Postoperative Complications

This study aims to better understand 3 crucial questions: 1. Why do some patients experience more severe complications after heart surgery than others? 2. Are there markers on our genetic makeup (called epigenetic modifications) that can predict complications after major surgery? 3. How do epigenetic modifications lead to overactive inflammation that causes harm to patients after heart surgery? Over 270,000 patients undergo major surgery in Scotland each year. Major surgery is associated with increased risk of complications, particularly in older patients with multiple health conditions. Complications are a leading cause of death, delayed recovery, long-term illness and increased healthcare cost to the NHS. Significant complications occur in up to 57% of patients after heart surgery. In response to major surgery, the body stimulates an inflammatory response as part of a complex repair mechanism, however, in some cases inflammation can become exaggerated, becoming harmful and contributing to the development of complications. The investigators believe that a patient's risk of overactive inflammation, which can lead to complications after surgery, is heavily influenced by a patient-specific system of biological markers, layered upon their DNA; a scientific field known as epigenetics. Where a patient's DNA (their 'genetics') may be considered as an instruction manual for each cell's molecular processes, these 'epigenetic' markers work as if someone has highlighted sections of the manual to be read (and actioned). The pattern of these markers on immune system cells can therefore dictate the extent of the inflammatory response, especially after a major insult such as surgery. While the DNA itself cannot be modified, epigenetic markers can be modified, through strategies including diet, exercise, and medication. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether the modifiable epigenetic code of key immune-system cells dictates the extent of post-operative inflammation, contributing to organ damage and complications. With patients' permission, the investigators will: 1. Obtain blood samples before and after major heart surgery, to test for epigenetic markers and inflammation. 2. Observe patients after surgery and collect routine data from laboratory tests and patient observations which assess for organ dysfunction and inflammation. 3. Conduct patient questionnaires before and after surgery to assess physical fitness and patient-centred quality of life measures. 4. Analyse patterns between patients who have severe organ dysfunction after surgery and those patients who have minimal organ dysfunction after similar surgery, to better understand which patients are at greatest risk, according to their epigenetic makeup. This study may improve understanding of which patients are likely to suffer organ damage and complications after major surgery, and which patients may have a protective epigenetic makeup which reduces complications. With this knowledge, the investigators aim is that future patients could receive personalised treatment plans before surgery, to modify their epigenetic makeup, reduce harm from complications and improve outcomes for patients. The investigators are not testing any new treatments in this study.

Emergence delirium (agitation) is a common complication in children recovering from general anesthesia, especially after sevoflurane. Affected children wake in a dissociative state - restless, crying, inconsolable, unaware of their surroundings - with a reported incidence of 25-80%. It raises the risk of self-injury, accidental catheter removal, vomiting, and maladaptive behavior persisting for weeks, and prolongs hospital stay. Short-acting opioids such as fentanyl and remifentanil are widely used in pediatric anesthesia for sedation and analgesia and to blunt the hemodynamic response to surgical stimulation and airway instrumentation. Both have been proposed to reduce emergence agitation after sevoflurane anesthesia, but findings for remifentanil are inconsistent: some studies report a reduction, others an increase. Clinicians therefore lack clear guidance on opioid selection for maintenance. This trial compares intraoperative remifentanil with intraoperative fentanyl maintenance on the occurrence of emergence delirium in children undergoing urologic surgery under general anesthesia. Secondary aims are postoperative recovery, duration of surgery, and intraoperative hemodynamics. Design: single-center randomized controlled trial. 176 children aged 7-12 years, ASA I-II, scheduled for elective pediatric urologic surgery, randomized 1:1 (88 per group). All participants receive the same background technique: intravenous midazolam 0.05 mg/kg five minutes before entering the operating room; standard monitoring (ECG, pulse oximetry, non-invasive blood pressure, capnography); induction with propofol 3-5 mg/kg; laryngeal mask airway (LMA); sevoflurane titrated to 1 MAC; and preemptive intravenous paracetamol and ketamine 0.3 mg/kg after induction. The fentanyl group receives fentanyl 1 mcg/kg after loss of consciousness, then 1 mcg/kg every 30 minutes until the end of surgery. The remifentanil group receives remifentanil 0.5 mcg/kg, then an infusion of 1 mcg/kg/min. In both groups the LMA is inserted 90 seconds after the bolus. At the end of surgery sevoflurane is discontinued and the LMA removed once the child breathes regularly and moves purposefully without stimulation. Emergence delirium is assessed in the post-anesthesia care unit with the Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium (PAED) scale (0-20). Additional measurements include time from sevoflurane discontinuation to LMA removal, time to eye opening on verbal stimulus, and readiness for discharge.

