Postoperative Cognitive Deficit After Steep Trendelenburg Position and CO2 Pneumoperitoneum With Cerebral Oxygen: A Prospective Observational Pilot Study

Postoperative cognitive decline (POCD) is a short-term decline in cognitive function (especially in memory and executive functions) that may last from a few days to a few weeks after surgery. It is a common and impactful outcome of surgical procedures in older adults. The pathophysiology and causative mechanisms for POCD are poorly understood. It is supposed to be associated with numerous factors such as ages, trauma, inflammation, surgical stress, position, fluid, MBP, artificial pneumoperitoneum , PCO2, FiO2.

The robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) is increasingly utilized. In patients undergoing RARC, Although prolonged Trendelenburg position and pneumoperitoneum can increase the cerebral blood flow, there were studies showed that the excessive cerebral perfusion can lead to encephalemia, which reduce the oxygen uptake of brain tissue and cause insufficient oxygenation of brain tissue at the cellular level. POCD may take place due to cerebral hemodynamic changes. Contemporary, intraoperative fluid restriction, a relatively long time of operation and surgical stress may also contribute to POCD.

The goal of the current study is to investigate the combined effect of this position and CO2 pneumoperitoneum on POCD during RARC with the monitor of cerebral oxygen.