The Effect of General Anesthesia on Microcirculation as Assessed Using Noninvasive Near-Infrared Spectroscopy During Vascular Occlusion Testing in Pediatric Cardiac Surgery.

Induction of general anesthesia is associated with significant alterations in microcirculatory dynamics in pediatric cardiac surgery patients.

These changes occur despite relatively preserved macrocirculatory stability, indicating a dissociation between macrocirculation and microcirculation.

near-infrared spectroscopy combined with vascular occlusion testing may provide valuable noninvasive insight into perioperative microcirculatory function; however, the clinical significance of these findings requires further investigation.