Hyperlactatemia After Intracranial Tumor Surgery Does Not Affect 6-Month Survival: A Retrospective Case Series

Patients undergoing neurosurgery frequently exhibit hyperlactatemia. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with hyperlactatemia and assess how hyperlactatemia impacts survival and hospital length of stay after intracranial tumor surgery.

This retrospective cohort study included 496 adult patients that underwent surgery between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2015. We evaluated patient characteristics, surgery characteristics, pH, lactate, and blood glucose from blood samples collected on admission to the high-dependency unit and the morning after surgery, and 6-month outcome data.

Hyperlactatemia (>2.0 mmol/L) occurred in >50% of patients, but only 7.7% had acidosis. Postoperative hyperlactatemia was not correlated with 6-month survival (P=0.987), but was correlated with (median [interquartile range]) longer hospital stays (6 [4 to 8.5] d vs. 5 [4 to 8] d; P=0.006), longer surgery duration (4:53 [4:01 to 6:18] h:min vs. 4:28 [3:33 to 5:53] h:min; P=0.001), higher dexamethasone dose (16 [16 to 35] mg vs. 16 [16 to 20] mg; P<0.001), and higher blood glucose concentration (8.4 [7.5 to 9.6] mmol/L vs. 8.0 [7.1 to 8.9] mmol/L; P<0.001). Patients that received total intravenous anesthesia developed hyperlactatemia less frequently than those that received balanced anesthesia with inhalational agents (48.4% vs. 61.5%, P=0.008). Hyperlactatemia was not associated with increased postoperative neurological deficits or the need for rehabilitation therapy.

Hyperlactatemia was common after intracranial tumor surgery. It did not influence 6-month outcomes but was associated with longer hospital length of stay. Several potential causative factors for hyperlactatemia were identified.