People undergoing repair of large ventral hernias can develop breathing problems after surgery, especially around the time when the abdominal wall is closed. During closure, pressure inside the abdomen may increase and lung mechanics can worsen. This study will evaluate a structured intraoperative decision approach that uses standard anesthesia measurements of static respiratory system compliance at predefined timepoints to support the choice of abdominal wall closure technique. The main goal is to assess the rate of early postoperative respiratory failure within 72 hours after surgery.

Beneficial and harmful effects of spinal versus general anaesthesia in patients undergoing hip and knee arthroplasty.

Introduction Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is considered as the standard of care for the treatment of peritoneal metastases. Cytoreductive surgery with HIPEC is characterized by large intra operative fluid shift secondary to surgical resection, peritoneal inflammation and capillary shifts, requesting high volume of intra operative fluid therapy. Previous studies found a strong association between intra operative hypovolemia or volume overload with post operative outcomes. Albumin as an intravenous fluid has been widely studied in critical ill patients, but evaluation of its efficacy during major surgery on post operative clinical outcomes are lacking. We hypothesize that a reduction of intra operative crystalloid volume infusion by using 20% albumin during CRS with HIPEC could improve patients' prognosis. The aim of this study will be to assess the efficacy of 20% albumin combined with Ringer Lactate versus Ringer Lactate for fluid therapy during CRS with HIPEC on post operative outcome at 28 day. Methods and analysis The study protocol has been designed and written in accordance with the Prospective randomised, comparative, controlled, prospective, open-label, with parallel group and multicentre clinical trial. Recruitment, randomisation and allocation Information on the study and screening of patients will be conducted during the consultation of anaesthesia (= selection visit), 2 months at 3 days before the surgery. Information notice and consent form will be delivered. The day before the surgery, anaesthesiologist who will conduct the pre anaesthetic visit will be able to include patients in the study (=inclusion visit). Randomisation will be done at the inclusion visit after information and signature of consent form of voluntary patients. A randomization number will be assigned. The 1:1 randomisation will be centralized via an online interface ensuring secret group assignment, and based on predefined randomisation lists with variable-size permutation blocks, stratified by center. Randomisation will be accomplished using a computer-generated random sequence. Randomized Open, Blinded endpoint (PROBE) design. This study is a randomised, comparative, controlled, prospective, open-label, with parallel group and multicentre clinical trial. Intervention * 20% Albumin + Ringer Lactate group (intervention group) Per-operative fluid therapy consisting in Ringer Lactate combined with 20% albumin. Patients will receive a bolus of 3 mL/kg on one hour of 20% albumin from anaesthetic induction. Then, infusion of 20% albumin (100 mL, 20g) will be administered for each 1200 mL of vascular filling by Ringer Lactate. Dosage of intra operative albuminemia will be realized 2 hours after the end of the bolus or infusion to ensure albuminemia is within the target concentrations (35-45 g/L). Use of 20% albumin will be realized for the entire duration of the surgery and stopped at the end of the surgery. * Control group Ringer Lactate for intra operative fluid management based on the latest scientific recommendations. As the the study is an open labelled randomized clinical trial, placebo use is not planned. Outcome measures The primary outcome will be the Comprehensive Complication Index (CCI score) at day 28 after CRS with HIPEC. Secondary outcomes are mortality at day 28, CCI score at day 7, volume of intra operative and post operative (48h) post operative fluid therapy, cumulated incidence of surgical post operative complications, cumulated incidence of medical post operative complications, need for mechanical ventilation, renal replacement therapy between surgery and day 28, SOFA score variation between pre operative period and 48h after surgery, number of days alive out of intensive care unit and out of hospital until day 28 Sample size calculation To ensure a power of 80%, a number of patients 130 (65 patients by group) will be necessary with a reduction of 13.6 (SD 24) points of the CCI score at day 28 in the intervention group. Because of a risk of neoplastic evolution between anaesthetic consultation and randomisation (10% of early cancellation), a total of 146 patients (73 by group) will be included in the study. Discussion In summary, ALBUCHIP study will be the first randomized clinical trial assessing efficacy of intraoperative use of 20% albumin combined with Ringer Lactate versus Ringer Lactate during CRS with HIPEC. Results yielded from this study will be helpful for vascular filling during CRS with HIPEC but, thanks to ancillary studies, to improve pathophysiological understanding of this surgery.

