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Updated: Aug 15, 2025

Author Spotlight: Enhancing Success of Ultrasound-Guided Neuraxial Anesthesia in Cases with Difficult Anatomy
Published on: January 31, 2025
Surface Landmarks in the Lateral Decubitus Position Are Unreliable for Thoracic Epidural Catheter Placement: A Case
Sean W Dobson1, Robert S Weller1, James D Turner1
1From the Departments of Anesthesiology.
Abstract:
Thoracic epidurals remain the optimal method for providing postoperative analgesia after complex open abdominal and thoracic surgeries. However, they can be challenging to both place and maintain, as evidenced by a failure rate that exceeds 30%.1 Proper identification of the epidural space and accurate placement of the catheter are critical in order to deliver effective postoperative analgesia and avoid failure.2,3 This case series investigated the difficulty in correctly identifying the proper vertebral level for thoracic epidural catheter procedures when performed in the lateral decubitus position.
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