Difficult anesthetic management during pheochromocytoma surgery

The anesthetic management of two middle-aged patients having surgical removal of large pheochromocytomas is described. The same team of physicians was involved in the care of the patients, including an endocrinologist, who supervised their preoperative care. Although the preoperative care included pharmacologic adrenergic receptor blockade and fluid administration, guidelines for surgical readiness did not follow those recommended in our literature. Both patients experienced severe intraoperative hypotension after complete interruption of the tumors' venous drainage, and one patient suffered a cardiac arrest. Explanations for the occurrence of these problems are discussed, including factors relating to the complexity of the disease process. However, it is conceivable that appropriate input from the anesthesiologist during the preoperative preparation of these patients may have ameliorated, if not prevented, the encountered difficulties.