The Current and Future State of Anesthesiology

https://pubs.asahq.org/monitor/article/87/7/13/138362/The-Current-and-Future-State-of-Anesthesiology

Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulators for OSA

UpToDate: Hypoglossal nerve stimulation for adult patients with obstructive sleep apnea. April 2024

StatPearls: Hypoglossal Stimulation Device. July 2023

Upper Airway Stimulation/Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulator: An alternative treatment for Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Am J Respir Crit Care Med Vol. 202, P23-P24, 2020.

Anesthetic Implications for Patients With Implanted Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulators: A Case Report. Cureus 14(1): e21424. DOI 10.7759/cureus.21424

Anesthesia for Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulator: a Case Report and Anesthesia Implications. J Anest & Inten Care Med 4(5): JAICM.MS.ID.555650 (2018)

Anesthetic Management of a Patient With an Implantable Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulator: A Case Report. A & A Practice 15(12):p e01554, December 2021.

Airway Management And The Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulator For Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients. Dune, University of New England. May 2022

Things that worked for me:

  • ETT, sux (no lingering paralysis secondary to upcoming nerve stimulation)
  • Propofol gtt with 12 mcg Precedex in 50cc syringe
  • Fentanyl for pain
  • HOB 180 degrees away

Compensation for Services

The Full Guide to Physician On-call Pay | Physicians Thrive

AHLA_2013_HC-Transactions-Guide_Valuation-of-Phys-OnCall-Pay-Coverage-Arrangements_Mobley.pdf (sullivancotter.com)

Trends in Direct Hospital Payments to Anesthesia Groups | Anesthesiology | American Society of Anesthesiologists (asahq.org)

Physician Call Compensation Rates: 11 Determining Factors (beckershospitalreview.com)

Anesthesia Stipend Analysis (anesthesiaexperts.com)

Managing Compensation for Anesthesiologists, CRNAs and AAs (beckersasc.com)

28 Statistics on Highest Emergency On-Call Coverage Per Diem Payments (beckershospitalreview.com) –> 2012 data 🙁

Hospital Call Stipends : r/anesthesiology (reddit.com)

Anesthesia Management: MGMA: No guarantees for physician on-call pay | Anesthesia Experts –> 2014 post 🙁

Locum tenens compensation trends by specialty | 2023 report (locumstory.com)

Understanding Call Pay Compensation Methods – Coker (cokergroup.com)

Developing an Anesthesia Compensation Model That Makes Sense | Change Healthcare

Anesthesia Compensation Methodology – CCI Anesthesia

20_HCT_ResourceGuide_HSG_Anesthesia_Subsidy_Assessment_Fair_Market_Value_and_Beyond.pdf (americanhealthlaw.org)

3 Trends Impacting Anesthesia Compensation – ECG Management Consultants

Where do we see anesthesia going as well as reimbursements?

From https://emds.com/gpci/

Medicare’s geographic adjustment for a particular physician payment locality is determined using three geographic practice cost indices (GPCI) that correspond to the three components of a Medicare fee–physician work, practice expense, and malpractice expense.

Physician work–the financial value of physicians’ time, skill, and effort that are associated with providing the service.

Practice expense–the costs incurred by physicians in employing office staff, renting office space, and buying supplies and equipment.

Malpractice expense–the premiums paid by physicians for professional liability insurance. Each RVU measures the relative costliness of providing a particular service.

These GPCIs adjust physician fees for variations in physicians’ costs of providing care in different payment localities. Specifically, they raise or lower Medicare fees depending on whether a payment locality’s average cost of operating a physician practice is above or below the national average. CMS is required to review the GPCIs at least every 3 years and, at that time, may update them using more recent data. The major data source used in calculating the GPCIs, the decennial census, provides new data once every 10 years. The GPCIs were last updated in 2005 and CMS is scheduled to review and, if necessary, update them again in 2008. Concerns have been raised in Congress and among stakeholders, including state medical associations, that the geographic boundaries of some payment localities do not accurately address variations in the costs of operating a private medical practice. If they do not, beneficiaries could potentially experience problems accessing physician services.

From https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-466/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-466.htm

More than half of the current physician payment localities had at least one county within them with a large payment difference–that is, there was a payment difference of 5 percent or more between physicians’ costs and Medicare’s geographic adjustment for an area. Overall, there were 447 counties with large payment differences–representing 14 percent of all counties. These counties were located across the United States, but a disproportionate number were located in five states. Specifically, 60 percent of counties with large payment differences were located in California, Georgia, Minnesota, Ohio, and Virginia. Large payment differences occur because many payment localities combine counties with very different costs, which may be attributed to several factors. For example, although substantial population growth has occurred in certain geographic areas, potentially leading to increased costs, CMS has not revised the payment localities to reflect these changes.