This retrospective cohort study investigates predictors of postoperative hypocalcemia following thyroidectomy procedures at Minia University Hospital over a 10-year period (2014-2024). Postthyroidectomy hypocalcemia is one of the most common complications of thyroid surgery, affecting 20-50% of patients. The study aims to identify demographic, clinical, laboratory, and surgical factors associated with the development of both transient and permanent hypocalcemia. Results will inform risk stratification, patient counseling, and perioperative management strategies.

This single-center study will evaluate whether short-term changes in bioelectrical impedance measurements after a standardized preoperative intravenous fluid infusion can help predict complications following elective colon or rectal surgery. The prospective group will include 120 consecutive adults. After emptying the bladder, participants will be weighed and assessed barefoot on a standing multifrequency bioelectrical impedance device. They will then receive Ionolyte, a balanced isotonic crystalloid, at 15 mL/kg based on the lower of actual and ideal body weight, up to 1,000 mL, over exactly 40 minutes. Participants will empty the bladder again and undergo repeat measurement 60 minutes after infusion start. The main predictor is the continuous change in phase angle, and the main outcome is at least one Clavien-Dindo grade II-V complication within 30 days. A supportive analysis will compare clinical outcomes with 240 consecutive historical controls using existing hospital records. The historical controls do not receive the study procedure and are not included in the prospective enrollment.

This prospective observational study aims to evaluate the association between intraoperative blood viscosity and postoperative clinical outcomes in adult patients undergoing elective intracranial craniotomy. Blood viscosity is an important determinant of microcirculatory flow and cerebral perfusion, but its role in perioperative outcomes remains unclear. In this study, intraoperative blood viscosity and related hematologic parameters will be measured, and their relationships with cerebral oxygenation and postoperative complications will be analyzed. The study will enroll adult patients undergoing elective intracranial surgery at a single tertiary center. The findings of this study may improve understanding of perioperative hemodynamic and hemorheological factors and help identify potential risk markers for adverse postoperative outcomes.

Patients undergoing major non-cardiac surgery may require postoperative mechanical ventilation and transfer from the operating room to the intensive care unit (ICU). This intra-hospital transport phase is critical, as patients may experience changes in respiratory and hemodynamic status, including alterations in oxygenation, ventilation, blood pressure, and heart rate. During transport, ventilatory support may be provided using different strategies, including manual ventilation with a bag-valve device or mechanical ventilation with a portable ventilator. Although both approaches are commonly used in clinical practice, there is limited evidence comparing their effects on respiratory function, gas exchange, and overall physiological stability during and after transport. This multicenter, prospective observational study aims to describe current clinical practices in ventilatory support during intra-hospital transport in adult patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery who require ICU admission. The study will also evaluate changes in vital signs, arterial blood gas parameters, and respiratory mechanics, as well as the occurrence of adverse events during transport and postoperative pulmonary complications within the first five days after surgery. No additional interventions or procedures beyond standard clinical care will be performed. All data will be collected as part of routine clinical practice. The results of this study are expected to improve the understanding of ventilation management during transport and to identify safer and more effective strategies for critically ill postoperative patients.

