Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 29, 2026
Clinical Application of Single-Surgeon, Three-Port, Laparoscopic Resection for Colorectal Cancer with Natural Orifice Specimen Extraction
Published on: March 24, 2023
Intra-operative oxygen delivery in infusion volume-optimized patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal surgery
B F Levy1, W J Fawcett, M J P Scott
1Department of Surgery, Institution: Minimal Access Therapy Training Unit, Post Graduate Medical School, University of Surrey, Manor Park, Guildford, Surrey, UK. brucelevy22@hotmail.com
Aim:
Patients undergoing major open surgery who have an indexed oxygen delivery (DO(2) I) > 600 ml/min/m(2) have been shown to have a lower incidence of morbidity and mortality compared with those whose DO(2) I is below this level. Laparoscopy and Trendelenburg positioning cause a reduction in DO(2) I. We aimed to quantify the effect of the type of analgesia on DO(2) I and to correlate the DO(2) I achieved with the incidence of anastomotic leakage in patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery.
Method:
Following ethical approval, patients were randomized to receive spinal anaesthesia (Group S), epidural analgesia (Group E) or intravenous morphine (Group P) followed by postoperative patient-controlled analgesia (PCA). In addition to standard monitoring, oesophageal Doppler monitoring of the stroke volume allowed directed intravenous fluid therapy. The mean DO(2) I was compared with the anastomotic leakage rate.
Results:
Seventy-five patients were recruited (Group S, 27; Group E, 23; Group P, 25). The mean (range) DO(2) I for all patients was 490 (230-750) ml/min/m(2) . The analgesic modality had no effect on DO(2) I. Of the 18 patients with a DO(2) I of < 400 ml/min/m(2) , four (22%) developed anastomotic leakage compared with one (%) of the 57 patients with a DO(2) I of > 400 ml/min/m(2) (P = 0.01).
Conclusion:
The analgesic modality used had no effect on the DO(2) I achieved. Anastomotic leakage was significantly higher in patients with a DO(2) I of < 400 ml/min/m(2) . A further study assessing the outcome after raising the DO(2) I with inotropes is required.
