Respiratory events with sugammadex vs. neostigmine following laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy: a prospective pilot study assessing neuromuscular reversal strategies.

UNLABELLED

Abdominal surgery in obese patients may be associated with pulmonary morbidity, and mortality. Some patients may arrive in the PACU with residual paralysis. was to find out if there was an association between the type of muscle relaxant reversal agent and the development of postoperative respiratory events in patients undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy surgery.

METHODS

From September 2012 to February 2013, in a prospective randomized pilot study, two different muscle relaxant reversal agents were administered at the end of surgery in 57 patients undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy: sugammadex 2 mg/kg (32 patients) vs. neostigmine 2.5 mg (25 patients). We compared the occurrence of early and late respiratory events/complications by the type of reversal agent. Postoperative respiratory rate, oxyhemoglobin saturation (SpO), number of patients with SpO lower than 95% in PACU, the minimum value of SpO in PACU, train-of four counts (TOF) before reversal, unexpected ICU admissions, duration of hospitalization and incidence of reintubation were recorded.

RESULTS

SpO in the PACU was significantly lower in the neostigmine group - 95.80 (± 0.014)) vs. in sugammadex group - 96.72 (± 0.011) (p < 0.01), despite a lower TOF count measured in the sugammadex group reversal, meaning a deeper level of residual relaxation in this group the administration of the reversal agent (2.53 ± 0.98 vs. 3.48 ± 0.58 p < 0.01). Also, the minimal SpO was significantly lower in the PACU in the neostigmine group: 93% vs. 94% (p = 0.01). Respiratory rates were not different. After the administration of reversal, both groups had TOF counts of 4 with no fade assessed visually. There were no postoperative respiratory events or complications.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of sugammadex (as compared to neostigmine) as a reversal agent following laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy surgery was associated with higher postoperative SpO despite the lower TOF count before the administration of reversal agent. Despite the statistical difference in SpO, its clinical importance seems to be minimal. The lack of difference in the other measured variables may stem from the small number of patients studied (pilot).