This study aims to see if there's a link between a substance called phosphatidylethanol (PEth) and how patients who have surgery at University Hospitals do after surgery. PEth levels reflect the amount of alcohol use by someone over the past few weeks. This study is checking PEth levels on all patients who are planned to stay in the hospital for three or more days after surgery regardless if they drink alcohol. Specifically, it will look at if PEth levels are connected to problems that might come up during and after surgery, like confusion, lung or heart issues, needing blood transfusions, infections, unexpected intensive care unit (ICU) stays, and longer hospital stays. While there are reports of moderate alcohol consumption being good for the heart, there are other data that alcohol consumption can be harmful. Since there's not much information on how drinking alcohol affects health outcomes during and after surgery, especially for patients who are planned to be admitted to the hospital ward or ICU after surgery, this study will hopefully see if PEth levels before surgery can predict how patients do after the surgery. The inclusion criteria to only include patients who consume alcoholic beverages was an IRB approved modification after already recruiting 1/3 of patients.

Brief Summary: This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate whether active remote symptom monitoring and management via a smartphone app utilizing electronic patient-reported outcomes (ePRO) can improve adherence to prescribed outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation exercises among postsurgical lung cancer patients. Eligible patients will use the app for perioperative care and be randomized to an intervention group receiving ePRO-based symptom monitoring with clinician feedback or a control group receiving ePRO without feedback. The primary outcome is rehabilitation exercise adherence rate over 1 month after discharge. If proven effective, the app-enabled remote rehabilitation model can be scaled up to enhance recovery for more postoperative patients. Due to slower-than-expected recruitment, an interim analysis was introduced through a protocol amendment. Before any unblinded between-group efficacy analysis, a blinded review of recruitment progress, data completeness, and outcome-data structure was conducted. Mean weekly exercise duration was subsequently added as a co-primary endpoint to complement the threshold-based exercise adherence outcome. The amendment and revised interim statistical framework were approved by the Ethics Committee before the formal interim analysis and incorporated into the updated study record.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and performance of the Signia™ power handle, Signia™ circular adapter, and Signia™ Tri-Staple™ 2.0 circular reloads (hereafter referred to as Signia™ circular stapler) in patients undergoing left sided colon, sigmoid, or rectal resections in a post market setting.

This prospective observational study evaluates the real-time urine output response to fluid therapy and diuretics in cardiothoracic intensive care unit (CTICU) patients monitored with the FIZE kUO® device. The study aims to assess how continuous urine output monitoring can inform fluid management and improve patient outcomes post-cardiac surgery.

In ascending aortic surgery the distal anastomosis may be constructed with the aortic cross-clamp maintained, or, where the extent of the aortic pathology and the geometry of the graft require it, after release of the cross-clamp during a period of systemic circulatory arrest. Both are established surgical approaches. Where the cross-clamp is released, selective antegrade cerebral perfusion (SACP) is an established cerebral protection technique and is applied for that purpose. Where release of the cross-clamp is not required, systemic circulatory arrest is avoided and SACP is not applied. Optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) measured by ocular ultrasonography is a non-invasive marker of raised intracranial pressure. Cardiopulmonary bypass may increase blood-brain barrier permeability through hypoperfusion, non-pulsatile flow, hemodilution and systemic inflammation, predisposing to cerebral edema. Perioperative increases in ONSD have been reported after open heart surgery and have been associated with postoperative delirium. Data on how SACP influences perioperative ONSD dynamics in ascending aortic surgery, and whether such changes relate to postoperative delirium, are limited.

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare the effect of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) versus traditional dressings on the incidence of transplant infection in adult patients undergoing split-thickness skin grafting (STSG) to the lower leg following excision of a skin tumour. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does NPWT reduce the incidence of graft infection within 2 weeks after STSG? Does NPWT improve secondary outcomes such as graft take, reduce reoperations, complications, and resource use? Researchers will compare patients treated with NPWT to patients treated with traditional dressings to see if NPWT results in lower infection rates and better clinical outcomes. Participants will: Undergo excision of a skin tumour on the lower leg followed by STSG. Be randomized to receive either NPWT or traditional dressings applied over the graft. Follow a structured postoperative care and mobilisation schedule. Attend follow-up visits at day 5 and day 14 postoperatively and be monitored through medical record review up to three months after surgery.

