Anesthesia for patients undergoing orthopedic oncologic surgeries

When planning an anesthetic for patients undergoing orthopedic oncologic surgeries, numerous factors must be considered. Preoperative evaluation may elucidate significant co-morbidities or side effects secondary to chemotherapy or radiation, which can affect anesthetic choices. Procedures vary in length and complexity and pose challenges in both positioning and in planning to minimize blood loss. Many anesthetic techniques are available to provide both intraoperative anesthesia and postoperative analgesia, while the type of thromboprophylaxis and analgesic adjuvants that will be administered needs to be defined. This review focuses on approaches to use when caring for patients undergoing orthopedic oncologic procedures.