EFFECT OF GENERAL-ANESTHESIA AND MAJOR VERSUS MINOR SURGERY ON LATE POSTOPERATIVE EPISODIC AND CONSTANT HYPOXEMIA

Study Objective: To evaluate the relative contribution of general anes thesia alone and in combination with the surgical procedure to the pat hogenesis of late postoperative hypoxemia. Design: Open, controlled st udy. Setting: University hospital. Patients: GO patients undergoing ma jor abdominal surgery and 16 patients undergoing middle ear surgery, b oth with comparable general anesthesia. Measurements and Main Results: Patients were monitored with continuous pulse oximetry on one preoper ative night and the second postoperative night. Significant episodic o r constant hypoxemia did not occur on the second postoperative night f ollowing middle ear surgery and general anesthesia, but severe episodi c and constant hypoxemia did occur on the second postoperative after m ajor abdominal surgery and general anesthesia. Conclusions: General an esthesia in itself is not an important factor in the development of la te postoperative constant and episodic hypoxemia, which instead may be related to the magnitude of trauma and/or opioid administration.