Impact of the Metabolic Syndrome on the Perioperative Evolution of Surgical Patients

Abstract

Introduction: The international literature has documented little about metabolic syndrome in the surgical anesthetic setting. Although this entity is associated with the three leading causes of death worldwide, it is today a perioperative risk factor related to high morbidity and mortality.

Objectives: To determine the impact of metabolic syndrome on the perioperative evolution of surgical patients.

Methods: An analytical, prospective and observational cohort study was carried out with 112 patients undergoing major abdominal surgery with general or regional anesthesia. The sample was divided into two groups: 60 patients with metabolic syndrome and 52 without metabolic syndrome. The main variables were related to perioperative monitoring and the identification of systemic complications.

Results: A greater stability was achieved in the evolution of the patients; they were administered regional anesthesia. Both preoperative and immediate suspensions were taken into account with respect to decompensation of their underlying diseases. The suspension of the surgical intervention in patients with metabolic syndrome was observed to be at 15 %, together with a higher incidence of arrhythmias and hyperglycemia, in addition to a high occurrence of complications and a longer postoperative stay.

Conclusions: The presence of the syndrome predisposes to a more unstable perioperative evolution. In major abdominal surgery, patients with this entity are exposed to higher perioperative risk than patients from the general population, obtaining greater benefit with regional anesthesia.