Frequency of Complications Related to Prone Position During General Anesthesia

Abstract

Background: The prone position is widely used in spine and spinal cord surgeries and in reconstructive back surgery. If the patients are not placed in this position correctly and safely, or if they are not carefully displaced from a supine to a prone position, they may suffer many irreversible injuries This study aimed to determine the incidence of prone position complications during general anesthesia and surgery and related factors in the operating rooms of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences hospitals in Iran. Methods: A total of 121 patients who were subjected to surgery in a prone position were examined in terms of complications related to this position. The variables of this study were age, gender, weight, type and duration of surgery, co-morbidity, patient’s body mass index (BMI), eye injury, airway swelling, runny nose, patient’s state of consciousness, neck stiffness, and lower jaw movement restriction. The other variables included skin bruising, redness and burning of the skin, presence of pain, sore throat and cough, hoarse voice, nausea, damage to the ear, peripheral nerves, and genital tract of men, which were recorded in the data collection sheet after obtaining information. The data were analyzed by SPSS 22 software. Results: Overall, 62% of patients were women, and the average age of patients was 45.23 years. In addition, 19.4% of patients had a BMI>30. Lumbar fusion surgery was the most common surgery in the prone position (43.8%). Surgery time had a direct and significant relationship with the prevalence of complications in patients (P=0.00). The most frequent post-surgical complication in the prone position was throat problems (hoarseness, sore throat, throat swelling, and cough) with 71 patients (58.7%), followed by eye complications in the prone position with 67 patients (55.4%). Conclusion: The prone position is one of the most sensitive body positions for brain, spine, and kidney surgeries. The results of this study also showed a high prevalence of immediate complications after surgery, most of which were on the head and face of patients. Considering the sensitivity of this area and its care, taking preventive measures by the anesthesia team can guarantee the patient’s health.