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A tracheal rupture is a rare complication of tracheal intubation. Risk factors include advanced age, COBP and corticosteroid therapy. The direct causes of the rupture are difficult tracheal intubation, particularly with a stylet inside the tube and overdistension of the cuff of the tracheal tube. The case of a 73-year-old woman with a tracheal rupture after an uncomplicated operation of a vaginal hysterectomy and bilateral adenexectomy is reported. The procedure of orotracheal intubation presented no difficulties. However, after 5 h the patient was presenting unexpected symptoms such as dyspnea and subcutaneous emphysema. After an inconclusive chest X-ray and chest TC, the diagnosis was made by emergency fiberendoscopy. We adopted a conservative treatment, consisting of a tracheal intubation and chest drain, which resulted in a full recovery after 5 days of mechanical ventilation. The causes that could have provoked a tracheal laceration in our patient and the suggested therapies with preference for conservative treatment, are discussed. We recommend a tracheal tube cuff monitoring during surgery, to prevent fatal overinflation of the cuff, which is permeable to nitrous oxide.

The practice of relieving pain during childbirth with epidural or combined spinal-epidural analgesia is very widespread in the major Western countries, and is increasing in Italy. There are, however, numerous complications of this practice for both the woman and the mechanism of the labour. The aim of our study was to evaluate the short and long term complications of these techniques in a randomised sample of women.A randomised, longitudinal, retrospective study was carried out in a sample of caucasian nulliparous women who gave birth in the second half of 2001. The subjects were divided into 3 groups: Group 1, women who gave birth with the aid of epidural analgesia; Group 2, women who received combined spinal-epidural analgesia during labour; Group 3, women who delivered without any analgesia. The short and long term complications of the 2 analgesic techniques were compared with those occurring in the control group, using Fisher's exact test.The frequency of at least one unwanted effect was higher in the 2 groups of women who received analgesia than in the control group. Hypotension and pruritus were statistically significantly more frequent in the group receiving spinal-epidural analgesia than in the other 2 groups. There were no statistically significant differences between the 3 groups in the rates of late complications or incidence of deliveries completed by cesarean section.The short-term complications of the analgesic techniques used during labour were not very relevant with respect to the subjects' satisfaction (excellent in 66% of the women in the group managed with epidural analgesia and 73% among those treated with the combined spinal-epidural technique). There was not a statistically significant difference in the percentage of cesarean deliveries in the 3 groups. Epidural and spinal-epidural analgesia to relieve pain during labour can, therefore, be considered safe and reliable.

The phantom breast syndrome (PBS) is a complication of mastectomy which consists of a sensation of breast persistence after mastectomy. MATERIALS, PATIENTS AND METHODS: The incidence, clinical course and location of PBS in 97 operated women were studied for a 15-year period. All women were interviewed in postoperative follow-up controls after mastectomy.The incidence of PBS was 29 patients out of the 97 total. The syndrome was present for more than 48 months in eleven of these patients. In most cases the location of "phantom sensations" was the nipple (15 cases) and the entire breast in five patients. In only three patients was phantom breast pain (PBP) reported whereas some discomfort was reported by the other patients.The incidence of PBS in our series was similar to that reported by other authors, but PBP was less common. Neither postoperative sequelae nor the antitumoral specific therapy seemed to have influence on the emergence of PBS.

Retrospective study in patients undergoing cataract surgery by facoemulsification in order to evaluate the incidence of regional peribulbar anaesthesia compared with MAC (Monitored Anesthesia Care).Between January 1999 and December 2000, 1902 patients were studied. Peribulbar anaesthesia was performed by using a double or single inferior-lateral injection with a mixture of Lidocaine 2% and Bupivacaine 0.5% or, as a single agent, of Ropivacaine 0.75%. Jaluronydase 10 UI/ml was added to either agents.Only in 8% of patients intravenous drugs were added during surgery to correct bradycardia in 3%, hypertension 3% and for sedation in 2%.Regional anesthesia represents the most suitable anesthesia technique in patients undergoing cataract surgery by facoemulsification. Only in 8% of patients MAC was suitable, due to excessive anxiety or cardiovascular imbalance. Compared to other anesthesia techniques, regional anaesthesia is significantly safer. The utility of preoperative tests in reducing the morbidity associated with surgery, is also discussed.