The Efficacy of Postoperative Application of High Flow Nasal Cannula at Acute Phase for Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy Surgery Patients

In recent years, for resectable esophageal cancer lesions, the National Taiwan University Hospital has developed MIE from the traditional open-abdomen and open-chest reconstructive surgeries. Because the wounds of minimally invasive surgeries are smaller, most of the patients can be extubated soon in the operation rooms. During the period when the patients are sent to ICU for observation, they do not need endotracheal tubes for positive pressure or sputum suction. Thus, high standards are needed for the inspections of post-operative chest care, depth of respiration and ability of expectoration in these patients.

The HFNC used in this study can supply more than 40-60 L/min of oxygen flow, which is many times higher than the traditional nasal cannula. In addition, HFNC provides heating and moisturizing functions, so the patients 'nasal and oropharyngeal cavities do not dry out. This way, the patients can wear HFNC continuously for many days. Furthermore, when the patients close their mouths, HFNC can create a PEEP of 6-8 cmH2O, which helps with lung expansion after chest surgeries and lowers the risk of pneumonia related to lung collapses.

This is a prospective study that uses the treatment guideline of our chest surgery ICU. Investigators recruited 60 patients who underwent MIE in the National Taiwan University Hospital between January 2018 and December 2018. The clinical data collected included vital signs (blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory patterns and frequencies, saturation of blood oxygen and carbon dioxide, etc.), blood tests, images and bronchoscopic analysis of sputum.

The goal of this study is to analyze common care problems and complications patients may encounter during the acute stage in ICU after MIE. By comparing the differences between the treatment group and the control group, investigators can interpret the role of HFNC.