Search

The prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has reached 1 billion people worldwide, implying significant risk for the perioperative setting as patients are vulnerable to cardiopulmonary complications, critical care requirement, and unexpected death. This review summarizes main aspects and considerations for the perioperative management of OSA, a condition of public health concern. Critical determinants of perioperative risk include OSA-related changes in upper airway anatomy with augmented collapsibility, diminished capability of upper airway dilator muscles to respond to airway obstruction, disparities in hypoxemia and hypercarbia arousal thresholds, and instability of ventilatory control. Preoperative OSA screening to identify patients at increased risk has therefore been implemented in many institutions. Experts recommend that in the absence of severe symptoms or additional compounding health risks, patients may nevertheless proceed to surgery, while heightened awareness and the adjustment of postoperative care is required. Perioperative caregivers should anticipate difficult airway management in OSA and be prepared for airway complications. Anesthetic and sedative drug agents worsen upper airway collapsibility and depress central respiratory activity, while the risk for postoperative respiratory compromise is further increased with the utilization of neuromuscular blockade. Consistently, opioid analgesia has proven to be complex in OSA, as patients are particularly prone to opioid-induced respiratory depression. Moreover, basic features of OSA, including intermittent hypoxemia and repetitive sleep fragmentation, gradually precipitate a higher sensitivity to opioid analgesic potency along with an increased perception of pain. Hence, regional anesthesia by blockade of neural pathways directly at the site of surgical trauma as well as multimodal analgesia by facilitating additive and synergistic analgesic effects are both strongly supported in the literature as interventions that may reduce perioperative complication risk. Health care institutions are increasingly allocating resources, including those of postoperative enhanced monitoring, in an effort to increase patient safety. The implementation of evidence-based perioperative management strategies is however burdened by the rising prevalence of OSA, the large heterogeneity in disease severity, and the lack of evidence on the efficacy of costly perioperative measures. Screening and monitoring algorithms, as well as reliable risk predictors, are urgently needed to identify OSA patients that are truly in need of extended postoperative surveillance and care. The perioperative community is therefore challenged to develop feasible pathways and measures that can confer increased patient safety and prevent complications in patients with OSA., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: See Disclosures at the end of the article., (Copyright © 2021 International Anesthesia Research Society.)

Background: Severe gastrointestinal (GI) complications after elective hip and knee arthroplasty (THA/TKA) are rare. Some of them can be life-threatening and/or require emergency abdominal surgery. We studied the epidemiology of severe GI complications after THA/TKA and associations with anesthesia- and/or analgesia-related factors., Methods: We included 591,865 THA and 1,139,616 TKA cases (Premier Healthcare claims database; 2006-2016). Main outcomes were GI complications and related emergency surgeries within 30 days after THA/TKA. Anesthesia- and analgesia-related factors were anesthesia type (neuraxial, general), use of peripheral nerve block, patient-controlled analgesia, nonopioid analgesics (acetaminophen, gabapentin/pregabalin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors, ketamine), and opioids (in oral morphine equivalents, categorized into low, medium, and high use based on the interquartile range). Mixed-effects models measured associations between anesthesia- and analgesia-related factors and outcomes, which were reported using odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs)., Results: Among THA patients, GI complications were observed in 1.03% (n = 6103), with 0.08% (n = 450) requiring emergency surgery; this was 0.79% (n = 8971) and 0.05% (n = 540), respectively, for TKA patients. After adjustment for relevant covariates (including opioid use), almost all anesthesia-/analgesia-related factors were associated with significantly decreased odds of GI complications, specifically use of cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors (OR 0.72 CI 0.67-0.76/OR 0.82 CI 0.78-0.86), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (OR 0.81 CI 0.77-0.85/OR 0.90 CI 0.86-0.94), and peripheral nerve blocks (OR 0.77 CI 0.69-0.87/OR 0.91 CI 0.85-0.97); all for THA and TKA, respectively (all P < .01)., Conclusion: Rare, but devastating, acute GI complications (requiring surgery) after THA/TKA may be positively impacted by a variety of modifiable anesthesia-/analgesia-related interventions., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Information regarding the impact of provider characteristics on perioperative outcomes in the spine surgery setting is limited. Existing studies primarily consider the impact of surgical provider volume. This analysis sought to identify the impact of anesthesiologist and surgeon volume and experience as well as anesthesia care team composition on adverse outcomes following anterior cervical discectomy and fusions (ACDF) and posterior lumbar fusions (PLF)., Methods: We identified 5900 patients who underwent ACDF or PLF procedures at a high-volume orthopedic institution from 2005 to 2014. Provider characteristics of interest were anesthesiologist and surgeon volume and experience along with anesthesia care team composition. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to evaluate the outcomes of any complication, cardiopulmonary complication, and prolonged length of stay (> 7 days). Intraclass correlation coefficients were calculated to determine how much variation in outcomes could be explained by provider characteristics., Results: There were no significant relationships between provider characteristics and perioperative outcomes among ACDF patients. Within the PLF cohort, surgeon annual case volume > 25 was associated with decreased odds of prolonged length of stay, while anesthesia resident involvement was associated with increased odds of prolonged length of stay. Surgeon characteristics explained the greatest proportion of variation in outcomes while anesthesiologist characteristics explained the least., Conclusions: Anesthesia provider volume and experience did not significantly impact the odds of adverse outcome for ACDF and PLF patients. Higher surgeon volume was exclusively associated with decreased odds of prolonged length of stay following PLF. Further study is necessary to determine if these relationships persist in a less-specialized setting. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.

The demand for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is rising worldwide. Controversy persists in the literature regarding the benefits of general versus neuraxial anesthesia and which anesthetic is associated with the best outcomes. Likewise, the abundance of analgesic options for post-TKA pain have led to debate regarding the safest, most effective regimens. In this paper, we evaluated a selection of recent publications regarding anesthetic and analgesic choices for TKA. High-quality studies and meta-analyses linking anesthetic agents and analgesic modalities to clinically important outcomes were chosen wherever possible. We included a range of clinical and population-based research, incorporating established and emerging techniques. Although not uniform, clinical and population-based data favor neuraxial anesthesia, and suggest less morbidity compared to general anesthesia. There is good evidence to support an opioid-minimizing, multimodal approach to post-TKA analgesia, featuring peripheral nerve blocks and/or peri-articular injection. The recently described IPACK (interspace between the popliteal artery and posterior capsule of the knee) block may address posterior knee pain after TKA. Ultrasound-guided regional analgesia techniques are cost and clinically effective. Liposomal bupivacaine represents an expanding topic of research in TKA-analgesia, but currently, data do not support routine use. Evidence to guide the creation of pathways of care for TKA abounds, but must be tailored to local practice to maximize chances of success. Recent data supports the use of neuraxial anesthesia and regional analgesia techniques for TKA. Recommendations for clinical practice and future research to improve the state of the art are provided.

Background and Objectives: Previous research suggests that increased duration and lower levels of intraoperative hypotension (IOH) are associated with postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI). However, this association has not been evaluated in the context of intraoperative controlled hypotension (IOCH), a practice that has been linked in the past to improved outcomes with respect to blood loss and transfusion needs. This study aimed to investigate whether IOCH is associated with postoperative AKI among total hip arthroplasty patients at an institution where this technique is commonly practiced., Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of 2431 unilateral total hip arthroplasty patients who received IOCH under neuraxial anesthesia as well as invasive arterial monitoring between March 2016 and January 2017. Multiple logistic regression was used to compute the adjusted odds ratios of postoperative AKI, adjusting for covariates including duration of intraoperative mean arterial pressure of less than 60 mm Hg. Sensitivity analyses also considered the effects of IOH defined at mean arterial pressure of less than 55 and less than 65 mm Hg., Results: Acute kidney injury occurred in 45 (1.85%) of the 2431 patients in this cohort. Longer duration of hypotension was not associated with increased odds of postoperative AKI. Preexisting differences, such as compromised renal function, best predicted increased odds of AKI., Conclusions: In this study, AKI was rare. We found a lack of association between IOH and postoperative AKI in a setting where neuraxial anesthesia-facilitated IOCH is routinely practiced. Therefore, it seems prudent for future research and clinical guidelines to consider the distinction between inadvertent and controlled hypotension.

