Sevoflurane consumption pattern by individual anaesthesiologists varies widely despite using the same high-end workstations in the same hospital.

Volatile anaesthetics are potent greenhouse gasses but contemporary workstations enable considerable savings while improving patient safety. Institutions may provide this technology to reduce the ecological footprint but proper training and motivation is required to maximize their ecologic and financial benefit. This study aims to compare the sevoflurane consumption of 22 anaesthesiologists in a medium sized hospital 4 years after flow-i workstations (Getinge, Sweden) entered into service, in three airway approaches: intubated patients, laryngeal mask ventilation, and mask anaesthesia. Typical sevoflurane consumption for each anaesthesiologist was defined as the mean cumulative consumption in the chronologically first 50 cases meeting the inclusion criteria for each airway group in 2019. The potential savings, if everyone were to adopt the approach of the more economical anaesthesiologists (15th percentile), was calculated. The CO2 equivalent emissions were calculated using a GWP20 of 702 and a GWP100 of 195. The median [range] consumption after 45 min was 10.9 [7.5-18.4] ml in intubated patients and 9.0 [7.4-15.3] ml in patients with laryngeal mask, and 9.9 [3.4-20.9] ml after 8 min with mask ventilation. This corresponds to a double to six fold consumption between the least and most wasteful approach. The typical CO2 equivalent emissions (GWP20) per anaesthesiologist varied between 8.0 and 19.6 kg/45 min in intubated airways, between 7.9 and 16.3 kg/45 min in LMA, and between 3.6 and 22.3 kg/8 min in mask ventilation. Despite using the same workstations in the same hospital, the typical sevoflurane consumption differed dramatically between 22 anaesthesiologists. In addition to providing advanced workstations, proper education is required to achieve the behavior change needed to reduce the pollution and financial waste associated with volatile anaesthetics.

Minimizing sevoflurane wastage by sensible use of automated gas control technology in the flow-i workstation: an economic and ecological assessment.

Both ecological and economic considerations dictate minimising wastage of volatile anaesthetics. To reconcile apparent opposing stakes between ecological/economical concerns and stability of anaesthetic delivery, new workstations feature automated software that continually optimizes the FGF to reliably obtain the requested gas mixture with minimal volatile anaesthetic waste. The aim of this study is to analyse the kinetics and consumption pattern of different approaches of sevoflurane delivery with the same 2% end-tidal goal in all patients. The consumption patterns of sevoflurane of a Flow-i were retrospectively studied in cases with a target end-tidal sevoflurane concentration (Etsevo) of 2%. For each setting, 25 cases were included in the analysis. In Automatic Gas Control (AGC) regulation with software version V4.04, a speed setting 6 was observed; in AGC software version V4.07, speed settings 2, 4, 6 and 8 were observed, as well as a group where a minimal FGF was manually pursued and a group with a fixed 2 L/min FGF. In 45 min, an average of 14.5 mL was consumed in the 2L-FGF group, 5.0 mL in the minimal-manual group, 7.1 mL in the AGC4.04 group and 6.3 mL in the AGC4.07 group. Faster speed AGC-settings resulted in higher consumption, from 6.0 mL in speed 2 to 7.3 mL in speed 8. The Etsevo target was acquired fastest in the 2L-FGF group and the Etsevo was more stable in the AGC groups and the 2L-FGF groups. In all AGC groups, the consumption in the first 8 min was significantly higher than in the minimal flow group, but then decreased to a comparable rate. The more recent AGC4.07 algorithm was more efficient than the older AGC4.04 algorithm. This study indicates that the AGC technology permits very significant economic and ecological benefits, combined with excellent stability and convenience, over conventional FGF settings and should be favoured. While manually regulated minimal flow is still slightly more economical compared to the automated algorithm, this comes with a cost of lower precision of the Etsevo. Further optimization of the AGC algorithms, particularly in the early wash-in period seems feasible. In AGC mode, lower speed settings result in significantly lower consumption of sevoflurane. Routine clinical practice using what historically is called "low flow anaesthesia" (e.g. 2 L/min FGF) should be abandoned, and all anaesthesia machines should be upgraded as soon as possible with automatic delivery technology to minimize atmospheric pollution with volatile anaesthetics.

