Transversus abdominis plane (TAP) blocks are a safe and effective way to provide immediate postoperative pain relief in surgical patients, and have been shown to decrease narcotic requirements. Concerns about complications of narcotics, increase in hospital length of stay (LOS), and health-care costs make this of particular interest. We compared standard bupivacaine TAP blocks with those carried out using liposomal bupivacaine to evaluate postoperative outcomes. Fifty patients undergoing elective laparoscopic colectomy received laparoscopic liposomal bupivacaine TAP blocks using 80 cc of local anesthetic, and data were collected prospectively during hospitalization. Data collected included amount of narcotic medication used during hospitalization, number of days to ambulation, number of days to bowel function, and LOS. These patients were compared with the last 50 patients recruited to the control/bupivacaine TAP block arm of the study. The same data parameters were collected and all patients were on an enhanced recovery protocol, which included scheduled acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and gabapentin by mouth, as well as clear liquid diet starting on postoperative day zero. Statistical analysis was performed using Student's t test and Fisher's exact test; P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Patients treated with liposomal bupivacaine needed less narcotics (5.06 vs 18.75 mg, P = 0.0002), had earlier bowel function (1.7 vs 2.4 days, P = 0.0002), and shorter LOS (2.7 vs 3.4 days, P = 0.0146). Patients undergoing laparoscopic colon resections seem to require fewer narcotics and have better patient outcomes with liposomal bupivacaine TAP blocks. Based on our data, liposomal bupivacaine seems to be superior to bupivacaine for TAP blocks.

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The surgical management of the complications of Crohn disease is often challenging. These difficulties are compounded in pregnancy by competing interests of the mother and the baby. In this report, we describe the presentation and surgical management of a patient in her second trimester with active Crohn disease who required emergent surgical intervention. She had presented with the uncommon complication of a free perforation in the presence of active untreated disease.

Hemobilia is an uncommon presentation of biliary tract or pancreatic disease. The investigation and management of this clinical problem is challenging. We report on a case of biliary tract hemorrhage from an otherwise asymptomatic right lobe biliary cystadenocarcinoma and review the literature on this unusual presentation. Hemobilia from primary or secondary liver tumors is not frequently reported in the literature. Hemobilia in this setting is usually observed in association with an obvious liver mass or abnormal liver function tests. This is a report of a case of hemobilia as the primary presentation of a small right lobe cystadenocarcinoma. Literature on the incidence and treatment of hemobilia associated with liver tumors has been reviewed. Hemobilia is investigated and definitively treated with angiography. In our case, initial imaging was equivocal and the lesion was only demonstrated after rebleeding, requiring a second angiogram. Surgical resection of the mass was required for definitive control of bleeding. This case illustrates the difficulties of investigating and treating hemobilia caused by primary or secondary liver tumors. Cystadenocarcinoma of the liver is not a common tumor, and biliary tract hemorrhage as the primary presentation of this tumor in the absence of a significant mass or abnormal liver function tests has not been previously described.

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