The purpose of the Society of Anesthesia and Sleep Medicine Guideline on Intraoperative Management of Adult Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is to present recommendations based on current scientific evidence. This guideline seeks to address questions regarding the intraoperative care of patients with OSA, including airway management, anesthetic drug and agent effects, and choice of anesthesia type. Given the paucity of high-quality studies with regard to study design and execution in this perioperative field, recommendations were to a large part developed by subject-matter experts through consensus processes, taking into account the current scientific knowledge base and quality of evidence. This guideline may not be suitable for all clinical settings and patients and is not intended to define standards of care or absolute requirements for patient care; thus, assessment of appropriateness should be made on an individualized basis. Adherence to this guideline cannot guarantee successful outcomes, but recommendations should rather aid health care professionals and institutions to formulate plans and develop protocols for the improvement of the perioperative care of patients with OSA, considering patient-related factors, interventions, and resource availability. Given the groundwork of a comprehensive systematic literature review, these recommendations reflect the current state of knowledge and its interpretation by a group of experts at the time of publication. While periodic reevaluations of literature are needed, novel scientific evidence between updates should be taken into account. Deviations in practice from the guideline may be justifiable and should not be interpreted as a basis for claims of negligence.

Background: The challenge of knowledge translation in medical settings is well known, and implementing change in clinical practice can take years. For the increasing number total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients annually, there is ample evidence to endorse neuraxial anesthesia over general anesthesia. The rate of adoption of this practice, however, is slow at the current time. We hypothesized that a Perioperative Surgical Home (PSH) model facilitates rapid change implementation in anesthesia., Methods: The PSH clinical pathways workgroup at a tertiary care Veterans Affairs hospital embarked on a 5-month process of changing the preferred anesthetic technique for patients undergoing TKA. This process involved multiple sequential steps: literature review; development of a work document; training of staff; and prospective collection of data. To assess the impact of this change, we examined data 6 months before (PRE, n=90) and after (POST) change implementation (n=128), and our primary outcome was the overall proportion of spinal anesthesia usage for each 6 month period. Secondary outcomes included minor and major complications associated with anesthetic technique., Results: Over a period of one year, there was an increase in the proportion of patients who received spinal anesthesia (13% vs. 63%, p<0.001). For the following year, 53-92% of TKA patients per month received spinal anesthesia. There were no differences in major complications., Conclusion: Rapid and sustained change implementation in clinical anesthesia practice based on emerging evidence is feasible., Implications: Perioperative Surgical Home model may facilitate rapid change implementation in surgical care., Level of Evidence: Cohort study, Level 2., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

The purpose of the Society of Anesthesia and Sleep Medicine guideline on preoperative screening and assessment of adult patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is to present recommendations based on the available clinical evidence on the topic where possible. As very few well-performed randomized studies in this field of perioperative care are available, most of the recommendations were developed by experts in the field through consensus processes involving utilization of evidence grading to indicate the level of evidence upon which recommendations were based. This guideline may not be appropriate for all clinical situations and all patients. The decision whether to follow these recommendations must be made by a responsible physician on an individual basis. Protocols should be developed by individual institutions taking into account the patients' conditions, extent of interventions and available resources. This practice guideline is not intended to define standards of care or represent absolute requirements for patient care. The adherence to these guidelines cannot in any way guarantee successful outcomes and is rather meant to help individuals and institutions formulate plans to better deal with the challenges posed by perioperative patients with OSA. These recommendations reflect the current state of knowledge and its interpretation by a group of experts in the field at the time of publication. While these guidelines will be periodically updated, new information that becomes available between updates should be taken into account. Deviations in practice from guidelines may be justifiable and such deviations should not be interpreted as a basis for claims of negligence.

