Unilateral Pulmonary Edema After Robotically Assisted Mitral Valve Repair Requiring Veno-Venous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation

Unilateral pulmonary edema (UPE) is an uncommon yet potentially life-threatening complication of minimally invasive cardiac surgery (MICS). Most frequently described after robotically assisted mitral valve (MV) repair, it is characterized by right lung edema, hypoxemia, hypercapnia, pulmonary hypertension, and hemodynamic instability beginning minutes-to-hours after separation from cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). The authors describe a severe case with refractory hypoxemia requiring veno-venous (VV) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) after robotically assisted MV repair.

Prospective, randomized clinical trial comparing use of intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography to standard care during radical cystectomy

Purpose:

Our prospective, randomized clinical study aims to evaluate the utility of intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in patients undergoing radical cystectomy.

Materials and Methods:

Eighty patients were randomized to a standard of care group or the intervention group that received continuous intraoperative TEE. Data are presented as means ± standard deviations, median (25^th percentile, 75^th percentile), or numbers and percentages. Characteristics were compared between groups using independent sample t-tests, Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney tests or Chi-square tests, as appropriate. All tests were two-sided and P < 0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significance.

Results:

Both groups had similar preoperative demographic characteristics. There was a significant difference between central line insertion with all insertions in the control group (15%, 6 vs. 0%, 0; P < 0.003). Of all the perioperative complications, 80% occurred in the control group versus 20% in the TEE group, with 21% of controls experiencing a cardiac or pulmonary complication compared to 5% in the TEE group (8 vs. 2, P < 0.04). The control group patients were more likely to have adverse cardiac complications than the TEE group (15%, 6 vs. 3%, 1; P < 0.040). Postoperative cardiac arrhythmia was observed only in the control group (13%, 5 vs. 0%, 0; P <.007). Prolonged intubation was only observed in the control group (10%, 4 vs. 0%, 0; P < 0.017).

Conclusion:

TEE can be a useful monitoring tool in patients undergoing radical cystectomy, limiting the use of central line insertion and potentially translating into earlier extubation and decreased postoperative cardiac morbidities.