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BackgroundMinimally invasive cardiac surgery (MICS), via minithoracotomy, is thought to be a fast track to extubation and recovery after surgery. For this, good coverage analgesia is essential. Epidural anesthesia, a standard technique for thoracic surgery, has high risk of complications, such as epidural abscess and spinal hematoma in open-heart surgery. Based on the hypothesis that continuous paravertebral block (CPVB), a less invasive regional anesthetic technique, is safe and effective in open-heart surgery, we applied CPVB to MICS with thoracotomy.FindingsTo assess whether CPVB could be used in open-heart surgery with fewer potential complications, we investigated our medical records of the 87 adult patients who underwent MICS at Akashi Medical Center, Hyogo, Japan, between March 2009 and May 2016. We collected data of CPVB-related complications, postextubation respiratory failure, duration of intubation, and other analgesic use from hospital clinical records. We observed no severe CPVB-related complications, such as hematoma, neuropathy, or abscess. PT-INR longer than 1.1 was associated with CPVB-related minor bleeding. Forty-three patients (47.4%) were extubated within 1 h after surgery, and there were no postextubation respiratory failures in any patients.ConclusionsWe observed no cases of severe CPVB-related complications or postextubation respiratory failure in any of our patients who underwent MICS. Preoperative prolongation of PT-INR was associated with CPVB-related minor bleeding.

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Surgical adhesive agents are frequently applied to reinforce aortic sutures in cardiac and aortic surgery. They are thought to provide hemostasis and safely and effectively reduce morbidity. Complications owing to surgical glue remnants, however, have been reported. In our recent case, a surgical glue remnant was detected on the aortic valve by transesophageal echocardiography. For detection of such surgical glue remnants, and to prevent associated serious potential complications, comprehensive transesophageal echocardiography is important. If surgical glue is applied during operative procedures, the heart and aorta should be carefully examined by transesophageal echocardiography.