Lung-protective ventilation for the surgical patient: international expert panel-based consensus recommendations.

Postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) occur frequently and are associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Evidence suggests that reduction of PPCs can be accomplished by using lung-protective ventilation strategies intraoperatively, but a consensus on perioperative management has not been established. We sought to determine recommendations for lung protection for the surgical patient at an international consensus development conference. Seven experts produced 24 questions concerning preoperative assessment and intraoperative mechanical ventilation for patients at risk of developing PPCs. Six researchers assessed the literature using questions as a framework for their review. The modified Delphi method was utilised by a team of experts to produce recommendations and statements from study questions. An expert consensus was reached for 22 recommendations and four statements. The following are the highlights: (i) a dedicated score should be used for preoperative pulmonary risk evaluation; and (ii) an individualised mechanical ventilation may improve the mechanics of breathing and respiratory function, and prevent PPCs. The ventilator should initially be set to a tidal volume of 6-8 ml kg-1 predicted body weight and positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) 5 cm H2O. PEEP should be individualised thereafter. When recruitment manoeuvres are performed, the lowest effective pressure and shortest effective time or fewest number of breaths should be used.

Is opioid-free general anesthesia for breast and gynecological surgery a viable option?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Opioid-free anesthesia (OFA) was introduced to avoid tolerance and hyperalgesia, allowing reduction in postoperative opioids. OFA focused initially on postoperative respiratory safety for patients undergoing ambulatory surgery and for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome patients otherwise requiring intensive care admission. What about using OFA in plastic and oncological breast surgery, in deep inferior epigastric perforators flap surgery, and in gynecological laparoscopy? RECENT FINDINGS: OFA requires the use of other drugs to block the unwanted reactions from surgical injury. This can be achieved with a single drug at a high dose or with a combination of different drugs at a lower dose, such as with alpha-2-agonists, ketamine, lidocaine, and magnesium, each working on a different target and therefore described as multitarget anesthesia. Three factors can explain OFA success: improved analgesia with less postoperative opioids, the near absence of postoperative nausea and vomiting if no opioid is needed postoperatively, and reduced inflammation enhancing the recovery after surgery. SUMMARY: Opioid-free general anesthesia is a viable option for breast and gynecological surgery and its use will only increase when anesthesiologists listen to their patients' experiences after undergoing surgery under general anesthesia.

A one-step conversion from gastric banding to laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is as safe as a two-step conversion: A comparative analysis of 885 patients.

AIMS: To achieve additional weight loss or to resolve band-related problems, a laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) can be converted to a laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). There is limited data on the feasibility and safety of routinely performing a single-step conversion. We assessed the efficacy of this revisional approach in a large cohort of patients operated in a high-volume bariatric institution. METHODS: Between October 2004 and December 2015, a total of 885 patients who underwent LAGB removal with RYGB were identified from a prospectively collected database. In all cases, a single-stage conversion procedure was planned. The feasibility of this approach and peri-operative outcomes of these patients were evaluated and analyzed. RESULTS: A single-step approach was successfully achieved in 738 (83.4%) of the 885 patients. During the study period, there was a significant increase in performing the conversion from LAGB to RYGB single-staged. No mortality or anastomotic leakage was observed in both groups. Only 45 patients (5.1%) had a 30-d complication: most commonly hemorrhage (N = 20/45), with no significant difference between the groups. CONCLUSION: Converting a LAGB to RYGB can be performed with a very low morbidity and zero-mortality in a high-volume revisional bariatric center. With increasing experience and full standardization of the conversion, the vast majority of operations can be performed as a single-stage procedure. Only a migrated band remains a formal contraindication for a one-step approach.

Perioperative opioids aggravate obstructive breathing in sleep apnea syndrome: mechanisms and alternative anesthesia strategies.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Opioids induce and increase the severity of most sleep-disordered breathing in all patients, but especially in morbidly obese patients. Discussed herein are the direct impact and mechanisms of opioids on inducing and exacerbating obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in normal and morbidly obese patients. RECENT FINDINGS: Respiratory depression is a larger problem than obstructive sleep apnea syndrome during the first night after an opioid anesthesia because of the reduced amount of deep sleep and rapid-eye-movement sleep. Acute tolerance to the analgesic effects of opioids can be observed after one anesthetic opioid dose, although tolerance to the side-effects of opioids develops more slowly. Therefore, it makes sense to avoid all opioids intraoperatively. A recently developed multimodal nonopioid anesthesia method may prevent development of acute tolerance and facilitate postoperative pain management with less opioids and sleep-disordered breathing. SUMMARY: A multimodal nonopioid anesthesia method avoids the necessity for intraoperative opioids, reduces the need for postoperative opioid use, and improves analgesia with less narcotic.

Moderate Intra-Abdominal Pressure Levels in Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy Seem to Have No Negative Impact on Clinical Outcomes.

Introduction: Radical prostatectomy is increasingly performed laparoscopically with robot assistance (RALRP). RALRP, as with all laparoscopic procedures, requires a pneumoperitoneum, which might result in peritoneal inflammatory response reactions and postoperative pain. The aim of this retrospective single-centre study was to analyse the effects of a pneumoperitoneum during RARLP on clinical outcomes. Methods: All patients who underwent robot-guided prostatectomy in our clinic were included, with the exception of patients who were converted to open prostatectomy. C-reactive protein was used as a marker for the primary outcome, namely the postoperative inflammatory response. Intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) was evaluated as a potential factor influencing inflammation. In addition, the waist-hip ratio was used to estimate the amount of visceral adipose tissue, and the administration of dexamethasone was considered as a factor influencing inflammation. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was used to determine postoperative pain. Patients were consecutively recruited between 1 September 2020 and 31 March 2022. Results: A total of 135 consecutive patients were included. The median waist-hip ratio was 0.55. The median duration of the pneumoperitoneum was 143 min. The median values of the average and maximum IAP values were 10 mmHg and 15 mmHg, respectively. The mean CRP of the first postoperative day was 6.2 mg/dL. The median VAS pain level decreased from 2 to 1 from the first to the third postoperative day. On the first postoperative day, 16 patients complained of shoulder pain. In addition, 134 patients were given some form of opioid pain treatment following surgery. Conclusion: We could not identify any relevant associations between the duration and IAP of the pneumoperitoneum and the indirect markers of inflammation or indicators of pain, or between the latter and the amount of visceral adipose tissue. In addition, we found no significant effect of the administration of dexamethasone on postoperative inflammation. The results point to a noninferior tolerability of moderate pressure during the procedure compared to the commonly utilised higher pressure, yet this must be confirmed in randomised controlled trials.

Impact of opioid-free anesthesia on complications after deep inferior epigastric perforator flap surgery: A retrospective cohort study.

This study measured the number of complications after deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap reconstruction performed under opioid-free anesthesia (OFA) combined with goal-directed fluid therapy or opioid anesthesia with liberal fluid therapy (OA). This retrospective cohort study consisted of 204 patients who underwent DIEP flap reconstruction at AZSint Jan Brugge between April 2014 and March 2019. Primary outcomes were complications, according to the Clavien-Dindo classification and the length of hospital stay (LOS). The secondary outcomes were flap failure, postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), postoperative pain, postoperative opioid consumption, and postoperative skin flap temperature. OFA included a combination of dexmedetomidine, lidocaine, and ketamine without any opioid administered pre- or intraoperatively. OA included a combination of sufentanil and remifentanil. OFA patients received strict goal-directed fluid therapy, whereas OA patients received liberal fluids to maintain perfusion pressure. All patients except 7 (TIVA with remifentanil) received inhalation anesthesia combined with an infusion of propofol. Of the 204 patients, 55 received OFA and 149 received OA. There were no differences in major complications, but fewer minor complications in the OFA group (17.9% vs. 51.4% and P < 0.001). Flap failure occurred in three patients of the OA group. Six patients developed flap thrombosis (five OA patients and one OFA patient). OFA was associated with fewer postoperative opioids, shorter LOS, less PONV, and less pain. In patients without previous nausea, the PONV incidence was higher in the OA group than in the OFA group (12.7% vs. 43.6% and P < 0.001). Patients with previous nausea more frequently required postoperative opioids and had a nausea rate of 60.87%.

Impact of the patient's body position on the intraabdominal workspace during laparoscopic surgery.

BACKGROUND: The effects of the patient's body position on the intraabdominal workspace in laparoscopic surgery were analyzed. METHODS: The inflated volume of carbon dioxide was measured after insufflation to a preset pressure of 15 mmHg for 20 patients with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 35 kg/m(2). The patients were anesthetized with full muscle relaxation. The five positions were (1) table horizontal with the legs flat (supine position), (2) table in 20 degrees reverse Trendelenburg with the legs flat, (3) table in 20 degrees reverse Trendelenburg with the legs flexed 45 degrees upward at the hips (beach chair position), (4) table horizontal with the legs flexed 45 degrees upward at the hips, and (5) table in 20 degrees Trendelenburg with the legs flat. The positions were performed in a random order, and the first position was repeated after the last measurement. Repeated measure analysis of variance was used to compare inflated volumes among the five positions. RESULTS: A significant difference in inflated volume was found between the five body positions (P = 0.042). Compared with the mean inflated volume for the supine position (3.22 +/- 0.78 l), the mean inflated volume increased by 900 ml for the Trendelenburg position or when the legs were flexed at the hips, and decreased by 230 ml for the reverse Trendelenburg position. CONCLUSIONS: The Trendelenburg position for lower abdominal surgery and reverse Trendelenburg with flexing of the legs at the hips for upper abdominal surgery effectively improved the workspace in obese patients, even with full muscle relaxation.

Laparoscopic adjustable banded roux-en-y gastric bypass as a primary procedure for the super-super-obese (body mass index > 60 kg/m²).

BACKGROUND: Currently, there is no consensus opinion regarding the optimal procedure of choice in super-super-morbid obesity (Body mass index, BMI > 60 kg/m²). Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is associated with failure to achieve or maintain 50% excess weight loss (EWL) or BMI < 35 in approximately 15% of patients. Also, percent EWL is significantly less after 1-year in the super-super-obese group as compared with the less obese group and many patients are still technically considered to be obese (lowest post-surgical BMI > 35) following RYGB surgery in this group. The addition of adjustable gastric band (AGB) to RYGB has been reported as a revisional procedure but this combined bariatric procedure has not been explored as a primary operation. METHODS: In a primary laparoscopic RYGB, an AGB is drawn around the gastric pouch through a small opening between the blood vessels on the lesser curve and the gastric pouch. The band is then fixed by suturing the gastric remnant to the gastric pouch both above and below the band to prevent slippage. RESULTS: Between November 2009 and March 2010, 6 consecutive super-super-obese patients underwent a primary laparoscopic adjustable banded Roux-en-Y gastric bypass procedure at our institution. One male patient (21 years, BMI 70 kg/m²) developed a pneumonia postoperatively. No other postoperative complications were observed. CONCLUSION: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first series of patients that underwent a laparoscopic adjustable banded RYGB as a primary operation for the super-super obese in the indexed literature. With the combined procedure, a sequential action mechanism for weight loss is to be expected. The restrictive, malabsorptive and hormonal working mechanism of the RYGB will induce weight loss from the start reaching a stabilised plateau of weight after 12 - 18 months. At that time, filling of the band can be started resulting in further gastric pouch restriction and increased weight loss. Moreover, besides improving the results of total weight loss, a gradual filling of the band can as well prevent the RYGB patient from weight regain if restriction would fade away with time.

Visualising improved peritoneal perfusion at lower intra-abdominal pressure by fluorescent imaging during laparoscopic surgery: A randomised controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopy is the gold standard for many surgical procedures and is embraced as minimally invasive surgery in the enhanced recovery after surgery programme. Lowering intra-abdominal pressure during laparoscopy may decrease the degree of surgical injury and further enhance patient outcomes. This study aims to assess the effect of low pressure pneumoperitoneum on peritoneal perfusion during laparoscopic surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a prospective randomized intervention study in 30 adults undergoing colorectal robot assisted laparoscopic surgery at a secondary care medical center in the Netherlands between June and December 2018. A 3 min video recording of the parietal peritoneum was made with the Da Vinci® Firefly mode following intravenous injection of 0.2 mg/kg indocyanine green at a pneumoperitoneum pressure of 8, 12 or 16 mmHg. Observers were blinded for the level of intra-abdominal pressure that was used. Fluorescent intensity in [-] over time was extracted from each video in MATLAB. Time to reach maximal fluorescent intensity (TMFI) and maximum fluorescent intensity (MFI) were compared among groups. The study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03928171). RESULTS: Mean TMFI was shorter at low pressure (8 mmHg) than standard pressure (12 and 16 mmHg): 44 ± 12 versus 58 ± 18 s (p = 0.032), respectively. Mean MFI was higher at 8 mmHg than 12 and 16 mmHg (222 ± 25 versus 188 ± 54, p = 0.033). Regression analysis identified intra-abdominal pressure, mean arterial pressure and female gender as significant predictors of peritoneal perfusion. CONCLUSION: Low pressure pneumoperitoneum was associated with improved perfusion of the parietal peritoneum. Current available evidence supported feasibility and enhanced postoperative recovery. Future investigations should focus on optimizing factors that facilitate lower intra-abdominal pressure and explore effects on other clinically relevant patient outcomes such as anastomotic leakage and immune homeostasis.

Anaesthetic Factors Affecting Outcome After Bariatric Surgery, a Retrospective Levelled Regression Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Deep neuromuscular block (NMB) and opioid-free anaesthesia (OFA) improve surgical workspace and reduce post-operative opioid consumption, but its impact on perioperative outcomes is unknown. This observational study compared complications and healthcare resource utilization after bariatric surgery, with or without continuous deep NMB or OFA. METHODS: We included all 9246 patients who underwent laparoscopic bariatric surgery at our institution from January 2009 to February 2017. Continuous clinical deep NMB was defined as receiving a continuous infusion of rocuronium with a dose of > 1 mg/kg IBW for each hour or sugammadex > 2 mg/kg total body weight at the time of reversal. We analysed the effect of continuous clinical deep NMB and OFA and covariates on 1 month post-operative complications using the Clavien-Dindo (CD) classification (grades II-V) and healthcare utilization (hospital length of stay [LOS], rates of reoperations within 1 week, high-dependency care unit admissions, and readmissions within 1 month). Covariates included experience of the attending anaesthesiologist, patient age, sex, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status score, obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome, diabetes, hypertension, surgery type, surgical team experience, and neostigmine use. RESULTS: OFA, continuous deep NMB, surgical and anaesthesia team experience, younger age, and surgery type were associated with fewer complications. OFA was associated with lower healthcare resource utilization. Reduced LOS was also associated with younger age, surgical team experience, and surgery type, but not continuous deep NMB. CONCLUSION: Continuous deep NMB and OFA were associated with fewer complications after bariatric surgery.