More than 50 million surgical procedures are performed annually in the United States, with perioperative complications and related long-term adverse outcomes profoundly affecting the nation's health. A growing number of studies recognize that type of anesthesia, a main determinant of perioperative care, is associated with perioperative morbidity and mortality. Emerging data suggest, for example, that anesthesia may be a determinant of cancer recurrence after surgery. Further research is needed to elucidate the impact of anesthesia-related factors on short- and long-term health outcomes. Progress in this area of medicine and its public-health consequences will depend largely on the interest of the public, researchers, and health care policy makers.

Introduction: Neuraxial anesthesia may provide perioperative outcome benefits versus general anesthesia in orthopedic surgical patients. As subgroup analyses are lacking, we evaluated the influence of the type of anesthesia on outcomes in patient groups of different age and the presence of cardiopulmonary disease., Methods: Data from approximately 500 hospitals in the United States regarding total hip and total knee arthroplasties performed between 2006 and 2012 were accessed. Patients were categorized by age (ie, <65, 65-74, or ≥75 years) as well as the presence of cardiopulmonary disease. Resulting groups were compared with regard to patient, hospital, procedure, and comorbidity-related variables, as well as incidence of major perioperative complications. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the independent influence of the type of anesthesia on complications within each patient subgroup., Results: We identified 795,135 records of patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty or total knee arthroplasty. The incidence of major complications was highest in the oldest patient group with cardiopulmonary disease (26.1%) and the lowest in the youngest group without cardiopulmonary disease (4.5%).Multivariable logistic regressions showed that neuraxial anesthesia was associated with decreased odds for combined major complications, need for intensive care services, and prolonged length of stay compared with general anesthesia in all patient subgroups. For patients without major cardiopulmonary comorbidities, the positive impact of neuraxial anesthesia increased with increasing age., Conclusions: Neuraxial anesthesia is associated with decreased odds for major complications and resource utilization after joint arthroplasty for all patient groups, irrespective of age and comorbidity burden.

Background: Analyses of existing nationally representative information on how changes in ambulatory orthopedic surgery have affected anesthesia practice over time are rare. We sought to characterize temporal changes in factors surrounding ambulatory orthopedic surgery and anesthesia., Methods: Data from the National Survey of Ambulatory Surgery for the years of 1996 and 2006 were analyzed. Entries indicating the performance of knee ligamentoplasty, meniscectomy, or shoulder arthroscopy were identified and included in the sample. Temporal changes in a number of variables associated with orthopedic ambulatory surgery were assessed, including (1) the number of procedures being performed, (2) patient and health care system-related demographics, and (3) anesthesia-related variables., Results: Nationwide, the total number of ligamentoplasties, meniscectomies, and shoulder arthroscopies increased from 1996 to 2006 by 66% (n = 258,932 to n = 428,712), 51% (n = 456,698 to n = 690,164), and 349% (n = 93,105 to n = 418,188), respectively (P < 0.0001). Between 1996 and 2006, the use of peripheral nerve blocks increased from 0.6% to 9.8% for meniscectomies (P < 0.0001), from 1.5% to 13.7% for ligamentoplasties (P < 0.0001), and from 11.5% to 23.9% for shoulder arthroscopies (P < 0.0001), respectively. Neuraxial anesthesia utilization fell from 11.8% to 6.3% for meniscectomies (P < 0.0001) and 13.6% to 7.3% for ligamentoplasties (P < 0.0001) from 1996 to 2006, respectively., Conclusions: Substantial increases in the number of ambulatory knee and shoulder procedures occurred over time, relating to increased demand for anesthesia providers in this field. Trends toward increased use of peripheral nerve blocks may have to be considered by educators when preparing residents for practice.