This study aims to determine whether heated and humidified oxygen therapy, compared with conventional room-temperature oxygen therapy, reduces the incidence of early hypoxemia in adult patients recovering from general anesthesia in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU). Hypoxemia is a common and potentially life-threatening complication during PACU recovery, resulting from residual anesthetics, decreased upper airway muscle tone, atelectasis, and suppression of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV). Heated and humidified oxygen may offer benefits by preserving optimal HPV function, protecting airway mucosa, and reducing respiratory resistance. This is a prospective, multicenter, randomized, superiority trial with a parallel-group design. A total of 2,000 adult patients (ASA class I-III) undergoing general anesthesia will be enrolled and randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either heated and humidified oxygen (37°C, 5 L/min via face mask) or room-temperature oxygen (room temperature, 5 L/min via face mask). The primary outcome is the incidence of hypoxemia, defined as SpO₂ ≤ 90% lasting ≥ 5 seconds, within 10 minutes after initiation of the intervention. Secondary outcomes include severe hypoxemia (SpO₂ ≤ 85%), requirement for airway interventions, lowest SpO₂ value, PACU length of stay, postoperative shivering, and agitation. Safety outcomes include nasal discomfort, epistaxis, and device-related adverse events.

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether two approaches to anesthesia and blood pressure management can improve care for adults having off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB). OPCAB is a type of heart bypass surgery performed without routinely using a heart-lung machine. The main questions this study aims to answer are: * Does keeping mean arterial pressure (MAP), a measure of average blood pressure, at 65 mm Hg or higher during surgery lower the chance of major complications or death within 30 days after surgery compared with usual clinician-directed blood pressure management? * Does remimazolam provide more stable blood pressure and heart rate than propofol when used to maintain general anesthesia during surgery? The researchers expect that targeted blood pressure management may lower the chance of major postoperative complications. They also expect that remimazolam may provide more stable blood pressure and heart rate than propofol. Researchers plan to enroll 416 adults having elective OPCAB surgery. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of four groups. Each group will receive one of two blood pressure strategies and one of two medicines for maintaining general anesthesia. Participants will: * Receive either targeted blood pressure management or usual clinician-directed blood pressure management during surgery. * Receive either remimazolam or propofol to maintain general anesthesia after the same standard anesthesia induction. * Have routine monitoring during surgery and assessments during recovery after surgery. * Complete follow-up assessments after surgery, including assessments of complications, recovery, and longer-term health. Some participants will also provide blood samples for a biomarker substudy. The study will also explore whether the effect of the blood pressure strategy differs depending on which anesthetic medicine is used.

Axillary web syndrome (AWS), sometimes called "cording," is a condition that can develop after breast cancer surgery in which the lymph nodes under the arm are removed or sampled. It appears as one or more tight, painful cord-like structures running from the armpit down the inner arm. It can limit shoulder movement, cause pain, and interfere with daily activities. It is not yet clear how often AWS occurs, when it typically appears after surgery, which patients are most likely to develop it, or whether it is related to the arm swelling (lymphedema) that some patients experience after breast cancer treatment. Most previous studies looked back at patient records rather than following patients forward in time, so the answers remain uncertain. In this study, women who are having breast cancer surgery with either sentinel lymph node biopsy or axillary lymph node dissection will be examined before their operation and then at set times afterward: 2, 4, and 8 weeks, and 3 and 6 months. At each visit, the study doctor will examine the armpit and arm for cords, measure how far the shoulder can move, ask the patient to rate any pain, and measure the circumference of both arms to check for swelling. The study does not change the surgery or treatment a patient receives. It adds only these examinations and measurements, which are not painful and do not require blood tests or imaging. The researchers hope the results will help identify which patients are at higher risk, so that rehabilitation can be started earlier.

Removing a large part of the liver (major hepatectomy) can cure primary and secondary liver cancers, but it carries the risk of post-hepatectomy liver failure (PHLF), a serious complication in which the liver left behind - the future liver remnant (FLR) - cannot meet the body's metabolic needs. PHLF occurs after roughly 5% to 15% of major hepatectomies and is the leading cause of postoperative death. Before surgery, surgeons routinely use CT scans to measure how much liver will remain (CT volumetry). Volume alone does not tell the whole story. After a large resection the remaining liver can rotate and shift into the empty space left behind, kinking or compressing the veins that drain it. The resulting congestion can make an apparently adequate remnant fail. This prospective, multicenter, observational cohort study tests whether adding two elements to standard CT volumetry improves the preoperative prediction of liver failure: 1. Hepatic vascular deformation mapping (VDM), a three-dimensional image-analysis technique that quantifies the geometry and displacement of the hepatic veins and the portal vein; and 2. A set of simple, reproducible measurements that any radiologist can make on a standard CT scan (hepatic vein diameters, congestion index, spleen volume, liver attenuation, and the distances from the veins to the planned resection plane). Consecutive adults undergoing major hepatic resection (three or more Couinaud segments) at several tertiary hepatobiliary centers will be enrolled. The preoperative CT scans already performed as part of routine care are analyzed centrally by a core imaging laboratory. There is no additional imaging, no extra hospital visit, and no study-specific intervention: every patient receives standard surgical care. Participants are followed for at least 30 days after surgery to record liver failure (International Study Group of Liver Surgery criteria, operationalized by the "50-50" rule on postoperative day 5) and radiologic evidence of hepatic congestion. Three nested prediction models are compared - volumetry alone; volumetry plus VDM; and volumetry plus VDM plus the simple radiology parameters - and the best-performing model is converted into a practical risk score. Because the study runs across several centers, the model can be validated by leaving one center out at a time, which gives an honest estimate of how well it would perform at a new hospital. The goal is a generalizable, easy-to-use tool that tells surgeons, before the operation, which patients are genuinely at risk of post-hepatectomy liver failure.

The study is an registry study based on data from the Swedish Perioperative Registry (SPOR) during the years 2016-2022 with the aim to explore the risk for postoperative nausea and vomiting at the recovery unit (early PONV). The study will explore several cohorts (for example a specific procedure) on a national basis, report the risk for early PONV and identify associated factors.

This trial asks whether covering the inner, bowel-facing surface of a hernia mesh with a flap of the patient's own hernia sac improves healing after repair of a complex ventral (abdominal wall) hernia in which one edge of the defect is bone - for example hernias next to the breastbone and ribs, above the pubic bone, or at the iliac crest. In these "bony-edged" hernias the mesh is both hardest to fix and hardest to cover. There is no fascia on the bony side for the surgeon to stitch the mesh to, and the lining layer of the abdomen cannot be closed underneath the mesh because the plane that carries it stops at the bone. The mesh may therefore be left in contact with the bowel, which can lead to dense adhesions, mesh erosion, chronic pain and, rarely, a fistula. Normally the hernia sac - the thin membrane that lines the hernia - is cut away and discarded. In this trial the surgeon instead preserves it as a living, blood-supplied flap, rotates it underneath the mesh, and stitches it in place as a new lining layer that separates the mesh from the bowel and covers the bony edge. The technique uses only the patient's own tissue: no extra mesh, no donor site and no added cost. One hundred and eighty adults undergoing planned (non-emergency) open repair of a bony-edged complex ventral hernia will be randomly assigned in equal numbers to one of two groups: standard retromuscular (sublay) mesh repair with the added sac flap (90 participants), or standard retromuscular mesh repair alone, with the sac handled in the conventional way (90 participants). Every other step of the operation is the same in both groups. The main question is whether the sac flap reduces the number of participants who develop any wound or mesh problem in the first 30 days after surgery. This is measured as a composite called a surgical site occurrence, which includes wound infection, seroma, haematoma, skin or soft-tissue death, wound breakdown, mesh exposure and fistula. The trial also compares complications needing a drainage or operative procedure, hernia recurrence at 12 months, overall complication severity, operating time, blood loss, hospital stay, readmission, reoperation, pain, quality of life and death. Participants, ward and clinic staff, the doctors who assess the wounds, the radiologist who reads the follow-up scans and the trial statistician will not know which operation was performed; only the operating surgeon will. The group assignment is revealed only during the operation, after the surgeon has confirmed that the defect truly has a bony edge and that the sac is suitable for a flap. Participants are followed for 12 months.