From https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-466/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-466.htm

Perhaps insurance company data could be used to help discover discrepancies in cost and apply new findings to these geographic areas.

The ABCs of RVUs

CMS Physician Fee ScheduleAnesthesia specific

Anesthesia Fee Calculation

ASA: Anesthesia Payments –> The 33% ProblemAnesthesiaExperts:33% Rule

AnesthesiaExperts: Q&A on the 33% problem

AnesthesiaLLC.com: The Low, Low Anesthesia Conversion Factor

Lawmakers Ask HHS to Review Medicare Rates for Anesthesia Services, Sept 2010

Anesthesia Subsidies from a Hospital’s Perspective

ECG Management Consultants:

WCI: Anesthesiologist Salary

AnesthesiaLLC.com: Today’s Anesthesia Economics Coping with New Realities.

Ozempic and other Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) Receptor Agonists

From APSF: Are Serious Anesthesia Risks of Semaglutide and Other GLP-1 Agonists Under-Recognized? Case Reports of Retained Solid Gastric Contents in Patients Undergoing Anesthesia. June 2023.

ASA’s Task Force on Preoperative Fasting suggests the following for patients taking GLP-1 agonists for type 2 diabetes or weight loss who are having elective procedures. It is also calling for further research to be done regarding GLP-1 agonist medications and anesthesia.

Day or week prior to the procedure:

  • Hold GLP-1 agonists on the day of the procedure/surgery for patients who take the medication daily.
  • Hold GLP-1 agonists a week prior to the procedure/surgery for patients who take the medication weekly.
  • Consider consulting with an endocrinologist for guidance in patients who are taking GLP-1 agonists for diabetes management to help control their condition and prevent hyperglycemia (high blood sugar).

Day of the procedure:

  • Consider delaying the procedure if the patient is experiencing GI symptoms such as severe nausea/vomiting/retching, abdominal bloating or abdominal pain and discuss the concerns of potential risk of regurgitation and aspiration with the proceduralist or surgeon and the patient.
  • Continue with the procedure if the patient has no GI symptoms and the GLP-1 agonist medications have been held as advised.
  • If the patient has no GI symptoms, but the GLP-1 agonist medications were not held, use precautions based on the assumption the patient has a “full stomach” or consider using ultrasound to evaluate the stomach contents. If the stomach is empty, proceed as usual. If the stomach is full or if the gastric ultrasound is inconclusive or not possible, consider delaying the procedure or proceed using full stomach precautions. Discuss the potential risk of regurgitation and aspiration of gastric contents with the proceduralist or surgeon and the patient.

Full stomach precautions also should be used in patients who need urgent or emergency surgery.

From ASA: Patients Taking Popular Medications for Diabetes and Weight Loss Should Stop Before Elective Surgery, ASA Suggests. June 2023.
From APSF: Are Serious Anesthesia Risks of Semaglutide and Other GLP-1 Agonists Under-Recognized? Case Reports of Retained Solid Gastric Contents in Patients Undergoing Anesthesia. June 2023.

American Society of Anesthesiologists Consensus-Based Guidance on Preoperative Management of Patients (Adults and Children) on Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) Receptor Agonists. June 29, 2023.

FDA

NYT: Ozempic, Nov 2022.

TEE Billing during Anesthesia

TEE has been bundled into certain anesthesia services where TEE is necessary for a successful procedure. This basically means the qualified anesthesiologist does not get reimbursed for his or her expertise in guiding placement of a device, monitoring, or generating a report.

ASA Statement on TEE

CMS Billing and Coding for TEE

Sonosite: TEE billing

MediCal California anesthesias billing

Code 59 If the TEE is performed for diagnostic purposes by the same anesthesiologist who is providing the anesthesia service, modifier 59 should be appended to the TEE code to note that it is distinct and independent from the anesthesia service.

Center for Medicare Services policy that defines reimbursable indications for intraoperative TEE “The interpretation of TEE during surgery is covered only when the surgeon or other physician has requested echocardiography for a specific diagnostic reason (e.g., determination of proper valve placement, assessment of the adequacy of valvuloplasty or revascularization, placement of shunts or other devices, assessment of vascular integrity, or detection of intravascular air). To be a covered service, TEE must include a complete interpretation/report by the performing physician.

