The effect of regional anesthesia practices on intensive care unit admission rates in shoulder surgery: A single-center, 7-year retrospective analysis
Abstract
Background: Shoulder surgeries are performed on a heterogeneous patient population ranging from young to elderly individuals. Across this diverse spectrum, general anesthesia (GA) can increase the risk of perioperative systemic complications and intensive care unit (ICU) admission, whereas regional anesthesia (RA) techniques are known to mitigate these risks and reduce ICU requirements. The aim of the study is to evaluate the effect of transitioning from general anesthesia (GA) to a primary regional anesthesia (RA) model in clinical anesthesia practice on postoperative intensive care unit (ICU) admission rates in patients undergoing shoulder surgery.
Materials and Methods: In this single-center, retrospective study, electronic records of patients who underwent shoulder surgery (arthroscopic or open) at Samsun University Samsun Training and Research Hospital between May 2019 and May 2026 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into two main groups based on the clinical transition to regional anesthesia: before 2022 (GA Period) and after 2022 (RA Period). Postoperative ICU admission rates of the groups were compared as percentages.
Results: A total of 947 patients were included in the study. In the post-2022 period, when regional techniques were used as the primary method in routine anesthesia practice, postoperative ICU admission rates were found to be statistically significantly lower compared to the GA period (Group RA: 6.41% and Group GA: 15.24%, p < 0.05).
Conclusion: This study demonstrates a significant association between the primary regional anesthesia period and lower postoperative ICU admission rates in shoulder surgery. While this correlation points to a potential benefit for hospital resource optimization, further prospective multi-center studies are required to evaluate these retrospective data.
Keywords
References
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