Does general anesthesia with volatile anesthetics reduce mortality and complications in patients undergoing surgery compared to total IV anesthesia?
Volatile anesthetics are associated with reduced mortality and pulmonary complications compared to total IV anesthesia in cardiac surgery, but not in noncardiac surgery.
In cardiac, but not in noncardiac, surgery, when compared to total IV anesthesia, general anesthesia with volatile anesthetics was associated with major benefits in outcome, including reduced mortality, as well as lower incidence of pulmonary and other complications. Further studies are warranted to address the impact of volatile anesthetics on outcome in noncardiac surgery.
Uhlig et al. (Tue,) studied this question.
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