Study Objective: To evaluate the potential differences in the type of anesthesia provided to patients of different race, gender, and source of payment undergoing inguinal hernia repair (IHR)., Design: Retrospective cohort study., Setting: Ambulatory surgical centers/National Survey of Ambulatory Surgery., Patients: 5810 patients older than 14 years who underwent IHR in an ambulatory surgical center., Interventions: Inguinal hernia repair under different types of anesthesia., Measurements: The association of race, gender, and source of payment with different types of anesthesia for IHR as determined by multivariate regression analysis., Results: Significant discrepancies in the use of various anesthetics between patients of different race, gender, and source of payment were found. Patients identified as black and those of other minority groups were significantly more likely to receive general anesthesia compared with those identified as white (odds ratio [OR] 2.76, confidence interval [CI] 1.96-3.88 and OR 1.66, CI 1.14-2.42, respectively). Those identified as black were less likely to receive epidural anesthesia compared with their white counterparts (OR 0.36, CI 0.14-0.95). Women were less likely than men to undergo IHR with epidural anesthesia (OR 0.5, 95% CI 0.3-0.85)., Conclusion: Significant discrepancies in the use of various anesthetics for IHR between patients of different race, gender, and insurance status were found. Despite limitations inherent to secondary data analysis, the findings raise the possibility that nonmedical factors may influence anesthetic management.

In 2014, the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine in collaboration with the European Society of Regional Anaesthesia and Pain Therapy convened a group of experts to compare pathways for anesthetic and analgesic management for patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty in North America and Europe and to develop a practice pathway. This review is intended to be an analysis of the current literature to assist individuals and institutions in designing a pathway for total knee arthroplasty that is based on existing evidence and expert recommendation and may be customized according to individual settings.

Background and Aims: The onset of the coronavirus 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic brought together the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA) and the European Society of Regional Anaesthesia and Pain Therapy (ESRA) to release a joint statement on anesthesia use. Their statement included a recommendation to use regional anesthesia whenever possible to mitigate the risk associated with aerosolizing procedures. We sought to examine the utilization of anesthesia in pediatric patients undergoing a surgical procedure for fractures or ligament repairs before and during COVID‐19. Methods: Using the Premier Health Database, we retrospectively analyzed pediatric patients undergoing a surgical intervention for fractures or ligament repair before and during COVID‐19. We sought to determine if there were differences in anesthesia use among this cohort during the two time periods. Fracture groups included shoulder and clavicle, humerus and elbow, forearm and wrist, hand and finger, pelvis and hip, femur and knee, leg and ankles, and foot and toes. Ligament procedures included surgical intervention for the anterior cruciate ligament and ulnar collateral ligament repair. Results: We identified a total of 5935 patients undergoing a surgical procedure for fractures or ligament repairs before and during COVID‐19. After exclusion for unknown anesthesia use, 2,807 patients were included in our cohort with 81.5% (n = 2288) of patients undergoing a procedure under general anesthesia, 6.4% (n = 181) under regional anesthesia, and 12.0% (n = 338) under combined general‐regional anesthesia. There did not appear to be a significant difference in the type of anesthesia used before and during COVID‐19 (p = 0.052). Conclusions: Our study did not identify a difference in anesthesia use before and during COVID‐19 among pediatric patients undergoing a surgical procedure. Further studies should estimate the change in anesthesia used during the time period when elective procedures were resumed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While increased surgical-provider volume has been associated with improved outcomes, research regarding volume-outcome relationships within high-volume institutions and the role of anaesthesiologists is limited. Further, the effect of anaesthesia-care-team composition remains understudied. This analysis aimed to identify the impact of anaesthesiologist and surgeon volume on adverse events after total joint arthroplasties.Methods: We retrospectively identified 40 437 patients who underwent total joint arthroplasties at a high-volume institution from 2005 to 2014. The main effects of interest were anaesthesiologist and surgeon volume and experience along with anaesthesia-care-team composition. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to evaluate three outcomes: any complication, cardiopulmonary complication, and length of stay (>5 days). Odds ratios (ORs) and 99.75% confidence intervals (CIs) were reported.Results: Across all three models, anaesthesiologist volume and experience, and anaesthesia-care-team composition were not significant predictors. Surgeon annual case volume >50 was associated with significantly reduced odds of any complication (annual case volume: 50-149; OR: 0.80; CI: 0.66-0.98) and prolonged length of stay (OR: 0.69; CI: 0.60-0.80). Surgeon experience >20 yr was associated with significantly reduced odds of prolonged length of stay (OR: 0.85; CI: 0.75-0.95).Conclusions: Anaesthesiologist volume and experience, and anaesthesia-care-team composition did not impact the odds of an adverse outcome, although a higher surgeon volume was associated with decreased odds of complications and prolonged length of stay. Further study is necessary to determine if these findings can be extrapolated to less specialised, lower volume surgical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which investigates the effects of general anesthesia on patients who underwent open lung resection. Topics discussed include the use of the database of the health insurance company Premier Perspective Inc. to acquire the relevant data for the study, the use of the SAS version 9.3 statistical software in the analysis, and the study finding illustrating the association between adding neuraxial to general anesthesia in open lung resections in cancer patients.

