ABSTRACT

In Robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) patients, preoperative bowel preparation and intraoperative fluid restriction may cause dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. In these patients, laboratory results that are considered “normal” in the pre-anaesthesia clinic may be misleading, and cardiac arrhythmia due to hypokalaemia and hypocalcaemia, as well as problems, such as prolonged non-depolarising blockade and delayed recovery from anaesthesia, may be observed during anaesthesia practice. In this study, we aimed to determine these disturbances by comparing the preoperative (T1) laboratory values with those at the beginning of the operation (T2) and at the 6th hour of the operation (T3) and values at discharge.

This prospective study comprised 49 American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) I-II patients. Bowel preparation was made with a rectal enema (NaP) twice in 12 hours and with one single dose of oral laxative soda (NaP). During surgery, 1 mL kg-1 h-1 0.09% NaCl and 1 mL kg-1 h-1 6% HES 200/05 infusions were applied.

The potassium level at T2 was significantly lower than at T1 and T3. The calcium levels at T2 and T3 were significantly lower than at T1, and the level at T3 was significantly lower than at T2. The creatinine level at T3 was significantly higher than at T1 and T2.

Although there were no severe increases or decreases in laboratory test values due to bowel preparation and fluid restriction in RARP operations, which reflected on the clinical outcome in this ASA I-II patient group, these changes may be important in critically ill or ASA III-IV patients.

Keywords: Remote operations (robotic), dehydration, water-electrolyte imbalance, bowel preparation