Comparison of effects of low-flow and normal-flow anesthesia on cerebral oxygenation and bispectral index in morbidly obese patients undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy: a prospective, randomized clinical trial.

The effects of low-flow anesthesia on cerebral oxygenation in high-risk, morbidly obese patients are not well known.

In this prospective randomized study, we compared the effects of low-flow (0.75 l/min) and normal-flow (1.5 l/min) anesthesia on regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO) and the bispectral index (BIS) in morbidly obese patients undergoing laparoscopic bariatric surgery.

Fifty-two morbidly obese patients undergoing laparoscopic bariatric surgery (sleeve gastrectomy) were enrolled in this study. Patients were randomly allocated to two study groups: low-flow and normal-flow anesthesia groups. Heart rate, mean arterial pressure, peripheral oxygen saturation, end-tidal carbon dioxide, BIS, left and right rSO, and duration of anesthesia and surgery were recorded.

The groups were similar with respect to age, gender, height, weight, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiology physical status, heart rate, duration of anesthesia, and procedure. Mean arterial pressure and end-tidal carbon dioxide, both before and after insufflation of carbon dioxide and after the reverse Trendelenburg position, were significantly higher in the low-flow group. BIS values and left and right rSO during the preoperative and intraoperative periods were similar. Although the difference in right rSO between the two groups after awakening from anesthesia was statistically significant, the results of both groups remained within the normal range and were not clinically meaningful.

Low-flow anesthesia is safe regarding hemodynamic and respiratory characteristics, depth of anesthesia, and regional cerebral oxygen saturation in morbidly obese patients undergoing laparoscopic bariatric surgery.