Do Changes in Perioperative and Postoperative Treatment Protocol Influence the Frequency of Pulmonary Complications? A Retrospective Analysis of Four Different Bariatric Groups

The current understanding of prophylaxis of pulmonary complications in bariatric surgery is weak. Purpose: The aim of this study was to observe how changes in perioperative and postoperative treatments affect the incidence of pulmonary complications in bariatric patients. Materials: This is a retrospective clinical study of 400 consecutive bariatric patients. The patients, who either underwent a sleeve gastrectomy or a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, were divided consecutively into four subgroups with different approaches to perioperative treatment. Methods: The first group (patients 0–100) was recovered in the intensive care unit with minimal mobilization (ICU). They had a urinary catheter and a drain. The second group (patients 101–200) was similar to the first group, but the patients used a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device intermittently (ICU-CPAP). The third group (patients 201–300) was recovered on a normal ward without a urinary catheter or a drain and used a CPAP device (ward-slow). The fourth group (patients 301–400) walked to the operating theater and was mobilized in the recovery room during the first 2 h after the operation (ward-fast). CPAP was also used. Primary endpoints were pulmonary complications, pneumonia, and infection, non-ultra descriptus (NUD). Results: The number of pulmonary complications among the groups was significantly different. A long operation time increased the risk for infection (p < 0.001 95 % CI from 2.02 to 6.59 %). Conclusions: Operation time increases the risk for pulmonary complications. Changes in perioperative care toward the ERAS protocol may have a positive effect on the number of pulmonary complications.