Effect of anesthetic technique on transluminal interventional therapy following pulmonary thromboembolism surgery

The aim of this study was to compare adverse cardiac events, treatment effectiveness, and long-term effects between local and general anesthesia, administered during different time periods, in patients with massive and sub-massive pulmonary embolism who received pigtail catheter fragmentation. Two groups of patients received pigtail catheter fragmentation at different times: in Group E, 17 patients received transluminal interventional therapy under local anesthesia between July 2004 and October 2009, while in Group P, 31 patients received the therapy under general anesthesia between March 2010 and December 2015. Adverse cardiac events were compared between the two groups, and vital arterial oxygen concentration (PaO2) variations, mean pulmonary artery pressure, heart rate, and D-dimer during fragmentation were assessed in Group P. Both groups shared a similar probability of reductions in heart rate, blood pressure, and blood oxygen saturation. However, with regard to disposition effect, Group P was significantly better than Group E. These findings suggest that precise treatment of intraoperative complications under general anesthesia can reduce adverse cardiovascular effects and is necessary in the interventional treatment of pulmonary embolism with a lumen catheter.