The American journal of cardiology
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Preload and afterload were controlled intraoperatively in 2 groups of patients with valvular regurgitation and congestive heart failure in order to determine the effect of fluid loading on weight gain and subsequent recovery. As a part of their anesthetic management before cardiopulmonary bypass, 16 patients were given 1 liter of crystalloid with nitroprusside infused at 1 microgram/kg/min and 16 received 4 liters of crystalloid with nitroprusside at 4 micrograms/kg/min. Arterial and filling pressures were kept the same in both groups. ⋯ For the first 2 postoperative days, body weight remained unchanged and thereafter, both groups lost weight at 0.6 kg/day. Preoperative weight was reached on day 7 and discharge occurred on day 15, 2 kg below control. Thus, a modest operative weight gain in these patients is inevitable, benign, and independent of the volume of fluid infused before bypass.