scholarly journals Ultrasound-Guided Interscalene Catheter Complicated by Persistent Phrenic Nerve Palsy

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Andrew T. Koogler ◽  
Michael Kushelev

A 76-year-old male presented for reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) in the beach chair position. A preoperative interscalene nerve catheter was placed under direct ultrasound-guidance utilizing a posterior in-plane approach. On POD 2, the catheter was removed. Three weeks postoperatively, the patient reported worsening dyspnea with a subsequent chest X-ray demonstrating an elevated right hemidiaphragm. Pulmonary function testing revealed worsening deficit from presurgical values consistent with phrenic nerve palsy. The patient decided to continue conservative management and declined further invasive testing or treatment. He was followed for one year postoperatively with moderate improvement of his exertional dyspnea over that period of time. The close proximity of the phrenic nerve to the brachial plexus in combination with its frequent anatomical variation can lead to unintentional mechanical trauma, intraneural injection, or chemical injury during performance of ISB. The only previously identified risk factor for PPNP is cervical degenerative disc disease. Although PPNP has been reported following TSA in the beach chair position without the presence of a nerve block, it is typically presumed as a complication of the interscalene block. Previously published case reports and case series of PPNP complicating ISBs all describe nerve blocks performed with either paresthesia technique or localization with nerve stimulation. We report a case of a patient experiencing PPNP following an ultrasound-guided placement of an interscalene nerve catheter.

Author(s):  
Thomas McEnery ◽  
Aisling McGowan ◽  
John Faul ◽  
Conor Burke ◽  
Ronan Walsh ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Molly B. Kraus ◽  
Rachel B. Cain ◽  
David M. Rosenfeld ◽  
Renee E. Caswell ◽  
Michael L. Hinni ◽  
...  

This article presents three cases of cranial nerve palsy following shoulder surgery with general anesthesia in the beach chair position. All patients underwent preoperative ultrasound-guided interscalene nerve block. Two cases of postoperative hypoglossal and one case of combined hypoglossal and recurrent laryngeal nerve palsies (Tapia’s syndrome) were identified. Through this case series, we provide a literature review identifying postoperative cranial nerve palsies in addition to the discussion of possible etiologies. We suggest that intraoperative patient positioning and/or airway instrumentation is most likely causative. We conclude that the beach chair position is a risk factor for postoperative hypoglossal nerve palsy and Tapia’s syndrome.


2020 ◽  
pp. 153857442098365
Author(s):  
Michael H. Parker ◽  
Dayle K. Colpitts ◽  
Genevieve F. Gilson ◽  
Liam Ryan ◽  
Dipankar Mukherjee

Introduction: Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair (TEVAR) has become the procedure of choice for pathology involving the descending thoracic aorta since its approval by the FDA in 2005. Left subclavian artery (LSA) coverage is commonly required to facilitate an adequate proximal landing zone for the endograft. The traditional revascularization procedure of choice is carotid-subclavian bypass, however recent studies report complication rates as high as 29%—specifically phrenic nerve palsy in 25% of patients undergoing this procedure. Our aim is to present our experience using carotid-axillary bypass as a safe alternative to carotid-subclavian bypass. Methods: All patients undergoing carotid-axillary bypass for TEVAR with LSA coverage between June 2016 and September 2019 at a tertiary medical center were retrospectively identified. Short-term and long-term complications were identified and analyzed including: phrenic nerve, recurrent laryngeal nerve, and axillary nerve injuries, as well as local vascular complications requiring re-intervention. All perioperative chest radiographs were reviewed for new hemidiaphragm elevation to assess for phrenic nerve injuries. Results: 35 patients underwent carotid-axillary bypass in conjunction with TEVAR during this time period. The majority of bypasses were performed concurrently with TEVAR (80.0%, 28/35) utilizing GORE PROPATEN 8 mm externally supported vascular graft (91.4%, 32/35). The complication rate specific to carotid-axillary bypass was 14.3% (5/35). We observed a significantly lower (0%, 0/35, P < 0.01) rate of phrenic nerve palsy for carotid-axillary bypass compared to the previously reported 25% (27/107) for carotid-subclavian bypass. For patients with available follow-up imaging (85.7%, 30/35), there was a 100% patency rate at time intervals ranging from 0-1066 days (IQR = 3-37.8). Conclusion: Carotid-axillary bypass can be performed as a safe alternative to carotid-subclavian bypass for LSA coverage during TEVAR involving a more superficial anatomic course of dissection. Phrenic nerve palsy, a well-described complication of the traditional carotid-subclavian bypass, was not observed in this retrospective series.


2000 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 203-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Aggarwal ◽  
P. Hari ◽  
A. Bagga ◽  
S.N. Mehta

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1972 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 449-451
Author(s):  
Barry T. Smith

A case of isolated phrenic nerve palsy in a newborn infant following a difficult forceps delivery is described. Treatment was supportive and complete clinical and radiological recovery occurred between the tenth and eighteenth days of life. Phrenic nerve palsy should be considered in the differential diagnosis of respiratory distress in the newborn period, especially if there is a history of traumatic delivery or if a brachial palsy is present.


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