Table 1. Baseline and operative characteristics.
| Variable | RIPC (n = 30) | Sham (n = 30) | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sex: | |||
| Male | 18 (60%) | 19 (63%) | 1.0 |
| Female | 12 (40%) | 11 (37%) | |
| Age (years) | 67 ± 10 | 64 ± 12 | 0.22 |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 25 ± 4 | 23 ± 4 | 0.18 |
| Smoking status: | |||
| Current | 12 (40%) | 16 (53%) | 0.45 |
| Past | 15 (50%) | 10 (33%) | |
| Never | 3 (10%) | 4 (13%) | |
| Alcohol consumption (1 unit = 12 g): | |||
| < 21 units per week | 21 (70%) | 23 (77%) | 0.77 |
| ≥ 21 units per week | 9 (30%) | 7 (23%) | |
| ASA classification: | |||
| 1 | 1 (3%) | 0 | 0.20 |
| 2 | 13 (43%) | 19 (63%) | |
| 3 | 16 (53%) | 11 (37%) | |
| Co-morbidities | |||
| Charlson’s co-morbidity score, median(IQR) | 5 (4–6) | 5 (4–6) | 0.98 |
| Diabetes mellitus type 1+2 | 3 (10%) | 3 (10%) | 1.0 |
| Arterial hypertension | 18 (60%) | 14 (47%) | 0.44 |
| Atrial fibrillation | 5 (17%) | 2 (7%) | 0.42 |
| Preoperative biochemistry | |||
| Platelet count (109/l) | 234 ± 65 | 245 ± 80 | 0.54 |
| Albumin (g/l) | 32 ± 3 | 32 ± 3 | 0.66 |
| Creatinine (μmol/l), median(IQR) | 68 (60–94) | 64 (53–70) | 0.07 |
| Antiplatelet medication | |||
| Aspirin | 4 (13%) | 3 (10%) | 1.0 |
| Discontinuation (days), median(range) | 1 (0–6) | 6 (5–6) | 0.14 |
| Clopidogrel | 2 (7%) | 4 (13%) | 0.67 |
| Discontinuation (days), median(range) | 6 (2–10) | 10 (4–30) | 0.35 |
| NSAIDs | 6 (20%) | 7 (23%) | 1.0 |
| Discontinuation (days), median(range) | 6 (2–10) | 10 (4–30) | 0.48 |
| Thromboprophylaxis | |||
| Preoperative LMWH | 29 (97%) | 30 (100%) | 1.0 |
| Postoperative LMWH | 29 (97%) | 30 (100%) | 1.0 |
| Operative characteristics | |||
| Surgery time (min) | 398 ± 78 | 417 ± 95 | 0.41 |
| General anesthesia time (min) | 515 ± 66 | 518 ± 106 | 0.90 |
| Anesthetic used for maintenance: | |||
| Sevoflurane | 26 (87%) | 29 (97%) | 0.35 |
| Propofol | 4 (13%) | 1 (3%) | |
| Cancer status | |||
| Tumor histology: | |||
| Squamous cell carcinoma | 25 (83%) | 24 (80%) | 1.0 |
| Carcinoma, other | 3 (10%) | 3 (10%) | |
| Osteosarcoma | 1 (3%) | 1 (3%) | |
| Ameloblastoma | 0 | 1 (3%) | |
| No residual tumor | 1 (3%) | 1 (3%) | |
| Secondary malignancy | 4 (13%) | 3 (10%) | 1.0 |
| Neoadjuvant chemotherapy | 0 | 2 (7%) | 0.49 |
Categorical variables are shown as number of patients and frequencies. Continuous variables are shown as mean ± SD except when indicated otherwise. P-values represent unpaired t-test or Wilcoxon rank sum test for continuous variables and Fischer’s exact test for categorical variables.
Abbreviations: ASA: American Society of Anesthesiologists, IQR: interquartile range, LMWH: low-molecular-weight heparin, RIPC: remote ischemic preconditioning.