Individual Optimal Positive End-expiratory Pressure During Robot-assisted Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy

In the researchers' words

During robot-assisted radical prostatectomy, pneumoperitoneum with Trendelenburg position is used. However, perioperative atelectasis and respiratory complications may occur with high incidence due to general anesthesia and carbon dioxide pneumoperitoneum. Intraoperative ventilatory strategy to address these issues include intraoperative recruitment maneuver and positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP). Recently, individualized optimal PEEP with minimal driving pressure or maximal respiratory compliance was reported to reduce respiratory complications after general anesthesia. A recent version of general anesthesia ventilator provides a stepwise procedure of determining optimal PEEP by calculating respiratory compliance. We investigated whether the application of individualized optimal PEEP could reduce the incidence of atelectasis and respiratory complications after robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy compared to uniform PEEP.