Bilateral superficial cervical plexus block for parathyroidectomy during pregnancy:A case report

BACKGROUND Primary hyperparathyroidism(PHPT)is the most common cause of pregnancyrelated hypercalcemia.PHPT can cause maternal and fetal complications in pregnant women.General anesthesia for non-obstetric surgery in pregnant women is associated with maternal hazards and concerns regarding long-term neonatal neurocognitive effects.Surgical removal of the lesion in mid-pregnancy is currently the primary treatment option for pregnant patients with PHPT.However,the blood calcium concentration at which surgery should be considered remains under discussion due to the risk of miscarriage.CASE SUMMARY A 31-year-old nulliparous woman at 11 wk of gestation was admitted to our hospital for parathyroidectomy.The patient had a history of intrauterine fetal death with unknown etiology at 16 wk of gestation 1 year prior.Her blood test results showed that the serum calcium level was elevated to 12.9 mg/dL,and the parathyroid hormone level was elevated to 157 pg/mL.In a neck ultrasound,it revealed a 0.8 cm×1.5 cm sized oval,hypoechoic mass in the upper posterior of the left thyroid gland,which was compatible with parathyroid adenoma.Superficial cervical plexus block(SCPB)for parathyroidectomy was performed.After surgery,the obstetrician checked the status of the fetus,and there were no abnormal signs.Since then her calcium level returned to normal values after one week of surgery and a healthy male neonate of 2910 g was delivered vaginally at 38 wk of gestation.CONCLUSION Our case suggests that SCPB can be an anesthetic option for parathyroidectomy during the first trimester of pregnancy.

Combined sevoflurane-dexmedetomidine and nerve blockade on post-surgical serum oxidative stress biomarker levels in thyroid cancer patients

BACKGROUND The incidence of thyroid cancer is increasing annually.Clinical routine thyroid surgery can be performed under a cervical plexus block,but cannot mediate the stress response during the surgery.If thyroid surgery is performed under nerve block,an inappropriate level of blockade may occur.Similarly,the stress response caused by surgery is more serious than that caused by conventional anesthesia.Therefore,it is important to combine blockade with more effective anesthesia methods.AIM To investigate the effects of combining sevoflurane-dexmedetomidine inhalation general anesthesia with the cervical plexus nerve block on the post-surgical levels of the serum oxidative stress biomarkers levels in thyroid cancer patients.METHODS We enrolled 96 thyroid cancer patients admitted to the hospital between January 2019 and December 2020.Participants were divided into a control group(n=47)and an experimental group(n=49).The experimental group received a combination of inhaled sevoflurane-dexmedetomidine and cervical plexus block,while the control group received conventional general anesthesia.The groups were compared for serum levels of monocyte chemotactic protein-1(MCP-1)and glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px)before and after surgery,and the adrenocorticotropic hormone(ACTH)and norepinephrine(NE)levels at 1 and 12 h postsurgery.The Bispectral index(BIS)and the incidence of anesthesia side effects were also compared.RESULTS Following surgery,MCP-1 was significantly lower in the experimental group compared to the control group,whereas GSH-Px was significantly higher than that in the control group(P<0.001).The serum ACTH and NE levels were significantly lower in the experimental group than those the control group at 1 and 12 h post-surgery(P<0.001).BIS was significantly lower in the experimental group than that in the control group at 20 minutes into the operation,but the direction of the difference was reversed at eye opening(P<0.001).The incidence of side effects was 10.20%(5/49)and 12.76%(6/47)in the experimental and control groups,respectively,the difference being non-significant.CONCLUSION Sevoflurane-dexmedetomidine inhalation general anesthesia combined with cervical plexus nerve block can reduce the postoperative stress and inflammatory responses in thyroid cancer patients,while maintaining high anesthesia effectiveness and safety.