title: A standardized protocol for the perioperative management of myasthenia gravis patients. Experience with 110 patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Video-assisted thoracoscopic extended thymectomy (VATET) is well established in the treatment of myasthenia gravis; however, patient selection remains controversial. Perioperative management protocol is lacking, and concerns regarding post-operative myasthenic crisis still remain. We performed a retrospective observational study evaluating the impact of the introduction of a protocol in the perioperative management of patients with myasthenia gravis who underwent VATET.
  
  
  METHODS
  The perioperative management protocol was developed by a team of neurologists and anesthesiologists who reviewed the literature and their previous experience on myasthenia gravis patients. Respiratory, clinical, and neurological patient features were included in the protocol evaluation. A retrospective review of patients who underwent VATET before and after introduction to the protocol was finally performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The medical records of 66 patients (pre-protocol group) and 44 patients (protocol group) were available for the study. In the pre-protocol group, 17 patients (26%) were admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) during the post-operative period, while three patients (6.8%) of the protocol group met the criteria for ICU post-operative admission. This resulted in a reduction of 73.5% of patients admitted to ICU (P = 0.023) and in an 80% (P = 0.002) reduction of the use neuromuscular blocking agents. Two post-operative myasthenic crises preceded by bulbar symptoms (1.8%) were identified in the pre-protocol group patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the application of our protocol results in a substantial reduction in the recovery of patients in the ICU and in hospital costs, there was no substantial difference in mortality and morbidity between patients admitted to the surgical ward or to ICU.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, Ospedali Riuniti di Bergamo, Italy. grittip@libero.it
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gritti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sgarzi
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Carrara
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Lanterna
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Novellino
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Spinelli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khotcholava
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Poli
authors.forename: F L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Lorini
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sonzogni
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000758:Anesthesia; D002648:Child; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003422:Critical Care; D005260:Female; D017721:Hospital Costs; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000191:economics / Q000628:therapy*; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D018579:Patient Selection; D019990:Perioperative Care / Q000191:economics; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality; D011300:Preoperative Care; D015656:Respiratory Mechanics; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult