Titration of Intraoperative PEEP in Patients Undergoing Robotic Assisted Laparoscopic Prostatectomy

In the researchers' words

Optimal intraoperative positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP) improves the outcome. Optimal PEEP is not only very different among individuals, but each individual's optimal PEEP is affected by positioning, muscle paralysis, and several other factors. Several techniques have been used to determine the optimal PEEP. For example, electrical impedance tomography(EIT)can be performed at the bedside.However, the application of this technique requires special training, increases the workload of the care team, and the cost-efficiencyof this procedure remains to be determined.We hypothesized that optimal PEEP could be obtained by titration of intraoperative PEEP levels and FiO2with SpO2 guidance. Our secondary hypothesis was that maintenance of intraoperative optimal PEEP derived via this method improves intraoperative oxygenation and reduces the incidence of postoperative hypoxemia.We tested our hypothesis in patients undergoing robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy.