The incidence of hemodynamic and respiratory adverse events in morbidly obese presenting for Bariatric surgery

Main Article Content

Veronica Atterhem
Magnus Hultin
Tomi Myrberg

Abstract

Context: Perioperative management of morbidly obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery is challenging. Lacking standardized perioperative protocols, complication rates may be high. This retrospective study aims to quantify the incidence of significant blood pressure decreases on induction of anesthesia and intraoperative hypoxemia, before implementation of a standardized protocol designed for bariatric surgery.


Design: Retrospective, observational study.


Setting: A 250-bed county hospital in northern Sweden.


Subjects: 219 morbidly obese patients (body mass index > 35 kg/m2) who underwent bariatric surgery between 2003 and 2008.


Main outcome measures: Incidence of systolic blood pressure (SAP) falls to less than 70% of the preoperative baseline during induction of anesthesia and incidence of perioperative hypoxemia.


Results: The incidence of confirmed SAP falls to below 70% of baseline at induction of anesthesia was 56.2% (n = 123/219). This incidence rose with increasing age (p < 0.001) but not with body mass index (BMI). 3.7% (n = 8/219) of cases were marked as difficult intubations. A transient period of hypoxemia was observed in 6.8% (n = 15/219) and was more common with increasing BMI (p = 0.005). Fourteen different drug combinations were used in the study population. Of those administered an induction anesthetic drug, 72.6% (n = 159/193) were given an overdose when calculated by lean body weight, but this did not correlate significantly to SAP falls (p = 0.468).


Conclusion: The incidence of a significant blood pressure fall upon induction of anesthesia was common. The incidence of airway and ventilation problems were low. Overdosing of anesthetics and excessive variation in applied anesthesia methods were found.

Article Details

Atterhem, V., Hultin, M., & Myrberg, T. (2018). The incidence of hemodynamic and respiratory adverse events in morbidly obese presenting for Bariatric surgery. International Journal of Clinical Anesthesia and Research, 2(1), 009–017. https://doi.org/10.29328/journal.ijcar.1001006
Research Articles

Copyright (c) 2018 Atterhem V, et al.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Sjostrom L. Review of the key results from the Swedish Obese Subjects (SOS) trial – a prospective controlled intervention study of bariatric surgery. J Intern Med. 2013; 273: 219-234. Ref.: https://tinyurl.com/yctwa5xr

Marshall NS, Delling L, Grunstein RR, Peltonen M, Sjöström CD, et al. Self-reported sleep apnoea and mortality in patients from the Swedish Obese Subjects study. Eur Respir J. 2011; 38: 1349-1354. Ref.: https://tinyurl.com/ycfl8rck

Sjoholm K, Anveden A, Peltonen M, Jacobson P, Romeo S, et al. Evaluation of current eligibility criteria for bariatric surgery: diabetes prevention and risk factor changes in the Swedish obese subjects (SOS) study. Diabetes Care. 2013; 36: 1335-1340. Ref.: https://tinyurl.com/ybk8msyp

Adams JP, Murphy PG. Obesity in anaesthesia and intensive care. Br J Anaesth. 2000; 85: 91-108. Ref.: https://tinyurl.com/y9o54rth

Nguyen NT, Wolfe BM. The physiologic effects of pneumoperitoneum in the morbidly obese. Ann Surg. 2005; 241: 219-226. Ref.: https://tinyurl.com/y7rlb5hr

Brodsky JB. Positioning the morbidly obese patient for anesthesia. Obes Surg. 2002; 12: 751-758. Ref.: https://tinyurl.com/yca5m66m

Benumof JL, Dagg R, Benumof R. Critical hemoglobin desaturation will occur before return to an unparalyzed state following 1 mg/kg intravenous succinylcholine. Anesthesiology. 1997; 87: 979-982. Ref.: https://tinyurl.com/ybm38zab

Murphy C, Wong DT. Airway management and oxygenation in obese patients. Can J Anaesth. 2013; 60: 929-945. Ref.: https://tinyurl.com/y8ap5rmz

Poso T, Kesek D, Aroch R, Winso O. Rapid weight loss is associated with preoperative hypovolemia in morbidly obese patients. Obes Surg. 2013; 23: 306-313. Ref.: https://tinyurl.com/yczubse2

Talab HF, Zabani IA, Abdelrahman HS, Bukhari WL, Mamoun I, et al. Intraoperative ventilatory strategies for prevention of pulmonary atelectasis in obese patients undergoing laparoscopic bariatric surgery. Anesth Analg. 2009; 109: 1511-1516. Ref.: https://tinyurl.com/ycjrdub3

Reich DL, Hossain S, Krol M, Baez B, Patel P, et al. Predictors of hypotension after induction of general anesthesia. Anesth Analg. 2005; 101: 622-628. Ref.: https://tinyurl.com/y9orsbsk

Alecu C, Cuignet-Royer E, Mertes PM, Salvi P, Vespignani H, et al. Pre-existing arterial stiffness can predict hypotension during induction of anaesthesia in the elderly. Br J Anaesth. 2010; 105: 583-588. Ref.: https://tinyurl.com/y9l8cfwz

Alpert MA, Omran J, Mehra A, Ardhanari S. Impact of obesity and weight loss on cardiac performance and morphology in adults. Prog Cardiovasc Dis. 2014; 56: 391-400. Ref.: https://tinyurl.com/ycer82c8

Poso T, Kesek D, Aroch R, Winso O. Morbid obesity and optimization of preoperative fluid therapy. Obes Surg. 2013; 23: 1799-1805. Ref.: https://tinyurl.com/ybcnvlvz

