[Behavior of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) after surgical operations]

The behaviour of free fatty acids after surgery under general anaesthesia was examined. There was a significant increase in blood NEFA values over the baseline on the 1st and 2nd postoperative days in both absolute and percentage terms, followed by a return to preoperative levels on the 3rd day. It is suggested that this increase may play a part in the establishment of postoperative depression.