Abstract
Despite the introduction of thoracoscopic surgery, tachyarrhythmia after esophagectomy is a common complication that cannot be neglected due to the high frequency of incidence and the severity of the impact on postoperative course. We report a study on the usefulness of a short-acting β1 selective blocker, landiolol hydrochloride, for tachyarrhythmia after thoracoscopic esophagectomy. Of the 127 patients who underwent thoracoscopic esophagectomy in the period between January 2003 to December 2011, 28 patients were treated with landiolol against postoperative tachyarrhythmia. Vital signs, the incidence of postoperative complications, and the length of postoperative hospital stay were examined retrospectively. A significant decrease in pulse rate was rapidly shown 1 hour after administration (at onset : 143.1 beats/min, 1 hour after : 117.5 beats/min, P<0.01). Pulse immediately returned to sinus rhythm in an average of 9.1±14.0 hours after administration. Neither deterioration of respiratory status nor reduction in blood pressure were observed. There were no significant differences in postoperative complications without tachyarrhythmia and the length of postoperative hospital stay compared with patients who did not develop postoperative tachyarrhythmia. In the postoperative tachyarrhythmia after thoracoscopic esophagectomy, landiolol hydrochloride is considered to be a useful drug due to its safety and ease of administration and adjustment.
