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Dyskeratosis congenita is a rare and complex congenital disease that may complicate surgical treatment and impact anesthetic care. We present the perioperative management of a patient with severe pancytopenia, respiratory dysfunction, and oral leukoplakia who presented for urgent surgery for removal of a gastric hemorrhagic malignant tumor. Important issues in the management of this patient include choice of anesthetic technique, correction of pancytopenia (thrombocytopenia in particular), judicious perioperative fluid management to avoid dilutional coagulopathy, antibiotic prophylaxis, and strict aseptic technique. Careful management of a potentially difficult airway and a higher likelihood of respiratory insufficiency further complicate patient care. Knowledge of this rare disease process and its potential impact on anesthetic management is paramount for safe perioperative patient care.

Prevention and early treatment of myocardial ischemia remain among the primary goals of the anesthesiologist taking care of high-risk patients, such as those undergoing vascular surgery. Guidelines have been published to assist in directing preoperative evaluation and optimization of cardiovascular status. Although perioperative monitoring allows early detection of ischemic events, all monitors have limitations that must be understood before they can be used effectively. We present a case of severe intraoperative myocardial dysfunction detected only by transesophageal echocardiography in a patient undergoing a peripheral vascular procedure. Preoperative and intraoperative management is also discussed.

Comment by Jerry D. Vloka, MD, PhD‡ and Admir Hadzic, MD, PhD‡ Postoperative analgesia for the ambulatory surgery patient is frequently inadequate. Continuous regional analgesia improves outcome and patient satisfaction in hospitalized patients. This paper describes the successful use of continuous regional analgesia following orthopedic surgery in the ambulatory setting.