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Emergency Awake Laparotomy Using Neuraxial Anaesthesia: A Case Series and Literature Review

M. Leoni, Tommaso Rossi, Marco Mercieri, G. Cerati, David Michael Abbott, G. Varrassi, G. Cattaneo, P. Capelli et al.

Journal of Personalized Medicine, 2024

16 participants · 5 citations

Abstract

Emergency laparotomy is a surgical procedure associated with significantly higher mortality rates compared to elective surgeries. Awake laparotomy under neuraxial anaesthesia has recently emerged as a promising approach in abdominal surgery to improve patient outcomes. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and potential benefits of using neuraxial anaesthesia as the primary anaesthetic technique in emergency laparotomies. We conducted a case series involving 16 patients who underwent emergency laparotomy for bowel ischemia, perforation, or occlusion. Neuraxial anaesthesia was employed as the main anaesthetic technique. We analysed patient demographics, clinical characteristics, intraoperative details, and postoperative outcomes. The primary outcome measures included the adequacy of postoperative pain control, the incidence of postoperative complications, and mortality rates. Among the 16 patients, adequate postoperative pain control was achieved, with only 2 patients requiring additional analgesia. Postoperative complications, including sepsis, wound dehiscence, and pneumonia, were observed in seven patients (44%). The observed mortality rate was relatively low at 6% (one patient). Notably, conversion to general anaesthesia was not necessary in any of the cases, and no early readmissions were reported. Our findings highlight the feasibility and potential benefits of using neuraxial anaesthesia in emergency laparotomies. The observed low mortality rate and the avoidance…

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