The purpose of this randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the effect of acupressure on respiratory performance and pain levels in adult patients who have undergone open-heart surgery. Pulmonary complications and severe pain are common after cardiac surgery, often limiting the effectiveness of standard deep breathing exercises such as incentive spirometry. This study investigates whether applying acupressure-a non-invasive complementary therapy-can help manage postoperative pain and improve respiratory capacity. By potentially reducing pain without the respiratory side effects associated with pharmacological medications, acupressure may enable patients to perform their breathing exercises more effectively and support their overall recovery.

The goal of this observational study is to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) on patients with pituitary gland tumors.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a frequent and serious complication after cardiac surgery, including off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB). Because AKI is diagnosed on the basis of serum creatinine, which rises 1 to 2 days after the actual renal insult, early detection and timely intervention remain difficult. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) allows non-invasive and continuous measurement of regional tissue oxygen saturation, but the effective penetration depth of commercially available devices is only approximately 2 to 2.5 cm. In most adults the renal cortex lies deeper than this, so the signal obtained from a flank sensor may originate largely from the abdominal wall musculature rather than from renal parenchyma. This limitation may explain the inconsistent association between renal regional oxygen saturation (renal rSO2) and AKI reported so far. The erector spinae muscle at the level of the renal hilum lies within 2 cm of the skin in most patients and is supplied by the lumbar arteries and by vessels adjacent to the renal hilum. Erector spinae muscle regional oxygen saturation (ESrSO2) may therefore provide a technically more reliable NIRS signal that reflects perfusion of a vascular territory close to that of the kidney, particularly during the transient low cardiac output state induced by mechanical displacement of the heart for coronary anastomosis during OPCAB. This single-center prospective observational cohort study will enroll 138 adult patients scheduled for elective OPCAB at Severance Hospital, Yonsei University Health System, Seoul, Republic of Korea. ESrSO2 and renal rSO2 will be measured continuously with an INVOS oximeter from before anesthetic induction until the end of surgery, in addition to cerebral rSO2, which is part of standard care at the participating institution. The ESrSO2 and renal rSO2 channels will be physically masked on the monitor display during surgery, no alarms will be set for these two channels, and their values will not be used for any intraoperative clinical decision. The recorded data will be extracted after surgery using the INVOS Analytics Tool. Apart from placement of the additional NIRS sensors and a brief pre-induction ultrasound measurement of tissue depth, no study-specific procedure, laboratory test, or imaging study will be performed, and all anesthetic, surgical, and postoperative care will follow the standard institutional protocol. The primary objective is to identify which ESrSO2-derived variable best predicts postoperative AKI, defined by the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria within 7 days after surgery. The candidate variables are the baseline value, the intraoperative nadir, the area under the threshold (AUT), and the duration under the threshold below absolute values of 60%, 55%, and 50% and below 80% of the baseline value, calculated separately for the period before cardiac displacement and for the cardiac displacement period. Secondary objectives are to assess whether the selected ESrSO2 variable provides independent and incremental predictive information beyond a pre-specified baseline risk model, to compare the predictive performance of ESrSO2 with that of cerebral rSO2 and renal rSO2, and to evaluate the prediction of severe AKI (KDIGO stage 2 to 3) and persistent AKI (lasting 48 hours or longer). If ESrSO2 proves to be a useful early marker of AKI, it could allow real-time, non-invasive identification of patients at high risk during surgery and provide a basis for future trials of renal protective strategies.

This prospective observational study will evaluate whether nutritional risk and reduced muscle mass are associated with postoperative outcomes in adults aged 65 years or older undergoing surgery for hip fracture. Nutritional risk will be assessed using the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI), which is calculated from routine preoperative serum albumin, body weight, and ideal body weight. Rectus femoris muscle thickness will be measured before surgery using a brief, noninvasive ultrasound examination of the non-fractured thigh. Participants will receive routine clinical care, and no treatment or anesthesia method will be assigned by the study. Clinical information will be collected from hospital records, including postoperative length of hospital stay, surgical site infection, and mortality. Survival status will be evaluated at 30 and 90 days after surgery using hospital records and/or telephone follow-up.