Comparison Between Continuous Positive Airway Pressure and High-frequency Jet Ventilation in Nondependent Lung During One-lung Ventilation in Video-assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery

One-lung ventilation is mandatory during most thoracic surgery procedures. During OLV, collapsed lung develops an intrapulmonary shunt leading to arterial hypoxemia. Since arterial hypoxemia is a critical intraoperative problem, many times , anesthesiologists have to use rescue ventilation strategies on non-dependent lung to improve arterial oxygen levels. The use of continuous positive airway pressure on non-dependent lung has become the most common technique to achieve that aim.

High-frequency jet ventilation on non-dependent lung may be considered as an alternative way of ventilation of the non-dependent lung during one-lung ventilation because it provides a suitable gaseous exchange while facilitating minimizing surgical field motion. However, this ventilation maneuver is rarely use by thoracic anesthesiologists.

Over the last years, video assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) has become widely utilized. This surgical technique becomes even more dependent on immobilization of the operation field than open-chest thoracic procedures. There is a lack of evidence in the current literature regarding the use of HFJV in VATS.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of HFJV as an alternative for the treatment of hypoxemia in VATS.

One-lung ventilation is mandatory during most thoracic surgery procedures. During OLV, collapsed lung develops an intrapulmonary shunt leading to arterial hypoxemia. Since arterial hypoxemia is a critical intraoperative problem, many times , anesthesiologists have to use rescue ventilation strategies on non-dependent lung to improve arterial oxygen levels. The use of continuous positive airway pressure on non-dependent lung has become the most common technique to achieve that aim.