Electrical impedance tomography during major open upper abdominal surgery: a pilot-study.

Background: Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) of the lungs facilitates visualization of ventilation distribution during mechanical ventilation. Its intraoperative use could provide the basis for individual optimization of ventilator settings, especially in patients at risk for ventilation-perfusion mismatch and impaired gas exchange, such as patients undergoing major open upper abdominal surgery. EIT throughout major open upper abdominal surgery could encounter difficulties in belt positioning and signal quality.

Ventilation with low tidal volumes during upper abdominal surgery does not improve postoperative lung function.

Background: Prolonged postoperative decrease in lung function is common after major upper abdominal surgery. Evidence suggests that ventilation with low tidal volumes may limit the damage during mechanical ventilation. We compared postoperative lung function of patients undergoing upper abdominal surgery, mechanically ventilated with high or low tidal volumes.