title: Anesthesia in repeat mediastinoscopy: a retrospective study of 101 patients.
abstract: In most medical textbooks, a mediastinoscopy is considered an absolute contraindication for a repeat mediastinoscopy. Retrospectively, perioperative data from 101 patients were evaluated in whom repeat mediastinoscopy was performed. The complication rate was 23% in 18 patients; 10% of these were directly related to the surgery. The surgical complications observed were hemorrhage, biopsy of the esophagus, paresis of a recurrent laryngeal nerve, and pneumothorax, which were all treated successfully. The patients receiving a nondepolarizing relaxant had fewer complications than patients given only a single dose of succinylcholine. In this patient population, the mortality rate was zero. This review concludes that an earlier mediastinoscopy is not necessarily an absolute contraindication for repeat mediastinoscopy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, St Antonius Hospital, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Vueghs
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Schurink
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vaes
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Langemeyer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000768:Anesthesia, General; D000075202:Contraindications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008481:Mediastinoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative