Prospective Evaluation of Cognitive Outcomes After Anesthesia for Patients in the Beach Chair Position

Abstract

The beach chair position has been popularized for shoulder surgeries, particularly those involving arthroscopy. Several published case reports and studies have raised concerns for neurologic complications related to anesthesia for surgery performed with patients in the beach chair position. The question has been raised whether cerebral perfusion monitoring should be used routinely to minimize these potential complications. This prospective study evaluated cognitive outcomes in patients who underwent anesthesia in the beach chair position. Patients were randomized to 2 groups. In group 1, the anesthesiologist was blinded to the cerebral monitoring and could treat based only on mean arterial pressure (MAP). In group 2, the anesthesiologist was aware of the results of the cerebral monitoring and could treat any desaturation events. All patients were evaluated pre- and postoperatively with a cognitive assessment tool. A total of 80 patients were enrolled in the study, with 40 patients in each group. There were no significant differences regarding age, body mass index, or American Society of Anesthesiologists score. Only 3 desaturation events occurred with no significant change in cognitive function. The findings indicate no advantage to cerebral perfusion monitoring during anesthesia for surgery performed with patients in the beach chair position as long as MAP is maintained within strict limits. Although little is known about the level of cerebral desaturation that will result in cognitive dysfunction, it may likely be related to MAP and cerebral perfusion. The findings of this study reinforce the need for careful monitoring of MAP during surgery and dispute the need for additional expensive monitoring devices.