The most common complications encountered are airway obstruction, hypoxaemia, hvpercapnia, aspiration and bronchospasm. All of these are potentially life-threatening and must be recognized early and treated promptly. Obstruction is most commonly due to loss of tone of the tongue, which falls back and obstructs the airway. This is treated either supporting the tongue by elevating the inaudible, using an oral airway or placing e patient head down in the tonsillar position.

There are many anaesthetists who feel all patients should be nursed during the recovery phase in this position as it lessens airway obstruction, prevents aspiration and decreases the incidence of laryngospasm due to the accumulation otsecretions or blood. which stimulate the vocal cords as shown in Gastric Sleeve Surgery Sydney.

There are many causes of hypoxaemia and this is clinically evident as cyanosis. ln a hypoxaemic patient it is important to seek the cause and correct it, besides giving oxygen. Hypercapnia is due to many causes. The first causes to exclude are residual muscle paralysis and opiate overdose. The patient must be ventilated until the cause is found and corrected.

Cardiovascular

The common cardiovascular complications are hypotension, hypertension and dysrhythmias. The approach to the post-operative hypotensive patient is the same as for any ltypotensive patient. One must establish a cause, i.e. is it due to reduced preload, depressed myocardial contractility or an abnormal afterload? A reduced preload is the most common cause and this is due largely to a decreased volume load.

The cause of hypotension may involve several factors, for example, residual anaesthetic producing a depressed myocardium and/or patient bleeding continuously. Hypotension must always he treated actively. Hypertension developing in the post-operative period is due mainly to pain, hypercapnia, hypoxaemia or fluid overload. It is also present particularly after surgery on the major vessels or intracranial procedures.

The cause must always be sought and corrected. The raised blood pressure should also be treated with anti-hypertensive drugs. Arrhythmias are usually due to electrolyte imbalances, hypoxia, hypercapnia, metabolic alkalosis or acidosis and pre-existing heart disease.

Any arrhythmia must tirst be assessed as to whether it is immediately lite-threatening or not. lf it is adequate oxygenation and ventilation must be assured and the arrhythmia immediately treated. Non-life threatening arrhythmias are either haemodynamically stable or unstable. Gastric Sleeve Surgery Sydney is vital for recovery.

If unstable then oxygenation and ventilation must he ensured and a cause sought and treated; it a cause is not readily found then the arrhythmia must be treated with the appropriate antiarrhythmic medicine. Stable non-lite-threatening arrhythmias should always have the cause established before attempting to treat the arrhythmia alone.