Effect of dexmedetomidine on postoperative high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T in patients undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery: a prospective, randomised controlled trial

Background: One-lung ventilation and intrathoracic operations during thoracoscopic surgery often result in intraoperative hypoxaemia and haemodynamic fluctuations, resulting in perioperative myocardial injury. Dexmedetomidine, an alpha-2 (α-2) agonist, has demonstrated myocardial protection. We hypothesize that the routine intravenous administration of dexmedetomidine could reduce the extent of myocardial injury during video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS).

Methods: The study included patients aged ≥ 45 years, classified as American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I-III, who underwent general anesthesia for video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. The patients were randomly assigned to either the intervention group, receiving general anesthesia with dexmedetomidine, or the control group, receiving general anesthesia without dexmedetomidine. Patients in the intervention group received a loading dose of dexmedetomidine (0.5 µg·kg^-1) before anesthesia induction, followed by a continuous infusion (0.5 µg·kg^-1·h^-1) until the completion of the surgery. Placebos (saline) were administered for the control group to match the treatment. The primary outcome assessed was the high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T on postoperative day 1. Additionally, the incidence of myocardial injury after noncardiac surgery (MINS) was noted.

Results: A total of 110 participants completed this study. The median [interquartile range (IQR)] concentration of hs-cTnT on postoperative day 1 was lower in the intervention group compared with the control group (7 [6-9] vs. 8 [7-11] pg·ml^-1; difference in medians,1 pg·ml^-1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0 to 2; P = 0.005). Similarly, on postoperative day 3, the median [IQR] concentration of hs-cTnT in the intervention group was also lower than that in the control group (6 [5-7] vs. 7 [6-9]; difference in medians,1 pg·ml^-1; 95%CI, 0 to 2; P = 0.011). Although the incidence of MINS was not statistically significant (the intervention group vs. the control group, 3.8% vs. 9.1%, P = 0.465), there was a decreasing trend in the incidence of MINS in the intervention group.

Conclusion: The administration of perioperative dexmedetomidine in patients ≥ 45 years undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery could lower the release of postoperative hs-cTnT without reducing incidence of myocardial injury.

Trial registration: chictr.org.cn (ChiCTR2200063193); prospectively registered 1 September 2022.