CLINICAL-FEATURES AND ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY OF EMBOLISM DURING CEMENTED HIP-ARTHROPLASTY

Purpose: In previous studies the degree of embolization detected by tr ansoesophageal echocardigraphy (TEE) during cemented total hip arthrop lasty (THA) did not correlate with changes in haemodynamic variables n or did it result in persistent ventilation-perfusion mismatching. The aim of this study was to record evidence of embolism and to relate the findings to demographic data and the subsequent clinical course of th e patients during THA. Method: Forty-eight patients scheduled to under go elective cemented THA during general anaesthesia were monitored. A TEE probe was inserted with special attention to the right atrium (RA) , the right ventricle (RV). Haemodynamic (heart rate, arterial blood p ressure, central venous pressure) and blood-gas variables were measure d repeatedly during the operative (after induction, placement of the a cetabular component, placement of the femoral component, relocation of the hip joint). Grading of venous embolism at these times was based o n the size of particles detected by TEE (three-minutes video segments of each periods) and correlated with demographic, haemodynamic and blo od-gas data. Results: The TEE monitoring revealed showers of echogenic material traversing the RA and RV in all but one patients during ream ing and cementing of the acetabular and femoral components, and during relocation of the hip joint. No correlation was observed between freq uency or size of embolic particles and demographic or blood-gas and ha emodynamic variables studied at the same times. Conclusion: This study failed to show any clinical impact of TEE detected emboli during ceme nted THA.