Week 18: Upper GI and thoracic surgery

Things to consider

• Epidurals - Why? How? Troubleshooting? What can go wrong?

• Work up for major surgery - including lung function tests and CPEX

• Expected (and unexpected) CXR findings after thoracic surgery and oesophagectomies

• Thoracic emergencies - use of DLTs and bronchial blockers

• Management of the bleeding tracheostomy

Resources

• Thoracic epidural anaesthesia (BJAEd)

• Epidurals and PCEA (Anaesthesia UK) - also have a look at the analgesia section in Week 15

• Epidural abscess (BMJ Best Practice)

• Clinical risk assessments, pulmonary function tests, preoperative CPEX, and assessing high-risk surgical patients (BJAEd)

• Overview of thoracic anaesthesia (Anaesthesia UK)

• One-lung ventilation (ATOTW)

• Oesophageal cancer and the anaesthetist (BJAEd)

• CXRs post-oesophagectomy (Radiopaedia)

• The bleeding tracheostomy (LITFL)

• Management of tracheostomies (BJAEd)

Have we missed something?

Know a great resource or teaching aid that we've missed? Let us know and help make this page even better.