Abstract: Study Objective: To analyze whether patient characteristics, ambulatory facility type, anesthesia provider and technique, procedure type, and temporal factors impact the outcome of unexpected disposition after ambulatory knee and shoulder surgery. Design: Retrospective analysis of a national database. Setting: Freestanding and hospital-based ambulatory surgery facilities. Measurements: Ambulatory knee and shoulder surgery cases from 1996 and 2006 were identified through the National Survey of Ambulatory Surgery. The incidence of unexpected disposition status was determined and risk factors for such outcome were analyzed. Main Results: Factors independently increasing the risk for unexpected disposition included procedures performed in hospital-based versus freestanding facilities [odds ratio (OR) 6.83 (95% confidence interval [CI] 4.34; 10.75)], shoulder versus knee procedures [OR 3.84 (CI 2.55; 5.77)], anesthesia provided by nonanesthesiology professionals and certified registered nurse-anesthetists versus anesthesiologists [OR 7.33 (CI 4.18; 12.84) and OR 1.80 (CI 1.09; 2.99), respectively]. Decreased risk for unexpected disposition was for procedures performed in 2006 versus 1996 [OR 0.15 (CI 0.10; 0.24)] and the use of anesthesia other than regional or general [OR 0.34 (CI 0.18; 0.68)]. Conclusions: The decreased risk for unexpected disposition associated with more recent data and with freestanding versus hospital-based facilities may represent improvements in efficiency, while the decreased odds for such disposition status associated with the use of other than general or regional anesthesia may be related to a lower invasiveness of cases. We found an increased risk of adverse disposition in cases where the anesthesia provider was a nonanesthesiology professional. No difference in this outcome was noted when an anesthesia care team provided care. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: It is unclear when it is safe to discharge patients with a diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) after ambulatory surgical procedures due to concern for postoperative respiratory compromise and hypoxemia. Our OSA patients undergoing ambulatory-type orthopedic procedures are monitored overnight in the PACU, thus we reviewed patient records to determine incidence of complications. Methods: Two hundred and six charts of patients with preoperative diagnosis of OSA based on ICD-9 codes were reviewed for outcomes including episodes of hypoxemia. Univariate analysis followed by logistic regression and propensity analysis was performed to determine independent risk factors for hypoxemia and association with adverse outcomes. Results: The majority of patients had regional anesthesia (95%). Thirty four percent of patients had hypoxemia in the PACU. Initial risk factors for hypoxemia identified by univariate analysis were BMI ≥ 35, increased age, history of COPD, upper extremity procedure, and use of peripheral nerve block. Independent risk factors identified by logistic regression were history of COPD (OR 3.64 with 95% CI 1.03-12.88) and upper extremity procedure (2.53, 1.36-4.68). After adjustment with propensity scores, adverse events were rare, and unplanned hospital admission after PACU stay was not increased with hypoxemia (11% vs 16%) Conclusions: Episodes of postoperative hypoxemia in OSA patients undergoing ambulatory surgery with regional anesthesia are not associated with increased adverse outcomes or unplanned hospital admission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Purpose:: To determine factors associated with patient disposition status other than discharge to their customary residence (DCR) after elective, ambulatory inguinal hernia repair (IHR). Materials and methods:: N =7953 patients who underwent IHR were identified in the National Survey of Ambulatory Surgery (NSAS). Disposition status was examined by age, sex, race, type of anesthetic, anesthesia provider, expected source of payment, laterality of the procedure, facility type and US region. Logistic regression was used to examine independent risk factors for such disposition status. Results:: Independent risk factors for disposition status other than DCR included anesthesia type, anesthesia provider, increasing age of the patient, and bi- versus unilaterality of the procedure. Differences in disposition status were also found by facility type and US region in which the procedure was performed. Discussion:: The increased cost associated with a disposition status other than DCR requires identification of factors that independently contribute to such an outcome. In this study a number of anesthesia related and unrelated factors were identified that may impact on the disposition of patients undergoing ambulatory inguinal hernia repair. In light of limitations inherent to analysis of large databases our results should be interpreted with caution and prospective trials are needed for validation of our findings. The value of our results may lie particularly in the hypothesis generation for such trials. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

