Role of oxygen reserve index monitoring in patients undergoing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy: a retrospective study

Robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) is a widely performed surgery, accounting for 70–85% of prostatectomies performed in the United States [1]. During RARP, a high-pressure pneumoperitoneum is applied, and the patient is placed in the Trendelenburg position [2]. Although this surgical position (high-pressure pneumoperitoneum + Trendelenburg position) has the advantage of improving the surgeon’s visibility and protecting other organs, it can make mechanical ventilation difficult for patients owing to the cephalad movement of the diaphragm [3]. Consequently, hypoxia may occur, leading to tissue hypoxia, hemodynamic instability, and postoperative complications that require immediate intervention [4].

Pulse oximetry is a widely used method for determining oxygen saturation (SpO₂) and diagnosing hypoxia during surgery [5]. However, it is important to note that SpO₂ remains almost constant when the partial pressure of oxygen (PaO₂) exceeds approximately 80 mmHg [6, 7]. This characteristic limits its effectiveness in predicting impending hypoxia, as SpO₂ values may not decrease significantly until PaO₂ falls below 80 mmHg. This limitation may require additional monitoring strategies to identify slight changes in oxygenation and offer early warnings of impending hypoxia.

The oxygen reserve index (ORi) (Masimo Corp., Irvine, CA, USA) is a monitoring parameter that can continuously and noninvasively measure oxygen reserves [8]. The index is a dimensionless value ranging from 0.00 to 1.00, corresponding to the arterial partial pressure of oxygen levels ranging from 100 to 200 mmHg [9]. ORi monitoring may aid in detecting hypoxia in advance during ventilatory impairment [8, 9]. Therefore, clinicians may benefit from ORi monitoring for appropriate and prompt management of patients at risk of respiratory compromise.

Our institution uses ORi as a routine monitoring parameter in patients undergoing RARP. This study aimed to analyze the use of ORi in patients undergoing RARP, propose a cut-off value for hypoxia, and investigate its correlation with intraoperative hypoxia.

A total of 878 patients underwent RARP between July 2021 and March 2023. Of these patients, 146 had no recorded ORi data, 378 were not monitored for ORi during surgery, and 25 were monitored for ORi after surgical position was established (high pneumoperitoneum + Trendelenburg position). Thus, a total of 329 patients were included in the final analysis. Intraoperative hypoxia was identified in 62 patients (18.8%) (Fig. 1). Table 1 summarizes the preoperative and intraoperative variables.

An ROC curve was used to determine the optimal cut-off value for ORi in predicting hypoxia (Fig. 2). The area under the ROC curve was 0.762, which was considered acceptable. The ROC curve showed that 0.16 was the ideal ORi cut-off value for predicting hypoxia. Sensitivity and specificity were 64.5% and 75.7%, respectively.

Table 2 shows the results of univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses for the occurrence of intraoperative hypoxia. An ORi value of < 0.16 was an independent risk factor for hypoxia during RARP (odds ratio [OR] 3.532, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.864–6.695, P < 0.001). In addition, higher BMI independently increased the occurrence of intraoperative hypoxia (OR 1.348, 95% CI, 1.183–1.535; P < 0.001).

This study aimed to investigate the role of ORi as a predictive measure for intraoperative hypoxia during RARP. We found that an ORi value of < 0.16 and a higher BMI were independent risk factors for intraoperative hypoxia.

Our data indicated that 18.8% of patients undergoing RARP experienced hypoxia during docking of the robotic system. Compared to our findings, a previous study of patients undergoing robot-assisted gynecologic surgery showed a lower incidence of intraoperative hypoxia [18]. Although the surgical position (pneumoperitoneum and Trendelenburg position) was similar to that used in RARP, intraoperative hypoxia occurred in 3.75% of patients. This discrepancy can be explained by the pressure of the pneumoperitoneum applied during robot-assisted surgery. The authors reported that the pressure range was 8–15 mmHg during robot-assisted gynecologic surgery, whereas the pressure was relatively higher (10–17 mmHg) during RARP. The higher pressure used in our study may have influenced more significant physiological changes [19], possibly leading to a higher incidence of intraoperative hypoxia. Another possible reason for this discrepancy could be the definition of hypoxia. Badawy et al. [18] defined hypoxia as SpO₂ of < 90%, whereas we used a different threshold, which could account for the different rates of hypoxia observed. Patient factors, including age, BMI, and overall health status, may also have contributed to the variation in the occurrence of hypoxia.

