Organ transplanting, for many years, has ceased to be a clinical experiment and their number increases each year with the progress in immunosuppression. Despite successful transplanting, these patients are always considered as persons of the increased risk, not necessarily involving the transplanted organ [1]. The case described below presents the preoperative problems related to pneumonectomy in a patient after heart transplantation.

A 54-year old male was admitted to the Thoracic Surgery Department with a diagnosis of planoepithelial carcinoma of the right lung (T₂N0M1). The diagnosis was made in December 1998 after routine chest X-ray and confirmed by bronchoscopy and CT-scan. Nine months earlier the patient underwent a heart transplant for congestive cardiomyopathy. In 1993, because of arteriosclerosis, his left lower limb was amputated. At the time of admission he was treated for renal insufficiency with hyperkalemia (urea plasma level 105 mg/dl; creatinine-2.9 mg/dl; potassium- 6.5 mmol/l).

On clinical examination the signs of malnutrition were noted - BMI 17.2 kg/m² (55 kg/178cm). The liver was palpable 3cm below the costal margin. Preoperative tests did not reveal any signs of transplanted heart failure, or transplant rejection.

The patient was scheduled for surgery, despite the limited respiratory reserve: FEV₁- 53%; FEVC- 71% normal. It was accepted that the abnormal spirometry resulted from the exclusion of a part of lung parenchyma. General condition of the patient justified the surgery, as the physical effort tolerance seemed satisfactory. This was, however, difficult to document by objective tests, as the patient leg was amputated.

The surgical procedure was carried out under total intravenous anaesthesia combined with thoracic epidural analgesia. One hour before the operation the patient received orally midazolam 7.5 mg as premedication. Before induction of anaesthesia an 18G epidural catheter (Perifix, B.Braun, Germany) was inserted at the vertebrtal interspace Th₄-Th₅. The catheter was introduced from the median approach and advanced 4cm in the cranial direction. A mixture composed of 0.5% bupivacaine 2ml, fentanyl 0.1 mg (Polfa, Poland) and 2 ml of 0.9% NaCl was injected to the epidural space. This produced analgesia from Th₃ to Th₈ spinal segments. After the stabilisation of the analgesia level, the patient was anaesthetised with etomidate, fentanyl and pancuronium) and intubated with a bronchial double lumen tube for lung separation.

Invasive blood pressure (IBP) and central venous pressure (CVP) were monitored. Propofol in a Target Controlled Infusion (TCI) was the main agent of total intravenous anaesthesia. For this purpose the Graseby 3500 Diprifusor pump (Graseby, Great Britain) was used. The initial Target Plasma Concentration (TPC) was set at 1.0 mg/ml, and the dose was infused during 3 minutes. The depth of anaesthesia was modified, depending on the phase of the procedure, in the range of concentration 0.8-1.5 mg/ml (2.5-4 mg/kg/h). Epidural analgesia was continued during surgery. 0.5% bupivacaine 2 ml and fentanyl 0.1 mg were injected in hourly intervals (4 doses in total). During the procedure (3h 20 min) the patient did not require additional intravenous doses of fentanyl or rocuronium. Blood pressure (before induction 144/78 mm Hg - 19.2/10.4 kPa) during anaesthesia remained in the range 110-160/70-100 mm Hg (14.7-21.3/9.3-13.3 kPa). A short lasting, (few minutes), episode of hypotension to 80/50 mm Hg (10.7/6.7 kPa) caused by bleeding during preparing the lung, was corrected by rapid infusion of crystalloid solution. The baseline CVP value in the patient placed in prone position equalled 7 mm Hg (0.93 kPa) and raised to 12-15 mm Hg (1.6- 2.0 kPa) after changing the position to the lateral one. This was one of the parameters regulating the volume and the rate of intravenous infusion of fluids. The venous pressure readings were influenced by surgical manoeuvres inside the thoracic cavity. Throughout the procedure the patient was receiving a continuous intravenous infusion of dopamine at a dose of 3 mg/kg/min, to protect the renal function. At the end of surgery (beginning of skin suture) the infusion of propofol was stopped and atropine with neostigmine was administered. The patient was extubated in the operating theatre 8 minutes after the end of surgery, and was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit.

In the postoperative period the treatment concentrated on:

- infection prophylactics (antibiotic treatment maintained until the removal of drains);

- continuation of immunosuppression (cortisosteroid therapy during the first 2 postoperative days, then return to the preoperative scheme, under serum cyclosporine concentration monitoring);

- forced diuresis (minimally 100 ml/h) using loop diuretics and a low-dose dopamine infusion, which enabled the maintenance of biochemical renal function parameters at a level slightly below the preoperative values;

- continuous epidural analgesia (up to the third postoperative day) making possible the elimination of parenteral administration of opioids and early postoperative physiotherapy.

No complications were observed in the postoperative period. Five days after surgery the patient was transferred from the ICU to the thoracic surgery ward and was discharged home on the ninth day after the operation in good general condition.

The decision-making process in the choice of anaesthetic technique and perioperative treatment had to involve the pathophysiology of 3 body systems [2]: