INTRODUCTION: Cleft lip/palate (CLCP) patients might need postoperative care in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) due to several reasons like difficult airway management, associated abnormalities and perioperative respiratory complications. Our aim was to evaluate the factors associated with difficult airway and need for postoperative ICU follow-up in CLCP patients operated in our institution. METHODS: CLCP patients followed in ICU after surgery between 2005-2013 were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Twenty patients were included to the study. Ten had CLCP together, ten had isolated cleft palate. Difficult intubation was seen in 8 patients. Difficult mask ventilation was seen only in one patient with 22q11 deletion. All patients with difficult intubation had micrognathia. Nasal fiberoptic bronchoscopy was more commonly used in patients with difficult intubation. There was a statistically significant relationship between the presence of any systemic disease and difficult intubation. Main reasons for ICU follow-up were the need for close monitoring and airway related problems. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Difficult airway is a frequent problem in CLCP patients even in the absence of a diagnosed syndrome. Patients with difficult airway or risk of postoperative airway obstruction could be better followed in ICU during early postoperative period for rapid diagnosis and treatment of possible complications by experienced staff.

BackgroundIntra-articular local anaesthetics are widely used for providing postoperative analgesia and decreasing the need for opioids. Procaine has proven positive effects in carpal tunnel syndrome and chondromalacia patella. However, the effect of procaine on articular cartilage has not yet been studied. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of intra-articular procaine injection on the articular cartilage and the synovium.MethodsTwenty adult Sprague-Dawley rats were enrolled in the study. After providing anaesthesia and aseptic conditions, 0.25 ml of 10% procaine was injected to the right knee joint, and 0.25 ml of normal saline (as control group) was injected to the left knee joint. Knee joint samples were obtained from four rats in each group after appropriate euthanasia on days 1, 2, 7, 14 and 21. The histological sections of the articular and periarticular regions and the synovium were evaluated by two histologists, and inflammatory changes were graded according to a five-point scale in a blinded manner. The apoptosis of chondrocytes was determined by the caspase-3 indirect immunoperoxidase method.ResultsThere were no significant differences in inflammation between procaine and saline groups at any of the time intervals. Slight inflammatory infiltration due to injection was seen in both groups on the 1st day. Haemorrhage was observed in both groups at days 1 and 2, and the difference between groups was not found to be significant. No significant difference was detected in the percentage of apoptotic chondrocytes between groups at any of the time intervals.ConclusionsInjection of procaine seems safe to use intra-articularly based on this in vivo study on rat knee cartilage. However, further studies investigating both the analgesic and histopathological effects of procaine on damaged articular cartilage and synovium models are needed.

IntroductionSeptoplastical surgery to correct septum deviation can be performed under either local or general anesthesia. During local anesthesia, sedation helps to provide minimum anxiety/discomfort. Our aim was to evaluate the effects of patient-controlled analgesia using dexmedetomidine and propofol on sedation level, analgesic requirement, and patient satisfaction.Study designA prospective, randomized-parallel clinical study.MethodsFifty patients undergoing septoplastical surgery at our university hospital were randomized into two groups. A nasopharyngeal cotton tampon soaked in 0.25 % adrenaline solution was placed, and 1 mg midazolam and 1 mcg/kg fentanyl were applied 5 min before the injections of a surgical local anesthetic. Loading dose was 0.5 mg/kg propofol (Group I) and 1 mcg/kg dexmedetomidine (Group II). The sedation was sustained by a bolus dose of 0.2 mg/kg and continuous basal infusion dose of 0.5 mg/kg/h propofol in Group I, or by a bolus dose of 0.05 µg/kg and continuous basal infusion dose of 0.4 mcg/kg/h dexmedetomidine in Group II. The primary outcomes were patient satisfaction via patient-controlled anesthesia and analgesic demand. Secondary outcomes were sedation level of patients under local anesthesia.ResultsIn Group II, SpO2 levels were significantly higher than in Group I. Intraoperative and postoperative analgesic requirements were lower in Group II than in Group I. There were no statistically significant differences in patient satisfaction, hemodynamic parameters, nausea and vomiting between the two groups.ConclusionDexmedetomidine can be used safely as an analgesic and sedation drug in septoplastic surgery.

