderly patients, accompanied by anesthesia and operations. Various noninvasive methods of respiratory support are used as prophylactic and therapeutic, mainly in the postoperative period.  Objective: This study aims to determine whether intraoperative use of a high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) impacts elderly patient outcomes after hip fracture surgery.
METHODS: Seventy patients aged 65 and older undergoing traumatic hip surgery under spinal anesthesia for isolated hip fractures were randomly assigned to either an interventional group (I) utilizing a high-flow nasal cannula or a control group (C) without respiratory intervention in a six-month single-blind controlled study at Sahloul Teaching Hospital.
RESULTS: The two groups had identical socio-demographic traits and baseline data. Respiratory postoperative complications occurred in two patients in group (I) and in nine patients in group (C), with a significant difference (p = 0.023). The main respiratory postoperative complications in group (I) were atelectasis (one case) and pulmonary edema (one case). The main respiratory postoperative complications in group (C) were atelectasis (four cases), pneumonia (two cases), COPD decompensation (two cases), and pulmonary edema (one case). No intensive care unit admissions or intraoperative complications were associated with using HFNC. The mean length of stay (LOS) in the hospital was 8.83 ± 2.91 for group I and 10.46 ± 3.4 for group (C), which differed significantly (p = 0.03) with no in-hospital mortality for the two groups.
CONCLUSIONS: The intraoperative administration of HFNC may lower the incidence of postoperative respiratory complications and the duration of hospital stays.

UNASSIGNED: Reports are limited on video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for lung malignancy of patients with situs inversus totalis (SIT). Patients with SIT have significant anatomic differences with implications that are important for surgery, anesthesia, and nursing to understand in order to provide care for this patient population.
UNASSIGNED: A 64-year-old man with SIT and lung adenocarcinoma needed flexible bronchoscopy and wedge resection of a 9×8 mm adenocarcinoma in the right upper lobe and underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery.
UNASSIGNED: Preoperative planning, including collaboration with the surgical team, allowed safe monitoring, induction of anesthesia, and airway isolation in this patient allowing them to have successful resection of their pulmonary malignancy. Postoperative care was enhanced by detailed communication and understanding of the patient\'s anatomy and implications of this condition for post anesthesia care unit nursing care.
UNASSIGNED: Patients with rare clinical conditions and backgrounds may require surgical and anesthetic intervention. The authors describe important anesthetic considerations of preoperative evaluation, airway management, cardiac monitoring, and vascular access that should be noted and taken into account for patients with SIT. Proper preparation, planning, and communication allow for patients with SIT to safely undergo surgical procedures.

Intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is a potentially severe clinical syndrome after major surgical procedures. In addition to causing intestinal mucosa injury, intestinal IRI further damages distant organs, causing the severity of the condition in patients. So far, effective therapy for intestinal IRI is still absent, and the survival rate of the patients is low. Previous experimental studies have shown that some anesthetics can alleviate intestinal IRI and protect organs while exerting their pharmacological effects, indicating that reasonable perioperative anesthesia management may provide potential benefits for patients to avoid intestinal IRI. These meaningful findings drive scholars to investigate the mechanism of anesthetics in treating intestinal IRI in-depth to discuss the possible new clinical uses. In the present mini-review, we will introduce the protective effects of different anesthetics in intestinal IRI to help us enrich our knowledge in this area.

This case report details the emergency management and successful surgical repair of a tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) in a newborn delivered by lower segment cesarean section. Despite immediate crying after birth, the neonate\'s distress was evident, with an Apgar score of 4, prompting an urgent referral to the Neonatal ICU (NICU). Diagnostic investigations, including ultrasonography and two-dimensional echocardiography (2D Echo), revealed associated anomalies, such as a patent ductus arteriosus, arterial septal defect, and a TEF. An anaesthetist was urgently involved due to postnatal desaturation, leading to challenging intubation and surgical repair performed under general anaesthesia, which involved separating the trachea from the oesophagus. Postoperative imaging confirmed the successful closure of the fistulous connection. This case highlights the significance of prompt diagnosis, collaborative management, and surgical intervention in optimising outcomes for neonates with complex congenital anomalies like TEF.

OBJECTIVE: The authors analyzed anesthetic management trends during ventricular tachycardia (VT) ablation, hypothesizing that (1) monitored anesthesia care (MAC) is more commonly used than general anesthesia (GA); (2) MAC uses significantly increased after release of the 2019 Expert Consensus Statement on Catheter Ablation of Ventricular Arrhythmias; and (3) anesthetic approach varies based on patient and hospital characteristics.
METHODS: Retrospective study.
METHODS: National Anesthesia Clinical Outcomes Registry data.
METHODS: Patients 18 years or older who underwent elective VT ablation between 2013 and 2021.
METHODS: None.
RESULTS: Covariates were selected a priori within multivariate models, and interrupted time-series analysis was performed. Of the 15,505 patients who underwent VT ablation between 2013 and 2021, 9,790 (63.1%) received GA. After the 2019 Expert Consensus Statement on Catheter Ablation of Ventricular Arrhythmias supported avoidance of GA in idiopathic VT, no statistically significant increase in MAC was evident (immediate change in intercept post-consensus statement release adjusted odds ratio 1.41, p = 0.1629; change in slope post-consensus statement release adjusted odds ratio 1.06 per quarter, p = 0.1591). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that sex, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status, age, and geographic location were statistically significantly associated with the anesthetic approach.
CONCLUSIONS: GA has remained the primary anesthetic type for VT ablation despite the 2019 Expert Consensus Statement on Catheter Ablation of Ventricular Arrhythmias suggested its avoidance in idiopathic VT. Achieving widespread clinical practice change is an ongoing challenge in medicine, emphasizing the importance of developing effective implementation strategies to facilitate awareness of guideline release and subsequent adherence to and adoption of recommendations.