Duke TEE Billing Codes

Procedure Coding: When to use modifier 59

AAPC Anesthesia and TEE billing in same procedure

TEE Documentation Requirements Crucial for Anesthesia Billing

TEE Documentation Requirements from AnesthesiaLLC.com

Watchman Reimbursement guide: pg. 11

Medicare – National Correct Coding Policy Manual, Physician Version 23.0/Policy Narratives (1/1/2017): Chapter I General Correct Coding Policies, Excerpt – Section E

CIPROMS: Anesthesia Modifiers

Dollars for Diagnosis: A Single-Institutional Analysis of Billing for Intraoperative Transesophageal Echocardiography Examinations. JCVA, Volume 36, ISSUE 6, P1658-1661, June 2022.

UnitedHealthcare Anesthesia Billing

Comparison of Anesthesia Times and Billing Patterns by Anesthesia Practitioners. JAMA Netw Open. 2018 Nov; 1(7): e184288.

CSA Anesthesia Billing

Based on our review of the analysis, the most interesting findings include:

  • ■ The national average conversion factor increased from a range of $66.98-$71.79 in 2014 to a range of $69.64-$74.29. Also, the median conversion factor range broadened from $63.88-$69.00 in 2014 to $65.00-$69.00.
  • ■ Conversion factors across the country are similar, with the Eastern Region still having the highest mean of $77.96.
  • ■ Every region and nearly every contract category had a reported conversion factor high of at least $82.00. The highest conversion factor reported was $195.00.
ASA Survey Results for Commercial Fees Paid for Anesthesia Services – 2015. ASA Monitor October 2015, Vol. 79, 48–54.

Blogs

AnesthesiaLLC.com

Medical Business Management Professional Services

Coronis Health

IV Fentanyl while waiting for labor epidural

Fentanyl for labour pain management: a scoping review. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2022; 22: 846.

The Effect of Intravenous Fentanyl on Pain and Duration of the Active Phase of First Stage Labor. Oman Med J. 2013 Sep; 28(5): 306–310.

Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed®) [Internet]. Last Revision: February 15, 2023.

Autonomic effects of epidural and intravenous fentanyl. British Journal of Anaesthesia. Volume 98, Issue 2, February 2007, Pages 263-269.

Effects of opioids administered via intravenous or epidural patient-controlled analgesia after caesarean section: a network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Lancet eClinicalMedicine,  VOLUME 56, 101787, FEBRUARY 2023.

Anesthesia for Latissimus Dorsi Flap for Breast Reconstruction

What is a latissimus dorsi flap?

From MDAnderson.org

Latissimus Dorsi Flap in Breast Reconstruction. Cancer Control. 2018 Jan-Dec; 25(1): 1073274817744638.

A Retrospective Study of Latissimus Dorsi Flap in Immediate Breast Reconstruction. Front. Oncol., 04 November 2021. https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2021.598604

Anesthetic Techniques

Regional Anesthesia For Breast Reconstruction. [Updated 2022 Feb 10]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-.

Anaesthesia for breast surgery. BJA Education, 18(11): 342e348 (2018).

Anaesthesia for free flap breast reconstruction. BJA Education, Volume 16, Issue 5, May 2016, Pages 162–166.

Paravertebral Analgesia with Levobupivacaine Increases Postoperative Flap Tissue Oxygen Tension after Immediate Latissimus Dorsi Breast Reconstruction Compared with Intravenous Opioid Analgesia. Anesthesiology February 2004, Vol. 100, 375–380.

Treatment of Post-Latissimus Dorsi Flap Breast Reconstruction Pain With Continuous Paravertebral Nerve Blocks: A Retrospective Review. Anesth Pain Med. 2016 Oct; 6(5): e39476.

Paravertebral blocks and enhanced recovery after surgery protocols in breast reconstructive surgery: patient selection and perspectives. J Pain Res. 2018;11:1567-1581.

Comparison of local and regional anesthesia modalities in breast surgery: A systematic review and network meta-analysis. J Clin Anesth. 2021 Sep;72:110274.

Efficacy of regional anesthesia techniques for postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing major oncologic breast surgeries: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Can J Anaesth. 2022 Apr;69(4):527-549.

Efficacy of erector spinae plane block for analgesia in breast surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Anaesthesia. 2021 Mar;76(3):404-413.

Erector Spinae Plane Block Similar to Paravertebral Block for Perioperative Pain Control in Breast Surgery: A Meta-Analysis Study. Pain Physician. 2021 May;24(3):203-213.

Erector Spinae Plane Block for Mastectomy and Breast Flap Reconstructive Surgery: A Three Case Series. Open Journal of Anesthesiology
Vol.10 No.01(2020), Article ID:97889,8 pages.

Tranexamic Acid vs. Amicar

** Updated July 2023** Scroll down for update

Over the years, our hospital has been using Amicar… until there was a drug shortage.  With that drug shortage came a different drug called tranexamic acid.  We’ve been using it for awhile and I can’t seem to tell a difference in coagulation between the two drugs.  Let’s break down each one and also discuss cost-effectiveness.

Amicar

What is it?


From MedPage Today

Tranexamic Acid

What is it?

Tranexamic acid acts by reversibly blocking the lysine binding sites of plasminogen, thus preventing plasmin activation and, as a result, the lysis of polymerised fibrin.12 Tranexamic acid is frequently utilised to enhance haemostasis, particularly when fibrinolysis contributes to bleeding. In clinical practice, tranexamic acid has been used to treat menorrhagia, trauma-associated bleeding and to prevent perioperative bleeding associated with orthopaedic and cardiac surgery.13–16 Importantly, the use of tranexamic acid is not without adverse effects. Tranexamic acid has been associated with seizures,17 18 as well as concerns of possible increased thromboembolic events, including stroke which to date have not been demonstrated in randomised controlled trials.

Fibrinolysis is the mechanism of clot breakdown and involves a cascade of interactions between zymogens and enzymes that act in concert with clot formation to maintain blood flow.25 During extracorporeal circulation, such as cardiopulmonary bypass used in cardiac surgery, multiplex changes in haemostasis arise that include accelerated thrombin generation, platelet dysfunction and enhanced fibrinolysis.26 Tranexamic acid inhibits fibrinolysis, a putative mechanism of bleeding after cardiopulmonary bypass, by forming a reversible complex with plasminogen.

Dosing:

  • Ortho/Spine
  • OB
  • Trauma

Currently at our hospital (June 2022):

TXA DOSING AND ADMINISTRATION OVERVIEW

How supplied from PharmacyTXA 1000mg/10mL vials Will not provide premade bags like with Amicar; Amicar is a more complex mixture than TXA Will take feedback on this after go-live and reassess
Where it will be supplied from PharmacyPOR-SUR1 Omnicell (in HeartCore Room)   Perfusion Tray (will replace aminocaproic acid vials 6/7)  
Recommended Dosing (see below for evidence)~20 mg/kg total dose Can give as: 20 mg/kg x 1, OR 10 mg/kg x 1, followed by 1-2 mg/kg/h*   Perfusion may also prime bypass solution with 2 mg/kg x 1*
Preparation & AdministrationIV push straight drug (1000mg/10mL) from vial   AND/OR   Mix vial of 1000mg/10mL TXA with 250mL NS for continuous infusion*

TXA & Amicar ADRs

  • Seizure risk may be increased also by duration of prolonged open-chamber surgery based on findings from Zuffery, et al. Anesthesiology 2021.
  • Per OR pharmacist at Scripps Mercy, they have not seen an increased incidence of seizures in their patient-population (anecdotally)

DOSING EVIDENCE

There are a number of dosing strategies in the literature. What I recommend for maximal safety and efficacy is taken from Zuffery, et al. Anesthesiology 2021 meta-analysis and is practiced at Scripps Mercy.

  • ~ 20 mg/kg total dose recommended in this meta-analysis.
  • Two dosing strategies they report that were as effective as high-dose but with lower seizure risk than high dose:

UPDATE JULY 2023

Carrie our pharmacist provided some really helpful research and updates:

So really we have two questions here I am seeking to answer with your group: (1) Is TXA best given as a bolus or as an infusion during cardiac surgery, and my other question (2) What is the optimal TXA dosage?

The JAMA 2022 study focuses on the question of dosing, though I believe it also helps answer the question about continuing drips post-op.

In this study, they did a bolus/infusion but only during the surgery.

They performed a randomized double-blind trial of 2 different TXA dosing strategies for adults undergoing cardiac surgery with CPB. They two dosing strategies:

  1. “High dose”: TXA 30mg/kg bolus followed by 16mg/kg/h during surgery only and 2mg/kg pump prime
  2. “Low dose”: TXA 10mg/kg bolus followed by 10mg/kg/h during surgery only and 1mg/kg pump prime

Results:

Efficacy: 21.8% of patients in the high-dose group received at least 1 allogeneic RBC transfusion compared to 26.0% in the low-dose group (p=0.004).

Safety: The composite safety endpoint (seizure, kidney dysfunction, thrombotic events, and all-cause mortality) was 17.6% in high-dose vs 16.8% in low-dose (p=0.004 for noninferiority)

I like this infographic on their study and results:

My takeaway on the JAMA study: I’m not sold on the “high dosing” regimen because I’m not overly impressed by their efficacy endpoint. Transfusion of at least 1 PRBC by itself doesn’t say much (in my opinion – let me know what you think!). Transfusion of FFP, platelets, cryo were no different between dosing groups. Chest tube output was not statistically different post-op. Duration of mechanical ventilation, ICU length of stay, and hospital length of stay were not statistically different.

Furthermore, if you comb through their secondary safety endpoints, you can see where TXA “low dose” patients had lower rates of seizures compared to high dose. This was especially true for open chamber surgery.

This doesn’t answer the question you asked about dosing strategy – bolus versus drip. However, they did only run TXA intraoperatively and did NOT give it post-op, which at least supports the idea we don’t need it upon ICU transfer.

I’m in favor of us moving toward the above JAMA “low dose” strategy among our anesthesiologists who are running drips. I think we can actually increase the rate of the infusion and STOP it before patient transfers, because at that point TXA will have already done all the leg work it is going to do.

Okay, so back to the question on bolus versus infusion:

The 2021 Zuffery article from Anesthesiologydoes not really take a stance on how to administer, though they do include a couple articles where the researchers only used bolus dosing (e.g. Lambert et al, who studied 20 mg/kg bolus compared to higher dosing regimens).

I really like their Figure 6, where they show pharmacokinetics and outcomes based on four different TXA regimen simulations. You can see where TXA 20mg/kg bolus (represented with yellow) is pretty similar outcomes and PK-wise to the green 10mg/kg bolus followed by 1mg/kg/h for 12 hours. AKA what you’re doing vs. what most of your colleagues are doing – same outcomes represented in this simulation.

“The following tranexamic acid regimens were simulated: 100 mg/kg preoperative loading dose (blue dashed line and blue triangle); 30 mg/kg preoperative loading dose followed by 16 mg · kg–1 · h–1 during surgery with a further 2 mg/kg added to the cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) pump prime (red solid line and red triangle for 3 h of surgery, red circle for 4 h of surgery); 10 mg/kg preoperative loading dose followed by 1 mg · kg–1 · h–1 for 12 h (green solid line and green circle); 20 mg/kg preoperative loading dose (yellow dashed line and yellow triangle). Top left, Predicted concentrations of tranexamic acid for various regimens indicated as described above, the dark gray column representing the mean duration of CPB in the meta-analysis. Top right, Predicted postoperative mediastinal blood loss without tranexamic acid (gray solid line) and for the different tranexamic acid regimens indicated as described above. Bottom, As a function of the mean tranexamic acid concentration from start of surgery up to 12 h, the probability of erythrocyte transfusion (left) and of seizure (right). Bottom right, The black solid line represents model-based study-level predictions of a hypothetical trial of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting with a mean duration of surgery and CPB of 3 h and 1.5 h, respectively; the black dot-dash line represents model-based predictions at the study level of a hypothetical trial in patients undergoing open-chamber surgery with a mean duration of surgery and CPB of 4 h and 2.5 h, respectively; the average weight was 74 kg.”

This NEJM RCT from 2017 from Myles, et al studied 50mg/kg and dosed as follows : “30-min loading dose of 12.5 mg/kg with a maintenance infusion of 6.5 mg/kg/hr, and 1 mg/kg added to the CPB prime, will be used” > Infusions again, but intraop only. This study also started with giving 100 mg/kg!! Patients were seizing, so they pulled back 50mg/kg.

My plan:

TXA 20mg/kg over 20 minutes prior to incision + 2mg/kg in pump prime. No infusion.

Is your workplace hazardous to your health??

I found myself on the wrong side of the ether screen earlier this year, having surgery on my left hand to release Dupuytren’s contracture, a genetic gift from my father and (maybe) generations of our Viking forebears. Wondering how long it will take to heal – and when I’ll get some (any?) grip strength back […]

Is your workplace hazardous to your health??