What Researchers Did
Researchers conducted a randomised controlled trial to assess the effect of preoperative hyperbaric oxygen therapy on patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy.
What They Found
Of 33 patients, 17 received preoperative HBO2 and 16 did not. While most inflammatory markers showed no statistical differences, patients receiving HBO2 had lower pain levels on postoperative day 30 (VAS score 1 ± 1.3 vs. 3 ± 3.0, p=0.05) and a lower percentage of positive lymph nodes (7% vs. 14%, p<0.001).
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection as it was not conducted in Canada nor involved Canadian researchers or patients.
Study Limitations
The study was limited by a small sample size and the abstract did not provide complete information on overall survival outcomes.