When adverse outcomes occur postoperatively, anesthesiologists and surgeons often are at odds about the mechanism and may blame each other. If the creatinine changes after cardiac, vascular, or other surgeries, the surgeon may infer that the patient was over- or under-hydrated or there was too much hypotension, while the anesthesia team might state that the surgeon was too slow and the aortic cross-clamp time or pump time was too long. But what if the real problem is an issue inherent to the process itself, along with the patient's underlying condition, that is exacerbated by the surgical procedure? The role of perioperative inflammatory status is becoming increasingly recognized as a possible predictor of postoperative morbidity (Front Aging Neurosci 2022;14:865244).
Inflammation is the body's response to an insult or injury and its subsequent attempt to defend against infection, prevent further damage, and promote healing. It starts with the release of...