Safety of perioperative period in robot-assisted atrial septal defect repair under hyperkalemic arrest.

Background Various attempts have been made to meet patient desires, especially among younger and otherwise healthy individuals, for cosmetically satisfying incision with atrial septal defect (ASD) repair. One of procedures was a robotic-assisted totally endoscopic ASD repair via only two ports under hyperkalemic arrest without aortic cross-clamping. This study investigated perioperative management and safety for robotic-assisted total endoscopic ASD repair surgery under hyperkalemic arrest. Methods We retrospectively reviewed perioperative management of thirty patients who underwent total endoscopic robot-assisted ASD repair under hyperkalemic arrest. All procedures were performed under general anesthesia using robotic-assisted total endoscopic for ASD repair via two or three ports under hyperkalemic arrest without aortic cross-clamping. Results A total of 30 patients (mean age 45 ± 17 years, 8 male, 22 female) underwent successful ASD repair with the total endoscopic robotic-assisted procedures under hyperkalemic arrest. Hyperkalemic arrest was achieved and maintained by intravenous administration of mean potassium dose of 91±32 mEq (1.4±0.6 mEq/kg) with the lowest bladder temperature was 31.9±1.4 °C during hyperkalemic arrest. In all cases, serum potassium concentration was 6 mEq/L after operation. At other time points, no patient exceeded 6 mEq/L of serum potassium concentration. At admission to the intensive care unit, mean serum creatine phosphokinase-MB level was 32±7mg/dL. There were no cases of arrhythmia or other cardiac complications during recovery. Conclusions Perioperative management of robotic-assisted total endoscopic ASD repair under hyperkalemic arrest is safe and is not associated with fatal arrhythmia due to hyperkalemia.