Surgery at High Altitude: A Breath of Fresh Air for Patients

Pre-Operative 'High Altitude' Simulations A Protective Measure for Patients

News Picture: ‘High Altitude’ Simulations Might Shield Patients Ahead of Surgery

High Altitude’ simulations may protect patients before surgery.

Are you gearing up for surgery? Well, here’s a unique suggestion: why not try feeling like a mountaineer before going under the knife? A recent study has discovered that mimicking the high-altitude breathing of these intrepid explorers might actually make your surgical experience safer and smoother. It’s like adding a splash of extra fitness to your body before the main event.

The procedure, effectively termed “prehabilitation,” aims to prepare patients physically for the challenges of surgery. In this study, researchers found that subjecting patients to reduced oxygen levels, also known as “hypoxia,” for a week resulted in an increase in blood hemoglobin. The British scientists behind this study believe that this rise in hemoglobin levels could help prevent complications during and after surgery.

Dr. Thomas Smith, the lead author of the study and an anesthetist at King’s College London, explains, “We know that athletes can use hypoxic canopies over their bed to simulate altitude exposure and that altitude can induce performance benefits after two to three weeks. We were interested in whether this approach could also benefit older patients ahead of major surgery, who, due to sedentary lifestyles and low levels of fitness, are more at risk of negative postoperative outcomes.”

To put this theory to the test, Dr. Smith and his team selected eight sedentary volunteers, averaging 64 years old, who were living their ‘couch potato’ dream. These lucky individuals were sent to an extraordinary “hypoxic house” in Ireland, where the oxygen levels are carefully controlled. During one week, they breathed normal air, but during the next, they enjoyed the refreshing experience of breathing air equivalent to being 8,000 feet above the ground.

Although the cardiopulmonary fitness of the volunteers showed no significant improvement after their low-oxygen adventure, there was a notable spike in their blood hemoglobin levels. Hemoglobin, as some of you might know, is responsible for carrying oxygen throughout the body. So, this rise in hemoglobin might just be giving the body the boost it needs to perform better under stress.

While further research is necessary, Dr. Smith suggests that “simulated altitude exposure may have potential advantages for older and sedentary patients” before surgery. Just picture it: patients snoozing away in hypoxic canopy tents, reaping the benefits of prehabilitation. It could be the new trend in the surgical world!

The study, recently published in the journal Anaesthesia, opens up exciting possibilities for improving patient outcomes before surgery. So, if you find yourself heading toward the operating room soon, don’t be surprised if your doctor recommends a little altitude adventure beforehand.