Pulse oximetry measures arterial oxygen saturation. Owing to the relationship between SpO₂ and PaO₂, SpO₂ remains relatively stable until PaO₂ drops below 80 mmHg [6, 7]. Conversely, ORi provides an integrated assessment of both arterial and venous oxygen saturation. Even if SpO₂ reaches a plateau at PaO₂ levels above 80 mmHg, variations in venous oxygen saturation may still occur [20]. This principle enables ORi to provide more sensitive and comprehensive information about oxygen status.

In our analysis, the cut-off value of ORi, which helps predict the occurrence of hypoxia, was 0.16. Previous studies have evaluated the ability of ORi to predict hypoxia and suggested a cut-off value for hypoxia occurrence [21, 22]. However, Hille et al. [21] suggested a higher cut-off value for ORi (0.4) to indicate hypoxia during endotracheal intubation in critically ill patients. Applegate et al. [22] found that a decrease in ORi to 0.24 could be a warning sign of lowering PaO₂ to 100 mmHg. These variations in the cut-off values can be attributed to the different criteria for hypoxia used in the studies (95% vs. 97%). Nevertheless, these findings provide valuable insights into predicting hypoxia using ORi. To the best of our knowledge, this study introduces a novel approach by utilizing ORi, in conjunction with pulse oximetry, to provide a more comprehensive monitoring strategy. This approach aims to detect and warn of impending hypoxia earlier in patients undergoing surgeries that require high pneumoperitoneum and Trendelenburg position, thereby enhancing patient safety and outcomes.

The significant association between ORi and hypoxia observed in our study is consistent with previous research, suggesting that ORi can serve as an early warning signal for hypoxia before it is detected by traditional pulse oximetry. One study explored the use of ORi to measure the oxygen reserves during rapid sequence induction [23]. The authors analyzed data from 16 patients and revealed that ORi could anticipate a decrease in oxygenation approximately 30 s before any notable decline in SpO₂. They suggested that the incidence of hypoxia during rapid sequence induction can be reduced by ORi monitoring. In another study, including 38 pediatric patients who underwent general anesthesia for ophthalmic artery catheterization, the authors found that ORi values were consistently lower in patients with cardiorespiratory events than those without (0.03 vs. 0.25) [24]. They recommended that clinicians prepare for inadequate ventilation in patients with a low ORi before the procedure. Similarly, observing a low ORi allows for potentially preventive interventions and improved patient safety during RARP.

A higher BMI was independently associated with intraoperative hypoxia. This finding is consistent with the results of a previous study. Kendale et al. [25] conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of 15,238 patients who underwent general anesthesia for noncardiac surgery and found a significant increase in the incidence of intraoperative hypoxia, defined as SpO₂ < 90%, with increasing BMI.

This study has some limitations. First, the retrospective nature of this study may have introduced a bias. Second, we could not adjust for all potential confounding factors, such as intraoperative fluid management or other comorbidities. Third, more than half of the included patients underwent RARP with a high pneumoperitoneum pressure of 17 mmHg. This factor, along with the variability in standard practices regarding pneumoperitoneum pressure, may limit the generalizability of our findings and underscores the need for further research on the impact of different pneumoperitoneum pressures on clinical outcomes, including the incidence of hypoxia and the predictability of ORi in RARP settings across various surgical practices.

This study investigated the potential role of ORi as a predictive measure for intraoperative hypoxia during RARP. The findings demonstrated that an ORi value of < 0.16 and a higher BMI were independent risk factors for intraoperative hypoxia. This study emphasizes the potential benefits of ORi monitoring in managing patients undergoing RARP, allowing for immediate intervention and potentially enhancing patient safety. Further prospective studies are needed to assess the applicability of ORi monitoring in procedures beyond RARP and to explore the effectiveness of specific ORi-guided ventilatory management strategies, including a detailed protocol for intervention based on predicted hypoxia.