AANA journal
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Case Reports
Anesthetic implications for implantation of a left ventricular assist device: a case study.
A left ventricular assist device (LVAD) is intended for use as a temporary bridge to transplantation in patients with end-stage cardiac failure until a donor heart becomes available. This case report discusses the anesthetic management of a patient undergoing implantation of an LVAD. Tremendous advances have been made in cardiac transplantation; however, there is an acute donor shortage in the face of an increased need for donor hearts. ⋯ Food and Drug Administration approved assist device, the Thermo-Cardiosystems, Inc. (Woburn, Massachusetts) implantable pneumatic LVAD is proving to be very successful as a bridge to transplantation. A case is presented of a 40-year-old male with debilitating cardiomyopathy in conjunction with mitral regurgitation, pulmonary hypertension, and mild tricuspid regurgitation. He had reached the point of multisystem organ failure which had left him incapacitated while awaiting cardiac transplantation.
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In Part A of this two-part Journal course, issues of safety during subarachnoid and epidural blocks were examined (see the August 1997 issue of the AANA Journal). Part B deals with the effectiveness of spinal and epidural blocks. Although the overall failure rate for subarachnoid and epidural blocks is low, regional anesthesia is not always effective. ⋯ While opioid induced respiratory depression was a significant hazard during the initial development of spinal and epidural opioid techniques, refinements in dosing and monitoring of these patients have reduced the incidence of this complication to a low level. While alpha agonists, such as epinephrine, do prolong the duration of some types of blocks, they also introduce or exacerbate problems, such as urinary retention, itching, and even hypotension. Whatever technique is used, careful patient selection, allowing adequate time for the block to set up, and administering small doses of a systemic analgesic or sedative if needed may make the difference between the success or failure of a well-performed block.