Objective: Patient recovery after anesthesia is dependent not only on the lingering pharmacologic effects of sedatives but also on the physiologic effects that patients experience after surgery. Preoperative fasting results in a perioperative dehydration that may contribute to these physiologic effects, resulting in complaints of headache, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, lightheadedness, dizziness, and thirst. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of perioperative hydration in the ambulatory oral and maxillofacial surgery patient who receives deep sedation or general anesthesia (nonintubated).
Study design: This was a prospective, randomized, blinded study that administered either a high volume (16-17 mL/kg) or a low volume (1-2 mL/kg) of an isotonic solution to each of 77 patients who were scheduled to have their third molars extracted with deep sedation or general anesthesia. Each patient completed 3 postoperative questionnaires designed to evaluate potential adverse outcomes.
Results: Nonparametric analysis of the data demonstrated a more favorable outcome with respect to subjective feelings for the high volume hydration group; this was evident both during the immediate postoperative period and in the evening of the day of surgery, and it persisted into the first postoperative day.
Conclusions: This study demonstrated that appropriate perioperative rehydration decreases postoperative adverse outcomes and improves the patient's perception of the postoperative period.