Spontaneous Breathing Surgery in Abu Dhabi
Overview
During conventional thoracic surgery, such as lung resections or procedures involving the chest cavity, our thoracic surgery expert carefully balances the need for anaesthesia and patient comfort while maintaining adequate oxygenation and ventilation. In certain cases, when the patient’s lung function is healthy, and the surgical procedure allows, the anaesthesia team may opt for a highly modern technique called Spontaneous Breathing Surgery in Abu Dhabi – thanks to the recent advancements in thoracic surgery methods!
Spontaneous Breathing Surgery (Thoracoscopic surgery without tracheal intubation or Non-Intubating Thoracic Surgery (NITS)) is an emerging treatment modality for a wide variety of thoracic procedures. In this method, although the patient is totally asleep and unaware of the operation, they breathe on their own, not requiring too much support from the ventilator machine.
Spontaneous breathing anaesthesia involves providing the patient with lighter levels of anaesthesia, allowing them to continue breathing on their own. This technique is typically utilized when the surgery is performed using minimally invasive approaches, such as video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), where smaller incisions are made and lung manipulation is minimized.
The advantages of Spontaneous Breathing Surgery in Abu Dhabi include the following:
Improved Lung Function: Allowing the patient to breathe spontaneously helps maintain better lung function compared to controlled ventilation. It enables better distribution of air within the lungs, preventing atelectasis (collapse of lung tissue) and reducing the risk of postoperative complications, such as pneumonia.
Reduced Ventilator-Related Complications: Spontaneous breathing anaesthesia reduces the time patients spend on mechanical ventilation, thereby minimizing the potential complications associated with prolonged ventilation, such as ventilator-associated pneumonia, barotrauma (lung injury caused by excessive air pressure), and ventilator-induced lung injury.
Enhanced Surgical Precision: By preserving spontaneous breathing, the surgical team can more accurately assess lung function and perform certain procedures that require patient cooperation, such as lung volume reduction surgery or certain biopsies. It allows our surgeon to evaluate lung inflation and function intraoperatively during this minimally invasive surgery.
Faster Recovery: Patients undergoing thoracic surgery with spontaneous breathing anaesthesia often experience faster recovery and shorter hospital stays compared to those under controlled ventilation. They may require less postoperative respiratory support and exhibit improved postoperative pain control.
However, it is important to note that not all thoracic surgical procedures are suitable for spontaneous breathing anaesthesia. The decision to utilize this technique depends on various factors, including the patient’s overall health, lung function, and the complexity of the surgery. The anaesthesia team will carefully evaluate each case to determine the most appropriate approach for optimal patient outcomes.
Dr Taj Chowdhry-
An expert in the domain
All in all, the technique of spontaneous breathing surgery in Abu Dhabi offers potential advantages in terms of improved lung function, reduced ventilator-related complications, enhanced surgical precision, and faster recovery.
Having said that, very few surgeons in the world hold expertise in this technique.
Our cardiothoracic surgeon Dr Taj Chowdhry is a veteran in this field, possessing over 15 years of experience. He is one of the few surgeons to carry out VATS with spontaneous breathing methods successfully in several cases. By tailoring the anaesthesia approach to each patient’s specific needs, he and his anaesthesia team optimizes the outcomes and tries to promote a smoother recovery process.
Get in touch with the team to know more!
