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REGIONAL ANESTHESIA

Orthogonal Polarization Spectral Imaging of the Microcirculation During Acute Hypervolemic Hemodilution and Epidural Lidocaine Injection

Huub L.A. van den Oever, MD^*, Misa Dzoljic, MD, PhD^*, Can Ince, PhD, Markus W. Hollmann, MD, PhD^*, and Fleur C. Mokken, MD, PhD^*

From the *Department of Anesthesiology; Department of Physiology; Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Misa Dzoljic, MD, PhD, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Department of Anesthesiology, P.O. Box 22700, 1100 DE Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Address e-mail to m.dzoljic{at}amc.uva.nl.

We used Orthogonal Polarization Spectral Imaging to examine the microcirculation of the vaginal mucosa in nine anesthetized patients during two consecutive anesthetic interventions: hypervolemic hemodilution using hydroxyethyl starch followed by thoracic epidural lidocaine. Images taken before and after each intervention were compared. During hypervolemic hemodilution, systolic blood pressures increased significantly, but functional capillary density remained unchanged. Epidural anesthesia decreased systolic and diastolic blood pressures, but there was no change in capillary density, venular diameter, or flow velocity. We concluded that when using Orthogonal Polarization Spectral imaging, no consistent effects on the microcirculation of the vaginal wall can be detected.