Effect of Volatile Anesthesia Versus Total Intravenous Anesthesia on Postoperative Pulmonary Complications in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of volatile anesthesia and propofol-based total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) on postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) among patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

Design: Parallel-group, randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Single-center tertiary care hospital.

Participants: Five hundred twenty-four patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass.

Interventions: The patients were assigned randomly (1:1) to receive anesthesia maintenance with a volatile anesthetic (sevoflurane or desflurane) or propofol-based TIVA.

Measurements and main results: The primary outcome was a composite of postoperative pulmonary complications within the first 7 postoperative days. The PPCs occurred in 118 of 262 patients (45.0%) in the volatile anesthesia group compared with 105 of 262 patients (40.1%) in the propofol-based intravenous anesthesia group (relative risk: 1.17 [95% CI 0.96-1.42], p = 0.123). There were no significant differences in the severity of PPCs within 7 days postoperatively, the occurrence and severity grade of PPCs within 30 days, the incidence of hypoxia, and 30-day mortality.

Conclusions: In adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass, general anesthesia with a volatile anesthetic compared with propofol-based TIVA had not reduced pulmonary complications within the first 7 days after surgery.