Hypercarbia and elevated intraabdominal pressure resulting from carbon dioxide (CO2) pneumoperitoneum can adversely affect respiratory mechanics. This study examined the changes in mechanical ventilation, CO2 homeostasis, and pulmonary gas exchange in morbidly obese patients undergoing a laparoscopic or open gastric bypass (GBP) procedure.
Department of Surgery, University of California, Irvine Medical Center, 101 The City Drive, Building 55, Room 106, Orange, CA 92868, USA. ninhn@uci.edu
