Background: Utilizing high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) oxygen therapy may prevent the collapse of alveoli and improve overall alveolar ventilation. In this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of HFNC on postoperative atelectasis in individuals undergoing robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery.
Methods: Patients undergoing robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer were randomly assigned to the control or HFNC groups. After the surgical procedure was complete and the trachea was extubated, both groups underwent an initial lung ultrasound (LUS) scan. In the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU), the control group received conventional nasal cannula oxygen therapy, while the HFNC group received high-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy. A second LUS scan was conducted before the patient was transferred to the ward. The primary outcome measured was the total LUS score at the time of PACU discharge.
Results: In the HFNC group (n = 39), the LUS score and the incidence of atelectasis at PACU discharge were significantly lower compared to the control group (n = 39) [(5 vs 10, P < 0.001), (48.72% vs 82.05%, P = 0.002)]. None of the patients in the HFNC group experienced hypoxemia in the PACU, whereas six patients in the control group did (P = 0.03). Additionally, the minimum SpO2 value in the PACU was notably higher in the HFNC group compared to the control group [99 vs 97, P < 0.001].
Conclusion: Based on the results, HFNC improves the extent of postoperative atelectasis and decreases the occurrence of atelectasis in individuals undergoing robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer.

Keywords: general anesthesia, high-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy, lung ultrasound, postoperative atelectasis, robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery