The Effect of Preoxygenation on Gastric Decompression in Laparoscopic Cholecystectomies

Aim: Gastric insufflation caused by mask ventilation during laparoscopic surgeries may affect the surgical field, lead to regurgitation of gastric contents, and consequently cause aspiration pneumonia. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of preoxygenation instead of mask ventilation in laparoscopic cholecystectomies (LC) on the need for decompression due to gastric insufflation, as well as its impact on postoperative sore throat and the presence of bleeding in aspiration in patients requiring an orogastric (OG) tube. Materials and Methods: This single-center, prospective, observational study included 128 patients aged 18-65 years with ASA I-III undergoing LC surgery. After anesthesia induction, patients were divided into two groups: those ventilated with a mask (Group A, n=64) and those preoxygenated until their end-tidal oxygen (EtO₂) level exceeded 85% and not ventilated with a mask before induction (Group B, n=64). Anesthesia induction was performed in a standardized manner with appropriate doses for each patient. After administration of a muscle relaxant, patients were intubated by the same anesthesiologist following a 2-minute waiting period. The development of gastric insufflation, the need for OG tube placement, sore throat, and the presence of bleeding in aspiration were compared between the groups.