Perioperative management of 63 patients with pheochromocytoma

• Published in: Cleveland Clinic journal of medicine Vol. 57; no. 7; p. 613
• Main Authors: Boutros, A R, Bravo, E L, Zanettin, G, Straffon, R A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.10.1990
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adrenal Gland Neoplasms - drug therapy; Adrenal Gland Neoplasms - surgery; Adult; Aged; Evaluation Studies as Topic; Female; Humans; Intraoperative Care - standards; Male; Middle Aged; Nitroglycerin - therapeutic use; Nitroprusside - therapeutic use; Phenoxybenzamine - therapeutic use; Pheochromocytoma - drug therapy; Pheochromocytoma - surgery; Prazosin - therapeutic use; Premedication - standards; Preoperative Care - methods; Preoperative Care - standards; Retrospective Studies
• ISSN: 0891-1150
• DOI: 10.3949/ccjm.57.7.613

During a 10-year period, 60 patients with confirmed diagnoses of pheochromocytoma underwent a total of 63 surgical procedure. To control extreme blood pressure elevations, 6 patients received phenoxybenzamine preoperatively and 28 patients received prazosin. The remaining 29 patients received neither drug. Intravenous sodium nitroprusside and nitroglycerin, alone or in combination, were used in all but 10 patients to control intraoperative hypertensive episodes. One patient died after surgery due to pre-existing intracranial malignant tumor. All other patients were discharged from the hospital with no clinical evidence of stroke or myocardial infarction. We conclude that pheochromocytoma patients can undergo successful surgery without preoperative profound and long-lasting alpha adrenergic blockade.