Goal-directed fluid therapy in major elective rectal surgery

Goal-Directed Fluid Therapy (GDFT) has been previously shown to decrease complications and hospital length of stay in major colorectal surgery but the data are not specific to rectal surgery and may be potentially outdated. This study investigated whether GDFT provides clinical benefits in patients undergoing major elective rectal surgery.

There were 81 consecutive patients in this cohort study. Twenty-seven patients were allotted to GDFT using the Oesophageal Doppler Monitor (ODM) and received boluses of colloid fluid based on corrected flow time and stroke volume. These patients were compared with a historical cohort of the previous 54 patients managed without the ODM. The primary endpoint of the study was 30-day total complications which were defined and graded. Secondary endpoints included hospital length of stay (LOS) and fluid volumes administered.

There were no differences at baseline between the two groups. Patients in the treatment group received a higher volume of colloid fluids (1000 mL vs. 500 mL; p < 0.01) but there were no differences in overall fluid volumes administered intraoperatively (3000 mL vs. 3000 mL; p = 0.41). A non-significant trend (p = 0.06) suggested that patients allotted to GDFT had decreased fluid requirement in the first 24 h after surgery. There were no differences in median total fluid volumes (12700 mL vs. 10407 mL; p = 0.95), total complications (22 [81%] vs. 44 [81%]; p = 1.00) or median hospital LOS (9 days vs. 10 days; p = 0.92) between the two groups.

Intraoperative GDFT did not improve clinical outcomes following major elective rectal surgery.