Ingrande J, Lemmens HJ. Dose adjustment of anaesthetics in the morbidly obese. Br J Anaesth. 2010; 105: i16-23. Ref.: https://tinyurl.com/y9pgh7ds

Lemmens HJ. Perioperative pharmacology in morbid obesity. Curr Opin Anaesthesiol. 2010; 23: 485-491. Ref.: https://tinyurl.com/y8kd6sfp

Poso T, Winso O, Aroch R, Kesek D. Perioperative Fluid Guidance with Transthoracic Echocardiography and Pulse-Contour Device in Morbidly Obese Patients. Obes Surg. 2014; 24: 2117-2125. Ref.: https://tinyurl.com/y9czf5h7

Anderin C, Gustafsson UO, Heijbel N, Thorell A. Weight Loss Before Bariatric Surgery and Postoperative Complications: Data From the Scandinavian Obesity Registry (SOReg). Ann Surg. 2015; 261: 909-913. Ref.: https://tinyurl.com/ychqk4oc

Poso T, Kesek D, Winso O, Andersson S. Volatile rapid sequence induction in morbidly obese patients. Eur J Anaesthesiol. 2011; 28: 781-787. Ref.: https://tinyurl.com/yc2e2spw

Bijker JB, van Klei WA, Kappen TH, van Wolfswinkel L, Moons KG, et al. Incidence of intraoperative hypotension as a function of the chosen definition: literature definitions applied to a retrospective cohort using automated data collection. Anesthesiology. 2007; 107: 213-220. Ref.: https://tinyurl.com/y8wttpj5

Miller RDE. Miller's Anaesthesia. 8th ed. Philadelphia: Churchill Livingstone. 2014; 1713.

Gragasin FS, Bourque SL, Davidge ST. Vascular aging and hemodynamic stability in the intraoperative period. Front Physiol. 2012; 3: 74. Ref.: https://tinyurl.com/y6udfpk6

Acree LS, Montgomery PS, Gardner AW. The influence of obesity on arterial compliance in adult men and women. Vasc Med. 2007; 12: 183-188. Ref.: https://tinyurl.com/ydx3y9k5

Katkhouda N, Mason RJ, Wu B, Takla FS, Keenan RM, et al. Evaluation and treatment of patients with cardiac disease undergoing bariatric surgery. Surg Obes Relat Dis. 2012; 8: 634-640. Ref.: https://tinyurl.com/yd3gaubx

Wani S, Azar R, Hovis CE, Hovis RM, Cote GA, et al. Obesity as a risk factor for sedation-related complications during propofol-mediated sedation for advanced endoscopic procedures. Gastrointest Endosc. 2011; 74: 1238-1247. Ref.: https://tinyurl.com/ydefrwxe

Reinius H, Jonsson L, Gustafsson S, Sundbom M, Duvernoy O, et al. Prevention of atelectasis in morbidly obese patients during general anesthesia and paralysis: a computerized tomography study. Anesthesiology. 2009; 111: 979-987. Ref.: https://tinyurl.com/ybdd5pa6

O'Neill T, Allam J. Anaesthetic considerations and management of the obese patient presenting for bariatric surgery. Current Anaesthesia Critical Care. 2010; 21: 16-23. Ref.: https://tinyurl.com/ybsm5aof

Gonzalez H, Minville V, Delanoue K, Mazerolles M, Concina D, et al. The importance of increased neck circumference to intubation difficulties in obese patients. Anesth Analg. 2008; 106: 1132-1136. Ref.: https://tinyurl.com/yd6vnrtz

Brodsky JB, Lemmens HJ, Brock-Utne JG, Vierra M, Saidman LJ. Morbid obesity and tracheal intubation. Anesth Analg. 2002; 94: 732-736. Ref.: https://tinyurl.com/ych7g5fb

Leykin Y, Pellis T, Del Mestro E, Marzano B, Fanti G, et al. Anesthetic management of morbidly obese and super-morbidly obese patients undergoing bariatric operations: hospital course and outcomes. Obes Surg. 2006; 16: 1563-1569. Ref.: https://tinyurl.com/ycj48qug

Dixon BJ, Dixon JB, Carden JR, Burn AJ, Schachter LM, et al. Preoxygenation is more effective in the 25 degrees head-up position than in the supine position in severely obese patients: a randomized controlled study. Anesthesiology. 2005; 102: 1110-1115. Ref.: https://tinyurl.com/y9a8hg7g

Dhonneur G, Abdi W, Ndoko SK, Amathieu R, Risk N, et al. Video-assisted versus conventional tracheal intubation in morbidly obese patients. Obes Surg. 2009; 19: 1096-1101. Ref.: https://tinyurl.com/yd5smrz2

Sundqvist J, Walldén J. PONV in bariatric surgery: 1AP5-2. Eur J Anaesthesiology. 2014; 31: 16-17. Ref.: http://bit.ly/2XHKnzQ

Thorell A, Mac Cormick AD, Awad S, Reynolds N, Roulin D, et al. Guidelines for Perioperative Care in Bariatric Surgery: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Society Recommendations. World J Surg. 2016; 40: 2065-2083. Ref.: https://tinyurl.com/y8d9bdzb

Sinha A, Jayaraman L, Punhani D, Chowbey P. Enhanced Recovery after Bariatric Surgery in the Severely Obese, Morbidly Obese, Super-Morbidly Obese and Super-Super Morbidly Obese Using Evidence-Based Clinical Pathways: a Comparative Study. Obes Surg. 2017; 27: 560-568. Ref.: https://tinyurl.com/yc5p96m4