BackgroundInterscalene block (ISB) is commonly associated with Horner’s syndrome due to spread of local anesthetic to the cervical sympathetic chain. Postganglionic neurons that originate from superior cervical ganglia form the sympathetic innervation of eye. Decrease in sympathetic tone may change intraocular pressure (IOP) and ocular perfusion pressure (OPP). The aim of the study was to investigate whether ISB affects IOP and/or OPP.MethodsThirty patients scheduled for ambulatory shoulder surgery under regional anesthesia with a single-shot ISB (15 mL 0.5% bupivacaine and 15 mL 2% lidocaine) were recruited. The IOP and OPP in both eyes, mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR) and end-tidal CO2 (ETCO2) were measured before ISB and 5, 10, 20, 30 and 60 min after ISB in the beach-chair position.ResultsThe baseline IOP and OPP were similar in the blocked and unblocked sides (IOP 17.60 ± 1.69 and 17.40 ± 1.96 respectively p = 0.432; OPP 49.80 ± 8.20 and 50 ± 8.07 respectively p = 0.432). The IOP in the blocked side significantly decreased between 10th to 60th min following ISB, compared to the baseline values (p < 0.001). The OPP in the blocked side significantly increased from 10th to 60th min (p < 0.001) whereas, there were no significant changes in IOP and OPP throughout the measurement period in the unblocked side.ConclusionsISB decreased IOP in the blocked side. ISB could be considered as a safe regional technique of choice in elderly patients at high risk for developing glaucoma.

Missed retrosternal ectopic thyroid tissue in a patient operated for multinodular goiter INTRODUCTIONEctopic thyroid tissue is a common abnormality due to the abnormal embryological development and migration of thyroid tissue. Ectopic thyroid tissue is commonly seen in the midline of the neck throughout the descending pathway of the thyroid gland (1). Ectopic thyroid tissue can be found from the tongue to the diaphragm. Ectopic thyroid tissue is usually seen in the tongue, submandibular region, cervical lymph nodes, larynx, trachea, oesophagus, mediastinum, diaphragm and heart respectively (2, 3). Although the most common type of ectopic thyroid tissue is lingual, the most common non-cervical location is the thoracic cavity (1). "Forgotten goiter" is an extremely rare situation which is described as a mediastinal thyroid mass found after total thyroidectomy (4).In this article, a case report of a patient with retrosternal ectopic thyroid tissue detected after total thyroidectomy, is presented. CASE PRESENTATIONWe obtained consent from the patient for publication of this case report. In this case report, we discussed a 49 year-old female patient whose retrosternal ectopic thyroid tissue was detected by thyroid scintigraphy taken in postoperative period after total thyroidectomy performed with diagnosis of multinodular goiter. Approximately 3-4 years of swelling and pinching sensation was present on the neck in the anamnesis of the patient who was followed due to multinodular goiter. Palpable nodules were present in both thyroid lobes in physical examination of the patient. Palpable lymph nodes were not present in the neck in physical examination. The right lobe of the thyroid gland was 6 x 2 x 2 cm, the left lobe was 7 x 2.5 x 2 cm and the thickness of isthmus was 1 cm in the neck ultrasonography (USG) of the patient. There were no pathological lymph nodes. Multiple nodules, the largest being over 4 cm on the right (hypoechoic, irregular edged with peripheral halo), were detected in both thyroid lobes in the neck USG of the patient. It was decided to perform total thyroidectomy to the patient. Preoperative blood examinations, chest X-ray and thyroid function tests of the patient were normal. Total thyroidectomy was performed to the patient under general anesthesia. Nineteen milimeters diameter thyroid papillary carcinoma was detected in histopathological examination (capsule invasion and lenfovascular invasion were negative, without extrathyroidal spread).