Abstract
BACKGROUND: Heart rate variability (HRV), a sensitive marker of stress and autonomic nervous disorders, was significantly decreased in cardiovascular disease, inflammation, and surgical injury. However, the effect of radical gastrectomy on HRV parameters needs to be further investigated. METHODS: A prospective, observational study including 45 consecutive enrolled patients undergoing radical gastrectomy in our enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programs was conducted. Frequency- and time-domain parameters of HRV from 1 day prior to operation to 4 days postoperatively were continuously measured. Meanwhile, plasma cortisol and inflammatory markers were recorded and correlated to HRV parameters. RESULTS: Heart rate variability showed a solidly circadian rhythm. Anesthesia severely disturbed HRV parameters, resulting in a reduction of most of the HRV parameters. Frequency-domain parameter (including VLF) and time-domain parameters (including the SDNN, SDANN, and triangular index) of HRV demonstrated a significant reduction compared to preoperative values on the postoperative day 1 (Pod1), and these HRV parameters could return to baseline on Pod2 or Pod3, indicating surgical stress and autonomic nerve dysfunction existed in the early postoperative period. Inflammatory biomarkers were significantly elevated on Pod1 and Pod3. Plasma cortisol decreased significantly on Pod1 and Pod3. Both inflammatory biomarkers and plasma cortisol had no significant correlation with HRV parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with plasma cortisol and inflammation biomarkers, HRV is more sensitive to detect surgical stress and autonomic nervous dysfunction induced by radical gastrectomy in patients with gastric cancer.