To analyze the use of neuraxial techniques in total hip or knee arthroplasty patients who previously underwent lumbar spine surgeries. Retrospective analysis of a national database. U.S. hospitals. Patients undergoing a total hip or knee arthroplasty, stratified by those with a previous lumbar fusion or decompression procedure. Our primary outcome was the use of neuraxial anesthesia; secondary outcomes included combined complications, cardio-pulmonary complications, and prolonged length of stay. Patients with and without a history of a lumbar procedure were compared using mixed-effects regression. Among 758,857 THAs 8961 had a history of lumbar fusion and 8599 of decompression. Among 1,387,335 TKAs 15,827 had a history of lumbar fusion and 13,652 of decompression. History of a lumbar fusion was associated with lower odds of neuraxial anesthesia use in THA (OR: 0.74 CI: 0.70–0.79, p ≤0.0001) and TKA (OR: 0.80 CI: 0.77–0.84, p ≤0.0001). Previous lumbar fusion -but not decompression- surgery is associated with lower neuraxial anesthesia in THA/TKA patients, despite its use being universally associated with decreased length of stay. More research is needed to address the importance of neuraxial techniques in patients with prior spine surgery. • Lumbar procedures are common in the U.S. and are expected to increase in practice. • We analyzed more than 2.1 million patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty. • Only 15.6% of patients with previous lumbar fusion received neuraxial anesthesia. • History of a lumbar fusion was associated with lower odds of neuraxial anesthesia use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Adding neuraxial to general anesthesia (GA) has been associated with improved perioperative outcome after orthopedic surgery. Presuming a similar effect in major abdominal surgery we studied its effect on perioperative outcome in open colectomy patients. Materials and methods Retrospective study using the Premier Perspective database (n = 98,290 elective open colectomies, 2006-2012). Multilevel multivariable logistic regression models measured the association between anesthesia type (GA or general and neuraxial anesthesia combined [GNA]) and perioperative outcome with odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Outcomes were thromboembolism, acute myocardial infarction, postoperative infection, postoperative ileus, cerebrovascular events, blood transfusion, admission to an intensive care unit, and mechanical ventilation. Results GA was used in 93.9%, GNA in 6.1%, with a similar Charlson comorbidity index between the groups (2.66 versus 2.72, respectively; P = 0.121). The multivariable analyses showed GNA (versus GA) to be associated with a significantly decreased risk for thromboembolism (OR 0.74; CI 0.58-0.93) and cerebrovascular events (OR 0.67; CI 0.51-0.88), whereas the association was nonsignificant for wound infections, pneumonia, and mechanical ventilation. However, GNA use was significantly associated with increased risk for acute myocardial infarction (OR 2.74; CI 2.19-3.43), urinary tract infection (OR 1.35; CI 1.21-1.50), postoperative ileus (OR 1.17; CI 1.09-1.26), blood transfusion (OR 1.12; CI 1.01-1.24), and admission to intensive care unit (OR 1.32; CI 1.22-1.43). Conclusions We found no clear pattern of consistent favorable results for patients undergoing their open colectomy under GNA. Further prospective research is needed to help identify those who are more likely to benefit from GNA use and its mechanism of actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]