The impact of perioperative hydrogen gas inhalation on postoperative recovery in day surgery patients: a research study
摘要
Hydrogen has been demonstrated to exert anti-inflammatory effects in various clinical settings. This prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled trial was conducted at a day surgery center to evaluate whether perioperative hydrogen inhalation improves recovery outcomes in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy or thyroidectomy. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either a hydrogen–oxygen mixture (containing 66.7% hydrogen) or a nitrogen–oxygen mixture (containing 66.7% nitrogen) via nasal cannula before and after surgery. A total of 150 patients were enrolled, with 76 in the hydrogen group and 74 in the control group. Compared with the control group, the hydrogen group demonstrated significantly better postoperative recovery quality, as reflected by a smaller reduction in QoR-15 scores (9 ± 12 vs. 14 ± 13, p = 0.008). In exploratory analyses, the hydrogen group also showed descriptive trends toward lower pain scores, greater physical independence, and improved sleep quality. Furthermore, the hydrogen group exhibited reduced plasma levels of inflammatory markers (e.g., IL-6 and IL-12) and a trend toward a lower incidence of adverse events (14.47% vs. 24.32%, p = 0.127). These findings suggest that perioperative hydrogen inhalation may alleviate inflammatory stress and promote recovery in patients undergoing day surgery.